Kaci was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31, right at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Knowing that God could use every part of her life for something powerful, she worked to make one of the hardest years of her life one of the most meaningful. She launched a breast cancer themed Christian devotional for women called Twice the Warrior. The book tells about God’s hand in her own journey, along with fifteen other breast cancer warriors. Today on the show Kaci is sharing the story of her breast cancer journey. It’s full of the things you’d expect like biopsies, surgeries and chemotherapy, but Kaci has SO MUCH MORE to say. You’ll hear us talk about: The whirlwind of her cancer diagnosis Feeling betrayed by God Deciding to use her situation for God’s glory Viewing hard things as opportunities Using your story to show God’s goodness While her initial reaction to her diagnosis was “why me?” She make a bold decision to use her situation to glorify God. Kaci realized that narrating what she was going through was powerful to her healing and she wanted to help other women too. Her devotional Twice the Warrior, is about fighting cancer, but it’s also about fighting for people to know God. Kaci says that in difficult times we have to remember that God is good, and we should ask God what He’s opening this door for. Kaci says it’s all about shifting your perspective and calls her experience with cancer a “beautiful opportunity.”   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Twice the Warrior: Christian Devotional for Breast Cancer Warriors It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way   KACI’S FAVORITE 6 Kayaking with Whales Auditioning for American Idol Running a Marathon Paragliding in Switzerland Skydiving Via Ferrata in Telluride   CONNECT WITH KACI Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Show Notes | Instagram | Facebook

Girls Talking Life

#73 Kaci Sintek [Breast Cancer Warrior]

Today I’m chatting with my friend Leah Rempel about how we can partner with God and put our faith into action.   You’ll hear us talk about: being filled up from the inside out incorporating your faith into every area of your life partnering with God pursuing personal ministries, big and small   Leah Rempel is the host of the Faith School Podcast, a podcast dedicated to exploring the practical side of faith. She loves to lead women to follow God from the inside out, integrate their faith into their everyday lives and intentionally pursue personal ministries. She is a wife, mom, and former teacher living in the Great White North.   Get all the Show Notes!

#72 Leah Rempel [Put Your Faith into Action]

I’m excited to bring you my conversation with my friend Bailey Stone. We are talking about finding our unique callings and the confidence to live those callings out. You’ll hear us talk about: The difference between purpose and calling Ways to discern your unique calling If your calling changes How to increase your confidence Discerning God’s voice Bailey is a Certified Professional Life Coach who helps women elevate their confidence and increase clarity so they can pursue their calling and make an impact. Bailey loves calling Montana home, reading books on the porch with her husband (when it’s not freezing) and finding new spaces to house an ever growing army of houseplants.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Confidence Myths that Have Been Holding You Back The Sound of a Million Dreams: Awakening to Who You Are Becoming by Suanne Camfield (Chapter 10 – Naming) Bailey Stone Coaching   BAILEY’S FAVORITE 5 Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen Live with Purpose Planner Hearth and Hand Harvest Spice Candle Produce Storage Bins Beauty Counter Supreme Cream   CONNECT WITH BAILEY Instagram | Facebook | Website   GTL COMMUNITY GROUP Did you know that there’s a Girls Talking Life community group on FB? It’s an extension of the podcast where we can connect and continue to grow even when we can’t be with our girlfriends. If you are looking for community, if you want join in the conversation after the show and encourage others as we all grow in our faith, jump in to this group! I’d love to see you there!

#71 Bailey Stone [Find Clarity and Confidence in Your Calling]

Today I’m talking with Rhonda Stoppe, the No Regrets Woman, all about marriage and becoming the couple you long to be. Rhonda shares her own love story and invites us to remember what romance was like with our husbands before we were married. She says we need to remember that feeling and then keep working to rekindle it. Rhonda talks about what she did when her marriage wasn’t what she thought it would be. She says the number one marriage trouble is unmet expectations. We chat about resentment and unforgiveness, and how if these sins are in our lives, we need to acknowledge and repent of them regardless of what our husbands are doing. Rhonda says “it has to begin with you.” Rhonda tells us that we have to teach our husbands how to love us and what we need in our current season, and she explains how powerful it is when we pursue intimacy with our husbands. Rhonda Stoppe is a popular speaker and author who fervently imparts the truth of God’s Word to her audience. She is an enthusiastic communicator who unfolds Scripture with a contagious passion for truth as she teaches women to connect with God in an intimate “love walk” of obedience and to live deliberately in their purpose. She and her pastor husband, Steve, are the grateful parents of four grown kids.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Real-life Romance The Marriage Mentor: Becoming the Couple You Long to Be Titus 2 If My Husband Would Change, I’d Be Happy…And Other Myths Wives Believe Marriage Videos Nehemiah 8:10 Philippians 4 Moms Raising Sons to be Men   RHONDA’S FAVORITE 5 Coffee Flowy Sleeves Her Husband! Her Kids Being a Grandma   CONNECT WITH RHONDA Instagram | Facebook | Website   THE GATHERING PROJECT A five-day experience to plan, prep and gather with your girlfriends. The Gathering Project begins on September 13th. You’ll get: 5 days of coaching videos a 12-page workbook – the Girls Gathering Guide GTL conversation cards access to a private FB group for real-time interaction with me and other group members for support, ideas and encouragement. My mission is to help you gather, have conversations, create meaningful connections, and build lasting friendships. Save My Spot! 

#70 Rhonda Stoppe [Becoming the Couple You Long to Be]

Katie was looking for community after moving to L.A., but what she was finding was a lot of networking events, people asking “what can you do for me?” She wanted to create a space for authentic community and started her business, At The Lane, to host intentional gatherings and to help others host intentional gatherings too. Katie tells us every gathering needs a purpose. She explains why and how to add intentionality to your gatherings. Katie says she always wants her guests to feel like their presence matters. Katie and I talk about why getting together is so crucial and how you may not even realize you’re missing community, but that we have basic a need to be known by others. You may feel like hosting isn’t your thing, but Katie disagrees. She says that everyone can be a host, just not the same kind of host, and she walks us through how to determine your specific hosting strengths. We also chat about creating a space for all people. Katie says her “best dinners are the ones where the table looks different.” Katie is an intentional gathering facilitator, dinner party host & event designer. She founded her company, At The Lane, to host intentional gatherings and help others do the same. With her in-person gatherings, content, products and services, she strives to make gathering more attainable, fun and intentional, while also encouraging the host in each of us.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE At The Lane The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker   KATIE’S FAVORITE 5 The Olympics Maxi Dresses The Magnolia Network Interview Podcasts Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Ravioli   CONNECT WITH KATIE Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook

#69 Katie Brown [You Can Host Intentional Gatherings]

We are wrapping up our Summer of Joy series with Talasi Guerra, author of Joy Like a Mountain. She is a Christian communicator who is passionate about infusing Jesus into her everyday life and empowering others to do the same. Talasi and I talk about the continuous cycle she was stuck in of feeling shame and guilt for making choices that didn’t align with her beliefs, and how after a long battle with anorexia and depression, she cried out to God for help. Talasi shares that she didn’t feel close to God in that moment, but says “looking back, I can see that He was so near because he heard me and started to get to work.” Talasi shares about what she calls the “joy crisis” and how joylessness effects us. She encourages us to dig in to what the bible says about joy and tells us that when she challenged herself to read about biblical joy every day for a month, reflect on it and apply what she read, her “mind was blown” and she’d “never experienced so much joy.” She tells us that when life feels like a mountain, joy is the tool that help us up and over, but we have to choose to intentionally pursue it. Talasi is committed to bringing light and life to the world around her by sharing her story, speaking truth, and offering hope to others. Talasi and her husband Ryan reside in Western Canada along with their daughters, Avra and Katana, and their massive strategy board game collection.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Joy Like a Mountain: Unleash the Power of Biblical Joy on the Journey of Life Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. – Romans 5: 3-4 (NIV) 7-Day Joy Challenge   TALASI’S FAVORITE 5 Town and Field Church Podcast Parent Cue 30 Minute Workouts Maracaibo Board Game The Women’s Speakers Collective   CONNECT WITH TALASI Instagram | Facebook | Website

#68 Talasi Guera [Summer of Joy: Joy Like a Mountain]

It's the Summer of Joy around here and we know God is the true source of our joy, but through Him there are things (or people or places) that bring us joy too. On every episode I ask my guest to share the five things are her favorites. Today's show is a compilation of some of those favorites! We are talking spiritual tools and self-care!   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook

#67 [Summer of Joy: Favorite 5 (Part 2) Spiritual Tools and Self-Care]

We are continuing our series, Summer of Joy, and I’m talking with Lain Ehman today. Lain is a best-selling author, life and business coach, and host of A More Beautiful Question, the radio show and podcast to equip women to live as Joy Rebels and fight back against a culture of worry and fear. Lain explains what a joy rebel is and we talk about ways to be one. We talk about the difference joy and happiness, how gratitude creates joy in us and how we always have the choice to choose it or not. Lain shares her story of struggle and what she did when she thought she couldn’t handle one more thing.  We chat about being joyful even in really difficult times and how to keep functioning when you feel like you might not make it through the day. I encourage you to listen in, learn about being a joy rebel and then show up and shine your light.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE A More Beautiful Question Show How Do I Find More Joy in My Life? How Do I Find More Joy in My Life? – Part 2 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34 (NIV)   LAIN’S FAVORITE 5 Zenni Optical Air Fryer Scribd – lainloves.com/scribd Red Light Therapy Black Rock Coffee   CONNECT WITH LAIN Instagram | Website

#66 Lain Ehmann [Summer of Joy: Are You a Joy Rebel?]

It's the Summer of Joy around here and while we know God is the true source of our joy, and through Him there are things (or people or places) that bring us joy too. On every episode I ask my guest to share the five things are her favorites. Today's show is a compilation of some of those favorites! We are talking food, drink and books! Connect with Girls Talking Life Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook

#65 [Summer of Joy : Favorite 5 (Part One)]

On the show today, I’m talking with Pam Baily. Pam is a speaker, mentor and friend, challenging women to lead Christ-centered lives full of purpose and joy. Last year she launched her first online discipleship group known as Soul Sisters where she creates an environment for women to study God’s word, pray for one another, and cheer each other along in their walk with Christ. Pam is also the host of the new Soul Sisters podcast. Pam and I are talking about what it means to be a soul sister and how these special girlfriends help us experience joy. Pam shares ways we can be good sisters to each other – refrain from gossip, encourage in love, lay down your life, and pray for them – sounds easy enough, right? The truth is we all fall short some of the time, but Pam unpacks what these mean for us in our actual lives and small things we can do to stay on track in our relationships. We also discuss things, other than her soul sisters, Pam has found to increase the joy in her life. I can’t put my finger on what it is that I love so much about Pam, but my guess is that it’s God’s love emanating from her. Jump into our conversation and I’m sure you’ll feel it too!   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 1 Samuel 18 Soul Sisters with Pam Bailey Podcast Soul Sisters on YouTube Discipleship Groups   PAM’S FAVORITE 5 ESV Study Bible Allen Parr YouTube Channel Michel Design Works – Beach Collection J. Crew Flip Flops Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake   CONNECT WITH PAM Instagram | Facebook | Website

#64 Pam Bailey [Summer of Joy: Soul Sisters]

We’re wrapping up our series on parenting and family culture today. I’m joined by Amanda Bacon. Amanda lives in North Carolina with her husband, Jeremy, and their eight children. She’s on staff at Proverbs 31 Ministries on Lysa TerKeurst’s team and loves encouraging women with biblical truth and authenticity. Amanda is the co-host of All the Mom Things podcast, host of At Night podcast, and the co-author of Shiny Things: Mothering on Purpose in a World of Distractions. In order to know what’s distracting us, we need to know what our priorities are. Amanda and I talk about how naming what’s important to us isn’t the hard part. It’s keeping what’s most important to us first. Amanda points us to the perfect example. She says, “[Jesus] displays priorities and how to live our top priority with it at the top, all through scripture.” Amanda and I chat about some of the distractions in our lives and how a lot of times we use distractions as an escape when things are hard. To combat this, a question Amanda will ask is, “is right now the right time?” And because our brains are full managing all of the things for our families, we might need timers and reminders to keep us on track. As much as we love our children, sometimes they are the distraction. Amanda says communication with our kids is really big when we need to get work done, but we also have to make sure we aren’t squandering our time.  Since summer is upon us and mothering on purpose is Amanda’s heart, we wrap up by talking about things we can do to have a successful summer with our most important people.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Shiny Things: Mothering on Purpose in a World of Distractions All the Mom Things Podcast At Night Podcast   AMANDA’S FAVORITE 5 Fresh Salsa Nutpods Creamer The Dearly Beloved Bare Marriage Podcast The Durrells in Corfu   CONNECT WITH AMANDA Instagram   THE GATHERING PROJECT A five-day experience to plan, prep and gather with your girlfriends. The Gathering Project begins on June 14th. You’ll get: 5 days of coaching videos a 12-page workbook – the Girls Gathering Guide GTL conversation cards access to a private FB group for real-time interaction with me and other group members for support, ideas and encouragement. My mission is to help you gather, have conversations, create meaningful connections, and build lasting friendships. Save My Spot! 

#63 Amanda Bacon [Mothering on Purpose in a World of Distractions]

We’re jumping back into our series on parenting and family culture today while continuing to talk about mental health. If you missed you the last episode, you definitely want to go back and hear my conversation with Carla Arges on Living Victoriously with Mental Illness. Today I’m joined by mental health professional, Michelle Nietert, and she and I are talking about making sure we’re healthy ourselves and then evaluating our kids’ mental health. Michelle and I talk about how important it is to check in with yourself. She tells us to check on our spiritual practice, to check on our emotions, our sleep, our nutrition and our movement. Michelle gives ideas for how we can be sure we’re centering ourselves on God so we are in a good mindset. She says, “emotions need to be on the bus, but they don’t need to be driving the bus…we want to make sure God is driving our bus.” Next, it’s time to check in with our kids, have conversations and evaluate their mental health. Michelle says we want to make sure our kids are hopeful about the future, that they’re managing their nutrition and sleep well, and that they are able to process negative emotions when they experience them. She shares questions we can ask our kids to gauge how they’re doing in these areas. Michelle says if they’re not doing well or if we’re just not sure, it’s time to ask for help from a professional. She also encourages us to celebrate when things are good! Michelle Nietert, LPC-S is an author, speaker, and Clinical Director of Community Counseling Associates in Dallas, TX. She’s a sought-after leader by mental health professionals, churches, and school districts, co-author of Loved & Cherished, a devotional for tween girls and is also co-host of the Raising Brave Beauties podcast, which will be re-launching in May as Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Pray Every Day Podcast with Mary DeMuth Brendon Burchard – Doorways The Mother and Son Prayer Journal by Christie Thomas Loved & Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls by Lynn Cowell and Nichelle Nietert The Passion Ministries – Lou Giglio Dr. Tim Elmore Screen Kids by Arlene Pellicane   MICHELLE’S FAVORITE 5 Marleylily Monogramming Atomic Habits by James Clear Scent Bird Buff City Soap Bath Bombs The Naturally Nourish Podcast   CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Instagram | Facebook | Website   THE GATHERING PROJECT A five-day experience to plan, prep and gather with your girlfriends. The Gathering Project begins on June 14th. You’ll get: 5 days of coaching videos a 12-page workbook – the Girls Gathering Guide GTL conversation cards access to a private FB group for real-time interaction with me and other group members for support, ideas and encouragement. My mission is to help you gather, have conversations, create meaningful connections, and build lasting friendships. Sign me up! 

#62 Michelle Nietert [Mentally Healthy Moms and Kids]

Carla Arges is on the show today sharing her story and her encouragement for those living with mental illness. She also explains what it’s like to live with mental illness on a daily basis for those of us who don’t know. Carla has so much insight and wisdom straight from God’s Word on this subject. She clears up misconceptions about mental illness as Christians and gives practical guidance for those wanting to love someone well who is struggling in this way. Carla tells us that early on she wanted to handle her struggles on her own, but once she became a mother she knew she didn’t want to repeat the cycle of her childhood with her son, which is what led her to seek help. Carla says “making that shift from being a victim of my circumstances to having ownership over my life was a huge turning point.” Carla shares some low points in her journey and how God showed her that He created her for MORE. He gently walked her through healing and restoration slowly, one area at a time. Carla tells us that while she still struggles with identity, a way she has combated those feelings is by creating affirmations directly from scripture to remind her of the truth of who she is in Christ.   Carla explains what it’s like to live her mental illness and how she has learned to utilize the tools available to her. She says that by controlling the things you can control — like how much sleep you get, the foods you eat and how much you move your body — you can “live a victorious life within your illness.” Carla is an entrepreneur, author, mom, wife and mental health advocate. She is the founder of Affirming Truths, a platform to help women affirm their identity in Christ. Her mission is to help women gain confidence in who they are so that they can walk more boldly in the purpose God has over their life.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Affirming Truths   CARLA’S FAVORITE 5 Kairos Journal Who You Say I Am Affirmation Cards Happy Light Morning Coffee Made by her Husband Scopa Italian Card Game   CONNECT WITH CARLA Instagram | Facebook | Website   GIRLS TALKING LIFE COMMUNITY Did you know that there’s a Girls Talking Life community group on FB? It’s an extension of the podcast where we can connect and continue to grow even when we can’t be with our girlfriends. If you are looking for community, if you want join in the conversation after the show and encourage others as we all grow in our faith, jump in to this group! I’d love to see you there! Join the Community! 

#61 Carla Arges [Living Victoriously with Mental Illness]

Did you know you can help save childhood, mama? We are continuing our series on parenting and family culture today with Jessica Smartt. She reminds us how important our jobs as moms really are. Even when it doesn’t feel important, we have gifts we can give our kids that will shape who they become. Jessica says, “we need to be gracious with ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we don’t work on the things that are worth doing.” And parenting our children well is one of those things! Jessica and I chat about her book, Let them Be Kids. We dive into why and how we can give our kids the gifts of adventure, boredom and more. Jessica says our kids are wired to need adventure and we can “either give it to them in a healthy way, or they’re going to want to go find it on their own, and the world offers them tons of options.” We talk about why they need the mental white space of boredom too. Jessica gives us permission to “back the bus up” on decisions we’ve already made about technology. She also shares about grit, work ethic and lessons learned from her kids’ pet sitting business. Jessica is a homeschooling mom of three who loves biking, breakfast food, and being the one in charge of a big fun event. She is the author of Memory-Making Mom and Let Them Be Kids.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Memory Making Mom Let Them Be Kids Sex, Jesus and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom Allowance Chore System Summer Planning Guide   JESSICA’S FAVORITE 5 Sunless Tanner Trader Joe’s Vegetable Fried Rice Family Friendly TV Shows World of Where Art Hub for Kids   CONNECT WITH JESSICA Instagram | Facebook | Website   GIRLS TALKING LIFE COMMUNITY Did you know that there’s a Girls Talking Life community group on FB? It’s an extension of the podcast where we can connect and continue to grow even when we can’t be with our girlfriends. If you are looking for community, if you want join in the conversation after the show and encourage others as we all grow in our faith, jump in to this group! I’d love to see you there!   Join the Community! 

#60 Jessica Smartt [Let Them Be Kids]

What is your family’s culture? Do you know you have one whether you’ve thought about it or not? Kimberly Amici joins me today to begin our series on parenting and family culture. She and I talk about what family culture is and how to go about defining it for your family. Kimberly says “when you have a culture in your home where you’ve identified your values and you know what you want to be known for…it helps you make decisions.” Prevent decision fatigue by having a plan in place where you’ve decided ahead of time! We chat about getting our kids involved and letting them take ownership which allows our kids to feel a sense of belonging and empowerment. We also talk about creating a culture that points our kids to Jesus. Kimberly says it’s “deciding what it is that’s important to you and then taking small steps over time to get there.” Kimberly has fantastic encouragement for young moms who are in the trenches and for mamas of older kids who might think it’s too late to be intentional with the direction your family is headed. Kimberly is known for her creativity, strong faith, and commitment to living life with purpose and passion. She is an entrepreneur, designer, podcast producer, and family culture coach. She lives with her husband Carl and their three teenagers in the NYC suburbs.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Read It Pray It Cards Build Your Best Family Course Build Your Best Family Podcast   KIMBERLY’S FAVORITE 5 Bingeing Alias Music Hydroflask Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn Essential Oils   CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Website | Instagram | Facebook

#59 Kimberly Amici [Build Your Best Family]

Girls Talking Life is a podcast designed to encourage women by sharing real stories and refreshing ideas to stir your soul. We’re not enough and we can’t do it all, but with Jesus as the definer and director of our lives and a little encouragement from our friends, we can be inspired to initiate change, to be intentional, to cultivate community and to love others well.

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Girls Talking Life

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