There is a disconnect that happens when our actions don’t line up with our words and the church has been guilty many times. We can turn people off from God when our actions are harsh or uncaring, which is why Jesus said He wanted us to be kind to each other people. I had a very honest conversation with Greg West of Daybreak Church in Williamsburg about how Keeping Christ in Christmas means caring for the least of these, now and all year.

Greg West has been in ministry for over 30 years. He has served in various capacities including as a missionary, evangelist, local pastor, church planter, ​and university chaplain. Greg is currently the Outreach Pastor at Daybreak Church in Williamsburg and the Conference Superintendent of the Global Methodist Church in Virginia. He and his wife, Eileen, have 3 children and enjoy life in Virginia Beach.

To follow Greg: https://www.lifeinhisname.net/

The hustle and bustle of Christmas and the holiday season can crowd out peace and leave us disappointed and frazzled. We use phrases like “Keep Christ in Christmas”, but what does it really look like in our lives to worship the baby King and live differently? This conversation with Pastor Jeff Noble will have you breathing deep and calming down during the busy holiday season. We will share insights on slowing down during the holiday season, being present with others, and remembering that Christ is everything—through December and beyond. Jeff Noble has been pastor of Northstar Church in Blacksburg, VA (Go Hokies!) for 15 years. He and Carolyn have two adult, married kids, one grandson, and two grand dogs. He's a native Arkansan (Go Hogs!). Hobbies: coffee, fantasy football & rearranging the dishwasher. Jeff’s blog: https://www.jeffnoble.net/ NorthStar Church: dontgo.be or https://northstarfamily.org/ To connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Keeping Christ in Christmas has been a popular saying for years, but how do we do it? How do we go beyond cliché sayings that sound good to actually celebrating the holidays differently? How do we keep Christ in Christmas without simply adding more church stuff to our list and stressing out? Join us for a delightful conversation with Pastor Reginald Davis of Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg. We talked about letting the lights remind us to let our light shine in how we treat people. We also visited Mary and Martha and how we are more alike than different. Dr. Reginald F. Davis, Pastor of the Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia holds a Master of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in New York and a Doctorate in Humanities, with a concentration in African American Studies from Florida State University. Pastor Davis is an author of several works, has been a frequent radio guest, and lectures at colleges, universities, and churches across the nation. He has served as the 21st pastor of The Historic First Baptist Church since 2004. Pastor Davis currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife and three children. For more on Pastor Davis and The Historic Baptist Church: https://firstbaptistchurch1776.org/ To connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Hard times can blind us to anything but the pain. We can get stuck wrestling with God and allowing anger and bitterness to steal our joy. Angela Mackey found that asking the hard questions of God can bring us closer to a more intimate relationship with Him. We can still have joy, while we grieve and we can find things to be grateful for when we open our eyes to what is going on around us. We talk about some of the lessons Angela learned in her journey of infertility, and writing the book, Difficult to Conceive.

Angela Mackey has a master’s in biblical and theological studies and is a Maxwell certified speaker and trainer, registered nurse, and longtime Sunday school teacher. She has written for Encouragement Café and the MOM Initiative, she contributed to Overwhelmed: 31 Devotions for Moms and blogs at www.rethinkingmythinking.com. She lives in the Arkansas River Valley with her husband, three kids (two born through IVF treatments), and three dogs. She loves University of Kansas basketball, crafting, reading, and encouraging others to rethink their thinking in light of God’s Word so they can live transformed lives.

For more on gratitude, listen to this conversation with Amber Cullum.

For more episodes of A Woman’s Heart: https://www.lisagranger.com/podcasts

Have you ever needed a change of heart? You had hopes and dreams that are not being realized and you wonder why God seems have to put you on a shelf. It is easy to become bitter and our relationship with others and God can become strained. Beth Runkle remembers feeling frustrated that her career and identity had been lost in the shuffle of multiple moves for her husband’s military career. She was asking “what about me?” when she and her husband learned about a relationship with Jesus. From there, she made the switch in her heart to being passionate about serving the military community.

Beth and her husband serve with Cru Military®. She served as a military wife during her husband’s 25-year career with the Air Force. She disciples and conducts Bible studies for female cadets and young military spouses. Having come to faith through Bible study, she has led small groups for military couples and taught Bible study for 23 years. She is also a women’s ministry speaker in various venues. She earned her Master of Theological Studies at Gateway Seminary and released a book for military wives called Another Move, God? 30 Encouragements to Embrace Your Life as a Military Wife. The Runkles have two kids in college.

To connect with Beth: www.BethRunkle.com

For information about the book: www.anothermovegod.com

What would you do if you had a burning desire to do something and it wasn’t happening? Would you give up or would you keep trying? Life is full of regret when we give up on a dream and the definition of insanity is trying the same thing and expecting a different result. So maybe you persevere with a twist. Mesu Andrews loves the Word of God and wanted to write serious Bible Studies, but it wasn’t happening. That’s when she pivoted and began writing fiction. We talk about her personal journey and her latest book, Brave, in this cozy conversation.

MESU ANDREWS is a Christy Award-winning, best-selling author of biblical novels and devotional studies whose deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the Bible alive for readers. Her heritage as a “spiritual mutt” has given her a deep yearning to both understand and communicate biblical truths in powerful stories that touch the heart, challenge the mind, and transform lives. Mesu lives in Indiana with her husband Roy, where she stays connected with her readers through newsie emails, blog posts, and the social media we all love to hate. For more information, visit MesuAndrews.com.

Ever felt overwhelmed or stressed out? Most people have. We know that stress is bad for our mental and physical health. It can cause all sorts of problems, and yet we keep operating in a stressful lifestyle. Barb Roose is well-acquainted with stressful situations and circumstances. She shares some of the disciplines and practices she has learned over the years and writes about in her latest book, Stronger Than Stress. She talks about the four horsemen of Overwhelm: Overthinking, Over functioning, Obsessing, and Overloaded and more. Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of their fears so that they can experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. Barb is a real woman who has experienced depression and anxiety, parenting challenges, family addiction trauma and long seasons of walking by faith in unanswered prayer. She’s the author of many books and Bible studies, including: Stronger Than Stress: Developing 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm. Barb lives in NW Ohio and she is the proud mom to three adult children. Barb enjoys traveling, reading, walking and whenever possible, she prefers to eat dessert first. For 101 Self-Care Tips: www.barbroose.com

Who doesn’t want to love their life? We may know what we want to do and what we should do, but somehow it doesn’t translate to reality. We are striving and frantic in the hustle culture, only to end up exhausted and unsatisfied with pieces of what we want. We can’t seem to connect the dots between what we should do and how to actually implement it. Karen Ehamn has had some of the same struggles and loves to talk to people about how to take principle into practice. She tells some of her own story and we talk about her latest book, The Love Your Life Project. We talk about priorities, proper perspective, pursuing passions and follow up. She also shares some helpful tips you can use in your life now.

Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and New York Times bestselling author. Her passion is to help women to live their priorities and love their lives as they serve God and others. She has authored twenty-one books and Bible studies. Karen has been a guest on national media. She is married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and together they have six adult children, three biological and three in-laws by marriage. She is a lover of coconut and dark chocolate, sharpened Ticonderoga #2 pencils, whimsical notecards, and any kind of Post It note.

To connect with Karen: https://karenehman.com/

To Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com