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

This is the episode that never ends . . . it just goes on and on, my friends!

I promise we tried for under an hour, but we just had too many good things to chat about.

Today's TOP TWO focuses on seeing God in literally everything, and how a surrendered life seems like the harder way in the beginning but ends up being the harder way with eternal consequences. And we might sprinkle in some book reviews (we finally get back to Project Hail Mary), mermaids, and a theological question about when the first sin was committed. Buckle up!

SHOW NOTES

Numbers That Prophesy [https://amzn.to/4eqZIz7]by Troy Brewer (at the time of this recording, it's only 99 cents on Kindle!)

"Eighteen Days in Heaven with Gabe Poirot" [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blurry-creatures/id1526885135?i=1000760093262] on Blurry Creatures

Confessions [https://amzn.to/4wdeIah] by Saint Augustine (at the time of this recording, it's only 84 cents on Kindle!)

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus [https://amzn.to/4uz3ifn] by Lois Tverberg and Ann Spangler (currently free on KindleUnlimited)

Bible passages mentioned: 1 Kings 5:1-9 and Ecclesiastes 10:10

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

The One Where We Have 7 Topics

We're back with a bonus episode discussing our March book club read: The Way of Life: Experiencing the Culture of Heaven on Earth [https://amzn.to/49oHtqw]by Bill Johnson. This is the first time both Joy and Gretchen have read a Bill Johnson book, and they were both challenged by the content. This book offers a no-holds-barred guide to living life as a follower of Jesus.

We believe this discussion will provide an insightful overview of the book and help you determine if this should go on your TBR.

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 - The Way of Life: Experiencing the Culture of Heaven on Earth by Bill Johnson

We're back in our regular groove! This week's Top Two includes Bible journaling habit suggestions, deeper insights into Genesis, and tender takeaways from reading Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son [https://amzn.to/3OJxVzh].

Also mentioned on the pod, Lisa Harper's podcast Back Porch Theology, "Mountains, Valleys, & the Voice of God pt. 1 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mountains-valleys-the-voice-of-god-part-1/id1603918454?i=1000731551346]."

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

Journaling Through Genesis and Revelations of the Prodigal Son

This one is special Today Gretchen gives a vulnerable account of the lessons God is inviting her to concerning His promises for babies. Gretchen shows a lot of courage by sharing raw responses and how she's processing her most recent trip to Bethel's Wonder conference for women.

We'll talk both grief and hope; and then the delicate ways of managing the tension of how those are both necessary and healing.

Grab a tissue and maybe a thick blanket as you snuggle in and listen to this one.

SHOW NOTES

Messianic Passover Haggadah [https://www.shalommaine.com/downloads/Messianic_Passover_Haggadah.pdf]

"On Spiritual Battles and God's Promises [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-grow/id1825648005?i=1000721540746]" on As We Grow

"Bonus Episode: Book Club: Surrendered to the Holy Spirit by Hayley Braun [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-grow/id1825648005?i=1000738134093]" on As We Grow

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.

On Grieving Unfulfilled Promises 

We're back from spring break! This week, we kicked our Top Two off with an honest and messy conversation about naming pain in relationships, choosing when extreme boundaries are needed, determining our responsibility in the pain, and deciding how we can keep showing up to our community's "table" and doing life together in an emotionally healthy way.

Warning: nothing is tied in a neat bow at the end, but we think you might feel a little less alone as you hear us wrestle with some of the more common relationship issues.

Referenced often is Habit Lab's podcast. Here's the episode Joy refers to: "Friendship Files #7: Staying at the Table When You're Hurt [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friendship-files-7-staying-at-the-table-when-youre-hurt/id1710984795?i=1000757153424]."

Also mentioned briefly by Gretchen is naming the core emotions from the Connection Code's emotion wheel. A free link can be found here [https://connectioncodes.co/core-emotion-wheel].

Tune in next week for part two!

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.

Naming Pain, Setting Boundaries, and Being Emotionally Healthy

Today’s TOP TWO gets a little more introspective as we dig into what we’re noticing God is opening our understanding in. Gretchen kicks it off contemplating how three different books she’s reading are all leading her to the same lesson: “It’s the slowing down.” Joy shares about how she’s personally in the middle of a difficult season financially and which touchstones from her walk with God she’s clinging to in this hard time. Just as David encouraged himself in the Lord, this gives practical points you can follow to encourage yourself in the Lord during a difficult trial.We hope that as you listen, you feel seen and heard and know that you’re not alone. Share your thoughts on IG @aswegrowpod [https://www.instagram.com/aswegropod].PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL BE TAKING NEXT WEEK OFF FOR SPRING BREAK. WE WILL RESUME OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PODCAST EPISODES ON APRIL 6, 2026.SHOW NOTESYou Are What You Love [https://amzn.to/4cYlSYV] by James K. A. SmithTheo of Golden [https://amzn.to/40y6Od1] by Allen LeviStolen Focus [https://amzn.to/3NEcH5v] by Johann Hari

On Slowing Down and Encouraging Yourself

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.