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Lauren Gaskill

Encouraging women to live in faith and joy

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She Found Joy Podcast

Finding Joy #53: Kate Motaung: Sacrificial Living and Finding a Place to Land

April 9, 2018 • 2 Comments

Deep joy in Christ.

Kate Motaung joins me today for Finding Joy #53. Kate is a wife, mother, blogger and the author of A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging, which released earlier this month! (Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter to win a copy!)

On the show, Kate and I talk about the 10+ years she spent serving as a missionary in Cape Town, South Africa and how, even if we aren’t international missionaries, we can still give our lives as offerings to Christ each and every day through surrender and dying to self in our self-obsessed culture. One of the prayers we came up with on the show to help adapt a more sacrificial lifestyle is, “Lord, may I be open to being as inconvenienced as I need to be to love others the way that you love me.”

Kate shares about watching her mother undergo a terminal battle with cancer and what that experience taught her about grief, loving well and the HOPE of heaven. Kate and I wrap up our conversation talking about how the importance of living with a heavenly mindset — investing in Kingdom work over and above our desire to lead comfortable lives.

Kate encourages us to ask ourselves the question: Where am I placing my hope and fulfillment? Is the answer in Christ?

Connect With Kate

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Living with a heavenly mindset means putting Kingdom work above comfort. @k8motaung #FindingJoyPodcast

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Christ in us means we can have deep joy in the midst of difficulty. #FindingJoyPodcast

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Finding Joy #52: Connie Bartlett: Living with Purpose, Grief and Raising Blended Families

April 2, 2018 • 3 Comments

Lord, have your way in me.

Connie Bartlett joins me today for Finding Joy #52. Connie is a wife, mother, blogger and she’s also my fabulous assistant for the Finding Joy Ladies Night Out events! (She will actually be speaking on the panel at the Woodstock, Georgia event on Oct. 7.)

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Connie spent years thinking her purpose in life was to climb the corporate ladder so she could gain the world’s definition of success. She worked tirelessly to become the director of marketing twice at big insurance companies, but after losing her mom and her job in 2017, God awakened Connie to realize that there was so much more to life.

While such tragedies could cause someone to turn away from the faith, Connie instead drew closer to God as she learned to grieve in a holy and healthy way. It was from this place of grief that God wooed her back into his arms to see her true purpose in Him.

In addition to talking about living with purpose, Connie and I talk about the challenges and blessings of raising and loving children well in a blended family situation. We also talk about how to communicate well in marriage and why it’s important to pray and grow together as the years go on.

P.S. If you’ve been blessed by the Finding Joy Podcast, or if this episode blesses you, it would mean the world to me if you left a review on iTunes. This will help more people find the show and learn more about the joy of Jesus.

Links from the Show

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption
Blessed by a Feather blog post
Making Chocolate: From Bean to Bar to S’more

Connect With Connie

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Connect With Lauren

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The enemy wants to keep us busy so we don’t hear God. It’s time to break the busy cycle. #FindingJoyPodcast

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Lord, have your way and fulfill your purpose in our lives. #FindingJoyPodcast

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Finding Joy #51: The Ruth Experience: Changing the World with Biblical Kindness

March 26, 2018 • 10 Comments

Colossians 3:12

The Ruth Experience ladies join me today for Finding Joy #51. Kristin, Kendra and Julie are not only friends, but they are also writers, speakers, wives, moms, and world-changers. They are passionate about fostering authentic community and believe simple acts of biblical kindness can truly change the world.

A few years back, God placed a burning desire on these ladies hearts to be the hands and feet of Jesus on a more intentional level. Their experience in practicing kindness in today’s increasingly divided culture was so life-changing, they decided to take what they learned and turn it into a beautiful book, The One-Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional, which released last fall.

Y’all, I cannot even begin to tell you what a blessing this devotional has been to me. It’s super easy to follow along with and the Scripture passages and inspirational personal stories have left a huge impression on my heart. On today’s show, we talk about the book and why God calls us to show kindness to others. We also talk about what it means to live a life of generosity, and how you can incorporate kindness into your everyday routine (and teach it to your kids) with tons of easy-to-implement ideas.

Biblical kindness can change the world, but it can also change us too.

Together, we can fight our natural impulse to be self-centered by viewing kindness as a blessed opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. What a privilege that is, amen?

As Kristin, Kendra and Julie point out on the show, “when we meet someone else’s need, our needs are often met too.” Biblical kindness isn’t a chore or obligation, friends. It’s a win, win, win. Go and be the light, and enjoy this uplifting conversation with these three inspiring ladies.

P.S. As a freebie, you can grab today’s entry from The One-Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional HERE.

finding joy the ruth experience finding joy podcast

Links from the Show

The Ruth Experience Bible Studies
Breaking Free: The Journey, The Stories
Dance, Stand, Run: The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground

Connect With The Ruth Experience

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If you’re looking for life purpose, try loving God and others. #FindingJoyPodcast

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“There’s nothing quite like being the hands and feet of Jesus.” @RuthExperience #FindingJoyPodcast

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Finding Joy #50: Amy Breitmann: Broken Roads and How God Makes Us Whole

March 19, 2018 • 1 Comment

In Christ, our brokenness is always repurposed. We are beautifully broken to be a blessing.

Amy Breitmann joins me today for the Finding Joy Podcast’s 50th episode! Amy is a wife, mother, writer and lover of all things creative (and she will also be speaking at the Woodstock, Georgia Finding Joy Ladies Night Out event on Oct. 7!) Her life and faith were forever changed when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a 29-year-old mama-to-be.

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, God has taken Amy’s broken road and weaved it into a beautiful ministry. Today The Lydia Project serves thousands of women and their families each year, providing spiritual, emotional, and financial support to women facing any kind of cancer. Amy firmly believes that while God doesn’t cause suffering to happen in our lives, He uses every valley to help us learn how to minister to others in their time of need.

“When we find ourselves in a valley, we have a choice to make. We can be bitter or fearful … or we can look around and say, ‘How can I serve and be Jesus to the people who are in this same valley?'” Amy says.

We are beautifully broken to be a blessing.

In addition to talking about her experience with cancer and The Lydia Project, Amy and I talk about the importance of living our passions and staying true to who God made us to be — cracks, scars, flaws and all.

amy breitmann

A few more takeaways from the show:

  • Don’t be afraid to just be you! Show up and say, this is me! People want to be inspired. They want to come alongside you and cheer you on. We think they don’t but they do. Believe in who God made you to be and walk in that freedom.
  • God gives us stories and passions for a reason and He uses them to inspire others and touch others’ hearts.
  • We should live our passions simply because we know we’re supposed to … not because we need something in return.
  • Your gifting is not about you. Stop caring about shares, likes and other validation. Your gifting is just that — a gift to the world.
  • Oh, and watch The Greatest Showman, or at least listen to the hit song, “This Is Me.”

Links from the Show

“A God of All Seasons” book
The Lydia Project
“When the New Year Looks Like a Broken Road” blog post

Connect With Amy

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In Christ, our brokenness is always repurposed. #FindingJoyPodcast

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We either believe suffering is happening for a greater purpose or it’s all a loss. #FindingJoyPodcast

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Finding Joy #49: Christen Price: Imperfect Hospitality and Loving Others Well

March 12, 2018 • 2 Comments

Forget Netflix and chill. It's time to connect and eat cake. // LaurenGaskillInspires.com

Christen Price joins me today for Finding Joy #49. Christen and her husband live in the countryside of lower Alabama, where they raise their three precious children. As a writer, artist, and party planner, Christen’s heart is to lead women in celebrating their people, place, and purpose. Her first book, Invited: Live a Life of Connection Not Perfection, released in spring 2016.

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Christen is a big proponent of embracing imperfect hospitality — biblical hospitality that focuses not on perfection but on on why we celebrate: to be with and love on people. We might not always plan the perfect party, but we can always choose to be God’s hand and feet and love others well.

In addition to talking about how to be a “hallelujah hostess,” Christen and I also talk about the importance of saying yes to community, especially when we’d rather stay at home in our PJs and watch Netflix. This doesn’t mean we say yes to everything, but rather we keep an open heart and mind. In other words, while the cultural trend is to say no and create margin in our lives (which is good), we should be careful not to shut everyone and everything out.

While we talked about the importance of community, Christen and I came up with a quote that I think you’ll get a kick out of: Forget Netflix and chill. It’s time to connect and eat cake.

Forget Netflix and chill. It’s time to connect and eat cake. #FindingJoyPodcast

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I don’t know about you, but while I love a good Netflix and chill session, nothing beats authentic, heartfelt connection with a side of cake.

 

Christen challenges us to extend ourselves beyond our current people and needs to say, “What can I do to show God’s love to others today in a tangible, real way?”

Links from the Show

Invited Book

Connect With Christen

Facebook | Twitter

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Loneliness is a disease, and it can only be cured with a good dose of hospitality or community. @chris10price #FindingJoyPodcast

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Hospitality isn’t about hosting the perfect party, it’s about showing God’s love to others. #FindingJoyPodcast

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25 Daily Faith Confessions {+ Finding Joy Episode #48 with Hanha Hobson}

March 5, 2018 • Leave a Comment

25 Daily Confessions of Faith

What do you spend most of your time thinking about? Do your thoughts toward yourself and the world tend to be negative? The truth is, if we don’t take time to fill ourselves up with TRUTH, nothing and no one else will. That is what makes the practice of daily faith confessions so important — we have to get God’s truth in if we are going to get the enemy’s lies out.

Next time you’re tempted to start thinking negatively about yourself or your situation, pull out this list of 25 faith confessions and declare them over your life. God’s Word always accomplishes its purpose (Isaiah 55:11) and if we let it, it can truly transform us from the inside out. ///

OK, now onto today’s podcast guest!

Hanha Hobson joins me today for Finding Joy #48. Hanha is the founder of the Transparency Blog, which encourages women to be confident in who God made them to be and what He has called them to do. Her interactive 31-day devotional, Jesus Is Bae, just came out last week, and it’s a wonderful tool for anyone looking to learn more about what it means to be in a relationship with Christ.

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Hanha struggled with shame for years before finding freedom in Jesus. The enemy tried to tell her she wasn’t loved, and for awhile, Hanha wondered if he was right. Everything changed when her mom challenged her to read the Bible with her from the start of Genesis to the end of Revelation.

The transformation didn’t happen overnight, but as she began practicing daily faith confessions, God’s truth began to replace the lies she’d grown to believe. Today on the podcast, Hanha shares practical tips for combating shame with daily faith confessions. She and I also talk about how to respond when other people try to shame us and drag us into the pit.

You can learn more about Hanha’s #TheConfessionsProject here (the faith confessions graphic above was inspired by our conversation, and you are free to print that out as well by clicking on the photo!).

transparency blog

Hanha encourages us to ask God to help move Scripture from our heads to our hearts, so we can grasp His love and experience freedom on a deeper level.

Links from the Show

Daily Confessions Homework / Sign Up

Connect With Hanha

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Joy and contentment are found when we know who we are in Christ. #FindingJoyPodcast

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“We have to fill ourselves with truth if we are going to stand up to the enemy’s lies.” @heyhanha #FindingJoyPodcast

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Hi, dear friend! I'm so glad you're here. And though I wish we could be meeting face-to-face over coffee, I'm grateful for the chance to know you here. The community here inspires me, and I hope you feel like you belong while you're here. If you'd like to connect with me, please follow me on social media. I want to hear from you, so please reach out! And don't forget to sign up for my newsletter — you'll get access to special content and freebies.

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Introducing our sweet baby boy, Graham Gregg Gaski Introducing our sweet baby boy, Graham Gregg Gaskill! 

Our precious son made his long awaited arrival into this world 4/8/21 at 12:27 pm weighing in at 9 lbs. 5 oz. 

His name means gift of God, symbol of healing, watchful and wide awake, and valorous.

Graham: gift of God in some cultures, but it also can mean “grain,” and is representative of the new grain we’ve all been given access to — Jesus’ body broken for our healing. Gregg is after Alex’s dad and means wide-awake, watchful and vigilant. Gaskill: valorous. 

All I can say are the first words I uttered when I had the beautiful opportunity to catch him and pull him to my chest: He’s perfect. 

We are blessed. 🌈
Waves. They come and they go; they push and they p Waves. They come and they go; they push and they pull. All the while, the tides rise and fall, drawn by forces unseen.

Forces unseen ... It’s amazing to me that the same world that so easily acknowledges the unseen, powerful forces behind the ocean’s activity is often skeptical or unreceptive to the unseen, powerful forces behind the supernatural realm. 

And yet, if there is one thing I’ve learned in my journey of learning the things of the unseen Kingdom of God, it’s that what Paul communicated in 2 Corinthians 4:18 is true: What is unseen is eternal — greater and more real than what is seen. And the circumstances, emotions, and things we experience here? Well, they are temporary.

Your situation might not look like it’s changing, but I promise you as you focus on the things unseen God has showed you and promised you about your life, like the falling and rising of the tides, the power of the Holy Spirit is bringing the substance of those things unseen to pass right in front of your eyes. 

Seek, ask, believe, receive, and keep your eyes on Jesus, sweet friend. He’s not going to let you down. 

📷 @kate.mclaws
“I look up to the mountains and hills, longing f “I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection is only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth. He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall. God is my keeper; he will never forget nor ignore me. He will never slumber nor sleep; he is the Guardian-God for his people, Israel. Yahweh himself will watch over you; he’s always at your side to shelter you safely in his presence. He’s protecting you from all danger both day and night. He will keep you from every form of evil or calamity as he continuously watches over you. You will be guarded by God himself. You will be safe when you leave your home, and safely you will return. He will protect you now, and he’ll protect you forevermore!” {Psalm 121 TPT} 

This is just one of so many sections of Scripture I’ve been declaring over our family in this season. What about you?
Isaiah 59 struck me in a new and powerful way this Isaiah 59 struck me in a new and powerful way this week. In verses 15,-16, the prophet writes, “Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.“

The passage goes on to say that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord lifts up a standard against Him. Yes, He always breaks through for us. And because He sent us salvation through Jesus when He saw the depth of our need for a Savior, we now carry that same spirit and person of breakthrough inside of us. 

More than ever, I am convinced that the breakthroughs we find ourselves needing in this journey called life are not somewhere “out there” waiting for us. Instead, Jesus is waiting for us to turn to Him, acknowledge every good thing He’s already placed in us, and rest in knowing that as we stand on His Word, He is bringing every promise to complete fulfillment in our lives. 

Drop a 🙌🏼 in the comments if you’re thankful the God of breakthrough lives inside of you today!
Sleepy boop 🐶 @boopmynose Sleepy boop 🐶 @boopmynose
Everything is starting to come back to life here i Everything is starting to come back to life here in Raleigh. The birds are singing. The trees, flowers, and bushes are budding — some even flowering. It’s amid this flurry of new life that I find my heart longing to awaken to an even deeper revelation of the truth of the new life that is living on the inside of me every day. I have tasted and seen bits and pieces of the goodness of this new life, but it’s not enough to simply know it exists. I want the new life that Jesus has given me to radiate from every part of my being. Not just my spirit, but my soul and body too. 

My hope is found in remembering that it is GOD who causes seeds to grow and bloom, both in the landscape of our world and in the garden of my heart. I yield my heart to Him and the truth of His Word, and He brings the increase by His grace. I cannot make the seed of His Word and new life grow. I can water it through communion with Jesus, but I can’t make it produce life in my own strength or by my own power of will.

This is what I hold onto in faith: That I don’t have to understand how He turns the winter into spring. But just the promise that He does. Even when spring seems like it has been delayed. It always comes. 🌿
I call this my “I love the Word of God speaking I call this my “I love the Word of God speaking face.” 😂😂 Hard to believe it’s officially been a little more than a year since I stepped onto a stage to minister the word of God. I’m so grateful for the many other opportunities God has given me to share the Word in this season of life, whether that be through a conversation at the gym, an interview, or a @shefoundjoy podcast episode, but goodness, am I looking forward to the day when I can share the love, goodness, truth, and power of Jesus to a room full of precious, smiling people. 

If your church is opened/opening up, please know I’m open to speaking opportunities, even after sweet Baby G is born! Message or email me for inquiries or booking info. (Thanks again to @rochelle.merrell for allowing me to speak at @catchthefireraleigh’s women’s event last year! We had such a blast!! And @_j_knee, that was when we became friends!!) 💜
If there is one thing pregnancy and preparing for If there is one thing pregnancy and preparing for birth have taught me, it’s that Jesus really does have to be my source for everything, and I wasn’t meant to carry burdens. (I’m sure motherhood teaches this on an even deeper level.) But really, we all need Jesus. And we weren’t meant to carry burdens. We were meant to carry LIFE. 

Whether or not you ever carry a child, your inheritance is to be a carrier of the light and life of Jesus for all of your days. That means saying no to holding on to negative emotions, memories, thoughts, or anything else the enemy of our souls wants to try and make us carry. 

With Baby G making his arrival any day now, I’ll be honest: The last few weeks have been brutal. Holy Spirit has been bringing a lot of things to the surface, and some days, all I can do is just cry, surrender, and choose to trust all over again that God will settle what still needs to be settled and be faithful to what He’s spoken over our family. But through this grueling process, I have learned in a greater way why it is so important to cast every burden and care on Jesus. Because if we don’t, the very weight of them will eventually crush us. 

What cares or burdens do you need to cast upon Him today? He is more than willing and able to carry the weight, and in exchange, fill you with His light and life.
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