Episode 20: Faith, Free Will & Finding Your Own Path

Twenty episodes, countless conversations, and one beautiful sisterhood! 💕

This week, we’re celebrating a special milestone at The Sisterhood Table—our 20th episode!

As we reflect on how far we’ve come, we’re diving into a conversation about faith, free will, and the beautiful (and sometimes complicated) journey of making our own choices.

How do we balance trusting God’s plan with pursuing the desires He’s placed on our hearts? Can we honor His will while still exploring our own dreams? And what happens when the path we choose looks different from the one we imagined?

Join me for an honest, heartfelt conversation about embracing life’s possibilities, trusting God’s guidance, and remembering that our choices are part of the journey.

Whether you’ve been sitting at this table since episode one or you’re joining us for the first time, I’m so grateful you’re here.

Here’s to twenty episodes of faith, friendship, growth, and meaningful conversations—and to many more! 🥂

Pull up a chair, sister. There’s always room for you at the table. 💕

If this episode speaks to your heart, please follow The Sisterhood Table, share it with a friend, and help our sisterhood continue to grow!

P.S. A little thank-you for your patience and grace as this episode was delayed while I underwent major surgery and took some much-needed time to recover. I’m so grateful for your love and support, and I’m happy to be back at the table with you! 💕

Episode 19: It’s Never Too Late to Heal 🤍

Who decided there was an expiration date on healing?

Sometimes we carry hurt, grief, resentment, family wounds, and old patterns for so long that we stop asking whether we still need to carry them at all.

In this episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley explores why emotional growth can happen at any age—and why asking for support isn't a sign of weakness. From generational attitudes about therapy to breaking old patterns, caring for our emotional health, and understanding that faith and therapy don't have to compete, this conversation is about giving ourselves permission to keep growing.

Because surviving something and healing from it aren't always the same thing.

Whether you're 25 or 85, you're still allowed to understand yourself better, find more peace, and put down burdens you've carried for far too long.

There is no expiration date on becoming emotionally healthier. And it is never too late to heal. 🤍

The Shadow of Myself: Finding Hope Again

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, "I don't even feel like myself anymore?"

Maybe you've been carrying so much for so long that you've forgotten what joy feels like. Maybe you're simply going through the motions—showing up for work, caring for your family, checking all the boxes—while quietly wondering where the woman you used to be has gone.

In one of the most personal episodes of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley shares her journey through depression, emotional exhaustion, and the slow process of finding hope again. Through honest storytelling, biblical encouragement, and practical wisdom, she reminds us that healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about rediscovering the woman God created us to be.

Together, we'll talk about:

🤍 What it feels like to slowly lose yourself in the middle of life's hardest seasons

🤍 The lies depression and emotional exhaustion can whisper to our hearts

🤍 Why your identity is not defined by your emotions or your circumstances

🤍 How therapy, community, prayer, and God's grace can all play a role in healing

🤍 The power of taking one small step toward hope—even when you don't feel ready

🤍 How God gently restored joy through creativity, travel, writing, podcasting, and new dreams

If you've ever felt like a shadow of yourself, this episode is a reminder that your story isn't over.

The woman you miss isn't gone.

She may be buried beneath grief, stress, trauma, burnout, or depression—but by God's grace, she can be found again.

Because healing rarely happens all at once.

It happens one faithful step at a time.

If this episode encouraged you, would you follow The Sisterhood Table, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman who may need the reminder that there is still hope waiting for her.

🤍 "Depression changed how I saw myself, but it never changed how God saw me."

In this heartfelt episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley explores a type of grief we rarely talk about—the loss of a close friendship.

Whether you've experienced betrayal, grown apart from someone you once considered a sister, or found yourself wondering why certain friendships don't last forever, this conversation is a reminder that you're not alone.

Together, we'll talk about:

🤍 Why friendship heartbreak can be just as painful as a romantic breakup

🤍 The difference between healthy sisterhood and unhealthy friendship

🤍 Recognizing controlling, manipulative, or one-sided relationships with wisdom and compassion

🤍 Why understanding someone's past doesn't excuse harmful behavior

🤍 How God sometimes changes the "seating chart" in our lives

🤍 Making peace with friendships that were meant for a chapter rather than a lifetime

🤍 Preparing your heart—and your table—for the beautiful women God may be bringing into your next season

Through personal stories, biblical encouragement, and practical wisdom, Ashley shares how every woman who has sat around our table has shaped us in some way. Some become lifelong friends. Others stay for only a chapter or two. But each relationship has something to teach us.

If you've been struggling to let go of a friendship, grieving an empty chair at your table, or wondering if God still has meaningful relationships in store for you, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes God clears a place at the table not to leave us lonely... but to welcome someone we haven't met yet.

If this episode encouraged you, please follow The Sisterhood Table, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman who might need the reminder that she always has a seat at God's table. 🤍

In this episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley shares a heartfelt conversation about choosing peace over constant conflict and learning that not every battle deserves your energy.

Drawing from her own experiences with co-parenting after divorce, Ashley explores the difference between principles and preferences, how to discern which battles are truly worth fighting, and why protecting your peace is one of the wisest decisions you can make. Together, we'll talk about the hidden cost of conflict, the ripple effects it has on our health and our children, navigating unwanted advice from family, friends, and social media, and why emotional maturity often means responding with wisdom instead of reacting in the moment.

Ashley also reflects on what children really need after divorce, the importance of allowing them to find their own voice, and how modeling emotional regulation can shape the way they handle relationships for years to come.

Rooted in the example of Jesus before Pilate and the wisdom of Romans 12:18, this episode reminds us that peace and passivity are not the same thing. We are called to do our part, trust God with what we cannot control, and let go of the battles that were never ours to fight.

If you've been carrying the weight of conflict, replaying conversations in your mind, or feeling exhausted from trying to prove your point, this episode is an invitation to pause, breathe, and ask yourself:

"Is this really my battle to fight?"

Because sometimes the greatest victory isn't winning the argument...

It's walking away with your peace. 🤍

In this heartfelt episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley reflects on motherhood, faith, and the unexpected ways God shapes us through raising our children. Recording from Rome, Italy—the city where her daughter was born and where her family once lived—Ashley shares personal stories and lessons learned from motherhood, including navigating fear, surrender, grace, patience, and letting go.

Together, we'll explore how motherhood teaches us unconditional love, why we are never as in control as we'd like to be, and how God uses both the beautiful and difficult moments to grow us into stronger, wiser, and more faithful women. Ashley also shares stories from raising her children abroad, the challenges of single motherhood, the importance of caring for ourselves without guilt, and why exhausted, depleted mothers cannot pour from an empty cup.

If you've ever worried you weren't doing enough, struggled with mom guilt, questioned your decisions, or wondered if you're getting motherhood "right," this episode is a reminder that God never asked you to be perfect—only faithful.

Because while we're busy raising our children, God is lovingly raising us too. 🤍

Scripture: Isaiah 40:11

"He gently leads those that have young."

In this episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley has an honest and heartfelt conversation about dating with boundaries, wisdom, and Godly discernment in a world that often glorifies confusion, pressure, and emotional chaos.

Together, we talk about red flags women ignore, why small boundary violations matter, emotional maturity in relationships, and the importance of paying attention to how someone makes you feel — emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Ashley also shares a personal dating experience that reminded her how important it is to stay grounded in your values, routines, peace, and relationship with God while getting to know someone new.

This episode explores the difference between chemistry and character, why rushing intimacy can leave women feeling emotionally empty, and how discernment often comes quietly through a lack of peace rather than dramatic warning signs. Ashley also discusses journaling, therapy, prayer, and self-awareness as tools for navigating modern dating with clarity and wisdom.

If you’ve ever questioned your intuition, struggled with boundaries, ignored red flags, or felt guilty for slowing things down in dating… this conversation is for you.

This episode is a reminder that healthy love should not require you to abandon your peace, disconnect from yourself, or compromise the life God is building within you. 🤍

In this special episode of The Sisterhood Table, Ashley sits down with Christian fiction author Catherine Brusk for a heartfelt conversation about faith, creativity, purpose, and the stories that shape us. Together, they talk about the beauty of writing, trusting God through different seasons of life, and how fiction can inspire hope, healing, and deeper connection.

As two women after God’s own heart, Ashley and Catherine share honest reflections about listening to God’s direction, staying grounded in faith, and using creativity as a way to encourage and uplift others. They also discuss the balance of pursuing dreams while navigating everyday life, motherhood, growth, and personal calling.

This episode feels like coffee with a wise friend — full of encouragement, honesty, laughter, and reminders that God can use our gifts in powerful ways. Whether you’re a writer, a dreamer, or simply navigating your own season of growth, this conversation will leave you feeling inspired, seen, and reminded that God is still writing beautiful things into your story. 🤍

Connect with Catherine Brusk:

📖 What Love Washed Up
Amazon Link

🎄 Forgiving St. Nick
Amazon Link

🌿 Catherine’s Website
www.catherinebrusk.com