The Messy Table with Jenn Jewell

Welcome to The Messy Table! An imperfect space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. And guess what? Today's episode with my good friend, Tina LaTurno, is no different. "Your past will never not be your past, but you can choose your future." Tina and her sweet family have been in the face of suffering throughout the past several years, as her husband Charlie has weathered through severe health issues. BUT THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN UP. Tina is a mom, pastor’s wife, and follower of Christ. She’s a bundle of energy and incredibly ornery, as well as one of the most servant-hearted people I know. She reminds us that REGARDLESS of what we face, through Christ we can win the day. By His strength we can keep going.

Welcome to The Messy Table! An imperfect space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. And guess what? Today's episode with my good friend, Tina LaTurno, is no different. "Your past will never not be your past, but you can choose your future." Tina and her sweet family have been in the face of suffering throughout the past several years, as her husband Charlie has weathered through severe health issues. BUT THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN UP. Tina is a mom, pastor’s wife, and follower of Christ. She’s a bundle of energy and incredibly ornery, as well as one of the most servant-hearted people I know. She reminds us that REGARDLESS of what we face, through Christ we can win the day. By His strength we can keep going.

Welcome to The Messy Table—an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. Today, for Episode 25, Amy Groeschel and I are chatting with the absolutely charming Sandra Stanley—who is simply a breath of fresh air. Sandra is the mom of three grown children, wife to Andy Stanley—founder of North Point Ministries, a foster mama + advocate for kids from hard places, and an author of two devotional books: Comparison Trap and Breathing Room (see GIVEAWAY details below). She is super down-to-earth and has the most soothing southern accent. Trust me, I could've chatted with her for DAYS. "The shortcut to contentment is a heart of gratitude," she says. This conversation is packed with all of the topics mentioned above, as well as how to navigate various seasons of life/marriage/motherhood and the learned wisdom that comes with facing challenges. We also highlight two really important issues, especially among women, like (1) the never-ending trap of comparison, and (2) the temptation to constantly overextend ourselves—leaving little to zero breathing room. I didn't realize how much I needed this conversation until it happened! You'll love it too, I promise. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us at The Messy Table.

Welcome to The Messy Table—an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. Today, for Episode 25, Amy Groeschel and I are chatting with the absolutely charming Sandra Stanley—who is simply a breath of fresh air. Sandra is the mom of three grown children, wife to Andy Stanley—founder of North Point Ministries, a foster mama + advocate for kids from hard places, and an author of two devotional books: Comparison Trap and Breathing Room (see GIVEAWAY details below). She is super down-to-earth and has the most soothing southern accent. Trust me, I could've chatted with her for DAYS. "The shortcut to contentment is a heart of gratitude," she says. This conversation is packed with all of the topics mentioned above, as well as how to navigate various seasons of life/marriage/motherhood and the learned wisdom that comes with facing challenges. We also highlight two really important issues, especially among women, like (1) the never-ending trap of comparison, and (2) the temptation to constantly overextend ourselves—leaving little to zero breathing room. I didn't realize how much I needed this conversation until it happened! You'll love it too, I promise. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us at The Messy Table.

Welcome to The Messy Table—an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. Today's guest is my gorgeous friend, Ruth Russo, who is even more stunning on the inside. She's a pastor's wife, mama of three, and one of the most genuine, compassionate, and faith-filled women I know. But that doesn't mean trusting God comes easily to her (or to any of us), especially when life gets scary and uncertain. "Courage is doing it scared." —Jill Briscoe In this episode, Ruth divulges the traumatic way in which she discovered that her oldest daughter had type 1 diabetes, as well as what it's like—as a mother—adapting to and journeying through such massive life-changes. Ruth also explains why she and her husband recently packed up their house, uprooted their family, and moved to a new state. She's daring to trust God with everything she has and invites us to do the same. So grab your coffee, pop in those earbuds, and join us at The Messy Table!

Welcome to The Messy Table—an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. Today's guest is my gorgeous friend, Ruth Russo, who is even more stunning on the inside. She's a pastor's wife, mama of three, and one of the most genuine, compassionate, and faith-filled women I know. But that doesn't mean trusting God comes easily to her (or to any of us), especially when life gets scary and uncertain. "Courage is doing it scared." —Jill Briscoe In this episode, Ruth divulges the traumatic way in which she discovered that her oldest daughter had type 1 diabetes, as well as what it's like—as a mother—adapting to and journeying through such massive life-changes. Ruth also explains why she and her husband recently packed up their house, uprooted their family, and moved to a new state. She's daring to trust God with everything she has and invites us to do the same. So grab your coffee, pop in those earbuds, and join us at The Messy Table!

The Messy Table is an ordinary and unforced space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. For Episode #23, Amy Groeschel is joining me in the co-hosting chair as we chat with Shanna Crawford, an amazing woman from our Life.Church Sisters ministry who has a radical—even scandalous—story. Shanna and her husband, Jerome, are the visionaries and cofounders of a ministry called Komeo, which is focused on caring for a specific group of orphans in Sierra Leone, Africa. She's also the biological and adoptive mama to a slew of awesome kids, a seasonal missionary, and a lover + teacher of God's word. That all sounds precious and sacrificial, doesn't it? But as we know, there's a messy story behind every pretty picture. There's a messy story behind every pretty picture. If you met Shanna today and heard about her passionate love for the Lord, you would have NO IDEA she's been freed from the chains of abuse, drugs, and her past life as a stripper. God—in his mercy—pursued Shanna, just as he pursues you, and brought her from a place of extreme darkness to illuminating light. Her story is loaded with the scandalous grace of the redeeming gospel and, trust me, you do not want to miss it!

The Messy Table is an ordinary and unforced space for real women, imperfect stories, and the God who's at work in our mess. For Episode #23, Amy Groeschel is joining me in the co-hosting chair as we chat with Shanna Crawford, an amazing woman from our Life.Church Sisters ministry who has a radical—even scandalous—story. Shanna and her husband, Jerome, are the visionaries and cofounders of a ministry called Komeo, which is focused on caring for a specific group of orphans in Sierra Leone, Africa. She's also the biological and adoptive mama to a slew of awesome kids, a seasonal missionary, and a lover + teacher of God's word. That all sounds precious and sacrificial, doesn't it? But as we know, there's a messy story behind every pretty picture. There's a messy story behind every pretty picture. If you met Shanna today and heard about her passionate love for the Lord, you would have NO IDEA she's been freed from the chains of abuse, drugs, and her past life as a stripper. God—in his mercy—pursued Shanna, just as he pursues you, and brought her from a place of extreme darkness to illuminating light. Her story is loaded with the scandalous grace of the redeeming gospel and, trust me, you do not want to miss it!

Happy New Year, friends! Welcome back to The Messy Table—where life isn't perfect, but God is at work in the mess. Well, the table has finally turned. Some of my lovely (yet stubborn) friends have been hounding me to take a turn in the hot seat since the launch of this podcast, nearly ten months ago. So today—for the first episode of 2018—you get to hear a bit of my heart, passion, and imperfect story behind The Messy Table, as well as where we're headed in the future. The amazing LaTonya Pratt, who was my guinea pig for Episode #1, is calling the shots and getting a taste of sweet revenge in the hosting chair. So wherever you are—at a desk, on a treadmill, in the car, or at your kitchen sink—grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us!

Happy New Year, friends! Welcome back to The Messy Table—where life isn't perfect, but God is at work in the mess. Well, the table has finally turned. Some of my lovely (yet stubborn) friends have been hounding me to take a turn in the hot seat since the launch of this podcast, nearly ten months ago. So today—for the first episode of 2018—you get to hear a bit of my heart, passion, and imperfect story behind The Messy Table, as well as where we're headed in the future. The amazing LaTonya Pratt, who was my guinea pig for Episode #1, is calling the shots and getting a taste of sweet revenge in the hosting chair. So wherever you are—at a desk, on a treadmill, in the car, or at your kitchen sink—grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us!

Christmastime is typically festive and cozy, merry and bright. But there's a heavier side of the holidays that many people, unfortunately, know all too well. My guest for today's episode at The Messy Table is the witty and bighearted Lindsay Torres—who's bravely shedding some light on her #MeToo story, as well as sharing how she continues to find healing and forgiveness after sexual abuse. "God takes a mess and makes a masterpiece." Lindsay is a mom of two boys, police officer's wife, pharmaceutical rep, and just a down-to-earth, hilarious, she'll-have-your-back-no-matter-what type of friend. I can't imagine the pain she's waded through over the years, but it's an honor to witness the mysterious way in which "God takes a mess and makes a masterpiece." No matter your story or background, Lindsay's imperfect journey will remind you who you are and shift your perspective toward the things of God. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us!

Christmastime is typically festive and cozy, merry and bright. But there's a heavier side of the holidays that many people, unfortunately, know all too well. My guest for today's episode at The Messy Table is the witty and bighearted Lindsay Torres—who's bravely shedding some light on her #MeToo story, as well as sharing how she continues to find healing and forgiveness after sexual abuse. "God takes a mess and makes a masterpiece." Lindsay is a mom of two boys, police officer's wife, pharmaceutical rep, and just a down-to-earth, hilarious, she'll-have-your-back-no-matter-what type of friend. I can't imagine the pain she's waded through over the years, but it's an honor to witness the mysterious way in which "God takes a mess and makes a masterpiece." No matter your story or background, Lindsay's imperfect journey will remind you who you are and shift your perspective toward the things of God. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us!

Today marks the TWENTIETH episode at The Messy Table (insert allllll the praise-hand emojis)! I want to start by shouting a gigantic THANK YOU to all of my amazing guests who have bravely opened up their lives and souls on this little podcast, for the sake of encouraging others and reminding us just how faithful our God is—even in the messes of life. I also want to thank YOU for coming alongside of us on this adventure. Grateful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel, but I'm humbled and expectant for all that's still to come. So, thank you! I couldn't think of a better way to commemorate this milestone than by inviting some of my precious friends to join me in the celebration! Today's conversation with Kristi Ivey, Lindsay McKee, Lacye Stewart, Ashley Clinesmith, and Kat Robinson (aka The Village) is rich! We chat about how to sustain friendships as adults and how to keep Jesus front and center during an otherwise commercial Christmas, as well as heavier topics like wading through foster care, infertility, and marriage struggles. There's loads of wisdom and insight pouring from these women, which has been gained through various experiences in various seasons of life. Grab your coffee and join us!

Today marks the TWENTIETH episode at The Messy Table (insert allllll the praise-hand emojis)! I want to start by shouting a gigantic THANK YOU to all of my amazing guests who have bravely opened up their lives and souls on this little podcast, for the sake of encouraging others and reminding us just how faithful our God is—even in the messes of life. I also want to thank YOU for coming alongside of us on this adventure. Grateful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel, but I'm humbled and expectant for all that's still to come. So, thank you! I couldn't think of a better way to commemorate this milestone than by inviting some of my precious friends to join me in the celebration! Today's conversation with Kristi Ivey, Lindsay McKee, Lacye Stewart, Ashley Clinesmith, and Kat Robinson (aka The Village) is rich! We chat about how to sustain friendships as adults and how to keep Jesus front and center during an otherwise commercial Christmas, as well as heavier topics like wading through foster care, infertility, and marriage struggles. There's loads of wisdom and insight pouring from these women, which has been gained through various experiences in various seasons of life. Grab your coffee and join us!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, y'all! I can't wait to enjoy my favorite people and pumpkin EVERYTHING. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Sounds great, right? In theory. But how do we give thanks for the miserable, awful, hard stuff that life can sometimes throw at us? My guest for Episode #19 at The Messy Table is Amanda Taylor, and I can’t think of anyone better to shed some light on just how we can be grateful in every situation, both good and bad. Amanda is a pastor’s wife, mom of five (plus one on the way), owner of a wedding-planning business called Embellished Weddings, and woman after the heart of God. Almost five years ago, smack the midst of having a newborn in the NICU and three young children at home, this steady wife and mama found herself chained to the floor in a phychiatric hospital. Never in her worst nightmare did she imagine having to fight through something as rare and difficult as postpartum psychosis. In this conversation, Amanda and I chat about finding joy in the trenches of suffering and fighting for what matters most. Although her story is unique, the underlying message of hope, perseverance, and thankfulness is for EVERY PERSON. So grab (or reheat) your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us!