Halfway There

316: Amy Fritz the Community of the Broken

Amy Fritz is the host of the Untangled Faith podcast, a mom, and wife, with a heart for those hurt by leaders they trust. Today, Amy shares how her somewhat charmed upbringing was shattered when her mom died suddenly, how she ran away to Middle Tennessee, and discovering that all was not as it seemed at a prominent Christian organization. Dealing with the sense of betrayal took time and ultimately gave her compassion for others dealing with the trauma from spiritual abuse. Amy’s story reminds us that God is still good even when the leaders who use his name aren’t.
Listen to Amy’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Amy shared:
Being a mom and wife in Middle Tennessee
Growing up in Minnesota in a new Christian family
Feeling like the trophy student and model Christian
Losing her mom to brain cancer during an MRI
Struggling with the problem of pain and grief in the world
Running away to Middle Tennessee and joining The Lampo Group
Getting a warning from another wife early on
Realizing that there were problems at the company
The social media interactions that raised red flags
The moment the spiritual abuse dawned on her husband
Noticing her friend had disappeared
Leaving the company with no job ahead of time.
Being harassed by his former company
What Amy has learned about herself after going through heartbreak
Great quotes from Amy:
I had such a golden growing up experience that I did not see a lot of terribly painful things.
All the truthful things in the world, they don’t stand up next to sitting next to somebody and letting them grieve.
We talk a lot about sin nature but don’t seem to apply it to ourselves.
Narcissism is in the blood of our churches.
I knew God would provide for us.
Resources we mentioned:
Amy’s website & podcast
The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus' Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It by Jamin Goggin & Kyle Strobel
The Daily Beast article on Dave Ramsey
Narcissism and The System It Breeds by Diane Langberg
The Religion News Service Article featuring Amy
Related episodes:
Kyle Strobel and Integrating Spirituality and Theology
Nicole Jacobsmeyer and Joy After Suffering
Chuck DeGroat and the Invitation to Obscurity
The post Amy Fritz the Community of the Broken appeared first on Eric Nevins.

315: Don Larson and Doing Good with Business

Don Larson is the CEO and Founder of Sunshine Nut Company cashews where he helps bring work and wealth to Mozambique. Today, Don shares how he found Christ after years of going to church, becoming massively successful, and deciding to walk away from a huge paycheck. Don tells us the story of surrendering to the Lord which led him to start selling nuts around the world. Don’s story reminds us that when God calls you to something, following may be costly but it’s always worth it.
Listen to Don’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Don shared:
Living in Mozambique full time working with the Sunshine Nut Company
Growing up in Connecticut and Pennsylvania
Working at Hershey and their orphanage
Going to church a little more than Easter and Christmas
Converting to Roman Catholicism to get married
Giving their lives to Christ at 29 when they attended a Bible-based church
Knowing God was there but exactly connected to him
How God spoke to him after taking a job at Campbell’s and a few months off
Growing more and more charismatic
A word from God through someone on the street
Hearing from God to start a business in developing countries
Going to International House of Prayer
Learning to get out of God’s way while he builds the business
Great quotes from Don:
God provides everything you need for the calling he has for you.
Business is an incredible platform for showing God’s love.
I realized I’d climbed up the wrong ladder.
Resources we mentioned:
Sunshine Nut Company
Related episodes:
Kevin Wilson and Planting Seeds
Gisela Kreglinger and Savoring the Goodness of God
Craig Greenfield and Good News for the Poor
The post Don Larson and Doing Good with Business appeared first on Eric Nevins.

314: Nicole Jacobsmeyer and Joy After Suffering

Nicole Jacobsmeyer is a mom of four, wife, and author. Today, Nicole shares how she nearly lost her faith after suffering, the wise woman who encouraged her to serve even while it was messy, and how she learned to trust God in the middle of it all. Through her authenticity and the sharing of her own struggles, Nicole encourages women to keep going when all seems lost. Nicole’s story reminds us that the Lord is personal and present even as we suffer and that, it’s often those moments where we find him.
Listen to Nicole’s story on your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Nicole shared:
Being a mom turned author with a young family
Starting her blog because her husband was in medical school and it was hard to get out
Why she wrote Take Back Your Joy
Moving around a lot as a child in a Christian family
Having a terrible experience at college including a rape
Believing that if you do good things, God will bless you
Questioning every belief because of betrayal from her dad
Turning the shame inward onto herself
Learning that becoming like Christ means suffering
How the blind man in John 9 ministers to her
Why we hold tightly to our identities
Losing a baby through miscarriage
A vision of a baby girl that the Lord gave her
Great quotes from Nicole:
The fact that she saw me as Christ does made me want to dive into the Word again.
I always prayed that God would make me more like his Son. We pray that a lot but we don’t know what it will take.
We don’t realize how personal God is.
Resources we mentioned:
Nicole’s website
Take Back Your Joy: Fighting for Purpose When Life Is More Than You Can Handle by Nicole Jacobsmeyer
Related episodes:
Sue Donaldson and The Welcoming Heart of God
September McCarthy and Suffering as Sanctification
Jodi Rosser and Growing Deep
The post Nicole Jacobsmeyer and Joy After Suffering appeared first on Eric Nevins.

313: Kevin Wilson and Planting Seeds

Kevin Wilson is the host of the podcast A Christian Podcast with Kevin Wilson. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with Kevin at Podcast Movement in August, 2022. His approach to evangelism in his podcast fascinated so I had to hear more of his story. Today, Kevin shares about how moving around as a child affected him, the group that so lived Acts 2 that he couldn’t resist Jesus, and how he follows curiosity to interact with others about faith. Kevin’s story reminds us that evangelism is a true gift and we can learn from his.
Listen to Kevin’s story today!
Stories Kevin shared:
Connecting at Podcast Movement
Growing up in Detroit, Michigan
Moving around a lot and ending up in NC
Meeting a group of believers in college that lit his flame for the Lord
How the fellowship of believers helped him
Investing time and intentionality in his faith
Starting his podcast A Christian Podcast with Kevin Wilson
Evolving his show to go outside and talk to people
Following curiosity to ask genuine questions of people who believe differently
Embracing his gifting as an evangelist
Experiencing a season when God’s plan was not clear
Great quotes from Kevin:
I recognize my role as a seed planter.
I’ve disagreed with people but never had a conversation end in anger.
Humility is required for a relationship with God.
Resources we mentioned:
Kevin’s details
Kevin’s Discord
Related episodes:
Jay Kim and the Spiritual Formation of Technology
Karen Gonzalez and Beyond Welcome
Mark Scandrette and Unconventional Christianity
The post Kevin Wilson and Planting Seeds appeared first on Eric Nevins.

312: Traci Rhoades and a Firm Foundation

Traci Rhoades is an author, Bible teacher, writer, listener, and follower of Jesus who cares deeply about church unity, church history, everyone reading God’s word, and engaging with others on Twitter. She was last with us on episode #262 and has a new book out called Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out. Today, we talk about discovering the gift of listening, exploring Christian traditions different from our own, and how spiritual practices can see us through dark seasons. Traci reminds us that being curious is a spiritual discipline worth pursuing.
Listen to my conversation with Traci wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Traci shared:
Navigating life with a freshman in high school
How she explored various church traditions
Why learning to listen is a crucial part of the journey
Exploring the church calendar and prayer
Practicing lectio divina
Why she wrote Shaky Ground
Learning to trust the Holy Spirit
Using prayer books for her personal prayer
The power of silence for spiritual formation
How an Ash Wednesday service made her weep
How spiritual practices help you through dark seasons
Great quotes from Traci:
A curious mind serves me better than an arguing one.
Once I let go of the fear, I already knew how to listen to the Holy Spirit.
The only time there was silence in my church was when someone missed their queue.
Imagine if we all walked around as deeply healed people.
Resources we mentioned:
Traci’s website
Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out by Traci Rhoades
Traci’s first appearance on Halfway There
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Finding the Way to Christ in a Complicated Religious Landscape by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damik
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality by J. Brent Bill
A Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Related episodes:
Traci Rhoades and the Case of Holy Envy
Mike Savage and God’s Great Self-Sacrificial Love
Heather Thompson Day and The Sustaining Hand of God
The post Traci Rhoades and a Firm Foundation appeared first on Eric Nevins.

311: Andrew McWilliams and Learning Abundance

Andrew McWilliams is the founder of The McWilliams Group Real Estate and Andrew McWilliams Coaching. Achieving top 1% status among all RE/MAX agents internationally, Andrew has guided many new and seasoned agents to success, sharing philosophy, lessons, and principles from his personal journey. Today, Andrew shares his struggle to find his place in ministry, how a rejection led him to a new level of ministry, and why sometimes having a truck is magical. We also talk about mindset and how much flows from that starting place. Andrew’s story reminds us that when we trust the Lord we can’t play small.
Listen to Andrew’s story wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Andrew shared:
Growing up in NE Georgia
Learning that faith is a relationship
Looking for the “one thing” he should be doing
Getting into ministry while looking up to teaching pastors
The staff retreat that changed everything
The definition of success and how it changed
How being rejected from his church gave him a new identity
Learning that there are seasons
Finding his wife because she had a truck
Starting out in real estate
Why he had to avoid the self-help aisle
Discovering how the gurus he liked were citing Scripture
Learning about abundance and becoming a co-creator
Discovering that he was actually a shepherd of his team
The invitation to contribute to Think Big!
Sharing his bankruptcy story
Great quotes from Andrew:
I saw a bigger God at that point.
I’ve hit a plateau and I need to find the bigger path because this one is too small.
I had to get outside the church to get to where I could hear other voices but I found God right there.
There’s so much God has for us and we are playing small.
Resources we mentioned:
Andrew’s website
Think Big! as a contributor
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
Related episodes:
Tim Winders and Redefining Success
Jill Baughan and the Adventure of Joy
James Bryan Smith and Loved Beyond Imagination
The post Andrew McWilliams and Learning Abundance appeared first on Eric Nevins.

310: Karen González and Beyond Welcome

Karen González is a speaker, writer, storyteller, and immigrant advocate, who herself immigrated from Guatemala as a child. Karen is a previous guest who shared her story on episode #166. Today, Karen and I talk about normalizing movement of population, why being a stranger in a strange land should give Christians empathy, and what to do about Christian nationalism. Karen’s work reminds us of God’s view of immigrants and challenges us to serve. care for, and love them. You won’t want to miss this episode.
Listen to Karen’s story today wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Karen shared:
How her first book, The God Who Sees, was received
Why movement of people between countries (and states) is normal
What it’s like being a stranger in a strange land
What it means to “center” immigrants in the conversation
What we lose if we require assimilation instead of Christlikeness
The difference between integration and assimilation
The rise of Christian nationalism and what to do about it
The difference between a nationalistic view and the way Jesus sees people
Great quotes from Karen:
People have always moved for the reasons they move today.
When you are who you are, it’s flaws and all.
We ask people to conform to our image.
Resources we mentioned:
Karen’s website
Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration by Karen González
Journey to the Common Good by Walter Brueggemann
Related episodes:
Karen Gonzalez and the God Who Sees
Kristin Kobes Du Mez and Knowing Church History
D.L. Mayfield and the Gift of Paying Attention.
The post Karen González and Beyond Welcome appeared first on Eric Nevins.

309: Jay Kim and The Spiritual Formation of Technology

Jay Kim is a pastor and author in Silicon Valley and a previous guest on episode #206. I invited Jay back to discuss his latest book Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. In this conversation, Jay shares the situation we find ourselves in with technology, what’s at stake if we do not use wisdom to handle it, and practices that can help get your freedom back. Jay encourages us to be wise about what we allow to shape who we become so we can be shaped as Jesus would have us.
Listen to this conversation with Jay Kim wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Jay shared:
Pastoring in the heart of Silicon Valley
Releasing Analog Church during the pandemic
How digital can be good
Finding himself using technology for no reason
What is at stake if we are unintentional about technology use
The quest that sent him looking for how to be content, resilient, and wise
Meditating on the idea of love
Why you should practice a digital sabbath
Great quotes from Jay:
Every human being is being formed at all times.
If my enslavement is forming me, my guess is that the way it’s forming me is very different than the way Jesus wants to form me.
Love atrophies when it’s not in motion.
Resources we mentioned:
Jay’s website
Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age by Jay Kim
Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age by Jay Kim
The Tech Wise Family by Andy Crouch
Related episodes:
Jay Kim and Why We Need Real People
Rodney Olson and Kicking at the Darkness
Chris Martin and How Social Media Shapes Us
The post Jay Kim and The Spiritual Formation of Technology appeared first on Eric Nevins.