Christian Writing & Speaking (CWS) with Jacqui Wilson

Janice McWilliams: We Need More Than a Spa Day

Self-care is more than the occasional spa day. According to Janice McWilliams, who is a therapist, spiritual director, author, and speaker, self-care is something we should strive for daily. In this interview, she recounts how her anxiety levels rose during the pandemic and what she implemented to move her throughout the day. As Christians, we often find ourselves constantly running and pouring out until we are totally empty. It is time for some daily self-care as the second greatest command of the bible tells us. Tune in to hear the full interview.

Ralph Estep, Jr.: My Business Is My Mission Field

When he turned age fifty, he felt empty inside. He had everything he needed and much of what he wanted. He had multiple titles and was considered a success by the business world, but none of it could brush away the emptiness. What was missing? He realized that his faith was not at the center of his life. He got to the core of who he was as a person, which resulted in the marriage of his business and Christian faith. He says that his business is his mission field, and his goal is to reach at least one person daily. Tune in to hear the story of Ralp Estep, Jr.

Audrey Dutton: I Just Wanted Truth

Although she had tried everything, nothing felt right. Something was still missing, but she did not want to try Jesus. Perpetually lied to, devastated by the death of her husband, and frustrated with the ways of the world, she stood in the mountains and screamed at God. That is when her breakthrough happened. From agnostic to atheist to Christian, she finally found her truth, the one true God, and herself. Tune in to hear the story of Audrey Dutton.

Michael Acker: A Second Conversion

 
In this interview author and executive director Michael Acker outlines how God powerfully changed his parents' lives from dark worshipers to missionaries for Christ and from drug smugglers to bible smugglers. Their transformation set the foundation for the life God was calling Michael to live. He had a plan to practice law, but one summer experience attuned him to the greater plan God had for his life. He calls it his second conversion because he accepted the purpose God had chosen for his life. Tune in to hear more.
 
Special Guest Bio:
Michael Acker is the executive director of Go On the Mission, author of Life on Purpose, and a corporate speaker. You can learn more about him and his work at www.michaelacker.com.

Tom Petersen: Grace, Progress, and Alignment

How do you balance your faith and work, or rather, how do you align them? In his insightful book, Thank God It’s Monday(?): Balancing Work and Faith While Keeping Your Sense of Humor, Tom Petersen shares how he has failed and what he did to turn it around with a humorous flair. Ultimately, what he shares is that it is important to give yourself grace as you progress toward alignment. Join us for this enlightening interview.

Scott Wells: A Deeper Understanding

Understanding other religious beliefs strengthened his faith and enhanced his ability to share the Word of God. Scott Wells is an international speaker and author of the books Would You Believe? and Got Faith? He designed these books to help people grow in their faith uniquely. In this interview, he shares how learning about other religions helped him become a better Christian and how he engages the bible for a deeper understanding. Gone are the days of reading the bible to say you have read it. Welcome to the days when you go on an expedition to discover and understand the full context of a scripture that interests you. Tune in to hear more.

Ryan Penley: The Bottom Wasn't Enough

He was living the life-- working, going to school, and achieving goals, but behind the scenes, he was slowly moving into a dark realm. His first drink helped him feel more confident, but eventually, the drinking helped him "function normally." Falling deeper into the crevice, he was hooked on prescription pain pills and illegal narcotics and having alcohol-fueled blackouts with no recollection of what happened. His decline led to an addiction-induced coma, being wanted in three states, and homelessness. Yet, today, he is a different man, husband, father, and author of Man Up. Sober Up. This is the power of God. A Christian friend, taking a realistic view of who he was as a person, and a commitment to become wiser through the use of the Bible set the tone for his recovery. Tune in to hear the story of Ryan Penley.

Dallin Candland: God Is Talking to You

Dallin Candland, author of God is Trying to Talk to Me: A Collection of Poems, often found himself living in the background. Though he worked hard to meet goals, he says doors were deliberately shut in his face. At first, he was disheartened and wondered why he continued to face defeat after defeat. However, as he matured, he realized how God developed his gift to see other people who were in the background like him, and as a result, he realized that it did not matter what position you held because God could still use you. He is encouraging people to look at how God is pushing them in their story. Whether you are in the background or not, God is not done with you yet. Listen in to learn how God may be talking to you.

Larry Ragland: I See Greatness in You!

"You will never be anything" is the phrase Larry Ragland often heard as a child, and it was reiterated with mental, emotional, and physical abuse. Eventually, he became what he did not want, but amid his mess up, God had his future wife speak up. She said, "I see greatness in you," and this changed the trajectory of Larry's life. Larry became a pastor, author, speaker, and the founder and director of the Ambassadors Network. Tune in now to hear his inspirational story and how greatness is also in you.

Stacy Barnes: Restored!

Her daughter touched her neck and asked, "Mommy, why did daddy hurt your neck?" She decided that this would not be a part of her children's story. Stacy Barnes was a devout Christian who became pregnant out of wedlock. Instead of her church members helping to restore her to the fellowship, she became the object of gossip, no one talked to her, and she felt ashamed that she had destroyed her Christian witness. Yet, hoping to move on, she married the child's father. After they married, his abusive tendencies revealed themselves. Eventually, she divorced, but during this tumultuous time, she went on a journey to restore her relationship with God. When she married a second time, it was right. Stacy wrote the book Damage Goods: A Devotional for the Slightly Imperfect to share her testimony of how God restored her and hopes that others who have had similar experiences will see how God can restore them to a right relationship with Him.