Hey, hey, everybody, and welcome to the messy table, an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories,

and the God who's constantly at work in our mess.

Well, if we haven't yet had the chance to meet, my name is Jen Jewel, and I get the joy of hosting

this faith-fueled conversation-style podcast, which unleashes a brand new story of hope and truth

into your speakers, your earbuds

every other Tuesday, which also invites us to make room for meaningful conversations

instead of just skimming the surface. Y'all, we love getting to partner with the women

of my church, Life Church, while simultaneously remaining passionate about locking arms with courageous

women from all over the world, from all over the global church who are honestly willing to go there

to share a piece of their story. Because as you already know, we each have one unique perspective,

one specific vantage point. But when we take a moment to share our individual

stories and to notice how those stories overlap, we learn, we connect, and we grow. So here at the

messy table, we have one ultimate hero. And trust me, it's not us. But it's God in the flesh, the creator of this

world, the savior of mankind. Jesus is hands down the hero of this story, but he's also sent his

spirit to lead us and guide us and empower us. He has actually commissioned his people to be salt and light,

to help the hurting, to loosen those chains that hold people captive, to share his love with

as many people as possible. Y'all, it's like he's dispatched an army of everyday heroes to flood

the darkness with light. So today, my friend Kendra Golden

and I get to interview one of those everyday heroes. But before we get to our guest, Kendra

is also one of those amazing women on the front lines, leading at our church as the central team

leader of content development, serving in her community, advocating for those on the fringes.

And speaking of fringes, May just happens to be National Foster Care Awareness Month,

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