Shows
Journal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 184] Could This Be Why You're Not Hearing from God?“God doesn’t talk to me.” “I can’t hear God’s voice.” “I don’t know what God sounds like.” Hearing from God is pivotal to the life of a Christian. Not only do we seek guidance from His Word, but we also ask Him questions about which path to take, what to do, and how He wants us to behave. We want insight into situations we find ourselves in. And we long to receive His words of love and comfort, especially when life around us is full of chaos and heartache. Yet there are...
2025-08-1910 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 180] How to Journal Through a Book (Plus Summer Reading Recommendations)It’s probably no surprise to you that I am an avid reader, averaging about one or two books a week. Not only do I read for fun, but I also get to read for work, editing and proofreading book manuscripts right before they get published. I’m guessing that if you’re listening to this episode, you like to read, too. And I’ve learned that books can often prompt some powerful journaling sessions with God. But how do you know which books to journal about and what to write? Today, I’ve got 8 ide...
2025-06-1711 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 179] Engaging with the Samaritan Woman: A Message on John 4Deciding on my major in college really wasn’t that hard for me. I knew I wanted my studies to focus on the Bible and speech. I wanted to learn more about His Word so that I could communicate it clearly to those around me. So that’s what I did: I majored in communication and minored in biblical studies, taking as many classes as I could to understand more about the Bible and spiritual formation. The truth is, as much as I love supporting women as they seek healing in God and as they journal together with...
2025-06-0320 min
Anchored Decisions035: The Power of Prayer Journaling in Making Life Decisions with Kari BartkusShow NotesCan journaling really help you make better decisions — and hear from God more clearly? In this episode, spiritual director and journal coach Kari Bartkus shares how prayer journaling creates space to process emotions, clarify your values, and invite God into your decision-making. We talk about journaling methods beyond just pros and cons lists, how to overcome the fear of someone reading your journal, and what to do when you're staring at a blank page. I also share a powerful story of how God used the most random word in my journaling time to redirect my bu...
2025-05-0937 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 172] Trusting God Through Obedience: A Conversation with Neil BroereI don’t know about you, but I read a lot of books. And there are a lot of good books out there. Many of which I recommend to you. But there are only a few that really stir deeply in my soul. Neil Broere’s upcoming book, Obedience, Suffering, & Reward was one of those. When I read it, I knew I wanted to talk to him more about it. And today, you get to hear that conversation. While obedience is a simple concept to understand, it can be hard to live out. Especially when ther...
2025-02-1830 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 169] Which One Is Stopping You?In July of 2021, I ran my first challenge as a ministry. It was the Courageous Care 5-day challenge, and it walked women through five obstacles that prevent us from reaching out to those around us who are hurting. What was a challenge became a masterclass, which became a book. And it features the key principle behind what Love Does That is all about: that God has called every one of us to care for those around us who are going through difficult seasons. To walk alongside them. To love them. To support them. Because, as...
2025-01-0711 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 168] [Journal Reviews] Bible Study JournalsJournaling through God’s Word is a great way to read, study, and actually engage with what He is saying to you. And since the New Year is just a few weeks away, it’s a natural time to recommit ourselves to being in the Bible. Psalm 119:16 (NIV) says, “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Not only are we to not neglect God’s Word, we are to take delight in it! Do you delight in it? Or has it gotten dreary and dull? Wherever you are in your B...
2024-12-1708 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 162] The Most Important ThingDo you ever have one of those moments when you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has laid something on your heart? Maybe it’s an idea. Maybe it’s a truth from His Word. Maybe it’s a calling. It is these things that I often write down in my journal. These words from God that I want to remember and hold onto and keep thinking about. Well, I have experienced this recently, and today I want to share with you about the most important thing...
2024-09-1709 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 161] [Journal Reviews] Guided Journals for GriefC.S. Lewis wrote, “You can’t see anything properly while your eyes are blurred with tears.” And tears often come when we lose something or someone that was very important to us. The truth is, grief is something we all experience, especially when we lose someone we love, but even when we experience other loss, like the loss of a job, the death of a dream, and the end of a marriage. Journaling can be such a helpful way to process some of these complex thoughts and feelings that often come after such a loss...
2024-09-0312 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 158] Burdens vs. Loads: Discerning When to Help Someone (Re-release) Several years ago, my family and I got to raise a tiny caterpillar. For weeks, we hunted down milkweed to feed it. We watched it grow. And we saw it create its little chrysalis. We even got the blessing of watching it come out of the chrysalis, and caught most of it on video. It was such a beautiful moment. While our little pet didn’t have any major trouble, we’ve all heard, I’m sure, that if you try to help a struggling butterfly out of its chrysalis, its wings will never be strong...
2024-07-1609 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 152] How to Decline an Offer of Help Gracefully (Re-Release)Have 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? When you are hurting or struggling or need some extra help, you do get to have a say in the matter. You can choose which counselor you want to meet with. You can decide which friends to confide in. You can determine which activities are healthy for you and which ones are not. You look at what’s available to you and make a choice...
2024-04-1614 min
The Small Church Ministry Podcast102: Best Care Ministry: Teach People To Care Even When They’re Afraid | with Kari BartkusWhile formalized care teams can be great, there’s no replacement for care that’s authentic and organic. So often we see needs, but we stumble in our efforts or are held back by discomfort or fear of saying the wrong thing. What if there were a way to overcome the obstacles and help others do the same? Kari Bartkus, author of Courageous Care, joins us in this episode to share how.Listen in to hear:Why caring well is one of the biggest gifts a small church offersThat each of u...
2023-12-1240 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 131] Healing in Layers: What Art Taught Me About GriefHealing has layers. No, not in the physical sense, like you can pile one layer on top of the other. But we heal from different parts of grief at different times, and sometimes even revisit some areas we thought we had processed already. But instead of using the famous onion example of peeling back one layer at a time, I’m choosing to make it a little more personal and look at healing in layers like my art is done in layers. I’m guessing you, too, have some sort of creative streak in you, wheth...
2023-09-0513 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 130] Is Your Hurt Preventing You From Loving Others Well?Today’s conversation is going to be a bit of a heart-to-heart. Because I’ve seen something in my own life that I’m guessing might be happening in yours. It’s something that is hurting a lot of my relationships. It’s hurting people that I love. And I certainly don’t intend for that to be happening. Yet all too often, I don’t do what it takes to change, to fix it, to do what it takes to make things better. What I’m talking about is letting hurt from my past preventi...
2023-08-2910 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 129] [Book Recommendation] The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew PetersonI don’t know about you, but I love me a good book. There’s just something about sitting down and getting lost in another world for a while—and often gleaning a lesson or two along the way. That’s why I’ve enjoyed recommended some books to you this year. And today is no different. I have a book—well, actually a series of books—that I really couldn’t recommend more. A series that is good for you and any students you might have in your life, too. You already know the series...
2023-08-2208 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 127] How to Choose a Bible You’ll Actually UseBible reading is one of those core spiritual disciplines you think about when you think about the Christian life, right? We are encouraged from a young age to read the Bible every single day. Reading God’s Word helps us to recognize His voice. It helps us know His character and what He values or finds important. It teaches us to know what He cares about and how He wants us to live. Why wouldn’t we want to spend time reading the Bible? Not only does it teach us a...
2023-08-0814 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 124] [Book Recommendation] Visit the Sick By Brian CroftHave you ever had someone in your church or circle of friends become sick, maybe even have to stay in the hospital? And maybe you wanted to visit them, or you felt God nudging you to visit them, but… you just weren’t sure? Maybe you didn’t know what to say. Or maybe you felt uncomfortable in a hospital setting. Or maybe you even thought the person was going to die and you didn’t know how to approach them. I totally get this. I often feel like I’m interrupting others and I usually do...
2023-07-1808 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 122] Feeling Anxious? Try This 5-Minute Journaling SessionAnxiety can impact us in a deep way, especially when it revolves around something incredibly important to us, like when someone we love is hurting, or when we are going through a trial of our own. And in some cases, anxiety becomes more severe. We can’t shake the worries and fears, and it actually begins to interfere with daily living. · We stop driving because we’re worried about having an accident. · We stop going to church or events or programs because we’re uneasy around groups of people. · We stop walking into stores and orde...
2023-07-0415 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 120] [Book Recommendation] Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley BartonThis year, I am doing a monthly episode where I share a book recommendation with you, because I love to read, and I bet you do, too! This month, it’s Invitation to Retreat, by Ruth Haley Barton. And it fits in perfectly with some of our topics this summer as we take a closer look at spiritual practices that help us stay close to God, even when life is hard or heavy. Just a couple of weeks ago, we talked a little bit about journaling—specifically, how to journal in front of others. And next w...
2023-06-2009 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 118] Tips for Journaling In Front of OthersImagine this... You've settled in your favorite chair, blanket wrapped over your lap, as you pull out your notebook and pen. You've been looking forward to journaling about some things that have been stirring in your heart lately. Taking a deep breath, you open the cover and find the right page. Your pen is posed to start writing. And then your husband walks in. He hasn't seen you all day and wants to hear about what you've been doing. Or your littles climb over the arm of the chair to sit...
2023-06-0606 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 112] A Conversation with Janell Wood: Loving Unbelieving Family MembersI’m wondering if you have a family member in your life—a parent, a son or daughter, a brother or sister—who doesn’t know Christ. If so, then you probably know the heaviness and grief that can bring to your spirit. You wonder how you can witness to them. You pray for their salvation. You try to find ways to love them and show them you care. But ultimately, you cannot make them accept Christ. And that’s hard.
2023-04-2546 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 110] [Book Recommendation] The Next Right Thing by Emily P. FreemanStop with me for a moment and consider how many decisions you make every single day. What clothes to wear.What to eat for breakfast. For lunch. For supper.How to spend your time at work.What gets cleaned that day at home.What time to go to the grocery store, how to get there, and which items to buy and which ones to pass on.Whether to answer that phone call, or that text message, or that email.And if to answer, what to say in response.Whether to...
2023-04-1110 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 109] It's Getting Real: God's Invitation to Me for the Rest of LentSo today, I’m supposed to be sharing with you my book recommendation for the month of March. But apparently God has some other plans. Listen in to find out what’s going on. Kari BIBLE VERSES + RESOURCES: · Episode 92: Practicing the Holy Hush Instead of the Holiday Hustle: Intentionally Inviting Moments of Deep Silence · Episode 94: Entering the Silence and Stillness with God: A Conversation with Blogger and Writer Celia Miller · Episode 103: 6 Strategies to Manage Overwhelm, Stress, and Change · “But those who obey God’s word truly show how complet...
2023-03-1410 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 107] Identifying the Ways You Comfort OthersGod designed us each so differently. And we want to use those characteristics to love others well, right? But what I’ve experienced, and maybe you have, too, is that it is so easy for us to get this idea in our heads that we don’t fit the right mold. I’m not outgoing. I don’t know what to say. I’m not like so-and-so… she always knows what to do. I don’t really know her that well, so how can I try to comfort her? What if...
2023-02-2809 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Writing a Hymn or PoemIn school right now, my daughter has been tasked with writing a hymn. How would you feel if I invited you to do the same? What would you write about? What aspect of God would you want to focus on? How has He been revealing Himself to you lately? How are you longing for Him to reveal Himself to you? In this bonus episode, I’m going to share an original poem I wrote years ago that focuses on God’s love for me in spite of all my sin. Kari
2023-01-2607 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 102] Sitting with Others in their Grief and Loss with Grief Coach Julie Lynn AshleyHow do you support a friend or family member—or even “just” an acquaintance—who has just lost someone they love? Are you willing to step into that sacred space of grief with them? Or, if they need additional support, can you point them toward someone who can be there in that more professional role? Let me introduce you to Grief Coach Julie Lynn Ashley. Julie Lynn offers 1:1 coaching services to individuals who are in the midst of grief, specific to the death of a loved one. Julie Lynn shares how God has called her into thi...
2023-01-2435 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 100] [Book Recommendation] Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough BrownAs an avid reader and someone who loves to learn, I enjoy passing on ideas to others who want to grow in specific areas. These authors have been mentors to me in many ways, and I hope they become the same to you. (And I promise that none of the book recommendations will include spoilers. I would be so disappointed to ruin a book for you.) My first book recommendation is really the first book I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the spiritual life and different spiritual practices—and spiritual direction in...
2023-01-1008 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 98] Grief Has A Way Of… Well, Getting In The Way: A Personal Letter From Me To YouBeing a spiritual director who focuses on writing back and forth to my clients, I’ve come to realize just how important letter writing is to my work, to the way I reach out to and encourage others. It’s not just in my personal correspondence with those who work with me in written spiritual direction or the Journal Gently program, but even in the idea that I have chosen to focus on email as my main way to connect with you all outside of this podcast, rather than social media or video. And so this...
2022-12-2707 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 h...
2022-12-1310 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 94] Entering the Silence and Stillness with God: A Conversation with Blogger and Writer Celia MillerIn case you haven’t noticed it, we’ve kind of had a theme going on these past few weeks, and that is finding God in the silence. So when I saw Celia Miller’s Advent devotional called Be Still & Know and have been reading about her own journey into silence and stillness, I invited her back to the podcast to share with us. We talk about how Celia was introduced to the spiritual practice of silence, her initial response, ways we can incorporate silence into our daily lives, and why silence with God can be so...
2022-11-2933 min
A Season of Caring PodcastProcessing the Grief of CaregivingSend us a textRayna Neises, your host, interviews Kari Bartkus. After seeing too many people go through hardship alone, Kari was determined to show up and be present with those around her who were hurting. She started the organization Love Does That where she serves as a spiritual director to hurting women. Kari uses a modern-day letter-writing approach for those drawn to quiet spaces and written words. She shares the following insights: [3:00] Grief is any kind of loss that we are experiencing.[5:00] The person receiving care is grieving too and they might not be aware o...
2022-11-2423 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 91] When God is Silent: Experiencing His Presence in New WaysWhen we go through difficult seasons like grief or anxiety or illness, we can find ourselves asking so many questions of God: Why did this happen? What am I supposed to do? You said You’re good, but this doesn’t feel good. You said You’d give me Your peace, but I don’t feel Your peace. I feel turmoil. I feel anger. And we ask these questions whether we are the ones who are struggling or if we’re the ones loving a friend through a difficult season. It...
2022-11-0812 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 90] An Example in Receiving an Invitation from God: This Is For YouBack in September, we went through a 4-part series about posturing our hearts to hear from God, and each heart posture started with the letter R. The first R was ready. We talked about getting ready to meet with God—creating a physical space to have some time alone with Him but also creating an inner space and preparing our hearts to hear from Him. The second R was recognize. We talked about recognizing God’s voice, His presence, His invitation to you in that moment. What does God have to say to you? The...
2022-11-0116 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 88] Helping Others When You Have Limited ResourcesI’m sure there are times when a friend of yours is going through a difficult season, and you really want to help. You feel like this is something God has called you to do and you’re eager to show her how much you care. But then you start going through your options: Maybe you can spend some extra time with her. But you're too busy with family and work and volunteer commitments to really offer her much of your time. Maybe you can send her a care package. But the budget's pret...
2022-10-1808 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 86] Hold That Thought with Life Coach and Spiritual Director Gem FadlingDo you ever have thoughts like these? You’re not good enough. You need to try harder. Everything is fine. I think we can all attest to moments when our thoughts are negative, unhelpful, and—worst of all—not true. But how do we even begin to turn things around? Today, I’d like to introduce you to life coach and spiritual director Gem Fadling. Gem is one of the founding partners of an organization called Unhurried Living, where they train people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better...
2022-10-0435 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 85] Posturing Your Heart to Hear from God, Part 4: RespondToday, we are wrapping up a series about posturing our hearts to hear from God. As women who are going through difficult seasons—or as those caring for those going through difficult seasons—we are constantly seeking God’s guidance and presence, aren’t we? These four heart postures, each beginning with the letter R, help us to hear from God. The first R was about getting ready to meet with God. The second R was about recognizing God’s voice and movement in our lives. The third R was about...
2022-09-2712 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 84] Posturing Your Heart to Hear from God, Part 3: ReceiveWe are on week 3 of a series about posturing our hearts to hear from God. Because as women who care for others, or as women who are going through a difficult season of our own, we are desperate to hear from God. We want to know that He’s with us. We want to know what He wants us to do in this specific situation. We bring our questions and doubts to Him and wait for Him to answer. And so we come to Him. We meet with Him. The first R was about getting re...
2022-09-2012 min
Just One Simple ThingE77:Changing Seasons, Changing SchedulesSend us a textIs your schedule changing as fast as the fall leaves on the trees? If you are adjusting to a new rhythm, jump into this episode where you’ll learn three ways to transition into the changing seasons.For many people, the transition between Summer and Fall marks a significant shift in their schedule.If you aren’t careful, you’ll wake up one morning and find yourself wrapping Christmas presents, wondering where the last quarter of the year went. But a few simple strategies can help you create some moment...
2022-08-2906 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Bonus] Journal Prompts for Seasons of Change and TransitionWith it being fall, I know it is a natural season for change. Summer is coming to an end, kids are starting school, and some students are heading off to college. Routines are getting adjusted and Bible studies might be starting back up. The relaxed pace of summer is giving way to a more structured lifestyle, with more responsibilities—or at least different ones. But there are other kinds of transition, too. Maybe you are starting to care for a family member who can no longer care for themselves. Maybe someone you love just moved to a nu...
2022-08-2508 minJournal Gently: Helping Introverted Women Find Healing After Grief, Hurt, and Trauma[Ep 79] Burdens vs Loads: Discerning When to Help SomeoneSeveral years ago, my family and I got to raise a tiny caterpillar. For weeks, we hunted down milkweed to feed it. We watched it grow. And we saw it create its little chrysalis. We even got the blessing of watching it come out of the chrysalis, and caught most of it on video. It was such a beautiful moment. While our little pet didn’t have any major trouble, we’ve all heard, I’m sure, that if you try to help a struggling butterfly out of its chrysalis, its wings will never be strong...
2022-08-1608 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 ca...
2022-08-0209 min
Halfway There302: Sam Feeney and Experiencing God as Father
Sam Feeney is an author, strategist, coach, husband, and father of five. Today, Sam shares with us the paths he meandered as a young man, how everything changed when he met his wife, and what it meant to learn about God as Father. Also, he tells us why his family took a huge leap of faith and moved from Pennsylvania to Colorado. Sam is passionate about helping men grow in their faith and interactions with their families. Sam’s story reminds us that God is one but also three persons and keeping that perspective changes everything.
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2022-07-181h 01Journal 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 carele...
2022-06-0708 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 w...
2022-05-2411 min
Bible Study Made Simple32. Imaginative Prayer with Kari BartkusDo you struggle with picturing Scripture, the people and places, as real history? In this conversation with Kari Bartkus, we explore what imaginative prayer is and how we can use it in our Bible study time.
Seeing far too many people go through hardship alone, Kari Bartkus became determined to show up and be present when those around her were hurting. Through her work at Love Does That, she serves as a spiritual director to hurting Christian women, but she uses a modern-day letter writing approach perfect for those drawn to quiet spaces and written words.
2022-05-1719 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 di...
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...
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 b...
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...
2022-04-2637 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 anothe...
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—whic...
2022-04-0513 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 di...
2022-03-0147 min
Live It Out with Jennifer BoothEp. 125-Incorporating Journaling Into Your Quiet Time with Kari BartkusIn this episode, Jennifer talks with Kari Bartkus about how to incorporate journaling into your quiet time. Seeing far too many people go through hardship alone, Kari Bartkus became determined to show up and be present when those around her were hurting. Through her work at Love Does That, she serves as a spiritual director to hurting Christian women, but she uses a modern-day letter-writing approach perfect for those drawn to quiet spaces and written words. Learn more, plus find resources and sympathy gifts, at www.lovedoesthat.org. Grief Journal: http://lovedoesthat.org/griefjournal 3 Ways to E...
2022-02-2332 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 diag...
2022-02-1547 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 th...
2022-01-2541 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 fe...
2021-12-2809 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 los...
2021-11-3013 min
Grant Writing SimplifiedHow You Can Prepare for the Seasonality of GrantsTake the Quiz: Do you have what it takes to be a grant writer? Special Holiday Note: Support a Ministry-Based Business AND a Nonprofit Back in Episode 41, I introduced you to the talented Kari Bartkus of Love Does That. She shared her thought process behind starting a ministry-based business instead of a nonprofit. This Thanksgiving, instead of running a Black Friday sale, Kari is hosting more of a Black Friday giveback. She's donating a portion of all November sales to a local nonprofit in her community. Check out her beautiful encouraging resources at lovedoesthat.org. What Is the Seasonality of Grants...
2021-11-2312 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 y...
2021-11-2309 min
The Care Ministry Podcast11. The power of standing with people who are struggling with Kari BartkusGod knows the power of companionship. There are many scriptures that speak to the importance of supporting one another. Having people who stick closer than a brother (Prov 18:24) who weep and rejoice with you and who sharpens you.
In Hebrews 10:25 we are told to not neglect meeting together to encourage one another, but, meeting people in those dark moments is difficult. It’s often inconvenient, uncomfortable and it can be exhausting. But we are called to love. John 15:13 says Greater love has none than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
In this wee...
2021-11-1848 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. An...
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 BLI...
2021-11-0916 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...
2021-10-2617 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? ...
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...
2021-10-1210 min
Wise WomenLet's Encourage One Another with Kari BartkusWhat's up everybody?! In the midst of all that is going on, don't think I've forgotten about Pens to Prison. Tune in to today's episode as I am interviewed by Kari Bartkus on the art of encouraging one another. We had a really awesome and encouraging conversation about helping those who are hurting, no matter what state of life they may find themselves in.Kari is a wonderful jewel that the Kingdom of God has. Her spirit is sweet and her work is remarkable. If you find yourself wanting an authentic and caring soul to walk with...
2021-10-0636 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...
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...
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 th...
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 today...
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...
2021-08-2412 min
THE PASSIVE INCOME NURSE - Make Money Online, Work from Home, Start a Side Hustle, Nurse Entrepreneur, Healthcare Professional, Debt Free Goals, Budget StrategiesAn Online Business built upon Encouragement & Sympathy + Learn practical ways Nurses can sympathize & encourage others inside & outside of healthcare - Interview [PART 2] with Kari BartkusHey Nurse Friend!!
Today is PART 2 of an interview that I did with Kari Bartkus of Love Does That. This episode starts with Kari and I discussing self-care for nurses (because let's face it, it's hard to encourage and care for others when you're running on empty) and then it transitions into her interviewing me and asking me some questions related to the healthcare setting and how patients & family members can get support from the nurse.
Kari has built an online business around encouraging others in the midst of their pain! Kari has an online s...
2021-08-1330 minTHE PASSIVE INCOME NURSE - Make Money Online, Work from Home, Start a Side Hustle, Nurse Entrepreneur, Healthcare Professional, Debt Free Goals, Budget StrategiesAn Online Business built upon Encouragement & Sympathy + Powerful ways Nurses can sympathize & encourage others inside & outside of healthcare - Interview [PART 1] with Kari BartkusHey Nurse Friend!! Today is PART 1 of an interview that I did with Kari Bartkus of Love Does That. Kari has built an online business around encouraging others in the midst of their pain! Kari has an online shop where she sells sympathy and encouragement gifts and is also host the Let's Encourage One Another Podcast to help Christian women figure out what it looks like on a practical level to care for others who are grieving.
"Tired of feeling helpless when those you love are hurting?
Or maybe you feel awkward, like you’re int...
2021-08-1030 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 p...
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 experien...
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 th...
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 and h...
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 obstacl...
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 obst...
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 deepe...
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 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...
2021-07-0612 min
Grant Writing SimplifiedServing Others Through a Ministry-Based Business: Interview with Kari Bartkus, Love Does ThatSign up for Fast Track to Grant Writer: www.teresahuff.com/vip ----- Starting a Business or a Nonprofit Today I'm talking with my good friend and fellow entrepreneur Kari Bartkus of Love Does That. She has a unique ministry-based business and such a heart for serving and encouraging others. After weighing the options of whether to start a business or a nonprofit, Kari decided that a ministry-based business was the right path for her. Kari's Journey to a Ministry-Based Business Kari and I talk about several aspects of her ministry-based business journey: Deciding whether to s...
2021-06-0827 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 someti...
2021-05-2710 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 encou...
2021-04-1311 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 appo...
2021-03-2308 min