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In today's episode we welcome author Kristen Strong to share about her most recent book--a book you're going to love to receive, and love to give away. Friends Are Family We Choose provides the perfect introduction to a conversation we keep unpacking at Let's Talk with Sanctuary--the value and importance of healthy friendships. Kristen shares about her "baptism by fire" training in friendship when she went from her childhood on "O'Neil Lane" to moving every few years with her husband's military career. She also talks about how to find friendship even in your busiest seasons, why it's important and Christ-like to make the effort, and so much more.
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Kristen Strong, whose authored books include Girl Meets Change and When Change Finds You, also compiled the 90-day devotional, Praying Through Loneliness. She writes as the friend wanting to help you be the friend you want to have. She loves sharing laughs, long talks, and meaningful stories with family and friends while holding a cup of strong black tea. She and her US Air Force veteran husband, David, have three beloved adult children. Together this military family zigzagged across the country (and one ocean) several times before settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You can find her at kristenstrong.com, DaySpring’s (in)courage, and on Instagram @kristenstrong.
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Connect with today's guest, Kristen Strong:

Instagram: @kristenstrong

Facebook: @chasingblueskies

www.kristenstrong.com

Learn more about Friends Are Family We Choose here.

Featured:

• Greene and Raley
• What’s your favorite episode or featured guest on Let’s Talk with Sanctuary’s first four seasons?

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

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What do you do when you've done everything right? You've raised your child in the ways of the Lord. You've modeled the heart of Christ. You've instructed them in right and wrong. Yet, the unthinkable happens--your once obedient and faith-filled child has become a prodigal. The pain is unbearable, and the walk of faith is long and hard.

If you are the parent of a prodigal, you need hope--and lots of it! Today we are blessed to have author Jelly Valimont on the podcast to share her most recent book. The book’s title, Pathways of a Prodigal. It’s an easy read, but oh-so-valuable to all parents and grandparents, and particularly for those in our listening audience who are raising preachers’ kids in your home. Take a listen as Jelly shares about her life as a PK, parenting her own prodigals, and the principles that guided her and her late husband, Dr. Randy Valimont, as they saw the return of each of their daughters.
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Jelly Valimont is the widow of Dr. Randy Valimont, former pastor of Griffin First Assembly (GFA), an Encounter Life Network church. She was born in McMinnville, Tennessee into the home of a pastor and spent her PK life growing up in a Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. While attending Southeastern University, she met and married the love of her life, Randy Valimont. The couple served in various ministerial roles in Arkansas and Georgia. In 1993, Randy and Jelly relocated to Griffin, Georgia, where Jelly continues to live. During their time in Griffin, Jelly has been involved in the local church in women's ministry, Celebration Choir, worship teams, and the ministry of costumes. She was also an administrative consultant for GFA during Dr. Valimont’s tenure.

Jelly has been used by God to speak in the local church and at conferences throughout the United States and internationally. She has written two books: I Have Issues and Tapestry: a Story of Adoption, Acceptance, and Destiny. Jelly’s heart’s cry is to do the will of the Father, wherever and whatever that might be, to bring souls into the Kingdom, and to facilitate spiritual health and well-being to the Body of Christ. If she can do it while laughing, so much the better!
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Connect with today's guest, Jelly Valimont:

IG: @jellyvalimont
Facebook: @jelly.jordan.valimont
Email: jelly@valimontministries.org
Web: www.valimontministries.org

Featured:

• Episode 72, featuring Jelly Valimont
• 5th Avenue Resources
• What’s your favorite episode on Let’s Talk with Sanctuary’s first four seasons?

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

Eternity in heaven, with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is the ultimate goal for every believer. Unfortunately, many professing followers of Christ, including ministers of the Gospel, will give themselves far too much latitude as they age, letting go of the simple spiritual disciplines and convictions that have grounded them through decades of following Christ, only to be sidelined by the enemy just before they cross the finish line. Faithfulness, not just in ministry service, but in surrendered submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives each day is the focus for our conversation today. Our featured guests Pastors Billy and Bettye Nickell recently celebrated 50 years of marriage and faithful ministerial service. They join us to share what they've learned is "the secret sauce" of living with integrity all the days of your life.
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Billy and Bettye Nickell were elected as Lead Pastors of Amarillo’s First Family Church, First Assembly of God, in March 2002. He served as the Presbyter of the of the North Plains Section from 1983-2010 and as an Executive Presbyter for twenty-three of those years. In April of 2010, Billy was elected to be the Secretary/Treasurer of the West Texas District, as well as one of three General Presbyters. He and Bettye traveled as evangelists for six-years prior to their 22-year pastorate at First Assembly of God in Canyon, Texas. He currently serves on the board of Pleasant Hills Children’s Home in Fairfield, TX, and as a member of the board of regents at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie. They have two daughters who live in Amarillo with their husbands and eight beautiful grandchildren. Billy’s passion is sharing God’s Word for the exclusive purposes of bringing glory to Christ and seeing lives eternally changed.
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Connect with today's guests, Billy & Bettye Nickell:

Website: www.firstfamilychurch.org

YouTube: Amarillo First Family Church

Email: fantastic1316@gmail.com

Featured:

• Give Let’s Talk with Sanctuary a Rating + Review!
• Learn about Let’s Connect.
• Let’s Connect listings

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

Today’s guest will inspire you to just be a better, stronger, more compassionate human being. James wrote in chapter one, verse 27: “Pure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.” Sometimes, even as ministers of the Gospel, we can be so consumed with all the tasks that are involved in producing ministry events that we can overlook ministry itself, stripped down to its core, which is just loving on people. And our guest Marlene Craft is going to help provide a bit of a mental and ministry reset for each of us, regardless of what lane of ministry work you’re doing—simply as a follower of Christ.
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Marlene Craft and her husband Wayne were pastors for 30 years, until his sudden passing 13 years ago. Soon after her husband died, she knew that her desire was now to minister to widows. In 2013, Marlene began a small group widows’ ministry at her home church and, five years later, became the first Assemblies of God U.S. Missionary Chaplain to Widows, Marlene’s heart is to equip the church to minister to widows and has written a program to do that. She loves to encourage widows and let them know the Lord has “a future and a hope” for this season in their life. Marlene also enjoys teaching about grief to aid people through their journey of darkness.

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Connect with today's guest, Marlene Craft:

Website: WidowsLink.org
Facebook: @WidowsLinkMinistry

Featured:

• Give Let’s Talk with Sanctuary a Rating + Review!
• Learn about Let’s Connect.
• Widows Link Cruise 2025 [registration deadline extended to Aug 30 2024]
• Let’s Connect listings

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

Today's conversation is going to be an encouragement for all our friends who are serving in the ministry, like pastoring a church, or preaching out on the weekends when invited, or serving as a lay youth pastor or worship pastor, while also carrying the weight of a full-time job in the secular arena. But we also hope to encourage so many others who may be considering this prospect in the near, or distant, future. Bi-vocational ministry often gets overlooked by vocational ministers, or even laity whose pastor is bi-vocational, as it can be misunderstood as being “part-time”. But our guest today, Rev. Robert Miller, is going to debunk this, and other myths about bi-vo ministry, easily from his own personal experience.
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Rev. Robert L. Miller has served as the Chief Operating Officer of the North Texas District of the Assemblies of God and Lakeview Camp since December 2023, and Executive Director of the NTD Church Loan Fund and NTD Foundation since January 2018. Prior to serving in the North Texas District, Robert was the Lead Pastor at New Life Assembly in Collinsville, OK for eight years and has served in Pastoral Leadership for 20 years. Robert was a bi-vocational pastor while working in the financial services industry for 18 years prior to coming to the North Texas District. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and an MBA from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He also co-leads an intentional interim pastoral ministry and is currently serving a church as lead pastor through a season of transition since August 2023. Robert serves as Chairman of the Board for Adult and Teen Challenge of Dallas, on the Board of Directors for Assemblies of God Credit Union, is the Founding Chair of the Spanish advanced degree program for Global University, on the Teacher Education Supervisory Board at SAGU, and was just nominated to serve on the board for the National Association of Church Business Administrators. Robert and his wife, Haley, have been married for 25 years and have four children, one son-in-love, two dogs, and one grandson! He is an avid golfer, loves traveling with his family, and playing Monopoly.
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Connect with today's guest, Robert Miller:

Email: rmiller@northtexas.ag
Web: churchloanfund.ag

Featured:

• Give LTS a Rating + Review!
• Life on Loneliness Island Blog Series

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

In this episode, host Bridgette Tomlin and her guest Crystal Williams tackle the "modest is hottest" mantra, talk about what true modesty actually is, how to teach the generation behind us more about it, and what the risks and rewards are in speaking truth when it's easier to remain silent. Is modesty just about how long your shorts are, or how low-cut your blouse is? What does modesty of the heart look like? Take a listen and pass this crucial conversation along to another momma, youth pastor, women's ministries leader, or young adult you're leading.
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Crystal is a happy wife and the mother of two vibrant, highly imaginative children. She likes to refer to herself as the “Williams Home Engineer”. She is the homeschool teacher to her children and her passions include transforming mundane moments into magical experiences. Crystal adores everything “Southern”, as is evident in her personality, her humble character and her “Old Soul” charm. Her home is where she’s most comfortable; however, where she thrives is in her ability to lift spirits and bring hope to whomever she encounters.

Although Crystal has faced numerous, difficult challenges throughout her life, God has proven Himself faithful through it all. Her life and those of her beautiful family are the evidence of God’s hand upon them. They are walking miracles. Crystal is full of faith and this is expressed through her fervency in worship towards God. All of this coupled with a lifetime of serving in ministry and the gifts in which she walks, gives Crystal the unique disposition to minister in a way which encourages, challenges and simply softens hearts.

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Connect with today's guest, Crystal Williams:

IG: @crystal_firey_williams
Email: crystalfireywilliams@gmail.com

Featured:

• Give LTS a Rating + Review!
• Life on Loneliness Island Blog Series

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

When you’re suffering, when someone you love is suffering, when it seems the evil in the world is thriving or excelling, it just doesn’t make sense that God would not intervene right now and make it all right. What do you do when Jesus delays? But more importantly, how do you reconcile WHY Jesus delays? This episode of #letstalksanctuary features host Bridgette Tomlin as she digs deeper into Jesus’s delay in healing Lazarus--the delay of a highly anticipated miracle.
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Featured:

• Let’s Connect | June 2024
• Sanctuary on Facebook
• Life on Loneliness Island Blog Series

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Send us a text

You may have heard the slogan, “Behind every good man is a better woman”. Good men can be even greater men when challenged to become that. It is within the power of every woman to champion the greatness and potential she sees in the man she knows and loves, especially and most importantly her husband and the sons she is raising.

It is widely known that men and women are vastly different in the ways their brains function, what is most important to them, how they manage their emotions, what makes them angry, what makes them feel happy, fulfilled, and successful, and so much more. How can women champion their husbands forward to meet their full potential and, ultimately, fulfill the call of God on their lives—vocationally, personally, and relationally? In today's episode we welcome Neil Kennedy of FiveStar Man to educate, inspire, and encourage the listener as we head into Father's Day weekend.
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Neil Kennedy is a renowned author of 14 books, speaker, and founder of FivestarMan.com, ChampionUniversity, and The Daily Champion. FivestarMan is an international men’s movement dedicated to empowering men with the message of Biblical/Authentic manhood. Neil and his wife, Kay, affectionally known as Kaytie Girl, have three married children with eight grandchildren. They reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Connect with Today's Guest, Neil:

Email: Neil@FivestarMan.com
Facebook: @neil.kennedy
Instagram: @neilkennedy

Featured:

• Let’s Connect | June 2024
• Sanctuary on Facebook
• Life on Loneliness Island Blog Series

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!