About this episode
What do you do when you feel like nobody REALLY sees you? In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Konzen returns to the podcast to discuss the impact of truly believing that God is attentive to us as individuals. Jen shares a bajillion beautiful scriptures and unpacks the POWERFUL spiritual, emotional and physical implications
of living “seen & heard” in our walks with God as followers of Jesus. Woven in Truth proudly promotes the Beloved & Dignified Conference happening ONLINE May 5-6, 2023.Conference Blurb: “Women Helping Women Heal”Many of our lives have been touched by suffering not of our own choosing. Biblically, hell (sheol in the Hebrew) can be used to designate the lowest valley, the place “under the mountains” where hope seems hidden from view (see Job 24:8). These kind of situations stir longing for the next life. In the pain, moving beyond survival is difficult and finding a safe circle that understands isn’t always easy. No matter what has happened (or may happen ahead), we are beloved and dignified daughters of God. Join us as we sit with the pain, affirm how low these valleys can be, and explore where to find God in our lowest times.YOU are invited! Register today if this resonates with you- it is exclusively online and classes will not be recorded. Should be an amazing experience!About this Episode's Guest:Dr. Konzen is the director for the Center for Sexuality in San Diego, CA. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, and a certified chemical dependency counselor. She is also a two-time nationally award-winning researcher, an international speaker, and an adjunct professor. Dr. Konzen is the author of The Art of Intimate Marriage, Redeemed Sexuality and The Ransomed Journey: Couples Recovery from Addiction.Episode Notes:“You are the God who sees me.."- Genesis 16:13Q: What makes you feel seen & heard?He Sees Ps 139:2Deut 32:10-11Ps 34 Ps 32:8Ps 121:5Psalm 31:7Psalm 31:21Gen 28:15He sees our joys & victoriesJohn 16:22Romans 12:15Ps 149:4Zeph 3:17 Psalm 116:1Psalm 55:17Click here to see Jen's scripture resource“I AM WITH YOU…” Exercise Practicing the PresencePs 27:8Num 6:25Ps 17:15Psalm 16:9-11Psalm 31:20Jeremiah 6:16Jesus’s Words to Women“This woman will be remembered”“Daughter”“She has chosen what is better”“She has given everything”“Mary!” “Jennifer!”“She has loved much”“Leave her alone”“Your faith is great”“Go in peace”“I don’t condemn you”Resource Recommendations:Centering Prayer AppThe Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Comer)Journey of the Soul (IPI, Sumerlin)Meditations (Virginia Lefler)Invitation to Solitude and Silence (Barton) Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
More from Woven in Truth
View all- 1Facing the UnknownIn this episode Yung Gore joins the podcast to talk about Facing the Unknown with faith. She shares vulnerably about her journey with the unknown and what God has and is currently teaching her through it. About the speaker:Born in Vietnam with 13 siblings Yung Gore was baptized into Christ at the University of San Diego in 1997 while studying International Relations. Yung later received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has been married to her dream come true, Jon for 14 years and has two children, Imani and Aedan. She has served in the full-time ministry for 15 years and is a Women’s Ministry Leader in San Diego.Episode Notes:Genesis 15:1- where God calls Abraham out of his tent and says “I am your shield and your great reward.”Genesis 12:1-4 Psalm 16This is the Johari Window that Yung references in her lesson.Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 2Keep Showing Up- Daily Walking with GodIn this episode Kathi Norris leads our thoughts as she shares about her life journey with God. She discusses our one-on-one time with God and the importance and power of that connection- and more specifically the importance to keep showing up. About the Speaker:Kathi grew up in the Midwest in a christian home. She is a twin and the youngest of five children. She began to pursue her own relationship with God in her 20’s. She has been married to Rick over 26 years and has 4 grown children with amazing spouses, and 3 grandchildren. Kathi is a Realtor and enjoys working with people. Her passion is her family time, travel, and helping women to know God better.Episode Notes: Deuteronomy 4:392 Chronicles 16:9Romans 10:17Romans 12:2God shows up so I must show up.Do the Work.Enjoy the Transformation! Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 3She Will Not Fall: Living a Peaceful Life in the Midst of Stressful CircumstancesIn this episode Morgan Roberts leads our thoughts on something we are all too familiar with: Stress! She discusses the peace that God calls us to as women, and the wholeness that accessing that peace can bring our hearts. Listen in as she shares her own journey with stress and shares some amazing scriptures and practicals on the topic of living a peaceful life even in the midst of stressful circumstances. About the Speaker: Morgan is a wife and working mom of a one year old. In her spare time you can find her in shavasana or sipping an extra hot latte at Peet’s Episode Notes:What is God's will for me right now? Live in peace (Heb 12:14) Love one another (John 15:12)Care for the widowed and orphaned (James 1:27)Share my relationship with Jesus with my coworkers and friends (Mark 16:15) Understanding that peace means “wholeness”. I can’t reach wholeness on my own because I’m broken, only God can provide wholeness. Isaiah 26:3Psalm 46:5 "God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 4Faith Over FantasyIn this episode Linda Brumley leads our thoughts on the confusion between fantasy and faith and the spiritual perspective that God calls us to as His daughters. Listen in and hear her share God's powerful word and the uplifting message of the hope that a heavenly perspective can bring our hearts. About the Speaker:Linda Brumley, along with her husband, Ron, has served in the ministry in San Diego, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle. She and Ron make their home in San Diego, California. Her greatest joy in life is friends and family (four children and 10 grandchildren). Because she feels so blessed to have learned from mentors in her life, she hopes to offer that same blessing to women that God enables her to influence for Him. Linda has written many books including, Hand in Hand with God: Finding Your Path to Forgiveness, My Beggar’s Purse and Other Spiritual Thoughts, and Golden Rule Membership. Episode Notes:Eternal vs. Temporary Word became flesh- this is crazy! (John 1) Nicodemus- born again- physical vs. spiritual (John 3:4)Woman at the well- Living Water (John 4:1-26)Jesus' food vs. Physical Food (John 4:34) Demand for a sign/moving mountains- (Matthew 16) We are called to believe in the signs and wonders- in the miracles that we cannot see with physical eyes. We've already seen God do so much! We already have enough evidence. Questions to consider:What would we see if we weren't looking for our fantasies?When our circumstances are bleak we think its bad news. But maybe its good news... Maybe its the exact mountain that God wants to move. If we only value the physical results we pray for, are we really living by faith or by fantasy? Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 5Women on a MissionIn this episode Claudia shares her biblical convictions on our call to spread the good news- the hope and purpose we have in Jesus. She describes the importance of developing a heart for the hurting and the lost and shares both radical and practical ways to follow the example of Jesus and make "the mission" a lifestyle instead of a task. About the Speaker:Claudia Teran is a 29 year old woman who loves to serve in the campus ministry in the Pomerado Region in San Diego. Growing up catholic, her passion for helping and serving others originated at a young age when she joined a monastery and later a convent considering becoming a full service nun. After studying the Bible herself, she is driven by the love of Jesus to teach and spread the gospel around the world with a special passion for the Middle East. Episode Notes:The Mission isn't just a part of Christian life- it IS the Christian life! God has always been in the business of sending (John 3:16-17)Abraham Moses The prophets His Son, JesusThe Holy SpiritSharing your faith is a lifestyle, not a task.The mission doesn't have to be overseas, it could just be sharing your life within your circles! This is a heart issue. Dare to dream big! Don't ignore God's callings and pray big prayers! Romans 10:13-14 "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"Obedience over convenience.Persecution is real- but God wants to walk with you through it! Resistance is part of the strengthening process. We need to be there for our sisters- we're in this together! The dark needs the light, so don't be surprised if God sends you into the dark!Questions to consider:If you haven't been sharing your faith, what is stopping you? Am I making the gospel available to people that don't have access to it in my community? Am I too focused on my own spiritual growth that I'm not concerned with the spiritual well-being of those around me? The Mission is personal- what passion or talents has God specifically given you and how does he want you to use those to advance His kingdom? Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 6Unconditionally Chosen: My Adoption StoryIn this episode Brook Mesenbrink joins the pod squad to share her amazing journey of being adopted and the love God has shown her through that experience. She vulnerably shares about the struggles and insecurities that God has carried her through- all issues that we can relate to as humans: to feel wanted, validated, and unconditionally chosen. About the Speaker: Brook is a California girl who was adopted into a multiracial physical family as a young child. The feeling of abandonment and disconnectedness typically experienced by adopted children motivated her to search for God and become adopted into a spiritual family when she was twenty years old. In this podcast, Brook shares about her journey of how she healed her brokenness and is able to extend compassion to others through experiencing God's true love. Episode Notes: Psalm 68:5 "Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families."Ephesians 1:4-5 "..even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will..."Ephesians 2:19 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household"God's grace and mercy empowers us to extend that same compassion and understanding to others around us. We all want to feel like we belong to a group of people- especially those who really know us as individuals. Luke 13:34 "How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!"We can be women of compassion and conviction when we live in the overwhelming love of God and imitate His son, Jesus. Psalm 145:13-19 God is trustworthy! He is faithful to us! He has compassion on usHe disciplines our characters as His beloved children- and His discipline is perfect. Hebrews 12:5-11Acts 17:26-28You, my friend, are chosen, genuinely seen, and unconditionally loved. Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 7Broken Hearted: Trusting God When it HurtsIn this episode Bri Grimes joins the podcast to lead our thoughts on a tough topic. How do we trust God- His goodness and His sovereignty, when are hearts are broke? She shares vulnerably about her journey of infertility and all that she learned and experienced in the loving arms of God in the midst of loss. Take some time to listen, learn, and be inspired! About the Speaker: Bri Grimes is a 28-year-old wife and mother to a sweet baby boy named Parker. She serves in the full-time ministry and leads the campus ministry in the San Diego Church of Christ alongside her husband, Evan. Bri loves her family, refinishing furniture, and eating Cane's chicken fingers. Episode Notes: A question most of us have asked is "If God is in control, then how can he be good during traumatic circumstances?"David in the bible teaches to wrestle with God- because He can handle our emotions! "Even if I don't understand, will I still trust God?"Proverbs 21:30- God is ALWAYS in control! Lamentations 3:37God's sovereignty and His goodness are always in harmony with each other! He never pursues His glory and the expense of His goodness. God doesn't just create something and walk away- He sustains all things! Our confidence in God's sovereignty is what enables us to trust Him in the midst of any circumstances- His way is perfect. (Psalm 18:30)"Trusting God isn't a matter of my feelings, but a matter of my will!"Psalm 118:6Satan always works to get us to question God's goodness. He wants to convince us that God is either in control OR that He is good. But the truth is that He is both! And although we might not get answers to ALL of our questions, we can trust in God's sovereignty and goodness. Psalm 32:101 John 4:82 Timothy 2:13Isaiah 49:16God is doing everything in His all-encompassing power to bring you good! This isn't the prosperity gospel, it's the loving heart of a father to His precious daughter. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 8Fulfilling FriendshipsWe all crave deep and meaningful connections and friendships with other women. In this episode, DeShonda and Felicia lead our thoughts on the subject of fulfilling and faith-filled friendships. They take us through their journey of friendship and give us some great practicals and scriptures we can apply to our own friendships - or potential ones! Proverbs 17:17Proverbs 27:9Many women want great friendships, but they aren't willing to do their part to make it great. Great friendships aren't a 50/50 thing, it's a 100/100- It takes giving 100%! This is true in any relationship. John 6:14If you want to have a friend you have to be a great friend. We can be comfortable in our differences. It's more about being open and honest- sharing the deep parts of our hearts. But it's also about having fun and enjoying each other! Four C's of Friendships:Comrade: A person or friend you've been through battles and difficult times. (Ex. Moses and Aaron) Are we supporting our friends in their dreams and goals?Confidant: Someone you share your soul with. (Ex. David and Jonathan) Companion: Someone who goes along with you through life. A relationship that isn't just circumstantial. (Ex. Ruth and Naomi) Coach: Mentor, Trainer, etc. Someone who helps you be your best. Sometimes we have to be secure enough to let our friend's shine. All friendships aren't good friendships and biblical discernment is important. We shouldn't enter into friendships haphazardly. Luke 23:12Proverbs 12:26Jeremiah 9:5Proverbs 18:24When evaluating a friendship or a potential one, ask yourself these questions: 1. What do we share in common? 2. Does this relationship bring about things that please God? 3. Do we help each other be our best or something else? 4. Am I compromising my convictions when I'm with this person? 5. Am I a good friend? 6. Is this relationship healthy? Social media complicates this for many of us. It gives us the illusion of connection or friendship, but not the meaningful relationships. Jesus is the master friend. He teaches us how to be and have that in our life.John 15:13It's in our sinful natures that make us want to be competitive, selfish and critical of our friendships. We have to be aware of this and die to these sins repeatedly in order to love our friends. James 2:23Faith and friendships go hand in hand. Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 9Getting On Board With God's Plan When You Feel Like He Derailed YoursIn this episode Sheri Saretsky joins the podcast to lead our thoughts on the topic of surrender to God's plan. We LOVE to make amazing and calculated plans for our lives and often we can land in disappointing places when things don't play out the way we hoped. But God always has a plan for our lives and our circumstances- even devastating ones. About the Speaker:Sheri Saretsky works as an RN overseeing a Vocational Nursing program by day, and a blogger/poet by night. She has raised three wonderful boys and is enjoying her first grandchild immensely. She and her husband lead a Bible Talk in the Empty Nesters Ministry and she is very familiar with the term "Boomerang Children" in her on again/off again Empty Nest. She is very grateful to God for the many blessings he provides and the lessons he continues to teach her. You can read her poetry and blog at:https://motheringmarriageandmenopause.wordpress.comEpisode NotesJeremiah 29:11We make really excellent plans for our lives. Sometimes we think that God will get on board with OUR plans. But that is not what He promises us in Jeremiah. Sometimes we have to stop asking "Why?" and start asking "What's next?"Proverbs 16:3Proverbs 16:9Psalms 20God can use horrible situations to do amazing things. MosesGod's plan is based on what He knows about us...and He knows us better than we know ourselves. God's plan comes with everything we need. Our plans are never all-inclusive! God doesn't just want blind obedience from us- He desires connection. We can't minimize or invalidate the devastation that occurs when our plans or our worlds are rocked. But we can take those broken pieces to God and let Him bring healing, peace, and purpose. Questions to Consider: So the question for you is what does God have planned for you in your life?How does He want to use the specific talents and passions that He's given you?What are the steps you need to take to get on board? Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 10Known: Finding Freedom in VulnerabilityIn this episode, Claire Leong joins the podcast to discuss our call to embrace the power of biblical vulnerability. God created us to live in authentic connection with Him and with others. When we don't feel known, we can feel very isolated, misunderstood, and insecure. There is so much empowerment in vulnerability and this episode will shed some fresh light on it! About the SpeakerClaire Leong may have been born in the Midwest, but growing up on the west coast has made her a California girl at heart. Growing up in Northern California, Claire established her love for academics, theater, and God – she became a Christian when she was 15 years old. She moved south and earned her Theater degree at UCLA, married her incredible husband Ben, and they now have their two girls, Melody and Hazel. She currently works in the IT department for National University System, and spends her off hours having fun with her family, crocheting, and serving God with her voice and her talents. Through various life challenges, Claire has come to appreciate our need for connection with others, and how Satan can use isolation to keep us from seeing and believing in God’s word.Episode Notes1 John 1:5-9 - Living in the light gives us authentic connection to God and others and brings healing. Confession of sin: we have to confess to find healing! Wrestling to be approved vs "known" We feel so separated when we have things we're hiding- because we are! Hiding brings insecurity. Sometimes we feel like people won't understand our brokenness, so we stop sharing the dark places of our hearts- this isn't how God intended us to live! He wants us to live free and live known. Admitting our junk & sin doesn't make us less worthy of God's love. His grace isn't based on us, it's just placed on us- so there's no need to stay hidden. Social media is one of the biggest deceivers of connection. We find meaningful connection in the hardest of times. But we have to choose to bring ourselves out of isolation. Practical: Have planned time in your schedule where you connect with people and have opportunities to talk on a deep level.God wants to know us and for us to be known by others. We are purified by Jesus, we just have to own our brokenness and let others in. We need to take initiative to invite others into our lives, struggles, and hurts. Vulnerability is intentional emotional exposure. There's a lot of empowerment in vulnerability. Lead by example if others don't do this with you- it gives them permission to be more open with you and ultimately God. We need to be patient and gracious with those we share our hearts with- it's more about being known and honoring God than about their response. Galatians 6:4 "Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others." (TPT) Challenges:1. Think about something that you're really afraid to tell someone. Own it. And then find someone trustworthy you can talk to about it. 2. If you are not already set up on a recurring date with someone to connect, then add that into your schedule. Find time to be in each other's lives: to be open, honest, and feel connection. Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 11Authentically YouIn this episode, Shelly Pope stops by to help us identify and throw off falsehood so that we can embrace and become our authentic selves before God and others. As women, we can feel so burdened by the pressure to be something we aren't and we can become overly focused on the areas where we fall short. There is so much freedom in letting go of who we are not and embracing exactly who God made us to be- Authentically You. About the Speaker: I am a native of Dayton, Ohio and migrated to Marietta, GA with my husband and daughters in 1996. I’ve been married for 27 years this August and have two lovely daughters. In 1997 I was converted and came to Christ at the Atlanta Church of Christ. I was called to serve in the full-time ministry with my husband in 2000. Since then, my husband and I have served in Atlanta for 15 years, Savannah, GA for 3.5 yrs and are now currently serving as the Lead Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leaders with the Temecula Valley Church of Christ since January of this year. I became a Marriage and Family Therapist in 2015, to better serve the church and the community of families and individuals throughout Georgia and now Southern California. I enjoy teaching and training others in Gods word and working to help families and marriages glorify God, spending quality time with my family and friends and dancing to good music. Episode Notes: This lesson comes from a Christian series called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero; Know Thyself So that you May Know God.In order to mature and grow spiritually, one must recognize the unhealthy emotional habits that we’ve fallen into before we can really begin the journey of growing into our Authentic Self. Here are 10 signs that you may be struggling with Emotional Unhealthy Spirituality:Using God to run from God Ignoring emotions of anger, sadness & fear Dying to the wrong things Denying the pasts impact on the present Dividing life in to spiritual and secular compartments Doing for God instead of BEING with God Spiritualizing away conflict Covering over brokenness, weakness and failure Living without limits (The need for setting healthy boundaries)Judging the spiritual journey of others (Taking the plank out of my own eye)Definition of Authentic: not false or copied; genuine; real: having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself Let’s look at Saul and David and compare how each of them understood authenticity. Saul's Inauthentic Self: 1 Sam 15: 2-3,7-24 Confidence came from his prestige, performance, possessionsDavid's Authentic Self: 1 Sam 17:24-45 Confidence came from God’s grace, power, wisdom and glorySo how then do we learn to live in authenticity like David? Four ways that have been beneficial:1. Learning Silence and Solitude, so that I can truly hear God and what HE has asked, commanded me to do. Psm 46:10 Isa 61:1-32. Find a trusted Friend that is wise and spiritually mature to help you to discern the directions that God is leading you to. Prov 27:5-6, Prov 19:203. Move out of your Comfort Zone. 2 Tim 1:74. Pray for Courage to go on the journey. Duet 31:7-8 Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
- 12Grief in the Arms of GodIn this special episode of the podcast, Jessica Paige and Lupita Sandoval share their journey of grieving in the arms of God. These two friends stop by to open their hearts to all of us and share the healing that has taken place in the midst of their mourning. Jessica, 27, lost both of her beloved parents in recent years and Lupita, 26, lost her mother last year just one short month after she received a cancer diagnosis. They answer the question that lies heavy on any grieving heart: “Where do I go when hope is gone?” About the Speakers: Jessica is a San Diego native who loves to travel, try new Airbnb's, and discover the best chai tea lattes at different cafes! She is currently taking on photography as a hobby that might turn into a career. She has been a disciple of Christ for almost 9 years and couldn't be more sure that following God was the best decision she ever made. Lupita is also a San Diego native and a nature lover. As she pursued her major in Environmental Science, she learned about God and became a member of the San Diego Church of Christ. Episode Notes: Lamentations 3:18-21: I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”Q: Where do I go when hope is gone? John 11:4We need to acknowledge the kingdom and the ways God wants to use His people to share His comfort with you. Philippians 4:7- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."You have access the peace that passes understanding through God’s love and comfort. Thanksgiving and grief go hand in hand. Reference to “A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23”It’s in the valleys that we find God’s refreshment. Don’t forget- God can restore your spirit. It is so important to learn what your needs are so that you can communicate them to those around you.Practicals for those in the valley of grief:1. Recognizing WHEN you are grieving can be hard, but we can learn to sit in that and accept the emotions and the questions that come along with it, instead of trying to push them away. 2. Grief doesn’t have boundaries- it will spill into your work, your relationships, and everything else. And you will feel it in different and unique ways. Acknowledging this is empowering. 3. Prayer is so important in the grief process- you can come to Him as you are and be real with the rawness of your emotions in order to access some of His peace and comfort. Tips for comforting those around us that are grieving:Just Ask. Don’t be insecure. Ask what your friend’s needs are all often because it my change on a daily basis. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! What NOT to say to someone grieving: “Well AT LEAST (fill in the blank).” Try to avoid attempting to lessen the hurt because honestly, you can’t. Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!
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