What do you do when you are offended? Do you quickly let it go, or do you sit and ruminate on it? If you, like most people, tend to do the latter, it can create bitterness, resentment, and pent-up anger in your life and in your heart.

Living in a place where we are constantly offended is an unhealthy place to be. My guest today knows this all too well. Brant Hansen is an author, nationally syndicated radio host, advocate for life-changing healthcare to children through CURE International, and the writer of Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better.

In his book, Brant explains how giving up your “right” to be offended can be one of the most freeing, healthy, simplifying, relaxing, refreshing, stress-relieving, and encouraging things you can do.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How holding on to things can harm us
• Why you should use traffic as forgiveness practice
• The personal benefits of letting things go
• And so much more!

I hope this conversation is helpful as we navigate anger and offenses in our daily lives!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/brant-hansen-196

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There’s nothing better than a story of hope! When we hear of someone who has overcome struggles, it puts things in perspective and inspires us to persevere in the midst of our own challenges.

My guest today has risen above truly desperate circumstances. Peter Mutabazi survived on the streets of Uganda for five years before one man saw potential in him and changed Peter’s life. Today, Peter is a single dad to countless foster children and his three adopted children, Anthony, Ryder, and Skyler. He is the founder of Now I Am Known, an organization that supplies resources to support vulnerable children.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Peter’s experience living on the streets of Uganda
• How the kindness of a stranger changed Peter’s life
• What Peter has learned on his foster care journey
• And so much more!

I hope you find this conversation as inspiring as I did!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/peter-mutabazi-195

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Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

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These days, teen girls are under relentless pressure to measure up to peers and social media influencers. The expectations feel impossible to meet.

Today, I’m partnering with my friends Lee Nienhuis and Shannon Popkin to share a conversation about this important topic. Lee and Shannon are authors and speakers who have teamed up to write a book, Comparison Girl for Teens, that gives help and hope to moms and daughters navigating this challenge. We’re exploring what teen girls need to break free of the comparison trap and how moms can come alongside our daughters to encourage and affirm them.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How comparison follows us through every stage of life
• Dealing with the way social media increases our tendency to compare
• How learning to live “me free” increases our peace
• And more!

I hope you find this conversation as encouraging as I did!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/lee-shannon-194

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

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Are you frustrated with getting older? As women, it’s easy to feel discouraged as our lives and bodies change. That’s why I’m so grateful for our guest's wisdom today!

Joining me for this conversation is Heather Creekmore, host of the internationally popular Compared to Who? podcast. Heather is a body image coach, former fitness instructor, and author who is devoted to helping women break free of body shame. She has spoken to thousands of women and encouraged them with the truth of the gospel, and her passion is helping women stop comparing and start living.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Practical steps women can take to feel at peace about aging
• How culture lies to women about their value
• Why finding a “second mission” can make us feel alive again
• And more!

I know you will enjoy our conversation!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/heather-creekmore-193

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

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Do you feel rested and at peace, or do you feel like your soul is all over the place?

These days, many of us struggle with anxiety to some degree, and that’s what we’re talking about in this episode.

Joining me for this conversation is award-winning author and Bible teacher Tessa Afshar. Drawing from lessons she learned while battling anxiety in her own life, Tessa is sharing about a journey that cultivates a well-rested soul. I’m so glad to have her with us today, especially because her historical fiction books are some of my all-time favorite novels!

In this episode, we talk about:

• Tessa’s story of coming to faith from a Muslim background
• The connection between burnout and anxiety
• Tessa’s career as a writer
• And more!

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/tessa-afshar-192

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
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I’m happy to have my husband join me for this episode! It’s been a little while since Mark and I shared a conversation on the podcast, and today we’re talking about the power of our words.

If we fully realized just how dangerous careless words can be, we might take our speech more seriously. Our words can bring destruction or healing depending on how we speak, as Mark and I have learned from personal experience.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The difference between internal processors and external processors
• Specific ways Mark and I each have grown in how we use our words
• Three practical guidelines for using words well
• And more!

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/power-words-191

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
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How do you respond when someone else’s choices wreak havoc on your life?

Sometimes, someone else's choices can turn the lives of those closest to them upside down. I've certainly experienced that in my own life, and yet, even in the most unfair circumstances, God wastes nothing.

Today, my friend Cathy Applington is joining me to help us better understand how hope can be restored even when relationships can't. In 2013, Cathy’s world was shaken to the core as her husband’s actions caused life-changing consequences for her and her family. Cathy was a pastor's wife here in Normal, IL, and today she works with Sanctuary in Trauma, a ministry for women who have suffered from trauma and loss.

In this episode, we talk about:

• A passage in Scripture that held Cathy steady when her world was falling apart
• Allowing family members space to heal from trauma in their own way
• How Cathy’s journey led to the creation of Sanctuary in Trauma
• And more!

I know you’ll appreciate Cathy’s wisdom as much as I do!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/cathy-applington-190

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

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Have you ever been in a season of life where you felt trapped in a relentless lifestyle?

Years ago, Mark and I wrote a book called Living with Less so Your Family Has More. One of the key concepts woven throughout that book was the idea of choosing to live with less stress, less money, and less activities than what is the cultural norm. When I read Brenda Yoder’s new book, Uncomplicated, I felt like I had a friend with a similar passion for that message, so I asked her to join me here on the podcast.

Brenda is a counselor, speaker, author, and educator from Shipshewana, Indiana. She is the author of Fledge: Launching Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind and Uncomplicated: Simple Secrets for a Compelling Life.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Lessons Brenda has gained from observing the slower-paced Amish culture
• How living an uncomplicated life starts on the inside, not with your calendar
• Why too much information can decrease our self-confidence
• And more!

I know you’ll enjoy this conversation with my friend, Brenda!

Show Notes: https://jillsavage.org/brenda-yoder-189

Register for the Empty Nest Full Life Retreat September 27-29, 2024

Check out our other resources:

• Mark and Jill’s Marriage Story
• Marriage Coaching
• Marriage 2.0 Intensives
• Speaking Schedule
• Book Mark and Jill to Speak
• Online Courses
• Books

Marriage Resources:

• Infidelity Recovery
• For Happy Marriages
• For Hurting Marriages
• For Marriages Where You’re the Only One Wanting to Get Help

Mom Resources:

• New/Preschool Moms
• Moms with Gradeschoolers
• Moms with Teens and Tweens
• Moms with Kids Who Are Launching
• Empty Nest...