Ideally, a marriage lasts a lifetime. But as we know, many factors can derail or end a marriage. Unfaithfulness is the reason 20-40% of marriages get derailed and ultimately end. According to a 2014 American Psychological Association study, 60-80% of those marriages impacted by infidelity are restored, often because both partners engaged in couples counseling.I&apos;m excited to have author, speaker, podcaster, and coach Jill Savage on the show to discuss how discovering her husband&apos;s unfaithfulness impacted her and how she and Mark worked to rebuild their marriage. A marriage that she now describes as healthier and stronger than ever. Jill gained much wisdom during that difficult season in her life, which lead to her writing  "Your Next Steps: What to Do When Your Spouse Is Unfaithful." In this short but powerful book, Jill shares the ten steps she and Mark took to  rebuild their marriage. (Book is available on Amazon)Step 1: Connect with the Friend [Jesus] Who UnderstandsStep 2: Drop Your Anchor in His WordStep 3: Be StillStep 4: Fight on Your KneesStep 5: Take Care of YouStep 6: Accept HelpStep 7: Understand This Isn&apos;t About YouStep 8: Own What&apos;s YoursStep 9: Set BoundariesStep 10: Choose LoveIn addition to this book on marriage, Jill has also  written "No More Perfect Marriages" and "Is There Really Sex After Kids?" Two online courses - Rebuilding Trust and The Wait Is Not Wasted - are available on her website, jillsavage.org.If your marriage has been impacted by an unfaithful partner, Jill&apos;s books and resources were written by someone who truly understands and desires a restored marriage for you, too.If your marriage is healthy and strong, you will learn much for this interview. And Jill&apos;s books and resources will benefit you, too! Here&apos;s to experiencing the many blessings God desired when He created marriage!

Zigzag & One

51: Unfaithful Spouse? Steps for Rebuilding Your Marriage with Jill Savage

On this 20th anniversary of 9/11, Americans and likely others around the world will pause and remember the 2,977 precious and innocent lives that were taken and the thousands of others who were injured but survived. At a 2002 memorial, Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl, said, "If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” Her words were poignant then and oh how we need to be reminded of them now.I was honored to interview 9/11 survivor, Michelle Cruz. In my interview with her, she describes her journey during that horrific day, as well as how that day led her to finding her purpose. As an eager and driven 28-year-old professional at Fidelity Trust, Michelle arrived early to work on the 95th floor of Tower Two that day at her manager&apos;s request to put the finishing touches on that morning&apos;s presentation. Before she had a chance to unpack her briefcase, she heard the roar of the first plane&apos;s engine as it flew by Tower Two and into Tower One. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, she ran for the elevator. When she reached the ground floor, she ran outside only to see the second plane crash into Tower Two. Her co-worker, Andrew, encouraged her to keep going. After nearly 40 blocks, she and Andrew parted ways as he took the ferry to New Jersey and Michelle took a taxi to her mother&apos;s house. Michelle describes how she&apos;s certain the sudden appearance of the taxi driver and his powerful words to her were that of an angel. Over the next few weeks, Michelle processed the events of that day and began making plans to move forward with her life.Michelle and I discussed the book she co-authored titled "Pursuing Your Destiny: How to Overcome Adversity and Achieve Your Dreams." Her book gives a full account of her journey on 9/11, as well as the many experiences she&apos;s had since then. Follow Michelle on Instagram @mikaila_nyc or on Facebook at mikaila_cruz_nycMichelle is working on her second book, which will dive deeper into her philosophy about finding empowerment within and pursuing your purpose.

50: A 9/11 Survivor: 20 Years Later with Mikaila (Michelle) Cruz

After graduating from college, Hannah Gavios followed her adventurous spirit to Vietnam to teach and explore a new country. A weekend vacation to Thailand promised rest and relaxation, but Hannah encountered evil at the hands of a stranger instead. After he sexually assaulted her, she unknowingly ran away in the direction of a cliff. As it was nighttime, she did not know she was running off a 150-foot cliff. The horrific pain she endured through the night was coupled with additional assaults by the stranger who ran down to where she landed. Doctors did everything they could when Hannah arrived in the Emergency Room eight hours after her attack, but paralysis from her waist down was the horrific outcome after enduring the horror of that evening.Hannah felt bitterness and anger for some time after the attack. But she didn&apos;t want to remain there, so worked hard in physical therapy to strengthen her body as much as possible. She watched runners running at Central Park and longed to experience again "the high" she felt when she ran. Determined not to let the paralysis steal the joy she found when running, she began training for the New York City marathon. Since then, she&apos;s run the marathon twice using her crutches and will run it again this November. Additionally, she loves being a yoga instructor.Hannah&apos;s positive attitude and encouragement to others to keep picking yourself up when you encounter life&apos;s tough challenges is crazy inspiring! You rock, Hannah!Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahgavios.

49: Keep Picking Yourself Up with Hannah Gavios

When we encounter zigzags (struggles) in our paths, we likely will seek help from a doctor or friend. We might pray for healing or guidance or wisdom. While those actions are important in fighting to overcome, do we include laughter?Laughter when sickness has attacked your body? Yes. Laughter when your loss is so overwhelming the tears flood your pillow? Yes. Laughter when your frustration is so great your head feels as if it will explode? Yes.Will laughter fix these zigzags? No. But my guest, Cherie Nettles, points us to Proverbs 17:22 that says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." During Cherie&apos;s toughest times of growing up with parents who fought addiction, a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis as a teenager, and a diagnosis of stage 3 ovarian cancer as an adult, she discovered cheerfulness and laughter are a powerful medicine. She didn&apos;t just read this verse, she believed God was telling the truth. Because He said a cheerful heart and laughter are good medicine, she found ways to laugh and looked for humor even in those tough times.Cherie is an author, speaker, and comedian. You can connect with her and book her to speak at your next event at www.cherienettles.com.

48: Live Like God Is Telling the Truth with Cherie Nettles

On a Facebook post to encourage people to listen to this episode, I wrote, "You can&apos;t talk about being thrown into the wilderness without also talking about the beauty you find there during those long and lonely years." If Shelly hadn&apos;t agreed to record part 2 of her interview, you might have thought her story ended there - that dark, lonely, and painful place. Thankfully, she agreed to come back, so we could discuss the beauty she found in the wilderness. It&apos;s hard to see beauty when you&apos;re in the wilderness, but Shelly and I discussed how the transformation during that time is like the metamorphosis process and like the refining fire. Neither the cocoon nor the fire feels beautiful while we are in it. It&apos;s what happens after the cocoon and after being taken out of the fire that proves to be beyond beautiful.So, if you&apos;re in the cocoon or in the fire, hang in there. It will end. And you&apos;ll have a new perspective - one that highlights the beauty that you will not be able to ignore it!"The same sun that melts the butter hardens the clay." ~ Billy GrahamTRANSFORMATION:  Caterpillar ---> butterfly2 wings of the butterfly ----> Spirit + truth = freedomShelly referred to many verses during her explanations. As promised, here they are:* The great exchange: Isaiah 61:1-3The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,    because the Lord has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,    to proclaim freedom for the captives    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]to proclaim the year of theLord’s favor    and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty    instead of ashes,the oil of joy    instead of mourning,and a garment of praise    instead of a spirit of despair.They will be called oaks of righteousness,    a planting of the Lord    for the display of his splendor.REFINING FIRE:Job 23:10But he knows the way that I take;    when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.* The journey to freedom:The more you know Him, the more you love Him.The more you love Him, the more you trust Him.The more you trust Him, the more freedom you experience.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.Romans 12:2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.Ephesians 3:16-19I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

47: Beauty in the Wilderness with Shelly Brown

WILDERNESS. When we hear that word, a mental picture instantly forms in our mind. Maybe it looks like a forest or a desert. Perhaps you don&apos;t just think of a wilderness in your mind. It&apos;s more than just a picture in your mind. You know it well. Because you&apos;ve lived it. Or you&apos;re there now.My guest, Shelly Brown, was thrown into a wilderness for 13 years.  All the zigzags in her past and present imploded and exploded at the same time, stripping everything from her except her three children.Shelly shares how the death of her mother combined with her father leaving her and her siblings filled her with unfathomable grief. Her extended family took them to foster care. It led to a seemingly wonderful set of new parents for she and her brother, but she was wrong. Additional zigzags happened in this new home. Into her adult life, marriage, children, close friends, and a thriving ministry were all Shelly dreamed of. Thirteen years ago, Shelly lost all of her dreams except her children. This is when Shelly was thrown into a wilderness. She shares some of the challenges she faced while in the wilderness in this episode. She would never say the wilderness experience was the best years of her life but that she needed that time there to heal and to grow.Shelly will join me again for episode 47 where she will share more details about the challenges she faced in the wilderness as well as the beauty she found there. 

46: Thrown into the Wilderness with Shelly Brown

To bring awareness about an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis during MG awareness month, I invited my good friend, Cheryl Lutz, to join me.For the last 23 years, Cheryl has lived with MG. We discuss the symptoms that led to her diagnosis, the criteria for MG, and the prognosis. She shares her struggles with a droopy left eye, weakness in her left arm and leg, fatigue, and brain fog. Thankfully, these aren&apos;t daily struggles.She shares what she&apos;s learned about extending grace to herself on her hard days and extending grace to others as we really never know what others are going through. Throughout the years, she&apos;s learned much about God and her faith has grown deeper as a result. Cheryl is an author, speaker, and lay counselor. You may learn more about her and her m inistry, Securely Held, at www.cheryllutz.com.

45: Extend Grace with Cheryl Lutz

When her business failed, her marriage ended, and her son was diagnosed with cancer, Kim&apos;s life imploded. The struggles were great, but her faith was greater. She leaned hard on God. "I wouldn&apos;t have survived all this without God. He&apos;s never ever abandoned me through any of this. I clung to Him, because I had nothing else," she shared.A bright light broke through when Kim reunited and married her high school sweetheart, but her son passing away a few months later was a zigzag she didn&apos;t think she could survive. She leaned hard on God again. "When you realize God is all you have, you also realize He is all you need. He&apos;s been everything to me," Kim shared. She would need to lean on God and her faith again when her husband incurred a traumatic brain injury and passed away several months later.How does a person endure this many zigzags and maintain a positive attitude about life? In this episode, Kim discusses how learning gratitude is the antidote to self-pity changed her perspective and impacted her greatly.Kim McBrayer is a recent widow, Cassidy&apos;s mom, and mom to her warrior son Carson who passed away from osteosarcoma. She is the owner of Space Cadets in Birmingham, Alabama, which helps clients with closet designs and their organizational needs.  Learn more about Space Cadets at www.spacecadetsorg.com.

44: Gratitude Is the Antidote with Kim McBrayer

Violence. It&apos;s a word that instantly brings vivid images to mind. It&apos;s a word that is often combined with pain and loss and fear. And unfortunately, it&apos;s a word we hear way too often these days.My guest on today&apos;s episode, Tamiko Pugh, endured years of domestic violence. She still has vivid images of the violence she endured. Pain and loss and fear walked with her while she was with the men who abused her. Fortunately, Tamiko put an end to the violence.Once she experienced healing, she determined to turn her pain into purpose. She started a non-profit that focuses on domestic violence advocacy, awareness, and prevention. Because Tamiko&apos;s walked in their shoes, women trust her and eagerly accept her support and resources.  One of the best takeaways from my conversation with Tamiko was when we discussed how we all experience trials and tribulations. Instead of being defeated by the trials we face, she said, "God is preparing us for something greater. He is pushing us into our purpose."Sometimes it&apos;s hard to remember that when we are experiencing violence or pain or loss. Listen to today&apos;s episode to hear more of Tamiko&apos;s wisdom.In the Atlanta area and want to connect with Tamiko&apos;s non-profit? Visit The Still standing Alliance at thestillstandingalliance.com. Connect with her on tamikolowery.com to access her blog, her podcast, and her Empowered Life coaching programs!

43: Turning Pain into Purpose with Tamiko Pugh

Stories. Our life stories. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts. We likely are just fine with others knowing the good parts of our story. Often, though, we try hard to hide or even wish away the bad and the ugly parts. My guest on this episode, Sharon Jaynes, believes all the parts of our story are divine weapons against the enemy. That&apos;s a bold but true statement!In her book, When You Don&apos;t Like Your story: What If Your Worst Chapters Were Your Greatest Victories?, she writes, "God turns broken stories into beautiful prose and unwanted pages into stunning narratives of victory." Do you believe this? I do! She continues, "Our pain can become a portal of God&apos;s grace. Our ravaged pages can become God&apos;s redemptive masterpiece."Not only does Sharon share examples from her story that were painful and challenging, but she also shares how what felt like setbacks were really God setting her up for something good!Even though Sharon and I discuss several points from her book, we couldn&apos;t cover all the incredible content about why our worst chapters can become our greatest victories. So I recommend you get a copy of her book. Make sure you have a pen ready as there as so many valuable insights and words of wisdom you will want to remember!You can learn more about Sharon at www.sharonjaynes. 

42: When You Don't Like Your Story with Sharon Jaynes

National Infertility Awareness Week is April 18-24 this year. While infertility may not be a struggle you have personally experienced, you likely know someone who has. An estimated 1 in 8 men and women have struggled with infertility. An estimated 15% of couples struggle with infertility. The physical struggles of not being able to conceive might be outweighed by the emotional struggles. Nearly 41% of infertile women have depression. Almost 87% of infertile women have anxiety.Spreading awareness about infertility helps grow compassion and empathy for those who desperately want a child but are unable to conceive.My friend, Samantha Morgan, is my guest. She not only shares the physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles she experienced when she and her husband couldn&apos;t conceive, but she also shares the wisdom she gained during those very tough years. We discuss her book, Miraculously My Own, which details her infertility struggles and their decision to adopt. She and her husband are now parents to a handsome son and a beautiful daughter.  As a writer and speaker, Sam desires to spread awareness about infertility, as well as encouraging and supporting those who are walking in those shoes now.You may learn more at www.rushtohopministries.com. 

41: Dreams Redefined: Infertility to Adoption with Samantha Morgan

Today&apos;s episode is based on one of Maya Angelou&apos;s quotes. She said, "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what the color."I believe these wise words point us to an image we cannot deny. All the colors of ethnicities make for a rich tapestry - the tapestry of the human race. My guest is my friend, Christina Custodio. We discuss why it&apos;s important to see color. And why diversity is beautiful. We tackled what may seem a tough conversation. I agree. It can be a tough conversation.But as we&apos;ve seen time and time again, not communicating widens the divide. The bridge to unity among ethnicities can be built IF we communicate and truly seek to understand.It&apos;s time for us to have the tough conversations. It&apos;s time to heal.If you&apos;d like to connect with Christina, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit her website at www.christinacustodio.com.  If you&apos;d like to get a copy of She Writes for Him: Black Voices of Wisdom, you can order it HERE. 

40 See My Color: Diversity Is Beautiful with Christina Custodio

As an author, avid reader, and fan of paper planners, I was excited to interview fellow author, avid reader, and fan of paper planners, Bethany Jett, who has an allergy to paper. Oh, the irony!  Bethany Jett is an author, marketer, ghost writer, and co-owns Platinum Literary Services and Serious Writer, Inc. Learn more about Bethany at bethanyjett.com.  While writing her book, Platinum Faith, with co-author, Michelle Medlock Adams, Bethany suffered with extreme dryness in her hands. Unbeknownst to her, her affinity for paper, reading books, paper planners, and stickers for her planner were causing her skin to break out. Finally, a doctor diagnosed her with colonophy, an allergy to rosin, which is found in paper products and most plastic products. Before and after her diagnosis, her social media posts were hilarious as she took a light-hearted, humorous approach to the zigzags (struggles) she faced. Bethany discussed her book, Platinum Faith, on this episode. In the book, she and co-author, Michelle Medlock Adams, describe twelve properties of platinum, show how those properties are also characteristics of a strong faith, and point out Biblical characters who demonstrate those properties.  The twelve properties of Platinum that describe a strong faith: 1. All-In 2. Useful 3. Can Withstand the Heat 4. Precious 5. Rare 6. Shines Brightly 7. Created to Bond 8. Malleable 9. Resists Corrosion 10.  Its Presence Is Weighty 11. Has Worth 12. Responds Instead of Reacts  Platinum Faith is available at all retail and online book sellers. Order your copy today!

39: Platinum Faith & the Irony of a Paper Allergy with Bethany Jett

Sometimes life is a series of trials that never seem to end. You make it through one and manage to take a deep breath just before the hints of another one come into view, right? Those consecutive hits can leave you feeling discouraged, frustrated, and worn out.Trials test us. Trials often push us past what we think we can endure. AND trials are power packed with purpose IF we are willing to be transformed by them. Roman philospher, Seneca, reminds us of the purpose of those never-ending trials: "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."If it&apos;s hard to see the purpose in the trials you&apos;re currently facing, perhaps hearing what Page discovered were the purposes of her trials will encourage you. In this episode, Page Geske, shares about the seemingly never ending trials she&apos;s faced: anorexia, recovering from a horrific car accident, divorce, colon cancer, and having her daughter decide to become a transgender man. Through each of these trials, she encountered God who took her through the refining fire yet showered her in His unfailing love and an indescribable peace.Connect with her story and want to learn more? I encourage you to pick up a copy of her book, "Milepost 95: From Wreckage to Redemption."Visit Page&apos;s website at milepost95.com. You can invite Page to your next book club, to speak at your next event, or chat with her about your struggles by emailing her at pagesgeske@gmail.com.

38: Transforming Me through Trials with Page Geske

Raise your hand if you like food.  Me, too! We know we need it to fuel our bodies, but food does so much more. It comforts and numbs us when we're struggling. What fun are celebratory occasions without food? We consume it when we're bored. Connecting with others often involves sharing food. To complicate matters, if you have a food addiction, it's not something you can completely eliminate like you can alcohol or drugs. The road to freedom for a food addiction has to be about a mindset change. It has to be about changing your lifestyle.My guest on today's episode of the Zigzag & 1 podcast, Sara Fisher, shares her journey with food addiction. Get a glimpse of the daily struggles with something we MUST have to survive. Sara reached a point where she let others in and admitted she had a problem. Those actions were crucial in finding freedom from a food addiction. From there, she changed her mindset. And her lifestyle.In our conversation, Sara shares the wisdom she's gained. She explains the benefits of the healthy living lifestyle she's now living.Sara is a professional organizer. Need help organizing your space or your life? Reach out to Sara at asimplespace.net. Additionally, she is a Health & Well Being expert!

37: Healthy Living Mindset: No Longer Addicted to Food with Sara Fisher

Don’t we all want to know how they did it? How they fought to overcome the worst life could throw at them? Effectively navigating the zigs and zags and reaching the other side stronger – how is that even possible?We’ll be diving deep into what these overcomers learned when they were in the trenches, all while discovering God’s purpose for their lives. The take-away? Honest, hope-filled advice and genuine resources for you as you face the zigs and zags in your path.Contact me @ melony@melonybrown.com for show ideas or your interest in being interviewed.

hubhopper

Zigzag & One

hubhopper