Shows
Journal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 185] The Power of Companionship: My Conversation with Laura HoweI have been incredibly blessed over the past several years to connect with other individuals who are doing similar work. Laura Howe is one of those people. Laura and I met as part of a mastermind we were both in. Where I focus on helping individual women come alongside their loved ones who are hurting, she focuses on equipping the church to support those in their congregations and communities. She does this through her organization, Hope Made Strong. Back in 2021, we were each other's podcasts, and today, I want to share an excerpt from my i...
2025-09-0218 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 174] Entering Into Scripture Through Imaginative PrayerHave you ever found your Bible reading to be a little dull or lifeless? Is it hard to see the people of the Bible as real individuals who encountered God? There's a practice that can help with this, and it's called imaginative prayer. Now, every time I think about explaining imaginative prayer to others, I can't help but think about my conversation with Eva Kubasiak on her podcast, Bible Study Made Simple. When I was talking with her, I shared with her this idea about imaginative prayer. With her permission, I want to s...
2025-03-1818 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 123] A Conversation with Marla Beech: Journaling as a Daily PracticeI don't know about you, but I love to hear about how others journal: what journaling methods they use, if they like to write by hand or type, the materials they use, and the rhythms and practices they have put in place. Because journaling is such a personal thing. What works for one person may not work for another. And really, what works for one person at one point in time may not work for them a few months down the road. The truth is, journaling goes through seasons of its own, doesn't it?
2023-07-1131 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 96] The Story of Love Does That Told Through Podcast InterviewsLet's Encourage One Another was born in March 2021 as a ministry out of my work at Love Does That. The purpose of Love Does That was really to reach out to women who were hurting or grieving—and teaching you to reach out to them, too. But the podcast is not where I started. In fact, spiritual direction is not where I started, either. As we near the end of the year, I've been reflecting on the journey that God has taken me on, from starting as a sympathy gift shop as a side hustle to...
2022-12-1310 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 82] Posturing Your Heart to Hear from God, Part 1: ReadyWelcome back to Let's Encourage One Another. My name is Kari Bartkus and I work as a spiritual director to women who are going through difficult seasons like grief, depression, fear, or anxiety. And I do so through a modern-day, letter writing style of spiritual direction, so we use email to write back and forth, sharing our questions, insights, and reflections with one another. One of the tools I use as I serve these women is… well, I don't have a fancy name for it, but it consists of 4 R's to hearing from God. This is something th...
2022-09-0612 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 78] Tips for When You're Afraid of Being MisunderstoodToday, I want to talk with you about something I have sensed happening both online and in real life interactions. It's something I notice because it's something I have experienced in the past. So when I saw it occurring, I knew it was something I wanted to talk about. And that is the fear of being misunderstood. I see it when there's an important topic we are discussing with someone else, and maybe we don't know what to say, or maybe we're talking about something, but others don't seem to get our point. They just...
2022-08-0913 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 77] Three Prayers for Discernment: Making Difficult Choices in Difficult SeasonsAs those who care for others, who seek to encourage them during difficult seasons, I know there are many times when we have to make difficult decisions. We might need to decide where someone we care about is going to live: in a nursing home, at their home with health care stopping in, or at our house. We might need to decide whether or not to have the surgery that may or may not work. We might need to decide if we're going to give up this aspect of our life for now so that we can...
2022-08-0209 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 76] Have a Hard Time Sensing God's Presence? Go Outside!I've got to tell you, there are some days where I really struggle to sense God's presence. Sometimes, life just feels empty and the daily tasks can overwhelm—I've got to get dishes done, and the laundry, and the kids need baths, and this needs done, and that's due tomorrow… and it's just so much. And I lose sight of God being there with me. Now, we know it's not always about experiencing Him in some fantastical way, right? We know, based on Scripture, that He is with us, whether we can sense His presence or not.
2022-07-2612 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Should You Join Journal Gently? Answering Your QuestionsYou've heard me mention Journal Gently a few times on recent episodes, but I haven't really taken the time to dive deep into what it's about, what it looks like, and things like that. I know many of you are wondering, "Should I join? Is it a good fit for me?" My hope is to provide you with some questions to help you figure out if the program is a good fit for you right now in this season you're in. Here we go! Kari >> SIGN UP FOR JOURNAL GENTLY
2022-07-2112 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 75] Carrying Our Friends to Jesus for HealingToday, I want to talk about a key idea that we really need to keep in mind as we care for our hurting friends, and that is… God is the one responsible for the healing, and we are there to support God in the work He is doing. Let me explain. You and I don't have the power to heal people from sickness or disease. That's God's part. However, you and I can support Him in His work by doing what He has given us to do: taking someone to their doctor's appointments assisting th...
2022-07-1907 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 74] Being a Communication Liaison for Your Hurting FriendWhen you have a friend who is in the thick of it, who is feeling overwhelmed by all the things, who is exhausted at the thought of returning all those messages they have received from family members and friends from church… perhaps you can offer to serve as their communication liaison. A liaison is someone who works to manage the interaction between two people or parties. In this case, as a communication liaison, you would serve as the person who receives information from your hurting friend and then shares appropriate information with others who might be asking....
2022-07-1213 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 73] Three Questions to Deepen Your Walk with the Lord + A Special Invitation to Journal GentlyWe all need moments when we pause to reflect. When we consider deeply what we have been feeling and experiencing. When we can ask God about the things stirring in our hearts and souls. If you were part of the Writing with God retreat, you know that it's important for us to pay attention to the things going on around us, to pay attention to the things going on inside of us, to pay attention to where God is moving, and to stop and take notice. To linger. And that's what I'm doing with these...
2022-07-0509 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 72] Tending Your Soul with Bible Teacher Mariel DavenportToday, we get to talk with Bible teacher Mariel Davenport about how to tend your soul, especially during difficult seasons of grief and hardship. You'll hear a bit of her story as we get started in our conversation together, but just know that Mariel was an atheist who was transformed by the Word of God, and she teaches women how to turn to God's Word to tend to their soul. Now, if you listen to any of the bonus episodes, you know we often explore spiritual practices that help us draw close to the Lord...
2022-06-2835 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Written Prayer: In the QuietBonus episodes are designed to be a space for us to explore some spiritual practices together. And these are so important for us, whether we are the ones caring for others, or we are the ones going through a difficult season. We need to cling to the Lord, to seek Him in the midst of the hurt and the pain. One spiritual practice is written prayers—reading prayers that others have written. I've found that this sometimes helps me find language to express something that I have been unable to express on my own. Or they reveal tr...
2022-06-2308 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 71] Thermometer vs Thermostat: How Each Type Impacts The Way You Care for OthersAs women, we've had this metaphor held up before us. As a thermometer, we read the temperature, as it were, of the room we're in. We can tell who is having a good day, who is having a bad day, and the general atmosphere of the room—whether we're at home with our family, at church for Bible study, or at work in a meeting. Often, we've been encouraged to be thermostats, especially in the home. Instead of reading the temperature of the room, we're supposed to "set it" by our words and actions. And in this wa...
2022-06-2107 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 70] What to Do When You Don't Have Anyone to Encourage YouWhat happens in those seasons where you feel like you don't have anyone there for you? Or when it seems like nobody cares? When your friends move away? When your trust has been betrayed? When you've asked for help but haven't received it? When you've asked for prayer and no one prays with you? When you don't even know how to express what you're feeling inside? What happens if you're a ministry leader and don't feel you can talk to others in your church? What...
2022-06-1409 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 69] The Problem with "What Not to Say" Lists and What You Need to Know InsteadHey, my friends. Welcome back to Let's Encourage One Another. Today, we are going to talk about one of the most common things we experience when we have a friend who is hurting. "I don't know what to say." It is a problem we all struggle with when someone we care about is hurting. We're afraid of being the one who messes it up. We don't want to be the person they remember as saying the off-handed comment at the funeral. We don't want to push our friend away because of some careless words that...
2022-06-0708 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 68] Experiencing God in Cancer with Fitness Coach Carmen JamesToday I am talking with fitness coach Carmen James about her journey with cancer and how she has—or has not—experienced God through it. Perhaps you're a bit taken aback by the combination of the words "cancer" and "fitness coach." And Carmen was, too. It was never something she thought she would have to face. Yet it was something that came knocking on her door anyway. Throughout our conversation, Carmen and I talk about things like when others worry about you because you're sick, the power of prayer and supportive relationships, practical tips on how...
2022-05-3146 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Breath Prayer: I Will Not Be AfraidToday we are going to talk about something that all of us deal with, and that is fear and anxiety. I have to admit that there are times when I get so afraid of something that my thoughts just start going crazy. I can start thinking about all kinds of scenarios that just get me worked up even more, afraid and anxious and restless, and it just is not good. Perhaps for you, it's worrying about a medical diagnosis, or the safety of your children, or protecting your home from natural disasters. Whatever it is...
2022-05-2706 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 67] We Have a Hard Time Saying and Accepting "No"Today, we are going to talk about a problem that so many of us struggle with—and it's actually a two-fold problem: saying no to someone's invitation to help and then also accepting no as an answer to your offer of help. But why are we talking about this in the first place? I mean, do we really have a hard time saying no to others when we need to? When they offer something we don't really need? Are we really okay when we offer help to someone else and they decline? Here's why I br...
2022-05-2411 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 66] [Written Spiritual Direction Session] LonelinessSome of my favorite episodes on other podcasts are when coaches let you listen into a live session. You can hear them as they are talking with someone about an issue or problem that they want to figure out. And I knew that this was something that I would love to incorporate on my own podcast as a spiritual director. What better way to give you a taste of what it's like than to let you listen in to a session? But I ran into two problems. The first problem is that a spiritual direction...
2022-05-1713 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 65] Learn to Linger with What Provokes YouThere are times when we are caring for others—or when they are caring for us—when something rubs us the wrong way. Maybe they say something to us. Maybe it's their tone of voice when they say something to us. Maybe we can't even identify what it is, exactly, but we know it doesn't sit well with us. Let's be honest… this happens even when we're not caring for others, right? But I've found that when we are interacting with someone we love, especially when we are trying to help them...
2022-05-1011 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 64] Approaching God Even In Your Anxiety with Your Bible Study Best Friend Eva KubasiakI mentioned last week that I have been meeting so many amazing gals online and I can't wait to introduce you to them all. Today is one of those conversations. Eva Kubasiak is the host of the Bible Study Made Simple podcast and is passionate about breaking down barriers to Bible study so beginners can learn and love God's Word. But there was a time when anxiety had Eva questioning God and her relationship with Him. If you struggle with anxiety, doubt, or questions about your faith, I know that Eva's story will be an...
2022-05-0331 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 63] Using Christian Spiritual Practices to Draw Closer to God with Blogger and Writer Celia MillerToday's guest is blogger and writer Celia Miller, and she and I met on Instagram. We both follow one particular writer, and somehow or another, we found each other and realized pretty quickly that we're both passionate about Christian spiritual practices, especially the more contemplative ones like prayer and journaling. As Celia and I have gotten to know one another, I knew I wanted to introduce you to her. So in today's conversation, we dive more into spiritual practices and some of the ones that are really resonating with Celia right now in this season of her...
2022-04-2637 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Spiritual Practice: Good Morning, GodI know that many of us think about more traditional spiritual practices like Bible study, Bible reading, prayer, and service. But what I'd like propose to you is that almost anything can be a spiritual practice—if you invite God into it. Washing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Caring for your kids. Today, I want to introduce you to a spiritual practice I have been trying to incorporate into my daily rhythm. It is something that helps me both start and end my day with God. And I call it...
2022-04-2209 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 62] Questions to Ask When You Doubt a Decision You've MadeHave you ever made a decision that you knew was the right one for you, that you felt was aligned with God's will and calling for you, and then found yourself worrying about it or second guessing yourself in the days and weeks—maybe even months—following it? I think we all face times when we wonder, Did I make the right decision? Or maybe, Did I hear God correctly? Is this what He wanted me to do? Whether we made a decision to care for someone else or to move our family to another town...
2022-04-1913 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 61] Perceiving God's Presence and Love with Spiritual Director and Author Sharon Garlough BrownIf I had to pick one author who has most deeply impacted me and taught me about life with God, I daresay it is Sharon Garlough Brown. The way she is able to weave spiritual insight into a story format resonates with me, and I am able to connect not only with her characters but also connect more deeply with God. And that is just one of many reasons why I am excited to share this conversation with you today. Sharon and I were able to talk about her books, but also about her own...
2022-04-1246 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 60] When Seasons Change and You Have to Make AdjustmentsIt seems like the moment I finally settle into a good rhythm or routine, there is a changing of the seasons. Something comes up that requires me, that invites me, to make adjustments. We are contemplating a pretty big change in our family and that has left me praying about these very things. I'm thinking about priorities and schedules and what God has called us to and weighing it all before the Lord to see where He leads. Perhaps you, too, are facing a season of change. Not just changing from winter to spring—which I...
2022-04-0513 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 59] Knowing When to Call in Reinforcements As You Care for OthersMost of us, throughout our lives, will have someone who is struggling with something really heavy. And we want to be there for them. We really do. But when we think about being able to help them or care for them, we feel completely lost and overwhelmed. And I think a lot of that boils down to the fact that we try to do too much on our own. Think back to episode 49, about finding your stretcher bearers. Sometimes, it is enough for us to have one or two close friends supporting us as we...
2022-03-2919 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] A Liturgy for Returning to Daily Life After a LossIn this episode, we are going to go through a liturgical prayer together that was written for those who have experienced a loss and are about to leave that time of marked grieving and return to daily living. To go back to school, back to work. To start paying the bills again or resuming whatever schedule we had prior to the loss. It is a difficult season to be in—still grieving, yet required to step back into life. I know that so many of you have experienced loss recently—whether that was the loss of a...
2022-03-2406 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 58] When Life Feels Purposeless with Life Purpose Coach Arris CharlesWhat do you do when you feel like you don't have a purpose? Or maybe let me ask it this way, Do you feel like you are living life on purpose? Do you struggle to find meaning with the work you do—whether that's a traditional job, a ministry you lead, or even caring for your own family and loved ones? I have seen, time and again, that when people feel purposeless, they struggle to have hope. They struggle to find meaning. Have you ever felt that way? And if so, what do you do in...
2022-03-2247 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 57] A Heart to Heart with Women's Ministries Leaders: You've Got to Reach Out to Those in Your Church Who Are HurtingToday, I am going to be sharing with you a session I led at the Women's Ministries Conference offered by Small Church Summits. I spoke specifically to women's ministries leaders about ministering to the gals in their church who were going through a difficult season, such as grief, depression, anxiety, or caring for an aging parent. This is a true heart-to-heart conversation. I want so desperately to help leaders understand what it might be like for someone they know to be going through a trying time. My friend, we as leaders struggle when we see...
2022-03-1531 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 56] How to Create a Personal Spiritual Retreat (And Reflections on My Own)Today I want to conclude a sort of mini-series about journaling and reflection with a reflection of my own, and it's going to center around a personal retreat I took a couple of weeks ago. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 27:8 (NLT), which says, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'" And to me, that speaks of an invitation from God and spend time with Him, to talk with Him about what's weighing on my heart, and to hear what He might...
2022-03-0815 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 55] Reflection and Journaling as a Lifelong Practice with Business Strategist Elizabeth McCravyThis week, we are going to dive deeper into our conversation about journaling and reflection as I talk with business strategist and podcast host Elizabeth McCravy. As I have listened to Elizabeth's podcast episodes, I have seen how she so naturally incorporates reflection and journaling into her everyday life, both personally and for her business. It is just something that she does so well. And so I asked her if she would be willing to talk more with us about that. We got to talk about the big picture of why we journal, plus dig...
2022-03-0147 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 54] 4 Simple Ways to Start (or Keep) JournalingFor those of us who are drawn to journaling, whether we are new to it or have been at it for years, there are still some obstacles and questions that come up. I don't have time to journal. I don't know what to write about. Writing by hand is hard for me. Is there a way to journal where I don't have write it out by hand? I started journaling, but it's hard for me to make it a regular practice. What if I don't want anyone else to read it? So today, while I can't dive...
2022-02-2216 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Dry Bones: A Resurrection StoryThis is another bonus episode, where we tend to focus on spiritual practices and faith. And in today's episode, I am sharing a message I gave a couple of weeks ago at my church. As you can see from the title, this focuses on Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, and it piggybacks on what we are learning in the Soul Care Group this month. We are looking at this passage and we are exploring the SOAP Bible study method, breath prayers, and art journaling. If you want to join us there, you can sign...
2022-02-1731 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 53] Seeing the Unseen in the Caregiving Journey with Certified Coach Rayna NeisesToday, I have the pleasure of introducing you to certified coach and author Rayna Neises. Rayna is my go-to resource when it comes to those who are in a season of caregiving. What is caregiving? It's simply a season of caring for someone else. For some of you, this means caring for a child with special needs, for others it means taking care of someone who is chronically ill or after they have surgery and need someone helping to take care of them. In Rayna's case, it was caring for her dad after he was diagnosed with...
2022-02-1547 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 52] The Power of Music to Help You Grieve and BelieveThese past few days, there has been a lot of talk in my world about music. Music as one way to worship God. Music we miss hearing on the radio. How we all like different types and styles of music. People also talk about how they use music to set their mood for whatever activity they are doing, so if they need a power hour at work, maybe they use energetic and upbeat music to keep their energy up and moving at a quick pace. Or if they are reading quietly, they might have soft piano music...
2022-02-0812 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 51] Who Can I Trust? Distinguishing Between Safe and Unsafe People When You Need HelpA couple of weeks ago, in episode 49, we talked about finding your stretcher bearers, those people who can carry you through difficult and challenging seasons like illness, grief, and depression. But how do you choose who to go to for help? Who do you choose as your stretcher bearers? Today, I want to narrow in on finding those safe people we can trust and depend on. What makes them safe? How do we discern who is safe and who is not? While there is no definitive answer, I want to suggest some guidelines...
2022-02-0115 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 50] Gritty Faith in the Midst of Grief with Prayer Artist Jessy Paulson"Grief isn't something you get over; it is something you learn to accept. In order to heal, we need to get uncomfortable. We need to make space for our grief by spending time in the quiet, by leaning on a community of people who truly get it, and by doing things that soothe our soul." Those words come from an email sent from Jessy Paulson on the fourth anniversary of her sister's death as she shared four things she learned about grief. And in today's episode, Jessy and I sit down and dive deeper into some of...
2022-01-2541 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 49] Finding Your Stretcher Bearers: The People Who Can Help Carry You Through a Difficult SeasonOne of the books that have meant the most to me in this season of caring for others is Becoming a Stretcher Bearer, by Michael Slater. The whole premise of Slater's book is how we can be like the four men who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus on a mat, digging a hole through the roof, even, to get him to Jesus. We can help carry our friends through their difficult seasons until they are well enough to walk on their own again. But today, we're turning that around and thinking about when we...
2022-01-1810 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Imaginative Prayer: Jesus, Have MercyIn today's bonus episode, where we try on some spiritual practices together, I would like to read you a chapter from my Imagine devotional, which incorporates imaginative prayer in the writing. Imaginative prayer, as we talked about in episode 47, is about really trying to enter into the story and watch it unfold in front of you. Or, perhaps, you try to enter in as one of the characters in the story. It's much like reading a fiction book and experiencing what the main character is experiencing. We just sort of "take it on" ourselves. Some...
2022-01-1308 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 48] The Power of Pre-deciding in Difficult SeasonsPre-deciding is exactly what it sounds like: making a decision before a decision actually has to be made. This eliminates the pressure of having to make a last-minute decision that may not be thought out, and it also helps with decision fatigue, those times when you're making decision after decision after decision and you just don't want to make another decision. And it's incredibly important during difficult seasons to decide some things in advance. So join me for this episode as I share some examples and walk you through four questions to ask as you pre-decide some...
2022-01-1116 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 47] 10 Ways to Encounter God in His Word, Plus 3 Invitations for You in 2022It is the beginning of a new year, and I don't know about you, but I am absolutely determined to spend more time with God in His Word—not just reading it and not just to check it off my to-do list, but to actually engage with Him and listen to see what He wants to share with me this year. Has He laid that desire on your heart, as well? But I know that sometimes, I get stuck in what to actually do in my quiet time with Him. Sometimes I need something to help me do...
2022-01-0414 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 46] Run to Win: Encouragement As We Enter Into a New YearCan you believe we are just a few days away from the new year? It's a time full of reflection and planning (both of which I love). It's a time of identifying our word for the year or setting goals or intentions. And honestly, there's a lot I enjoy about starting a new year or a new season. So as we get ready to enter into 2022, I want to offer you some special encouragement. I know it's so easy for me to hear what other people are doing and compare myself to them, often feeling like I...
2021-12-2809 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 45] Grief Journal PromptsToday, I want to offer you some prompts that are especially for those seasons of grief and heartache. Now, grief looks like a lot of different things, right? The death of a loved one. The loss of a friendship. The move from one town to another. Letting go of dreams or expectations. The heaviness that comes when we realize our life has just been radically changed. Today, I want to share with you ten questions that you can use as journal prompts in these seasons of grief. Be sure to download the complete Grief Journal...
2021-12-2114 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Guided Scripture Reading: When You Don't Get PickedGuided Scripture reading has been powerful for me because it helps me engage with the story in a deeper way. It's often combined with a practice called imaginative prayer, where you use all of your senses and imagination to enter into the story itself. What sounds do you hear? What does it smell like? Who is around you? And then God uses these details and stories to speak to you right where you are. I'll be honest: it might feel a little strange at first. We've been taught to use our reasoning and knowledge when we read...
2021-12-1613 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 44] Why is Change So Hard?Knowing the Stages of Change impacts our ability to help others, or even to understand our own healing journey. Which stage are you in? Which stage is your friend in? Precontemplation Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance What are some important truths to keep in mind as we seek to support a friend through a major change? Listen in to find out! Kari GRIEF IS HARD. Whether you are reeling from the death of a loved one, struggling with loss of community, or feeling lost and unanchored, y...
2021-12-1415 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 43] When Helping Hurts: Establishing Boundaries When Caring for Others with Counselor Nicole FrylingHave you ever had a friend or family member who was going through a challenging situation and you wanted to help them, only to realize that your help wasn't actually all that helpful? Today, we are talking about those moments when we might be hurting or enabling someone through our actions, which doesn't really lead to the help or healing they need in their lives. What does it look like to set healthy and God-honoring boundaries? How do we know the specific ways we can help someone through a season? I just got off a...
2021-12-0735 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 42] Offering a Blue Christmas Service to Honor the Loss and Cling to the HopeA couple of weeks ago, we talked about the tension of experiencing grief and heartache in a season of celebration, how it can be hard to hold those two things together in a way that feels authentic and true. And I gave you three truths to hold onto when it came to going through a difficult holiday season of your own. But today we're talking about difficult holidays from a different angle, and that is, how do we support those in our churches and communities who are grieving this holiday season? How do we acknowledge their loss e...
2021-11-3013 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 41] Practical Tips for Creating a Card Caddy (So You Actually Send Cards When God Nudges You To Do So)Imagine this scenario with me… someone from church is going through a difficult time. Maybe they have a surgery coming up this week, and you want to send them a card to let them know you are thinking about them and praying for them as their big day comes up. So you go to your desk to grab some cards, but they're not where you thought you had them. You dig around in your drawers and files, but still can't find them. That's okay, you'll just use computer paper instead. So you open your printer to...
2021-11-2309 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Thanksgiving Fundraiser: Give MORE This Holiday Season With This Simple ActionI have a something so incredibly special to share with you today. I actually hinted at it in my last episode, but I want to take some time and explain it more fully so you can join me in this. For those of you who don't know, in addition to working as a spiritual director for women who are experiencing depression or grief or any sort of difficult season in their life, I also own a gift shop where I make encouragement and sympathy gifts like our Tear Bottles and Mini Tear Bottle Necklaces. And...
2021-11-1809 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 40] Meaningful Gifts for Those Who are Hurting: 4 Shops That Help You Show Love and CareI have such a special episode for you today. I know that you are here listening to this podcast because you care so very much for those around you. God has given you a heart for those who are hurting. And so when it comes to the holiday season, you want to find not just a gift off the shelf, but a truly meaningful gift, something that will comfort and encourage your friend and let her know that she is not alone in her hurt and grief. Today, I am going to highlight four shops...
2021-11-1608 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 39] Act Now to Join the Holiday Blitz with Pens to Prison MinistriesThis week, I welcome back Jennifer Brianne from Pens to Prison Ministry to share with us about a special project to express God's love to the inmates this holiday season. It is such a tender and practical way to reach out to those who are often forgotten about. Listen in and then be ready to take action, because the deadline is coming up in just a week or two. But it really only takes a few moments of your time to make such an incredible impact. Kari JOIN THE HOLIDAY BLITZ W...
2021-11-0916 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 38] 3 Truths to Remember During a Difficult Holiday SeasonIt is now November, and that simple change in month means that so many of us are starting to think about the holidays—planning and buying gifts and decorating. And I know a lot of people are buying gifts early, not knowing how long shipping might take or if what they want to get is even going to be available in a month or two, and so they are snagging it now. But for some of us, holidays also bring along a bit of sadness or stress. Holidays can be hard for numerous reasons. It could be th...
2021-11-0212 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 37] Those Moments When You Just Need to Get to Jesus: The Story of ZacchaeusToday I want to share with you something that I shared with my Sunday school class a few weeks ago. It has been a message that has continued to resonate with me, and I know that many of you will relate to it, as well. There are a lot of times when I'm working my way through a book of the Bible and a story just gets stuck in my heart and I keep coming back to it. And that's what today's episode is all about. It's a story that got stuck in my heart and, as...
2021-10-2617 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Time Sensitive Limited Offer] You Don’t Have to Face a Difficult Holiday Season AloneToday, I am just popping in to share a special offer with you. You’ve heard me share a bit about spiritual direction here on the podcast. Episode 25 talked about spiritual direction in general: what it is, how to know if you need it, and other frequently asked questions about it. Then episode 33 addressed written spiritual direction in particular, which is what I specialize in. I wanted to let you know that I have a special offer available where you can save $30 on a 3-month package of spiritual direction. I want to offer th...
2021-10-2105 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 36] Special Meal Train Ideas: Practical Ways to Make Your Friend Feel LovedImagine with me, if you will… you get that email from church letting you know that so-and-so's family needs meals for the next three weeks as they adjust to having a new baby at home. You click the link and sign up for a couple of the days. You love to serve others in this way, providing a meal so they can get the rest they need, as well as time just to be with baby. But then you begin to wonder… how can you make it truly special for them? More than just a meal? Th...
2021-10-1908 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 35] Job the Encourager: Strengthening Those Who are WeakCan I guess what you're thinking? You saw the title to this episode and thought, "Job was the one who needed encouragement, wasn't he? Not the one to offer it." But today, I want to share with you this little insight into Job: he was an encourager, too! I have absolutely loved learning about this part of his life. And truth be told, we don't have a lot of information about it, but it's just enough to show us that Job cared about others and reached out to them when they were having difficult seasons.
2021-10-1210 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 34] Helping the Hurting: How to Be a Light with Jennifer BrianneOh, my goodness, do I have a treat for you today. I sat down with a new friend, Jennifer Brianne, and we had a great chat about reaching out to those who are hurting. And you guys, we had never really talked before, so essentially, it was like we were having a virtual coffee chat and you guys just get to listen in to the conversation. And it's so good. I love Jennifer's heart to reach out to those who are often forgotten about or judged. And it really challenges me to stop and consider if I...
2021-10-0538 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Getting Ready to Meet with GodToday, I wanted to talk about the idea of getting ready to meet with God. Now, the caveat is that you can talk to God anytime, anywhere, right? In fact, we're instructed to pray at all times, aren't we? Ephesians 6:18 says, "Pray in the Spirit at all times." And 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Never stop praying." And that is such a blessing, such a gift, that we can talk to God at any moment. We don't have to be anywhere special, we don't have to wait for a certain time. We can just talk. But...
2021-09-3014 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 33] Written Spiritual Direction: How Letters and Messages Can Create Space for GodToday, we are going to talk about something that might seem a little unusual, and that is written spiritual direction. A couple of months ago, I did an episode that explored spiritual direction in general, and how we use direction to listen to God together, to attune ourselves to His presence and movement in our lives. And I answered several frequently asked questions when it comes to spiritual direction, like, When do I need spiritual direction? What do you do in direction? What does a session look like? What do I look for in a spiritual...
2021-09-2812 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 32] Using Pockets of Time in Your Schedule to Encourage OthersI don't know what season you are in right now, but I do recognize that in some seasons of life, we are simply going to have more availability than we do in others. But we looked in episode 20 at how a lack of time can be an obstacle, an excuse we use to NOT reach out to others. We said, "I don't have the time. I don't have the time to take them to their doctor's appointment. I don't have the time to cook them a meal." We saw how our busyness can prevent us from caring...
2021-09-2110 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 31] Why You Can't Let Failure Stop You From Reaching OutToday, I just want to have a bit of a heart-to-heart conversation with you about something that I feel so many of us get stuck by, and that is failure. And what I want to focus on today is when we think we mess up when it comes to caring for those around us. We say the wrong thing. We do the wrong thing. We don't send the card like we were going to. We give a gift card to a restaurant instead of cooking a meal at home like we...
2021-09-1411 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 30] Three Favorite Books About Encouraging One AnotherI'm starting this episode with a confession: I am a bookworm. I'm actually one of those nerds who, since 2015, has kept track of every book I've read. Anybody else? Anybody? There is no doubt that I have a soft spot for books. In fact, that's one of the hardest things for me to say no to, when one of my kids asks for a book. I want to encourage a love of reading and learning in them, and so we have plenty of books around our house for them to read or look at.
2021-09-0712 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 29] Using Play to Deepen Faith, Develop Relationships, and Process Grief with Spiritual Parenting Coach Joy WendlingOne of my core beliefs as a children's ministries director, one that I continue to hold today, is that children already experience and know God in a deep and personal way. Kids are not junior varsity Christians. They are able to communicate with God, to hear from Him, and to engage with Him in so many incredible ways. But because we are adults, we don't always see it. We don't always believe it. What looks like child's play to us can really be a form of prayer. What looks like them using their imagination can...
2021-08-3147 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Talking to Your Soul"When our soul is in turmoil, God does not want us to be passive. We must pray, yes. But sometimes we need to stop praying. We need to stop listening to our soul recite its fears. Then is when it's time to preach to our soul." That quote from Jon Bloom was something I read during a Night of Prayer and Worship at church about six years ago. And it is what started my journey of learning to talk to my soul. I know, it sounds odd. But, it is actually quite biblical. And in t...
2021-08-2709 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 28] How Elisha Inspires Me to Look After OthersI love when I am reading God's Word and He just brings to light something I haven't seen before, don't you? A year ago, I was reading through the books of First and Second Kings, and I really lingered with the stories of Elijah and Elisha, the prophets. And I stumbled upon two stories that I had known about Elisha, but that hit me in an entirely new way. And it hit me big enough that I STILL think about it today. Hebrews 4:12 says that God's Word is living and active, and part of that...
2021-08-2412 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 27] The Cost of Caring for OthersToday, we are going to talk about a part of encouragement and care that is often overlooked—or, rather, it's often used as an excuse to NOT reaching out to those around us who are hurting. We're talking about the cost of caring for others. Now, I don't mean financial cost, though there are actually many times and situations where you may need to be willing to part with some money in order to care for someone else. No, we're talking about some of the other costs involved. And really, these are sacrifices th...
2021-08-1711 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 26] When Your Friend is Sick: A Conversation about Encouragement in Health Settings with BriAnne BellI don't know about you, but I always get a little anxious when visiting someone who is sick, especially when they aren't a close family member. Am I interrupting them? Are they truly up for visitors? How can I help? This week, I have a special treat for you as I join BriAnne Bell, a registered nurse with experience working in the ER, and we have a conversation regarding encouragement and care in a health setting. Topics flow from tips for nurses to connect with their patients while caring for them and how to prevent...
2021-08-1053 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 25] What is Spiritual Direction, Do I Need It, and Other Frequently Asked QuestionsEugene Peterson wrote, "It is easier to find guides, someone to tell you what to do, than someone to be with you in a discerning, prayerful companionship as you work it out yourself. This is what spiritual direction is." If you noticed in my introduction, I speak to my background in communication, spiritual direction, and ministry. And recently, I was asked, "What is spiritual direction? How is that different from coaching?" And so I wanted to set some time aside today to address that question, along with some other commonly asked questions. In my own...
2021-08-0315 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Mid-Year Reflection: Have I Been Diligent?Raise your hand if you have ever set a goal or intention at the beginning of the year and then promptly forgotten about it? Or maybe you got distracted and it simply got pushed to the side. This is where reflection comes in. Why is reflection so important? Why do we need to pause and take a look back? Trevor Hudson said that we don't learn from our experiences; we learn from our reflection upon those experiences. It is when we pause and think about our experiences that we are able to identify both the...
2021-07-2912 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 24] An Example in Spiritual Discernment and Decision Making: Going "All In" With Love Does ThatIt was about 15 months ago when I stepped down from my job in children's ministries to go what I call "all in" with Love Does That. And as I share that story with different people, I keep getting asked, "How did you know? How did you know to step down? How did you make that decision?" And let me tell you, it was not easy. I know a lot of you might be facing similar decisions—whether to step down from a job, whether to move, whether to pull your kids out of public school an...
2021-07-2713 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 23] [Courageous Care Challenge] Day 5: Unwilling - I Don't Want ToWe are on the last day of our 5-Day Courageous Care Challenge. This challenge is going to help you replace fear and uncertainty with courage and compassion. We are going to be looking at the top five obstacles and objections to taking action when someone you love is hurting so that you don't live with regret because you didn't reach out. Today, we're diving into the last obstacle, and that is that you are unwilling. In other words, "I don't want to." Join me as we take a deeper look at this obstacle and what...
2021-07-2312 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 22] [Courageous Care Challenge] Day 4: Uncomfortable - It's Hard to Watch Them StruggleWe are on day 4 of our 5-Day Courageous Care Challenge. This challenge is going to help you replace fear and uncertainty with courage and compassion. We are going to be looking at the top five obstacles and objections to taking action when someone you love is hurting so that you don't live with regret because you didn't reach out. Today, we're diving into the fourth obstacle, and that is that you are uncomfortable. In other words, "It's hard to watch my friend struggle." Join me as we take a deeper look at this obstacle and...
2021-07-2210 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 21] [Courageous Care Challenge] Day 3: Unfamiliar - I Don't Know Anything About What My Friend is Going ThroughWe are on day 3 of our 5-Day Courageous Care Challenge. This challenge is going to help you replace fear and uncertainty with courage and compassion. We are going to be looking at the top five obstacles and objections to taking action when someone you love is hurting so that you don't live with regret because you didn't reach out. Today, we're diving into the third obstacle, and that is that you are unfamiliar. In other words, "I don't know anything about what my friend is going through." Join me as we take a deeper look...
2021-07-2111 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 20] [Courageous Care Challenge] Day 2: Unavailable - I Don't Have the TimeWe are in the middle of the 5-Day Courageous Care Challenge. This challenge is going to help you replace fear and uncertainty with courage and compassion. We are going to be looking at the top five obstacles and objections to taking action when someone you love is hurting so that you don't live with regret because you didn't reach out. Today, we're diving into the second obstacle, and that is that you are unavailable. In other words, "I don't have the time." Is that true, or is it just an excuse? ...
2021-07-2010 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 19] [Courageous Care Challenge] Day 1: Uncertain - I Don't Know What to Say or DoI am so excited for you to join me today as we kick off the Courageous Care Challenge. This is going to be a power-packed week that can completely transform the way you reach out to your friends and neighbors and love them—really love them—when they are struggling or hurting. And it all starts by recognizing what is getting in the way of reaching out in the first place. Why is it that we can have someone who means so much to us, and we see that they are hurting, and we do noth...
2021-07-1909 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 18] Finding Joy in the Hard and Heavy with Kristen JoyI don't know about you, but there have been several seasons in my life when I struggled to find and experience joy. And whether you are grieving or struggling with depression or medical issues, I want you to know that it really is possible to find joy in those hard and heavy places. To help us learn how to do that, my friend Kristen Joy is chatting with us today, sharing some of her own stories and pointing us to places in God's Word that challenge our thinking about what joy is and how we find it.
2021-07-1347 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 17] How to Respond to Hurtful Words When You Are GrievingWe are wrapping up our series about how to respond in different situations when it comes to encouragement and care. Some have been from the perspective of the helper, such as how to respond when someone asks about your hurting friend and how to respond when a friend won't let you help. Others have been from the perspective of the one needing support and encouragement, like how to decline an offer of help gracefully, and today's episode, how to respond to hurtful comments when you are grieving. Do we just accept it and move on...
2021-07-0612 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 16] Trauma-Informed Care: Being the Cover for Those Who are Hurting with Kristen BrockHas there ever been a moment in your life when everything just changed? One phone call that radically altered your world? One comment that impacted how you saw everything around you? One experience that changed the trajectory of your life? That was a traumatic experience, and today, my guest Kristen Brock is going to help us understand what trauma is, how it impacts us, and how we can better come alongside those who are experiencing it or healing from it. It's a powerful conversation you won't want to miss. Let's encourage one another… Ka...
2021-06-2941 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Guided Scripture Reading: The Courage to Ask to Be HealedI can't wait to dive into today's guided Scripture reading with you. As I prepared it, God spoke some really powerful truths to me, and I'm sure He will do the same for you. I encourage you to take a moment to pause and get ready, if you have not done so yet. Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted for 5-10 minutes. Quiet your heart. And then, when you're ready, join me in the prayer as we begin. Let's encourage one another… Kari CONNECT: Shop Enc...
2021-06-2409 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 15] How to Decline Someone's Offer to Help GracefullyHave you ever had someone offer some sort of support or help to you that you didn't necessarily want? But you didn't know how to say no without hurting their feelings? Today, we're talking about how to respond when someone offers help you don't need or want. In other words, how to gracefully and respectfully decline. Because, again, there are times we really do need to say no to someone's offer. The challenge is doing it in a way that is honest, yet appreciative. We don't want to simply dismiss our friend's offer and make...
2021-06-2212 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 14] How to Respond When a Friend Won't Let You HelpWhat do you do when you offer help to a friend who is going through a difficult time, and they say "no"? How do you handle that? I know it is so incredibly easy to take it personally when a friend turns down our offer to help. But today, I want to help you think through why they may not be in a place to accept help right now, as well as some tips that will help us respond in a healthy and God-honoring way. Because, my friends, if we don't respond well, we will...
2021-06-1514 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 13] How to Respond When Someone Asks About Your Hurting FriendWe are starting a kind of mini-series where we are going to talk about how to respond in different situations. You know, some of those awkward situations that happen when we're trying to encourage and care for our friends who are hurting. We're starting with the question, "How do I respond when someone asks me about my friend?" Specifically, your hurting friend. The one others know is going through something. I've been in this situation so many times, and I bet you have, too. The details might be different, but the question is the same...
2021-06-0811 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 12] Caring for Hurting Kids at Your Church: 3 Powerful But Simple Things You Can DoHow many of you serve with the kids at your church in some way? How many of you at least smile and wave to the kids when you see them on Sunday? What you may not realize is how many of those kids are coming with some type of hurt or struggle, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. How can those of us in the church care for them during this time? Here are three very powerful, but very simple things you can do to care for kids in your life who are hurting--especially as...
2021-06-0114 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Classic Prayer: Make Me An Instrument of Your PeaceWelcome to our third bonus episode. In our bonus episodes, we engage with some different spiritual practices together. This is a chance for us to explore some practices we may not be familiar with, and ultimately, it's for the purpose of staying close to God so that we can share His love, care, and encouragement with those around us who are hurting. Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite classic prayers. Sometimes we aren't comfortable with written prayers, because the words seem archaic or it doesn't always feel sincere. But sometimes the structure...
2021-05-2710 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 11] Asking for Help When You Need ItToday, we are going to address the question of how to ask for help when you need it. Because, let's be honest: we all need help. Can we just admit that right off the bat? Yet asking for help can be so incredibility difficult. So I want to explore why that might be and then walk you through some questions to help you get to the point where you can very clearly and simply ask others to help you during a specific season in your life. While today, I am speaking to those situations where we need...
2021-05-2511 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 10] Supporting a Friend Through Grief (And Walking Through It Yourself) with Karen Altizer – Part 2Last week, we began a really important conversation with Karen Altizer about grief, so if you haven't listened to episode 9 yet, I invite you to do that. In the first part of our conversation, Karen shares her grief story and we talk about a few different things related to grief, like how to support someone who is grieving and what that can look like. I walked away with so many practical ideas, and I was also reminded of how important it is to talk about those who have passed away, to actually use their name and remember...
2021-05-1827 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 9] Supporting a Friend Through Grief (And Walking Through It Yourself) with Karen Altizer - Part 1We are going to start a conversation about supporting a friend through grief. And I invited Karen Altizer to help me with this. Karen will introduce herself as we begin our chat, but I want you to know how much I appreciate Karen sharing with us. As you know, it can be hard to have these conversations and share our own experiences, and I so appreciate Karen's vulnerability, openness, and sensitivity to the emotions and experiences that grief brings. It is just a tender conversation that I pray will bless you and minister to the grief in...
2021-05-1127 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 8] Cultivating the Habit of Paying AttentionWe say we want to encourage others, and I completely believe that desire is within us. Yet I think one of the things that trips us up the most is that we simply aren't paying much attention to those around us. We're too busy. We're too focused on us. And that's what I want to talk about today. How do we cultivate the habit of paying attention so that those around us who are hurting don't get overlooked? Let's encourage one another… Kari QUOTES + BIBLE VERSES: "'What do you wa...
2021-05-0409 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Guided Scripture Reading: When Someone Fights for YouGuided Scripture reading has been powerful for me because it helps me engage with the story in a deeper way. It's often combined with a practice called imaginative prayer, where you use all of your senses and imagination to enter into the story itself. What sounds do you hear? What does it smell like? Who is around you? And then God uses these details and stories to speak to you right where you are. It might feel a little strange at first. We've been taught to use our reasoning and knowledge when we read the Bible, not...
2021-04-2914 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 7] 5 Things to Say When You Don't Know What to Say with Laura HoweToday I want to share with you a conversation I had with Laura Howe, founder of an organization called Hope Made Strong. I met Laura online and, when I saw what her mission was, I immediately asked to have a chat with her to learn more. Hope Made Strong is all about equipping church and ministry leaders to care for those in their community in a healthy and God-honoring way. And whether you're a ministry leader or not, I know you'll learn so much through this conversation. We talk about five things to say when...
2021-04-2733 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 6] The Message That Ignited Love Does ThatToday, I want to share something incredibly special with you. You see, I gave a message back in 2016. A message that ignited all this we call Love Does That. A message that my husband Mike, before we even got married, heard. And this phrase—Love Does That—became a motto, of sorts, for our marriage. So when I started a simple Etsy shop to sell a devotional I had written and had to come up with a name for the shop, the only thing that came to mind was Love Does That. Yet Love Does That has grow...
2021-04-2020 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 5] Discerning How to Help a Grieving FriendIt's so important for us to grow in discernment because we need God's help when it comes to encouraging and caring for those around us. It's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Our needs are different. Our personalities are different. Our situations are different. What would be encouraging for one person might be humiliating for another. And so we come to God with a posture of openness for what would be most meaningful to our friend, and not just what is most convenient for us. In future episodes, we'll talk more about how to encourage others when...
2021-04-1311 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 4] Spiritual Practices to Help You Learn to Hear God's VoiceDiscernment is another foundational topic for us as we consider how to offer encouragement and care to those in our lives who are hurting. Think about the questions you have when someone you care about is hurting: How do I know how God is leading me to help others? My friend seems to be having a hard time. How do I know whether to approach them about it or not? What do I say to loved ones who are hurting? When do I say "yes" to helping someone and when do I need to let others be the...
2021-04-0614 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 3] How to Check In Without IntrudingIn this podcast, I want to teach you a really simple way to check in with someone without intruding. I offer this because I know how difficult it can be to see someone who is struggling, but question the best way to approach them and ask about it. We feel like we're butting in, or maybe we feel like we're going to offend them if we ask questions. Or maybe we're just afraid of rejection. But we've got to find a way to break through those fears and concerns because… what if NO ONE checks in with the...
2021-03-3008 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Guided Prayer + Meditation: Sitting With Your Friend in Her PainHey, my friend. I want to welcome you to this special bonus episode where I share a guided prayer and meditation about sitting with our friends in their grief and heartache. I invite you to find a quiet place where you can truly engage with the prayer, truly ready to engage with God, or to come back to it when you find yourself at a loss of words when your friend is truly struggling. I let this episode end with quiet music, and I invite you to sit there with God until you're ready to end this...
2021-03-2610 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 2] Discerning Who to EncourageToday, we are going to talk about one of the most important truths when it comes to encouraging others, a truth that will help us set the foundation for all the other conversations we're going to have. Are you ready? Here we go: we can't encourage everybody. I would love to make and send a card to every person I know who is having a hard day or going through a difficult season. I would love to be able to pick up groceries and make meals and watch kids and drive people to appointments… but I...
2021-03-2308 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 1] Introduction to Let's Encourage One AnotherIn this introductory episode, learn a bit more about my journey from ministry to ministry-minded business and how God is calling me to do more than make encouragement and sympathy gifts, but actually use my gifts of teaching and speaking to equip Christian women like you to care for your loved ones in times of grief. We all have similar questions and concerns when our friends are hurting: What do I say? What can I do? I feel like I'm intruding… Won't they ask for help if they need it? I don't have the time… I can't enco...
2021-03-1604 min