Halfway There

252: Cherlyn Decker and Learning to Roar

Cherlyn Decker is a best-selling author, speaker, and coach. Today, Cherlyn shares how she spent her life trying to achieve, how it all came crashing down when she lost her job, and the steps took through the spiritual desert. Cherlyn also tells us how she ended up with a spiritual director and how that helped her during a tough time. Cherlyn’s story reminds us that the Lord often takes away our self-made and protective identities to show us our true selves.
Listen to Cherlyn’s story now!
Stories Cherlyn shared:
Growing up in Washington DC
Giving her life to Christ at youth camp
Learning to hear God’s voice on a regular basis
Surrendering her law career
Meeting her husband at church during law school
Receiving directional dreams from the Lord
Hiring a spiritual director for help
Why we have to go through the desert
Getting rid of a poverty mindset
How she sees herself today
Why she wrote her book ROAR Back
Great quotes from Cherlyn:
I’m extremely mouthy with the Lord.
I never knew I was going to struggle with who I was.
God really does the best transformation work.
Resources we mentioned:
Cherlyn’s website
ROAR Back: Transforming Struggle Into Strength by Cherlyn Decker
Related episodes:
Patrick Meyers and The Kind Initiator
Cherrilynn Bisbano and the Struggle for Identity in Christ
Cliff Ravenscraft and Finding Yourself in Christ
Jonathan Puddle and the Nearness of God
The post Cherlyn Decker and Learning to Roar appeared first on Eric Nevins.

251: Janna Thompson and Spiritual Sassy Pants

Janna Thompson is the creator behind Project Shine. Today, Janna shares some surprising moments when the Lord has spoken and worked in her life. Janna shares how the Lord met her when contemplating suicide, protected her during a horrific car crash, and provided for her needs. She also lets us into her prayer closet where we glimpse the intimate nature of her relationship with him. Sometimes that involves putting on her “sassy pants” and asking God some tough questions. Janna’s story reminds us that the Lord can handle them.
Listen to Janna’s story now!
Stories Janna shared:
Growing up in a non-denominational, traditional church
Feeling rejection and insecurity as a child
Beginning to see into the spiritual world
Her parent’s divorce and how that left her feeling like an orphan
Overdosing on anxiety medicine at high school graduation
Dropping out of college and going to live with her dad
Challenging God to show up or she would commit suicide (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255)
A horrific car accident that should have killed her
Meeting her husband because of the accident
Putting on her “sassy pants” to talk to God
Challenging God to give her a car
The miracle of a baby after an infertility diagnosis
Her daughter Clara’s birth
The healing of Clara and trusting God for healing
Great quotes from Janna:
Being a parent is my greatest adventure.
Good, bad, or ugly, no matter what you describe about the spiritual realm, it sounds scary.
His pursuit of me was greater than my ability to misunderstand him.
Prayer was never meant to be a monologue.
Never fall for the trap that God has rejected you.
Resources we mentioned:
Project Shine
Related episodes:
Patrick Meyers and the Kind Initiator
Lauren Gaskill and the Joy of Healing
Tim Morris and How Your Heart’s Desire Unlocks Your Purpose
The post Janna Thompson and Spiritual Sassy Pants appeared first on Eric Nevins.

250: Drew Moser and Enneagram Type is Just the Beginning

Dr. Drew Moser is the Founder & CEO of TypeTrail, and enneagram-based coaching firm. He’s the author of The Enneagram of Discernment: The Way of Vocation, Wisdom, & Practice and is co-host of Fathoms: An Enneagram Podcast. Today, Drew shares about sensing a call to ministry, beginning marriage in a season of grief, and how discovering Enneagram gave him a better understanding of himself. His story reminds us that knowing ourselves is a key part of the journey with Christ.
Listen to Drew’s story today!
Stories Drew shared:
Getting into and serving others through Enneagram
Growing up in Central, Illinois in a Christian family
Feeling small looking at the empty and dark church sanctuary
Challenging his teachers with hard questions
Feeling like an imposter as he was being celebrated in high school
Feeling shame, guilt, and a hangover after a night of partying and how that brought him back
Opening up to his youth pastor and feeling accepted
Switching his major to Christian ministry
How his “perfect life” crumbled
Starting marriage in a season of grief
Moving to Denver to attend Denver Seminary
Doing some counseling to help move through grief
How grief gave him empathy for others
Discovering Enneagram as a way to understand his team
Great quotes from Drew:
Type is the trailhead.
Is the Enneagram Christian? No. Is the Enneagram anti-Christian? No
Resources we mentioned:
Andrew’s website for TypeTrail
The Enneagram of Discernment: The Way of Vocation, Wisdom, and Practice
Fathoms: An Enneagram Podcast
Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff
Related episodes:
Suzanne Stabile and How Enneagram Helps Relationships
Jim Gum and Healing Through Enneagram
Ryan Lui and Embracing Your Uniqueness
The post Drew Moser and Enneagram Type is Just the Beginning appeared first on Eric Nevins.

249: Sue Donaldson and The Welcoming Heart of God

Sue Donaldson is an author, speaker, and podcaster. Today, Sue shares about doubting her faith in college, struggling with her singleness, and learning to lean on the Lord more than her husband. Sue is a master at creating great conversations and she tells us how that became part of her ministry. Plus, she reminds us that not being hospitible is really about pride, not personality. Her story will encourage you to just be a friend to make a friend.
Listen to Sue’s story now!
Stories Sue shared:
Forgetting how much she enjoys speaking
Growing up in a Christian family in Southern California
Giving her life to Christ at 15 when she understood the Gospel
Waking up one day and doubting her faith in college
The woman who helped her understand doubt
Learning that it is her faith not her parent’s faith
Becoming a missionary teaching
Why she decided to marry her husband
Learning to depend on the Lord more than her husband
How she got into teaching Scripture
How she began creating more meaningful conversations
Ministering to women via wine nights
Great quotes from Sue:
When you get to do God’s gift, it’s not a drag.
It’s okay to doubt. God is big enough for your questions.
When you study who God is, you can’t help but open your home.
Don’t be afraid to open your door.
Resources we mentioned:
Sue’s website
Say Something Special: 252 Conversation Starters by Sue Donaldson
Hospitality 101: Lessons From the Ultimate Host A 12-Week Bible Study by Sue Donaldson
Related episodes:
Carol Wilson and Following the Lord’s Leading
Gisela Kreglinger and Savoring the Goodness of God
Laura Flanders and the Mentored Life
The post Sue Donaldson and The Welcoming Heart of God appeared first on Eric Nevins.

248: Jay Bakker and Discovering Unbelievable Grace

Jay Bakker is an author and speaker at Revolution Church. If his name looks familiar, it’s because he is the son of famed televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Today,  Jay shares about growing up as his parents rose to fame and fell, how he ignored God for a season, and discovering the radical nature of grace. He describes getting sober and why he things of theology as art. Jay’s story reminds us that God accepts us as we are because he loves us.
Listen to Jay’s story now!
Stories Jay shared:
Growing up as a televangelist kid
How his parent’s scandal affected him
Realizing that his parents really believed what they preached
Going to the alter a thousand times as a child
Ignoring God in order to live
Beginning to understand grace through Bible study
Joining a 12 step program to get sober
Starting Revolution in Atlanta
Getting dialectic behavior therapy
Struggling through doubt
Accepting others to accept himself
Thinking of theology as art
Where he thinks the church is headed
Great quotes from Jay:
So much of what I’d been taught, and the culture I grew up in was only part of the story.
Grace is anarchy. You don’t get an asterisk.
I’m not going to let someone’s political views make me hate them.
Resources we mentioned:
Revolution
The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning
Peter Rollins
Related episodes:
Jamie Rowe and Finding His True Home
D.L. Mayfield and the Gift of Paying Attention
James Prescott and Processing Grief Well
The post Jay Bakker and Discovering Unbelievable Grace appeared first on Eric Nevins.

247: Amy Watson on Trauma, Healing, and Community

Amy Watson is a businesswoman and podcaster. Today, Amy shares her story of unbelievable trauma and the community the Lord used to help her heal. Amy tells us about being abused by a serial killer, finally sharing what was happening and getting help, and the moment she felt safe enough to fall apart. Amy has turned her story into the ability to minister to others with similar ones through her podcast Wednesdays with Watson and it’s making a difference. Her story reminds us that the Lord wastes nothing, even our most painful moments.
Listen to Amy’s story today!
Stories Amy shared:
Growing up in Florida
Being padlocked in a room by her mom and stepdad
Meeting and being abused by Henry Lee Lucas, a notorious serial killer
The church people who showed up at the door with candy
Her mother inviting a pedophile into her home who abused her at 14
Telling a woman at church what happened
The moment she felt safe enough to fall apart
Going to the hospital and being diagnosed with PTSD
The moment she learned that her ex-husband passed away
The friend who made her family
The first time she was dropped off at a foster family
Writing in the psych ward
Why we have to be careful about our language
The value of community for healing trauma
Great quotes from Amy:
I have been an adult as long as I can remember.
Trauma does not have to be the end of your life.
The thing the Lord has used the most is his people who love me.
Resources we mentioned:
Amy’s website
Markus Watson’s website and episode of HT
Related episodes:
Mary DeMuth and Her Avenue for Healing
Shea Watson and Conquering Shame
Caroline Abbott and Coming Home to the Lord 
The post Amy Watson on Trauma, Healing, and Community appeared first on Eric Nevins.

246: Charles Causey and Chasing Candor

Chaplain Colonel Charles Causey is an author, pastor, and chaplain. Today, Charles shares with us his story of resisting the call to ministry, how the Lord’s providence has cared for his family through the years, and why  he decided to become a writer. We also discuss his latest book Candor which is all about navigating difficult conversations with love and grace. Charles’s story reminds us that the Lord’s heart for us is always truth but also love.
Listen to Charles’s story now!
Stories Charles shared:
Growing up in Leavenworth, KS
Feeling a little inoculated to the faith by college
Getting involved in Campus Crusade for Christ in a small revival
Giving his life to Christ at a backpacking camp
Feeling God’s call to serve him full time
Switching over to being a chaplain in the Army reserves
A moment of worship that shaped him
How his ministry set him up for enjoying seminary
Making a deal with God to have time with his family
How getting laid off allowed him to apply for jobs and still get paid
Planting a church in Minnesota
Struggling with God while living away from his family
Deciding to become a writer while deployed during the Surge
Why he wrote his book Candor
Great quotes from Charles:
Sometimes you feel lost when you’re not around those you love the most.
God has big shoulders.
Write for yourself.
Resources we mentioned:
Charles’ website
Candor: The Secret to Succeeding at Tough Conversations by Charles Causey
The Lion and the Lamb: The True Holocaust Story of a Powerful Nazi Leader and a Dutch Resistance Worker by Charles Causey
In Danger Every Hour: A Civil War Novel by Charles Causey
Related episodes:
Rob Burns and Crossing Cultures
Billie Jauss and Home is Where We Are
Mike Elder and the Legacy of Faith
The post Charles Causey and Chasing Candor appeared first on Eric Nevins.

245: Billie Jauss and Home is Where We Are

Billie Jauss is an author, speaker, podcaster, and baseball wife. today, Billie shares how she sensed a connection to God as a young woman, when an atheist counselor advised her to go back to church, and how she as discovered the value of sharing herself with others. Billie writes and podcasts devotional material and hosts Bible studies which help many stay grounded in the Bible. She also gives us a peek behind the scenes of what it’s like living inside of baseball. Billie’s story reminds us that whatever your life is like, God is right there with you.
Listen to Billie’s story now!
Stories Billie shared:
Getting into baseball and writing devotionals
Growing up in rural North Carolina in a protestant family
Sensing a connection with the Lord as a young woman
Separating from her husband during a hard time
The question her counselor asked that sent her back to church
The priest who advised her to go to a Bible-based church
How her husband noticed her growth
Learning Jeremiah 29:11 and what it mean to her
Feeling like she had to hide who she was
Being available when fellow baseball wives need her
The difficulty of being in a sport like baseball
The value of Baseball Chapel
The times she’s been disappointed in God
Great quotes from Billie:
Baseball is a family. Fans are a family.
Home is where we all are together.
He is the way, the truth, and the life. To turn back to him is what
Resources we mentioned:
Billie’s website
Making Room: Doing Less So God Can Do More by Billie Jauss (Amazon affiliate link that sends a small commission my way if you use it)
Baseball Chapel
Related episodes:
Gari Meacham and Hitting Life’s Curveballs
Jamie Rowe and Finding His True Home
Manny Randhawa and the Conduit of Grace
The post Billie Jauss and Home is Where We Are appeared first on Eric Nevins.