Safe inSecurity

Send us Fan MailOk, yes, you’re entitled to your opinions, but where do you draw the line when it comes to sharing them or demanding your own preferences at the expense of someone else’s purpose. We are each responsible for our own personal healing journeys and the development processes that we should submit to if we desire to grow. But it’s harder to grow when someone keeps pressing you down. And it’s hard to maintain growth when the weeds of insecurity keep trying to choke out your healthy roots of godly identity. The bottom line? Your actions, reactions, perceptions, and assumptions could be planting weeds of insecurity in the minds of others around you. And we’re also all responsible for each other. So in this episode, we’re going to level the playing field and admit, we’re all a little insecure. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailThere’s something comforting about hearing the words “me too.” As humans, we love assimilation, sameness, fitting in, having things in common… but challenges rise when we inevitably discover how different we are. We’re really good at comparison. This or that? Shrimp fried rice or chicken tacos? Red or blue? Action movies or rom-coms? There is such a thing as a healthy comparison, but what if I told you people were actually never designed to be compared to one another? On this episode we’re going to tear down the complex lies of comparison.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailIf you wrestle with insecurity on any level what you’re really experiencing is an identity crisis. The root of insecurity is not extreme humility as some people suppose. It’s actually pride — self-centered self-talk that leads to low self-esteem. If the enemy can make you feel badly about what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or what you lack, then he can come closer to convincing you of who you are…or more like who you are not. In this episode, we’re gonna get to know who we are by learning who our Creator is! Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailWe’ve all been caught asking ourselves the question, “What will they think of me?” Whoever your “they” is, you perceive them to have some level of power that presents a challenge in your personal decision-making process. In this see-it-to-believe-it world where we live, people are far too often governed by their own perceptions. A person’s perception is their ultimate reality. And, sure, they’re entitled to believe what they think they see. But human eyes are flawed and don’t always see the truth. You can think someone looks the part and be wrong. You can also think someone is good for nothing, underqualified, insignificant, or undeserving but that doesn’t make it true. Perhaps someone has said those things about you, and naturally, triggered some core insecurities to take deeper root. Well, in this episode, we are going to get free from the flawed perceptions of other people.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailIf you wanna land the lead role, you need to look the part. If you wanna get the job, dress for the interview. If you want people to listen to you, they have to see you first. Our society thrives on looks, so that means being perceived as “attractive” drives our physical appearance regimens.That also means a truckload of insecurities.Desperately trying to keep up, we become master manipulators and deceivers, creating the illusion of alignment with beauty standards and trends. I want people who see me to believe I actually have long lashes, smooth, monotone skin, and an hour-glass figure.All of this is in a vain effort to become more desirable in the eyes of other people whose minds have been manipulated just like ours. There’s nothing wrong with cosmetics and alterations but if you take a moment to ask yourself why, the answer may surprise you.In this episode, we’re going to take a deeper look behind what we strive to look like on the outside.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailThey say, “Never meet your idols.” Even the most well-known people aren’t actually known by all their fans, though. So how do well-known people become well-known anyway? Someone has to give people who aren’t famous a chance, but usually the most celebrated humans are the ones who get the most opportunities. It’s perfectly fine to look up to, admire, or praise someone for something amazing they do, but human beings were not designed to be idolized. All glory and honor belongs to God. We have a heavenly commission to play a part in revealing God’s glory in the earth, and many are out of alignment with that purpose due to insecurity and are subsequently robbing people from experiencing a true revelation of the glory of God. And some are already so glorified and idolized by other humans that they see themselves as gods.Where do we draw the line on human validation?In this episode, we’re going to take a deeper look into celebrity culture. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailHuman beings are the most out of control species on the planet. Yet, we are the ones who desire control the most! We have a tendency to try to control things that we simply can’t.  We are inherently quick to freak out and crash out if we feel like we’re in a situation we cannot control, yet we’ll take any excuse to binge, obsess, overeat, or satisfy our pleasures, cravings, and addictions, and then make excuses for them when our lack of self-control produces consequences…ouch! It’s about time we recognize how our desire for control is feeding our insecurities, and how those insecurities are causing us to spiral out of control.Watch this episode on YouTube! Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailAs a church kid, and now church adult, I’ve heard a LOT about how important it is to be generous, but I have a new perspective on it I’d like to share. Yes, God loves a cheerful giver and when you give, it’ll be given to you…but what’s your motive? Are you giving just to get? Giving implies letting go, and letting go of anything can cause insecurities to surface.In this episode, we’re gonna do a hard heart check so we can restore the heart of giving. Watch this episode on YouTube!Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailAs people made in the image of the same God who kicked Satan and all his jealous buddies out of Heaven, we are in a constant war with that sworn enemy. The problem is, we’re doing so much self-sabotage and friendly fire, he hasn’t had to do much to try and defeat us.In this episode, we’re going to confront the hard truth that our insecurity is helping the enemy win the battle against humanity. Whose side are you on, anyway?!Watch this episode on YouTube!Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailGrief is proof of love. It’s also an expression of gratitude. It’s saying, I’m grateful for the impact this person’s life had on mine….and I also feel the deficit left by the impact they made when they’re no longer here to fill it. I’m grateful that they gave from what had been given to them. In this episode, we’re gonna talk about the connection and the collateral beauty of giving, grieving, and gratitude.*This episode is lovingly dedicated to the memory of my beautiful sister-friend, “Queen” Jamia Newsome-Irons, who loved out loud and shared her many gifts with the world for 36 years. Her impact has left her legacy intact, and she will never be forgotten.Watch this episode on YouTube!Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailWhat do the words value, evaluate, valor, validate and valedictorian all have in common?Yup, you guessed it. The Latin prefix “val-” means strength, worth, or health. No wonder people spend their lives chasing validation and proving their value. Whether we deserve it or not, we all really want the same thing: to be loved, approved of, respected, seen… And whether we deserve it or not, Jesus thought we were worth His life, so He is certainly worth ours. In this episode, instead of asking the question, “Am I worthy?” we’re going to embrace saying, “I Am is enough.” Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailWhen insecurity builds the framework for your primary way of thinking, you are constantly in survival mode without even realizing it. You look for rejection that hasn’t even happened yet. You assume that people will assume the worst about you before they even meet you or get to know you. You jump to the conclusion that it is necessary for you to perform in order to earn approval, accolades, acceptance, affirmation, and admiration, all in a desperate yet vain attempt to fill a hole in your heart that should only be occupied by true love. You shift all your efforts toward pleasing people, even if it means sacrificing purpose.   You weren’t designed to sustain like this. Truth is, rejection hurts, but sometimes, it’s for your own good.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailThey say, “It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Love is a beautiful exchange and it doesn’t leave just because a person does.” Grief is proof of that love. Grief allows you to process the pain and find the peace of God that surpasses your emotions in situations you could never understand. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Holy Spirit is the best comforter and God who IS love promises to never leave or forsake you, even when people leave this earth. I’m living proof His joy can sustain you even in the toughest of times. I know the loss was bad, but I’m here to tell you the grief is good. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailWhat do you have in your hand? No, seriously what are you holding onto right now? Ok, maybe not literally but think for a moment. What gifts and talents and skills do you have?What business idea have you been sitting on? What is that thing that you diminished to being just a hobby that might actually be a whole ministry outreach in seed form? God didn’t create houses and furniture. He created trees to give us wood so that we could build these things. It’s time to use what He gave us and build. In this episode, we’re gonna learn how to take inventory!Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailThey say, “Know your worth.” What if I feel unworthy?  “Don’t settle for less!” Well, what if less than I deserve is all I have right now? “You deserve all the best things in life.” But what if I’ve done something bad…like real bad—Michael Jackson bad?“Be confident in yourself. Believe in yourself. What if I’m not confident in myself because I realize I don’t have what I believe I need to succeed? “Treat yourself. You deserve it.” So, what happens when I can’t afford to treat myself? And does that mean I get to have a yummy dessert every time I eat or do something healthy? I mean, I guess that method works for training dogs, but humans are a little more complex. In this episode, we’re gonna discover how to get (or not get) what we really deserve.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailHuman beings are fluid creatures. We were designed to process and release whatever we take in. Holding anything in is dangerously bad for your health. Still there are so many people who think they are good at holding things in. Well, in this episode, we’re going to talk about why it’s important to let it go and let it flow. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailThe roots of a tree are beneath the surface, but they supply life-sustaining power to the entire plant. The part that everyone sees and celebrates would be nothing without the part they often overlook. This leads me to believe that being in a season of obscurity or working behind the scenes doesn’t necessarily diminish your value. So, in this episode, we’re gonna take a deep dive into the dirt to discover some hidden gems. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailIsn’t it crazy that humans are the most out of control species, yet we are also the ones who desire control most of all?  The world‘s smartest know-it-alls are often praised but also feared by the less intelligent. “Knowing is half the battle” — this colloquial phrase basically means that understanding a problem is the key step to solving it. After all, knowledge is power…right? Well in this episode, we will explore what it looks like when we have to admit we don’t know.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailPeople are the most complex of all God’s creations, and if we’re honest, people be peoplin’! If they’re not careful, they will allow their past trauma to repeat itself in future scenarios and affect negative outcomes in their relationships. And you know the saying, “Hurt people hurt people.” But do you think it’s possible that people could also be a source of healing for you?In this episode, we’re going to explore what it really looks like to have compassion for other humans.Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine 

Send us Fan MailIt’s an epidemic bigger than the pandemic we all lived through. All around the world for generations, people are wrestling with insecurity instead of resting in Security — the type of security that only trusting God provides. You can’t confront insecurity without vulnerability, and many see vulnerability as a weakness which makes them feel even more insecure. This podcast is a safe space for you to process and overcome your own insecurities to start valuable conversations that will help others around you do the same. Music: “Safe” by Naomi Raine