I'm Emily P. Freeman and welcome to The Next Right Thing. You're listening to episode 374.

This is a podcast about making decisions, but also about making a life. If you struggle with

decision fatigue, chronic hesitation, or if you just need a few minutes away from the constant

stream of information, and the sometimes delightful but distracting

hum of entertainment, you're in the right place for discerning your next right thing.

I'm an author, a spiritual director, and an occasional workshop leader.

I live in North Carolina with my family, and through my work I've helped thousands of spiritually

thoughtful people overcome decision fatigue so that they can discern their next right

thing in faith, work, and life. Today, I'm glad to welcome author Jen Hatmaker, from the power

of her written word across 14 books, including four New York Times bestsellers, to speaking on stages,

leading her own courses and book club communities, and

interviewing countless visionaries on her award-winning for the Love Podcast.

Jen has an undeniable gift for reaching the hearts and minds of her community.

It's an honor to host her today to have a conversation about what will be one of my

favorite books of the year, her deeply personal

memoir, awake. Listen in.

Jen, welcome to the next right thing. I'm so happy to see you. You look amazing. Love you as always.

We've done some things. Yeah. We've had some conversations

in the past. That's a thing that's happened. That's right. One thing we have not done is I know I'm not

going to be the first person to tell you this, nor will I be the last. Okay. But I'm glad for the chance

to tell you now because your episode with your daughter, Sydney, back when you shared her story of coming out to you in the summer of 2020, I think that episode really six days after my own 16-year-old came out to me. We told no one. We had no answers. And your episode that day saved my life. My gosh. It saved my life. And a million things save, you know how a million things save our lives. I do. In these times. But that day it was you. And so I'm so grateful to be able to say to you now with my face and my outlaw voice, thank you. Thank you for telling me that. That I have goosebumps. I have goosebumps. I tell Sydney this regularly.

I will never, ever be able to get to the bottom of how many people have said some version of what

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