Nourish Podcast With Kim Bakaev

Joanne Greene is a woman who clearly loves the LORD and her family.  She has suffered tragedies in her life that no woman should have to experience.  But, through it all, her faith in God has carried her through and given her strength she never knew she had.  Besides being a loving mom, grandma, and friend, she is an amazing artist who uses her talent to bring joy to others and pleasure to the Father.  Joanne is one who always nourishes my soul when we're together!

This week I'm flying solo and share with you about my experience in a completely different culture right in my own city.  The LORD reminded me of the importance of caring for the "alien" or "other" in my land, and how when we care for them, we are caring for him.  

Each of us has a unique story in God's story.  So often we think our stories are insignificant or unworthy of sharing because of the pain or shame that so often accompanies them.  But, the truth is, God wants to redeem our stories and show them to us from His perspective.  There is grace and beauty and value in each of them.  Holly Beitel is president of TRUE Stories Ministries, a ministry that uses a tool called storyrope to help women explore their stories in a beautiful way.  It has had a profound impact on my life and I have served with her and our team for several years now bringing storyrope events to women of all ages.  You'll hear how storyrope was created and how it's being used to transform lives.   You can reach Holly at truestoriesministries.com

Patty Gerstenberger has always been one who naturally enjoys helping others achieve their goals and overcome obstacles.  Becoming a life coach a couple of years ago made perfect sense, but it was up to God to make it clear that it was the right step for Patty.  Join me as she shares about her journey of following her gifting, the LORD's provision, and how she helps clients reach their dreams.  

Join me and my dear friend Cathie Searcy as we discuss one of the best books I've read recently, "Loveable" by Dr. Kelly Flanagan.  Our lives are a journey of discovering our worth, where we belong, and what our purpose is.  This book has been a game-changer for us and we're excited to share our favorite parts with you.  

Shannon Smith is a woman of many passions.  She is a seamstress, chef, jewelry-maker and world traveller.  Her love for cooking and micro-finance projects with her husband, Phil Smith, have taken her around the world.  Shannon loves learning how to cook different cuisines and then bringing them back to eager students here in Tulsa.  Recently she has been able to teach cooking skills to impoverished women in Rwanda and Dominican Republic.  Shannon is a beautiful example of using her gifts and talents to enrich and empower lives around the world.  

May is National Foster Care month.  My dear friend Ronna Eddins is a social worker who has the biggest heart, especially for kids.  She has a passion for foster kids and families, and she and her husband, Mike, are waiting to adopt a waiting child into their own family one day.  I know you'll appreciate her heart as she shares the needs and ways to help!

Abi Spencer is back!  This time we share about how we all have expectations and they often can lead to great pain and disappointment when they're not met.  We discuss realistic expectations and keeping those before the LORD.  We also share about dealing with disappointment in healthy ways.

Kelly Tietsort answered the call of God as a single woman to serve and love the marginalized women and men in the border town of Reynosa, Mexico and the brothel known as "Boys' Town".  In this podcast she shares as only Kelly can about the challenges, the loneliness, the exhilaration, the joy and the pain of giving yourself to loving others while expecting nothing in return.  Her story will most definitely inspire you!  Her insightful blog, which includes everything from Kingdom truth to the antics of her young tribe, can be found at hereforthefreetherapy.blogspot.com

Singer/songwriter Casii Stephan moved to Tulsa from Minnesota looking for a change.  Turns out, God, surprise! surprise! was in the midst of it.  Her dream of creating music came together quickly after moving to Oklahoma and she's been going after it ever since.  Not only does she write and sing amazing songs, she is the brainchild of MisFest, the upcoming music festival that celebrates and promotes female musicians here in Oklahoma.  Casii's journey of using the gift that God has given her is truly inspiring.  Her music and info about MisFest can be found at casiistephan.com

Leah Marshall had a very successful career as an attorney working with a federal judge.  Money, success, prestige--she walked away from it all when her son came into her life.  With her husband's full support, she sacrificed all that the world would consider important in order to be with her little guy.  The sacrifices continued as she decided to enrich her son's life with world travel.  I know you'll be inspired as you listen to my conversation with Leah about her choices and the riches that her sacrifices have brought to her family. 

Jewel Kaste moved to Santiago, Chile, with her family when she was 9 years old.  She went from not knowing a soul or a word of Spanish to falling in love with her second home.  Her passion for jewelry and design, travels back to Chile, and dream of starting a business all came together recently and her company, Tierra Mia Styles, was born.  Jewel is an inspiration that will definitely nourish your soul.  Her jewelry is gorgeous and unique and available at tierramiastyles.com.  

Carrie Kittinger is a blogger and speaker who seeks to encourage women in faith as they walk through various seasons of life.  Her passion for God's Word is infectious.  In this podcast, Carrie and I discuss defining moments in life.  Those moments may not seem significant at the time, but they can bring life or death, hope or despair, blessing or pain.  Viewing those moments from a perspective of God's grace and goodness will bring life, healing and increased trust in Him.  You can hear more from Carrie or book her for speaking at carriekittinger.com, and her husband Danny at dannykittinger.com.  

Caroline Frame had a dream of going to Broadway to sing and perform.  That got set on the shelf when she got married young and started her family of 5 children.  But the dream never died.  She had no idea that God would use her gifts and passion to ignite the same gifts and passions in dozens of young people.  Courtyard Theatre was born out of her willingness to serve kids and love for musical theater.  

Blogger Abi Spencer and I discuss how critical it is to be grounded in our identities as daughters of God.  

NOURISH is a podcast to encourage, inspire, and nourish women's souls and spirits.  With so much negativity, toxicity, and stress in the world around us, I hope to provide content that is "nutrient-rich" in order for women to thrive in life.  In Philippians 4:8, Paul advises us to think about things that are true, noble, and admirable.  Through inspiring interviews and upbeat conversations, NOURISH will provide an opportunity to "think on these things."