57. ‘Faith, Culture, and Identity’ with Heather Thompson Day

What if, instead of being just one person, you were created to be a part of something more? Even with her past hurts, Dr. Heather Thompson Day continues to see God’s goodness through her story. In fact, it has fueled her mission of standing in the gaps so others can learn from her mistakes and build healthy relationships with one another. Discover how we are invited to be in an intentional community with one another and how that influences our understanding of our identity and faith in Christ.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker who has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek, and the Barna Group. She is also the host of Viral Jesus, a podcast with Christianity Today, that is in the top 200 of all Christian podcasts in the country.

Heather is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She is passionate about supporting women and runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 270k followers.

Heather’s writing has been featured on outlets like The Today Show and the National Communication Association. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and The Wall Street Journal.

She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. She is the author of 8 books; including It’s Not Your Turn, and I’ll See You Tomorrow.

She resides in Michigan, with her husband, Seth Day, and their three children, London, Hudson, and Sawyer Day.

Notes & Quotes:

• “We have to talk about things like post-traumatic growth because more people experience growth from trauma than PTSD, which if we don't say that, if we don't name it, I just think people don’t know what's possible and what's available to them.”
• “You will pour into a career and I think that's okay, but it cannot be where you find your worth or your fulfillment. And I've realized that the biggest picture, the most important thing to me is….the people that I've gone through life with.” 
• “When we have Christians who are truly living out what it means to be a relationship builder, to carry somebody else's burdens as if it's your own, you can survive the things you thought you would never be able to get through.”
• “So when we are able to refocus our thoughts into what we're so grateful for and shift away from what we still don't have, it can make all the difference. And actually, your brain is not able to experience stress. And I think some of the best ways that we do that is in a relationship with each other. I know my life has been held together by two to three people.”
•  “I texted my husband and I said, ‘Heaven is a small town.’ It is a place where when you walk in the room, people know your name and they recognize that you've come and they missed you when you weren't there. And if there's something to be done, if somebody needs something, anybody else, it doesn't even have to be my job, will get up and help you because this is ours. This is our community."

Links Mentioned:

• FINAL TRANSCRIPT LINK
• Check out Heather’s website to learn more about her books and other resources
• Listen to Heather’s podcast, Viral Jesus, on your favorite podcast platform
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Galatians 6:2

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