Podcast Interviews with Heart of a Woman

leading saints1

In this episode the Leading Saints Podcast, Kurt Francom and his wife, Alanna, talk with Melanie Meszaros, Celeste Jensen, and Michelle Miner from the team hosting the upcoming The Heart of a Woman retreat.

They talk about what retreat has done for them in their lives and how it has enhanced their personal worship.

unashamed

“Looking back, I wish I had gone two years prior. I kind of mourn a little bit about not going sooner.” - Becky

Both Becky and Lindsay share a common theme of betrayal trauma from being married to husbands who are in recovery from addiction to pornography. They both said that the men in their lives hurt them and they could not be trusted. Although they have different stories both were left after these life experiences feeling like they couldn’t trust God either.

“Betrayal trauma is one of Satan’s big tools that he uses to hurt women and he tells us that we will not be loved and we will never be enough.” - Becky

This retreat explains Satan’s tactics and shows all women that there is someone who will fight for them! God loves you right now, right where you are. He will fight for you with His whole heart! NO MATTER WHAT! This is what changed Becky and her recovery.

did God abandon me

Kristi, Mindy, and Keshia sit down with James and Steve from the Unashamed and Unafraid podcast to talk about their experiences at Heart of a Woman Retreat. They discuss what their lives are like right now, what their apprehensions were before going to the retreat, talk about what they learned there, what they would tell someone about the retreat, and who might be on the fence about going.

The women are extremely open and vulnerable about their experiences and is an episode that will make you laugh and cry in the same breath. If this affects you and you know others who might be struggling, please consider sharing this.

Kristi has had a pretty crazy nine years. Nine years ago she got divorced and started taking care of her three kids on her own. She felt far away from God and that He had abandoned her. The last straw was she recently found out that her cancer is back. She had still been hurting from the divorce. Her friend Becky told her about the retreat and she decided to go.

Mindy has been married for 18 years and she has been in betrayal recovery from her husband's addiction for the past two years. Mindy developed a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms. She turned her back on God. She also developed self-loathing because of the betrayal. She heard about the retreat on our podcast and told her husband about it. He immediately signed her up.

Keshia was married to her spouse for 8 years and she found out about her husband’s addiction 5 years into the marriage. She decided to get divorced and they have been divorced for 18 months now. She heard about the retreat and decided to go because she was in a chaotic stage with her faith knowing that she could not go back to just living the “formula gospel”.
So what were their apprehensions or fears about going to the retreat?

All three of them felt so scared about not being able to connect with God. They did not feel that they would be the same after the retreat. They wanted to know if God really loved them and knew them personally. They were excited to report that God showed up in a big way! Here are some of the quotes that they said about what happened:

Mindy said, “It felt like light had been shined in my heart, in places that I had no idea were there.”
Kristi commented, “The prayers that were offered in that little circle were the prayers that will stay stuck in my heart, for years.”
They all explained that anyone thinking about going just needs to go. Mindy shared the scripture John 4:19 that says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” So, God gave us Jesus Christ and now it is our turn to move into that love.

 

unashamed 2018

Steve from the Unashamed and Unafraid podcast talks to Heart of a Woman retreat founder and two attendees to learn more about retreat and its powerful effect in the lives of women.

 “ I showed up. I remember saying the prayer, ‘God, I am giving you all I can right now and that’s not a lot, but I need you to show up for me.’ …He showed up for me every way possible. I’ve never felt more accepted and loved by God in my life, right where I’m at.” –Lindsay

 The Heart of a Woman Retreat  “cracks the code” for many women looking to restore their trust in God, connect to Him in deeper ways, see themselves as they were created to be, and heal their battered and wounded hearts. This three-day retreat is designed especially for women who are exhausted, numb, and overwhelmed. You unplug from the world for three glorious days and plug into God’s messages for you—you are enough, you are loved, you are beautiful, you are important.

“It was huge for me to disconnect from my roles back home. I got to matter for three days and that was really powerful for me. It was so important for me to reconnect with me as a person and connect with other women.” – Anarie

 At the retreat, many women learn how God really sees them and loves them for the first time in their lives.