Real Talk With Rachael Podcast

Welcome to the Stand Firm Series. My vision for this series is to help you build a foundation with scripture that will help you be able to stand firm when it seems everything is shaking. Solid Foundation Verse: Psalm 34:5, "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Stand Firm in Action: Where your eyes go, your body will follow. Where your mind goes, your life will follow. The enemy loves to get us so focused on looking down at ourselves that we forget to look up at Jesus. Looking up looks like talking to Him (especially when you fail), worshiping, praying, reading the Word, and thinking about things that are true and worthy of praise. Process: How can you look to God this week? What are you standing on? Resource: Did you know I send a monthly Therapist Thoughts email? I promise It’s not your average newsletter. Each month I share a personal note from me that you can’t find anywhere else on the internet, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Join the

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with Morgan Jackson about her new book Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten. Ashley Morgan Jackson is an author, speaker, and social media expert. She works full-time for Proverbs 31 Ministries and has ministered to her own online community for over ten years. She is passionate about women learning to let go of the lie that they have to perform for God’s love and instead realizing that they can receive His love, just as they are. Ashley is a wife of fourteen years to her wonderful husband, Daniel, and a mom to two growing boys. The family lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you asked Ashley what her favorite thing to do is, she would say it’s laughing till it hurts! Key Points from Our Conversation: Ashley wrote Tired of Trying after a hard transition period where she struggled with identity loss. Once she surrendered, God broke away the things that she identified herself with and told her who she wa

Welcome to the Stand Firm Series. My vision for this series is to help you build a foundation with scripture that will help you be able to stand firm when it seems everything is shaking. Solid Foundation Verse: Psalm 1:2-3, "but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." Stand Firm in Action: When tempted to strive, this verse reminds me that it’s being rooted in God’s word that makes me thrive. Process: What are you standing on? Create a stand firm album Resource: Did you know I send a monthly Therapist Thoughts email? I promise It’s not your average newsletter. Each month I share a personal note from me that you can’t find anywhere else on the internet, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Join the community for free today.

We aren’t in a series right now, but I am sharing words God is putting on my heart each week. Today’s topic is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:7, "There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be silent and a time to speak." Luke 12:12, “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11, "...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you." Questions to ask when questioning whether to be silent or speak: 1. Have I checked my heart? In other words…what are my motives? 2. Do I need to process my own pain first? 3. What’s the end goal? Reconciliation or revenge? 4. Have I listened? (hint: you shouldn’t speak or be silent until you truly listen) 5.  If I choose silence, will I get resentful? 6.  If I speak, is it out of love? 7.  Have I spoken with the Lord about it first? 8.  Have I sought wise counsel? Final

We just wrapped up The Restored Series. Be sure to take the time to listen if you missed any of those episodes. We aren’t in a series right now, but I am sharing words God is putting on my heart each week. Today’s topic is shame vs. sorrow. Shame says, “Keep this a secret.” Sorrow says, “It’s time to surrender.” Shame stays in the dark; sorrow is an opportunity to step into the light. Shame condemns. Sorrow convicts. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:10, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Process:  Reflect on Godly sorrow in your life and receive it

We just wrapped up The Restored Series. Be sure to take the time to listen if you missed any of those episodes. We aren’t in a series right now, but I am sharing words God is putting on my heart each week. Today’s topic is letting go and I've invited a very special guest to share with you - my daughter, Ellie. In this episode, she shares her own struggle to let go of a good thing and trust that God has a purpose in moving her into a new season.  Process: Why are you afraid of leaving? Remember to BOOGIE – be outstanding or get involved elsewhere

My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 18 where we discuss healthy and unhealthy community. Therapist Thoughts: "We are made in the image of God; therefore, we have His relational DNA. We’re wired for connection. When something or someone damages our “wiring,” it doesn’t have to be fatal or final. Taking the risk to restore relational cords can move us from isolation to consolation." - Dr. Linda Hoover Process: Create a "community wheel" Resource: The resource I recommend for all of these episodes is my book, Image Restored. (If you’ve already purchased the book, join the private community on the book page. We will email you free resources and printables you can use right away.)

My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 17 where we discuss God’s grace. Therapist Thoughts: "Take a moment to sit in the stillness of God’s presence. Imagine grace being freely poured over you like warm, fragrant oil. Breathe in deeply as it is absorbed into every thirsty cell. Notice any places where the oil does not soak in. Offer those areas to the Lord and allow His gentle grace to soften your soul until it is fully saturated and satisfied." - Dr. Linda Hoover Process: The antidote to shame is grace. Pray:  2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infi

My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 16 where we discuss God’s love and Jesus’ blood. Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” That phrase “abounding in love” can be expressed in a single Hebrew word, chesed, meaning “goodness, kindness.” This is only the tip of the iceberg in exploring the Bible and what we find about God’s love for us. If we look at the character of God throughout all of Scripture, we see this theme of His goodness and kindness toward humanity. It’s a love that most of us don’t know from humans, yet God shows that love to us every day, no matter our failures or sins. He loves you, my friend. Therapist Though

This week our theme comes from chapter 15 of Image Restored where we discuss how your unique design is a reflection of being made in God's image. Process: What do you see when you look in the mirror? Write all the things that come to mind. Strikethrough negative attributes and ask what God sees instead. Circle positive attributes and ask God why He designed you that way. Do you see Jesus reflected in your image? Resource: The resource I recommend for all of these episodes is my book, Image Restored. (If you’ve already purchased the book, join the private community on the book page. We will email you free resources and printables you can use right away.) What's Your Body Trying to Tell You Quiz

My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 14. This chapter is about body restoration, but my heart for this episode is to emphasize that God cares about your body. After all, it was His idea and He called it "good."  Do you think of your body as a friend, acquaintance, or an enemy? Learning to listen to your body starts with rebuilding trust in it and with God. Two key quotes from this chapter: "Your body is always speaking to you." "Where our minds go, our body and lives will follow." Process: What does my thought process look like around my body? How is my relationship currently with my body? Does it need to be restored? Resource: The resource I recommend for all of these episodes

My book, Image Restored, was released in March and we are in a Restored Series here on the podcast. While this series can address body image struggles, I am teaching how you can apply it to ANY area of your life. We have covered a lot of topics in this series, so if you missed any, now is a great time to go listen to any you missed. This week our theme comes from chapter 13. This chapter is actually about expectations, but I wanted to sit and have some real talk with you about why it’s important to be real with ourselves, God, and others about our expectations, fears, thoughts, emotions, or anything else that is weighing us down. Two key quotes from this chapter: "Stop comparing yourself to your younger self; she’s another woman." "My future grandchildren will not remember Grandma by my wrinkles or gray hair; instead, they will remember a woman who feared and praised the Lord." Therapist Thoughts: The brain is far more sophisticated than we realize. No one has to say that we are more valuable, special, or wor

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with author Michael MacKenzie about his book, Don’t Blow Up Your Ministry: Defuse the Underlying Issues that Take Pastors Down. Dr. Michael MacKenzie is the executive director of Marble Retreat, an intensive counseling center for Christian leaders, and he is the supervisor of the Doctorate of Ministry Pastor Care track at Lincoln Christian University. A licensed professional counselor for 26 years specializing in caring for pastors, he has also been a chaplain and is an ordained pastor. He is an author, speaker, and teacher on ministry and counseling issues. Key Points from Our Conversation: People that work in ministry choose to do so to serve others, but often that can lead them to performance-based stress.  Ministry is stressful and Satan is cunning, so it's important to be aware of our own brokenness. When we begin to say yes out of guilt and fear, we are no longer motivated by love and freedom.  Fear of man seeps in when we're seeking love, value, and re

When motives go wrong, it’s an attack on our original design. This week our theme is Motives Restored from chapter 12 of my book, Image Restored. Therapist Thoughts: People are not born with core beliefs; they are learned. What core beliefs have you learned about your body that God would love to rewrite? Process: One of the best questions I’ve learned to ask that uproots the mold in my heart is this: “Why are you chasing what you are chasing?” Pray: Psalm 26:2, "Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind." Resource: The resource I recommend for all of these episodes is my book, Image Restored. (If you’ve already purchased the book, join the private community on the book page. We will email you free resources and printables you can use right away.) What's Your Body Trying to Tell You Quiz

This week our theme is Identity Restored from chapter 11 of my book, Image Restored. This chapter is about comparison and I felt God highlight this as an identity issue. When we are busy comparing ourselves to others, we fail to see who God created us to be. Three Rs to breaking a comparison yardstick: Recognize Repent Rejoice Therapist Thoughts: Body-checking is the habit of seeking (or avoiding) information about your body’s weight, shape, size, or appearance. A counselor can help if body-checking becomes problematic or interferes with your life, affects your eating habits, or becomes a way to control fear and anxiety about your body. When you find yourself body-checking, take a moment to check in with your heart and ask, "What am I looking for?" Process: Next time you compare, ask, what am I looking for? What is missing in my heart that makes it hard for me to celebrate others? Resource: The resource I recommend for all of these episodes is my book, Image Restored. (If you’ve already purchased the book, jo

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with author (and certified laughing yoga coach) Ainsley Britain about her book Don't Date a BooBoo Dude. Ainsley is also a Podcast Host and Enneagram Coach, helping young adults embrace their confidence, date healthy, and discover their identity in Christ. With extensive training with Josh Shipp, SheSpeaks, and Your Enneagram Coach, she reaches young adults and spurs them on to healthy, God-filled relationships. Key Points from Our Conversation: Ainsley wrote Don't Date a BooBoo Dude from her experience of putting her worth in the hands of someone who abused her, although she wouldn't identify it as abuse until years later. Her abuser reinforced the lies about her identity that she already believed. Through counseling and prayer, she was able to recognize what was really happening. After doing the work of counseling, EMDR treatments, and spending time with God, she stopped over-apologizing, became more confident, and began asking for what she needed in relation

This week our theme is Worship Restored from chapter 10 of my book, Image Restored. This chapter is about idols, but I don’t think God wants to restore our idols. In fact, He wants to demolish them so worship can be restored. We are designed to worship, the question is to what or who are we worshipping? God detests anything that comes between Him and us. The temple falls when idols enter because we turn our hearts away from the Lord and worship a god that can never meet our deepest needs. Here’s the good news: God knew He would battle against idols to keep our hearts turned toward Him. This is just one more reason He sent Jesus to die for our sins. The answer to overcoming idols is letting Jesus access every area of our hearts. DON’T LET SHAME AND SECRETS KEEP YOU FROM RETURNING TO HIM TO REPENT OF YOUR SIN. Therapist Thoughts: Shame is often associated with “should” statements. This is one type of distorted thinking that affects our decisions. These “shoulds” can often lead us to the land of neglect or obses

So far in the Retored Series, we have covered truth, temple, union, hope, family, heart, mind, and emotions. This week our theme is Behaviors Restored from chapter 9 of my book, Image Restored. Therapist Thoughts: "The diet industry puts a lot of effort into trying to help people change their habits through willpower and behavioral modifications. This top-down approach can be helpful for some people, but many people end up disillusioned, chasing one diet fad after another, because behavior modification alone is like trimming the top of a weed without getting all the roots. In contrast, a bottom-up approach addresses the root issues below the surface. With this approach, we switch directions, stop, take a deep breath, and invite God to show us His view of our bodies to make space for behaviors that come from our Creator’s core beliefs." - Adapted from Dr. Shannon Crawford Questions I get asked about body image include, but aren’t limited to, the following: What’s a healthy weight for my body type? Is it okay t

This week on Real Talk with Rachael my friend, Anne Watson, is sharing her personal story of body image and bullying. Anne is a business strategy coach and the host of the Swayology podcast. She helps coaches and communicators think like a business so they can inspire like a boss by getting crystal clear about their niche and creating a transformational offer that gets results. She currently lives in the Dallas, Texas area. Key Points from Our Conversation: After getting bullied about her nose, Anne had surgery but quickly realized that changing herself didn't stop all the bullying. Years later, she realized that what actually earned her the respect she was looking for was standing up for herself and defending her boundaries. Anne's core belief became that she needed to change herself for people to be kind to her instead of God's truth that we are valuable and loved as we are. A true change came when Anne changed her perspective to be grateful that her body had faithfully served her despite how poorly she

So far in the Restored series, we have covered truth, temple, union, hope, family, heart, and mind restored. This week our theme is emotions restored from chapter 8 of my book, Image Restored. In this chapter, we discussed how emotions have a way of letting us know what’s happening in our hearts if we will stop long enough to listen. Emotions are not something we need to hide from, yet in order to stop and embrace them, we must normalize them. It’s all part of our divine design. We often avoid feeling out of fear that we can’t control our emotions. However, the more we practice feeling and expressing emotions, the more we give them an outlet to be expressed in a healthy way. Therapist Thoughts: When a client pinpoints an emotion she is experiencing, I often ask, “Where do you feel that emotion in your body?” Sit for a moment, take three deep breaths, scan your body from head to toe, and notice where you feel any emotion. Process: God, do I have an incorrect view of my emotions? What emotion am I feeling right