Not My Story

Sarah invites her husband and Not My Story producer/editor Ben Westfall to join her in this final episode. They reflect on common themes that surfaced throughout the life of the podcast, guests or ideas that stuck with them, as well as behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the podcast’s creation and final chapter.For full episode notes, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Psychiatrist and author Curt Thompson returns to Not My Story for the Art + Ash series. Sarah and Curt discuss what it looks like to live out the truest version of our stories within the context of community by asking two important questions of ourselves and of each other. They go on to talk about Curt’s newest book The Soul of Desire (coming October 2021 with IVP), which includes a framework for how we can pursue both beauty and connection within confessional communities, even in the presence of suffering.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Curt, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Reader, writer, and professor Karen Swallow Prior joins Sarah in episode 46 of Not My Story. They begin by talking about how good literature affects the way we see and experience the world (including a few must-read suggestions from Karen!). Sarah and Karen also discuss the distinction between art and creativity, and Karen shares about her own wrestling to make her words beautiful when her first response to writing isn’t artful but analytical. Their conversation also dives into social media, what it looks like to approach platforms like Instagram and Twitter as an avenue for beauty and goodness, holding both beauty and brokenness, and practical thoughts on cultivating a creative life.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Karenl, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In Not My Story episode 45, Sarah is joined by Rachel Kang—writer of poems and prose and founder of Indelible Ink Writers. Sarah and Rachel explore what it means to be “creative” in our everyday lives and how perhaps we need to redefine “the creative” within church and culture. Rachel shares a bit of her own journey, particularly how she has shifted her view of writing and making music from a “hoarded hobby” to a way of giving and cultivating community with God and with people. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Rachel, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Shawn Smucker and Maile Silva—writers and co-hosts of The Stories Between Us podcast—help Sarah kick off the Art + Ash series with a candid conversation about the creative life. They chat about some of the joys and struggles they’ve experienced navigating two writers living under the same roof, while also parenting their six kids and fostering a family culture that prioritizes creative pursuits. Maile talks about how essential writing is to her overall health and wellness and how she’s had to wade through difficult seasons of her career not going as planned. Sarah, Shawn, and Maile also discuss comparison, finding a creative outlet (even if it’s not your career), and creativity in seasons of struggle.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah, Maile, and Shawn, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 43, Ashley Hales joins Sarah to talk about the seemingly upside-down freedom she’s found within the goodness of God’s limits. Ashley is the author of A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits (coming Sept. 14, 2021) and invites us to reframe how we think of limits—as an invitation instead of a restriction. Ashley shares some of her own story of questioning cultural values of hustle and of independence and how some basic boundaries can help us embrace a fuller, more connected life..For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Ashley, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Heather Lobe Johnson tells her story of looking for her worth in external validation, resulting in a string of broken relationships. She talks about  getting divorced at age 24 and searching for who she was out of the brokenness while still trying to be a mom to her two-year-old son. Sarah and Heather talk about co-dependence versus interdependence in relationships, the good and not-so-good things people did to support Heather, and discovering the lavish grace of God.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Heather, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Grace is a word used often in church circles, but what does this word really mean in the midst of everyday life? Jill E. McCormick—host of the Grace In Real Life podcast—joins Sarah in episode 41 of Not My Story to explore these questions together. Jill talks about her own journey being a “try-hard girl” and wrestling with what grace really looks like day in and day out, especially when life did not go as planned. They talk about the tendency toward striving, how to extend compassion to yourself and to others, and a few practical ways to live a grace-filled life.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jill, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 40, pastor and author Jay Y. Kim joins Not My Story to share his experience not only leading a church through a pandemic, but also launching a book about the church’s need for physical presence at a time when everything went digital. They dive into the joys and the struggles that come with leadership, the gift of generous assumption, and the need for community. Toward the second half of their conversation, Sarah asks Jay where he’s finding hope for the church in such a divided cultural climate and what it looks like to remain part of the church while still holding faith questions.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jay, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 39, Sarah is joined by slow-living advocate and Our Island in the City Podcast host, Jodi Grubbs. In her twenties, Jodi unexpectedly became a young widow—a traumatic event that shifted the course of her life and her faith. Jodi’s story offers a glimpse into what it looks like to be pursued by God in the midst of deep grief, to be held even when she didn’t know it. Sarah and Jodi talk about processing loss and moving forward, the role of authentic community in her healing process, and how slow living became an important part of Jodi’s soul care. This conversation offers a tender and hopeful glimpse into the grace found in grief as well as the ways we can be gentle to ourselves and others.For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jodi, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.