WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life

WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life with Sue Donaldson from WelcomeHeart.com. Hear how to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life - let’s make the most of it by inviting others into God’s welcoming heart.

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Episodes

Monday Feb 19, 2024

Colleen Swindoll Thompson speaks today about "reframing her pain" and what she didn't learn in Sunday School. "We don't like to hear that life includes suffering," Thompson states, "and that modeling how to suffer well is the best legacy we can leave our children." She was raised well and she figured if she did "her part for God and with God" she'd be okay. But she wasn't.
Through multiple difficult and tragic circumstances, she learned to lean in toward God and allow Him to do his refining work, and all of it helped her establish "Reframing Ministries"—an organization to bless, encourage and support the caregiver.
Colleen will be giving away a copy of her book When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell You in Sunday School this week. Leave a comment below or on social media to be entered to win. 
Some gems from our conversation:
God's way is so different from what we plan—so much bigger and better but we don't see that right away.
I was raised with the idea that if I do my part, God would give me an abundant life without suffering.
I want to leave a legacy of listening well because that means I'm loving well.
How I treat others that God has entrusted into my care takes vulnerability and the willingness to ask for help.
We can face our challenges and trials either by fighting with God, asking "Why, God?" and trying to fix things on our own or by asking Him, "What do I do now? You've given me this day and these trials—I need help." 
God knows you: your health, your emotions, your relationships—all the things—and He will supply the person or persons that you need when you need it.
When we find ourselves stuck, not knowing how to move forward, the first step is to acknowledge our need; then pray, "Lord, I don't know what to do."
God doesn't say, "I need to you do" as much as "I need you to be"—close to me, crying out for help and resting in His presence.
Sign up for Colleen's 5-Day Patio Videos Devotional Series HERE.
View Colleen's story here or here.
Do you know a caregiver who would be encouraged by this podcast? Please share the link today.
 
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Maybe someone in your neighborhood needs to hear Colleen's message of reframing. If I don't know my neighbor, it's hard to love them as Jesus loves them. You can start by hosting a coffee. This printable can get you on your way, including two simple recipes (I only do simple)—
 
 

Monday Feb 05, 2024

When Twyla's daughters say, "Are we walking the neighborhood or talking the neighborhood?" she knows she's been passing down a legacy worth living. She says drawing close to God is the first step in loving our neighbors and some of her favorite words begin with "R."
Twyla Franz is a big believer in baby steps and ripple-effect living. An Enneagram 9 learning to live open, she loves front-yard conversations with neighbors, chalk-painted furniture, and Yogi’s blueberry tea. As a missional neighboring guide, she helps others get close to Jesus and grow deep, missional friendships with neighbors. Find her words (written and recorded) on TheUncommonNormal.com. Other places Twyla writes include (in)courage, Relevant, Her View From Home, and The Grit and Grace Project. She also hosts Begin Within: A Gratitude Series to encourage year-round gratitude (because gratitude, she says, has a ripple effect.)
 
Some gems:
So often we complicate our faith instead of just living the rhythms of drawing close to Jesus and allowing him to ripple out onto our neighbors.
To live missional is to live "interruptible."
When we make ourselves vulnerable, we become approachable so that the Good News naturally or supernaturally pours out.
My preference is not to ask for help but I find that makes me real and makes Jesus real to my neighbor.
I know God differently on my knees than anywhere else.
When I know where the goal is, I keep inching my way forward; I don't have to get there overnight. 
God's abundance isn't only for us, it's for how it flows over and out of our lives for those we meet everyday.
Whatever we hope to do in our neighborhood, we need to start in our homes. 
A piece of our purpose is to thank God every day in our hearts and in the presence of others. 
 
Free sample week of Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors
And,
Find out if you are accidentally keeping your friendships shallow—and what you can do about it
 
Find Twyla in all these places:
Website—https://theuncommonnormal.com/
Cultivating a Missional Life Devotional https://theuncommonnormal.com/book/
Freebies (including sample week of devotional)—https://theuncommonnormal.com/subscribe/
Begin Within: A Gratitude Series—https://theuncommonnormal.com/category/gratitude-series/
Podcast—https://theuncommonnormal.com/podcast/
Instagram—https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonnormal/
Facebook—https://www.facebook.com/theuncommonnormal
 

Monday Jan 29, 2024

Jordan Raynor returns to Living a Legacy Life Podcast today to talk about his radical and biblical view of our work, all of our work, and how it matters to God and to eternity. Jordany is the leading voice on work and faith and you may have been first introduced to his writing with his great books, Created to Create and Redeeming Your Time (Hear our conversation about that HERE.)
Today he addresses our misconceptions of our work, our view of heaven as well as the Great Commission as most of us know it. Join us as we tackle these great topics from his latest book:
The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You're Not Sharing the Gospel)
 
You will be motivated and blessed. OH! And he's giving one away so be sure to leave a comment below to be entered. 
So many convo gems:
We know our jobs matter to God: His one and only Son, Jesus was raised in the home of a small business owner!
We live with too many half-truths about heaven. 
The first commission is to make the world more useful for people's benefit and enjoyment.
God delights in every detail of our lives, most of which includes our work. 
Our work is a vehicle for bringing God eternal pleasure.
The Great Commission is great but it's not the only thing that God values. 
The Gospel includes the redemption of the earth, not only the salvation of our souls. 
Make a list of questions that will launch conversations from the surface, to the serious, to the spiritual and keep them in your phone.
 
Follow Jordan at jordanraynor.com
 Podcasts and books.
 
 
 

Monday Jan 15, 2024

Alyssa Evans never met her dad and was raised in a foster home, then adopted. It wasn't until she had her first child that she decided to embrace faith in Christ. And found her "forever family." As a military wife (Marines!) she's moved countless times and struggled often with loneliness that is typical with military families. she compared herself (a little bit!) with Jesus since his fulltime ministry was 3 years and a typical military duty is 3 years where families need to uproot again, find new friends for themselves and their kids. Alyssa and her husband want to continue ministering to the military family unit in some way after his retirement which is not that far away. 
Some gems from our conversation: 
Women become incredibly isolated when they uproot every three years or so and they need someone to come alongside and just be with them.
We want to love people with the same love that Jesus loves us.
Our church knew we wouldn't be sticking around because of the military so their attitude was: "Hey! We don't care how long you're staying and if it's a short time, it just means we will love you harder!"
The least I can do is invite someone to my table.
If there are snacks for the kids, sometimes that's all that's needed to gather women around my table (and by snacks I mean a big bowl of popcorn and another one of cereal.)
I find that as we get older, we're so busy with our older kids, we don't take time to develop our women friendships. We need to put it on the calendar.
When I'm feeling blue and lonely, I've learned that if I'm invited somewhere that I say, "Yes!" no matter what. 
The Lord has more for me and he humbles and sustains us. 
When wallowing in loneliness, I've learned to stop saying, "Why, Lord?" and changing it to, "Lord, what will You have me learn from this situation?"
When I'm authentic with my story, it deepens a new friendship and lets another know there is room at my table.
 
 

Monday Jan 01, 2024

Free lance writer, editor, mother of two, Jenny Abel talks today on the preciousness of recalibrating your life, all for heaven's sake. Co-author with Kenneth Boa of the book, Recalibrate Your Life: Navigating Transitions with Purpose and Hope, Abel defines recalibration as consciously processing where we've been, where we are now, and looking ahead to where God may want to lead us. "This isn't something we only do at the end of our lives," Jenny says, "rather we do it on a regular basis to help us gain perspective: Are we numbering our days to gain a heart of wisdom?"
Leave a comment below or on social media to be entered to win a copy of Recalibrate Your Life.
Teach us to number our days,    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
Some gems:
At the heart of recalibration is a pilgrim mindset.
Before we can recalibrate, we need to calibrate: do we belong to God? Are our minds set on Christ?
My relationship with God would not be what it is without my time in the dark valley of infertility.
Knowing you are really going to die someday changes everything.
Our career changes; the calling on our lives is never ending.
Suffering prompts recalibration.
My desire is to inspire others to know and hope in God and call them to gaze on God's beauty.
Our pride, our day-to-day inertia, digging in our heels—all of these things keep us from numbering our days. 
Jenny Abel is an editor and writer for Ken Boa, coauthor of Recalibrate Your Life. Having sat under Boa’s teaching since she was a teenager, she began working for him and his Reflections Ministries in 2013. She served as editor of the monthly Reflections teaching letter from 2017 to 2023. She cowrote Shaped by Suffering and A Guide to Practicing God’s Presence with Dr. Boa and edited his book Life in the Presence of God. A freelance writer and editor, she founded Jenny M. Abel Editorial Services (www.abeleditorial.com) in 2011. She holds a BS in mathematics with a concentration in Latin American studies from Furman University, is a graduate of the Focus on the Family Leadership Institute, and resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, Ben, and their two young children.
 
Book web page: http://recalibrateyourlife.org
 
Ken Boa’s website: http://kenboa.org  
Ken’s social media: Reflections Ministries - YouTube, Facebook, Kenneth Boa (@ken.boa) • Instagram photos and videos
 
 
AND, Jenny shared a recipe! Yay! I'm not sure I'd decrease the butter, but that's just me. Thanks, Jenny!
Grand Canyon Coffee CakePart 1:
¾ c. canola or vegetable oil2½ c. flour*¾ c. sugar1 c. brown sugar (light or dark)1 tsp. nutmeg1 tsp. saltPart 2:
2 tsp. cinnamon2 eggs, beaten1 c. buttermilk1 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. baking soda1 stick butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine Part 1 ingredients and mix thoroughly (in an electric mixer).Take ¾ c. of this mixture and set it aside.Part 2: To the set-aside mixture, add 2 tsp. cinnamon. This will serve as the topping. To the restof the Part 1 mixture, add eggs, buttermilk, powder, and soda. Pour into the bottom of a greased 9” x13” pan. Sprinkle the topping crumbles on top, distributing evenly. Bake 25–30 min. or until toothpickcomes out clean.Melt the 1 stick butter and drizzle on top of the hot cake. Serve warm for breakfast or anytime!*Note: I often use whole wheat flour for all or part of this case to make it healthier. I also decrease theamount of butter drizzled on top to about ½ to 2/3 of a stick.
 

Monday Dec 18, 2023

When God said, “Be hospitable” he added a caveat which could only be divine: “And while you’re at it, don’t be grumpy.” It’s easy to be grumpy because hospitality is work especially if you don’t think you are very good at it. Some people are really great hosts. We describe them as “good at entertaining.” But God didn’t say, “Be good entertainers.” There’s a difference. Seems to me that entertaining has more to do with me and hospitality has more to do with my guests
My friend told me that the hardest part of hospitality is trying too hard to impress with appearance and presentation instead of being genuinely warm and welcoming.  Emphasizing these things can leave her feeling superficial and flat rather than warm, loving and satisfied.  She said, "I have to remind myself that entertaining is not the same thing as hospitality.   I need to slow down and take time to nurture relationships." 
She's right. I need to remind myself of the same thing, especially when I end up running around at the last minute, barking orders at the family to help me finish whatever isn’t, and making a general mess of a kind and loving atmosphere - - all in the name of “making things nice for the company.
Mom was raised in the ungrace of no hospitality. But she wanted to help people know that they were a big deal to God by inviting them over for strawberry jello and baked chickens in the blue roaster on time-bake on Sundays. So she kept inviting and that’s how she broke that chain and raised all us Moore kids with grace enough to do the same only I don’t usually make jello and often I buy the pie. We all know how to make coffee. Thank you, Mom.
   Karen Mains wrote:  "True hospitality comes before pride.  It has nothing to do with impressing people, but everything to do with making them feel welcome and wanted." 
Some thoughts from today's episode:
God wants to use our hospitality as a vehicle for Him to change lives – our lives and those we invite.
True hospitality is "relationship-based" rather than "show-off based."
The more I accept that grace, the easier it is for me to give grace to everyone else. I think that’s called love.
Hospitality can get confused with Entertaining. Both are great – both can be used by God – but they are not the same.
God is interested in me, but when I invite someone over, he wants me to show my guests that he’s interested in them.
If one is truly hospitable, one shows graciousness, courtesy, and genuine kindness--all qualities of our loving God. Someone can show these qualities without owning table settings for twelve with matching linen napkins.
There is no one more hospitable than God, and we are to be His welcome to the world.
Great food, good times, a gorgeous home—is that what hospitality is all about? 
God makes room even when no one else does, and sometimes in the most unlikely places. Sometimes we just need to make room so that someone becomes part of the Bigger Story.
 
 

Monday Dec 04, 2023

Welcome Carol Feil of Yellow Boot Fame to Legacy Living today! We talk about what matters most during the busy holiday season and we laugh a lot, too! People are lonelier than ever and how can we include rather than exclude to help others connect to a family, even if for one evening? Sometimes choosing "simple" over "elaborate" is the best gift we can give our own families as well as ourselves so we can focus on what really matters and choose to make this time a sacred space. 
Some Carol gems:
Simplifying allows us to focus on what's most important durlng the holidays.
Love can mean learning to give someone what they are willing to receive.
I've discovered that doing things that help our family connect is more valuable than buying more gifts and putting on elaborate events.
Our "shoulds" are not always grounded in reality.
My family was happier with less; I had to learn to expect less of myself.
I taught my children that we aren't purposely exclusive when we are purposely inclusive, but we have to look out for that one who is feeling excluded by our inclusivity. 
We "should" ourselves into doing more when it only adds more stress and no one else is expecting it--only us.
A gift from Carol, first a word:
I love everything about Christmas - well, almost everything.  Tinsel and holly, yes. Stress and overwhelm, no.  Coco and caroling, yes.  Overloaded calendar, no. 
You get the idea.  It's easy to overcommit, overdo, then overwhelm ourselves as Christmas approaches.  How often does the schedule dictate what you focus on?
I have learned that by choosing what goes on the calendar in advance, I can simplify, stay sane so I can focus on the Sacred of the Season. 
I want this for you, too. I've created a FREE resource to remind you: You have permission to choose sane and simple so Sacred can be the focus.
Carol wears yellow-boots in the garden - they are her “listen & learn”boots. She takes pictures of everything! Slugs & bugs & selfies! But,her grandkids are her favorite to frame.She will tell you growth in life is good and gardens are proof. Shebelieves God grows us where we are and helps us to be rooted andgrounded in His unchanging character. He knows our pain and loves usmore than we can imagine.Let Carol encourage you today, so you too, can plant a seed of hopefor another tomorrow.You can find Carol through her website www.carolfeil.com, on Instagramand Facebook.
 

Monday Nov 27, 2023

Kristen Welch went to Kenya on Compassion trip with an agenda. God wrecked her instead, all for His glory and purpose. Kristen thought she had God and faith figured out but instead she realized she had not been really living the Christian life as God requires all of us to live who call ourselves followers of Jesus. As a result of that encounter with God and with the world's poverty, Kristen founded the non-profit, Mercy House Global. You can hear more of story in her book, Rhinestone Jesus, and today's conversation will encourage you and maybe even wreck you, all for heaven's sake. 
Kristen will be hosting a giveaway of her great book, Made to Move Mountains: How God uses Our Dreams and Disasters to Accomplish the Impossible.
You may already know Kristen from her great mom-blog, WeAreTHATFamily.com.
 
Some gems:
You never know when you say that "yes" of obedience where God will change you and use you.
My normal was impacted by the world's normal: 75% of the world live on $5.00 a day. 
Generosity is a spiritual discipline.
When we see someone start something big we use it as an excuse to not do anything.
Abiding in Christ is the main thing that keeps me from discouragement because the work is exhausting but it is His work.
Everyone is commanded to remember the marginalized.
Doing nothing is a response too.
I found myself in the classroom of Surrender, 101, and I stopped expecting it to be easy. 
 
Kristen is passionate about empowerment, taking action, responding to God’s command to care for vulnerable people and making a difference with how we spend money. Find all you need to know on MercyHouseGlobal.org.
And prayerfully consider buying your Chirstmas gifts from Mercy House Global. Those subscriptions boxes sound amazing!
 

Monday Nov 13, 2023

Author, speaker, life coach, Caris Snider talks today about how she struggled with anxiety and depression and how that's not a bad thing, it's just a thing that can be progressed through with the help of community, the truths of God's Word and presence, and possibly a  coach and/or therapist. Overwhelmed with all the things a mom faces, she began a little podcast that's become a big one called "Car Line Mom" - what we think about while we're in all the lines waiting with our kids or for our kids. Her latest book, by the same title is available today: Car Line Mom: 100 Days of Encouragement for the Mama Who Gets Everyone Everywhere.
 
Some gems from today's podcast:
When negative thoughts come in, don't let them stay!
No matter how we struggle as moms, we are never alone. 
No one in the Bible did their journey alone; ask God for a friend to journey with you as a mom.
I learned through my own feelings of inadequacy and living an over-committed life that it's okay to say "no" and create healthy margins
A coach helps us Zoom Out on your life map to see how we can get where we want to go.
Jesus was a our model even in negative feelings so we don't need to be afraid to have them.
We don't need to be afraid to talk about faith and mental health.
As mom's we feel like we can't fail which adds chaos and "overwhelm" to our lives. 
We need to live from the overflow of God's presence. He promises peace; we need to live in and from that peace.
CARIS SNIDER loves to share the hope of God through speaking, writing, coaching, and leading worship. She is the author of “Anxiety Elephants: 31 Day Devotional” and “Anxiety Elephants: 90 Day Devotional for Tween Boys and Girls.” From her own personal experience, she helps women in their journey of overcoming depression, anxiety, fear, and shame. Caris lives with her husband, Brandon, and two daughters in Cullman, Alabama.
A word from Caris:
I am so glad that you have found your way here. You see, I know what it is like to be shackled in guilt and shame, feeling hopeLESS and purposeLESS. BUT, I also know the freedom of those shackles being broken and beginning to live a life FULLfilled. I have my good days and I have my bad days. I have had some pretty dark days as well. I don't know what type of day you are having, but just know that many of us have been where you are, and there is hope to make it out.
Find free resources HERE.
Follow her instagram to learn more: @carissnider
And her website is carissnider.com
 
 

Monday Oct 30, 2023

Jilliann Woods grew up in an abusive environement which didn't stop with her childhood. Because she didn't understand the oppression under which she was raised, she found herself in repeated abusive relationships. She finally realized that God created all of us to be heard and seen and empowered by His Spirit, she now lives free and boldly counsels and teaches multitudes of women so that they too can find our God-given freedom in Christ. Thank the Lord, for Jilliann's courage and love for others. Check out her two free resources on her website: jillian-woods.com. And pass them along to anyone you know who might need help in this painful and crippling life situation. 
Free guide: How to Climb Out of Oppression
Free printable: Bold and Free Manifesto
 
 
Some gems from our conversation:
I thought it was my duty to be nice at the expense of being honest.
All the things I wanted to keep secret, I now share to help others.
One oppressive relationship when younger can lead to a series of abusive relationships as an adult.
When you suspect someone may be in an abusive relationship, develop trust by just being there for them and then begin asking gentle questions.
God gives us all kinds of permission to be bold. 
I learned I do have a voice given to me by God, empowered by Him to be used by His Spirit.
How does a woman transition from being "beside the point" to becoming the very point of her own life?
Jilliann Woods is a writer, abuse survivor, and founder of Be Bold. Live Free—providingencouragement, coaching, and resources for women affected by abuse in close relationships. Currently,she is writing a book for Christian women who seek a path to freedom from abuse and relationshipaddiction. She is a certified Domestic Violence Peer Counselor. Jilliann is Mom to three amazing adults,and Grammie to seven cherished grands. She happily resides on the Central Coast of California.
 
3 Steps to Take if You are in an Abusive Relationship:
 
[Safety first for yourself and your children. If physical violence is an issue, find safe shelter. If you don't have a place to go call: 800.799.7233]
1. Confide in a trusted friend. Even if you feel ashamed or embarrassed, a trusted friend will understand and realize the abusive behavior of your spouse is not your fault.
2. Find a mentor or counselor who is trauma informed. Someone who will know what you are going through. Ask your friend to help with this step. If you are a Christian, find a trauma informed faith-based coach or counselor. 
3. Be honest with yourself, don't excuse the abuse, and don't accept the blame for his behavior. Pray and ask God for guidance and courage.  
 
NOTE: In abusive marriages, Marriage Counseling is not advisable. You need individual counseling. The abuser must be willing to get help and do the work to change his behaviors first.
 
Click here for  FREE 5-Step Toxic Relationship Reset Guide (scroll to bottom of Jilliann's home page)
 
Find and follow Jilliann in all the places--
https://jilliann-woods.com/https://www.instagram.com/jilliannwhttps://www.facebook.com/writerjilliannwoodshttps://www.pinterest.com/jilliannwoodscoach/
 

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