My favorite hobby right now is reading and listening to podcasts. Gathering information from Christian leaders is a high priority for me. Some authors and podcasters I love:

• Jonathan Pokluda – ‘Your Story Has a Villain‘ Book
• Sadie Robertson – ‘Woah That’s Good ‘ Pod
• John Bevere – ‘The Awe of God ‘ Book
• Jackie Hill Perry – ‘With the Perry’s’ Pod

Lessons I’ve learned from each one:

JP’s ‘Your Story Has a Villain,‘ book has taught me about spiritual warfare. As Christians, we often spend so much time thinking about the Trinity– The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that we forget there is an actual Enemy working to destroy us. In my personal life I have been through a few battles and spiritual wars, and God has seen me through again and again. The most important thing to remember is we don’t have to fear because God has already won. From this book, I have learned to take every moment as an opportunity to not allow Satan to take my time, construed my thoughts, or hinder my walk with Jesus. Jonathan Pokluda also has a really awesome podcast called Becoming Something, speaking to primarily young adults in their 20’s and 30’s. They discuss relationships, finances, the big c Church, and so much more. 

            In Sadie Robertson’s podcast she has had a variety of guests from TikTok dancing stars, Cost n’ Major, to the entire Duck Dynasty family, and so much more. Her foundations are built on ‘Living Original’ and having meaningful conversational with all types of people. One of my favorite elements to the podcast, is her asking every guest what the best piece of advice they had ever received. While I have received a ton of advice from some very wise people, one of the greatest ideologies I have ever heard was Jesus is not a one-time savior. He continues to save me every single day of my life. I’m in awe of His character and ability to love—true agape’. 

There are so many more people that have been adding to my faith and blessing me with their testimonies. I love the life-long lessons, raw narratives, and sermons that are shared online. I have had a new interest in starting my own podcast one day, particularly about applying your faith in athletics. As I have continued my walk with God, and my passion for softball, I have wanted more mentors to look up to. I felt there wasn’t a podcast specifically for college athletes. There are resources like FCA programs and on-campus bible studies, but the media hasn’t kept up. 

            I am working with my friend that plays softball at the University of Tennessee on developing videos and podcasts for Christian athletes. I want to host student athletes at my school to share testimonies, fun traveling and trip memories, and things that God has been teaching them. I want to share things I learn from podcasts and books. I want to sing and play instruments with my friends. I want to go over topics like: rejection, failure, biblical confidence, humility, stewardship, resentment, purpose, and so much more.