Girls Night with Stephanie May Wilson

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.Today we’re talking about the beautiful things that can happen when your life doesn’t go according to plan.Several months ago, I had the privilege of being a guest on a podcast called, On the Front Porch. The hosts are two amazing women from our Girls Night community, Angela and Mary. They are so much fun. They asked amazing questions. And I loved the conversation so much I just knew I had to share it with y’all. I asked them if I could share the interview we did for their show here on Girls Night and they so graciously said yes!I’m excited about this episode because if you’re anything like me, you’ve had this picture in your head for a long time of how your life was going to play out. You were going to attend that school, get that degree, get hired for that one job you’ve always wanted, get married, have kids, buy your dream house and the list goes on! But, as most of us know, life doesn’t always play out like we want it to or in the time frame we hope it will.Sometimes God has a way of wrecking our plans, or at least that’s how it’s felt to me at several points along the way. And that’s the story you’ll get to hear today.In this episode, I’m sharing about my faith journey and how I met Jesus in the most unexpected way, and in the most unexpected place. I’m talking about several times when God completely wrecked my plans when it came to my career. And finally, I’m sharing how God completely transformed my outlook on dating and relationships and helped me make the most of my single life.You guys, I share so much of my story in this episode and how God has shown up in the BEST ways possible, and I truly believe he can and will do the same for you! 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.Several months ago I got to catch up with a woman in our girls night community who has just graduated from college. She was in the thick of it, trying to answer the question we all find ourselves wrestling at one point or another — “What am I supposed to do with my life? (Or at least with the next few years)”She was holding her newly-minted degree in one hand, a few different opportunities in the other hand, and she had no idea what to do. This moment felt like such a pivotal one — and she was absolutely feeling the pressure. She reached out to me specifically because several of the things she was weighing — her specific degree, the specific opportunities she was considering — were crazily similar to the ones I was weighing when I first graduated from college.So we hopped on the phone and talked through it together. I shared with her some of the things I learned as I was taking my first steps into my career, away from my degree, into a job that paid next to nothing and made absolutely no sense. But also, it did make sense, and it led directly to everything I’m doing today. (Okay, not directly — there were several twists and turns and falls along the way as well).But as I was sharing that story with her, I realized that I’m not totally sure I’ve shared this story with you guys.And so that’s what we’re doing here today.I’ve brought my dear friend Marri back on the show to take over the host chair, and she’s going to help me walk back through my own personal career story — where I started, and how I got to where I am today and all that I learned along the way.Whether you’re just graduating college, or you’re in a different life stage completely, I know there are so many women in our community who are trying to make some big decisions right now, or waiting for something, longing for something or hoping for something in their careers, but it just hasn’t happened yet.I also know there are so many women who have a general idea of what they want to be doing in their careers but they have no clue how to actually get there.I also know there are so many of us who have no clue what we want to be doing, but we know for a FACT that it’s not what we’re doing today.This episode is for you. It’s the story of where I started, where I am today, and all of the twists and turns that happened in the middle.I cannot wait to share this with you. 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.I’m so excited because, recently, I had the honor and privilege of interviewing my all-time favorite author, Shauna Niequist, and that’s the conversation you’re going to hear today!If you’ve been following along with my corner of the internet for a while, you’ve probably heard me mention Shauna and her books — one of my favorites being Cold Tangerines. Her words and stories and wisdom have impacted my life and truly shaped who I am as a person, a writer, a friend and, now, as a mom. Shauna has a book called, I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop Working, and in it she talks a lot about life in the midst of transitions. Well, today she is talking us through some of the things we all need to hear in the midst of life’s biggest transitions and I cannot WAIT for you to hear what she had to say. 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.When I first became a Christian, I remember hearing someone say that God answers prayers in one of three ways. He either says, “Yes,” “No,” or “Not right now.” I think this insight was supposed to be helpful, but instead, it left me more confused than ever. Because especially when I’m coming up on a gigantic decision, or praying for something I want with my whole entire heart, I don’t want to know what God MIGHT say, I want to know what He IS saying. And in the process of trying to figure it out, I end up acting like an amateur detective as I piece together clues. “I didn’t get the job, does that mean that God is saying no? Or not right now? Or yes, but I have to just keep going?” “I haven’t gotten pregnant yet, so does that mean that God is saying not right now, or yes, but we need to just keep trying for a while. Or, is God trying to tell me that I’m not meant to be a mom? Does God say that to people? Is that a thing?”“I really really want this relationship to work out. Is this the person God has for me? How do I know?”And in all of these gigantic life moments, how do we know if faith looks like making the best decision we can with the information we have and moving forward, OR if it looks like stopping and waiting for a clear answer from God before we take another step?Anyone know what I’m talking about here? That’s why I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today I’m talking with my friend Elizabeth Laing Thompson, and she’s going to help us get out of our heads and finally find some clarity here.In this episode we’re talking about: Whether we need a clear yes or no from God about every decision in our lives How to know if God is saying no or not right now How long we should keep trying before we give up on something How to deal with the disappointment when God does say no How to stay close to God even when He doesn’t give us the answer we want If it’s okay to ask God to change His mind about something And so much more!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.Our guest for today’s episode is my amazing friend, Bianca Olthoff. Bianca is a Bible teacher, a speaker, and a writer. And speaking of writing, today, Bianca is sharing about a book she wrote called How to Have Your Life not Suck. I recently got my copy, and friends, it is so so good! We’ll actually talk more about it in today’s episode, she’ll tell us all about it.I wanted to have Bianca on the show today to talk to us about friendship, and actually, she’s here to talk about the part of friendship that I find to be the hardest: How to end a friendship. Every single one of us has come to a point in a friendship where things just aren’t going well — and I think every single one of us struggles to know what to do about it. We should fight for our friendships, right? And yes, we should! Sometimes. But there are other times when we’re in friendships that aren’t actually good for us, and other times when a friendship has just run its course.This is so hard to face, and it’s even harder to know what to do with this. But that’s why I’m so glad to have Bianca here today. She’s going to teach us how to recognize when a friendship needs to end, and then she’s going to teach us how to end it in a way that is kind, loving, and healthy. She’s also going to share with us some practical steps we can take today to start making some great new friends. I’m so excited about this episode. I just love Bianca, and I know you will too!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.So, as I’m continuing to share past Girls Night conversations, we have something super special and a bit different for you in today’s episode!Today, my sweet friend Marri is hopping into the host chair, and interviewing me! But she’s not just interviewing me. I’m not in that guest chair alone. Sitting right next to me is my sweet husband, Carl Wilson. That’s right, we have a boy here at Girls Night, but I promise, he’s worth the invite.I wanted to share this episode because this week is mine and Carl’s 9-year wedding anniversary! I cannot BELIEVE It’s been nine years! And so in honor of that, I wanted to go back to the beginning and share our story of how we met, started dating, knew each other was the one, and more!So that’s what we’re talking about today.In our conversation today, Marri is asking me and Carl all of the questions we’re asked most often by my sweet readers and listeners — questions we rarely get a chance to answer! We're going to be sharing how we met, all about our first date, how we knew each other was the one. We’ll be sharing our best dating advice, our best advice for how to prepare for a really great marriage, and so much more.This conversation was so much fun. Carl is hilarious and so so wise, I cannot wait for you to get to know him better. 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we have my real life friend, Jordan Lee Dooley back on the show to teach us how it’s possible to really like our lives (even when we’re not exactly where we want to be).Jordan has a new book called, Embrace Your Almost: Find Clarity and Contentment in the In-Betweens, Not-Quites, and Unknowns. I love this because so many of us have found ourselves here. So many of us are experiencing heartbreak, disappointment, lost dreams, and never-ending delays. We’re in seasons of waiting — waiting for a relationship, a promotion, a baby, or a big move. We’re in a place where our life just isn’t working out the way we thought it would, the way we really, really want it to. And that’s HARD. It’s even harder to know what to do when we’re in this place. Do we try harder? Do we keep pushing? Do we give up and walk away? How do we know? And as we’re waiting, what do we do in the meantime? Jordan’s going to walk us through all of this and more. I can’t wait for you to hear from her. 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites. Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Allie Casazza. Allie is an amazing wife, mom, podcaster and business owner, helping women rid their lives of physical, calendar and mental clutter to make space for the things that are most important in life. And that’s what this episode is all about!Today Allie is going to walk us through a process that will help us declutter our homes and destress our lives. Don’t you love that? I think we ALL need this in our lives. I learned so much from Allie in this conversation, and just one of the things she taught me was that when we declutter our homes, it reduces our housework by 40%. 40% isn’t that insane?!The second we finished our conversation I dove immediately into a closet to start the decluttering process, and I have a feeling you’re going to do the exact same thing. Keep me updated, okay? If you find yourself buried in a closet while you’re listening to this episode, I want to see it. Send me photos!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today you’ll be hearing part two of my conversation with my amazing therapist, Christen Reed, from Ready Nest Counseling in Nashville! If you haven’t listened to the part one episode, make sure you go back and listen to that one first.In this two-part episode, we’re talking about becoming a mom — why it’s such a big transition, what you can do to prepare for it, and some really practical pieces of advice and wisdom to help you through it. (Especially in those first few months).Like I said, if you didn’t listen to part one, go back and listen to that part first. But today in part two, we’re focusing on:How to ask for help as a new mom — and why needing help is NOT a sign of failure or weakness or a sign that we’re somehow a bad momWhy it’s so important for us to take care of ourselves, how to actually do that, and how to drop the guilt so many of us feel when we doHow to filter through all of the advice that’s out there for first time moms, so we can figure out what’s best for us, our family, and our new babyAnd moreAnd then at the end of the episode, since Christen is my therapist, we talk about therapy — why it’s so important, how it can help, and how to find the right therapist for you (even if you’ve struggled to find someone who is a good fit in the past!).I said this last week, but this is a pretty vulnerable topic for me. Becoming a mom is by far the hardest transition I’ve ever been through. But I wanted to share the whole story of how this went for me, because if you’re struggling in the same ways I was, it’s so important to me that you know you’re not alone. 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites.Our guest for today’s episode is Christen Reed. Christen works as a licensed marriage and family therapist at Ready Nest Counseling here in Nashville. And not only is she an amazing therapist, she’s MY therapist. Christen has been there with me every step of the way as I’ve gone through the most gigantic transition of my entire life — becoming a mom. And that’s what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about becoming a mom — why it’s such a big transition, what you can do to prepare for it, and some really practical pieces of advice and wisdom to help you through it. (Especially in those first few months).Now, I have a few disclaimers to share with you before we dive in: First: It is a tad unconventional for you to be meeting my therapist. (She and I had tons of talks and signed lots of papers having to do with boundaries and confidentiality and making sure that we keep our therapist/client relationship as safe and sacred as it’s always been!)So I just wanted to let y’all know that.Second: I wanted to let you know that this is a pretty messy, vulnerable topic for me. In this episode, you’ll hear why I had such a hard time in the first few months of being a mom — why I say that it’s the hardest transition I’ve ever gone through. And the reason I want to be so honest about this is not to be discouraging (that’s the LAST thing I would want to be), but it’s because I don’t ever want you to have to go through any of this alone.I was actually talking to my sister about this a few weeks ago.Maybe your first few months of mom life won’t be that hard, and if that’s the case, AMAZING! I’m so so happy for you.But if this is really hard for you — I want you to know that you’re not alone in that. You’re not weak, you’re not a bad mom. This is hard. And you’re not alone in feeling that way. One last thing I wanted to say: Christen and I had so much to talk about in this episode that we actually had to split it into two parts. But trust me, it’s so worth it. So today you’ll be hearing part one of our conversation, and next week we’ll air part two.