The Jess Connolly Podcast

Gals, we are so excited to share this week’s episode with you. We sat down with the incredible, beautiful Ginny Owens for a conversation on mission and how to carry hope even when our story turns out differently than we hoped. You probably know Ginny already as she is a woman on mission, using even her brokenness to tell of God’s glory. She’s a singer, songwriter, author, teacher, and advocate. She’s had three albums chart on Billboard, and she’s performed in diverse spaces like the White House, the SUndance Film Festival, and the National Day of Prayer. Her newest book, Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture, released this May, and you have got to check it out - it tells the story of her life and how God’s word both informs and changes our own lives. Be sure to grab a copy! Listen in, and be encouraged. God is using your story. As Ginny says, “we don’t get to choose our circumstances, but we do get to choose the story that our life tells.” Let it be, God. This episode is sponsored by our friends at BetterHelp. Our Go and Tell Gals listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/goandtellgals. Thank you, BetterHelp, for the work that you do!

If you have ever wondered if your mission actually matters, if it is actually worth it, then friend, this is the episode for you. We sat down with our friend Sharon, and her wisdom and encouragement was the exact gift we needed to hear. If you don’t already know Sharon Hodde Miller, we’re thrilled to introduce you to her. She’s a teaching pastor, an author, a church planter, a wife, and a mom. And she has her doctorate with a focus on women in calling, so of course she’s a gal we wanted to talk to. We sat down for a conversation on what it means to be a woman in ministry, diversity within the church, using your gifts, and how the resurrection means we, too, get to die to ourselves, trusting God will use it all. Be encouraged today. God is mighty in you, sister. Keep going! This episode is sponsored by our friends at BetterHelp. Our Go and Tell Gals listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/goandtellgals. Thank you, BetterHelp, for the work that you do!

Are you a woman on mission, wearing a few different hats? This episode is for you. We sat down with our friend Trillia to talk about motherhood, mission, and life lately. We’re also talking about being a mother on mission, adjusting to the needs of her children. Whether you’re a mother or not, we pray this episode will encourage you today. Trillia is a wife, a mom, an author, and a speaker. We talk about a bit about her newest book, Creative God, Colorful Us, and why she believes writing books for children, especially ages 8-13, matters. Trillia is using exactly what gifts she has to glorify God, and we’re so thankful for this conversation! Listen in, be encouraged. God is mighty in your mission! This episode is sponsored by our friends at BetterHelp. Our Go and Tell Gals listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/goandtellgals. Thank you, BetterHelp, for the work that you do!

In honor of our 100th episode, we’re looking back and dreaming forward. Our conversations here might have looked different over our first 100 episodes, but our hope and prayer is no less anchored: encouraging and equipping you for the good of others and the glory of God. Join us in this special episode as we think about our first 100, answer some of your incredible questions, and vision cast for our next 100. Regardless of whether you’ve been here for all 100 or just for this episode, we’re so grateful for you. We pray you know that God loves you and that He is mighty in you. And, if you haven't heard yet, IF:Lead 2021 is coming up so soon - August 7! Digital passes are on sale now at iflead2021.com, and they start at just $29. Head to iflead2021.com to save your spot!

When our friend Taylor released her first book, she just knew we had to talk to her on the podcast. Taylor is bright and brave, and she trusts God with what is good and what is hard. We just know that her story of hope and healing will leave you encouraged. Taylor Schumann is a wife, a mom, an author, and an activist. She’s the author of an incredible new book, When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough: A Shooting Survivor’s Journey Into the Realities of Gun Violence. In 2013, Taylor was injured in a shooting, and now, she’s using that pain and trauma for the good of others and the glory of God. We cannot recommend this book enough - it’s available now wherever books are sold. In this episode, we’re talking about hearing stories that are different than your own and finding God in the growing. We pray this episode encourages you to listen to the stories you hear and to tell the stories that only you can tell. We pray that you would pray first, then take action — through advocacy, through asking questions, and through however God leads you to make a move. We pray you find hope in Taylor’s mission and that you would know God better because of her words. God is mighty in you, sister. And, if you haven't heard yet, IF:Lead 2021 is coming up so soon - August 7! Digital passes are on sale now at iflead2021.com, and they start at just $29. Head to iflead2021.com to save your spot!

This week on the Go + Tell Gals Podcast, we’re sharing this conversation with our friend, Bethny Ricks. What happens when your mission shifts? How do you follow Him well into the new spaces He’s calling you to? Bethny is exactly the friend we want to talk to about this. Bethny is a mother, a woman of prayer, and an encourager. She’s a former business executive, and now, she writes and speaks, using what she’s been given to encourage women. She’s incredibly talented and gifted. We’re so grateful for how she runs on mission! In this episode, we’re talking all about mission and what to do when it shifts. A lot of times, we think we know what God is doing and exactly what we’re called to. When really, we’re not God, God is God, and He controls all things. We’re talking about hearing God say “go” and following the call that He has for you. We’re talking about rest and leading. We’re talking about how Bethny kept her purpose and mission, even when walking through her recent divorce. We pray this episode will encourage you today. God is mighty in you, friends - keep going. And, if you haven't heard yet, IF:Lead 2021 is coming up so soon - August 7! Digital passes are on sale now at iflead2021.com, and they start at just $29. Head to iflead2021.com to save your spot!

Calling all hair stylists, baristas, college students, and women using what they’ve got, whether you’re in vocational ministry or not: THIS CONVERSATION IS FOR YOU. When our friend Cassandra Speer was in Charleston, we sat down together to record a conversation for the podcast and we are pumped to share this episode with you today. Cass is a woman on mission, using exactly what she’s been given for the good of others and the glory of God. We’re so grateful for her. Cass is a mom, a friend, a former hairstylist, and the current Director of Operations at Her True Worth. She worked as a hairstylist for 10 years before leaving the field to share her words, her stories, and the hope of Jesus with women. She’s coined the phrase “hard and holy” to remind herself and all of us that it’s all for His glory. She uses her shop, the Hard + Holy Shop, to equip us with apparel that reminds us of truth and of God’s goodness. In this episode, we’re talking about mission and about what it means to shift your mission. We’re talking about typical rhythms during this season. We’re talking about fighting defeat and looking for God in the hardships. God is mighty in you today, and we hope these words help you to keep running on mission. A note: the audio on this episode got a little funky, and we’re so sorry about that. This episode was so good that we couldn’t not share it with you. We pray that even through the sound difficulties, this episode encourages and equips you today.

How do we embrace our own stories, even when they’re full of brokenness? How can we find God in the fractured spaces? How do you remember and retell the goodness of God? And how do we lament with fellow believers that are also walking through brokenness?  We sat down with one of our favorite gals, Ellie Holcomb, to talk through this, and friends, this was one of our favorite conversations ever. Ellie is leading with vulnerability, strength, and grace. She is showing up and doing the work of seeking God. This episode left us all incredibly encouraged, and we just know that you will love it, too. In case you haven’t met her yet, Ellie is a wife, a mom, a singer, a songwriter, and an author. Her new album, CANYON, is out now, and we cannot quit it in the office - it’s so good! In CANYON, Ellie is taking her experience of the last year and singing the goodness of God over it. This album (and this conversation) is a timely, God-honoring gift. Listen in, be encouraged. We pray this episode blesses you today.

When we ended this interview, we already could not wait to share this episode with you. If you are tired and weary today, this episode is a soft place to land. We’re sitting down with our friend Ruth Chou Simons, and we know that she will speak life into you today. Ruth is a wife and a mom to 6 boys. She is also an author, an artist, an entrepreneur, a speaker, and the founder of GraceLaced. In this conversation, we’re talking all about grace and how it is so much more than we tend to believe. We’re talking about mission, the power of telling your story, and even a bit about being an Asian American woman in America today. Oh, and we’re also talking all about Ruth’s upcoming book, When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement, which is available for preorder now. We are wildly encouraged by this conversation, and we are incredibly grateful for Ruth’s voice and her wisdom. Listen in. And if this episode encourages and equips you today, we would love to hear it - be sure to tag us on social media as you share how you’re listening. Ps - Jess’s new book, Breaking Free from Body Shame, is available NOW wherever books are sold, and the GATG Shop is fully stocked with the Breaking Free from Body Shame collection. For you, our listeners, if you leave us a review between now and the end of June 2021, you’ll have the opportunity to win some of this incredible merch. Once you fill out your review, head to this link to let us know + get entered. Thanks, gal!

As we head into this summer, we want to equip you with some tools to help you keep running on mission while also setting helpful expectations during this season. In this episode, we’re letting you in on all of our tendencies and how we are shifting to find God well during these months where the pace has shifted. Whether it’s stepping away from social media for a few days (or weeks), establishing phases to keep yourself or your family on track, or making summer playlists, we’re talking all about what what we’re believing will bless us, our families, and others this summer and how we can honor God with our time this summer. And we would love to hear: what summer rhythms are helping you? What’s working for you? What do you want this summer? What summer phases will you set this summer? What are your summer boundaries? Tell us everything over on our Instagram feed. We can’t wait to cheer you on! Plus, to end this episode, we’ve got a special bonus for you. Listen in! THIS EPISODES LINKS: Get all the details on Hope Heals Camp here. The Rhythms e-course will help you evaluate your rhythms as a whole, while the Summer to Thrive guide will equip you to make the most of the season at hand. We know both resources will leave you feeling grateful for your life and ready to steward it well. Join The Rhythms e-course waitlist to receive an exclusive discount code in your inbox before the bundle goes live on July 1! Learn more about revenge bedtime procrastination.