It's Halloween week, and we've got some "spooky" topics to discuss .

For our Top Two, Joy starts us off with a heated conversation about "nothing being spiritually neutral" and its implications, especially during this upcoming week of festivities. Spoiler alert: we had to agree to disagree to end this one--not all convos get tied up in a pretty bow here on As We Grow, and we're okay with that.

Second, Gretchen talked about the spiritual lessons she's taking away from reading Franken [https://link.amazon/B0aEre8eK]stein [https://link.amazon/B0aEre8eK]. This is a challenging lesson for those of us who struggle with the temptation to control; i.e., the responsibility control produces is often what we don't expect and can't handle.

We're also chatting a little about Lift Gate and Guerrimo's exit from Dancing With the Stars week 5.

Grab a mug of hot apple cider, and be sure to let us know your thoughts on @aswegrowpod [https://instagram.com/aswegrowpod].

For more information on confronting antisemitism check out the David Merage Foundation [https://davidmeragefoundation.org/] website.

To listen to Joy's solo podcast, search for The Mentor's Table [https://www.joyabad.com/podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts, or visit her at www.joyabad.com [http://www.joyabad.com/] to sign up for her newsletter and follow her journey to publication.

*Contains affiliate links

A Christian View of Witches, Spells, Demons, and Frankenstein

Grab a cuppa and a snuggly blanket as you join the conversation we're having this week. We'll start with some personal updates, which include a lot of travel! Can you guess which states we went to? I'll give you a hint: they're about as far away as you can get in the country.

And then, of course, we'll share our takeaways from Dancing With The Stars week 4. Gretchen's jumping on the conspiracy train and thinks the system was rigged. Do you agree?

Finally, for our Top Two, we're coming at you with more questions than answers. We'd love to hear your thoughts--slide into our DMs @aswegrowpod on IG.

Gretchen asks what it looks like to observe the Sabbath in a way that honors God. Do Isaiah 58's standards mean we have to rethink how we observe the Sabbath?

Joy's wondering why we are taught to "listen" to the "voice" of God when the majority of us have never heard anything audible. Do we need to redefine terms? Are there other ways we "hear" God? How do you "hear" from God?

Hit play, and then let us know your thoughts.

What it Means to Listen to God and How to Honor the Lord in Shabbat

If you're feeling restless, overwhelmed, or a little hopeless, make some time to listen to this week's episode. It focuses on the healing power available when we meditate on our God's character, specifically that the God we serve brings order out of chaos and light out of darkness.

Today, Joy finishes the Top Two discussion begun last week. She discusses Genesis 1-3, the story of creation, and the surprising connection she found between the Creation story and King Nebuchadnezzar's actions in Daniel 3 (the story of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego and the fiery furnace).

Hit PLAY, and be sure to follow the show and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Also, true to form, we cover Week 3 of Dancing With the Stars season 35. Warning: we're feeling spicy and sharing some big hot takes!

SHOW NOTES

Check out the "Bible Study with Eyesontheright" (Amy Wood-Roper) Bible Study archives [https://rumble.com/c/BibleStudywithEyesontheright?e9s=src_v1_cbl]. Search "Genesis" to pull up all the weeks she covered this book. The Genesis study begins in August 2023.

To be among the first notified of Joy's book release, sign up for her monthly newsletter HERE [https://www.joyabad.com/newsletter].

The Surprising Connection Between Genesis and Daniel

Laughter is a staple on our pod, but this week we're digging into why it's so important and biblical. This episode is only a Top One where Gretchen tackles tough questions such as:

1. How much celebration do we need in our lives?

2. How to approach a friend who needs a reminder of joy.

3. What does the Bible say about joy and celebration?

4. What does joy do to our soul?

We get it. We live in a dark and broken world. It's easy for the scales to tip toward seriousness and gloom, but that's no excuse for dismissing joy. Joy is a command, and we're gonna talk about how we live that out.

Hit play, and let us know in the comments which parts challenged you the most.

p.s. It's official: we'll be bringing you weekly recaps and responses for season 35 of Dancing With The Stars. This week we discuss Week 2. Why? Because it brings us so much joy!

SHOW NOTES

If you want to be the first to know when Joy's upcoming book on surrender (with a healthy dose of celebration) is released, sign up for her monthly newsletter HERE [https://www.joyabad.com/newsletter].

The Importance of Celebration and Choosing Joy

Our Top Two is back! Today Joy dives in with lessons from Jacob/Israel in Genesis, namely the fruitlessness of allowing fear to drive our parenting choices. Gretchen masterfully ties together a sermon, a classic novel, and a movie about witches for a mic-drop moment about how we view and treat one another. You have to hear it to believe it.

And for the DWTS fans out there, our week 1 review is up. We make no apologies for our obsession and fourth-judge comments. Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES

Joy's episode on The Mentor's Table about noticing your invitations to surrender or control: "Why You Should Always Count Your Invitations." [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mentors-table-a-place-for-women-desiring/id1777464823?i=1000790178220]

Sense and Sensibility [https://link.amazon/B0gtVEkBN]

Stop Living Like You're Powerless [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-well-utah/id1044806850?i=1000751781842], Erica Parrish from The Well church.

Gretchen's powerful solo podcast about words: "The Power of Words: Life, Death, and What We Partner With" [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-grow/id1825648005?i=1000744824357]

The Fear of Israel and Treating Others as God Sees Them

We're back with a big fat update about alllllll things summer. Teaser: the word gonorrhea came up multiple times ;-) Lots of laughs, some book reccs, personal stories, some reality TV, and a little glimpse into how we grew over the summer.

You don't want to miss the big announcement at the end (hint: Joy's caving).

Thanks so much for listening. As always, like, share, and subscribe to help us grow As We Grow. And leave a review while you're listening--every bit of love helps!

As We Grow is on Instagram! Follow @aswegrowpod [https://instagram.com/aswegrowpod] for BTS pictures, episode highlights, and personal connections with Joy & Gretchen.

To listen to Joy's solo podcast, search for The Mentor's Table [https://www.joyabad.com/podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts, or visit her at www.joyabad.com [http://www.joyabad.com/] to sign up for her newsletter and follow her journey to publication.

As We Grew this Summer

This week we’re wrapping up our season and heading into a summer break! In this episode, we talk about why we’re stepping away for a few months, what we’re hoping to learn during this season of rest, and the personal goals we’re working toward while we’re off. From growth and discipline to margin and restoration, we’re sharing what this summer looks like for us and inviting you to consider what you might need in this season too.

Thank you for being part of As We Grow. We’ll see you after the summer!

Summer Goals

Joy jumps in this week to talk about the necessity of developing a rhythm of stopping and listening before we make any decision, and then she ties it to the unavoidable need for community. This conversation is the kick you need to recalibrate your life rhythms to God's rhythms before summer roars in.

We also have many personal updates on this show, so follow us on Instagram @aswegrowpod [https://www.instagram.com/aswegrowpod] to see all the corresponding pictures in our stories.

And speaking of summer, we're announcing our summer schedule. We'll be taking the next few weeks off to recharge, so now more than ever, it's vital that you follow our pod wherever you listen to podcasts! That way, when we return, our new episode will auto-populate in your feed.

Also mentioned on the show, we have not been able to adequately keep up with the Fable app during our book club, so we are giving notice that we will not be using that app anymore. Thanks for your understanding.

SHOW NOTES

Podcasts mentioned:

"The Secrets of Prophesy (hearing God, assignments, and childlike faith)" w/Dale Mast - 101" [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secrets-of-prophecy-hearing-god/id1500492987?i=1000767592176] on The Deep End podcast.

"1: Trust the Story" [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bema-podcast/id1373610566?i=1000448536444] on BEMA Discipleship podcast (for a detailed explanation of a chiasm).

As We Grow is on Instagram! Follow @aswegrowpod [https://www.instagram.com/aswegrowpod]for BTS pictures, episode highlights, and personal connections with Joy & Gretchen.

To listen to Joy's solo podcast, search for The Mentor's Table [https://www.joyabad.com/podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts.

Rhythms of Listening in Community

We only got through one topic this time, so you'll have to tune in next week for our second of the TOP TWO. In this episode, Gretchen lays out the difference between excuses and speaking truth. We talk about the difference between the two and how to identify when excuses are masquerading as truth.

Prepare for some conviction. This one will sharpen you.

As We Grow is on Instagram! Follow @aswegrowpod [https://instagram.com/aswegrowpod] for BTS pictures, episode highlights, and personal connections with Joy & Gretchen.

To listen to Joy's solo podcast, search for The Mentor's Table [https://www.joyabad.com/podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts.

*Contains affiliate links

Catching Up With Luke

We're gonna push the limits of your faith and spiritual understanding with this one. Buckle up! We're talking time travel, redemption, and a wild testimony from Gretchen!

We did the best we could to summarize Redeeming Your Timeline by Troy Brewer, but you really just need to read this one yourself. Here's a link to purchase. Can't wait to hear what you think!

Redeeming Your Timeline: Supernatural skillsets for healing past wounds, calming future anxieties, and discovering rest in the now [https://amzn.to/3Rjt1tM] by Troy A. Brewer

As We Grow is on Instagram! Follow @aswegrowpod [https://instagram.com/aswegrowpod] for BTS pictures, episode highlights, and personal connections with Joy & Gretchen.

To listen to Joy's solo podcast, search for The Mentor's Table [https://www.joyabad.com/podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts.

*Contains affiliate links

BONUS EPISODE: Book Club - Redeeming Your Timeline by Troy Brewer

We both love Jesus. We both love learning. And we needed a place to talk about it! Join our conversations with one another as we grow in our walks with God.