Truth Salt And Spice With Xamayta Graver

Megan shares candidly about here struggle with self harm (cutting) as a teenager. She talks about how she started, why it continued and how she eventually found that healing through Jesus. Megan is also the author of the book, Catch Somewhere, which storyline also addresses self-harm.   To purchase her book, click on the title: Catch Somewhere Here is a summary "Kinsley Johnson seems to have everything going well in her world. She’s starting her junior year, her best friend is by her side, and the new boy happens to be really cute and is paying attention to her. So why isn’t Kinsley happy? With an English teacher who knows more than just literature, a youth leader who won’t give up on her, and a brush against a dangerous addiction, Kinsley has to decide if there is anything out there that can anchor her. If she could just find it, maybe her soul could catch somewhere and rest."

We 3 Latinas talk about our experiences with Lent and Holy Week and how it differed for us as Latin women. Leslie and I have a Catholic background, so we grew up with a Catholic view, but even she and I, still had marked differences in how we celebrated this most sacred of times. Jessica grew up Pentecostal and her involvement with Lent was non existent and her home celebrated differently than we did. It was a great way to show that even though our roots are similar, we are not monolithic.

At this point the Lenten Season is well on its way. Kai and I talk about what shaped our view of Lent and even though it is not a biblical command, it sure can be used as a time to draw closer to God. We talk about sin, repentance and shame, and how we view those can be attached to how we view Holy Week. 

This is the last episode dedicated to friendships. What I loved about Jessica and Cindi's relationship was their age difference. Their friendship is a great example to us that we don't have to be peers to foster deep, loving friendships. They have a deep trust and mutual respect that was amazing to experience. We hope you enjoyed this series and that you left with tools to either improve your friendships or to start new ones. 

As we continue to talk about women and friendships as adults, during this Month of Love and Friendship, Jessica facilitates this episode as Xamayta and her friend Pamela talk about their friendship and what it has taken to have the deep relationship they have now. While there is no secret formula, they do share with they believe is key to strong, deep and long lasting relationship.

In honor of the Month of Love and Friendship, we are talking about women and friendships as adults. This episode wraps up the interview with Leslie, Margie, Monica and Jackie. You'll get to hear more about what they love about who they are as humans and what they hope for each other in the future. 

When February rolls around many people start thinking about Valentine's Day. In Puerto Rico we celebrate it as the Month of Love and Friendship. One of the recurring complaints I hear from women is how hard it is to make and maintain friendships as adults. In this episode we get to listen to 4 amazing women talk about there friendship and what has sustained them through the years. Leslie, Margie, Monica and Jackie have been friends for many, many moons and through the years, their friendship is stronger than ever. 

Sarah walks us through the hardships of having a child with undiagnosed health issues. She shares in detail the process to get her daughter the medical care that she needs without knowing what is affecting her eating, digestion and failure to thrive. She is very candid about her belief about God healing her child and how she couldn't go through this without Jesus.

We 3 share about how we've gone through life expecting God to align with our plans and not to present our plans to him and wait to see where he takes us. It takes tons of faith, hope and courage to ask, wait, listen and obey, especially when things don't make sense in order to walk with God. 

Happy New Year!  As we start this new year filled with hope for COVID to not be the center of all of our lives, like the little narcist it is, we tend to look forward to many new things. Some of us are too cynical to even think that there is any hope for something new. However, in Jesus, there is always hope. Kai and I talk about false expectations we put on God and how that hurts our faith and fractures our hope. Our with is that you walk close to God so that you align yourself with what he already has waiting for you so that your expectations are realistic and that you may enjoy more yeses than no's.  

What a fun guest, Kate was! She walks us through her childhood all the way to her current life. Having grown up with a mother with mental illness and a grandmother that was her shelter from the storms of life, she shares what she has learned from their lives, from her own mistakes and how she views herself, God and life, now.  Link for Trades of Hope 

Magdalena was our guest in episode 12 and I had her come back to share her Christmas Traditions as a Pole that was raised in Canada and now resides in Texas with her American husband and children. We end up discovering some similarities in our cultures and I totally enjoyed learning about hers. 

Merry Christmas to you all! May the miracle of Jesus' birth shine a light on all those tender places that this year 2020 has created. May you find hope, comfort and his eternal peace when you meet with Him. 

Even though Leslie, Jessica and I are Puerto Rican, well, Leslie is half Puerto Rican and half Dominican, our traditions were not the same. We remember the similarities and share the differences. Since I am the only one that has actually lived in Puerto Rico, I was able to experience the full Christmas experience from childhood to adulthood. Jessica may have lost her Puerto Rican card after saying she doesn't like Bacardi. Also, you must listen in and hear all about my Christmas Branch. Totally not a Latin tradition, just me being funny! Here is the recipe for the Coquito. It's our Christmas Drink and I refuse to call it a type of eggnog, because...just NO! 1 can of Cream of Coconut 1 can of Evaporated Milk 1 can of Sweet Condensed Milk 2 cans of Coconut Milk 2 Tbls of Cinnamon 1 cup of Bacardi Rum (start with 1/2 a cup and add until you hear the angels sing!) Put it in a blender until the cinnamon is well incorporated and everything is creamy smooth. Store in glass containers/bottles with lids and refrigerat

Kai shares her childhood Christmas memories and super funny stories. There is a lot of laughing and talking about food. 

Becky is another of my internet friends, turned into a true friend. I have always been drawn to how positive she is, despite the fact that her life has been full of plot twists, self-inflicted trepidatious detours and hardship, her faith has never waivered and she takes life on with an attitude of gratitude. 

Kia and I discuss the hopelessness the year 2020 has brought; whether it be political unrest or COVID or economical distress or just every day challenges, we can always choose to focus on what we do have in order to find peace. Peace that Jesus left us with and freely gives us daily. If you are feeling like God has checked out these days, we have some hope to share with you!

Leslie, Jessica and I talk about how we handle praising God in the middle of hard times, even when we can't thank Him in the middle of the storms.

Author, Kara Alberico, tells us what she has learned about being married to, and choosing to stay married to a drug addict. She tells us how she learned how to put up healthy boundaries and allow her husband to deal with natural consequences of his decisions. Her decision definitely affected her and her children directly, even to the point of driving a wedge between her oldest and her parents. Kara has now earned a bachelors in Criminal Justice and Human Services and hopes to help other families that are affected by drug addiction.  Find a link to her book here: My Marriage Through Recovery

How do you handle thanking God for the good and the bad? I don't handle it very graciously and I sure could use a change of heart. In this episode I share a story about a different perspective on being grateful for it all and especially when we are in the middle of the hard times. I share a few scriptures on Thanksgiving, but focus primarily on Philippians 4:4-8.