She Speaks Stories

A couple years after the start of our podcast, after Katie and Susan got it going and saw all of these stories changing lives, Gwen joined the team of storytellers. In God’s perfect providence Gwen added an element of creativity that the podcast needed as the story curator. Fast forward to Katie receiving her cancer diagnosis. Gwen was a rock of stability the podcast needed and an element to the foundation of the stories we continu...

As we dive into our NEW season with the theme all about decisions we really could not have started with a better guest if we tried! Rosann Coulon joins us in this episode where we talk about how decisions that she made opened up doors for change, hope and the ability to encourage others! She was a “PK” raised in an idyllic home, but like in so many of our lives at times, hardship hit. Rosann had to decide how to process her pain, h...

Katie and Julia are so excited to share with you our new theme for not just the fall season of 2025, but also the spring of 2026! Yes, this theme has piqued the interest of so many that our guest list overflowed past the fall dates all the way through our spring calendar and we are not disappointed at all. 

In this episode, Katie Hawkins shares kind of where this Making Decisions theme came from and she and Julia chat about how pred...

Hey Friends! Katie Hawkins and Julia Sifers start off our new season with some stories of how they've continued to learn from and share stories in OTHER ways besides our podcast. From the zoom book club, to other podcasts and even the Netflix series The Crown, our gal pals talk about all the ways we can see Stories Changing Lives! Then to wrap things up, they introduce us to the new theme this year all about making decisions, b...

This season has been full of guests with stories of loneliness. Even though it’s not fun to feel lonely, we have had a blast talking with each guest because they all shared what happens during a time of loneliness or one the other side of it. And although all of these stories are unique they all have something in common: they wouldn’t trade their hard time for anything because of what they learned, how they grew and who they’ve bec...

Have you ever wondered why you had to go through a hard time in your life? Today’s guest, Lisa Steven, wondered that as a child when a tragic situation hit her family. And again, when she was a teen and found out she was pregnant. But God put incredible people in her life who did not judge her, like they could have, but came alongside her and pointed her towards good. Lisa learned about community, and the importance of loving peopl...

Becky Harling joins us in our series of Stories of Loneliness with great perspective and practical advice on how to walk out of a season of being lonely. She’s full of wisdom on the topic because after “clarifying” season of cancer, God walked her through moving beyond elements causing her loneliness by dealing with the past. In this time of emotional and narrative healing she began to see that being busy doesn’t mean she isn’t lon...

As we continue to share Stories of Loneliness, we are delighted to have Jen Brooks as our guest. Jen has coped with loneliness starting from childhood, that grew to insecurity and her attempt to numb and deal with it on her own. That is, until she met Jesus and literally “shut the door” on her old self and walked onto a new path of healing. Through the healing she was shown 4 transformational steps that unpacked her questions of “W...

Today we had the pleasure of chatting with Jennifer Wing, who has been through some back to back seasons of loneliness mostly due to chronic fatigue and other unknown illnesses. Everyone has different reactions to hard times, and one of Jennifer’s was being angry at God. But instead of pretending to be fine, or not upset at God, Jennifer learned to be angry WITH God, not in His general direction, but in His presence. And here she f...

We’re so excited to share this Bonus Episode about the upcoming NorthStar Women’s Conference and give you a chance to hear a little from our featured speaker, Kelly Minter, herself! Kelly is deeply passionate about teaching the Bible and believes it permeates all of life. AND she's coming to Northern Virginia to share about Cultivating Our Stories - the blessed life we have through our encounters with Jesus! Joining Kelly will ...

Life is full of seasons, and in today’s episode we hear from Jess Ronne, who uses the four seasons to walk us through caregiving. Winter hits with the hard truth of a diagnosis, Spring shows up when we find our new normal, Summer blasts with a wave of intensity and change, but then Fall walks over with acceptance and sweet surrender. And in this surrender we can find the peace that God has called us to a work. And this work is a ty...

Here we are with another great episode in our series: Stories of Loneliness, with a fantastic guest: Brenda Yoder. Brenda is part of the 3rd largest Amish community in Shipshewana, Indiana, which has also been voted the number one midwest tourist destination in 2025. Why do so many people flock to this little pocket in northern indiana? Brenda shares in her book, Uncomplicated, what the draw really is. And spoiler, it really doesn’...

This episode’s guest is our friend from this past summer’s bookclub! Last June we were chatting with Amy about the Mr. Roger’s book that we’d read and we just knew we had to get Amy on the podcast. Amy is full of fun energy and authentic truth. She spent years wrestling removing a deeply impacted UNtruth from her life; so truth really matters to her. The idea of emptying ourselves, embracing silence and sitting in seasons of purpos...

In this new episode Katie and Julia continue to chat with guests, aka their new best friends, about times of loneliness. Kristina Kotlus joins them today to talk about her story when she discovered she had brain cancer and her journey of finding an, as she calls it “ an ‘Even If’ faith”. During this time filled with challenges (and so many blessings) she learned that “God is in the business of redemption.” and how okay it is to hol...

Katie and Julia are excited to begin a theme of loneliness in this new season. Well, excited to be together chatting with new friends, not really excited that so many of us have had such hard and lonely times in our lives. It’s no coincidence that Katie and Julia are continuing to learn so much from one of their favorite podcasters/authors/teachers, John Mark Comer. And Katie opens up this episode with some amazing quotes she’s hea...

Katie sits down with a new GUEST host and previous guest, the lovely Jennifer Stovall to chat with their friend, Jessica. Jessica felt lost until she encountered Dana at a Rappahannock Regional Jail event where Dana shared her testimony. For the first time, Jessica heard that freedom was not just a possibility, but a reality she could embrace. Witnessing Dana's journey sparked a newfound hope in Jessica—a hope that this could b...

Poetry Book Review with Lynn Wyvill

In this episode we hear from Lynn as she walks us through her experience of finding God. She says, “God was present even when I wasn’t aware of it.” And when she looks back and all the steps, she can clearly see him guiding her closer and closer to him. 

She reminds us that in this speedy world of so much, it’s so important to wait on God; “to take the time to be quiet everyday and listen for the...

Well here we are in 2025! And we are so excited to share with you a little bit of where we’ve been and where we are heading as a podcast! We’re wrapping up two themes from 2024: a season focusing on breaking free from addiction, and a mini Christmas season focusing on epic books to read and share. 

But what do we have in store for our listeners for 2025… well listen in to this new episode where Katie and Julia talk us through their...

You've waited long enough! Join us in the PART 2 of one of the most fun episodes Katie and Julia have recorded this year! If you missed Part 1, go enjoy that first, and then come back for this episode, where Katie and Julia continue chatting with Katie's two nieces and her nephew about their poetry book and other fantastic books they or their family members have written.

There is a lot of joy in this episode, as well as a lot of ge...