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Whitney — my amazing wife who would never describe public speaking as her comfort zone — suggested that for Christmas week, I should be the one interviewed instead of doing the interviewing.

I agreed… but only if she was the one asking the questions.

She reluctantly said yes. And what came out of that brave yes is one of the most personal, vulnerable, emotional episodes I’ve ever recorded.

She asked me things like:
✨ “What is something hosting this podcast has changed in you?”
✨ “What does it really mean to bring Jesus to work?”
✨ “What season of pain in your life revealed God’s purpose most clearly?”
…and more questions I absolutely did not see coming.

Whitney did beautifully. And the conversation that followed? It surprised even me.

If you’ve ever wondered about the heart behind this podcast, the story behind the mission, or the moments of pain and purpose that shaped my faith… this is the episode you don’t want to miss.

It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s hopeful.

And I pray it encourages you this Christmas season.

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Kimberly Haar - writer, speaker, licensed therapist, podcaster, and co-host on network radio - shares her unbelievable testimony, healing journey, and how her faith informs her work including accepting Jesus at the age of five; being raised in a “greenhouse of faith”; being scared to trust God; how God shows up; awakening to her bedroom door being broken down, four hours of abuse, kidnapping, and the shooting of her boyfriend (at the time); “I feel this, but I know…”; the pergola that became Holy ground; choosing - not feeling - to forgive; navigating trauma; experiencing rather than surrendering hurt; forgiveness is not a once and done; the umbilical cord of unforgiveness; choosing whether to stay a victim; letters written but never sent; healing isn’t a race; the sacredness of grief; how her faith plays a role in her counseling sessions with non-believers; and much more!

https://kimberlyhaar.com/

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Zahara McCoy - CEO of Children of Grace - shares her inspirational journey and the impact her company has including growing up in rural Uganda; joining her mother in her Christian faith; the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Uganda; losing her father to AIDS and the diagnosis of her mother; how faith was all that was left; giving her life to Jesus at 8 years old; being taken out of school when her mother died; living with her aunt who tried to marry her off at 10/11 years old; the desperate walk to the next village to sign up for the possibility of orphan tuition assistance; the moment the news of assistance came; the celebration of her sponsors arrival to Uganda; how her sponsor chose to become a sponsor; the culture shock of her move to the U.S.; cold showers; the guilt of being pulled from hardship; not being rescued from, but being rescued for; the impact of a little girl named Mercy; perspective of fairness; the work that Children of Grace does; and so much more!

https://www.childrenofgrace.com/

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Juliet Dawn - a multifaceted artist whose work spans music, poetry, performance, and film - shares her heartbreaking testimony and redemption story - including never not knowing Jesus growing up; the strong faith foundation that equipped her for what was to come; the craziness of an early singing career including an abusive husband; multiple miscarriages; a difficult birth of her first child; the anguish of losing twin boys within four days of being born; the debilitating way trauma impacted her body; poisonous spider bites; another difficult pregnancy and a miracle in the madness; holding onto the Book of Job; the therapy and gift of writing poetry; how her wilderness season has led to her commissioning; the extraordinary ordained turn of events in Nashville; beauty for ashes; the “hard work” of Nashville; born to be a disruptor; releasing art after you’ve “paid for it”; and so much more!

https://www.julietdawn.co.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTKz5GmNlbI&list=RDHTKz5GmNlbI&start_radio=1

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David Decker - Founder and CEO of Decker Properties, a Wisconsin-based real estate company/ Author - shares his faith and his story including the impact of a Vacation Bible School closing program and what it also taught him about what shouldn’t be done; the “tract” bookmark that became significant; the boldness of door-to-door evangelism; how spending downtime with spiritual mentors grew his own faith; feeling burdened to share the Gospel in the U.S.; his desire to equip believers to “break the ice” to share the Good News; the impact of just reaching three people; how a life changing conversation can start with a common interest or compliment; and so much more!

https://www.amazon.com/How-Go-Super-Bowl-Free/dp/1963701720

https://www.davidjdecker.com

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Hannah Awonuga - Founder & CEO of Illume Executive Consulting, an award-winning cultural transformation and inclusion consultant - shares her testimony, strength, and faith including growing up in a dual religion home; finding Jesus when she was homeless at fifteen; the cultural divide within her family; how her family difficulties inform her own parenting; turning back to the Church for safety; the surprising offer for her first job; how someone seeing her beyond her roughness changed her life; her rise at Barclays from cashier to Global Director; the importance of seeing the person for the person; knowing “who you are and whose you are”; reflecting the communities we serve; the commerciality of inclusion; Employee Resource Groups (ERG); being scared and excited for the unknown of what’s next; landing a publishing deal in the midst of heartache and grief; shedding titles and positions to walk in God’s calling; how music has helped her through the seasons; “The Illusion of Inclusion”; and so much more!

https://www.hannahawonuga.com/

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Emily Kile - Founder & CEO of Workzbe - shares her beauty from ashes story including growing up going to a Baptist church; losing her virginity at 13; pregnant out of wedlock/in the south/ teaching Bible study; the impact of Psalms 51; how her shame interfered with God’s love; an emergency C-section; learning to love yourself; starting her own company; looking for God in the valleys; how God keeps giving her chapters for her books; “Bitter to Better”; her “stupid tax”; having aphantasia; what gratitude does in the body; movement/marriage/silence; be a human being rather than a human always working; WISE; being HOT; and so much more!

https://www.workzbe.com/

https://www.yournerdyfriend.com

Bitter to Better book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZDXMWR5?tag=&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

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Judith Tutin - Irish-born/Cornwall-based Visual Artist & Teacher - shares her faith and her gift including growing up in a Catholic family in Ireland; how having a strong faith instilled in her allowed her to withstand Catholic scandal; how her older brothers, and spending time alone in Rome, brought her back to her faith; her parents faith example and influence on her; the meditation of praying the rosary; her passion for drawing and art as a young child; how music compliments her art and our mutual admiration for The Smiths and Morrissey; how the decaying buildings in Rome links to nature; how overthinking art can get in the way of enjoying art; an appreciation for Rothko; a vocational compromise with her parents that led to teaching art; how she decides what to put on the canvas; how her painting affects her faith; the importance of beautiful churches; if she could own one piece of art in the world, what would it be and why; and so much more!

(There are a couple very brief spots in the conversation when they audio crackles)

https://www.judithtutinart.com/

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