Do you ever feel like you’re just not enough—not strong enough, smart enough, spiritual enough, or confident enough to handle all that life throws at you?
If so, you’re not alone—and this week’s episode of The Love Offering podcast is especially for you.
I had the joy of sitting down with Amber Albee Swenson to talk about her powerful book, The Key to Confidence: Where to Go When You Feel You’re Not Enough. Amber reminds us that this isn’t a self-help book—and that’s exactly what makes it so freeing.
Because when we’re overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, or feelings of worthlessness, looking inward won’t set us free. But looking up—to the God who created us, redeemed us, and called us—can change everything.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Why confidence in Christ is the only confidence that lasts
- How to move from insecurity to identity
- What Scripture says about who we are and whose we are
- Practical encouragement for living boldly and joyfully
You weren’t made to sit on the sidelines. God has a purpose for you—and once you learn where true confidence comes from, nothing can hold you back.
🎧 Listen now: The Love Offering – Rachael Adams – Christian Podcast
I hope this conversation reminds you of just how deeply known, loved, and equipped you are in Jesus.
Cheering you on,
Rachael
Summary
In this episode of the Love Offering Podcast, host Rachael Adams welcomes Amber Albee Swenson to discuss confidence, identity in Christ, and overcoming feelings of inadequacy. Amber shares her personal journey with confidence, including struggles with anorexia and the pressures of societal expectations. The conversation highlights the importance of finding genuine confidence in Christ, the transformative power of forgiveness, and the role of prayer in cultivating self-worth. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their God-given identity and redefine what it means to be perfect in a world that often promotes unrealistic standards. The episode concludes with Amber’s insights on the significance of community and prayer in fostering confidence and healing.
Takeaways
Confidence must be anchored in our identity in Christ.
Societal labels can change, but our worth remains constant.
We often struggle with negative self-talk and need to recognize it.
Forgiveness is essential for healing and moving forward.
Prayer can transform our perspective and strengthen our faith.
Community support is vital for personal growth and confidence.
We should focus on what we can do, not what we can’t.
God loves us unconditionally, regardless of our past.
Perfection is not the goal; stewardship of our gifts is.
Understanding God’s love is crucial for overcoming insecurity.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Love and Confidence
01:40 Amber’s Journey with Confidence
03:59 Finding Identity in Christ
08:43 Overcoming Anxiety and Worry
11:39 Breaking Free from Toxic Habits
14:08 The Power of Forgiveness
16:59 The Role of Prayer in Confidence
19:20 The Consequences of Insecurity
21:20 God’s Definition of Perfection
26:49 Taking Small Steps Towards Confidence
29:26 Understanding God’s Love
Transcript (AI Generated)
Rachael Adams (00:01.55)
Welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m your host, Rachel Adams, author of “Everyday Prayers for Love,” where we learn to love God, others, and even ourselves. Each week, we delve into meaningful conversations about how to live out the greatest commandment: loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Whether through inspiring stories, practical tips, or biblical truths, I hope to encourage you to love boldly, live faithfully, and reflect God’s love in your everyday life.
Today, I’m excited to welcome author Amber Elby Swenson to the show. Amber has taught the Bible for over 20 years, is the author of 13 books and hosts the Little Things podcast. Her latest book, The Key to Confidence, Where to Go When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough, is like going on a coffee date with your best friend, filled with encouragement and truth while tackling life’s hardest questions.
In a world fractured by politics, divided by beliefs, and overwhelmed by anxiety and isolation, Amber offers us the hope and freedom that come from anchoring our confidence in Christ. Well, hello, Amber, and welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m so happy to have you.
Amber Albee Swenson (01:11.08)
I am so grateful to be here. Thank you for having me.
Rachael Adams (01:14.436)
I told you before we hit record that you and I are kindred spirits. I’ve talked so much about confidence, insecurity, and inadequacy on this podcast, and listeners know that they’re not feeling like they’re enough. And yet, we’re significant in all of those ways. And so I’m so excited to dive into today’s conversation because I think that you and I are not alone. I imagine every woman listening right now is nodding their head in agreement. I struggle with that too, so as we begin our conversation, could you give us a little bit of your backstory on your struggle with confidence?
Amber Albee Swenson (01:45.166)
Oh man, there’s so much. I’ll keep it brief. I was back in high school. You know, I went away to summer school, came home, and I realized I thought I was going to be a journalist. And over summer school, I realized that it is not for me. I attended journalism school over the summer, came home, and didn’t know what to do with my life, as I had met some fantastic friends at summer school who were no longer part of it because they were in different states. I turned to anorexia back in high school. And so, already, I was trying to change my body to control something in my life, to feel like I at least could measure up in this way if I was the right weight or if I had the right size jeans, or, you know, whatever. And so it started that struggle. And as you and I were talking, the whole food thing has been a constant throughout my adult life, you know.
You know, I’ve had four children, there were pregnancies, and there was nursing. There was, you know, so you try to do things like writing books and things like teaching Bible studies and you’re in front of people and you want to look good and you’ve got this social media culture and we’ve got all the pressure of being a woman who’s supposed to do it all. You know, be a great mom. My goodness, be Martha Stewart and throw the best birthday party, decorate your home, keep it clean, and do it all on a budget. I mean, you have to do it all yourself and make the costumes yourself. And then you want to do your best for your career. And so you want to put all of that in it. And then you want to look good. You want to… It is so hard not to fall into the ‘wait a second’ trap. I’m not measuring up anywhere. My house is a mess.
Amber Albee Swenson (03:38.528)
I don’t feel like I’m spending enough time with my kids. I don’t feel like I’m spending enough time with my husband. I don’t feel like I spend enough time on my career. I certainly don’t feel like I spend enough time with God. So, you know, it’s just been this vicious cycle throughout most of my life of trying to figure out how to do this. And where do I put the time? And how do I know if I’m doing the right things at the right time? And I think most women everywhere understand the cycle that we can fall into.
Rachael Adams (04:08.991)
I can’t wait to continue today’s conversation, that we’re going to take a brief break to hear a word from today’s sponsor, and when we come back we will talk about the danger of finding identity in the wrong places and where we should look instead
Welcome back. I’m talking with Amber LB Swinson about her book, The Key to Confidence. Let’s continue discussing confidence in our culture. It’s constantly telling us to believe in ourselves, but you take a different approach. So, where does true confidence and a sense of purpose really come from?
Amber Albee Swenson (04:42.614)
It must be rooted in your identity in Christ. Your labels are going to change throughout your life. I have two dear friends who were divorced this year and had gone through marriage counseling, had gone through all the stuff. And if you put all of your identity in being the wife of so-and-so, then when a marriage ends, who are you then? If you are mama, if that’s your identity, and then your kids leave home for college, and who are you then? If you are the spouse of so-and-so, and heaven forbid your spouse dies, who are you then? So I think we get sucked into the labels that we wanna put on ourselves, that culture wants to put on ourselves, but our identity has to be found in that we’re forgiven children of God the confidence no matter what season it is, no matter what label we’re wearing, God loves us. He’s with us. He’s behind us. We don’t have to worry about whether we’re enough because, you know, we’re a child of the King of Kings.
Rachael Adams (05:48.592)
Yeah, no, I think that’s, that’s such good points. And even I’m thinking of your career, you know, if that’s, if you’re fired or if that, you know, something happens that you’re no longer able to do what you were doing. I think for me, even, you know, I’m a writer and I’m in women’s ministry and I’m a podcaster. What if all those things were taken away? Then who am I, and what do I do? And I think that that’s the case for many of us. And so I’m glad you mentioned that, as much of life changes and has changed over the seasons. And I’m even thinking, you know, that my children, who are 14 and 16, won’t be living at home anymore. And so many women, especially empty nesters, I imagine it’s like, ‘ Okay, what do I even do with my time now? ‘ You said you have adult children now?
Amber Albee Swenson (06:33.87)
Yeah, so my youngest is 17. She’ll be a senior, but I have a 20-year-old who’s in cosmetology school. And then I have two children who are married. One is 22 and one is 24. And they’re out of the house, they have been. So, yeah, it’s a whole different ball game as you move through various parts of your life. I worked in a nursing home for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a traveling nursing assistant. And you know, that’s a really real thing to those people who so many times would say, I used to be, you know, I used to be an insurance salesman, I used to be a farmer, I used to be, now I can’t do anything. Who am I now? Man, you are still the same forgiven child of God that you were 10 years ago. And God doesn’t love you any less just because you were in that last season of life. But we all buy into it. It’s so easy, especially for women who lose their looks. You know, I saw that in the nursing home, too. My face, my face is wrinkled. Don’t look at my hair. I hate how I don’t even wanna see them here. Don’t, don’t, you know.
Amber Albee Swenson (07:46.104)
Girlfriend, you had babies, you had grandchildren, and you were a beautiful wife to a man for years and years. How can you think your body is ugly now after all it has done for the Lord all these years? I just want people to know God’s love for us never ever changes. The way he feels about us never ever ever changes. And so we don’t want to base our worth on anything that could be taken away, because it can change in a heartbeat. We have to base our worth on who God says we are. And all throughout the Bible, he’s telling us what he thinks about us, and he’s crazy about us. He loves us. He died for us. So, we have value no matter where we are, no matter what our house looks like, no matter what our children do or don’t do.
Rachael Adams (08:39.223)
Yeah. And no matter what we do or don’t do, I think that it’s so, it’s so tempting to even, I think in our world, the slide to be performance oriented. I mean, I struggle with that. And it sounds like you’re struggling with that too. And like this idea of achievement and that we will be loved or applauded or valued or validated according to what we accomplish in this life, and that the Lord feels the same way about us, but that’s not true. It is not contingent on our performance. I think that’s valuable for us to hear.
Amber Albee Swenson (09:11.202)
Yeah, for sure.
Rachael Adams (09:12.515)
Yeah. So, so many people are also silently struggling with depression, anxiety, and this deep insecurity based on all these things that we’ve just talked about. So, what are some practical ways that we can begin to find hope and healing in the midst of all this emotional pain?
Amber Albee Swenson (09:28.166)
I dealt with worry for many, many years. I don’t know as a mom how you can’t. I shouldn’t say that because I’m sure some women have mastered this, and I just was a slow learner. But especially as your children get older, you can control everything as long as they’re in the house and not driving. But the minute the first one gets behind the wheel and gets their license, they drive out of the driveway, and you have zero control. You have zero control over whether they’re on their phone while driving, whether they’re paying attention, whether they obey traffic laws, or whether anyone else does. As long as they’re learning, you’re in the other seat, watching out for that car or slowing down, or whatever. And that is just the beginning because it’s not just driving then, it’s the choices that as your kids go off to college, you aren’t there to get them up and to get them to church every week or to say, don’t date that guy or don’t go out, don’t go to that party, whatever you do. And so as a mom, if you think that you have control over everything and if you think you have to have control over everything, anxiety is probably very familiar to you. But what I realized as my children got older is that I never had control over much anyway. I thought I did, but I didn’t; it was studying the Bible.
Amber Albee Swenson (10:54.454)
The Gospels, especially, and I took the part from Matthew where Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow.’ And I just journaled through it, and I looked up words, and I studied it, and I was like, that sounds like a command. Like, do not worry. Almost like do not commit adultery or do not worry or do not, do not, do not. And he was saying, know, look, I have the birds in my view. I know what goes on with them. I have the grass in my view. And if I care about those things, do you not think that I care about you even more? And it was the process of studying the Bible and getting in the word on a deeper level that brought me out of that worrywart syndrome where I just, every time the kids left home, I was like, man, what’s gonna happen? Are they gonna be okay? God, you have to protect them. And just have to remember, he loves them more than I do. He’s got them. I can’t; my worrying isn’t helping anything.
Rachael Adams (11:58.906)
Yes, Amber, I’m not sure we discussed this. So I have a 16 year old that I’m in the passenger seat. He currently has his permit. This message was specifically meant for me today. And so, I’m excited to continue this conversation, but we’ll take another brief break. And when we return, we’ll talk about breaking free from toxic habits and embracing the freedom God offers.
Rachael Adams (12:22.679)
Welcome back. I’m talking with Amber Elbie Swinson about the keys to confidence. In your book, you guide readers through the process of coming to terms with their past and breaking free from destructive cycles. What were some of these patterns in your own life, and how did God help you overcome them?
Amber Albee Swenson (12:39.096)
Yeah, I mentioned anorexia. I’ve tried to do life my own way too many times when I’m in the middle of, you know, just a when things get confusing or I feel out of control, I think I have to take charge and I come up with all the plans of how we’re going to do this. And again, it comes back to control. And I’ve had to learn that I need to stop, pray, and bring God into the situation because I’m so emotionally invested. I don’t see half the picture most of the time.
I also really struggled with negative self-talk, and it took a good friend of mine to point it out. I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but we would be doing things together, and I’d think, ‘I’m so stupid,’ or ‘I never get things right,’ or ‘I could never do that.’ And she stopped me. She’s, she just said, you know, Amber, I, I, I don’t even think you realize you’re doing this, but you are constantly putting yourself down, and that is not from God. You need to embrace who you are in God’s eyes and anything that you say that comes out of your mouth that is negative like that, recognize it’s either your own sinful nature or the army of Satan that is bringing that on, because that’s not God. That was super helpful to start being aware of it, because then, as those thoughts come in and I’m about to say it, I’m like, ‘ No, I’m not stupid. ‘ I’ve made plenty of foolish choices and stupid decisions, but I’m not stupid. God wonderfully creates me, and God wants to honor you. And so it’s a different conversation when you start recognizing those toxic habits that you have and stop, bring God into the situation so that you can change the narrative.
Rachael Adams (14:25.677)
Yeah. You know, so often people will say, ‘You would never talk to a friend the way you talk to yourself.’ Right. And I think so many of us do do it. We’re so hard on ourselves, harder than we are on anybody else. Yeah. You know, you’ve mentioned forgiveness quite a bit. And so I’m wondering what role that plays in this process, both in receiving it and extending it. So what does biblical forgiveness truly look like, and how can it free us from the weight of our past?
Amber Albee Swenson (14:55.292)
Man, I don’t know anybody. There are, in fact, two sides to this. Almost everybody, when you say, conjures up something that you deeply regret. Look, the cringe, right? We all immediately cringe. Like, I wish I could go back and make a different choice or say a different thing or do something other than what I did. And what I’ve found is that Christians have a really hard time forgiving themselves. We struggle a lot, and what we are doing is carrying shame that we were never meant to bear.
God never said, ‘You’re forgiven if you do this, if you make the right choices, if only you had made a different choice then, then I could forgive you.’ That’s not it at all. And so we’re carrying something that God never intended us to carry. And so first of all, you can be confident that you can put that shame down at the foot of the cross and just quit carrying it. That’s number one. But also recognizing that it’s a common saying that anyone you look at is someone whom God loves. And so instead of looking at people and thinking they are so terrible for what they did to me, well, they are a child of God, too. If they’re, even if they are an unbeliever, they are to be pitied because they are walking with Satan. They’re walking in disbelief. And so even there we can forgive them, which is really just a means of saying, God, I’m going to hand this over to you and let you deal with it.
Amber Albee Swenson (16:30.338)
I’m not gonna carry it anymore. I’m not gonna carry the weight of it anymore. Just handing it over, pray for the people. I found it incredible. I don’t know why I’m so often struck dumbfounded when God’s word actually works, but I’ve experienced astonishing healing by doing what Jesus told us to do: to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And when I finally started doing that, I had been through a season of hurt, and I was talking to this pastor, and I thought, ‘Man, I just can’t get this hurt to go away.’
He said, Amber, have you really started praying for your enemies? I’m like, well, no. He said, Well, why don’t you start there? And it made all the difference in the healing process because you can’t pray for someone and harbor hatred towards them. The more you pray for them, the more you recognize that God loves them and wants them in his fold. And it changes everything. I think that once we start dealing with forgiving ourselves and forgiving others, we will gain the confidence not only to know who we are, but also to understand who they are. And it changes conversations. It changes relationships in huge ways.
Rachael Adams (17:39.949)
Well, that segues really well to my next question. So I’m wondering if you have anything else to say on this topic, but consistent prayer is one of the tools that you highlight for lasting confidence. So you mentioned praying for your enemies. How else have you prayed to shape the view of yourself and of God?
Amber Albee Swenson (17:58.712)
So I had a struggle that went on for about four and a half years with one of my children. And I was getting nowhere. I had told friends before, when they asked me, What can I pray for? Said, Pray for this. But about a year and a half ago, I started getting serious and became vulnerable, so I asked some friends to come together and pray. I said, I think I need more people praying for this. And we got together. And the funny thing is, I invited everybody to come together, but as they came together, they brought their situations and issues with them. And we did get vulnerable, and we have seen enormous changes in so many things. The Lord has just answered prayer. And what I’ve seen is how willing God is to answer our prayers if we start doing some of the things he asks us to do. Like in the book of James, James confesses your sins to one another and prays for each other so you may be healed. So when you finally go to someone and whatever your addiction is, or you talked about struggling with food. But other people struggle with alcohol or spending too much, or whatever. And when you finally get together with other Christians and are vulnerable enough to say, guys, you know what? I have been struggling with this for a really long time. Can we pray about this? And when your friends pray over you, and pray with you, and check back in with you, and hold you accountable. It’s a whole different thing. And God gives us the confidence of knowing that He answers our prayers, and He puts people in our lives to help us through. So my prayer life has changed considerably over the last year and a half, and I hope to encourage others to do the same.
Rachael Adams (19:52.472)
I’m just thinking about whether we stay stuck in this feeling of not being enough, feeling insecure, and lacking confidence. What do you think transpires? I’m just thinking of the two paths we can take, knowing what our identity in Christ is, and the level of confidence that comes with being God’s creation. He’s our creator, and He has instilled in us great gifts and talents and resources, and created us exactly as He wanted to. I hate even to say it, but woe is me. I’m not good enough. can’t do it. Like, there are two distinct paths. So what, what can happen if we don’t take all of these keys to confidence to heart?
Amber Albee Swenson (20:32.969)
No one’s happier about it than Satan and his army. I mean, that’s why they constantly whisper their whole plan is to A, if they can’t steal our faith entirely to make us ineffective in the kingdom of God, and you nailed it. God has equipped us throughout His Word. For example, look at how many people didn’t feel like they were enough. Moses, you know, I can’t do this. Gideon, Jeremiah, and Isaiah throughout their words. So many people are like, not me. There’s got to be someone else. And God continually said You are the one like I will be with you. If only God’s people would embrace that, what could we do in the world? Who might there be in our midst? The teachers, the singers, the servers, the people graded hospitality, the givers. Imagine the world if we all embraced our God-given identity and spiritual gifts, and then not only acknowledged them but also stepped out in them, saying, ‘God, I trust you.’ If you gave me these, I’m gonna use them to the best of my ability, because I’m gonna bear the most fruit for your kingdom. Okay, game changer.
Rachael Adams (21:47.94)
Yeah. Actually, for Mother’s Day, I got all the mothers in our family a pendant with their favorite Bible verse on it. And so as my family was asking, like, well, Rachel, what’s your favorite Bible verse? And recently, I’ve been, because I’ve always dealt with and battled what we’ve been discussing today. And it was when Moses was talking about, like, I can’t do this. And you know, that whole thing in Exodus, and then all the Lord responds with is I am. Like it doesn’t matter that you are really, I mean, it does like we just talked about, but as long as you know that I am and I am with you and I am powerful and I can, that’s all that really matters. So, Exodus 3:14 has just become my verse. That’s what I want to do now, and I am, because I had a pendant made for me too. And so, I think that’s something we all need to take to heart. Just focus on who God is. I believe that much of our insecurity and inadequacy stems from a self-focus on us, which is a different level of pride because our eyes are on us, not on Him. Does that evoke any thought in you?
Amber Albee Swenson (22:58.988)
You are not wrong at all. Look at Peter getting out of the boat. As long as he looked at the wind and the waves and anything but Jesus, he was sinking. We look at Jesus, and we can walk on water. Absolutely everything you just said. And look, our culture constantly encourages us to examine ourselves. You can, you can, you know, do this. No, I think one of the first steps in working in God’s kingdom is realizing your own inadequacy and total reliance on God every hour of every day, and going with the strength He gives you. Just go with whatever he gives you. He never asks us to give what we don’t have. That widow who gave her two little pennies gave as much as she had to give, and God was well pleased with that. God isn’t asking you to start this great big ministry if you don’t have any business, concepts, or if you aren’t good with money, or whatever.
What can you do? Can you invite a neighbor over to read the Bible? Can you start a little mom’s Bible study with three women from your neighborhood? Can you mentor a younger woman? Can you, you know, go visit women at the nursing home? Can you, what can you, forget about all the things you can’t do? You were so brilliant to say that. Our focus, where is your focus? So often, it’s on our weaknesses and the things we can’t do, instead of saying, ‘ Okay, well, God has given me this. ‘ What can I do with this?
Rachael Adams (24:36.425)
Absolutely. You know, I think that just culture with social media gives us the impression that people can be perfect. You know, their lives do look, you know, so much better than ours, or they’re doing some things, you know, with more excellence or whatever. And I’m thinking like that, I struggle as a 40-year-old woman with that. And then I look at my daughter and my son, who are younger, and think, ‘Gosh, this is the world they’re growing up in.’ And it can feel like a lot of pressure. Could you talk a little bit about this idea of perfection and God’s definition of it?
Amber Albee Swenson (25:16.91)
Well, I can tell you that I would do very little if I let myself worry about that because I am not perfect. Part of what I do, part of my job is I do a podcast with a pastor who also has a TV program. Once a month or so, I travel to Appleton, where he lives, and we do live podcasts. He is very fit and has the right look and trust me when I tell you as a woman and who has struggled on and off with her weight, if I wanted to concentrate just on that and the idea of I have to be perfect to do this work that I do, I certainly wouldn’t be doing it.
What I have come to realize is that I want to do the very best with what God has given me. I want to steward it well and then leave the rest up to God. So, if God has put me in this position where I have this podcast, then I’m going to go ahead and jump into it, and I’m not going to worry about what I look like. If everybody else is more concerned about whether she doesn’t look like this or she does, well, they’re gonna have to struggle and deal with that; that’s between them and God. But so often, you see the perfect picture on Instagram.
Please take a look at how long it took them to take that picture and how many photos were taken that were deleted. Take a look at everything that’s on the outskirts of those pictures – what they’ve moved aside to get the perfect shot. Please take a look at the filter they’re using to make the background, or whatever, look perfect. It’s an illusion on this side of heaven that things are going to be perfect. And the sooner we come to terms with the fact that, look, we are who we are. God created me with this nose and these eyes, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And so I will use what I have to God’s glory. He’s perfect. He sees us through the lens of Jesus. So he sees us as perfect children. I don’t know about you. I think that any mother means that when we look at our children, we think they’re perfect, even though they’re not. There are things that distinguish them from other people, but we love them. And that’s how God wants us to go throughout our day. Quit trying to be perfect. Just use what I gave you. Enjoy being my child, who is dearly loved, and forget about all the rest.
Rachael Adams (27:58.596)
Yeah. I was thinking, you know, Jesus was perfect, and not everybody still liked him. You know, it’s true. He was still rejected, betrayed, and crucified, yet he was perfect. And still, somehow, people thought that he wasn’t enough. This is now. So, I believe that we have to, I don’t know. Where does that leave us? Really? Sorry. I’m like my brain, I’ll have to edit that part out, but yeah, we’ll let that part out. Okay. So, for someone who is listening today and feeling overwhelmed, what’s one small step that she can take to start walking in confidence and freedom?
Amber Albee Swenson (28:40.908)
Really, if there’s a chance to participate in a Bible study with good, solid Christian people, I think that would help us understand who God is and how vast He is, as well as comprehend His nature. And that happens as we read through the Bible. We get to know God as we are in His Word. And so I would say, first things first, if you can spend any amount of time in the Bible, especially if you really want to go all in, do the gospels and spend some time with Jesus. And what did Jesus care about, and what did he absolutely not care about? Second, I would suggest trying to elevate your prayer life and start asking God questions. You know, God, will you show me how you feel about me? Show me in your word. Show me through the people around me. God, put people in my life who can speak into me. One of the best prayers I ever prayed was for good, solid Christian friends who could be truth-sellers, who could hold me accountable, and continue to bless me over and over, because they walk alongside me and see the things I can’t see. They correct me when my thinking is wrong. They get me back on the right track. They help me when I say, Hey, I think I should do this. They will either say that it is a great idea or that Amber has lost your mind. Go back, and please refrain from doing that. And so I think, you know, and I feel for the women who don’t have those good Christian friends around them right now and are saying, That’s what I don’t have. Pray, pray for it. I certainly prayed for years for that, and God has, one by one, put some incredible women in my life. However, if you want to find friends, go where they are, and they will likely be in the world. So, go to the Bible studies and attend the churches. You know, if you’ve been in a small, tiny little church and you can’t find your people. Maybe you need to drive 20 minutes away. Perhaps there’s a different community, or maybe even if you reach out, you’ll find an online community. Thankfully, we have the resources we do. So I would definitely start there.
Additionally, while I was raising my children, I listened to Christian radio nonstop and had Christian radio friends. The people who hosted the radio programs were like my best friends; they didn’t know me, they didn’t know what I was going through, but every day I tuned in to listen to them. So if you’re listening right now, go back to those podcasts, find the sermons, find the people who will speak truth into you and get you out of your negative self-talk and the depression and the anxiety, and they’ll come alongside you and say, On, we’re a child of God. We don’t need to feel this way.
Rachael Adams (31:31.031)
Yeah, I think that’s really good advice. So, you’ve discussed love extensively already today, but is there a biblical concept of love that you think applies to this topic?
Amber Albee Swenson (31:39.852)
I don’t think we realize how much God loves us. You know, in Romans we’re told that there’s no height nor depth, nothing in the world. There’s no angel, there’s no demon, there’s nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. One of the things I’m doing right now is memorizing the book of Philippians. And Paul said that his prayer is that God’s people would know that with knowledge and depth of insight, the love of God. That was his prayer, that we would see the love of God. And I think most of us have no concept of just how deep God’s love is for us. And we think all the time, I’ve messed this up, I’ve messed that up, I’m not good enough, that’s not how God feels.
Rachael Adams (32:29.839)
Yes, when I wrote my book, Everyday Prayers for Love, I found that there are over 686 instances in scripture where God’s love is mentioned. So it is there. Start reading from Genesis to Revelation. It is God’s love letter to you. So, if anyone is doubting God’s love today, go straight to the source, and I think you’ll find it. Amber, is there something you’re loving right now?
Amber Albee Swenson (32:54.558)
I am loving this season of my life, believe it or not. My oldest daughter got married in January, and watching my kids grow into who God created them to be, not without some missteps, of course, but I am really loving seeing them own their faith. And some of the things that are happening as they, you know, find a house and all that stuff. It’s a sweet season when you all plant seeds, and you have to wait a long time as a mom to see the crop. And I’m just really enjoying watching my children grow.
Rachael Adams (33:32.655)
Me too, but that’s so encouraging because you’re like a step ahead of me, to see that,t and so thank you for offering that experience, so I know I want to stay connected with yo,u I’m sure listeners are going to want t,o so tell us how we can best do that.
Amber Albee Swenson (33:48.746)
AmberLBSwenson.org, I have both of them, or Time of Grace Media, either one of them is a great ways to stay in touch.
Rachael Adams (33:58.281)
Wonderful. Would you do the honor of praying for us as we close?
Amber Albee Swenson (34:02.024)
I would love to. Lord God, we thank you for your love, which you have used to call us into your fold, and we just thank you for that. You love us with an everlasting love that is so far beyond what we can comprehend. We just ask that everyone who listens to this would know how you feel about them Lord and that they wouldn’t get stuck in the cycles of feeling inadequate or feeling like they’re not enough or feeling overlooked or like you did not give them any special talent or gift to use in your kingdom because that’s that’s just a lie from Satan. And pray, Lord, that you would equip your people and give them the strength to step out in faith to do all the things that you would have them do, so that more and more people come to know you, love you, and cherish you for your glory in your praise in Jesus’ name, amen.
Rachael Adams (34:57.353)
Amen. Thank you so much, Amber. I appreciate your time today.
Amber Albee Swenson (35:01.24)
So happy to be here, thank you.
Rachael Adams (35:03.843)
Thank you for listening to the Love Offering Podcast. I hope today’s conversation with Amber encouraged and inspired you to love God, love others, and even love yourself a little more. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review. helps others to find the show and spreads the message of love even further. To connect with me, visit rachelkadams.com. While you’re there, be sure to download the Love Offering Calendar, a free resource filled with simple daily ways to love those around you.
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of my book, Everyday Prayers for Love, and Amber’s book, The Key to Confidence. They’re available now wherever books are sold, and we hope they’re meaningful resources for your faith journey. A special thank you to Life Audio for supporting this podcast and making it possible. To find more great podcasts, visit lifeaudio.com. Thanks again for joining us today. Until next time, let’s make our lives an offering of love.
Connect with Amber:
https://www.amberalbeeswenson.org/
