Return to Jesus Podcast

Hey friend,

This conversation with Raleigh Sadler felt like a gentle invitation to breathe deeper, look around, and return to what matters most.

Raleigh is the founder and executive director of Let My People Go, a ministry that equips churches to serve those who are vulnerable to exploitation. In this episode, he shares so beautifully about the difference between happiness and joy, how slowing down has helped him grow in creativity...

Hey friend,

You’re in for such a rich conversation this week. I sat down with Lauren Fernandez — author, mother of five, and a woman who knows what it means to hold both joy and pain in the same breath.

Lauren shares so openly about her journey of faith, what it looks like to keep showing up in dry seasons, and how joy isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about trusting that God is still working, even when things feel messy o...

Hey friend,

This episode is a little different,  it’s just me, and I’m inviting you into something personal.

As the holiday season unfolds, I wanted to pause and reflect with you. No guests, no plans, just an honest conversation from my heart. This year has brought some unexpected challenges, the heartbreaking loss of my mother-in-law, some health scares, and the kind of moments that remind you how much we need rest, community, and...

Hey friend,

I’m so excited to share this beautiful and deeply honest conversation with Jillian Benfield. She’s a writer, speaker, disability advocate, and mom who knows what it’s like to walk through unexpected seasons — and still find joy on the other side.

Jillian and I talked about the idea of living with awe not in the big, flashy moments, but in the ordinary rhythms of life. She shared how her morning routine overlooking the r...

Hey friend,

This conversation is tender, beautiful, and one I think you’ll carry with you for a while.

I sat down with Chelsea Ohlemiller, a grief advocate, speaker, and author whose journey through the loss of her mother reshaped how she lives and loves today. Chelsea shares so honestly about the ways grief shows up, sometimes quietly, sometimes like a storm, and how it can actually live alongside joy. Yes, both. At the same time.

Hey friend,

You know those conversations that feel like a deep breath and a warm hug at the same time? That’s exactly what this episode with Laura L. Smith felt like.

Laura is a gifted author and speaker who’s passionate about helping women uncover the truth of who they are in Christ. In today’s episode, she and I talk about how we can find joy in our everyday moments, even the ones that feel slow or frustrating. We dive into what ...

Hey friend,

I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation with my friend Leslie Means. If you’ve ever read a post on Her View From Home, then you’ve already been impacted by her work. Leslie is the founder of that beautiful community and platform, and she’s spent years creating space for women to share their honest, real-life stories, especially the ones tucked into the ordinary moments of motherhood and midlife.

In today’s epi...

Hey friend,

You are going to love this conversation with Tabitha Yates. She is an author, speaker, and mental health advocate who is passionate about bridging the gap between faith and emotional wellness. Her book Jesus and Therapy invites readers to explore healing through both spiritual practices and therapeutic tools. Tabitha is also a mom, and she shares how motherhood has been one of the most powerful catalysts in her journey ...

This is the last episode of the season! Thank you for tuning in to Season 1 of the Return to Jesus Podcast. Stay tuned for a bonus episode between Seasons 1 and 2 with author, Laura Smith.

Thank you for all the ways you continue to support me and this journey. My heart is so grateful!

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks to author, Natasha Smith, about all things related to grief and grace. 

Natasha Smith is a Certified Grief Educator, grief advocate, speaker, and podcast host. She shares from a place of 30-plus years of lived grief experience, research, and biblical study. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women, Influence Magazine, HerBible, and elsewhere. She and ...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks to emotional stability coach, speaker, somatic healing practitioner, and founder of Dancing in the Mess, Jill Howell about all things related to learning to heal and regulate your mind, body and spirit - and of course, grace.

Jill has overcome Complex PTSD, chronic pain, IBS, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and depression. She guides women to transform the relatio...

This episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast is short and sweet. Host, Jen Thompson, talks with her listeners about going with Plan B when life throws you a curve ball, and learning how to give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned. 

This wasn’t the episode that was intended, but this is real life and this is real grace in action. 

Tune in next week for a conversation between Jen and her husband, Patrick, about all things g...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host, Jen Thompson, talks with business owner and CEO of Nuss Partners, Bob Stanton, about all things related to taking a leap of faith, family and of course - grace.

Bob Stanton is an accomplished senior executive with a diverse background and...

In episode 5 of the Return To Jesus Podcast, host, Jen Thompson, talks with the author of You’ll Make It (And They Will, Too): Everything No One Talks About When You’re Parenting Teens about all things related to grace and the teen years.

Raising teens today is not for the faint of heart, and Amy Betters-Midtvedt has certainly been through it. She’s come home to a teenage daughter with a “surprise” tattoo…obtained from a guy outsi...

In Episode 4 of The Return to Jesus Podcast, Jen Thompson talks with Mikala Albertson ,MD ,author of the books Ordinary on Purpose and Everything I Wish I Could Tell You About Midlife, about all things family, health , accepting the body you have and grace.

Mikala inspires readers every day to stop striving for “perfect” lives or some unattainable cultural ideal of “beauty and wellness” and instead aim for wholehearted living thro...

In Episode 3 of The Return to Jesus Podcast, Jen Thompson talks with singer, songwriter and winner of The Voice, Craig Wayne Boyd, about all things family, travel, songwriting, making music and the importance of grace.

Days after his victory on The Voice, Craig debuted at #1 on Billboard with “My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face” tying Garth Brooks for the honor and recently Morgan Wallen doing the same! Beyond his musical achieve...