Real Talk With Rachael Podcast

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with author Gary Thomas about his book Married Sex: A Christian Couple's Guide to Reimagining Your Love Life. Gary is a writer in residence at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and an adjunct faculty member teaching on spiritual formation at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and Houston Theological Seminary in Houston, Texas. He is the author of 20 books, including When to Walk Away, Sacred Pathways, Cherish, and Sacred Marriage (over one million copies sold). He has a master's degree from Regent College and was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Western Seminary. Gary has spoken in 49 states and 10 different countries. Key Points from Our Conversation: Healthy sex should include 3 main components - it should be mutually pleasurable, affirm the relationship, and honor God. “It’s very different when you use sex to cherish your spouse rather than using your spouse to cherish sex.” The first toward redirecting unhealthy sex is to find out w

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with author Mattie Jackson Selecman about her new book Lemons on Friday: Trusting God Through My Greatest Heartbreak. Mattie is a certified sommelier and previously owned a wine bar in Nashville. She also has a degree in creative writing from the University of Tennessee. Tragically, she lost her husband of less than a year, Ben Selecman, in September 2018 after he suffered a traumatic brain injury while on vacation in Florida. Despite her grief, Mattie is pushing forward and has dedicated herself to helping others. Mattie and her business partner, Brooke Tometich, started a philanthropic merchandise brand dubbed “NaSHEville” in order to help women and children in need—specifically orphans, widows, and trafficked women. Key Points from Our Conversation: The most helpful question for Mattie wasn’t “what do you need?” It was “would this be helpful?” If a loved one is grieving, ask if they’d like to talk about it or if they’d like to hear about your life as an esca

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers about her book and new movie Redeeming Love. Francine has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Key Points from Our Conversation: Redeeming Love is based on the book of Hosea in which the Lord tells Hosea to marry a prostitute. Although she resists, he continues to pursue her. It's a picture of God's love fo

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with speaking coach Amie Stockstill. Amie is a fun-loving Southern who is passionate about training women to communicate the Gospel with confidence and clarity through her organization Let’s Echo. Key Points from Our Conversation: There is not a calling that God gives us that doesn't involve using our voice. Despite our feeling, we know we're surrendered to what God is calling us to when we say yes even when we don't want to. Fear stops us from using our voice - fear that it won't work, that we'll be wrong, even fear that we're appointing ourselves. If you’re worried about stepping outside of submission, that is proof of your submission and surrender. If you’re wrestling with whether or not God has appointed you to something, first you have to wrestle with it with God. Take your time. If the vision multiplies, take it to the right people and have them partner with you. You can’t do the exterior things without doing the internal work that lays the foundation and

For the month of December, we have spent every Monday morning in a series called “Praise, Process & Pray through 2021”. Last week, we processed body image. This week our topic is desires and dreams in our hearts. "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." Psalm 127:1 Praise: For the dreams that have come to pass this year. And for the dreams that will come to pass. Process: Dreams that fizzled. Let’s ask the Lord some questions about those dreams: Was that dream from you? Do you want to bring that dream back to life? Is it time to let that dream go? What dream do you want to deposit in my heart for 2022? Pray: Lord, we only want to seek the dreams that you have deposited in our hearts. Uproot any dreams or desires that are not from you. I am willing to work hard, but I do not want to labor in vain. Build these dreams in ways only can, father. I want to partner with you. Resource: 3 Action

For the month of December, we are spending every Monday morning in a series called “Praise, Process & Pray through 2021”. Last week, we processed relationships. This week our topic is body image. I am finishing up the first draft of my manuscript on body image and one thing I know for certain is that the Lord cares about every area of our lives, including our bodies. Praise: Thank God for your body. Speak life over her. Process: How is my relationship with my body? Are there any feelings of shame or pride around my body that I need to release? What season is my body in? (Give yourself permission to age and change.) Write a letter to your body Pray: Over body image and health in 2021. Resource:  Biblical Body Image Coloring Book Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook

For the month of December, we will spend every Monday morning in a series called “Praise, Process & Pray through 2021”. Last week, we processed the topic of change, closed doors/redirection, or loss. This week our topic is relationships. Relationships are hard yet we need them. Let’s start by praising God for the relationships we do have. Praise: Thank God for anyone currently in your life. Thank God for what he did in relationships. This year, I grew closer to my oldest daughter and my husband. Process: Broken relationships have the potential to hold great power over us. Dr. Robert Anthony says, “When you blame others, you give up your power to change”. I lost a friendship this year and it left me feeling confused, betrayed, and lonely. Every time that friend comes to mind, I choose to release and bless her. Let’s do that now in our prayer time. Pray: Pray over broken relationships. Pray over 2022, that the Lord will restore broken relationships and bring new ones in as needed. Resource: Six Steps to Cle

For the month of December, we will spend every Monday morning in a series called “Praise, Process & Pray through 2021”. Y’all loved this series so much last year that we brought it back again. Each week the focus will be different, but the theme of praising, processing, and praying will remain the same. I asked the Lord to show me areas he wants us to process before we move into 2022 and the first thing He brought up was change. This can look like closed doors/redirection, or loss. If you tuned in last year, you might have noticed we just processed and prayed. This year, I felt God ask me to add praise. God is always worthy of our praise so let’s start each episode by praising him, no matter the circumstances. Let’s start today by processing change in 2021. Praise:  Psalm 150:5 says “Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”. If you are listening to this message, it means you have breath in your body. Let’s take a moment to use our own breathe to praise the Lord for whatever comes

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with author Victoria Duerstock. Victoria is a multi-passionate creative and entrepreneur fueled mostly by coffee who pursues her dreams with verve and intensity. Wife and mom of three, Victoria divides and conquers the never-ending to-do list while working to maintain her sanity and pleasant demeanor. Her writing journey plunged her deep into the social media landscape and she enjoys sharing her tips and tricks for growth and engagement with others. Recipient of the 2020 Selah Nonfiction Book of the Year, Victoria has authored six titles, with more on the way. She is the founder and president of End Game Press, a traditional publishing house where ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. Key Points from Our Conversation: You cannot achieve peace in your marriage without intentionally pursuing it. The busyness is the most common peace stealer in our homes. Decluttering our schedules and homes will help free up peace.  "When it comes to decluttering your

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Dr. Juli Slattery. Juli is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and broadcast media professional with over twenty-five years of experience counseling, and teaching women. She’s the president and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, a unique ministry devoted to teaching God’s design for intimacy and sexuality. In 2020, Juli launched SexualDiscipleship.com, a platform designed to help Christian leaders navigate sexual issues and questions with gospel-centered truth. She hosts a weekly podcast, Java with Juli, where she answers tough questions about relationships, marriage, and spiritual, emotional, and sexual intimacy. Key Points from Our Conversation: Women don’t understand how to use their power. Understanding healthy marriage means understanding how to use our power constructively and how we often use it destructively. A wife's biggest challenge is wanting to husband to lead, but wanting him to lead the way she wants him to lead. When we direct his acti

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Juli Bevere. She is a co-founder of SonsAndDaughters.tv and she desires to see the sons and daughters of God rise to their potential so that their impact reverberates long after their final breath. Julianna is deeply in love with her husband, Addison, and together they have four adorable offspring—Asher (12), Sophia (10), Elizabeth (7), and Augustus (5). Julianna and her family live in Colorado Springs, but she’ll always be a Texan at heart. Key Points from Our Conversation: In her new book, I AM: Find Your Identity. Claim Your Freedom. Embrace the Adventure, Juli demystifies what the Bible says about us as children of God by defining terms that have been clouded ("holy", "righteous," "called") and explaining how we can contextualize them for our lives. Too often we let comparison be the dictator of what’s enough in our lives. When you’re being cultivated and allowing God to grow you, to figure out who it is you’re needed to be – that’s your calling, not w

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with revivalist, author, and Director of Saturate Global, Jessi Green. After being radically saved in her Manhattan apartment after a radical encounter with God, she has been on a journey to go “all in” and discover the “real” Jesus and ignite the Church for revival. She is passionate about preaching the Gospel, shaking religious systems, and equipping the saints to make disciples. She believes that everyone is qualified to share the Good News and teach others to follow Jesus. While enjoying the sun in North Carolina with her two sons David Leonidas and Ethan Everest and baby daughter Summer Kingsley, she passionately speaks about what it means to follow a Jesus who is alive and wants to transform cities and your life. Key Points from Our Conversation: Revival typically happens when the church is in crisis. Jessi was told, “The harvest begins summer of 2020, prepare the nets.” Revival is happening in every city if we choose to partner with the Holy Spirit.  We

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Becky Keife. Becky is the community manager for (in)courage, an online community where women gather to build community, celebrate diversity, and become women of courage. In addition to daily articles on incourage.me, (in)courage also offers Bible studies, devotionals, and a podcast to help women grow in their faith! Becky is also a popular speaker and is the author of The Simple Difference: How Every Small Kindness Makes a Big Impact, the Courageous Kindness Bible Study, as well as No Better Mom for the Job. She and her husband live near Los Angeles, where they enjoy hiking shady trails with their three spirited sons. Key Points from Our Conversation: We often think of kindness as being synonymous with being polite or nice, but often it requires courage. We need to be willing to embrace the awkward for the sake of encouraging someone else. “Our words don’t have to be complicated in order to be meaningful.” Jesus often chose kindness through awkward actions

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with my friend Nika Maples about her incredible story. She says, "When I was 20 years old, my plans for my life, career, family, and future fell apart. I was an active sophomore in college, then suddenly I was quadriplegic in the Intensive Care Unit, having suffered a massive brainstem stroke. I could not speak, swallow, or blink. Because I could hear, I listened as doctors warned my family that I had as little as 48 hours to live. There was nothing for us to do but pray. My faith sustained me in ways I can hardly explain, and a year later I walked back onto my college campus on my own two feet. I taught English in public schools for ten years, and in 2007, the Texas Education Agency awarded me the distinguished honor of Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. In that role, I started writing and speaking full time, sharing messages of hope and endurance with education, business, and church groups across the country. I love seeing people experience a renewed sense o

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with Michelle Meyers and Somer Phoebus about their new book She Works His Way: A Practical Guide for Doing What Matters Most in a Get-Things-Done World. Michelle and Somer are also moms, wives, women called to work, best friends, and co-leaders of She Works His Way - a discipleship community for working women. Michelle Myers is an author, entrepreneur, and motivator. Michelle launched She Works His Way to pour God's truth into the lives of women in ministry and business. She is the author of Famous in Heaven & at Home. Michelle lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and a daughter. Somer Phoebus is a brick-and-mortar business lover, productivity expert, and pastor's wife. She is part of the She Works His Way leadership team. In addition to an early career in fashion and retail, Somer started and sold two fitness studios. Somer lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters. Key Points from Our Conversation: Through She Works His Way Miche

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm talking with author Christy Wright about her new book Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. Christy is a #1 national best-selling author, personal development expert, and host of The Christy Wright Show. Since 2009, Christy has served at Ramsey Solutions, where she teaches on personal development, business, and faith. Key Points from Our Conversation: The #1 question Christy gets as a business coach is "How do you balance everything?" What she's come to realize is that balance isn’t something you do, it’s something you create in your life that looks like peace and confidence in your choices, as well as how you spend your time. You want to enjoy your life and be proud of how you spend your time; the path to that is not productivity. “Life balance is not doing everything for an equal amount of time, it’s about doing the right things at the right time.” 4 reasons we feel out of balance: We're doing too much. Our time is finite. We have to make choice

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with author Lisa Whittle about her new book The Hard Good: Showing Up for God to Work in You When You Want to Shut Down. Lisa has published eight books and her wit and bold bottom-line approach have made her a sought-after Bible teacher. She is also the creator of a companion video Bible study for Jesus over Everything. A pastor’s daughter and longtime ministry leader in issues relevant to the church, Lisa is the founder of Ministry Strong and the popular Jesus over Everything podcast, which debuted in the top 25 of Christian podcasts. Her love runs deep to see people pursue Jesus for life, grow deep roots of faith, and walk strong in the midst of a world that so often seems to have gone crazy. She and her family live in North Carolina. Key Points from Our Conversation: "The Hard Good" is the stuff that is hard and most spiritually transformative if we allow God to use it and the emotions/feelings that thwart us in the process of change.  "God anoints and app

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking to author Sarah Bragg about her new book A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself. Sarah is also the host of the podcast Surviving Sarah. Along with being a master at brewing coffee and a champion of cheering for others, she is also a mother of two girls and a wife to Scott. She and her family reside in Tennessee. Key Points from Our Conversation: There's a lot of pressure that comes along with believing motherhood is your calling. If it is the greatest thing we can ever do, what about the women who don’t/can't have children? What happens when your kids grow up? Raising kids is valuable, but it doesn’t have to be a pressure point. It’s a relationship. Perfectionism tells us that if we follow the formula and it doesn't work, it must be us. You have to get to the heart of who you are and what your kids need. Be aware of your tendency for perfectionism and don't use it as an affirmation of your worth. Pay attention to your "should soundtrack." When you feel like you sh

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I’m chatting with my friend Rebekah Moes about her personal journey with infidelity in her marriage and God’s power of redemption. Bekah is a Jesus-loving mom-of-five from the DFW area. She and her husband Nick co-founded Family of Hope, a non-profit web-based resource for couples in crisis. Their podcast unFAITHFUL: redeeming infidelity reaches couples recovering from infidelity all over the world. Bekah is passionate about sharing her story and breaking the silence on a lonely road that many couples walk. She believes a healthy “we” starts with a healthy “me,” and knows that journey very well. She loves talking to women about how to live overflowing, Spirit-empowered lives first at home, and then in every sphere of influence. Key Points from Our Conversation: Rebekah initially believed her husband’s pornography addiction was a “struggle” that would resolve itself after marriage, but after things worsened it became clear it was a heart issue. Think of marriage as a mirror

In a recent moment of panic, a mentor offered me some helpful insight - "Your best decisions come from a place of calm." I had become focused on what I was going to do rather than tapping into the power of God.  What unyielding obstacles are you facing today? Don’t panic. Instead, turn to God and trust in His power to do what’s impossible. Discomfort is the price of admission to taking new territory. Get around people who will look for the power of God instead of panicking and get into the Bible. It increases our faith to rely on His power. Resource mentioned: Care and Counsel Bible Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook