9.7K
Downloads
108
Episodes
Everyone has a unique story of how the Lord has touched their hearts and shaped their journeys. The ”Women Behind the Words” podcast highlights women who have bravely navigated life’s challenges, harnessing the strength and courage to answer God’s calling. Listen to inspiring accounts of overcoming fears and achieving more than they ever imagined possible. These personal narratives will inspire, uplift, and offer hope, changing the course of history, which will affect the outcome of eternity, one heart at a time.
Episodes
Feb 24, 2026
Feb 24, 2026
53 min
Date: February 24, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Angela Mackey
Story Highlights:
In this thoughtful and timely episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek welcomes author, nurse, and Bible teacher Angela Mackey for a practical and spiritually grounded conversation about navigating high stakes conversations in today’s emotionally charged culture.
From family conflict and church hurt to politically sensitive topics and parenting challenges, Angela speaks directly to believers who want to communicate in a way that reflects Christ, even when discussions feel tense, personal, or divisive. Drawing from biblical principles and insights from the leadership classic Crucial Conversations, she explains that the most important preparation for any difficult conversation begins long before words are spoken.
High stakes conversations begin in the heart.
Angela encourages listeners to examine their internal dialogue before addressing someone else’s behavior. What fears are driving your reaction? What assumptions are you making? What story are you telling yourself about the other person’s motives? Many conversations escalate not because of facts, but because of unchecked emotion and misinterpreted intent.
Throughout the episode, Deb and Angela explore how Scripture calls believers to hold both truth and grace in tension. Too much truth without grace can wound. Too much grace without truth can compromise integrity. Loving well requires both.
Angela shares personal insights from her experience as a nurse during the COVID 19 pandemic and from her own journey through infertility and pregnancy loss, which later inspired her book Difficult to Conceive. These seasons refined her understanding of humility, compassion, and the necessity of gentleness when engaging people who see the world differently.
Together, Deb and Angela discuss:
• How to pause, pray, and clarify your purpose before entering a difficult conversation
• Why curiosity disarms defensiveness and builds trust
• Creating safe spaces in families and churches where honest dialogue can happen
• Addressing church hurt with courage, kindness, and biblical wisdom
• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
• Why communication strategies must be guided by the Holy Spirit
Angela reminds us that the goal of hard conversations is not control, victory, or proving a point. The goal is Christlikeness. When we surrender our tone, motives, and responses to the Holy Spirit, even difficult discussions can become opportunities for growth, healing, and deeper unity.
This episode offers practical communication tools grounded in Scripture for anyone who desires to honor God, protect relationships, and reflect His love in a divided world.
Key Takeaways:
• High stakes conversations begin in the heart before they happen out loud
• Examine your fears and assumptions before addressing someone else’s behavior
• Approach difficult discussions with curiosity rather than a need to win
• Balance truth and grace because leaning too far in either direction damages communication
• Create safe spaces for honest dialogue, especially within families and church communities
• Forgiveness may be necessary even when reconciliation is not possible
• Communication tools are helpful, but they must be guided by the Holy Spirit and grounded in Scripture
About Our Guest:
Angela Mackey is a follower of Christ who is passionate about helping believers rethink their thinking in light of Scripture so they can live transformed lives. She holds a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies and serves as an author, podcaster, and speaker.
Angela is the host of the Life as Worship podcast, a member of the Maxwell Certified Leadership Team, and a retreat and conference speaker. In addition to her ministry work, she is a nurse whose real world experiences have shaped her perspective on humility, compassion, and loving well when we disagree.
Angela lives in Arkansas with her family and their dogs.
Angela’s Areas of Expertise
• Infertility, pregnancy loss, and infertility treatments
• Lamenting and overcoming seasons of spiritual darkness
• Finding joy in all circumstances
• Living a life of worship
• Renewing the mind through Scripture
• Loving well in disagreement
Book Spotlight:
Difficult to Conceive by Angela Mackey
When Angela Mackey lost two babies in early pregnancy and later her fallopian tubes, she walked through one of the darkest seasons of her life. In that grief, God met her through His Word and began reshaping how she viewed suffering, identity, and hope.
Difficult to Conceive is more than a personal testimony about infertility and pregnancy loss. It is a biblically grounded guide for couples navigating infertility, offering theological clarity, spiritual encouragement, and practical tools for renewing the mind during prolonged disappointment.
Angela walks readers through:
• Processing grief through lament rooted in Scripture
• Reframing identity when dreams are shattered
• Strengthening marriage in the midst of infertility treatments
• Learning to worship God even when prayers seem unanswered
• Finding joy and purpose in seasons that feel barren
This book offers compassionate understanding while consistently pointing readers back to God’s character, sovereignty, and faithfulness. It is especially helpful for individuals and couples seeking a Christ centered perspective on infertility, pregnancy loss, and enduring hope.
Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AAP4zGYWc/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinking_my_thinking
Closing Thought:
Difficult conversations are inevitable. Division does not have to be. When we examine our hearts, surrender our motives, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our words, even the hardest discussions can reflect the grace and truth of Christ.
Feb 17, 2026
Feb 17, 2026
53 min
Date: February 17, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Cherrilynn Brisbano
Story Highlights:
In this Scripture rich and deeply honest episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek welcomes award winning author, spiritual coach, chaplain, and military veteran Cherrilynn Brisbano for a powerful conversation on spiritual growth, identity in Christ, and the transforming power of God’s Word.
Cherrilynn brings decades of experience in ministry, writing, and leadership, but what stands out most is her approachable, prayerful heart. She is known for meeting women right where they are, often stopping to pray with them in the middle of everyday life. In this episode, she opens up about one of the most pivotal spiritual lessons of her life: when the Lord gently but firmly confronted her complaining spirit.
During a season marked by physical pain, financial strain, parenting challenges, and emotional exhaustion, Cherrilynn cried out to God for an attitude adjustment. The Holy Spirit answered through Philippians 2. As she meditated on the passage, God used His Word like a surgeon’s instrument, performing what she now calls spiritual heart surgery. That moment became the foundation for what she later named the STAR Principle.
STAR stands for:
See yourself as God sees you
Transform your mind with the Word of God
Always pray
Refine to shine
Cherrilynn also shares how childhood abuse distorted her sense of identity and how memorizing and meditating on passages such as Ephesians 1 and Psalm 139 reshaped her understanding of who she is in Christ. Through Scripture, she began to see herself as chosen, loved, holy, and blameless. Not because of performance, but because of Christ.
Throughout this faith filled conversation, she emphasizes the partnership between the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Scripture memorization is not about striving. It is about transformation. God uses His Word to renew our minds, anchor our identity, and equip us with spiritual strength for everyday battles.
The episode also explores practicing the presence of God, inspired by Brother Lawrence. Cherrilynn shares how continual conversation with the Lord, whether walking, praying for strangers, navigating conflict, or stepping back from social media, has become a lifeline during seasons of grief and weariness.
As the conversation closes, she prays a moving prayer woven entirely from Scripture and leaves listeners with a steady reminder: Jesus loves you. Nothing can separate you from His love. God is faithful to complete the work He has begun.
If you are longing for deeper intimacy with God, renewed thinking, or freedom from patterns that have held you back, this episode offers biblical encouragement and practical steps rooted in truth.
Key Takeaways:
God uses His Word to lovingly transform our attitudes and heal our identity
Complaining loses its grip when we learn to see ourselves as God sees us
Memorizing Scripture renews the mind and equips us for spiritual battles
Practicing God’s presence can happen in ordinary daily moments
Jesus’ love is constant, personal, and unchanging
About Our Guest:
Cherrilynn Brisbano is an award winning fiction and nonfiction author, speaker, certified spiritual coach, chaplain, and United States military veteran. She has spent decades teaching the Bible, discipling women, and encouraging others to grow in Christ through the power of Scripture and prayer. Known for her authenticity and warmth, Cherrilynn has a passion for helping women break free from negative thought patterns and embrace their true identity in Christ.
Her ministry centers on practical biblical application, Scripture memorization, and Spirit led transformation. Whether speaking, writing, or praying with someone one on one, she consistently points women back to the life changing truth of God’s Word.
Book Spotlight:
Cherrilynn Brisbano is the author of several fiction and nonfiction works that weave together biblical truth, spiritual growth, and engaging storytelling. Her nonfiction writing focuses on helping believers renew their minds, overcome negative thinking, and cultivate a deeper prayer life grounded in Scripture. Her fiction reflects her heart for faith based storytelling that highlights redemption, perseverance, and God’s faithfulness in real world struggles.
Through her books, readers will find:
Practical tools for Scripture memorization and spiritual discipline
Encouragement for overcoming past wounds and distorted identity
Biblically grounded guidance for strengthening prayer life
Stories that reflect hope, faith, and Christ centered living
You can learn more about her books and ministry at https://cbisbano.com
Connect with Cherrilynn:
Website: https://cbisbano.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherrilynnbisbano
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherrilynn3
X: https://twitter.com/bisbanowrites
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherrilynn-bisbano-569b8838/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cherrilynnbisbano
Closing Thought:
God’s Word is not distant or outdated. It is living and active, able to perform heart surgery when we least expect it. When we choose to see ourselves as God sees us and allow His Spirit to transform our thinking, even our hardest seasons can become places where we shine for His glory.
Feb 10, 2026
Feb 10, 2026
35 min
Date: February 10, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Kim Harms
Story Highlights:
In this deeply moving episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek sits down with author and two time breast cancer survivor Kim Harms for an honest conversation about faith, suffering, and the quiet strength required to keep going when life feels unbearable.
Kim shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40, followed by a second diagnosis seven years later, despite being considered low risk and faithfully following long term treatment. She walks listeners through the physical and emotional realities of mastectomies, reconstruction, chemotherapy, radiation, and ongoing infusions, offering a candid look at both the hardship and the grace she experienced along the way.
During her second battle with cancer, Kim and her family faced another devastating trial when her 20 year old son became critically ill. After months of unanswered questions and decline, he was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Kim reflects on how motherhood reshaped her focus during this season, to the point that she once forgot she had chemotherapy scheduled the following day because her heart and attention were entirely on her son. It was a year that stretched her faith in ways she never expected.
Throughout the conversation, Kim shares how God met her in suffering not by quickly removing it, but by faithfully walking with her through it. She talks about choosing daily gratitude, journaling prayers of both lament and thanksgiving, and learning to live fully in the present instead of wishing the hard season away. Scripture, particularly the Psalms of Lament, became a lifeline for Kim, giving her language for pain, trust, and hope all at once.
Kim also shares powerful stories of God’s provision through friendships formed during cancer that became unexpected lifelines. She explains how God used her writing to bring healing to others even while she herself was still healing. Out of these experiences came her book Carried Through Cancer, a 70 day devotional filled with stories from cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers that highlight how God meets His people in the hardest moments.
After more than a decade walking through cancer, Kim reflects on how her faith has deepened and her voice has grown bolder. She speaks openly about stacking memories of God’s faithfulness, trusting Jesus with her life, and embracing her calling to share hope with others. This episode is a powerful reminder that even in fear, frailty, and suffering, God is near and as long as we have breath, we still have an assignment.
Key Takeaways:
• God is near in suffering. Kim’s story reminds us that God does not abandon us in hard seasons. He meets us in them and walks closely with us through fear, uncertainty, and pain.
• Joy can exist alongside grief. Joy is not the absence of hardship but the presence of Jesus. Even in ongoing trials, we can choose gratitude and experience moments of joy.
• Lament is part of faith, not a lack of it. The Psalms of Lament gave Kim language to cry out honestly to God while still choosing trust.
• Hard seasons change us, but they do not disqualify us. Cancer reshaped Kim’s life, but it also deepened her faith, clarified her calling, and strengthened her voice.
• God uses our stories to bring hope to others. Through writing and sharing the stories of fellow cancer fighters and survivors, Kim discovered that God can bring purpose through pain.
• As long as we have breath, we have an assignment. God is still at work, even when life feels uncertain or broken.
About Our Guest:
Kim Harms is a two time breast cancer survivor and the author of Carried Through Cancer: 70 Days of Spiritual Strength from Cancer Fighters, Survivors and Caregivers and Life Reconstructed: Navigating the World of Mastectomies and Breast Reconstruction. She holds a degree in English from Iowa State University and brings more than twenty years of professional writing experience across a wide range of publications.
Kim has been married to her husband Corey for nearly three decades. They live in central Iowa with their three sons and one English Springer Spaniel who believes he is the fourth child.
Book Highlight:
Carried Through Cancer: 70 Days of Spiritual Strength from Cancer Fighters, Survivors and Caregivers was born out of Kim’s own journey through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Rather than offering quick answers or polished platitudes, this devotional creates space for honesty, fear, hope, and faith.
Through seventy daily readings, readers encounter real stories from women who have walked the cancer road as fighters, survivors, and caregivers. Each devotion highlights where God met them in moments of exhaustion, uncertainty, grief, and quiet courage. Kim weaves Scripture, reflection, and lived experience together to remind readers that they are not alone and that God is present in exam rooms, hospital beds, quiet showers, and sleepless nights.
This book offers companionship, spiritual encouragement, and gentle strength for anyone navigating cancer or loving someone who is.
Connect with Kim:
Website: https://kimharms.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimharmsauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimHarmsAuthor
Feb 3, 2026
Feb 3, 2026
37 min
Date: February 3, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Dr. Jackie Minor
Story Highlights:
In this inspiring episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek sits down with Dr. Jacqueline Minor for a thoughtful and encouraging conversation about bringing faith into educational spaces and equipping Christian educators to live out the fruit of the Spirit in their daily work. With more than four decades of experience as a teacher, administrator, professional developer, and global consultant, Dr. Minor offers a grounded and compassionate perspective on the challenges educators face today.
Dr. Minor shares the heart behind founding Victorious Educator Ministries, a nonprofit created to support and encourage Christian educators as they navigate their calling in classrooms, schools, and learning environments of all kinds. She explains how the belief that God has been “taken out of schools” deeply affected educators over time, often creating fear and confusion about how to live out faith at work. Jackie emphasizes that when Jesus lives in a believer’s heart, He goes with them everywhere, including into the classroom.
The conversation traces Jackie’s journey from a lifelong educator to ministry founder and author. She reflects on the years of preparation God used to lead her into writing Taking Jesus to School: The Fruit of the Spirit on Display. What began as obedience through blog writing eventually became a full length book designed to equip educators with biblical truth and practical application. Jackie speaks honestly about the difficulty of writing the book and how God used the process to teach her daily obedience, dependence, and trust.
Debbie and Jackie discuss the realities educators face in public schools, private schools, charter schools, and homeschool settings. They talk about classroom chaos, emotional exhaustion, difficult student behavior, and the pressure teachers feel when they believe they are not equipped for the task. Jackie encourages educators to shift their focus toward what they allow into their minds and hearts, reminding listeners that spiritual nourishment, Scripture, prayer, and community are essential for sustaining faith and joy in challenging environments.
Throughout the episode, Jackie explains how the fruit of the Spirit is not something educators manufacture on their own but something that flows naturally when they walk closely with the Holy Spirit. She shares how kindness, patience, gentleness, gratitude, and self control can transform interactions with students, colleagues, and parents, often leaving a lasting impact that may not be seen until years later.
The episode reinforces the message that educators are never alone in their calling. God sees their faithfulness, honors their obedience, and works through ordinary moments to create eternal impact. Jackie encourages listeners to remember that every child is created in God’s image and that small acts of love and grace can ripple far beyond the classroom.
About Our Guest:
Dr. Jacqueline Minor is the founder of Victorious Educator Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping Christian educators to live out their faith confidently in the workplace. With over forty years of experience as a teacher, school principal, assistant superintendent, professional developer, and global consultant, she has worked with educators across the United States and in multiple countries. Jackie inspires educators, administrators, homeschool families, and school staff to view every learning environment as a mission field and an opportunity to reflect Christ.
Dr. Minor is the author of Taking Jesus to School: The Fruit of the Spirit on Display, a book created to help educators grow spiritually while navigating the daily realities of education with wisdom, grace, and faith. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Vern.
Book Spotlight:
Taking Jesus to School: The Fruit of the Spirit on Display by Dr. Jacqueline Minor is a practical and faith filled resource for Christian educators seeking to integrate their beliefs into their professional lives without fear or compromise. The book walks readers through each element of the fruit of the Spirit, explaining its biblical meaning, how Jesus modeled it, and how educators can apply it in real life situations.
Each chapter includes real world scenarios, Scripture based teaching, and reflection exercises designed for individual study or group discussion. The book is written for educators in public, private, charter, and homeschool settings and encourages readers to see spiritual growth as the foundation for lasting impact in their work with children and families.
Connect with Jackie:
Victorious Educator Ministries Website: https://www.victoriouseducator.com/about
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jackie-minor-3bbba618
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Jesus-School-Spirit-Display/dp/B0FCSPB3BQ
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JackieMinorVEM
Closing Thought:
Educators carry a sacred responsibility and a powerful opportunity. When faith is lived out through love, patience, kindness, and grace, classrooms become places where God’s presence is felt without a single word being spoken. Dr. Jackie Minor reminds listeners that God equips those He calls, and faithful obedience today can shape lives for generations to come.
Jan 19, 2026
Jan 19, 2026
58 min
Date: January 19, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Barb Winters
Story Highlights:
In this timely and courageous episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek sits down with Barb Winters for an honest and deeply compassionate conversation about protecting children in today’s digital world.
Barb shares the personal moment that changed everything for her family. When she discovered her fourteen year old son had been exposed to pornography, she was thrust into a season marked by fear, prayer, research, and hard conversations. What followed was a two year journey that opened her eyes to just how accessible pornography and online dangers have become for children and how unprepared and isolated many parents feel when they encounter these issues.
Out of that painful season, Barb founded Hopeful Mom, an online platform created to support parents with both practical tools and faith based encouragement. Through Hopeful Mom, Barb equips families to respond with wisdom rather than panic and with love rather than shame.
Debbie and Barb discuss what parents can do when they discover inappropriate content on a child’s device. Instead of reacting out of fear, they emphasize the importance of pausing to pray, listening carefully, and creating an environment where children feel safe enough to tell the truth. The conversation highlights why boundaries are not punishment but protection and why ongoing conversations are far more effective than one time talks.
Barb also shares about her school based presentation program, where she goes directly into schools to educate students through age appropriate discussions on internet safety, pornography exposure, social media risks, grooming behaviors, and healthy relationships. Drawing from what she sees firsthand, Barb explains why proactive education is critical and how predators exploit secrecy, confusion, and silence.
The episode also addresses the growing dangers of online predators, sextortion, and human trafficking. Barb explains how grooming works, why children are particularly vulnerable, and how parents can stay informed and vigilant without living in fear.
Throughout the conversation, the message remains clear. Love and protection go hand in hand. God’s grace is present even in the hardest parenting moments, and families are never beyond hope. Barb reminds listeners that prayer matters, truth brings freedom, and faithful steps taken today can make a lasting difference for generations to come.
About Our Guest:
Barb Winters is the founder of Hopeful Mom, a certified Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist, mental health coach, author, speaker, and Lead Facilitator at E3 Family Solutions. She equips parents, educators, and youth to navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital culture with truth, wisdom, and faith.
Barb speaks nationwide on pornography prevention, human trafficking awareness, and supporting families in an increasingly online world. In March 2025, she was named to a national list of 20 Inspiring Women Dedicated to Making Life Safer for Kids.
Book Spotlight: Sexpectations: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Healthy Relationships by Barb Winters
Today’s culture presents young people with a distorted and often damaging view of intimacy, relationships, and self worth. From social media and streaming content to pornography and hookup culture, tweens and teens are absorbing powerful messages that shape their expectations long before they have the tools to process them.
In Sexpectations, Barb Winters offers parents, grandparents, educators, and youth leaders a clear and compassionate guide for addressing these challenges head on. With biblical truth and practical insight, she helps adults understand the cultural forces influencing young people and provides a framework for guiding them toward healthy, God honoring relationships.
Inside the book, readers will learn how to identify cultural factors contributing to the decline of healthy relationships, examine the emotional, spiritual, and relational consequences of casual sexual attitudes, and understand four foundational attributes of healthy relationships rooted in Scripture: love, selflessness, mutuality, and communication.
The book also offers biblical principles for healing from wounds caused by sexual brokenness, tools to help children restore, reconcile, and maintain healthy relationships, and practical guidance for having ongoing conversations about pornography, hookup culture, sexting, and God’s design for sex.
Sexpectations equips families to move beyond fear and silence and toward truth filled conversations that bring clarity, hope, and healing.
Connect with Barb:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/difficultconversationsforparents
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/difficult.conversations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barb-winters-b146882a
Closing Thought:
Parenting in a digital world is not easy, but families do not walk this road alone. God’s love is constant, His wisdom is available, and protection rooted in truth is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.
Jan 9, 2026
Jan 9, 2026
55 min
Date: January 9, 2026
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Cheri Swalwell
Story Highlights:
In this powerful and hope filled episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek sits down with writer and speaker Cheri Swalwell for a deeply honest conversation about overcoming fear through faith and learning to trust God one step at a time.
Cheri shares how fear first entered her life during childhood through misunderstandings surrounding her mother’s health. What began as a fear of loss quietly followed her into adulthood, shaping her thoughts, her decisions, and even her marriage. Although fear lingered for many years, Cheri reflects on how the foundation of faith her parents planted, along with her growing personal relationship with Christ, became the pathway God used to bring healing and freedom.
One of the most impactful moments in this conversation centers on a seventeen year fear of winter driving that began after a traumatic experience involving a semi truck on a snowy road. That fear quietly limited Cheri’s life, affecting her travel, opportunities, and willingness to participate during winter months. After joining a new church and developing a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, Cheri asked God to reveal the lie beneath her fear. The Lord gently showed her that the semi truck she feared had actually been positioned to protect her from oncoming traffic and allow her to turn around safely. That revelation marked the beginning of her healing journey.
Cheri shares how God continued this work through obedience, prayer, and intentional thought renewal. She stepped out in faith by volunteering for AWANA despite winter driving, trusting God with one small step at a time. Over time, her fear of driving lifted, followed by freedom from depression after thirty days of focused prayer, and eventually deliverance from panic attacks as she learned to take her thoughts captive according to Scripture.
Throughout the episode, Cheri offers practical tools God gave her to interrupt fear and replace it with truth, including speaking the name of Jesus, inviting worship into moments of anxiety, and anchoring her mind in specific Scriptures.
The conversation deepens as Cheri recounts God’s miraculous protection over her daughter during two serious car accidents in 2023, including a head on collision with a drunk driver. Rather than reigniting fear, these experiences further strengthened Cheri’s trust in God’s faithfulness and protection.
Cheri also shares how praise, thanksgiving, and gratitude reshaped her spiritual life. She describes meaningful family traditions such as choosing Scripture verses to wear as reminders, keeping a blessings journal, and documenting God’s ongoing protection and provision. Together, Debbie and Cheri encourage listeners to focus on God’s promises rather than their problems, to capture fearful thoughts, and to surround themselves with faith filled community.
This episode closes with encouragement to trust God’s timing, surrender fear daily, and actively remember His faithfulness through simple practices like a blessings journal or blessings jar. With prayer, honesty, and hope, this conversation reminds listeners that fear does not have the final word. Faith does.
About Our Guest:
Cheri Swalwell is a Christ follower, a wife, a mom, a writer, and a speaker. She is the co host of the Cheer UP Podcast and leads an online mentorship community as the monthly hostess of Jesus in the Everyday. Through her writing, speaking, and mentorship, Cheri encourages women to recognize God’s presence and faithfulness in their everyday lives.
Group Highlight: Jesus in the Everyday Mentorship
Are worry, isolation, or chaos trying to steal your peace? Do you crave real joy but struggle to find it in the mess of everyday life? Do you long for a sisterhood to lock arms with, even if you are homebound?
Whether you are new to faith and need a solid foundation, feeling stagnant and longing to reignite your fire, or full of questions and seeking truth, Jesus in the Everyday exists to meet you where you are.
Inside this mentorship, you will find a battle plan to replace fear with faith, a lifeline to recognize God’s goodness in the grind, and a tribe of women who understand real life and real faith. No perfect people allowed. The enemy does not take a day off, and neither do we.
Connect with Cheri:
Website: www.cheriswalwell.com
Jesus in the Everyday Mentorship: https://cheriswalwell.com/pre-order-specials/
Cheer UP Podcast: https://cheriswalwell.com/cheer-up-podcast/
Facebook: Jesus in the Everyday
YouTube: Jesus in the Everyday
Substack: https://cheri102458.substack.com/
Email: clSwalwell99@gmail.com
Closing Thought:
Cheri’s story reminds us that fear may speak loudly, but God’s truth speaks louder. When we surrender our fears, renew our minds, and remember His faithfulness, freedom follows.
Dec 12, 2025
Dec 12, 2025
38 min
Date: December 12, 2025
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Melissa Heiland
Story Highlights:
In this powerful episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek sits down with missionary, author, and ministry leader Melissa Heiland to share a story of obedience, surrender, and God’s unmistakable guidance. Melissa opens her heart about how the Lord used unexpected challenges, personal loss, and difficult seasons to shape a calling that would reach far beyond what she could have imagined.
Melissa reflects on a painful experience with foster children that ultimately became a turning point. Through prayer and obedience, God led her and her husband to sell their possessions and step out in faith to serve overseas for one year. That single act of obedience planted the seeds for Beautiful Feet International, a pregnancy ministry that now serves women and families in over 43 nations.
Throughout the conversation, Melissa shares how God redirected her path through foster care, adoption, missions, and ministry leadership. She explains how Beautiful Feet equips local churches and leaders to support pregnant women and mothers, creating lasting impact through a small staff and faithful volunteers around the world. From launching a pregnancy center in Costa Rica to expanding across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Melissa testifies to God’s perfect timing and provision every step of the way.
This episode is a reminder that God sees the weary, redeems every experience, and invites His people to partner with Him in transforming lives one word, one act of love, and one life at a time.
About Our Guest:
Melissa Heiland is a wife, mother of six, and grandmother of twelve with a deep passion for teaching and sharing the Gospel. She holds degrees from Wake Forest University and the University of Central Missouri, with specialties in education and curriculum and instruction. Melissa served as a missionary with the International Mission Board and has led mission teams since 2000.
She is the Founder and President of Beautiful Feet International, a mission organization dedicated to starting and supporting international pregnancy centers. Beautiful Feet currently oversees more than 150 pregnancy ministries across 43 nations. Melissa is also an author and speaker who has written training manuals and curricula for pregnancy centers, devotionals for new and expectant mothers, and devotionals for mission teams. She is the recipient of the 2014 EvanTell Matthew 4:19 Award and the 2022 Heartbeat International Servant Leader Award.
Book Spotlight:
A Mother’s Comfort: A Devotional for Baby’s First Year
Written for mothers during their baby’s first year, A Mother’s Comfort offers fifty two weekly devotions designed to encourage and strengthen a new mother’s heart. Each devotion includes Scripture, reflection prompts, and space to record prayers, thoughts, and dreams. The book reminds mothers that just as they comfort their child, they are also deeply loved and comforted by their heavenly Father. This devotional is especially meaningful for women who choose life despite difficult circumstances, offering reassurance that God is their defender and provider.
A Mother’s Journey: A Devotional for Pregnancy
A Mother’s Journey is part devotional and part pregnancy journal, with forty chapters that correspond to each week of pregnancy. Each week includes Scripture, a journal prompt, and information about the baby’s development. This book offers comfort, hope, and spiritual guidance to women walking through pregnancy, whether with or without the support of a partner. It serves as a gentle reminder that God is present, compassionate, and deeply involved in every stage of the journey.
Connect with Beautiful Feet International:
Website: International Pregnancy Centers | Beautiful Feet International
Facebook: (6) Facebook Beautiful Feet International
Instagram: Beautiful Feet (@beautifulfeetintl) • Instagram photos and videos
Closing Thought:
Melissa’s story reminds us that obedience, even when it feels costly, can open the door to God’s greater purpose. When we trust His timing and follow where He leads, He multiplies our faithfulness far beyond what we could ever imagine.
Dec 4, 2025
Dec 4, 2025
40 min
Date: December 4, 2025
Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Graciela Kessler
Story Highlights:
In this rich and faith-filled episode of The Women Behind the Words, Debbie Dufek welcomes writer and spiritual mentor Graciela Kessler for a heartfelt conversation about healing, identity, and the unchanging character of God. Graciela shares her story of growing up in Argentina, moving to Texas, and the life-shifting moment in 2006 when a breast cancer diagnosis led her to encounter God as Jehovah Rapha, her Healer.
What began as a season of suffering became the doorway to revelation. Through studying the names and attributes of God, Graciela discovered that He reveals Himself personally in every circumstance. Her search for comfort became a lifelong pursuit of deeper intimacy with Him.
Graciela also tells the remarkable story of how God taught her English. He instructed her to read His Word in English every day. As she obeyed, Scripture not only strengthened her language skills, it transformed her heart. Out of this journey came her book Divine Tapestry, a resource created to help readers experience God personally through His names rather than know Him only intellectually.
Throughout the conversation, Graciela explains how understanding the right name of God for the season you are walking through brings clarity, confidence, and hope. She encourages listeners to move beyond information into revelation, inviting God to show them who He desires to be in their current circumstances.
Debbie and Graciela also explore the heart behind Divine Tapestry, an alphabetical journey through the names and attributes of God designed to serve as a bridge between His heart and the reader’s. Graciela shares stories from her chemotherapy season where she encountered supernatural joy and peace, and she tells of the miraculous healing of her son after twenty-three years of prayer. She beautifully distinguishes happiness, which shifts with circumstances, from joy, which is found in the person of Jesus.
Graciela’s book will be featured on December 3rd. Debbie encourages listeners to send her a note of encouragement and to share this episode with anyone walking through hardship or seeking to understand God more deeply.
About Our Guest:
Graciela Kessler is a writer, spiritual mentor, and professional whose work centers on helping believers understand the unchanging names and attributes of God. Her book, Divine Tapestry: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Names, Natures, Titles, and Attributes of God, is the result of years of dedicated Scriptural study and personal experience with God’s healing power.
Born in Argentina and now living in Fort Worth, Texas, Graciela is passionate about guiding others into daily, intimate encounters with the living God. Through her writing, mentorship, classes, and community involvement, she encourages believers to move beyond knowledge toward a confident and experiential faith rooted in who God truly is.
Book Spotlight:
Divine Tapestry is a comprehensive and accessible resource that organizes the names, natures, and titles of God into a clear alphabetical study. This guide is designed for both new and mature believers who want to bridge the gap between knowing about God and experiencing Him personally.
Each entry reveals the truth that God is relational and has a specific name for every need we face. The goal of this book is to lead readers into an intimate walk with Him marked by unshakable peace, steady confidence, and lasting joy.
Connect with Graciela:
Website: https://www.ezer-sdconsulting.com/
Facebook: @DivineTapestryBook
Instagram: @graciela.kessler6
X: @gra8744