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Jesus didn't come to lower the bar â He moved it. In this episode, we're digging into Matthew 5:17-20, where Jesus tells a crowd full of people (including the most rule-following religious experts of the day) that following the rules was never the whole point. We'll talk about who the Pharisees really were, why Jesus says your righteousness has to exceed theirs, and what "far greater righteousness" actually means for your everyday life â heart over behavior, not more rules.
This episode is part of our Living the Kingdom Way series, walking verse by verse through the Sermon on the Mount.
Grab your free printable for this episode at SimplyBlessedDesignz.com, and if this podcast has blessed you, you can buy me a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/simplyblesseddesignz.
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Have you ever been in a room where you knew something was wrong but stayed quiet because you were scared of what people would think? That feeling right there â that is exactly what we are talking about today.
We are hitting the 8th Beatitude in Matthew 5:10 and then flowing right into salt and light in Matthew 5:13-16. Because here is what I need you to understand â persecution is not just the big dramatic stuff. It is the friend who stops texting you. The family dinner that gets weird. The group chat you suddenly get left out of. All because you chose to do the right thing.
And when you are brave enough to speak up anyway? That is when you become the salt and the light this world is so desperately hungry for.
This one is going to hit you right in the chest. Come hang out with us.
đ¨ď¸ Free printable at SimplyBlessedDesignz.com
â Buy me a coffee at ko-fi.com/simplyblesseddesignz
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Y'all. Look around at the world right now. The division. The anger. The way people talk to and about each other. And then look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5 â blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Those three things go against absolutely everything the world is telling us to do right now. And I cannot think of three things we need more desperately.
In Episode 23 of Unscripted Conversations we talk about what mercy actually is â and what it is not. Why purity of heart has nothing to do with being perfect and everything to do with what is actually driving you on the inside. And the difference between a peacekeeper and a peacemaker â because y'all those are NOT the same thing at all.
My husband Sam is a Sheriff Deputy and this one got really personal. Come hang out. đď¸
đ Matthew 5:7â9 (The Message + NLT)
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Okay so let me ask you something. When is the last time life knocked you completely flat and you actually felt blessed in the middle of it?
Yeah. That's what I thought.
We all know the Beatitudes. We grew up hearing them. Most of us could recite them without even thinking about it. But knowing the words and actually living them out on a regular Tuesday when everything is happening all around you â those are two completely different things.
In Episode 22 we are slowing way down and going through the first four beatitudes one at a time. Poor in spirit. Mourning. Meekness. And hungering and thirsting for righteousness. And we are asking the question most of us have never actually asked out loud â okay but what does this look like in MY real life?
This one got personal for me. Like really personal. And I think it is going to get personal for you too.
Come hang out.
Matthew 5:3â6 (The Message + NLT)
ko-fi.com/simplyblesseddesignz
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We've all seen it â the new house, the promotion, the vacation photo with "blessed" in the caption. And honestly? We've all posted it too. But what happens when you open Matthew 5 and the first thing Jesus says is blessed are those who mourn? Blessed are the ones at the end of their rope? Blessed are the persecuted?
That is not the social media version of blessed. And yet that is exactly what Jesus said.
In this episode we're kicking off the Sermon on the Mount series â Living the Kingdom Way â and we're starting right at the beginning. Matthew 5:1â12. The Beatitudes. And we're getting really honest about how much of the world's definition of blessed has snuck into our faith without us even realizing it.
We're talking about:
⢠Why Jesus' definition of blessed looks nothing like what our culture celebrates
⢠What makarios (mah-KAH-ree-oss) actually means â and why it changes everything
⢠The world's version of the Beatitudes vs. Jesus' version, side by side
⢠Why the things you've been embarrassed about might actually be your greatest qualification
⢠What it looks like to stop performing and actually come to God as you are
This one is going to mess with you in the best possible way.
Scripture: Matthew 5:1â12 (MSG + NLT)
Find me at SimplyBlessedDesignz.com
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Is there something God has been showing you that you haven't done anything with yet? You felt the nudge. You wrote it down. You said yes Lord, I hear You â and then just kept living the same way you were before.
In this episode, Ashley digs into the gap between knowing and doing â and why James 1:22 hits a lot harder when you know the full story behind who wrote it. We also talk about why your current season is not a waiting room, what Ruth and Joseph can teach us about faithfulness in the hard and ordinary places, and why one imperfect step forward is worth more than a hundred things you're planning to do someday.
Next week we kick off our deep dive into the Sermon on the Mount â starting with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. You don't want to miss it!
Scriptures referenced: James 1:22, John 7:5, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Proverbs 3:5-6
Find show notes and the blog post at SimplyBlessedDesignz.com
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Have you ever gone to Pinterest for one quick idea and come out the other side with a full raised bed garden plan, seven saved recipes, and absolutely no answer to the question you started with? Friend, same.
In this episode of Unscripted Conversations, we're talking about what it really looks like to walk steady in faith â not perfectly, not with every detail figured out, and definitely not waiting until the timing feels just right. Just steady.
We're digging into the slow-motion trap that keeps so many of us stuck in perpetual planning mode, why the cost of waiting is way higher than we think, and what Scripture actually shows us about moving before you feel ready. (Spoiler: Noah, Joshua, and Peter were all nervous too.)
Plus I'm sharing the story of my tiny little workshop that almost never happened â and why I'm so glad I showed up anyway with my half-done handouts and a prayer.
If you've been waiting for a sign that it's time to take the next step â this is it.
What we talk about in this episode:
The Pinterest rabbit hole and what it's really costing youWhy perpetual planning is just fear in a productive outfitWhat Noah, Joshua, and Peter teach us about moving before we're readyThe workshop that almost didn't happen â and why it matteredHow to start embarrassingly small and why that's actually enoughFind the full blog post + show notes at SimplyBlessedDesignz.com
Join the email list for the good stuff â link on the website!
Slow and steady is still moving.
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In this episode we dig into everyday discernment: the small, nagging âdo I or donât I?â decisions that somehow control our weeks. I share my simple, practical routine for everyday discernment â pick your top 3 nonânegotiables, use a 24â72 hour rule, and run one small test before you commit. We talk about Nehemiahâs downâtoâearth plan (pray, inspect, plan, recruit, protect, finish) and I give clear signs to spot a Godâyes versus a redâflag no. If youâre juggling sideâhustle ideas, garden plans, or the million tiny asks that chip away at family time, this episode gives faithâforward, actionable steps to help you decide with peace.
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Have you ever gone out of your way to avoid peopleânot because youâre rude, but because youâre hiding? In this episode Ashley (Unscripted Conversations) unpacks John 4 â the Woman at the Well â and leans into the messy, everyday places God meets us. Hear a groceryâaisle story, a close read of the well encounter, and two practical ways to move from hiding to hope. Includes reflection questions, a short prayer, and resources at simplyblesseddesignz.com. If this nudged you, please share, rate, or review to help this little porch circle grow.
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You ever feel like youâre doing everything right⌠and it still feels like nothing is changing?
Like youâre showing up, trying to do better, making the right choices⌠and nobody sees it, nothing shifts, and you start wondering if it even counts?
Yeah⌠weâre talking about that today.
In this episode, Iâm sharing a personal season that hit me hard, when Cameron left for bootcamp and everything just felt quiet in a way I wasnât prepared for. The kind of quiet that makes you start questioning everything.
Weâre also walking through the story of Joseph, not when everything worked out, but when he was in the middle of it⌠unseen, unrecognized, and still choosing to do what was right.
Because thatâs where real faith shows up.
Not on a stage. Not when everyoneâs watching.
But in the everyday moments nobody notices.If youâve been in a season where it feels like nothing is happening, I hope this reminds youâŚ
It still counts. Every bit of it.
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Have you ever prayed for something⌠and then it just felt like everything went quiet?
Like you KNOW God hears you⌠but nothing is moving the way you thought it would?
Yeah⌠weâre talking about that today.
Because itâs real easy to have faith when things are flowing, doors are opening, and everything makes sense. Itâs a whole different story when youâre sitting in the waiting, wondering what in the world God is doing and why the answer hasnât come yet.
In this episode, Iâm talking about what might actually be happening in those moments. Not the polished, pretty version⌠the real-life version. The kind where things feel slow, uncomfortable, and youâre tempted to start overthinking everything.
Weâre talking about the difference between being refined and being revealed, why God doesnât just say yes to everything we ask for, and how some of the hardest seasons in your life might actually be preparing you for what youâve been praying for all along.
So if youâve been in a place where things feel quiet, slow, or just not lining up the way you thought they would⌠go ahead and press play. This oneâs for you.
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If youâve been staying busy, handling what needs to be handled, and still feeling more worn down than you expected, this one is probably going to hit a little closer than you planned.
Itâs easy to keep moving, to keep adding one more thing to the list, and to tell yourself youâll slow down later once everything is done⌠but later doesnât really come, and before long you realize youâve been carrying a whole lot more than you ever meant to.
In this episode, Iâm walking through the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 and 19, not just the moment where God showed up in a powerful way, but what happened right after, when everything caught up with him and he found himself exhausted and ready to quit.
And what stands out in that isnât just where he ended up, itâs how God met him there, not with more to do, not with pressure to keep going, but by taking care of him first and giving him space to rest before anything else.
So if youâve been pushing through and wondering why you still feel so drained, or why things feel a little harder than they should, I think this is going to speak to you.
Listen in and be encouraged.
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Trusting God through change is one of those things that sounds simple⌠until life starts shifting and you realize real quick how much you liked having a plan.
In this episode of Unscripted Conversations, weâre talking about what it looks like when things start feeling off, when doors donât open the way you expected, and when God starts moving things in a direction you didnât see coming.
This is a real, honest conversation about faith, letting go of control, and learning to trust Him even when you donât fully understand what Heâs doing.
If youâve been in that in-between place lately⌠this oneâs for you.
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If youâve ever laid down at night and your body is tired but your mind decides itâs got one more shift to work⌠just running through the same thing over and over trying to figure it out⌠yeah, weâre talking about that today.
Because weâre real good at telling ourselves weâre just being responsible⌠just trying to stay on top of things⌠just trying to fix what needs fixing⌠but if weâre honest, it doesnât feel like peace, does it?
It feels heavy.
Like the more you try to hold it together, the more worn out you get.
And I caught myself in that exact place not too long ago, going over the same situation for the hundredth time, trying to make it make sense⌠trying to make it work⌠and it hit me in a way I didnât really want it toâŚ
What if this feels so heavy because I was never meant to carry it in the first place?
So today weâre talking about what it actually looks like to let go⌠not just of whatâs behind you, but of whatâs in front of you too.
Because maybe youâve already forgiven it.
Maybe youâve already taken the step.
But now youâre over there trying to control how it all turns outâŚAnd y'all⌠thatâll wear you slap out if you let it.
Weâre walking through what real trust looks like, not when everything makes sense, but when it doesnât⌠when youâve done what God asked you to do and now youâre standing there having to trust Him with the rest of it.
So if your mindâs been running, if your heartâs been carrying more than it should, and youâve been trying to fix something that just wonât settleâŚ
Come on in⌠letâs talk about it.
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Faith over fear⌠sounds real good until youâre the one actually having to do it.
You know that feeling when you know you need to take a step, but your mind starts running ahead of you trying to talk you out of it? Not because you donât trust God, but because youâve been through enough to know things donât always go the way you thought they would.
Thatâs what this episode is about.
Just real life. That moment where youâre trying to move forward and fear keeps tapping you on the shoulder like, âyou sure about that?â
We talk about what that actually looks like⌠not the pretty version, but the everyday kind where your thoughts are loud and you donât have everything figured out yet.
I also share a little bit about Esther, because she didnât have it all together either. She was scared, but she still went anyway. Not because she felt brave⌠but because she was willing.
And thatâs the part that stuck with me.
You donât have to feel brave to move forward.
You just have to be willing.
So if youâve been overthinking something, hesitating, or sitting on a step you know you need to take⌠come sit with me a minute. This oneâs for you.
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Alright yâall⌠this one goes deep.
We hear people say âforgive and forgetâ all the time like itâs just a cute little Christian bumper sticker. But anybody whoâs actually been hurt knows itâs not that simple.
So today weâre talking about forgiveness⌠the real kind. The kind that shows up when someone never apologized. When trust got broken. When the relationship changed everything about how you see people and how careful youâve learned to be with your heart.
And hereâs where a lot of us get tangled up.
We mix up forgiveness, trust, and access like theyâre all the same thing⌠and theyâre not. Not even close.
Forgiveness is a choice.
Trust is something that has to be rebuilt over time.
And access? Access is something people earn.
Sometimes forgiving someone doesnât mean letting them back into the same place in your life. Sometimes it just means youâve decided youâre done carrying the weight of what they did.
Weâre digging into what Scripture actually says about guarding your heart, trusting wisely, and handing the hurt over to God instead of dragging it into every new relationship that comes after.
Because forgiveness isnât about pretending it didnât matter.
Itâs about remembering what happened⌠without letting it run your life anymore.
So grab your coffee and come sit with me for a bit.
This conversation might be exactly the one somebody needed to hear today.
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Sometimes God asks us to move before the explanation shows up.
In this episode weâre talking about what it looks like to say yes to God when clarity hasnât caught up yet. Not the big dramatic moments we read about later, but the quiet everyday obedience where youâre standing in your kitchen wondering if youâre really hearing Him right.
Weâll look at the stories of Noah, Job, and Mary and what their obedience teaches us about trusting God even when things donât make sense yet.
If youâve ever felt like youâre waiting for answers before taking the next step, this conversation is for you.
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Faith without a timeline is easy to say and hard to live. In this episode, Iâm talking about what it really looks like to let go and let God when there are no dates, deadlines, or guarantees in sight.
If youâre trusting God but still asking when, how long, or whatâs next, this conversation is for you. I share why so much of our stress comes from wanting a timeline instead of learning how to stay present, and how faith can stay steady even when answers feel delayed.
We talk about trusting God without timelines, releasing the need to control outcomes, and learning how to live fully without putting life on pause while you wait.
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There are times where faith doesnât feel dramatic or urgent â it just feels quiet.
Youâre still doing the right things. Youâre still praying. Still showing up. Still trying to walk in wisdom. But if youâre honest, youâre wondering if anything is actually moving forward⌠or if youâre just living the same day on repeat.
In this episode, Iâm talking about that quiet middle place of faith â the times where obedience feels repetitive, progress feels invisible, and God feels silent, even though you havenât walked away.
Weâre talking about the difference between urgency and obedience, why patience isnât passivity, and what Scripture actually says about waiting without forcing movement. I unpack Habakkuk 2:3 and why âlingeringâ doesnât mean forgotten, delayed, or behind â it means thereâs a timing that isnât ours to manage.
This is a conversation for anyone who isnât falling apart, but isnât sure whatâs next either. For the ones who are steady, faithful, and quietly wondering if it all matters.
Faith that keeps moving doesnât always feel exciting â but it is rooted.
And sometimes the most important growth is happening in the seasons that feel the most ordinary.Support the show
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What do Proverbs 31 and Peter walking on water have in common?
More than you think.
In this episode, we unpack what walking in wisdom actually looks like â and why neither of these stories is about perfection. Theyâre about a steady walk with God, built over time, even when confidence wavers.
Proverbs 31 was never meant to make you feel behind. It was meant to show the fruit of a life shaped by steady faith over time.
And when you lay that next to Peter stepping out of the boat, something clicks.
Neither story is about perfection. Both are about proximity. About saying yes before you feel fully confident. About walking toward Jesus even when the wind picks up.
I may have gotten a little loud on this one⌠because I think too many women are trying to âarriveâ at wisdom instead of realizing itâs something you grow into by walking with God.
If youâve been carrying pressure lately, this one might be exactly what you need.
đ§ Hit play and letâs talk it out together.
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