WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life

Ep 111 Making Room for God at the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"No room in the inn!" Sounds like Christmas is around the corner and it is! Do I have room to celebrate the Christ Child or is my planner too full? My life can get cluttered—not just with ordinary stuff—but with good, valuable, worthwhile stuff. And, worship, adoration, joy and peace get thrown out the window in the interest of "getting all the things done."
My mind can get like my pantry. Last year my daughter blessed me with a gift I requested: an organized pantry. This year I'll let her attack my closet, bless her.
God will guide us through the holidays and any season of the year when we take time to make room for Him in our lives. The amazing thing is that we don't! As Mary Grace made the point while organizing for me, "Mom, you can leave space on the shelf--it's soothing to the eye and you can find things easier."
I am more at peace and can find His leading better when I make room for Him.
Listen today and see how God may be leading you to change how you organize your life, all for heaven's sake and yours.
 
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Welcome Heart Presents
Hospitality Tea Towels!
See Shop for details (and more on the way)
Make your favorite pumpkin bread or fruit cake, add one of these pretty towels and you are DONE!
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Here are 5 ideas for inviting others into the true meaning of Christmas, but I don't suggest you do all 5!! (If I did, I definitely would not be making room for Jesus!)
Click here for 5 ideas plus 2 well-loved recipes, all for heaven's sake. 
 
 

Ep 110 A Legacy of Certainty and Identity with Janell Wood

Janell Woods, mother of 4 of her own and 4 abroad, and host of "Finding Something REAL" Podcast shares today her struggle to embrace her identity in God and how that made all the difference in facing disappointment, insecurity, and loss. Because she knows firsthand how God is the only one who can meet our deepest needs, she goes after the "girl in the back pew who is unsure about her faith." 
If you are wondering if you are enough, or you want to make sure that your kids grow up with confidence in how God's made them, you will love today's podcast. 
Janell's daily questions to her kids when she lets them off for school are:
1. Who are you?
2. Who loves you?
3. Is anything today going to change any of that?
So, go and be a light for Jesus.
From Janell:
What I hope you’ll find whether listening to the podcast, reading my writing, or hearing me speak, are humble stories about finding something REAL. My prayer is that everything I share is an invitation saturated with grace, sometimes, a good dose of humor and and an ever-increasing love for Jesus Christ and the REALness He alone offers this world.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Read Crazy Love if ever in doubt about what does the Bible says about who I am and who God is.
 
 
Find Janell here: www.janellwood.com
Parable of the Talents found here.
Link to the exchange program.Ep

Ep 109 Home is Where Our Legacy Begins with Meg Glesener

Meg Glesener, a wife of 31 years, and a mother of 8, loves pouring into her family, friends, and church in a very intentional way. She began her podcast, Letters From Home--Everyday Extraordinary Faith Stories - so that we can celebrate the faithfulness of God in His followers, based in the passage in II Corinthians 3:3, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone." 
Hear Meg's legacy and be encouraged! To live a life that is available to others, offering a home and life that provides healing and refreshment, providing a "visual" of God's ongoing work in our lives.
 
FREE APP* Letters From Home Podcast has its own downloadable app., with all of our episodes in one easy place. Search our podcast name in the Apple APP store, and in the Google Play store. All free!Email: lfhpodcast@gmail.comWebsite: https://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/Facebook:facebook.com/letters from home podcast/Instagram:instagram.com/letters from home podcastLetters From Home Monthly Newsletterhttps://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/We are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, IHeartRadio, Amazon and all of the places podcasts live. :)

Ep 108 The Powerful Purpose of an Introvert: A Legacy of Embracing Who God Made You to Be with Holley Gerth

You may know Holley Gerth as the author of inspiring devotional books and co-host of the popular podcast, Not Just Small Talk, but today we are talking about a book I'm very excited about because I love some wonderful introverts! Holley's book, The Powerful Purpose of Introverts-Why the World Needs You to be You can change your life, introvert or not. I told her I was a raging Extrovert and she smiled benignly and continued to encourged me to be exactly who God made me to be.
So refreshing! Trying to be someone you're not can be so lonely and exhausting. Six years ago, Holley faced burnout and began researching what it meant to be an introvert and how God made us a certain way for His pleasure and purpose. She writes this as a gift to help introverts thrive in a culture that celebrates the extrovert until they take the time to appreciate all that an introvert brings to the table. You will love this interview. Thanks, Holley!
Leave a message in comments to be entered to win your own copy.
Since the time of this recording, Holley's latest devotional is out. You can also win a free copy by commenting here or on instagram
About Holley:
The Short Version: I like humans, words, and good coffee.
The Longer Version: My grandparents owned a little Christian bookstore in Texas. I had a good childhood, bad bangs, and spent a lot of time reading in trees.
I grew up to be a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, life coach, and podcaster with a Masters of Science Degree in counseling. I’ve spent the last decade empowering about half a million people to realize more of their God-given potential through books like You’re Already Amazing, Fiercehearted, and The Powerful Purpose of Introverts.
I know what it’s like to fight anxiety and depression, perfectionism and insecurity, doubt and burnout. I also know what it’s like to become a kick-butt overcomer who refuses to let any of those things win, who finally discovered how to be comfortable and free in her own imperfect introvert skin.
 
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Introverts can be best at hospitality. They know how to notice others and they listen with their hearts.
Now is the time to begin opening your doors. This will help: 
HOSPITALITY BY THE DAY
WHAT TO DO TODAY TO HOST GUESTS IN A MONTH--A 4-Week Plan
 
JOIN HERE
 
Join today and the first simple task begins on the following Monday. Let me know how it goes. Email me at sue@welcomeheart.com
 

Ep 107 A Legacy of Practicing Hospitality: Let God Lead the Way (and It Will All Turn Out Okay)

I like it that we talk about hospitality in terms of practice. It means we get better with practice—but of course, getting better or becoming a great hostess is not the goal. Feeling secure and confident and at-east is so that we can better focus on the guest. That's what it's all about
We've been fooled into thinking that hospitality has to do with us, the host, rather than the one who needs a place at our table. We may think we are in charge, but God will give us all we need when the time comes to answer the doorbell.
 
As CS Lewis wrote:
“At this feast it is he Who has spread the board and it is He Who has chosen the guests. It is He, we may dare to hope, who sometimes does, and always should, preside. Let us not reckon without our Host.”
 
Recognizing that I’m not in control of most things reminds me to depend on God for my strength. As my friend, Bonnie told me, “It’s God Who does the real work, anyway – the work that lasts for eternity.” Recently, I got to practice hospitality while allowing God to lead the way. I prepped and planned and then watched Him choose the guests in spite of my prepping and planning.
 
Recipe for Jamie's Chicken Corn Chowder, as promised:
4 strips of bacon2 cups cubed potatoes   1 small diced onion2 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken   1 - 8 oz can corn1 8 - oz can cream corn1 cup light cream  ½ t. pepper
Chopped parsley for a tasty garnish
Fry bacon until crisp.  Drain, cool and crumble.  Sauté onions in bacon drippings until tender (8-10 minutes).  In Dutch oven, combine onions, potatoes, chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes or so. Add chicken, whole corn, cream corn, light cream and pepper.  Heat thoroughly.  Garnish with parsley and crumbled bacon.
 
Join The Beauty of Autumn today for more recipes and inspiration
Please, you're all invited, to my FREE Facebook group: Welcome Heart, Welcome Home!
 
And if you're ready to do one thing every day for 24 days to be ready for company on that last day, sign up here.
Stay tuned for a new recipe, "Italian Stuffing" by Diana Claire. On the blog in November! 
 
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Read about Sue’s topics and testimonials at womenspeakers.com
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life - let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe:
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OR
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Ep 106 A Legacy of Sustaining a Beautiful Marriage with Dorothy Littell Greco

I asked author, speaker, photojournalist, Dorothy Littell Greco, why she began writing and speaking about marriage and I got the right answer: her own marriage had been challenging and hard! Dorothy was quick to say that she and her husband of 30 years, Christopher, recognized they were seriously stuck and if their marriage was going to succeed, they needed to step back, examine what was really going on, and get some help. As a result, they learned how to pour into their own marriage to make it flourish after struggling for their first 10 years. Most people don't wait 10 years, they just jump ship and look for the next cruise to pick them up and meet all their expectations. 
Listen today and be encouraged to not give up on your marriage, as well as live a life paying attention to and serving the world around you.  You may not need this message but you know someone who does. Sharing it with them could help them begin to "get un-stuck"—Dorothy says it's possible and that may be all the encouragement they need.
Leave a comment to be entered into a giveaway to receive Dorothy's first book, Making Marriage Beautiful. Extra entries for leaving a review on this podcast!
About Dorothy:
Since graduating from Boston University in 1983, I have been working as a photographer, author, writer, and speaker. I feel equally at home speaking in front of hundreds or standing behind my camera without saying a word. My words and images offer hope and encouragement to those longing for healing, reconciliation, and joy.
My writing has been featured in Christianity Today, Missio Alliance, MOPs, Relevant Magazine, Christians for Biblical Equality, The Mudroom, Sojourners, Biola Center for Marriage and Family, Christine Cain’s Propel for Women, Perennial Generation, Patheos, and The Englewood Review of Books. Making Marriage Beautiful, my first book, was published by David C Cook in January of 2017. My second book, Marriage in the Middle, was published by InterVarsity Press in September of 2020. 
 
You can find and follow Dorothy here:
www.dorothygreco.com
Twitter: @dorothygreco
FB: Words&Images by DorothyGrecoPhotography
 
Dorothy loves to cook and you can find several recipes on her website. Here's a muffin favorite, Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins.
 
 
 
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Read about Sue’s topics and testimonials at womenspeakers.com
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life - let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe:
Choose one of these popular free listening services, and subscribe there:
    
OR
Subscribe to Welcome Heart's weekly email newsletter, blog updates, and podcast notes, here!
 
 
 

Ep 105 A Legacy of a Wildly Productive Life with Jordan Raynor

You will love this conversation with Jordan Raynor about how to be the boss of your time, living out God's agenda, and being wildly productive without feeling frantic or stressed—instead, just the opposite. I don't like time management books—they make me feel guilty (or frantic or stressed) but Jordan's latest book, Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive will inspire you to live how God intended. It releases this Tuesday, October 19 and if you pre-order before, you will be entered to win a free trip to the Holy Land.
Buy this book--for yourself and for a friend and maybe your son-in-law and pastor. 
Jordan is giving a copy away this week - so leave a comment here or on instagram to be entered.
So many great gems in today's podcast: 
"To do our most exceptional work we need to learn to be fully present with one person and one task at a time."
"God gets to define our mission in life becuase He created us, and that mission is to glorify Him."
"To be wildly productive, we need to make hard choices between equally good things."
"To be like Jesus is to be wildly productive."
Jordan Raynor is the national best-selling author of Called to Create, Master of One, and his most recent book, Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive. Through his work as an author and serial entrepreneur, he has helped millions of Christians around the world connect the gospel to their work through his “Call to Mastery” podcast and weekly devotionals, The Word Before Work. 
He also serves as the executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech start-up that has built the world’s largest library of 360-degree virtual experiences of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. A highly sought-after speaker on the topic of faith and work, Raynor has spoken at many events around the world including Harvard University, SXSW, and has been selected as a Google fellow twice. He has been interviewed by many media outlets including CNBC, Fast Company, WIRED Magazine, “In the Market with Janet Parshall,” and the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast.  Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three daughters. For more information, visit https://www.jordanraynor.com & 
https://www.instagram.com/jordanraynor
 
 
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Our mission is to glorify God, as Jordan said, and we all can do that by inviting someone to our table even if we weren't raised in a hospitable home or we just don't know how to go about it. 
 
I've broken down the challenge of "having company" into 4 weeks of tiny, daily tasks to make it simple—and simply wonderful—to obey God's commandment, 
"Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." I Peter 4:9 
Click here  and you will begin on a Monday to prepare to host guests in a month.
 
 
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Read about Sue’s topics and testimonials at womenspeakers.com
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life - let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe:
Choose one of these popular free listening services, and subscribe there:
    
OR
Subscribe to Welcome Heart's weekly email newsletter, blog updates, and podcast notes, here!
 
 
 

Ep 104 A Legacy of Kingdom Building with Courtney Lowman

Today's conversation is with Courtney Lowman from the Journey of Ruth Podcast. I ask Courtney how she came up with that title, what her main legacy is, and how she fought to keep that legacy in focus. Just because we may hear from God and know that He's telling us some robust instruction, it doesn't mean it's always easy to change direction and follow His voice. 
To give you a hint. She heard Him ask: "Whose kingdom are you going to build—yours or Mine?" Listen to hear how she answered and how we, too, can make a choice that builds into eternity. She shares a printable that has helped her and many others. A word from Courtney:
The Journey of Ruth Podcast has a goal of encouraging women in faith and discipleship. I believe all women need to be inspired in their walk with God and have the ability to encourage others around them. Each week I get to have a fun conversation with a wise woman of the faith about their challenges and victories in life.
 
If you need guidance in how to find a Mentor, check out Courtney's resource here.
 
 
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Have you joined my 24-Days to Hospitality Challenge yet? One simple daily task, 4 weeks, company at your table - all for heaven's sake!
Sign up here and the very next Monday you can begin. I can't wait to hear how you do!
 
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Read about Sue’s topics and testimonials at womenspeakers.com
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life - let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe:
Choose one of these popular free listening services, and subscribe there:
    
OR
Subscribe to Welcome Heart's weekly email newsletter, blog updates, and podcast notes, here!
 
 
 
 
 

Ep 103 A Legacy of a Wounded Healer with Bonnie Gray

Author, speaker, soul-care coach, Bonnie Gray shares  her legacy of being honest enough to tell your story, no matter the pain and hardship in that story. When she started experiencing panic attacks as an adult she didn't know what was going on. Life was good. Life was moving forward. But her body was telling her something different. 
She discovered she needed to return to her past, write her story, and learn that God was with her all along the way. 
Bonnie is offering a free audiobook of her latest book, Sweet Like Jasmine if you pre-order by Tuesday, October 5, as well as a journal that you can go through to help you write your own story  or share with a group of friends. 
Check it out here. 
Bonnie Gray was raised in Chinatown in San Francisco. Her mom was a mail-order bride, and her dad ran a noodle house. He left the family when she turned 7. This is the story of Bonnie's search for her day, and finding that God was with her all the time. Telling our stories helps heal our souls, all for the good of God's children. 
 
 
 
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Have you joined my 24-Days to Hospitality Challenge yet? One simple daily task, 4 weeks, company at your table - all for heaven's sake!
Sign up here and the very next Monday you can begin, and I can't wait to hear how you do!
 
 
 

Ep 102 A Legacy to Say ”I‘m sorry” with Amber Cullum of Grace Enough

Amber Cullum learned from her husband's family what she didn't learn in her own that to say, "I'm sorry" makes all the difference in building strong, healthy and loving relationships.
Host and creator of the podcast, Grace Enough, Amber's desire is to share stories of faith and resilience that glorify God and encourage His followers that no matter what's happened in our lives, His grace covers it all.
Today she talks about her struggles with postpopartum depression, as well as the legacy she's teaching her children about the value of asking forgiveness, and the practical application of God's Word.
Amber Cullum is the podcast host behind Grace Enough—a podcast designed to encourage believers that God can use you to impact His kingdom no matter your story.  He does the changing, the transforming, the redeeming—not us.  It does require daily surrender, faith, and trust, but we must remember His grace is enough.
Amber is saved by His grace alone, but doesn't always act like it. She is wife to Sam, mom of 3, and Physical Therapist turned stay-at-home mom. She loves authentic and raw conversations with women about their walks with God and one another.  She loves connecting women with God, people, and resources to spur them on in their walks with Jesus and remind them that God's grace is enough.