Christy Pennison is passionate about inspiring possibilities. She does that in every part of her life: as a board certified counselor, a dream consultant, an entrepreneur, and a podcaster. I enjoyed a conversation with her recently on her Inspiring Possible Podcast. Christy shares practical advice and inspiring stories to help you gain clarity, confidence, and courage to pursue your dreams and live a life you love.

Somewhere in my conversation with her I realized my story and this moment we’re all living in had more in common than I thought. The same three gifts that shaped me when I was younger, continue to shape me today. Because gratitude and resilience aren’t something you find in the hard seasons. They’re practiced.

I believe it’s never too later to become the kinds of people who are grateful and resilient. I practice by staying curious, staying informed, and refusing to let the noise have the last word.

In this edition of Just For You I give you a peek into that podcast conversation and I share a couple of voices I keep coming back to when I need to think more clearly about the world around me.

Three Gifts

Before I share the resources, I want to invite you into the conversation I had with Christy. The latest Inspiring Possible newsletter had this to say about our conversation:

What happens when your carefully crafted life starts to unravel? In this heartfelt episode of Inspiring Possible, Christy welcomes guest Marie Griffith (fellow trekker) to share her powerful journey from navigating childhood chaos and striving for safety, through the challenges of marriage, church, and shifting identities. Together, they dig into how curiosity, nature, and faith helped Marie rediscover herself and live authentically—even when it meant dismantling everything she had known.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, lost, or questioned the path you’re on, this episode will inspire you to listen more deeply to your inner knowing and find meaning in every part of your story. Tune into this honest conversations about transformation, belonging, and the courage to live a life that truly matters.

Trusted Voices

Staying resilient means staying informed. Here are some voices I trust to help me do that. If you’ve never read Heather Cox Richardson, let me introduce you to someone who is changing the way I think about the present by helping me understand the past. She’s a historian who writes Letters from an American, a daily newsletter that puts today’s news in historical context. She’s not shouting. She’s not spinning. She’s teaching and explaining. And in this moment, that feels like a gift. You can find her on Facebook, YouTube, and Substack. Her Substack is here.

History is one anchor, faith is another. I’ve followed Esau McCaulley for years. I took a course he taught at Nashota House Theological Seminary called The Bible in Color. I wrote about my experience here. McCaulley is a New Testament scholar, author, and columnist whose writing at the intersection of faith, race, and public life is something I return to again and again. He writes with warmth and rigor, and he challenges me in the best possible way. If you want to hear from a thoughtful Christian voice that doesn’t fit neatly into any political box, start here. He writes at The New York Times and shares his thoughts and comments on The Esau McCaulley Podcast.

We don’t have to have it all figured out. We never will. But we can stay open to learning, open to listening, and open to seeing another perspective. It’s always worth the effort.