Episode #126, "Get Connected!" with host Jackie Brindle

Welcome, to the BE ENCOURAGED! Podcast! I am your host, Jackie Brindle and you are listening to episode 126!  Thank you for making space in your busy day to press play! If you have some downtime today, please consider writing a raving review on Apple Podcast, or share the episode to my IG handle @be_encouraged_podcast in your stories, or text the link to a friend, so that So MANY more, can be encouraged, like you!  Now, have you ever felt the need or desire for connection with others? I believe we are all made to be connected.  Sometimes we don’t even realize how much we truly need it or would benefit from it. Sometimes, it might be easier to not branch out or share out with friends of what’s really going on inside.  After all, it’s hard to know who to share things with.  But can I give you hope today? If you are feeling like you need connection — PRAY about it!  Recently, I completed a bible study with a group of women, whom I never really met until before the meeting. Why? Because I unspokenly said indirectly to God, “It would be nice to be connected. It would be nice to be around other women who ‘get it’.”  And so when I got this invitation —- I jumped at the chance to go on a blind study small group with my new friend Heather who asked me to go with her. And the best part was, she didn’t know I said those things to God or have a clue of how much I was deeply desperate for connection, especially in the area of motherhood.  I was so hungry and thirsty to know I wasn’t alone and to be poured into. Each time, I met with these incredibly strong and beautifully humbled women of God, I gained insight. I got my confidence back in areas I didn’t feel strong in. I examined my heart and was so reminded not only that I wasn’t alone but how loved I am that God would design a particular group for me to be a part of so I could grow not only as a mother, but in my marriage as well.  I didn’t realize the power of not only abiding in God, but how powerful it is when others around you are doing the same (flawed and all) and yet, point you back to Jesus. These women were treasures that inspired me to be more like Him, to give myself grace upon grace, and to remind me that it’s okay to open up and ask for help or prayer in an area I was struggling in.  Today, I encourage you to be vulnerable, pray about a divine connection with other women who will point you back to Jesus. There is relief in that release when you trust other people enough to share it out!  That’s what I am going to deep dive into on this podcast. If you are feeling the tug on your heart for connection, I pray this is the exact encouragement you need to hear to lift you up and onward!  So grab your cup of coffee, get on your walk or run, and BE ENCOURAGED!  Jackie Resources: Follow Jackie on Instagram @be_encouraged_podcast or click the link, https://linktr.ee/jackiebrindle, and learn how to book Jackie for your next podcast guest speaker or speaking event!  Bible Study Book: “Mama, You Be the Difference” https://moreofhimministries.org/mama-you-be-the-difference/ Additional Devotional Bible Readings: John 15, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, and Ruth 1-4