Podcasting

The Shop Inspiring Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life

January 10, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

If you’ve been reading here awhile, you’re familiar with our feather story–how God kept showing up in feathers for me. The feathers, now strewn all over my house, remind me of God as I go about my day.

I remember his direction that August morning on a walk.

I remember His soothing words to my spirit as I cried into my pillow.

I remember His promises I found in His word.

I remember His goodness,

His faithfulness,

His protection,

His power.

But here’s the thing. I spent years not remembering. I know it’s easy for you to forget too. Life gets busy and we go days, weeks, maybe even months forgetting.

But remembering is what keeps us going in the hard times.

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits Psalm 103:2

When we can remember His promises, His past presence and protection, we can move forward in faith.

So today I’m opening an online shop where I’m excited to offer everyday products that grow an extraordinary faith. Products to remind us of God’s faithfulness and goodness through His word.

Mornings are one of the busiest times of the day. I love the thought of you curling your fingers around this mug and even just for a moment, letting it capture some of your thoughts. It has the Feathers podcast feathers on one side and Psalm 91:4 on the other. It’s white with gold iridescent ink. A beauty.

And maybe one day, you’ll decide to wear this T-shirt and all day long you catch glimpses of the single feather on the front. And maybe as you go about your day, someone will read Psalm 91:4 on the back and remember His faithfulness.

And finally, I wanted to, in a small way, pass along some of the actual feathers we’ve found. Scott and I worked together to create a bookmark. I made one and keep it in my Bible and remember every time I see it. I only made 5 with these feathers so they’re limited edition. If you order on backorder, I’ll be sourcing the feathers elsewhere, but they’ll be the same design.

I wanted you to hear from me sharing a bit about our story and my desires behind the shop, so here’s a quick video I shot the other day:

To celebrate, I’m giving away a T-shirt of your choice. You don’t have to do a thing–everyone that orders automatically enters!

So without further adieu, won’t you come visit the shop?

Feathers: Faith in Flight Podcast SURVEY

November 12, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Hosting Feathers: Faith in Flight this year has been an absolute joy and blessing. I’m in the planning stages of Season 3 for next January and want to make it even better for you. I’d love for you to answer questions like:

Would you like an app for the podcast?
Would you read a transcription of the episode?
Would you be interested in joining a private Facebook group to discuss the episodes?

I have several short questions–20, in fact.

If you’ve even listened to 1 episode of Feathers, would you take just a few minutes to answer them in the 2015 Feathers: Faith in Flight Survey?

The Power of Thoughts, Entanglement and an Emotional Affair: My Interview on the Mud Stories Podcast

October 8, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Heather and I recorded her podcast episode last Saturday. It was a last-minute one, although I’d been thinking on it for weeks. As I was sitting there, a message popped up from Jacque, would I, could I, record my emotional affair story for her podcast Mud Stories? Do you know, though, we’re 10 years out from this relationship and 4 since the eBook and I’ve never really spoken out loud about it publicly? But without hesitation, I said yes. Remember how God has been calling me to speak this year? Yeah, this is one of those open doors I’m walking through.

I find God’s timing is impeccable to have both my sister and I sharing our stories of brokenness and redemption the same week in the same format. It’s a tale of two sisters, both with very different stories, but at the heart, finally learning that God is the lover of our souls.

It’s my prayer that even if we don’t share the same story, that you too would be beckoned by our Savior in your own mud, throw off whatever entangles you and fix your eyes on Him.

Listen right over here.

Let’s Catch Up and an Intro to Fifteen Verses for 2015 [Vlog]

May 21, 2015 by Amy 4 Comments

Guys, I’ve missed writing regularly here so much! I really hope you’ve been enjoying the podcasts in the time since. God has been doing a very good work in me these past few months and I wanted to catch you all up. In this video, I share why I quit writing for a few months, what I’ve been doing, and where I see things headed in the future. I hope you take a few minutes to catch up.

Let me just take a minute to encourage you just to take a few minutes to open your Bibles today and see what God might have in store for you. Here’s Isaiah 121:-6 I read on the video:

In that day you will say:

“I will praise you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
    and you have comforted me.
²Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.”
³With joy you will draw water
    from the wells of salvation.

⁴In that day you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.
⁵Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
    let this be known to all the world.
⁶Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

An Invitation to Increased Faith

April 20, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

I tossed and turned in bed last night. With eyes closed and mind busy, I sent prayers up for the families of the Christians executed in Libya. I sent prayers for more Christians who are facing the same fate. I prayed not that the persecution would subside but that their faith be emboldened to stand for Christ. That a weak faith would not deny his name and give in to these murderers. Because you know what happens when people’s faith is strong enough to withstand persecution? People believe. Others are emboldened. I am emboldened.

I want a faith that is so strong that can withstand persecution. Not so I can have the reward that God says is ours if we are, but so that others will join me. American Christians, we need this kind of faith. If we think this type of persecution isn’t coming for us, we are naive.

And this is why I am now seeing the importance and the purpose of Feathers. Guys, if we can’t trust God to talk to our neighbor or start a new job, how in the world are we going to have enough faith to face a sword? (Asking myself too) We need to practice our faith in the little things so we can have the faith in the big things. We need to hear others’ stories about how God was faithful to them. We need the encouragement of other believers.

To have that kind of faith, we need a track record of God being faithful in our lives and it starts with us hearing God’s voice and obeying every. single. day. Every time we do that, we trust God more and then we can say without reservation, “Yes, the God I know through Jesus Christ is the one true God. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him.”

I believe God is inviting us on a journey to increased faith and it starts in the small. Won’t you join us every Tuesday on Feathers? Hear how God is faithful and know He can be the same for you.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:33

Launch Week Wrap-Up

March 13, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

So we did it, guys! We launched Feathers!

Aside from iTunes being behind the ball a bit, there were ZERO issues. No major broken links, download problems or confusion. I really thought I might be dealing with issues all week, but truthfully, it’s been one of the quietest weeks I’ve had in some time.

And here’s the best news: you guys are listening! I see the download numbers and I hear your feedback and you’re listening! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope it’s been a blessing for you as you’ve listened and I hope you’ve subscribed so you can keep listening.

Here are a few comments I’ve gotten:

“I so completely enjoyed the podcast!! I cannot wait until next week, it was excellent! Thank you for pursuing and sharing!!!!”

“Oh @bennettaj what a wonderful encouragement Episode 000 is. I can’t wait to listen to more and more.”

“It was awesome. I liked the conversational style.”

I’m not sharing to toot my horn, but to say, other people like it and I think you will too!

So I have a few more things to tell you because I want to be super clear.

The podcast IS in iTunes

Although it wasn’t there first thing Tuesday, you can now search iTunes either on your desktop or on the Podcast app on your Apple device for “Feathers” and you can subscribe. You can also link directly over there.

Let me be really transparent for a minute and tell you iTunes is the preferred way. Why? If enough people start downloading it, rating, and reviewing it there, then it gets bumped up to this New & Noteworthy section where lots and lots more people might see it.

Please rate and review the podcast

If you’ve had a chance to listen to the podcast, please hop over to iTunes and leave a rating and a short review. This will really help!

There are THREE episodes available

Some people have seen episode 000, but didn’t realize there were two more episodes. You can get my episode here, Jessie’s here and Kathy’s here.

I know that’s A LOT of time to spend. Don’t get too overwhelmed. Start with the quick 25 minutes intro episode and listen in spurts as you watch dishes, travel, do laundry, work out, garden.

I know it’s hard–even my sister and mom admit to not listening yet so if you haven’t, it’s OK! They’ll be there at the exact right time for you.

God has been so present with me this week

Earlier this week I started to go back down that path wanting everyone’s approval about this. I was in the shower and worrying about that pesky New & Noteworthy section in iTunes every podcaster tries to break into. I just felt the Lord whisper to me, “It doesn’t matter. I think you’re new and noteworthy. I am well-pleased.” It brings tears to my eyes thinking of it again. He is so gracious and loving to remind me that He is enough for me.

And then, last night my friend–the same one who brought me a feather from the Sea of Galilee–walked in our house for small group with a bouquet of hand-picked daffodils for me. If you’ve listened to episode 002 with Kathy, you might remember a throw-away comment I made during the first of the podcast about spring beginning here and I thought daffodils were starting to bloom. It was a vulnerable moment for me because I felt, and maybe sounded like, I didn’t really know what I was talking about. I nearly cut it out of the episode completely, but felt like it was truthful–a lot of times I’m not sure of myself and don’t know what I’m talking about.

So, when I saw these flowers, I just really felt that through my friend’s kindness, the Lord was telling me that He’d listened and He’d heard and He’d seen me. Even in my weakest moments of this new venture, He still accepts me and loves me.

I mean, what are the chances she would know to do this this week with those exact flowers? She hasn’t even listened to the podcast yet, either.

Our pastor this week preached on John 3:16 and how God’s sacrifice of his son, and the Son’s sacrifice was a demonstration of His love.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

These flowers were another demonstration of His love for me–a wooing once again to Himself. Just like a man courting a woman would bring flowers, He presented them as an invitation to celebrate His work in me together with Him.

And so, as we finish out this launch week, I’m celebrating God’s faithfulness to help me bring this podcast to fruition, I’m celebrating your support to listen and I’m celebrating God’s love.

I’m so passionate for you all to experirence His love like this. Chase after Him. Believe him. He’s waiting.

Some Q&A About the New Podcast Feathers Launching Tomorrow March 10th

March 9, 2015 by Amy 6 Comments

FeathersiTunes2-500

Sometimes messages get lost in social media and email and so I wanted to reiterate today that yes, I’M STARTING A PODCAST AND IT LAUNCHES TOMORROW, MARCH 10TH!

I thought I’d take a little time to talk about what to expect on Tuesday and going forward.

How about a little Q&A? I’ll try to imagine a question you might have, pose it to myself and answer it. Yes?

Amy, you’re starting a podcast? What is it about?

Great question, friend! The podcast is all about faith and it’s called Feathers. In each episode, I’ll be interviewing a guest and having them share their faith stories. These are the stories where God called them to something, it felt scary or didn’t make sense, and yet they obeyed and we get to see God do what He does–works it out in His way. Or, perhaps God led someone through a season of suffering and asked someone to remain faithful.

Why are you doing this and why should I listen?

As it turns out, this podcast about faith is one of those times God is calling me to something that was never on my radar. It feels scary and is requiring me to step out in faith and obey. As I’ve pondered this the past few months, what I think God wants is simply for His people to believe Him more.

Jesus talked about some people having small faith and some people having great faith. I don’t know about you, but I want great faith. 1 Peter says our faith is worth more than gold. I believe one way our faith grows when we hear others share their stories of God working in their lives. This podcast is simply another platform for people to share their stories to give glory back to God for what He’s done and to encourage others in their own walks. I hope people can take flight in their own faith.

Why is it called Feathers?

I’ll tell the whole story in the first episode that launches on Tuesday, but if you want to read aboout it, here’s a summary post. The short version is God has placed feathers in my path the past few years to confirm His work in my writing and in our family’s adoption. The feather is simply a symbol of a faith-building time in our lives and a nod to God’s word where it says we should soar on wings like eagles.

Who is on your podcast?

Right now, the guests are other bloggers. You’ll hear from Jessie and Kathy tomorrow and I have several interviews completed with more. In the future, it might just be someone you know in real life. I’m open to interviewing anyone who has an amazing story and can share it. Once you hear the podcast and you know of someone that would make a great guest, let me know!

How often will you have the episodes?

Well, for just this Tuesday, 3 episodes will be released together. The first episode is called Episode Zero. Basically, it’s like an intro episode to the podcast that I do by myself. I talk a bit about faith, tell my feather story and why the podcast is called Feathers and then share what to expect in future episodes. Episodes 1 and 2 with Jessie and Kathy will be released at the same time (different blog posts).

From then on, a new episode will be released every Tuesday.

How long are the episodes?

The intro episode is 25 minutes. I don’t have a set length for the interview episodes, but it’s turning out to be 30-40 minutes.

How can I listen to the podcast?

You are going to have several options.

Option #1 – Listen right here on the blog. Each episode will be launched with a corresponding blog post. Within the blog post, there will be a player and you can listen directly from there.
Option #2 – Listen on your mobile. If you have an iPhone, you have a built-in app called Podcasts. In there, you will be able to search for “Feathers”, subscribe to the podcast and listen from the app. If you have a non-Apple smart phone, you should be able to download the Stitcher app and do the same.
Option #3 – Listen from iTunes. If you have the iTunes app on your desktop, you can search in the iTunes store for “Feathers” and you should be able to scroll down to the Podcast section and find it. As of this writing, the iTunes store has not approved the listing so it’s not there yet, but I will let you know as soon as it is.

How can I get notified of a new episode?

So, you’re telling me you’re not going to be anxiously awaiting a new episode every Tuesday? Fine. I highly recommend you joining my email list. You’ ll get an email with every new post from the site. I’m working on one specifically for the podcast episode blog posts and when I get that set up, I’ll let you know.

Alright, that’s all the questions (and answers) I have for now. Let me know if you have more. I’ll be happy to answer them (clearly).

In closing I’ll just request two things from you.

Will you please take some time this week to listen? And when you do, will you give me a heaping dose of grace? I still think God could have gotten a gazillion other people who are more qualified. My intros could be better, the sound could be better, my responses could have been better. But you know what? The whole thing isn’t about me, it’s about you seeing Him. He showed up in these conversations and I’m praying like crazy you meet Him there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for traveling this journey with me. I do believe these wings are ready to take flight.

Feathers: 5 Days!

March 5, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

Feathers release is 5 days away. I probably should be scared, but I’m not. I take that back, I shouldn’t be scared because the Lord is with me, but a version of Amy would have been scared. But, let me tell you, I have seen the Lord. I feel truly like I am standing on holy ground. God is so faithful, guys. Just so faithful.

Every single step of this I have been so clueless and so inept and yet, every time I brought my weakness to Him, He has guided me. I’m not saying this podcast is perfect and I don’t look like an idiot sometimes and the sound is perfect, but God is in it.

Let me give you a glimpse into just a few things that really feel like God-things to me right now.

First, the release date. It took me forever to even get a release date. I was waiting for it to be perfect and I think I said it in my last post, but I just got to the point where I just needed to be obedient and release it. I felt peace about March 10th, but I didn’t pick it strategically. I just felt like I could get it done by then. It just happens that it’s the month we are celebrating 7 months with Jacob home. If you need to know that significance, you need to read this post. Also, the date is on 3/10. 10-3=7. Yeah, I don’t consider those accidents.

Second, the choice of the first two episodes. I interviewed several guests and then really struggled on what order to release them. Some of them have similar tones or topics and I wanted to stretech it out. God kept leading me to two interviews and just today I began to see the significance. Their stories are tied together, not literally, but in their topics. Both stories include foreclosures of homes and between the two stories, God’s people are led and taken care of by His hand. You’ll see more of what I mean next week, but suffice it to say God is being clear that He can handle it all. We can trust Him with whatever he is leading us through.

Third, the Lord led me back to my journal to see when I began to think about podcasting. On December 10th I wrote, “So drawn to pdocasting, but about what and with whom? What could I talk about forever?” Y’all, I was so clueless what this would look like and He was so faithful to lead me through. And yes, I could talk about these God stories forever.

Fourth, it’s exactly 3 months from December 10th to March 10th. The 3 isn’t particularly significant that I can think of right now, but I love that it’s the same date.

And finally, the December 10th date is signifciant for me. I have felt for a long time that our adoption and in extension of that, our feather story and this podcast, is a redemption story in response to my emotional affair. December 10th just happens to be the date many years ago when things began to go all wrong. This is personal for me because back then I would say, “I feel like I could talk to you forever.” It’s hard to admit and I don’t like it, but God is so faithful and He’s redeeming those words. He has put a new story in my mouth and I will talk about HIM, the one true lover of my soul, forever.

He’s so good. He’s so good.

I don’t know what else to do, but just invite you into the stories. To invite you to know our God better. He just wants to be with you and love you and these stories will help you know him better.

My prayer right now is simply that He increases our faith. Whatever point we are in our journey with Him that He would just scoot us one step closer to Him and that we would trust Him and say yes no matter how he’s leading us.

I hope you’ll meet Him there.

5 days.