Shame is to the soul what cancer is to the body. It eats away at our self-esteem, erodes our relationships, and keeps us from moving forward in life. In fact, toxic shame is often what drives addictions, anxieties, and depression.
But the good news is that freedom is possible. And that’s what we’re exploring today with author Dr. Gregory Jantz. He’ll weave together reliable psychological principles with biblical truths to start you on the path of wellness and peace.
Growing up as a Chinese American daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Bonnie Gray never felt like she belonged. She spent her childhood hiding “Chinese Bonnie” who lived in a dysfunctional home in poverty in order to be accepted as cheerful “American Bonnie” who lived a life that looked like everybody else’s.
She tried to throw away pieces of her past—the ones she thought no one wanted—but in the process, she discovered God was tenderly gathering all the broken fragments to build a new story of faith and joy. She learned that it’s only when we learn to embrace the truth of our past that we can finally make sense of our present and celebrate what truly matters.
I hung out in the podcast closet with two 20-somethings, Nico and Mary, who work at our ministry. They asked lots of great questions common to every 20-something, including questions about dating, marriage, identity, planning their future, being honest about their sin, and simply getting through the decade of their 20’s.
We’re picking up where we left off last week with Jo Dee Messina. It was the first part of a two-part conversation that continues right now!
If you missed it, don’t worry! You can go back and listen to it here.
Last week, I talked to Jo Dee about her life’s journey through country music and coming to faith in Christ. Now, we’re talking about songs and song writing.
Singer-songwriter Jo Dee Messina took country music by storm with her breakout hit, “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” and today, she’ll take you backstage—into her heart.
This conversation was so rich and deep that I broke it in half so you can take it all in.
In this first episode, Jo Dee shares her story of growing up as a latchkey kid in Boston, getting into country music, grappling with the longing for more, and finding that longing met in Christ.
We all want to make our mark on the world. But how do we do that successfully?
