It is a good thing to observe Christmas, but it is even better to keep Christmas … – Henry Van Dyke

It’s Christmas time. Lights, shopping, trees filled with tiny twinkling treasures. I hope you and yours are enjoying the season. To celebrate, I wanted to jump in with one of my favorite stories by one of my favorite authors.

Henry Jackson Van Dyke Jr. was an American author, educator, diplomat, and clergyman. He was born on November 10, 1852, in Germantown, Pennsylvania to a strict Presbyterian family of Dutch origin. He graduated from Princeton University and went on to become a professor of English Literature for over twenty years. He entered Princeton Theological Seminary in September 1874 (with no actual desire to become a minister); however, in 1875 at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, he gave his first sermon on “The Voice of God.” Interestingly enough, he penned the lyrics to Beethoven’s famous “Ode to Joy” melody and it became the beloved hymn, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” 

Van Dyke also wrote a short sermon entitled, “The Spirit of Christmas” which is beautiful, timely and I’m sharing it here with you today.

It inspired Peter Marshall who wrote Let’s Keep Christmas. This charming book is one that I am constantly on hunt for at estate sales. And I just happen to have a few copies in my shop. Take a look here.

SHOW NOTES

• To check out the Christmas books I referenced, take a peek at ‘Christmas Reading‘ in my Amazon Shop.
• To buy a copy of Let’s Keep Christmas, visit my shop on my site here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up in 2023.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

We are inherently significant. – Rachael Adams

I hope that you have enjoyed listening to the stories of incredible women the past several weeks as much as I have. If this is your first time jumping in, I’m so glad you’re here now … welcome to The Story Series! Be sure to catch up on the other episodes, too.

This week Rachael Adams joined me on the podcast. Can I just tell you … she is a delight. Rachael lives with her husband, Bryan, two kiddos, Will and Kate, and two Doodles on a farm in small town Kentucky. She hosts her own podcast, The Love Offering Podcast, and just published her first devotional, A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life.

Rachael wants you to know that you are inherently significant. In the beginning, God created mankind in His image and said they were very good … before we did a thing. We look at everyone around us and think that we aren’t doing enough or that what we are doing isn’t as good. But a little prayer, a little quiet time, a little offering … is good. God can do anything with just a little. Listen in as Rachael talks about significance and contentment, valuing that work you are already doing, and seeing what God has for you in everyday encounters. She shares practical ways to make the little things you do go a long way.

I hope that you see significance in all the little and big things in life. I pray that you feel significant no matter what you’re doing or where you are in your story … because you are significant for just being you. I pray you know how much God loves you.

SHOW NOTES

• Get a copy of Rachael’s book, A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life
• Visit Rachael’s website.
• Listen in to The Love Offering Podcast.
• Follow Rachael on Instagram and Facebook.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11

Welcome to the Dear Daughters Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here. We’re right in the middle of this series all about stories. Because I love stories. I love to ask questions, I love knowing people’s stories, and I love that when you dig deeper it leads to the awe of God.

I am so excited that Asheritah Ciuciu is joining me on the podcast this week. Asheritah is married to her high school sweetheart, Flaviu, and has three kids: Carissa, Amelia, and Theo. She is a speaker, an author, founder of One Thing Alone Ministries for women. Asheritah met Jesus in the back of her parent’s Subaru when she was a little girl. She grew up as a missionary kid in Romania with her mom, dad, and two brothers. She loved listening to their stories from the mission field and as she joined them in the field she developed her own passion for sharing the Gospel. And she does it through the power of stories.

Listen in as Asheritah talks about a few of the things that are so important in her life: stories, quiet time with Jesus, and the Word of God.

She shares parts of her own story … how God called her to Himself … the moments she can look back on and say, “oh that’s when He was present with me.” How God used her desires, even as a 17-year old girl, to impact so many women now.

She talks about the importance of reading Scripture and spending time alone with God … and shares resources for how to practically do that in our busy lives.

She believes in the power of story. Especially telling children stories—the stories of Jesus in the Bible and our own stories of Jesus—so they can know “He will be faithful and present and good toward them all the days of their lives as well.” Her new children’s book, Unwrapping the Names of Jesus for Kids, encourages us to share both kinds of stories with the children in our lives (and I’m so excited to talk about that, too!).

I hope that you are encouraged to share your stories of Jesus with the people in your life. And I hope that you’ll seek out Jesus and the understanding of who He is. Because my prayer for you and for me is that we will get to know more and more of who Jesus is every day of our one beautiful life.

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SHOW NOTES

• Visit Asheritah’s website.
• Learn more about One Thing Alone Ministries.
• Follow Asheritah on Instagram.
• Get a copy of Asheritah’s new children’s book, Unwrapping the Names of Jesus for Kids.
• Get a copy of Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Embrace your pain to discover hope and healing. – Toni Collier

Toni had to grow up too fast. She went through a verbally abusive relationship with her father and then her first husband. She was saved and then hit rock bottom … and then she went searching for God again. She reconciled with her family. She married the love of her life, Sam, and became a mother of two. Toni is also an author and a speaker, a podcast host and a ministry founder … and she’s a hope coach.

Welcome to the Story Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here. This series. all about stories. Because I love stories. I love to ask questions, I love knowing people’s stories, and I love that when you dig deeper it leads to the awe of God.

This week I was OVERJOYED to invite Toni Collier all the way from Atlanta, Georgia, to my home in Austin, Texas for some Coffee & Conversation. We had a lovely live audience. There were a lot of tears, but a lot of laughter, too.

Join us as we listen to Toni tell us her story and talk about her road to hope and healing and redemption. Her story and her ability and willingness to open up to us is sacred. We talk about our shared brokenness … that there is no shame in brokenness … and how in it we can experience the unconditional love of God. She reminds us that healing isn’t linear and that it gets painful before it gets better. She talks about practical steps we can take toward healing. Most of all, Toni wants us to know is that we have the freedom to be broken and that there is always hope.

Oh, gracious. I just love Toni, don’t you? Join me in praying protection and wholeness over her as she continues her ministry and her own healing journey. I pray that over you, too. I hope that you can, as Toni would say, “be brave enough to be broken.” I hope that you seek God wholeheartedly, whether you feel whole or broken, and that you feel His unconditional love, grace, and healing. And I pray that you have hope.

It’s never too late to pursue what you love and start a new season of your story.

Welcome to the Story Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here. I love to ask deep questions and listen to people’s stories because when you get to know someone’s story, you can experience the awe of God. Listen in and experience it with me.

This week my friend and artist Mary Gregory is joining me on the podcast this week. Mary has always been creative and she is one of the most generous humans I know. Mary learned that it’s never too late to pursue what you love and start a new part of your story. In 2011, when her two daughters were out of the nest, Mary pursued her art career full time with her husband, David, who manages the business and production aspects of Mary Gregory Studio.

“When you are an artist and you see something you just have to get it out somehow.”

Mary has always been drawn to art and nature. She loves to go on long walks and observe God’s creation … and listens to what God wants her to paint. Mary hopes to always honor God in her art no matter what she is painting. She wants to send beauty and joy into the world. Listen in as she talks about things like her painting process, Round Top, and how she balances art as a business and art as a passion.

Are you as inspired by Mary as I am? I hope that you look for God in the world around you. I hope you find ways to be creative in your own way. And I hope that you never give up on those big God dreams.

SHOW NOTES

• Check out Mary Gregory Studio online.
• Find Mary’s art for sale year-round at the Cottonseed Trading Co in Round Top Village!
• Get details about Round Top!
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

There’s something in all of us that craves the sanctuary of the Garden of Eden.

Welcome to the Dear Daughters Podcast! We are deep in the heart of The Story Series and I’m so glad you’re here. Join me as I ask questions and listen to other women’s stories right here on the podcast. It’s one of my favorite things. Because when you get to know someone’s story, you can experience the awe of God.

I’ve invited Jamie Erickson to the podcast this week. Jamie and I have a mutual love of vintage books, thrifting home goods, and creating a cozy space for people. She has been married to her college sweetheart for 20 years and they have five kids. Jamie was a teacher in the classroom for many years and now is the founder and lead writer of The Unlikely Homeschool and co-host of the Mom-To-Mom Podcast. She is the author of Homeschool Bravely and released a new book in September called Holy Hygge. I’m so excited to have her on the show!

Jamie was inspired by her husband’s Danish roots and the Danish lifestyle practice of hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh). To sum it up, hygge embodies comfort and coziness and contentment. Julie embraces hygge through the lens of the Gospel to make home a place where people feel God. Listen in as Jamie and I dive into the principles of hygge and the importance of each:

1. Hospitality
2. Relationships
3. Well-Being
4. Atmosphere
5. Comfort
6. Contentment
7. Rest

I hope that you can create the hygge you desire in your own home … that your home is a place filled with the comfort, coziness, and contentment that can only come from Jesus. And I pray that you share that comfort and coziness and contentment with other people.

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SHOW NOTES

• Get a copy of Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence.
• Get a copy of Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow. 
• Check out Jamie’s book recommendation: The Residence.
• Follow Jamie and the Unlikely Homeschool on Instagram and Facebook.
• Listen to the Mom-To-Mom Podcast and follow on Instagram.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to the Dear Daughters Podcast! We are in the middle of The Story Series here and if you’ve been around the podcast for awhile, you know how much I love to ask questions and listen to other people’s stories. Because you know what? Your story is one of the most unique and beautiful things about you.

This week I’ve invited Jolie Helms onto the podcast! Jolie is a wife and mother, married for 23 years with two children, ages 20 and 22. They live in College Station, TX. Jolie is also a creative and an entrepreneur … and a storyteller.

I met Jolie at Round Top a few years ago and fell in LOVE with her beautiful, whimsical, blanket coats and the stories behind them. Before moving back to College Station, her family lived in Malaysia for three and a half years. That’s where she grew in her marriage and in her relationship with her kids. It’s also where she learned about kantha quilts, her inspiration for her business, Sapana. Sapana means “dream” in Hindi … and that’s what Jolie did.

Listen in as I talk with Jolie about her story … her love of travel and experience in Malaysia, her dream of starting Sapana and how it became a reality, her heart for other women and how she’s impacting their stories, and how she’s sharing the rich stories of every handmade item sold in her shop.

Are you encouraged and inspired by Jolie? I hope that you are. I pray that you are able to realize your dreams and find ways to make them a reality, whether in big ways or small. I hope that you pray big and ask for God’s favor … and that you can see it all over your story.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• Visit Sapana’s online storefront.
• Follow Sapana on Instagram and Facebook.
• Get more info about The Round Top Antiques Show!
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Your story will lead you to your purpose.

That’s why I love stories. I love to ask deep questions and hear other people’s stories. Because that’s when you encounter the awe of God. Welcome back to The Story Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast!

This week my daughter Emily Boone is on the Podcast! She takes beautiful photos for a living … helping capture people’s stories in little moments. She has a beautiful perspective on story and so much wisdom to share. I’m so glad you’re here to listen.

Emily loves the story of Moses. She loves that, “the beginning of his life didn’t necessarily foreshadow the glory that was coming later in his life.” She says that the scripture itself is evidence that the things that you live through can inform who you’re made to be, what you’re meant to do, and how God is meant to use you.

Your story will lead you to your purpose. There’s no universal step-by-step way to find it because everyone’s story is so unique. But Emily has a few tools that can help in that journey.

1. Study your story. Look at the highlights and pain points in your life and find themes.
2. Take inventory of you. What are your passions, desires, gifts?
3. Look at what you have, what’s in your hands. What opportunities or tools do you already have?
4. Pray. God wants to do this with you.

It’s OK if you don’t fully know your purpose … but I hope you know that there is always purpose right where you are.

I hope that you are able to trace the dots from Moses’ story to your story … that maybe you can see pieces of what God did in his life in your own life. I pray you know that where you are right now is important … but I hope that share your story and look for what God has for you.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• Visit Emily’s website.
• Get the details and register for Soul Care Supper at The Franklin!
• Get a copy of my book, Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

I love knowing people’s stories. I love to ask questions and I love that when you dig deeper it leads to the awe of God. Welcome back to The Story Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast!

This week I’m inviting a new friend on the podcast, Crystal Woodman Miller. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three kids. We have something in common that connects us … but it is something that we would have never chosen for ourselves. Crystal was 16 when she hid in the library during the shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her life was marked by tragedy … but she realized that she was also marked by hope.

Crystal found her purpose in writing and speaking and advocating for trauma survivors and she’s sharing her purpose with us today. We get to hear pieces of her story and the wisdom she has because of the tragedy and healing she has experienced, including:

• Pray scripture over your people.
• Keep your mind focused on God.
• Remind yourself of God’s truth.
• Find practical tools to help you feel safe and heal.

Pray with me for hope and healing for those whose stories are marked by tragedy. I hope that you know your story is important and that you share your story with others. And I pray that you see God as you connect all the dots.

SHOW NOTES

• Visit Crystal’s website.
• Get copies of Crystal’s books: Marked for Life and A Kid’s Book About School Shootings.
• Learn more about Triumph Over Tragedy.
• Check out Red Rocks Church.
• Get a copy of my book, Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to the Dear Daughters Podcast! It’s time for a new season and I am so excited about this one. It’s all about stories. I love stories. I love to ask questions, I love knowing people’s stories, and I love that when you dig deeper it leads to the awe of God.

I am just delighted to introduce you to this week’s guest. She is Missions Pastor at Austin Christian Fellowship, wife to John, mom to Parker and Ben (and new daughter-in-law, Dani) … and dear friend to me! Her name is Michelle Brigance and she has an amazing story.

Listen in as Michelle shares her story from her first impression of God and experiences with the church to teaching at church and sharing Jesus with countless people … and then shares what she discovered to be the most important things to remember when you talk to others about God, like watching your words, not pretending to have all the answers, and expressing your faith in a tangible, down-to-earth, everyday kind of way.

I hope that Michelle’s story is encouraging to you. I pray that you are loving those who don’t believe that same things as you, asking questions, listening to what’s on their heart, and being with them as their story unfolds. I pray that you see the awe of God in other people’s stories … and in your own.

SHOW NOTES

• Listen to Michelle’s message at ACF, “How to Talk to People About Jesus”
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

We’re wrapping up The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast this week! I hope these conversations have helped bring a little more joy to your everyday life. In this last episode, I’ll be talking about JOY and taking good care of your body with Natalie Betzer, a functional nutritionist and wellness consultant … who also happens to be my niece. :)

Natalie lives in Austin with her husband, Drew, and daughter, Davie. She earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist. Natalie is a functional nutrition and wellness consult … and the founder of Natalie Betzer Wellness. I went through one of Natalie’s coaching sessions and learned so much. With her help I was able to better understand what my body needs, change some not-so-healthy habits, and make healthier choices.

Natalie wants to help you to redefine your approach to health. She teaches you how to build your health on a foundation of self-awareness, kindness and gratitude. Instead of focusing on rules and restriction, she teaches you to eat intuitively in the moment, dropping good and bad beliefs about food. The ripple effect of these shifts can make a profound difference in all areas of your life. Your health stops being a chore, and instead becomes a sustainable lifestyle that is satisfying, energizing and actually fun! THIS is a joyful approach to health!

Our bodies are the home of our soul. They enable us to love our people and do the things we need to do in a way that glorifies God in this one beautiful life he has given us. That’s why it’s so important that we take care of our bodies. Listen in as Natalie walks us through some of the key things and offers some tips for a healthier lifestyle, from what a balanced meal is made of to sustainable meal prep.

I pray that you take care of yourself and find JOY in the body that God created for you. I hope that

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SHOW NOTES

• Visit Natalie’s website.
• Follow Natalie on Instagram.
• Get your own bento box here and Decor Tellfresh storage containers here.
• Check out the Nutribullet I use for all my smoothies here. :)
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about ACF’s Ministry Partners here.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

We’re still talking all things JOY on the Dear Daughters Podcast because I want to help you bring a little more joy to your everyday life. I am so excited this week because I love my garden and creeks and mountains and a big blue sky and we are talking about joy in nature!

Verónica Godoy spent most of her life out in nature, climbing trees and playing on the beach in Argentina where she grew up. God opened her eyes to the biology of His creation when she was just 8 years old and she knew then that it was what she wanted to study (and sure enough, she earned both a B.S. and PhD in biological sciences). She has been a scientist and a teacher, and now works at A Rocha, a national community of Christians working in biodiversity conservation to take care of our environment.

God gave us the important assignment to tend to and care for His glorious creation. We must be good stewards of nature, caretakers of the world around us. To be good stewards, first we need to care. To care, first we need to know. Listen in as Verónica and I talk about our JOY-filled responsibility of caring for our non-human neighbors … and how we develop the eyes to see their needs and a heart for that mission. Veronica invites us so warmly and graciously to take care of God’s creation and in turn receive so much joy from nature … I can’t wait for you to hear all she has to say.

There is so much we can learn about God in nature. I hope that you take the time to enjoy God’s creation and I pray that you become a good steward of the trees and flowers and birds and all the wonderful things God has made.

SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about A Rocha USA.
• Join the Love Your Place online community to take courses, join events, and connect with others who want to take care of the environment.
• Learn more about Picnics En El Arroyo.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

We’re still talking all things JOY on the Dear Daughters Podcast because I want to help you bring a little more joy to your everyday life. This week we’re looking at joy a little differently because a lot is going on in the world … we’re going to talk about the search for joy in the midst of hard things.

Meredith McDaniel is an author and counselor at her practice, Milk & Honey Counseling. Meredith is a beautiful soul and she is joining me this week to talk about the desperate plea for all of us … “God, how can I find you?”

Joy almost sounds frivolous when there is so much despondency around us. When our world is threatened, we feel our fear and worry and anxiety rise. We’re often trapped inside a false reality of hope, wishing for what was … rather than facing the discomfort and acknowledging that we’re out of control. It’s then that we’re really in a position to release ourselves to joy. Because there is a hope that abides in the middle of where you are, no matter where that is, or what is happening. When we rest in knowing it doesn’t all hinge on us … that’s where freedom and joy start to enter the picture.

SHOW NOTES

• Check out Meredith’s website.
• Learn more about Milk & Honey Counseling.
• Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter and get a free Narrative Journal.
• Get a copy of Meredith’s book, In Want + Plenty.
• Get a copy of Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World.
• Read Susan Cain’s books, Bittersweet and Quiet.
• Read the Texas Monthly article here.
• Listen to DD Podcast Episode 118: Finding God in the Hard Times with my friend and 8th grade classmate, John Ray.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

I hope that you open your eyes to the love notes that God is leaving just for you and know that you are not alone. I pray so many things for you … that you rest in knowing it does not all hinge on you, that you see the hope in the middle of it all, and that you can hold the joy next to the hard things.

We're talking JOY on the Dear Daughters Podcast because I want to bring a little more joy to your everyday life. We’ve talked about joy at home, joy at the table, and now we’re going to talk about joy in relationships.

This week I have my husband, Will, next to me to start this next part of the series about how to find joy in your marriage. Will and I have been married 37 years this week, and we’ve had days that have been really joyful and we’ve had days that have been really difficult.

Listen in as we dig deeper into ways to keep the joy in your marriage like these:

1. Practice gratitude.
2. Have a marriage mission.
3. Play together and play apart.
4. Observe Sabbath.
5. Pray.

I pray that you are able to find so much JOY in your marriage. I hope that you and your spouse can use your marriage to bring joy to others around you, too.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• Get a copy of Pray Big for Your Marriage by Will Davis Jr.
• Get a copies of my books, Loving Your Man without Losing Your Mind and Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World.
• Learn more about Canines 4 Christ.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here. I believe that gathering at the table over a simple meal is one of the best ways to love people and invite them to a closer relationship with God. So listen in and enjoy … right now we’re talking about the secrets to joy at the table and I’ve invited my favorite table experts on the show.

This week my favorite table expert is Kristin Schell. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Tony, and one of their four children—the others have left the nest. She loves loving her neighbors, and she wrote a book and travels all over to encourage others to love their neighbors, too. Kristin is known for her Turquoise Table, which started a movement of Turquoise Tables and Front Yard People (ordinary people who create community right where they live) across the country. I’ll let Kristin tell you more about that herself.

Kristin believes that our deepest need is to belong, our deepest desires to feel needed and included. And an invitation to the table is a reminder that you belong, that you are welcome. And you know what? We are all in a position to offer that to someone in some way. It will look different for everyone. Our lives have seasons, and so does the table. And it doesn’t have to be an invitation to dinner, it can be an invitation for coffee or a walk or needlepoint.

The important thing is to do just as it says in Kristin’s favorite verse, Romans 12:13: Take every opportunity to open your life and home to others. So let’s dive a little deeper into what that looks like today.

I hope that you feel like you belong. And I hope that you will help others feel like they belong, too. My prayer for you and for me is that we will take every opportunity to open our lives and our homes to others.

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SHOW NOTES

• Follow Kristin on Instagram.
• Check out Kristin online.
• Get a copy of Kristin’s book, The Turquoise Table!
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

I believe that gathering at the table over a simple meal is one of the best ways to love people and invite them to a closer relationship with God.

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! Right now we’re talking about how to find joy at the table and I've invited some of my table experts to the show.  

Jen Schmidt lives in North Carolina with her husband, Gregg, and is a mom of five children and two daughters-in-law. Jen shares her heart for Jesus and hospitality on her blog, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, and “accidental author” of her book, Just Open the Door. And, she now owns the Becoming Cottage to host ministry events (a lifelong big God dream of hers). Jen loves opening her door to people, engaging in deep conversation filled with truth and grace, and blessing everyone who sits at her table … or stands around her kitchen island. I hope this conversation we have is a blessing and an encouragement to you.

We can learn our own kind of table ministry from Jesus. Jesus was always inviting, always including, always wooing, and he centered so much of his ministry around the table, feeding people, meeting people, loving people. But we overthink this.

So, on this episode we dive a little deeper into what it looks like practically for us to ”evangelize at the table” … to be a blessing to others and simply live out what is so important in our lives, wherever we are in our lives, with intention.

I hope that you will be brave and not overthink it and make the invitation. You have exactly what you need. I pray that you can be a blessing and a light to others.

SHOW NOTES

• Learn about Your Table Ministry
• Check out Jen Schmidt on Instagram and online: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Follow the Becoming Cottage on Instagram, too.
• Get a copy of Jen’s book, Just Open the Door.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So this podcast series is all about how to find joy, how to recover joy, how to keep joy…and now secrets to finding joy at the table. I believe that gathering at the table over a simple meal is one of the best ways to love people and invite them to a closer relationship with God.

Let’s kick things off with my dear friend, Amy Hannon. Amy is a hospitality cheerleader, author of a beautiful cookbook, and owner of a beautiful storefront in Arkansas called Euna Mae’s, named after her grandmother. She is married with three kids and has a big heart for ministering to others.

Amy says that the setting of the hospitality inside your home that is so personal and so real and gives so much delight and joy that it allows us to create deeper relationships with people. I think so, too.

We were made in God’s image and our purpose is to reflect His glory. Amy believes that God gave women a heaping dose of tenderness and intuition, the ability to nurture, care, and meet needs .. and that’s a sacred part of who we are. Do you believe that?

Listen in as Amy and I talk about what it looks like to have a heart of hospitality. All you need to do is open your door, make simple food, set a lovely scene, and let God run wild.

I hope that you know that you are in the right place and the right season to reach out to the people right by you and make a lasting impact in their lives. I pray that you experience the awe of God by listening to people’s stories at the table.

SHOW NOTES

• Check out Amy Hannon online and on Instagram … keep an eye out for her new book coming in the fall!
• Shop Euna Mae’s online to get cute kitchen-y things, a copy of Amy’s cookbook, Love, Welcome, Serve, and discover fun events.
• Sign up for my workshop on April 27th: Your Table Ministry! Spots are limited.
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get weekly-ish encouragement and know about all the fun things coming up.
• Join us Sundays at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship, online or in-person.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So this podcast series is all about how to find joy, how to recover joy, how to keep joy…secrets to getting more joy in your everyday life.

We just wrapped up the first few episodes of finding joy at home. Now I am so excited to talk about finding joy at the table. I believe that gathering at the table over a simple meal is one of the best ways to love people and invite them to a closer relationship with God.

The believers gathered together and ate a meal with gladness and simplicity of heart. Acts 2:46

At the table, you are sitting to enjoy a good meal with the people you love. Most importantly, you can talk about God at the table. You can minister to people at the table.

So to kick us off, I want to share tips for hosting a dinner party! It can be intimidating. You many think that you don’t have the space. You may think that you just aren’t cut out for hosting. But here’s the thing. You can do it.

From #1: Check the family calendar to #10: Gently direct the conversation and ask meaningful questions about spiritual things, I am sharing 10 easy steps you can follow to host a joy-filled dinner party and talk about God.

I hope that you will gather a few people you love around your table and minister to them. I pray that you experience the awe of God at the table.

SHOW NOTES

• Try one of my homemade bread recipes: Amish Bread, Rustic French Bread or Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread.
• Become a Newsletter Friend to be the first to know about the upcoming Table Workshop!
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! It’s all about finding joy in the places and things and people closest to you because I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. This week we are wrapping up the first part of the JOY Series, talking all about creating a home you love.

This week, I have Kennesha Buycks with me (again!) to get her perspective on creating a beautiful home.

Kennesha lives in Seattle with her husband and four kids. She created Restoration House, a home and lifestyle brand that focuses on finding and celebrating the story of each home, and her new online shop where she sells unique and antique things she finds. I love her perspective and creativity and wisdom and can’t wait for you to listen in to our conversation.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the things we don’t like in our home. When that happens, Kennesha asks the question, What can you do? Kennesha believes that the joy is in creating. There’s always something we can add to bring in a little flavor and joy to your home. And she has so many good ideas for how to do that.

I hope that you can find joy in creating and ”storying” your home, whether you add a little bit here and there or take on a big decorating project. I hope that this first part of The JOY Series has been inspiring and empowering … and I pray that you find joy in a home that you love every day.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• Become a Newsletter Friend to stay in the know and get weekly-ish encouragement!
• Check out Restoration House Blog.
• Take a look at Restoration House Shoppe online.
• Follow Kennesha on Instagram.
• Hire Kennesha to ”story” your home!
• Listen to DD Episode 99: Coffee & Conversation with Kennesha Buycks.
• Follow Kennesha’s advice and go to Scott Antique Market in Atlanta.
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Check out the Round Top Antiques Fair.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Estate sale shopping is an exercise in creativity. It’s about connecting the dots of the stories behind the treasures you find.

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So we’re going to talk about the secrets to getting more joy in your everyday life by creating a home you love.

This week, Tori Dear is with me to talk about the joy of antiques, thrifting, and estate sale shopping. Listen in as we talk about everything from my favorite estate sale finds and stories to my estate sale routine (including a McDonald’s coffee run of course) and tips that may help you in your estate sale endeavors.

I hope this inspires you to explore new places and I hope that you find little treasures that bring a bit more joy to your home.

But, here are just a few of my top secrets to shopping an estate sale well.

1. Find a website that works for you with tracking down estate sales in your area! I use EstateSales.Net, plug in my zip code, and see what’s coming up in my area. Typically estate sales are posted in the middle or towards the end of the week for upcoming weekends. (Tip: Be sure to check through the photos they post too and see if anything catches your eye! You can normally tell pretty quickly if they have treasures that look like something you’d love.)

2. If you do see something that you absolutely have to have be sure to get there a minute or two early! Some estate sales have folks lining up at the door before they open at 9am- or something even 8am!

3. Be willing to get creative! Sometimes treasures come in the form of the $1.00 section in the garage. I especially love for vintage aluminum loaf pans. I snag these and then find an alternative way to use them— like storage for ziplock bags.

You can use the link below to hear even more tips to estate sales!

SHOW NOTES

• Become a Newsletter Friend to stay in the know and get weekly-ish encouragement!
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Check out the Round Top Antiques Fair.
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Learn more about Storyline and Kirby Holmes
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Your physical space is a place for peace and joy because things in our physical space hold connection to relationships and emotions.

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So we’re going to talk about the secrets to getting more joy in your everyday life by creating a home you love. This week we’re going to dive into organization and how it can bring peace and joy to your home.

Meet Jenny Aldridge, my guest this week on the Dear Daughters Podcast. Jenny says that she looks at the world so differently than she did three years ago … before she jumped out of the boat so start a new business. Jenny is an organizational coach. She helps people organize their closets and kitchen pantries to shed the negative and bring peace and positivity to their spaces. And she does it all with so much love and acceptance.

Listen in as Jenny talks about home organization, from why we hold onto things that can cause us clutter and stress to how an orderly closet can give us more confidence and peace. Plus, you’ll want to write down her three tips to start tackling your closet and kitchen.

I hope this is both encouraging and practical. I pray that your home can be an organized, orderly, place of peace and joy. 

SHOW NOTES

• Become a Newsletter Friend to stay in the know and get weekly-ish encouragement!
• Follow Jenny Aldredge on Instagram.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas! Airbnb link here.
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

What you surround yourself with every day has lasting power.

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So we’re going to talk about how to find joy, how to recover joy, how to keep joy…the secrets to getting more joy in your everyday life.

This week we are going to talk about finding joy at home and I am so excited to introduce you to my guest, Whitney Walker. Whitney is a boutique residential interior designer and works out of her studio, Farrington Lane. She lives in Austin with her husband, Bill, and their three young boys.

Does your home bring you joy? Whitney says that the key to a home you love is to invest in things you love that enhance your daily life. Start by identifying the intention of your home and what level of investment you want to make. Maybe the first step is just a pretty piece you find at an estate sale or maybe you’re ready to invest in a major change. Listen in as we dive a little deeper into the things that can make the greatest impact, including original art, sentimentality, and color … and how to start creating a home you love.

I hope that you find those things that enhance your home everyday. I continue to pray that your home brings you joy and that you let yourself dream big about and pray big for a home you love.

SHOW NOTES

• Become a Newsletter Friend to stay in the know and get weekly-ish encouragement!
• Check out Farrington Lane in Austin.
• Follow Whitey Walker and her design hero Angie Hranowski on Instagram.
• Learn more about Christ Church.
• Stay at The Franklin our treasure in small town, Texas!
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Welcome to The JOY Series on the Dear Daughters Podcast! I want you to have the joy in your life that you are seeking. So we’re going to talk about how to find joy, how to recover joy, how to keep joy …the secrets to getting more joy in your everyday life.

The first part of The JOY Series is about finding joy at home.

My home brings me such joy. It’s where my people gather, where little treasures are, where memories are created. I love home. 

You know what helps create joy in your place? Pray for your home. I prayed for all my homes, from our first house in Austin to our current home, to the Franklin. God has given me so much to be grateful for and that gratitude brings so much joy into our home.

I pray that your home brings you joy, too. I hope that you let yourself dream big about and pray big for a home you love.

SHOW NOTES

• Become a Newsletter Friend to stay in the know and get weekly-ish encouragement!
• Stay at the very charming Franklin in La Grange, Texas! We’re now taking inquiries…
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

How do I sort through all the hard things that have accumulated in my life the past few years?

Thanks for joining me in this mini-mester on the Dear Daughters Podcast these past few weeks as I tackle your deepest questions and biggest tangles. Let’s wrap up our time with one more question I get all the time.

This week’s question is: How do I sort through all the hard things that have accumulated the past few years? How do I understand the why behind all the suffering?

You need soul alignment to help you sort through all the really big, hard questions in your life.

There are three questions I want to address to help you find soul alignment:

1. How should I think about suffering?
2. How should I feel about suffering?
3. What should I do about suffering?

I pray that your heart and mind align with God’s purpose in your story. I pray that you allow yourself to feel the heaviness of suffering and allow the grief to bring us through to the other side of suffering … and that it softens your heart and leads you to help others.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• REGISTRATION for Soul Care School is LIVE!
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get registration info on Soul Care School firsthand!
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)

Why can’t I find or make time for myself? 

That’s a question I get from women quite a lot. So let’s talk about it and see if you can wonder a bit on the why beneath it.

It’s the last week of this mini-mester on the Dear Daughters Podcast. I’m so grateful you’re here, friend. Let’s keep tackling your deepest questions and biggest tangles.

Three ways to make time for you starts with soul goals. You need prioritize the inside health of who you are (those soul-ish parts of you) … your heart, mind, will, and personality. Time to play, to be quiet and to experience joy. Can you think of a time that we need more soul care than right now?

It’s all about the little things that bring rest and delight into your life and create a cozy place for people to be invited into.

Soul Goal #1: Schedule you into your calendar.

Excuse: I’m too busy. You make time in your daily schedule to brush your teeth, to eat, to work and take care of your family … you prioritize a lot of things but what about your soul? You don’t think you’re worth it so you put you at the bottom of your list. But you are worth it. Bump yourself up to the top of your list.

Soul Goal #2: Create something irresistible in your schedule that helps you rest.

Excuse: I don’t know what to do to get rest. What did you like to do as a child? What’s a hobby you wish you had more time to do? Slow down and get to know you. Find what is restful and enjoyable for you.

Soul Goal #3: Be more like Jesus.

Excuse: It’s selfish to take time for myself. Here’s the thing. Jesus took time away. Jesus knew what his assignment was and he wanted to walk it out wholeheartedly. God isn’t asking us to hold everything and everyone together. That’s his job. He wants us to live out our assignments wholeheartedly and that requires us to take care of the body and soul he gave us.

I hope that you realize it’s not selfish to take care of yourself. I hope that you discover the things that give you rest and make time in your schedule for them. And I pray that you become more like Jesus, walking out your assignments wholeheartedly.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES

SHOW NOTES

• Discover Soul Care School! REGISTRATION OPENS TOMORROW!!
• Become a Newsletter Friend and get registration info on Soul Care School firsthand!
• Join us Sundays online at my home church, Austin Christian Fellowship.
• Listen to more of Sara Davis Regan’s music. :)