EP204 + EP205 | 7 Barriers to Embracing Your UN-Perfect Life

w/ Shelly Snead

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m 100% positive that you have a lot going on this week, so I’m dropping a 2-part conversation for you. Feel free to pop in your earbuds while you’re scrubbing toilets or peeling 10 lbs of potatoes or baking pies. I’ll be doing the same. :)

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Scripture tells us to “count it all joy” when we’re in the midst of trials. That sounds like a great idea…until we are the ones actually experiencing those trials.

Can we hold the reality of our pain, disappointment, and grief in one hand, and also hold the truth of God’s promises in the other? Our guest today not only believes that we can embrace the tension between these two realities, but she’s here to show us how to do it. 

Today I welcome to the show my friend, Shelly Snead. She is a mom to 4, a wife of 28 years, a writer, and a podcaster. She is also passionate about helping you embrace the UN-perfect life you’ve been dealt.

In Part 1 (releasing Tuesday) we discuss

• Why should we embrace UN-Perfect? Doesn’t Jesus call us to some level of perfection…or at least excellence? Are you asking us to excuse our sin as “this is just the way God made me”?

• The importance of acceptance–embracing the reality that this is what we’ve been dealt and it will never be “perfect” on this side of heaven

• The following obstacles to embracing our UN-Perfect lives 

  • Hiding

  • Comparison

  • Insignificance

  • Control

In Part 2 (releasing Thursday) we discuss

• Regret

• Worry

• A surprising revelation Shelly had while studying the barriers

• What’s on Shelly’s To-Don’t List

• Encouragement for you as you try to embrace your UN-Perfect life

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More about Shelly:

Shelly is a writer/podcaster residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. She and her husband, Art, have been miraculously married for 28 years, have 4 kids (2 from the womb and 2 from the heart), and one spoiled pup they rescued in a weak moment. When she’s not searching for her keys, she teaches piano, leads worship, co-leads the Asheville Area Christian Adoption/Foster mom support group, and leads Bible Study for the beautiful women at Abba’s House residential recovery program for moms. She blogs occasionally and hosts the Un-perfect Podcast weekly.

Helpful Resources from Shelly:

Shelly’s website and podcast can be found here

Download Shelly’s Freebie: Biblical Meditations for Living in the Now and Not Yet

Embracing Un-perfect - A 7-Day Dive to Fully Living the Life You Are Dealt

For $7, you’ll receive a daily email addressing the barriers we discussed in our conversation with Shelly. 

1 Intro: The now and the not-yet - living in the tension

2 Moving from hiding to authenticity

3 Moving from comparison to contentment

4 Moving from control to surrender

5 Moving from insignificance to purpose

6 Moving from regret to hope

7 Moving from worry to peace

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Q4U: What are you thankful for? Let’s do a gratitude thread. :)

Here’s mine: I’m so thankful for YOU. Truly. Thank you for showing up here and allowing me into your inbox and earbuds.

Now, it’s your turn…

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