Well, hey guys, and welcome to the messy table, an ordinary space where we can kick off our shoes, rip off the mask, and take a deep breath of truth and encouragement.

Because I don't know about you, but I could always use a little more of that.

Well, my name is Jen Jewel and I have the joy of hosting this faith-fueled conversation-style podcast, which unleashes a brand-new

episode into your earbuds, your speakers every other Tuesday. And The Messy Table is partnered

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 willing,

just willing to share a piece of their story. You know, we each have one unique perspective,

one specific vantage point, but when we take a moment to share our individual stories, to share

what God has done, we can learn and connect, and ultimately we can grow. Well, not only is May

Foster Care Awareness Month, which we talked about in the last episode with Dr. Deb Shropshire,

but it's also Mental Health Awareness Month. And one of the most beautiful things about being

alive at this time in history, yes, even when

it's been a roller coaster year, is that we can be just doing the dishes or driving to work

or out for a run or hiding in the bathroom from a toddler.

Yet we can still get high quality encouragement from someone who's been there.

So I was just reading Psalm 42, where the psalmist is just

crying out to God. And he says, why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?

Another version says, why am I so discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? Which to me models the

importance of taking inventory of our souls and the value of being

willing to ask ourselves those hard questions. Then the psalmist goes on to preach to himself,

to remind himself of the truth, saying, I will put my hope in God. I will praise him again.

So here to help us do a little self-examination and to point us back to truth is a firecracker

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