Hey there, Kingdom Warrior!
Listen, y’all. As a mom, I’ll admit that I don’t have the time that I used to when it comes to preparing for podcast interviews. So when I was trying to prep for this interview with Bonnie Gray, I wasn’t reading every word of her book like I used to do for guests, but I was scanning to see the highlights. But y’all – I couldn’t just scan it, because it was SO good and SO applicable to my life! That’s why I’m stoked that I get to introduce you to Bonnie today.
Bonnie Gray is the author of multiple books including Sweet Like Jasmine, an ECPA 2022 Christian Book Award Finalist. She’s also a soul care coach and a podcast host. Today on the show she joins us to talk about her newest book, Breathe: 21 Days to Stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm. Bonnie has recovered from PTSD and is passionate about helping people flourish through soul care with God. Through the first year of the pandemic, Bonnie’s hair started falling out, she got stress injuries to her hands, and she was facing chronic sleep deprivation and fibromyalgia. This book is what came out of her fight for freedom amidst her pain, and it was a freedom hard-earned and so beneficial to those of us who can learn from her journey.
In our conversation today, Bonnie gives us loads of practical tips and the science behind them (get your notepads ready – it’s that kind of an episode!) to calm our minds amidst the stress that any kind of chronic pain or physical limitation brings into our lives. You’ll hear her blow my mind about how the serotonin we build up during the day gets converted into melatonin at night. Bonnie shares vulnerably about her own journey of being a mom dealing with stress and fibromyalgia and begging God to help her sleep. With so much on her plate, she couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t answer that prayer amidst all of her anxiety and pain. Then she shares how God did equip her to sleep through some practical tools we can use, as well!
There a boat loads of other gems in this episode, like the Hebrew word for “be still” in the Bible and what that actually means, how naming our emotions is a simple step that leads us to freedom (I’ve been trying to practice this, and it works!), and how we can combat the lie of feeling the most selfish when we feel the most stressed. Whatever your pain or limitation is, I believe with all my heart that God has something to speak to you through this interview.
Listen to learn more about:
· How to transform your chaos into calm amidst your physical pain or limitation.
· Bonnie’s personal testimony that led her to practical tips you can apply TODAY to ease your anxiety amidst your pain.
· Gems about words in the Bible and their original translations and how they apply to our pain and anxiety.
Listen now:
Click here to listen on iTunes.
Click here to listen on Google Podcasts.
Click here to listen on Spotify.
Click here to listen on Stitcher.
Click here to listen on Amazon Music.
Favorite Quote from the episode:
"I literally begged God, 'God, can you just help me sleep?' And it was so painful for me that I didn't understand why He wouldn't answer the prayer because I was a mom and I needed to take care of my kids. You feel like you're in such a hopeless place. And it was on that bed that God brought to my mind the story of the little girl, who everybody thought was dead because she had no breath. It was Jairus's daughter. And the Scripture that I had known for many, many years God brought a new light into. He said, 'Bonnie, I'm with you.' Just like he sat next to the little girl. The Scripture says that He held her hand - He touched her hand, He held her hand. So as I laid on the bed, I just felt like Jesus was there, like I was that little girl, even though I was a mom. Jesus sees us as His little girl. And as He held my hand I just felt His kindness, that I was still important to God."
Links from our conversation:
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For freedom,
Tera