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Sam will order something in a heartbeat, but if it comes out wrong, he won't say a word to the waitress. Ashley is usually the one flagging her down, and it got her thinking about how many of us would rather let something slide than speak up. In this episode, she takes that question all the way to a Persian palace and Queen Esther, an orphan who couldn't walk into the king's throne room unless he sent for her, and who hadn't been called in thirty days. Walking in could cost Esther her life, and staying quiet could cost her people theirs.

It's the third episode in the Women of the Bible series on Unscripted Conversations, and yes, there are a few curvy back roads along the way.

Find the full blog post and show notes at simplyblesseddesignz.com/queen-esther-speak-up. If you'd like to be part of JoAnne's Prayer Action Warriors, praying the Lord's Prayer together every day at noon, details are in the show notes.

Support the podcast at ko-fi.com/simplyblesseddesignz.

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Sam was working nights when I stumbled onto a Netflix preview for "Ruth and Boaz" — and what started as background noise turned into a story she couldn't stop thinking about. In this episode, I try to connect the modern Netflix retelling to the real story of Ruth and Naomi from the book of Ruth — a famine, two dead sons, one daughter-in-law who goes home, and one who refuses to leave. It's a story about loyalty that costs something real, and what it looks like to stay when leaving would be so much easier.

This episode is part of the Women of the Bible series on Unscripted Conversations.

Find the full blog post at simplyblesseddesignz.com/ruth-and-naomi-stay-or-go, and if you want to be part of JoAnne's Prayer Action Warriors — praying the Lord's Prayer together every day at noon — details are in the show notes.

Support the podcast at ko-fi.com/simplyblesseddesignz.

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It's September, and if your brain already jumped from "popsicles on the porch" to "wait, is Thanksgiving in six weeks" — you're not alone. We're kicking off a brand new season, Women of the Bible, starting with two sisters most of us have heard about a hundred times: Mary and Martha. Turns out this story was never really about kitchens — it's about presence, and it's got a lot to say about how we're living through these busy "ber" months. Comparing NLT and The Message side by side, we dig into what Jesus actually meant by "the better part," and why it's not what most of us were taught growing up.

Plus, a mid-episode reminder about JoAnne's Prayer Action Warriors — join in on the daily noon Lord's Prayer.

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