Talk that Talk

I sat down with my friend, Stacy, back in March of this year to discuss a popular topic: the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a personality test that assigns you one of 9 different personality types as your dominant type which helps you learn about your motivation behind the things you do, think, and say. Stacy and I talk about what it's like for both of us being an Enneagram Type 1 - also known as the "Perfectionists" or the "Reformers." It is important to note that the Enneagram is just a tool to learn more about your personality, and is not where you should place your value or identity. Not everyone will fit neatly into one of these 9 types either, and that is okay. It is silly to compare between the various personality types as "better" or "worse" than others. Each personality is unique, wonderful, and flawed. This is supposed to be the first part of a series on the 9 different personality types, but who knows if that series will ever come to completion :)

If you would like to learn more about the Enneagram or find out your type, check out the resources below:

1. Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com
2. On the Frontier Podcast (Where Stacy learned her type): https://open.spotify.com/show/2GMty5WF763EL6qIJ2i6h8?si=bjljApmsSh2R_ysYbOQVKg&dl_branch=1
3. Your Enneagram Coach (Free Enneagram test): https://www.yourenneagramcoach.com

Thanks for listening!!

My friend, Kara, joins me and we discuss her experience transitioning from dating her now husband, to getting engaged, to getting married. We discuss the challenging things that come along with adapting to being married. Think about it - that's a huge change! She gets real and honest about her struggles in that time and how her and her husband, Jacob, have worked together to grow in their relationships with the Lord and in their relationship with each other. We talk about the sudden changes in vulnerability (physically and emotionally) that happen when you get married, and how there can be a lot to process with that. Lastly, we discuss how single friends can support their newly married friends and how married friends can support their single friends throughout that transition (i.e. what does our friendship look like now?) I hope this conversation encourages you like it did me!

My dear friend Alicia is on the podcast sharing her story of finding her identity in Christ and surviving rape two years ago. She shares the horrifying details of the night of the attack, as well as all the trauma that came afterwards. While what happened to her is truly a nightmare, Alicia is so strong. She has clung to God in the midst of her pain and chosen to forgive the perpetrator, as well as share her story in order to let others who have survived similar experiences know they are not alone. She is a light in a dark place, and you will be encouraged by her story. Please be advised that these topics may be emotionally upsetting and please be aware that this episode is not appropriate for young ears.

In this episode, Hannah and I discuss seven helpful tips that we have both found to be helpful in our walks dealing with depression and anxiety. Just to reiterate from last episodes, we are NOT experts on these issues and we are only sharing from our own personal experiences. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue, please consult your doctor and/or counselor. We hope these tips help you in your lives when dealing with depression and anxiety and that you can use these tools to care for the ones you know who go through this.

This is our first series on the show, and we are talking about the very important topic of mental health. My good friend, Hannah, joins me for the series and we discuss our experiences with depression and anxiety. Hannah discusses dealing with depression from an early age and throughout her whole life. Some people experience anxiety and depression simultaneously, while others do not. Hannah is one of those people and she shares what it has been like tackling both kinds of pain. I also share my experience of dealing with depression and how it looks in my daily life. We don't share our stories to make others compare, we share them because we hope that someone is able to relate to either of our stories and to know that they are not alone. If you are someone who has mental health issues, please know that however it looks for you is legitimate and this is not a "one size fits all" thing. We encourage you to speak with a counselor and find the best course of action for your health. We are not experts in this area and can only speak to our own experiences. We hope us sharing will bring you hope to know that though these pains are horrible, you are not alone in them, and there is help out there.

Lots of topics are discussed in this episode including dating, marriage, parenting, ministry, and giving your life away. Bryan and Hillary are not only two great friends of mine, but two mentors that I look up to immensely. They share their story of dating and how God kept them together when reality kept telling them they shouldn't have made it. They discuss getting married and having their baby girl, Caroline. Bryan works in full-time ministry as the Area Director for Young Life in Indiana County, PA and him and Hillary discuss what it's like to do ministry in Indiana. They are passionate about giving their lives away for the Gospel and we discuss why that it is so important to do as followers of Christ. When we lose our life for Jesus and the Gospel, we truly find it. Bryan and Hillary have found that to be true in their lives and have come to know joy in Him. While following Jesus and doing ministry is incredibly hard and not always fun, Bryan and Hillary assure us that it is 100% worth it. These guys are rock stars and you will want to have a notepad beside you when you listen because they spit some truth at us. I love them so much and hope you enjoy our conversation!

My sister-in-law joins me for episode 8 and we discuss her story of growing up in a small town and enlisting in the Army right out of high school. She walks me through the process of joining the Army and working as an active duty water craft operator. She discusses the many times in her life where she thought she had her future plans figured out, but they didn't end up panning out the way she'd hope (relatable much?). Hannah is an extremely hard-working, strong woman and you will feel empowered by just listening to her! She made it through some of the hardest training out there and proved to all those who doubted her that she could do what she set out to do. You will be encouraged by her desire to serve her country, how great of a role model she is, and her drive to achieve her goals and chase her dreams no matter how many obstacles stand in her way.

Lastly, you will hear us talk about gender discrimination and sexual assault in the military and how the military is addressing these issues. While they have come a long way, there is still work to be done. These topics are painful and if you would like to skip over the discussion on the issue of assault, it occurs from 33:45 to 37:20.

I know you will be inspired by Hannah. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Sammie Franks joins me for episode 7 of the show. We discuss how she met her fiancé, Juan, and what her prayer life was like before meeting him. Heading into the season where she began dating him, she prayed that God would set her free from the bondage of her own heart: the fear that kept her stagnant and settling. She details an awesome experience she had on a mission trip while worshiping where she heard God speak to her and it has transformed the way she lives. She is now so much more confident in God's love for her which makes it easier for her to love others selflessly. Sammie lives, works, and volunteers with a youth group in Sewickley, PA. She shares great encouragement towards the end about how we can learn to let God become the fulfiller of the desires of our hearts instead of trying to fill those on our own. I really enjoyed talking with her and I hope you enjoy as well!

I sat down with my good friend and current roommate, Margee, and talked about the complex and heart-breaking issue of human trafficking. Margee participated in “Dressember” which is a non-profit that seeks to raise awareness and funds to fight human trafficking. To grab people’s attention, participants wear a dress every day in December and use their platforms on social media to raise awareness to their friends. Participants can also raise money and Dressember gives it to their multiple partners who are leading the front in ending modern-day slavery. We talk about the power that we have as consumers and how to decrease the demand for things that make victims vulnerable. We discuss some practical resources to check out about how we can get involved in this fight. Lastly, we talk about some common risk factors that make people vulnerable and how this issue is tied up in so many things. Because of that, it is so important that we fight for human rights and justice in every way we can-because everyone deserves to be seen and loved and free. Neither Margee and I are experts on the matter in any way, but we have both tried to learn on our own about what is going on in the world and how we can be a part of the change. I hope the resources we talk about in the show are helpful and that you will join in the fight against human trafficking in any and all ways that you can!

Some resources mentioned:
Elegance Restored boutique
Good On You App
GEMS Organization
The Good Trade website
International Justice Mission
Dressember
Girls Like Us book by Rachel Lloyd
Slaveryfootprint.com
Polaris Project
End it Movement

My longtime friend, Ashley, and I got to sit down this week for such an encouraging conversation. We talk about everything from growing up with divorced parents, to meeting God, to the struggles of post-grad life and marriage. She shares such wisdom about contentment and how to trust God when our lives aren't where or what we want them to be.

Check out Ashley Nagy Design on Instagram at @ashleynagydesign.

This week I go next and share my story with you all. Obviously bits and pieces were left out (it's hard to tell everything in thirty minutes), but I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am and what I'm about. I wanted to share a little bit about me so you all know who's behind the mic and also so that you feel the freedom to share your story! I don't want to ask my guests to do anything I wouldn't do, which is share their stories, so here mine is! I hope some part of this episode and show in general connects with you and gives you some light or love where you are right now!

This week I talked with one of my best friends, Quinn, about how God pursued her and brought her to know Him. We talk a lot about the misconceptions that we had about God, namely, that he was boring and distant. She talks about how God shattered those misconceptions and made her feel His love-and how it changed her life forever. She shares about her college experience at Penn State as a nursing major and volunteer WyldLife leader with the Young Life ministry. We talk a lot about how God has taught her so much through doing ministry. I hope you are encouraged by our conversation!

Today I got to chat with one of my best friends, Kayla Warnick. Kayla and her husband, Kevin, moved to my hometown (Indiana, PA) when I was a junior in high school. Kevin worked for Young Life (a non-profit Christian outreach organization for adolescents) and moved to Indiana to start it. Kevin and Kayla become not only my Young Life leaders, but part of my family. They walked with me through so many difficult times in high school and college and pointed me to Jesus through it all. Today Kayla and I talked a lot about their life since they moved away from Indiana to Lexington, KY. We talked mostly about her and Kevin's second son, Jacob. They received the gut-wrenching news while Kayla was pregnant that Jacob had a heart defect, resulting in the loss of their baby boy at only 3 months old. Kayla shares with me what that pain was like and yet how the Lord was good even in the midst of something so tragic. Her story is truly inspiring and encouraging for everyone-especially those who have ever lost a child or loved one, feels alone and bitter, or who is walking through suffering. You are gonna want to hear all that Kayla has to say, and you will walk away feeling full of hope. I loved getting to talk with her. I hope you enjoy!