Looking Back to Move Forward – Our 100th Episode

God Hears Her Podcast

Episode 100 – Looking Back to Move Forward: Our 100th Episode

Mary Jo Clark, Daniel Ryan Day, Eryn Eddy, Jade Gustafson, and Elisa Morgan

[Music]

Daniel Ryan Day: Welcome to the 100th episode of the God Hears Her podcast. I’m one of the producers, Daniel Ryan Day. I’m sitting next to the other producers of this show. We’ve got our hosts here and we’re ready to celebrate and have some fun together.

Jade Gustafson: Oh yeah.

Daniel Ryan Day: And one of the cool things about the God that we serve is we serve a God who yes, meets us in the hard things of life, but also a God who invites us to celebrate. And so we’re going to celebrate today. We’re going to share some of the things we’ve learned from the show. So it’ll probably get serious at times too.

Elisa Morgan: At times.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. We may or may not draw attention to some of the idiosyncrasies

Elisa Morgan: Bloopers you mean.

Daniel Ryan Day: Repetitive lines.

Eryn Eddy: Okay. Okay. Okay.

Daniel Ryan Day: Go to sayings that Elisa and Eryn may or may not have.

Eryn Eddy: We don’t have that. We’re unique every single time.

Daniel Ryan Day: In fact, already this recording has gone too long without mentioning the Enneagram. So…

Jade Gustafson: I’m a three.

Daniel Ryan Day: It’s about every three minutes.

Mary Jo Clark: That’s right. That’s right.

Daniel Ryan Day: So we’re going to have some fun today and celebrate, share what we’ve learned, draw attention to some of the fun behind the scenes moments. And before we even do that, we just want to acknowledge the many people that are behind the scenes that make this happen. In fact, there’s a lot of people here and…

Mary Jo Clark: Thank you.

Elisa Morgan: That’s a standing ovation.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah, that’s right. Specifically. I want to thank Anne Stevens and Gabby Boward who just, behind the scenes make this happen. We’re so thankful for them. And all the review people that help us. And in fact, it was through reviewing that we met Mary Jo, because when we first started the show, Our Daily Bread came to me and was like, hey, we want get into podcasting. Let’s do a show for women. And let’s work with Elisa because Elisa does other things with the ministry. So why don’t you guys test some recordings and see what happens? So we did four original interviews, one with Eryn. Which was fun.

Elisa Morgan: That was super cool. Eryn and I met in the hotel lobby, because you brought her up to do a podcast. Eryn lives in Atlanta. I live in Denver, and we met in the hotel lobby and I always call it like a ministry blind date.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: So much fun. And within three and a half seconds we were like, oh I’m in love. I just Love her. So anyway, you were saying.

Daniel Ryan Day: If you want some behind the scenes. In the very first recording we ever did with Elisa and Eryn, the way the studio is set up is there’s this divider between the chairs so that when they film, people don’t get in each other’s way. And within three minutes, Eryn and Elisa had pulled each other’s chairs across the divider so that they could sit right next to each other during the recording. And that’s when we knew there was probably something special between the two then.

Eryn Eddy: That was so sweet. There’s a speed bump of like tape and wires that we had to get past. But…

Elisa Morgan: We did it.

Daniel Ryan Day: And then we recorded the first four episodes, one of which was with Eryn. And then we had this review group of women who wanted to listen and we were trying to figure out what we even call this thing. And I think the original name was Seen and Heard.

Eryn Eddy: That’s right. Yeah. I remember that.

Daniel Ryan Day: Is what we thought. And this group of women came in and shared what they thought of the first four episodes. One of which was someone from our transcription and correspondence department at Our Daily Bread, named Mary Jo.

Mary Jo Clark: Yeah. My journey with God Hears Her is just crazy because before the focus group was transcribing, I transcribed Margaret Feinberg’s the Taste and see episode, which actually, as I transcribed, before it was even a show. I was like, I want this book. I want my small group to do it. And I knew that God Hears Her would reach people because it already touched me to want to share this book from Margaret. So, that was my start. And then joining the focus group and was really just beautiful for me because I’ve loved audio for years and wanted to be part of it again. And I got to do that in the focus group and start with Elisa and then Eryn joining. And so yeah, it was a beautiful journey for that.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. Although, I will maybe mention one thing that hopefully you’re okay with. One of the reasons I was glad you were in that focus group is an early conversation that Mary Jo and I had was, yeah. I don’t like shows for women.

Mary Jo Clark: I don’t. I’m a producer.

Eryn Eddy: Which is great, because you bring a different perspective because of that reason.

Mary Jo Clark: I do. There’s a lot of women that it is a struggle to always connect and I’m not a naturally bubbly person. We have two beautifully bubbly hosts for the show. So it was a journey to feel part of it. And then I loved being in the focus group because I did feel like it became a story, a listening experience for everyone. And so becoming a producer was such a joy to be able to be part of that as well. So yeah. Thanks for sharing that secret Daniel.

Jade Gustafson: Exposing you.

Mary Jo Clark: I love it now.

Eryn Eddy: I do want to know, what was the reason for why you didn’t connect with women shows?

Mary Jo Clark: The few different things But I will say that I, as a Christian in a sort of Midwestern feel, a lot of female representation is talking about married life, children and ministry in that way. And I was single through all my twenties. Dated, but wasn’t married. So I just never felt like I was being spoken to. And I had to fight since being a teen, fight against the idea that I didn’t have purpose unless I was married, unless I was a wife and a and a mother. And so it was definitely a journey for a lot of different women’s conferences and that sort of thing.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah.

Mary Jo Clark: But that’s something that I did really appreciate about God Hears Her is we had two hosts, different generations, different lives and different guests as well that didn’t have necessarily the story of married, and this is what your Christian life should look like as a woman. So for me it did become a joy. Well and becoming a producer then, I could specifically speak to the women that I know felt the same way that I did and reach out to guests that could speak more on a variety of topics, rather than what I felt like I was hearing.

Elisa Morgan: Isn’t it interesting how God often uses something that we’re not thrilled about? To draw us into it. To connect us to what he desires. I mean, I had some similar issues with being uncomfortable with women and I ended up being president of MOPS. And I wasn’t even a mother biologically and I’ve never been pregnant. It’s the weirdest thing. But I think sometimes we disqualify ourselves or we think we’re the only ones. And when we share that real struggle, that reality of where we are, everybody kind of pops up out of the woodwork going me too, me too. Please keep talking.

Elisa Morgan: Thanks Mary Jo. That’s neat.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. One of the meaningful conversations that we had early on that made me so excited, especially when you became a producer too, was the way you pushed back on the phrase, choose joy. And as a result…

Elisa Morgan: I remember that.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. And as a result, we ended up having a guest come in, which was one of the more meaningful conversations to talk about mental illness, mental struggles, depression, anxiety, which was one of the better shows, I think that we’ve done, if we can do that.

Elisa Morgan: Yeah, that was Sarah Robinson right? It was so freeing. She really helped us understand that God can hear all of our feelings. Thanks for that connection.

Daniel Ryan Day: And it only took about eight minutes or so for Elisa to mention that she was the president of MOPS. So that was three years ago that we did that focus group and then the show launched and now we’ve done a hundred episodes, but it was just recently about a year and a half ago, Jade, that we had an intern join us in a kind of unconventional way.

Jade Gustafson: Yes.

Daniel Ryan Day: I don’t know if you want to share some of that story.

Jade Gustafson: The most unconventional way. I don’t know if you guys have heard this story.

Elisa Morgan: Might not have. I’m excited.

Jade Gustafson: Yeah. So I actually didn’t like podcasts before becoming a producer for a podcast. I know. I know. I know. And I remember people would always tell me that I needed to get into podcasts and they’d recommend them and I would just try to listen and nothing ever clicked for me. And so when I interviewed here at Our Daily Bread, which is where our podcast is produced, I actually started interviewing for editing and publishing. And I thought that I wanted to go into editing and publishing and I didn’t get the internship.

Elisa Morgan: Interesting.

Jade Gustafson: And I just thought, okay, this isn’t meant to be for me. But then a couple days later I get a call and I actually interviewed with Daniel, the first time for Reclaim Today and didn’t get the internship. And so I thought, okay, I’m not meant to be at Our Daily Bread. It’s not going to work out. And then I get another call for being an intern for podcasting. And I had to meet with Daniel again. And I just thought, there’s no way I can face this man. After he rejected me the first time. I was like, there’s no way. And I prayed about it beforehand and just felt the nudge to try it out and see what happened.

Jade Gustafson: And so I showed up and I met Daniel and Mary Jo. And it was kind of similar to your story where you two just clicked immediately. I remember Mary Jo knew my story with the other interviews. And during the interview, she just said, I know that this isn’t what you wanted. And I know that this may not be where you end up, but I just want you to know that it’s awesome that you’re trying this, that you want this experience, that you’re still here interviewing. And I was like, I love this woman. I don’t know anything about her, but she’s incredible. And then next thing I knew I had the internship and it just has been such a blessing. And now I’m here full time, which is an ultimate blessing.

Mary Jo Clark: For us too.

Elisa Morgan: Awesome.

Jade Gustafson: Thank you.

Elisa Morgan: I love that. Haven’t heard that story.

Daniel Ryan Day: In fact, now Jade is the lead producer of the show, which is pretty cool.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. And one of the things that I love, that’s already kind of coming out as we talk, is one of the things about sharing stories about how God works in our lives…

Jade Gustafson: Oh yeah.

Daniel Ryan Day: Is how it relates to one another and encourages one another and challenges one another. So we have God meeting us maybe in a way that for other women, he might meet them this way. God inviting you, Mary Jo, to be who you are and to bring that and to let you know that he sees you and hears you in that way. And then Jade, the way God directs our steps. The way God puts us in community with one another. And it’s just so neat, I think, as we share stories, to hear how God meets us in those moments and…

Eryn Eddy: Gosh. Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: And it’s interesting, we started off in person, and then we really needed to shift, pivot.

Mary Jo Clark: There we go.

Elisa Morgan: Pivot.

Eryn Eddy: Take a turn.

Daniel Ryan Day: Have you ever heard Elisa say pivot?

Mary Jo Clark: This is my first time hearing that.

Elisa Morgan: To a remote kind of platform because of COVID and then it just became a really neat stewardship of time and money too. I think it’s interesting to think how close our relationships have unfolded and with Gabby and Anne and the rest of the team too, even though we don’t see each other in person very often at all.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Eryn Eddy: It’s so true.

Mary Jo Clark: But makes moments like this so much more special too.

Elisa Morgan: Yeah. They are special.

Mary Jo Clark: Because I think that I was working on the show for a year maybe before I was with you guys in person. And so you actually were here for the first time that we were all together.

Eryn Eddy: That’s right. That’s right. Because I remember when I first hugged you. And I was like, you’re a real person.

Mary Jo Clark: I’m not a floating head. Yeah.

Eryn Eddy: This is you. Which speaks to authenticity that you can’t just fabricate it. We connected so well through video for so long.

Mary Jo Clark: It was pretty genuine.

Eryn Eddy: Which just says a lot about our connection.

Mary Jo Clark: Yeah.

Daniel Ryan Day: Another question for the audience. Have they ever heard Eryn go, that is so good?

Jade Gustafson: So good. And you have to take a pause after so good.

Daniel Ryan Day: Or I love that.

Eryn Eddy: I love that.

Mary Jo Clark: I Love that.

Elisa Morgan: I love that so much.

Eryn Eddy: Y’all got to get the inflections. I love that.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. Maybe we could just go around too and share a little bit about what are some of the more meaningful conversations that really stand out to you as you think about the show? What are some of the interviews we’ve done or conversations or moments that where God met you and, or spoke to you in some way?

Eryn Eddy: I’ll say as we were talking about just how we even got connected. I think Elisa may know this, but I remember the day before Our Daily Bread contacted me about coming to be a part and do an interview. I had a pastor tell me that he felt like I should not have a microphone due to me going through a divorce. And it devastated me.

Eryn Eddy: And what I learned through it, is that when Our Daily Bread contacted me, I’m like, oh my goodness, this opportunity, God always has the final say. And even sometimes when we, as believers hurt each other with our words, God always reminds us of our value and our worth. And it was such an honor to be able to be in this space and be on a microphone, sharing my testimony and what he’s done. And when I think back to some of the guests that we’ve had, I mean, there’s been so much conviction and heart check and awareness that I reflect back on my own journey and what these guests have really gifted us. I mean, life, we’ve been on the other side of life change with how many people, I don’t know. A hundred episodes. How many people is it?

Daniel Ryan Day: Probably 70 people.

Eryn Eddy: 70 people. We’ve been a part of just seeing their life be changed in so many turns. And it’s so hard. When you were asking, where do we, where do we even begin, honestly? I’m like, I don’t know, because every story impacted me and there would be moments that I would just be crying. I remember I, the Kari Jobe episode. Man, when she talked about going into the closet after feeling completely attacked by the enemy with her thought life, with her family, with her career and she just yelled at the enemy and then that’s where the blessing came from, that song, which is so powerful. I see it so differently now. And it’s my Anthem when I feel like I just need to proclaim who God is in my life. So she was one for sure that I really, really, really liked.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. When she shared that story of the baby carriage going down and her baby falling into the water. Just wow. Yeah.

Jade Gustafson: Crazy.

Elisa Morgan: Chilling. Yeah. I was really convicted by our conversation with Tiffany Bloom. And Tiffany Bloom was dealing with issues of well sexual harassment and gender harassment.

Elisa Morgan: And she pointed out in her story and shared an experience where she had risen to a place of power in a ministry and other women were being damaged and she felt like she didn’t do enough to speak up for them. And even more so she shared that she recognized that she had benefited from the very system that was wounding these other women. And I just was very convicted to watch more carefully about the systems I live in.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. For sure. That actually kind of reminds me of one of my favorite episodes, which was with Robert Gelinas, who was early on, it was episode, I think eight.

Elisa Morgan: Can I mention now that he’s my pastor?

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: How many minutes are we in?

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. That’s right.

Elisa Morgan: Robert Gelinas is my pastor and I love him.

Daniel Ryan Day: You know some of the things you mention often.

Elisa Morgan: Little bit self-aware, but not clearly all the way. Okay.

Daniel Ryan Day: In that conversation, I think it was titled “When We Feel Invisible”. And he talked about honoring people with which we disagree at the end of that conversation as a pastor. And specifically talking about women and leadership and how he is a pastor. Has to honor women on both sides of that by honoring those who feel gifted and giving them the space to live in their gifts, but then honoring those who don’t see it as something that they should do and giving them that space and not being patronizing either way.

Daniel Ryan Day: And I remember being so challenged by that myself because I tend to be one of those people with strong ideas. In fact, that’s one of the roles Our Daily Bread has asked me to do often is from a theological review standpoint or whatever. And the fact that we are called to honor each other, even when we disagree. Especially when we disagree, because we’re talking to another person, who we need to honor the fact that they have a brain to think through things. They have a heart to feel things. And God might be doing something different in them than he is in me. And at the end of the day, they might also be right. I’m wrong. But I remember that one. Anyway, for some reason, your story kind of triggered that memory for me of… Yeah. Him just honoring people on both sides of an issue. I thought that was really good. Yeah.

Jade Gustafson: Yeah. Going off of that one, speaking of honoring people, one episode that just really spoke to me was Alexandra Kuykendall. When she was talking about loving your neighbor throughout those differences and in every conversation and just remembering to love them. And one thing that she talked about was when we don’t like someone, because as people, I mean, we meet people that we don’t like. It’s just truth.

Elisa Morgan: And you’re a Christian.

Jade Gustafson: I know. I know. Why am I saying this? But…

Daniel Ryan Day: You did look at me when you said that too.

Eryn Eddy: You did.

Daniel Ryan Day: Just wanted to note that. Even with people we don’t like.

Eryn Eddy: I was still feeling that interview, the rejection. It’s still there.

Jade Gustafson: It still comes out every once in a while.

Eryn Eddy: Forgiveness is a journey.

Jade Gustafson: True. True. But when we think about the people that we don’t like, I think it’s important to remember, to love them, even when we don’t agree with them. And even when we don’t connect with them very well, we can still show love to them. And that really just stood out and convicted me.

Eryn Eddy: What do you think that looks like in showing love to them?

Mary Jo Clark: Will you unpack that?

Daniel Ryan Day: Unpack that.

Elisa Morgan: I’d really like to hear you say more about how you love people you don’t like.

Jade Gustafson: Now. I feel like I’m being interviewed on the… Okay.

Eryn Eddy: I just wanted to know like… yeah. How did it hit you.

Jade Gustafson: I think listening is a big thing for me, especially when I don’t like someone or I don’t agree with them. I want to be quick to shut them down and just not even talk about it or go there. Or if I don’t like someone, I don’t want to talk to them because you just don’t really want to be around them. But then I miss out on a chance to learn from them. And I miss out on a chance to maybe like them a little bit more because maybe they say something that I do like, or I agree with. And then maybe I just have more respect for them as a person or I do learn to love them. So I think showing love can be just listening to what they have to say. And I also just think showing up as your best self, not showing up with the rejection or the hurt from the past to showing up and wanting to meet them as if you’re meeting them for the first time.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah.

Jade Gustafson: And just having a clean slate with them. I think that’s another way to show love.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. That’s so good. Right Eryn?

Eryn Eddy: I wasn’t going to say it.

Mary Jo Clark: You were thinking it.

Eryn Eddy: I was thinking it. I said it internally.

Mary Jo Clark: It’s also been a while since we brought up…

Elisa Morgan: We’re going to be like…

Eryn Eddy: I know. The next podcast that we record, y’all are going to be like, y’all never engaged. Ran out of words.

Daniel Ryan Day: Well as a two on the Enneagram.

Mary Jo Clark: Yes. Yes.

Eryn Eddy: Yes. Tell us. Tell us more, Daniel.

Mary Jo Clark: Jade’s points did make me think of the Enneagram that we so often bring up. But you could also for people that don’t like the Enneagram, think about it with love languages.

Jade Gustafson: True.

Daniel Ryan Day: What animal are you?

Jade Gustafson: What’s your color?

Mary Jo Clark: With the Enneagram though, we did talk to Dr. Jerome.

Jade Gustafson: Oh yeah.

Mary Jo Clark: And so talking about loving your neighbor. Different personality types accept love in different ways. I don’t like that much conflict. I’m a peacemaker. I want to…

Elisa Morgan: She’s a nine.

Jade Gustafson: Oh yeah. She’s a nine.

Eryn Eddy: We were just talking about this yesterday. Yeah.

Mary Jo Clark: Well because Jade talking about not liking someone or even disagreeing with them. It’s just like, just don’t even talk to me. And I struggle with, I still want to be their best friend because that’s part of my issues, but I don’t want to disagree. I don’t want the conflict. Whereas Eryn thrives in maybe not conflict, but thrives in confrontation or…

Eryn Eddy: Directness.

Mary Jo Clark: Directness.

Jade Gustafson: Yeah.

Mary Jo Clark: Straightforward.

Eryn Eddy: I feel loved by honesty and directness.

Mary Jo Clark: Yes. And so learning to love your neighbor by learning their personality. And…

Elisa Morgan: That’s good.

Mary Jo Clark: Knowing they may be speaking a different language as Dr. Jerome put it, but they may speak a different language, but you can learn that language and know how to best love them. Even if it’s not your comfort zone. Step out. Step out of your box.

Eryn Eddy: Well isn’t that love? Because that’s actually being so selfless to learn how to love the way that somebody else receives it versus the way you think they should receive it.

Elisa Morgan: The way you want it.

Mary Jo Clark: And you can be honest about that too. You can let them know this is out of my comfort zone, but this is me loving you. And this is maybe how I accept love as well. Just sharing that.

Daniel Ryan Day: I think now would be a good time to maybe make fun of ourselves as producers.

Elisa Morgan: Okay.

Daniel Ryan Day: This is where if we were editing the show, we would wait for one of you to say something like, probably the biggest thing I’ve ever learned. And then we’d cut and do the midpoint break.

Jade Gustafson: We got to keep the audience wanting to stay.

Daniel Ryan Day: That’s right. So those listeners at home, we know we do that. We’re sorry. And those moments where it’s like yeah, the most important thing I’ve learned, cue music, when we come back.

MIDBREAK AD

Daniel Ryan Day: But while we’ve broken the conversation for a second, I do want to acknowledge to one group of people we haven’t acknowledged yet. And that is Our Daily Bread Ministries is completely funded by people that send in really small gifts, bigger gifts, whatever, out of the generosity of their hearts and out of connecting with the ministry and the mission of making the life changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. This ministry effort, God Hears Her is a part of that. And so we want to thank those of you who have supported us and helped pay for the hundred episodes so that women can hear that message that God hears them and sees them and knows them and loves them because they’re His, and as we say in the open and hopefully that frees you, frees all of us to become the people God has for us to become. So thank you for that. And if you want to help this ministry keep going, we’ll have opportunities in the show notes.

Elisa Morgan: Yep. Our Daily Bread has been funded by faithful donors. So thank you.

Daniel Ryan Day: In fact, during the pandemic some of us had to work in the mail room because…

Elisa Morgan: Because it was overflowing.

Daniel Ryan Day: We need to volunteer, because there was so much mail coming in. And I remember opening envelopes of a handwritten note with $5 stuck in the envelope. And so there’s so many different ways that people have supported and were so thankful for that. We literally could not do it outside of that. So thank you.

MIDBREAK END

Daniel Ryan Day: And one of the ones I wanted to mention, you mentioned Taste and See with Margaret Feinberg early on. And that one actually met me at a pretty cool time too, because it was one of the first ones we recorded and my wife and I had just moved to take the job here at Our Daily Bread. And one of our biggest needs, worries, fears was needing community and hoping to find a community that we could plug into. And in that conversation, Elisa, you and her talked about something that has stuck with me since that day. And that was that sometimes to find community, you have to be the community that you want to find. And that… Yeah. Episode four.

Elisa Morgan: Yeah. It was early.

Daniel Ryan Day: Of Taste and See.

Elisa Morgan: It was early.

Daniel Ryan Day: And that line stuck with me. Sometimes we have to be the community that we want to find. And you have a different piece that you usually say after that, if you remember what that is. It’s usually sometimes the best way to build community is not to go and serve others, but to actually ask people for help too.

Elisa Morgan: Oh, that’s right. Thank you. See, you’ve listened to it more than once. So it makes people feel valued when we ask for help and we think we’re supposed to be all done, tied up with a bow. I’m just, bing, that’s what being a perfect Christian is. Lots of times it’s, I’ve got a need. I’ve got a need, would you help me? As you’re talking Daniel, I’m thinking about the journey… Daniel and I served together in Discover the Word. Another podcast and radio program. And so I knew Daniel there before we started the God Hears Her, but it’s so interesting. We celebrated our hundredth episode with a little meal together and it’s always Daniel and the girls kind of thing. Daniel and the lions. Daniel and the girls, let’s see. But what is it like for you as a man working with all of us and actually in many ways, leading us too towards the vision that we all have to accomplish. What’s it like for you?

Daniel Ryan Day: I think I see it more as creative followership than leading, because the Lord has brought the team here to lead. And it’s more just asking God to keep me open minded to where the spirit of the conversation is going or the topic or the person that one of you brings and says, I really want to talk with this person and trusting that God is behind the scenes working in that. And of course, sometimes we turn each other down. Right? There’s been ideas I’ve had where it’s like, hey, well, I don’t think so. And sometimes I have to be that person. But I think it’s that mutual respect for each other. That really it’s like a co-leading as a team. Very much so. I also though, and I can’t remember, maybe one of you can help me remember which conversation this was, but we interviewed someone who mentioned that she grew up with all brothers and then ended up in a job where she worked with all men and felt like she was prepared in that way. It’s okay. If you can’t remember. For me, I grew up with all sisters.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah.

Daniel Ryan Day: And so in some ways I feel like that was God shaping me for even this role.

Elisa Morgan: See, I’ve seen that in you and there’s a little tidbit, a trivia thing I want to throw out here for our audience and I hope it’s okay. There’s a voice in our intro. God Hears Her intro. And when we were doing the pilots of it, I said, oh my gosh, I love that woman’s voice. Who is she? Because I hear a lot of women’s voices and I’m not cray cray cray about and I said, Daniel, that voice, the intro is beautiful. Who is that? And she is…

Daniel Ryan Day: My wife.

Elisa Morgan: Isn’t that neat? I mean, y’all may not know that. That’s kind of cool.

Eryn Eddy: I love that.

Elisa Morgan: I know. I love that too.

Daniel Ryan Day: That happened because as we were getting ready to launch this thing…

Elisa Morgan: You couldn’t do it.

Daniel Ryan Day: A pandemic started. And so we were all working from home and so I was like, Hey Rebecca, I need to record this. Could you come into the closet for a second so that it would dampen the sound?

Elisa Morgan: That was so good.

Daniel Ryan Day: Let’s put a robe over your head so that we can dampen as much of this noise as possible. And have you record this and shout out to her. She hates things like that, but was willing to do it.

Elisa Morgan: It was perfect.

Eryn Eddy: And yet she’s part of every episode.

Jade Gustafson: Yes she is.

Daniel Ryan Day: And maybe there’s a little note in there for all of us that sometimes God… That’s how God has seen her and met her in a way that she wouldn’t be comfortable with necessarily or feel prepared for.

Elisa Morgan: Sometimes he uses this in unlikely ways. Right?

Daniel Ryan Day: What other episodes come to mind?

Mary Jo Clark: Well, everyone’s have been so feeling, I don’t know, inspirational and joyful. My favorite word. But the two that I want to speak on for a moment. We brought up one Sarah Robinson. And then also Dr. Christina. Those two. I think Dr. Christina for me, I had heard her on the Where You’re From podcast, which is also another, Our Daily Bread podcast and loved her because the conversation of mental health just isn’t talked about enough. And so we had her on God Hear Her, just talking about different things like brain health and being honest about those things and real with community. But then Sarah J. Robinson was able to talk more specifically on depression and intrusive thoughts and those things, I don’t know, just growing up in the nineties, I don’t remember those things being talked about.

Mary Jo Clark: I have been honest with God Hears Her before about growing up in a household that did have mental health struggles. My mom’s bipolar. And so those things were real for me, but nobody talked about it outside of the home. So having Sarah on the show was just so beautiful for me and being able to hear someone talk just honestly and want to share her story so that people don’t feel alone in that.

Mary Jo Clark: And to know a lot of people that struggle with depression or anxiety, it can be a circumstantial thing that happened because of a triggering event. And it could be kind of over after a couple of years, but then there’s such a large group of people, community that it is a clinical thing that can last their life. And it’s not because they aren’t praying hard enough. It isn’t because God doesn’t hear them or see them. And it isn’t because they can’t just flip a switch. It is their reality. And that I’m just so grateful that we were able to have those guests to be able to speak to women. So they don’t feel alone in that. And that God hears them.

Elisa Morgan: I love her metaphor that the brain is an organ, just like every… If you had something wrong with your kidney or your liver or your heart or your foot, you would treat it. And the brain is an organ. I really appreciated that.

Mary Jo Clark: Yes.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. Dr. Christina was really helpful and thinking through a lot of things, in fact, it was in a conversation with her, she mentioned in passing, if you turn your phone to black and white, you’re less likely to use it. And I’ve had my phone on black and white since. And it’s true. Yeah. So helpful.

Eryn Eddy: Well, that brings me to thinking about Vivian Mabuni’s podcast, When We Don’t Fit In. And I remember after that, I called one of my girlfriends who’s Asian and I said, I’m so sorry. And the reason I felt convicted by it and just had an awareness is when Vivian shared that growing up in America, people would ask her, where are you from? And she’s like, where was it, Kansas? I can’t remember.

Elisa Morgan: Boulder.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah. Boulder. And she’s like, I’m from Boulder. I live here. And they would be like, but where are you from? And she just didn’t feel like she fit in. And I just… It just opened my eyes to recognizing there’s a way to ask those questions though. What is your ethnicity? And it’s not a scary thing to ask, to be curious. It’s a beautiful thing. You actually help people to feel seen about where they come from. So that was something… I loved that. I mean, yeah. I called Mary and I was like, my gosh, I’m so sorry. I know you’ve grown up with that. She has shared with me just her journey at being Asian in America and how that’s affected her and how she belongs and fits in. So.

Jade Gustafson: Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: Just on that note, our guests, most of them, I mean couple of them we’ve known, but most of them were meeting for the first time.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: On zoom or whatever. I’ve been so stretched. I mean, honestly we, hello. Hi. And we go over the vision of what we’re trying to do and you dive in with total strangers and it’s been… They’ve been amazing. Very kind, very authentic and willing. Great sports. But in those 45 minutes or whatever, we’re talking. We make these friends and I’ve been stretched and we’ve had all different ages. All different ethnicities, geographic experiences, life stories. It’s been beautiful. So thank you know, for all of these people that you’ve introduced us to. One of another ones I think about is Patricia Raven and Patricia, I did know each other.

Elisa Morgan: And in fact, we’re neighbors in Denver and I’ve known Patricia for, I don’t know, 30 years, not best buddies, but professionally kind of. We’ve served on a board together. We’ve spoken at similar events together. I first read her first book, My First White Friend when I was, I don’t even know in my thirties, I think. But I have been so blown away by Patricia. She has a daughter who’s Muslim and we’ve walked some journeys together with our children when they are in places that you didn’t see coming. Or maybe you’re scared about or whatever. And Patricia always stays, that in our conversations with her is what do you do in relationships as we were talking a while back that are difficult or surprising to you or different from you. She said, she talked about staying. And I love that. What a beautiful principle stay with the difficulty. Stay with the discomfort. Stay with the love. She’s shaped me a lot.

Daniel Ryan Day: And I happen to know that’s episode 15. Because I had that in my notes too. Because that was… It was such a powerful conversation.

Elisa Morgan: She’s just super wise.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah. And humble.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Jade Gustafson: Yeah. I think one element of the show that has just been brought up over and over and this word keeps coming to my mind…

Elisa Morgan: Pivot. So good.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah.

Jade Gustafson: It’s just how unplanned all of it is. As producers, we…

Elisa Morgan: So good.

Daniel Ryan Day: That’s so good.

Jade Gustafson: That’s so good. But as producers, we do this research about all of these people and we read their books. We look at their website. We do all of these things and we prepare these questions and then we get into the conversation and it’s always so unexpected.

Jade Gustafson: And one of my favorites, who I wasn’t here for at the time, but Ellie Holcomb. I had never heard of her before, but I listened to that episode because as an intern, I had to listen to all of them to kind of get caught up and know what had been talked about. And she was so authentic and real with her story and her pain and her healing. And I remember talking to Mary Jo about it and learning that none of that was planned. That was not where we thought the conversation would go. And it all was just unexpected. And so I’ve just loved listening to these episodes and I’ll admit as a producer, I’ll go into them with, okay, they need to talk about this and this. This is the mission. We’ve never talked about this before. But then before every recording, we just pray that God would take the conversation where it needs to go. And he always does. And it’s so unexpected and so great. So.

Elisa Morgan: I’ve got goosebumps.

Eryn Eddy: I know. And there’s always tears too. Then they’re crying and then I’m crying. I can see you’re about to cry. We’re all a mess in the best way.

Elisa Morgan: It just totally underlines why it’s supposed to be called God Hears Her. I mean, he just takes it and in that moment and I guess probably a lot of listeners don’t realize that it’s not planned. It’s just a conversation that unfolds. But if you realize that when you’re listening, I hope, I hope, I hope that convinces you every time you listen. That God hears you. That’s what I really hope.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. And isn’t that life though in general is we plan and we plan and we try to control and we try to set up things the way we think that they should go. What we think is best and how often God shows up and is like, I think actually this is going to be better. And oftentimes we lose our minds when God does that. When Elisa starts off with a show with Laura Smith.

Mary Jo Clark: Stressed me out.

Daniel Ryan Day: Have you ever been left?

Eryn Eddy: I was just like, I didn’t know that, that was going to be asked. And I’m like…

Elisa Morgan: Hi, nice to meet you. Have you ever been left?

Eryn Eddy: Its like, well left at the movies or left relationally?

Elisa Morgan: Or here sleeping in a store.

Eryn Eddy: That’s true though.

Daniel Ryan Day: And how we can freak out as producers in that moment or whatever, because we’re like, where is this going to go? And…

Jade Gustafson: And the guest is sitting there.

Daniel Ryan Day: Probably be good for them to know each other first before they get to that or something. But then how God can push through that. Right? We think we want control.

Elisa Morgan: Do you now?

Daniel Ryan Day: Often.

Elisa Morgan: Do you? Daniel, where do you think that comes from?

Eryn Eddy: Tell us more about that. Can you unpack that? Where does that come from?

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. But then, we find out God’s ways really are better than our ways. Even when life doesn’t seem to be looking like it’s better. Yeah.

Elisa Morgan: True. True, true.

Mary Jo Clark: We’ve kind of talked about my journey with God Hears Her starting in the contact center and just feeling really fortunate to be here as a producer today as well. But when we brought up earlier, me not liking women things, women shows and conferences and that sort of thing. I will say, I feel very, just grateful the journey that God took me on through god Hears Her, because it all happened while working on this show, I was single in the contact center. I got married and started working on the show as a producer. I’ve had a baby now and I’ve like…

Mary Jo Clark: It’s not that life is full of rainbows and butterflies now, but I can see in all those different times and moments where God has met me. Where he has heard me. And, and I think that’s just really important for me to bring up because I don’t want women to feel like if life feels stagnant, that’s either when they’re going to feel heard or when they’re not going to feel heard. He’s going to meet you in every single transition. And you don’t have to feel alone in that either. There’s community out there that can talk to you about that sort of thing. It’s a little… Like talking about myself, but I just want to make sure people here, like there are transitions that we, I hate change. I hate it so much. And I’m in change right now. And so just know right now. And so just knowing that God hears me and that he’s able to meet me here, just don’t feel alone in that is I just want to encourage women out there today for that. So.

Eryn Eddy: I love that. Because you know, to your point, we’ve all shared, in some ways the birth of God Hears Her, we all had our pains and insecurities and rejection and some sort of something that has been spoken over us or that we’ve been told that the enemy really wanted us to believe and to live out. And I just think it’s gorgeous how literally each one of us have been told something and then God Hears Her as the birthplace of God saying, no. I hear you. I see you. You are loved. I have a different plan and I’m going to transform you with the guests that I bring on the show. And then in relationship with all our different Enneagram types and temperaments and all.

Daniel Ryan Day: It’s so good.

Eryn Eddy: So good. It is. It’s so good. In the words of my grandfather. That’s what he would say. Yes, every time you say so good. Think about my old grandpa.

Mary Jo Clark: I like that I know the origin now.

Daniel Ryan Day: And that maybe reminds me of one last thing that’s worth mentioning too. When we invite the listener or speak with the listener as a part of the community, it’s because we’re being shaped by the show.

Eryn Eddy: Yeah.

Daniel Ryan Day: We know and hope that they are. And it’s one of the intentional reasons that oftentimes we have people on the show that aren’t an author or a speaker, Christian celebrity…

Elisa Morgan: Regular person.

Daniel Ryan Day: Whatever. Or it’s just regular people like us, who find out that God hears us and sees us.

Elisa Morgan: Favorite episode. Each one of them has been a gift. It’s been great to have. I was like, what are we doing? Because I was like, how am I supposed to know this person? It’s been fantastic to have everyday people.

Daniel Ryan Day: Yeah. Because everybody has a story.

Elisa Morgan: That’s everybody.

Daniel Ryan Day: And God meets us in those stories. So yeah. So as we draw this conversation to a close, we’re thankful for you who join us in our community as God Hears Her. This show’s not done yet. So if you have ideas for things you’d like to hear on the show, like you’re a part of the community. So please share with us, especially on social what some of the ideas are that you’d have for the show or guests you’d like to see so that we can feature some of those stories as we go. And some of those guests. This is the part in the show where we cue the music again. And one of us has to write words for Eryn and Elisa to read or sometimes misread. I’ll never forget the first time that I wrote for Eryn to say, and I’m sitting at my desk writing.

Eryn Eddy: I remember that.

Daniel Ryan Day: As a single woman. That’s when I knew I had arrived in my career.

Eryn Eddy: In my shadow.

Daniel Ryan Day: But this is the part where we mention the show notes. And if there’s anything that we’ve mentioned, like some of the links for some of the episodes, we’ve mentioned, stuff like that. We’ll have that in the show notes as well. But you could see the show notes in the description of the episode or at our website. Godhearsher.org. That’s God Hears Her dot…

Eryn Eddy: O-R-G.

Daniel Ryan Day: And don’t forget.

Eryn Eddy: God hears you.

Jade Gustafson: He sees you.

Mary Jo Clark: He loves you.

Elisa Morgan: Because you are his.

Daniel Ryan Day: God Hears Her is a production of…

Elisa Morgan: Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Jade Gustafson: Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Eryn Eddy: Our Daily Bread Ministries.