Ep 136 // Hearing God’s Voice & Discovering Your Core Values with Leadership Coach Sharon Mankin (Part 1)

Do you ever wonder how to recognize God’s voice in your everyday life? In Part One of this powerful conversation, I sit down with life and leadership coach Sharon Mankin to explore her faith journey and how she’s learned to listen for God’s whisper. Sharon shares deeply practical tools—like journaling “wondrous things” in Scripture and embracing the awkward moments that lead to authentic connection. We also begin unpacking the importance of core values as the foundation for how we live, love, and lead.

What You’ll Learn in Part One:

• Sharon’s first unforgettable moment hearing God say, “Come, follow Me.”
• The practice of writing “WT” (wondrous things) in your Bible to mark God’s voice.
• How awkwardness often becomes the doorway to connection and growth.
• Why prayer “on the spot” can transform daily faith.
• A first look at core values—what they are and why they shape everything.

Quotable Moment:

“Maybe awkwardness is just the doorway God uses to show us a wondrous thing.”

Note: This is Part One of my conversation with Sharon. Don’t miss Part Two, where we go deeper into legacy, vision, and mission—and you’ll walk away with practical steps to create intentional impact in your family and community.

Stay connected with Megan:

• Website: meganbnilsen.com
• Social: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Grab the Book: Untangled Faith+Companion Journal
• Free Gift: Wanna learn how to make Holy Spirit-led decisions? Go to holyspiritstoplight.comfor your free guide!
• Book a free discovery call to see if Kingdom Life Coaching could help you unlock your next right step!

Want to explore your dream? Grab this free resource! 5 Questions to Ask to Determine Your God-Sized Dream

Connect with Sharon:

Website: sharonmankin.com

Keywords:

hearing God’s voice

how to hear God

recognizing God’s voice

Sharon Mankin interview

Kingdom Life Coaching podcast

spiritual discernment

journaling with God

wondrous things Bible practice

prayer on the spot

Christian spiritual...

Ep 135 // Singing Through the Fire: Lara Silverman on Chronic Illness, Surrender, Love, and a Theology of Suffering

What happens when it seems God opens the door to your dream job…and then, the door slams shut?

Lara Silverman—a Stanford-educated lawyer, jazz singer, actress, and now author—was on the cusp of a thriving career when a rare neurological illness left her largely bedridden. In this raw and hope-filled conversation, Lara shares her powerful journey through suffering, surrender, and a breathtaking love story with her late husband, Matt.

With honesty, humor, and deep faith, Lara invites us to wrestle with the hard questions: Why does a good God allow suffering? How do you keep hope alive when healing doesn’t come? Can beauty really rise from ashes?

Her new memoir, Singing Through the Fire, is not just a story—it’s a testimony of courage, intimacy with Jesus, and a love that even death cannot extinguish.

• Surrender in the Valley: What Lara learned when God asked her to release her dream job and later her health.
• Theology of Suffering: Why prosperity gospel clichés don’t hold up in the face of chronic illness—and what Scripture really says.
• A Holy Love Story: How God brought Matt into her life at the height of her illness, and the eternal hope their marriage continues to embody.
• Finding God’s Intimacy in Pain: How surrender opened space for Lara to experience God’s presence in powerful ways.
• Eternal Perspective: Why heaven reframes our questions about love, loss, and the goodness of God.

• Buy Lara’s Memoir → Singing Through the Fire (Available now on Amazon)
• Follow Lara Silverman on Instagram: @singingthroughfire_author

Stay connected with Megan:

• Website: meganbnilsen.com
• Social: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Grab the Book: Untangled Faith + Companion Journal
• Free Gift: Wanna learn how to make Holy Spirit-led decisions? Go...

Ep 134 // Brave Women, Mighty God: Saying Yes to the Holy Spirit with Author Laura L. Smith

What does it look like to follow the Holy Spirit’s nudge—especially when it’s risky, countercultural, or downright scary? Best-selling author Laura L. Smith joins me to share her journey of saying “yes” to God’s call—from corporate careers to seminary studies, from motherhood to ministry. Together, we unpack the lies women believe, the courage found in biblical women’s stories, and the everyday ways God nudges us toward Kingdom impact.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I know if it’s God’s voice?” or felt the tension between fear and faith, this episode will strengthen your courage and remind you that God equips you for every calling.

• “As far as ways to hear from the Lord, making time for Him is a great way to hear from Him.” – Laura L. Smith
• “God empowers and equips us to do crazy things that have huge ripple effects.” – Laura L. Smith
• “Sometimes hearing God isn’t an audible voice—it’s peace after prayer, a word from a friend, or even a poem on a chalkboard.” – Megan Nilsen
• “We so underestimate what we are capable of. We make ourselves much smaller than God ever intended us to be.” – Laura L. Smith

1. God’s voice is personal – He speaks uniquely to each of us through Scripture, prayer, community, journaling, and even unexpected signs.
2. Courage is cultivated – Like Esther, Mary, and Hannah, bravery grows through prayer, fasting, and trust in God’s promises.
3. Your yes matters – Whether it’s leaving a career, stepping into seminary, or sharing your faith with a neighbor, your obedience has ripple effects beyond what you can see.
4. Truth replaces lies – God’s Word calls us chosen, holy, and His masterpiece—no matter what lies we’ve believed about ourselves.
5. Faith is contagious – Living authentically and openly as a believer invites others to ask questions and see Jesus in you.

📖 Connect with Laura L. Smith:

• Instagram: @laurasmithauthor
• Website: www.laurasmithauthor.com
• Book: Brave Woman, Might God: 30 Things You Can Do

✨ Stay connected with Megan:

• Website: meganbnilsen.com
• Social: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Grab the Book: Untangled Faith +