Season 2, Episode 5: A Coffee Date with Amber

Summary – As with all of our usual solo episodes, this week's podcast is done “coffee date style” where I come to you with whatever it is that is on my mind. This episode touched on a few things the Lord is doing in my life in this particular season, ways I am watching and learning and being present. I hope it'll be an encouragement for you! Things discussed in this episode: ~ Savoring the season ~ Slowing down – walking at the pace of the Spirit and what He is calling us to do rather than stressing ourselves out to the point of panic ~ Just because something did not go “our way” does not mean all hope is lost, does not mean it didn't go exactly as God wanted it to go ~ My testimony of learning to keep the pen in God's hand (rather than my own) ~ delighting in our husbands and children this season ~ Giving our attention to God first and foremost – devoting time to Him this season ~ Pondering on the Enneagram ~ Russian tea (see resources for recipe!) ~ My 2025 word of the year ad the story behind it ~ The importance of learning from each other~ Looking at the genealogy of Jesus ~ The trap of mask wearing ~ Here I am God, use me (and He does) ~ The process of sanctification ~ Pieces of my testimony ~ Being hungry for God – keeping Him first ~ Eating disorder/eating disorder recovery ~ Hallway versus room ideology ~ ministry thoughts ~ How we unintentionally may be hurting the heart of Christ ~ Finding God's fingerprints in the darknessEncouraging quotes -“The enemies job is to steal, kill and destroy. There are times he does it so well, we don't even realize he is doing it.” “It is not wrong to have goals, it is not wrong to have aspirations and things we would like to do. It becomes wrong, when we do it at a breakneck pace. It becomes wrong, when rather than walking by the Spirit (as Galatians 5 teaches), we sprint ahead of the Spirit, because then we are in danger of thinking we know better than God. Then we are in danger of acting like it is our plan and our desires we are trying to attain, when it should be always, ever, only His.” “One can never have enough mugs, or for that matter tea.” “This idea often times found in our churches that we have to have our stuff pulled together and tied up with pretty bow and know exactly why God did that, and know exactly every last answer from God, before God can use us – is absolute utter hogwash.” “We are missing pieces that could bless us from other people's lives if we are waiting to hear from someone who has it all figured out.” “The messiest lives surrendered to Christ, are the ones He can use the most.” “It's the story of Christmas. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever, it does not say: so that those who are tied together, so that those who have their stories pulled together, so that those who have never sinned, so that those the second they came to Christ stopped sinning. It says, so whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” “Let's be those who celebrate the blessing of keeping God first.” “Christianity was not meant to be a solo religion.”

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