A Woman’s Heart with Lisa Granger

Pepper Basham: Writing for an Audience of One

Summer Reading Series! Ever want to escape the real world and enjoy some happily ever after? We can get dragged down by life, pulled under by discouragement and sucked into comparison so quickly. We can forget that when God places a desire and a gift in our heart, He wants us to use it, even if only for the joy of the Lord. Pepper Basham always enjoyed reading and writing, but put writing on hold to start a career and raise a family. Once she started, she had to push through the lies of not being enough to trust what God wanted her to do and write for an audience of One. Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her newest novel is Loyally Luke, where a flannel-wearing man’s man finds himself living out a romcom of royal proportions. You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com . Please share these great summer reads with a friend. You can get the summer reading list at www.lisagranger.com/summer-reading

Casey Hilty: Fundamentals of Leaving a Legacy of Faith

Summer Reading Series. Ever wonder how to pass your faith on to your kids or grandchildren? Faith is only one generation away from being extinct.  We are commanded to teach our children about God and His Word. Psalm 78:4, 7 “we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord” so they “would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”  Casey Hilty shares 5 steps of faith, what we can learn from 8 Biblical moms and practical ideas on how to share our faith with the next generation in her book, Her Children Arise: Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation. We talk about some of those steps and the moms who lived them out, as well as the lessons Casey has learned.
Casey Hilty is a Christian speaker, artist, worship leader, and author. Using both storytelling and visual art, she is passionate about taking mothers on a journey from apathy to awe to fall in love—or back in love—with God and His Word. Casey recently jumped back into the world of teaching after being a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. She and her husband, Bo, have three school-aged kids, a gaggle of pets, and call South Louisiana home.
You can find her on Instagram and Facebook and at www.caseyhilty.com
For the whole summer reading list and to keep in touch: https://www.lisagranger.com/summer-reading

Karen Witemeyer: Beautiful Power of Story with a Texas Twang

Summer Reading Series: What happens when you cross a fairy tale with a cowboy? You get an entertaining “Cinder-fella” story!  Sometimes when life gets hectic or a little crazy, it can be a welcome escape to lose yourself in someone else’s story. There are benefits to reading fiction stories, too, other than something to do on a beach.
Our conversation with award-winning author Karen Witemeyer covers her journey as a writer and how her faith and writing are intertwined.  She tells us what is on her heart for her readers and some of the beautiful lessons to be learned in stories. Karen also reveals some of the behind-the-scenes nuggets of her Texas Ever After series, including her latest book, If the Boot Fits.  This is a fun fairy tale series with a Texas twist.
Voted #1 Reader’s Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling and Carol and Christy Award–winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
Grab some lemonade and join us for this fun conversation. You can connect with Karen at www.karenwitemeyer.com
For the complete summer reading list and keep up with what’s going on with A Woman’s Heart, go to https://www.lisagranger.com/summer-reading

Camille Di Maio: Living Out Faith in a Secular World

Summer Reading Series: Why would God call a devote Christian to write secular fiction? Because He can use it for His glory. Someone may never pick up a Christian book, but they will be interested in an historical fiction book and get intrigued by some faith elements sprinkled in.
I had this conversation with Camille Di Maio last year and wanted to include her in the Summer Reading Series. Camille writes about strong women in different historical settings with some clean romance. I had the honor of meeting Camille Di Maio at a local event and now I am blessed to call her a friend.  Camille shares her journey of becoming an author and how she lives out her faith in her writing. 
Camille left an award-winning real estate career to become a full-time writer. She is now an award-winning author. Along with her husband of twenty-six years, she enjoys raising their four children. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She loves to spend Saturdays at farmers' markets and belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes. THE MEMORY OF US (2016), BEFORE THE RAIN FALLS (2017), THE WAY OF BEAUTY (2018), THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS (2019), THE FIRST EMMA (2020), UNTIL WE MEET (2022), COME FLY WITH ME (2025)
You can follow Camille on Facebook or Instagram
To get the Summer Reading List with all the books and authors for the summer go to my website https://www.lisagranger.com/summer-reading

Caitlyn Scaggs: Embrace a Vibrant and Fearless Life

Welcome to the Summer Reading Series!
Have you ever felt pulled in multiple directions?  You want to be there for your family and have a career.  You feel like you’re not enough and other times you feel like you’re too much. We can get so tangled up and splintered into so many pieces, we shut down, freeze or settle. Instead of letting all the complexities of life tear us up into pieces, we can embrace them and live in the middle. Life is not always black and white, either/or.  You can live boldly in the power of knowing who you are and thrive within the paradoxes of life.
Caitlyn Scaggs knows about being pulled in many directions and shares what she has learned from her diverse experience. Caitlyn is multi-faceted woman. Her career has taken many twists from police officer to marketing professional to college spokesperson and Associate VP to Executive Manager for New Hope Girls. Her biggest blessing is her family with a wonderful husband and 2 active kiddos. Her mission is to encourage others toward joy-filled living that is rooted in the truth of who they are and whose they are.
You can find more about Caitlyn and her book Worth It & Wonderful at https://boldlypursue.com/
For more information or to shop New Hope Girls: https://newhopegirls.com/
For a complete list of the Summer Reading Series 2024 go to: https://www.lisagranger.com/summer-reading

Janet McHenry: Discover Your Unique Way to connect Through Prayer

Do you wish you had a more vibrant prayer life? We can get overwhelmed with all the “shoulds” when it comes to prayer, to the point that we don’t do anything. This leaves us disconnected from God and missing out on the abundance God has for us.
Janet McHenry shares what she has learned to help individuals discover their unique prayer personality, by exploring different aspects such as learning styles, personality types, spiritual gifts, generational tendencies, and how they affect having a vibrant and sustainable prayer life. With a Biblical foundation and more information about who we are, we can find prayer methods that resonate with us, making our prayer life more engaging and effective.  By discovering what works for us, we can develop a prayer routine that fits our preferences and helps unlock a new level of intimacy with God. Janet gives lots of practical ways to explore and experiment with different prayer methods to find what works best.
Janet McHenry is the author of 27 books--eight on prayer, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, Praying Personalities. She serves on the California leadership team for the National Day of Prayer and as prayer ministries coordinator at The Bridge Church in Reno. Her prayer walking has been featured in national magazines such as Health, and she is the creator of an online Teachable course called Prayer School. Janet’s business name is called Looking Up! because she loves helping others develop a deeper relationship with God through the study of His Word and a praying lifestyle.
www.janetmchenry.com
This episode kicks off a Summer Reading Series. For a list of books and authors that are on the podcast and some of my all-time favorites, go to my website: www.lisagranger.com

Kim Tschirret: Amazing Power of Hope and Healing with Horses

We have a mental health crisis going on in our country. When we have children who have been traumatized with no means to heal, they become wounded adults, leaving them prey to a host of other issues. When we give children the ability and skills to heal and develop resilience, they can become mentally healthy adults with loads of opportunity. Our guest, Kim Tschirret shares her personal journey and the powerful transformation that can happen when you combine rescued horses with traumatized kids.
We discuss the four things that horses naturally teach humans: trust, communication, boundaries and leadership. Kim tells how God is able to do far beyond what we can do when we step out in obedience and lean on Him.
Kim Tschirret is the founder of Hope Reins, a haven for children seeking hope and healing through a profound connection with horses. Kim’s own childhood trauma and love of horses converged to start this special sanctuary which has received national and local recognition, empowering over 3000 children so far. Kim lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, kids and dogs.
To connect with Kim and Hope Reins, along with a free copy of the book Joey : https://hopereins.org/podcast/
Purchase book Joey on Amazon.
Please share the show with someone: https://www.lisagranger.com/shownotes

Valuable Lessons on Healing From Matthew

We all have wounds.  Whether they are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or relational, we have wounds that we want healed. Jesus healed all sorts of these ailments while He walked this earth and if He did it then, He can still do it now. I read the book of Matthew in search of some answers about healing and, as usual, Holy Spirit had plenty to reveal. Some things were not what I expected. 
These are some of the points that stood out to me.
The Word of God is a key component of healing.
God can use all the evil things done, poor choices made, and unfortunate circumstances around us for His purposes
He cares to heal the brokenness in our past and restore all the mess.
That’s the kind of healing God offers us. Abundant, over the top, scandalous grace.
God can heal by giving us the strength and peace and resolve to be obedient to his calling in the midst of fear, questions, uncertainty and possibly doubt.
If He will do it for others, He can and will do it for me.
He knows that forgiveness and love allow us to live in freedom and joy and peace. 
If we are seeking God first and what He wants for us, we may receive a physical healing or we may receive an emotional or relational healing.
If we are only focused on what we want, we may miss the other blessings that God has for us.
You may see only dry bones, but God can pull them together and breathe life into those dried up parts of your life.
You don’t need anyone else’s permission or approval to heal, only Jesus.
The shows that I mentioned on healing, Stephanie Rouselle and Julie Sunne:
https://www.lisagranger.com/shownotes/julie-sunne-reclaiming-hope-by-remebering-who-god-is
https://www.lisagranger.com/shownotes/activating-faith-for-healing-and-wholeness
https://www.lisagranger.com/shownotes/stephanie-rousselle-breakthrough-from-stale-religion-to-fresh-faith
Please share with a friend. www.lisagranger.com 

Courtney Doyle: Breakthrough the Masks and Myths of Motherhood

As moms, we frequently attend the masquerade ball of “everything is fine”.  As long as the image presented in public looks good, pay no attention to the messy reality behind closed doors.  We can get totally wrapped up in perceptions, perfection and pretending which only serve to keep us stuck in shallow relationships with shriveled up souls.
Courtney Doyle has plenty of masks and gowns from that masquerade ball and what she found is the freedom we have in Jesus to be authentic is far more rewarding. Courtney is host to the popular Masquerade of Motherhood podcast, a speaker, author, and Mom coach. Her most beloved titles are wife to Scott and Mom to 6 amazing children. With a blend of humor and deep insight, Courtney tackles the myths surrounding motherhood, empowering women to embrace God's plan not just for themselves but also for their children.
https://www.courtneydoyleministries.com/
https://www.courtneydoyleministries.com/podcast-1
Listen in to this heartfelt conversation with Courtney as she shares her journey of breaking free from the masks she used to wear and overcoming the lies she once believed. Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and your story is worth telling.
Would you please share this story with a friend and encourage them?
https://www.lisagranger.com/podcasts

Connie Harshaw: Walking Out Real Faith in the Real World

The world can be a scary place at times, and as much as we need our faith to get through, it can be a challenge when walking out our faith in circles that are hostile. But when we shrink back and sacrifice our faith to please others or fit in, we give up the power that God gives us to make a positive difference and exact change. We give up who God created us to be.
Connie Matthews Harshaw is a powerhouse who knows how crucial having faith is in a world that is not always welcoming. Connie shares her experiences around the world from Capitol Hill to the United Nations and how she always looks to God. This is a real, honest conversation about race, gender, finding common ground, being truthful and walking in faith.
Connie Matthews Harshaw began her career in public service with the U S. Navy at the Newport News Shipyard. She retired from the Federal government as a member of the Senior Executive Service after a 30-year career and becoming the agency’s first female African American SES. Among many accomplishments, she lists her most important work as the assignment to negotiate the site parameters for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. After retirement she formed her own management consultant business in Williamsburg, VA and currently serves as a senior advisor to several Presidential Appointees in Washington, DC and to the Director General of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Connie has served on multiple boards for several community organizations and is currently the President of the Let Freedom Ring Foundation in Williamsburg. She is married to James Michael Harshaw and has one adult son, Robert.
For Verses of Hope: https://www.lisagranger.com/verses-of-hope