NACWL Podcast

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. "She has a plan. She considers some land and buys it; then with her earnings, she plants a vineyard. She wraps herself in strength, carries herself with confidence, and works hard, strengthening her arms for the task at hand." Proverbs 31:16-17 VOICE Max Lucado wrote, "Blessed are those who know what on earth they are here on earth to do and set themselves about the business of doing it." Thus, it's important that we ask God to reveal His plan for our lives so we can confidently and passionately go about working toward such business. Knowing what God's plans are for our lives allows us to be confidant in the direction we are heading in. Zeal is the fuel that keeps us going forward. Here are several building blocks that God works within and through us as we diligently go about His business. Plan, Purpose & Passion - As followers of Christ we can be confident that God has a good plan and a greater purpose for our lives as we seek to carry out His kingdom wor

What does it mean to yield? Yield: incline to give in; submissive or compliant The definition seems counter-intuitive to what we view as confident.  However, being compliant/submissive to God's will is the BEST way to have confidence.  The confidence comes from believing that God's plan is the best for our lives. Often times we are confident in God's outcome but not in His process. Yielding means submitting to his process not just the outcome. Yielding means submitting to his process not just the outcome. Signs You are Not Yielding How do you know if you are NOT yielding?  There is unrest, chaos, and absence of peace.  When you are yielding to God's plan and process you will have unexplainable peace.  That peace results in confidence. Worldly peace comes from being prepared and in control.  Godly peace comes from trusting his process and being comfortable with the lack of control you have in a situation. Misconception yielding means you lack confidence or are weak.  It actually takes greater strength to yield

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Q: Why are we talking about X - X for eXperience? We choose Experience for our X because Experience is the "X Factor" for so many aspects of life. Whether you have it, or don't have it; whether it was a good, bad, or ugly experience - experience colors how we see ourselves and our situations. When you are facing a challenge or something new, all the experiences in your life are what inform your perspective on the challenge, and impact your expectations of the result. When you're LEARNING something new, it's your experience that creates a foundation for - and helps you truly understand the things you are learning. It can affect our level of optimism, as well as our energy. Experience does several things that has a huge impact on our Confidence: Experience colors our expectations. Experience helps us prepare. Experience allows us to test our knowledge and ideas. All of these things play a role in molding our identity - our self-image. Experience is the X facto

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. WISDOM is W - Women I - Inspired S - Saved D - Disciplined O - Obedient to the M - Master. What a great acronym for WISDOM! Wisdom is the ability to think and act using the knowledge that we've gained through the years, the experiences that we've gone through, the understanding that we've gathered from all of life, the common sense that God has given us and finally insight. It can be considered as a virtue. As a virtue, it's a habit or even a disposition to perform the actions with the highest degree of adequacy and understanding in whatever circumstances that we find ourselves. When we apply the wisdom that we possess and the knowledge that we have and when we have the willingness to apply this wisdom to our given circumstances, I think that this involves a lot of understanding people, understanding different situations and events that's going on around us. And having the willingness as well as the ability to apply our perception and judgement in an appropria

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Confidence Through Living Our Values Values are the essence of who we are. Not knowing who we are creates instability and prohibts us from walking in confidence. Values are special unique God-given gifts inside of each of us that are the anchor keeping us in line with walking in confidence. When we don't live according to our God's unique design we quickly get off center. Feelings of insecurity and uncertainty arise that kill our confidence. Walking in our God-given gifts are important because they help us to harness our balance.  They eliminate the wasted energy spent on second guessing ourselves.  Values based decisions, make decision making easy. Keeping in alignment with our values is as important as brushing your teeth or taking a daily vitamin. Values are about what burdens or angers you, what enlivens you and awakens you. Our values are who we are at our very core. Understanding your values is key to walking confidently into the woman leader you are cal

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! - Psalm 133:1 NLT God created us to be in relationship with others. Beginning at birth we experience interaction with people via family and friends, attending school, the work place, church community, and through hobbies and other interests. Being comfortable with who you are, having confidence in the things you aspire to do, knowing what areas you are strong and weak in helps you to grow and interact with others in a healthy and unified way. When we unite and there's unity among us; amazing things manifest as each person contributes to the greater cause and prosperity of others. However, when discord is present it can gravely affect individuals and the outcome that is desired. Disagreements, conflicts and egotistical individuals, can actually tear down people's self-esteem. Therefore, unity among others, even when there are differences involved, is detrimental to the wellness of

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Confidence is a necessary ingredient to living our best life. We need the confidence to be successful in business, in relationships, in any area we wish to make our mark in the world. Confidence can't be built on how we look, regardless of what advertisers want us to believe. We groom ourselves because it makes us feel better and when we look "put together," it's easier for people to receive us. (Someone said, "Confidence is the best makeup you could ever wear!") But as important as personal grooming is, we can't depend on looks to give us confidence. If we depend upon looks to boost our confidence, then we end up comparing ourselves to others. Unfortunately, there will always be someone younger or "prettier" than we are...definitely not a confidence builder. Confidence can't be built on our accomplishments. Accomplishments are important and achieving is actually one of the five pillars of well-being. But if we tie our confidence to our accomplishments, we

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Trust is defined as "firm belief in the reliability, ability, or strength of someone or something." When we have confidence we are pretty good with ourselves but do we trust other people? Do we have confidence in other people? Trust and confidence go hand in hand. If you don't have confidence in someone's ability, you may not trust their ability. So our confidence is not just in ourselves, confidence and how we carry it out really has to do with the confidence we have in others and if we trust them or not. Trust is a two-way street. To reach its greatest potential, trust has to allow inner action in two directions – between two different people. Everything that we get from God whether its love, grace or mercy, can't stop with us, they have to flow through us to others so it makes sense that confidence or trust is on that same list. God entrusts us with our gifts and talents to do things and that trust can't stop with us, it has to flow to other people as we

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Have You Unwrapped Your Gifts? My fascination with strengths started when I heard an interesting talk a few years ago. I have forgotten much of what the speaker said that day, but one thing they said still rings in my ears is: "Strengths are individually wrapped gifts that the creator of the universe gives to each person the day they're born. The tragedy is that many of us don't open our gifts." That really resonated with me and motivated me - I wanted to unwrap my gifts! And that started me on a treasure hunt for my unique strengths. Back then, I'd never heard of Strengths-Finders and I didn't know how to figure out what my strengths actually were. So I thought about what I wanted to be good at - I kind of "cherry picked" my gifts. (Have you ever done that, or am I the only one?!) Here's what happens to a lot of us: we want to be great at something that isn't really natural to us, so instead of developing our natural strengths, we try to open someone else

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. This week's podcast Amy Lynn talks with our Founder Karen Zeigler about the connection between being real and confidence. Real confidence comes from being real. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" I am truly fascinated by women who are comfortable in their own skin. Let's face it – the world does not encourage that level of confidence. Unfortunately, there are many forces working against a woman's self-confidence. Not surprisingly, a woman who is content with herself is pretty rare. This kind of self-assurance does not come from a search for perfection; on the contrary, perfectionism breeds a negative self-outlook because you have set impossible standards for yourself. Instead, confidence comes from celebrating your unique, authentic self. Recovery

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. "The Quieter You Become, The More You Can Hear" - Ram Dass  The Connection Between Confidence and Quiet Quiet is what you need in order to be a Confident leader. Finding quiet and having the right kind of quiet in your life gives you the space to assess any disconnect between your mind and emotions and  to sort out the thoughts and feelings you have and be confident in a good way. The Role of Quietude in Confidence Allows you to know your own mind True confidence comes from making the space to evaluate your emotions and your thoughts to bring harmony to the two. Confidence isn't powering up on your emotions and shutting them down or just ignoring them and "going with your gut." Quiet makes it possible for us to take care of our bodies. At the cellular level, quieting our minds, bodies, and spirits is a healthy practice. The stress and anxiety in our lives doesn't just impact our minds - it is expressed on a chemical level. To be confident, we can't be st

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. The connection between purpose and confidence is being sure of who you are and whose you are, why you are here and what you are about. Knowing that you have a purpose in life increases your confidence. If that purpose is not clearly defined or established internally, it erodes our confidence. Purpose solidifies the truth that your life is about something bigger than you. To be perfectly transparent, for most of my life, I felt like an afterthought. Being the product of a teenage mom, I doubted my significance. After being raped and sexually abused multiple times at the age of 8, I really questioned my worth. Why am I here? Does my life count? Does my life even make a difference? My purpose was not clear and I had little to no confidence. When I read Psalm 139:13-18, it changed my perspective on my worth. It reads For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works a

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. …God opened a significant door here for me to serve, but also there is a lot of opposition against me. 1 Corinthians 16:9 Voice When God opens new doors of opportunity for us to walk through; there are three areas we will likely encounter opposition from when moving forward. If we don't have the confidence to stand up against them, we will forfeit the new opportunities God is presenting. Opposition #1: Ourselves Fear of the unknown is one of our biggest hurdles in going forward. When fear of going forward enters our mind, we need to cast those fearful thoughts down. We need to trust that God is with us, and we have what it takes to move out in whatever new thing He is calling us to. The Bible says, We live in the bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan. 1 John 5:14 Voice Opposition #2: Others Sadly, there will be times when critics or naysayers will try to discourage us in going forward instead of encouraging us.

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Have you ever been in a position where you know you are in the right place, in the right time, doing the right thing, but still felt a nagging insecurity or a lack of confidence? I did, for a very long time. I struggled with lies of judgment and criticism that stole my confidence every time I had to move out into something purposeful. Then I read something that changed my life. In Lisa Bevere's book Nurture, she explains how there are three major components of nurture which are necessary for success and confidence by all people of all ages. These components are Tender Care, Protection, and Encouragement. Where you see these aspects of nurture taking place, you are witnessing and experiencing the cultivating of confidence. Confidence is the result of having proper nurture. How can we be sure we are receiving proper nurture so that we can foster an environment that produces confidence? Whether it is at home, in the workplace, in church, in our social groups, or

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. Today's podcast is by Angie Brizel. Angie is a NACWL Board member, wife, mother and Administrator in her families law practice. Angie will be sharing with you one of the core values of NACWL, Move. We discuss the role of moving as it relates to confidence and its impact and importance in aiding us to become the best version of ourselves. In today's podcast you will find  practical tips to help you get moving in the direction of God's purpose and plan for your life. Three Ways We Must Move Moving On. Moving on is about seeking healing, health, and wholeness for women who need to overcome pains and struggles. Moving UP.  Moving up is about helping women get their life in order, maintain balance and discover their God-given purpose. Designed to equip and strengthen Mind, Body & Spirit. Moving Out. Moving out is for the woman who is daily walking in her God given purpose. Designed to strengthen, encourage and empower her to be unstoppable. Are you movin

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. When you think about knowledge, knowledge covers a pretty broad spectrum. Many people associate education with knowledge, although there isn't a huge difference between the two, we can define education as a formal process received from a college, university or other type of school, and knowledge is an informal process which is gained through real-life experience. The distinguishing factor is whether you are paying to go to school versus knowledge that you gain from personal life experience. Knowledge is not an automatic process. It's something that we must seek out and acquire from our own self-effort. Our brain is wired to acquire new information until the day we die. God commands us to seek wisdom and understanding. Proverb 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. NIV We aren't just talking about knowledge that we get from real-life experiences, but the knowledge that we seek out. Usually, the knowle

Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. Essentially, an effect we have on others. Confidence is the self-assurance within yourself for your own abilities. When you have confidence you can project an influence with others. Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. How can a woman build their confidence to have influence?  Everyone has someone they can influence. It can be someone in your job, your church, or in a store (when you smile at a clerk). Character has a tremendous amount of influence in how we treat others or are perceived by others. Christians are the light of the world. By building up your influence, and by living in that light, you show that you are building the kind of life that God wants you to live. When you do the right things, it shows through in your character. You aren't born with character - it is learned. You may have some of the same character traits as your family and friends, but

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. There are a lot of aspects to confidence. But one of the most encouraging things about confidence is that it is something we can grow. And just as in nature, growth occurs in seasons. Season of Harvest The first season of growth is a season of harvest – a time when we reap what we've been sowing. In growth terms, it's called the season of explosive growth. Some of you might be in that season right now.  It feels pretty good, When we're in a season of explosive growth, we have momentum going,  we feel like we're performing well , our confidence is high, our hard work has paid off -  It feels great!  But in this season …we have to be diligent to continue to grow. John Maxwell talks about the Law of the Rubber Band. The law refers to the tension that was necessary to stretch us and help us succeed. But once we succeed, we often lose that tension, and our growth stops. So we have to find ways to keep stretching and keep growing. I think our NACWL founder, Kar

Click here to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes. "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (MSG) Are you aware of the benefits you will reap when you take proper care of your health? One of those benefits is the fact that healthy women tend to be more strong and confident in carrying out the things they desire to accomplish. However, at times women can get so caught up in everyday issues that they fail to take proper care of their physical body. God's Word says that your body is His temple and you are to honor Him with the body that He has entrusted to your care. Below is an acronym of the word HEALTH that will encourage you in your efforts toward overall wellness. Heart – It's important to guard your "spiritual" heart as well as your "physical" heart. Without a beating heart the course of your earthly life ceases. When illness strik