Breaking Free with Jess Connolly

What would your life look like if you dared to reclaim what God has named good? My friend Jess Connolly is challenging us to consider that we’re made for more than having a love/hate relationship with our bodies. According to a study at Glamour magazine, 97% of women struggle with body image issues. It is an effective and intentional tool that convinces us that taking care of our bodies is not a spiritual issue.  Jess returns to the show today for a super fun, honest and essential conversation  about her new book Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good. We also talk about the role social media plays and how to break free from the beliefs that hold us back from living our fullest lives. She is an author, entrepreneur, and is the founder of Go + Tell Gals and helped start She Reads Truth. She and her husband planted Bright City Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where they live with their four children. Listen in to hear Jess tell us: Her story of body image struggles and how she unfolded the truth that these struggles were a spiritual issue.  How she learned to be grateful when experiencing weakness because it is just a canvas for God’s goodness and compassion to shine.  Practical tips on how we can learn to love our bodies more. Favorite quotes: 1. It seems like such an intentional and effective tool of the enemy to convince women that this is not a spiritual thing. 2. I think one of the best ways we can fight this is genuinely just showing up in our actual bodies and letting people say, “this is what it is, this is reality, and I'm okay with that.” 3. Whatever it is, if it's Botox, if it's doing a 40 day fitness challenge, if it's being a person who does CrossFit, if it's running, if it's walking, if it's doing Pilates, if it's getting your hair done, if it's getting facials, if it's drinking green smoothie... the goal is simply that you do it because it's worshipful for you. Not because you feel pressured or shamed into doing it. 4. This is my body to steward. Nobody gets to speak about it. Nobody gets to be harmful toward it. Nobody gets to try to speak untruth, or negative things over it. Great things we discussed:  1. Jess Connolly 2. Breaking Free From Body Shame 3. Exile 4. Gilmore Girls 5. When We Stand 6. Gallon Sized Water Bottle 7. Cruella 8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli