with Rachael Wade

Rachael is a wife, mom of two, and teacher who is passionate about encouraging & equipping women with the word of God. She believes in the power of the "in process" every day story. For this reason she created "Olive Us", a platform where women recount to remember the goodness & faithfulness of God. Rachael faithfully serves at Camp Well, an experience for women who sit in the tension of being too much and not enough, and with her "framily" at Epic Church in San Francisco. When Rachael isn't leading, teaching, and writing on her "Seeds of Encouragement" blog, she's hanging out in her comfy pajamas at home with her family, enjoying a nice charcuterie board, laughing at something because what is life without laughter,  or sitting in the sunshine.

In this conversation, Rachael shares how the Lord has placed the purpose of being an encourager on her heart.  The shackles of insecurities and pride need to come off in order to fully live in the purpose that the Lord has for you.  The Lord always uses His Word to free us of these hinderances but He also uses other people.  We need community to remind us that we are not alone, to encourage us, and to help free each other - and this is what being emboldened to grow is about.  We cannot grow and live out our God-given dreams in isolation.  Ultimately, in our growth, we must keep our "why" in front of us - and that is for the glory of God, and we are of value because God has placed us here.  

 Find Rachael on Instagram and Facebook!

Learn more about out Olive us!

Who are the chief encouragers in your life?

with Alicia Bruxvoort

Alicia Bruxvoort is a writer, speaker and abundant life seeker. Her passion is helping women encounter Jesus wherever they are so they can know Him more intimately and trust Him more intentionally.

Alicia speaks regularly at women’s events and writes for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Encouragement for Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million women daily.

A storyteller at heart, Alicia weaves the wonder of scripture with the whimsy of ordinary life. Using light-hearted narrative to animate transformative truth, she helps women connect with Jesus on the pages of His word in powerful and personal ways.

Alicia loves hot coffee and soulful stories, but her favorite tale is the one she lives with her husband, Rob, and the kids who gather around their table. Together, they chase Jesus and sunsets in Holland, Michigan.

In this conversation, Alicia shares with us how waiting has been a theme throughout her life, and she is currently waiting during the process of international adoption.  As believers, we are all in a season of waiting because Jesus finished the work on the cross, but we are still waiting to be with Him.  In seasons of waiting, faith and patience must work together, otherwise, discouragement can come in.  We must not fret, fear, or forget during these hard times.  Alicia also shares very practical advice and a fresh perspective on how to bravely wait while moving forward.  

Find Alicia on Instagram and Facebook!

What is the object of your current wait?

with Nicole Zasowski

Nicole Zasowski is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker. She lives in a small town just outside New York City with her husband, Jimmy and her son, James. With the vulnerability of your closest friend and the wisdom of your most trusted resource, Nicole reveals her own story of how challenges such as unwanted transition, multiple miscarriages, and crippling anxiety gave her empty hands to receive everything she had been looking for in the presence and Person of Jesus Christ. As someone who wears her heart proudly on her sleeve and considers her story to be an open book, Nicole’s message invites others to discover how the surprising path to healing begins when we lose our grip on what we have known, and swerve right into God’s transforming grace, where we find what we need.

In addition to maintaining a private practice, her professional work includes leading marriage intensives at The Hideaway Experience in Atlanta, GA, facilitating support and enrichment groups at several local churches in the greater New York City area, and serving as an adjunct professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY where she taught marriage enrichment courses. A gifted communicator, Nicole speaks regularly on topics that combine psychology and faith and has conducted several seminars and been invited to speak at several retreats throughout New England.

In this conversation, Nicole shares her personal journey of healing.  Not having a reason to hope hindered her from being able to move forward in healing.  However, our hope is not in a "what"; it is in "Who".  God is not the author of our suffering, but He is sovereign and does not waste it.  So even while we are still healing, we can embolden others to heal as well - and that is God's gift of grace to us.  

Find Nicole on Instagram!

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What causes the most painful feelings for you?

with Cari Trotter

Cari Trotter is the chief curator at Becoming Ministries gathering topics, events and resources centered around the Art of our Becoming. She has traveled all over the country speaking, equipping and encouraging women in churches, youth groups, prisons, retreats, organizations large and small. Cari did her undergraduate work in apparel design and is currently working on her Masters in Apologetics and Evangelism at Dallas Theological Seminary. She speaks from her toes telling stories of real life and is known to energetically proclaim God's love. Cari loves being football coach's wife to her husband Toby and is extremely passionate about the three sharp arrows (aka kids) that they are in the middle of raising deep in the heart of Texas.

In this presentation, Cari shares the calling and appointment of Gideon, his response to this call, how he came into the creation of this call, and how he lead in this confirmation.  From this story, we learn that to be emboldened, we need to acknowledge how God finds us and we need to call out the lies that we are hearing.  God's voice is inviting us to be bold - we are to be bold in HIM so that He may be bold in us, and then we can embolden others. 

Find Cari on Instagram!

What makes you feel strong?