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Jane Lee Rankin

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Jane Lee Rankin is a farmer and founder of Apple Hill Farm, an award-winning first-generation farm in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. She is an advocate for farmers through her leadership and involvement in the North Carolina Agritourism Networking Association, Watauga County Farm Bureau, the Watauga County Economic Development Commission, the Watauga County Agricultural Extension, and local chamber of commerce. She frequently speaks about farm tourism and the benefits of diversifying your farm portfolio at conferences locally and nationally.

Apple Hill Farm is an agritourism destination for thousands every year who tour, shop, and learn about raising a farm family of animals. With a wide selection of fair trade and American-sourced yarns, socks, and apparel items made from alpaca wool, the Apple Hill Farm Store participates in six yearly craft or fiber shows across North Carolina. The farm and store are open year-round for shopping and tours. Since 2010 more than ninety thousand visitors have come to tour the farm and hear Lee’s story. In 2021, Lee won runner-up for North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year.

Lee is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and her first book, Cookin’ Up a Storm: The Recipes of Annie Johnson, is a culinary memoir and tribute to her dear friend and mentor.

 

CHERYL SCRUGGS is the host of the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast. She and her husband, Jeff, are doing life together and thriving in Dallas, Texas.

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Thriving Mentally by Cheryl Scruggs

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Today’s episode is about mentally thriving! What does that mean?

You can live an abundant life in every area and in every season. You can practice the lost arts of being a vibrant human being. You can be energized and enjoy more of what matters most spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, and relationally.

The closer a courageous, rooted, and thriving woman gets to realizing her life’s purpose, the more she understands that abundant living is nothing like what she once thought it was. It’s not perfect circumstances; it’s perfect peace within those circumstances. This book gives women practical tools to improve every relationship they have by doing the hard work of knowing “the real you” and learning to be vulnerable. Deep satisfaction comes from women knowing who they are, overcoming their fears, facing the difficult stuff of life, and making lasting change. And it all starts with the journey of knowing and understanding who God made them.

No matter where you’ve come from, what you’ve experienced in the past, or the mistakes you’ve made—you can learn to thrive the rest of your life.

 

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CHERYL SCRUGGS is the host of the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast. She and her husband, Jeff, are doing life together and thriving in Dallas, Texas.

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Debra Fileta

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Debra Fileta is a passionate woman of faith, dedicated to Jesus. As a licensed professional counselor, speaker, and author, she specializes in dating, marriage, and relationship issues. Debra has written several books, including True Love Dates, Choosing Marriage, Love in Every Season!, Are You Really Ok?, Married Sex, and RESET. She hosts the Love + Relationships Podcast, offering relationship advice to callers. Her influential blog, TrueLoveDates.com, promotes healthy relationships and reaches millions annually. Debra is also the founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network, offering online counseling sessions.

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CHERYL SCRUGGS is the host of the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast. She and her husband, Jeff, are doing life together and thriving in Dallas, Texas.

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Jodi Stuber & Jennifer Marshall Bleakley

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“It’s hard to be lonely, isn’t it? To miss someone who should be here?”

Jodi Stuber wasn’t looking for another horse for her struggling therapy ranch—let alone one like Solomon. After losing his herd, he was solitary and sad, spending his days standing near the plastic deer in his yard for company. No stranger herself to loss and heartache, Jodi knew she had to give Solomon a home.

The road to recovery wouldn’t be easy. As Solomon struggled to fit in with his new herd and Jodi continued to navigate her own grief, the two developed a deep bond. But just as Jodi and Solomon were both beginning to heal, an unthinkable tragedy struck the therapy ranch. And Solomon was about to teach Jodi the greatest lesson of all.

Written by Jennifer Marshall Bleakley, author of Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See, Project Solomon is a powerful story of resilience, sacrifice, and love that reminds us all how much we matter—to each other and to God.

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Amanda Porter

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Dr. Amanda Porter is an introvert and writer who is passionate about faith, hope, mental wellness, and recovery. As a nurse practitioner who specializes in Integrative Mental Health, Amanda diagnoses, treats, and prescribes medication to patients of all ages, of every diagnosis, and across all levels of care. She is board-certified in internal medicine, psychiatry/mental health, and addictions and practices at the nationally renowned Lindner Center of HOPE, a freestanding mental health center associated with the local academic medial center, the University of Cincinnati.

Amanda earned her PhD in Mind-Body Medicine from Saybrook University, where her dissertation studies examined the biological basis of depression. She lives in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Joseph, who is a filmmaker and director at Whitewater Crossing Christian Church. Together, Amanda and Joseph have two kids, a boxer mix named Marley, and a COVID cat named Izzy.

In her new book, Dear Anxiety, Let’s Break Up (BroadStreet®
Publishing), Dr. Porter offers education, encouragement, and spiritual
counsel to those who battle anxiety. We cannot always control our circumstances or our futures, but
Dr. Porter assures readers that feelings of anxiety can be managed through our thoughts, behaviors,
and actions.

Many Christians question whether anxiety is a sin and wonder why, despite prayer and faith, it so
often persists. We must remember that God can use our struggles to develop our character, draw us
closer to him, and guide us to truth through prayer and Scripture (Rom. 8:26–28).
In Dear Anxiety, Let’s Break Up, Dr. Porter offers scientifically supported coping strategies,
spiritual guidance, and refreshing encouragement to help readers discover personal freedom. Topics
include:
• Gratitude: Practicing gratitude will soothe anxiety and redirect our thoughts to positivity
and God. We can learn to manage feelings of worry and sadness with reminders of progress
and gratefulness.
• Mindfulness: When we slow down and practice mindfulness, we can focus our attention,
intention, and awareness on the task in front of us. Rather than allowing our emotions to
rule our lives and overwhelm us, we can choose to be calm and trust God in our
circumstances.
• Presence: When we feel overwhelmed, we may feel the urge to isolate, but that’s when we
should seek the presence of trusted loved ones who can offer us comfort or pray with us.
• Healing: Our focus should be on healing, not finding a cure. We may never fully eradicate
the symptoms of anxiety, but through hard work and commitment, we can find healing,
peace, and acceptance.
Dr. Porter has found that many people mistake anxiety as a sin and consequently experience
feelings of guilt. Although anxiety sometimes occurs as a result of our sins, specifically as
consequences of poor choices, we can learn to minimize our anxiety levels by making good
decisions, praying, receiving input from trusted sources, and surrounding ourselves with other
people who make good decisions.
Dr. Porter further encourages those who have grown weary in their search for relief to push forward,
trust God, and choose faith over fear. She reminds us that our victory is found in Jesus, and through
him we can transform a life of anxiety into one of peace and abundance.

Follow Amanda on Instagram @AmandaPorterNP or on her website, AmandaPorterNP.com.

 

153: Taylor Kiser

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Taylor Kiser, author of Eat The Cookie,  understands the pendulum swings we experience with our weight and self-perception. She knows what it’s like to let fear of falling short turn into a belief that you’re not worthy, and this belief turned into destructive habits that controlled her life for far too long. Now a certified nutrition and fitness coach, Taylor enjoys eating a cookie now and then, even as she enjoys discovering recipes and habits that give her renewed physical energy and health. In Eat the Cookie, you’ll learn the secrets of balance that can help us all live health-conscious without being calorie-obsessed.

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152: Nancy Hicks

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As so many of us are struggling with anxiety, disappointment and grief in the wake of COVID-19, Nancy is working tirelessly to provide hope and guidance. Recently, she launched Meant to Live: Six Sessions, a brand new course based on her book, Meant to Live, that is dedicated to helping women live a life of meaning—a life where they wake up inspired, where they experience a deep connection with God, self, and others and where they are fully known and loved.

All this while grappling with her own deep grief. A few weeks ago, she found out that her 27-year-old son David had just been diagnosed yet again with colon cancer. Of this, she says:

Yesterday, David had a CAT-scan, which revealed they found another tumor in our 27-year-old beloved firstborn. We are terribly sad. We are utterly indebted to you for your partnership in prayer and love over this last year.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. – 2 Corinthians 4:8,9

I’ll soon share more about next steps, but in the meantime, as we grieve, along with mothers and fathers, families and friends since the beginning of time, and at this COVID-19 time, and united, yell, “It’s not supposed to be this way!” I also remember, (though begrudgingly right now, I’ll admit): We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body,

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. – 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Ok, Lord. If this is the way it must be.

If you’re looking for guests to provide a refreshingly honest take on dealing with grief and disappointment while remaining faithful—all during COVID-19—Nancy is a voice of inspiration and guidance that possesses the rare blend of both experience and expertise.

Nancy has been featured on Hallmark’s Home & Family, The Jesus Calling Podcast, as well as in Publisher’s Weekly, The Christian Post, Christian News Journal, Philadelphia Weekly and more

 

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149: Lisa Bevere

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Today on the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast, Lisa Bevere!

Lisa Bevere has spent three decades empowering women of all ages to find their identity and purpose. She is a New York Times bestselling author and internationally known speaker. Her previous books, which include Fight Like a Girl, Lioness Arising, Girls with Swords, Without Rival, and Adamant, are in the hands of millions worldwide. Lisa and her husband John are the founders of Messenger International.

Do you have a godmother?

If you are anything like I was, my guess is you don’t.

As a young Christian, I remember feeling lost trying to navigate my way through marriage, motherhood, and more.

I’d hear things like, “You need a mentor!” but I didn’t have the faintest clue where to find one.

It felt like trying to find a unicorn! Where were these mythological creatures willing to give their precious time, energy, and wisdom to help me through life? The women I knew were all in the same boat as me—overwhelmed and trying to survive!

Like so many others, I felt I was on my own.

As I travel and meet with countless women, this frustration seems to be the norm. Perhaps you know the feeling.

It’s time to change that.

I wrote my newest book Godmothers because I see you and I feel your pain.

I’ve been there.

I don’t have all the answers, but I know that when we come together as women, we can close the gaps in each other’s lives.

So pour yourself of cup of tea (or a double shot of espresso), curl up in your favorite chair, and let’s have some real talk. As you turn the pages of Godmothers, may you laugh at my mistakes, learn from my successes, and discover God’s heart for your season.

And who knows? With a little luck, you may even pick up a few street smarts for the road ahead!

Love,
Lisa

 

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128: Laura Smith

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On the podcast this week: Laura Smith!

From Laura:

“I’ve been searching my whole life for beauty. Not in the world—there’s plenty of that—in the crimson of a cardinal’s feather, in the sound of waves crashing along a shore, in the melody of a Beatles’ ballad, or in a Chagall stained glass window. The world is filled with beauty, but me, well that was another story. It took me years to discover my true beauty, to fully grasp I am made in the image of my Creator, and therefore, I am beautiful. The incredible thing is…so are you. You were marvelously made by God to inspire awe. No matter what the world tries to tell you, no matter what you try to tell yourself. No one can rob you of the incredible true identity God instilled in you. I tell stories (through books, blogs, and speaking) in hopes of helping you discover what took me so long to see: your beautiful, true reflection in Christ.”

 

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115: Esther Fleece Allen

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This week on the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast, Esther Fleece Allen!

Esther Fleece’s success and influence as a millennial leader have come not only courtesy of professional acumen, but personal experience. It is through the tragedies and triumphs of her own life – some of which she has shared as a highly sought-after international speaker – that she has established authority and authenticity with people from all walks of life.

EstherAboutShe shares those experiences in greater depth than ever before in her first book, No More Faking Fine (Zondervan), in the hope that readers will apply the events and learnings of her life to their own disappointments and injuries, resulting in new hope, healing and health.

In addition to writing and speaking, Fleece is founder and CEO of L&L Consulting, Inc., where she helps new and established Christian ministries develop innovative strategies for non-profit sustainability, new business development, next generation outreach, marketing and communications and relationship brokering. She is recognized as a trailblazer among millennials, working for over a decade to connect influential individuals and organizations across generations to their mutual benefit. Fleece is a committee member for the Alliance for The Peace of Jerusalem, an organization dedicated to facilitating a better public understanding of the complexities of the Middle East.

CNN has called Fleece one of “Five Women to Watch in Religion,” USA Today has named her one of the “New Faces of Evangelicalism” and Christianity Today and Outreach magazine have also singled her out for her high-profile work. Her insights into the experiences and aspirations of millennials have appeared in The Washington Post, CNN as well as in Barna Research President David Kinnaman’s book You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith.

Fleece is a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics Business Program, where she met her husband Joel. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Oakland University and is currently in Seminary studying Women’s Leadership.
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