Debut Show
with Liz Curtis Higgs & BJ Garrett
Bestselling author and international speaker Liz Curtis Higgs unpacks Romans 8:28 for us in this debut show, and then shares the best thing that ever happened to her, (believe it or not – spoiler alert!) her cancer adventure!
During the second half, meet Redemption Press author, BJ Garrett, whose story of being “Unwanted No More: From Exploited to Embraced by God” is rocking the worlds of broken and hurting women with the goodness of God.
Meet the Guests
BJ Garrett is a fun and energetic speaker and author. Full of joy and passionate about helping others, BJ has served on numerous non-profit boards and administrative teams and has served in full-time ministry since 2004. Student ministry, women’s ministry, missions, and abortion recovery are closest to her heart. BJ has been involved with Christ-centered Abortion Recovery & Education (CARE) since the spring of 2012 and has served as the Executive Director since June 2016, initially becoming involved with this ministry as a client in need of post abortion healing. BJ is a graduate of the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville Texas, loves to teach Bible studies, and welcomes any opportunity to share her personal testimony of redemption from a childhood full of abuse, teen pregnancy, working as an exotic dancer and overcoming the wounds caused by her two abortions.
Books by our Authors
SHOW NOTES
Summary
In this episode I get to speak with Liz Curtis Higgs, an author of 37 books with 4.6 million copies in print and during the second half of the show (30:40) with BJ Garrett, author of “Unwanted No More: From Exploited to Embraced by God.”
Main Points of Podcast
- Liz Curtis Higgs and What Romans 8:28 means (3:04)
- J Garrett and what Romans 8:28 means (32:56)
Tips & Tools
From Liz Curtis Higgs
6 Reasons to Be Thankful (24:10)
- Greater sense of His faithfulness (24:32)
- Richer understanding of His peace (25:07)
- Constant assurance of His goodness (25:40)
- Deeper dependence on His presence (26:29)
- Be a clear vision of His hope (27:24)
- God has got this (28:03)
From BJ Garrett
Tips for Zeroing in on how God is really working all things together for good (52:28)
- Don’t give up (53:08)
- Just trust Him (53:45)
Q&A with BJ Garrett
Q: What do you want readers to gain from Unwanted No More? (36:07)
A: I think the main focus, it’s kind of my life motto, is that no matter what has been done to you, no matter what you have done to yourself, there is hope in healing in Jesus Christ.
Q: Which character in the Bible do you relate to most and tell us why. (37:24)
A: Sure. My most favorite character in the Bible is the woman at the well. And that is simply because, you know, that’s my story. When she met Jesus at the, well, she was so broken. She was living a very sinful life, yet he pursued her. He knew where she was going to be when she would be ready to finally except his truth. And he met her right there at the well at the hottest part of the day. And she gave her life to him and then he immediately runs to the town and tells the whole town about this man Jesus, who had just saved her.
Q: Tell us how the cover of your book reflects what is inside (38:58)
A: Most of my life really represents the larger portion of that, that broken dry earth so dry that even if it were to rain, the rain would just wash off. It was too dry to even absorb anything good. And that was so my life, especially my childhood and early preteen and teenage years and really even young adulthood for that matter and just completely broken dry, dirty thorns full of just ugly, ugly brokenness. And then you see the beautiful, bright, sunny picture, a beautiful woman kind of frolicking through these beautiful pink flowers and it’s just lush and full in and redeemed and beautiful. And for me that is where the Lord came in. I feel like the cover of the book really just describes the story that’s inside. And I love it. I love the contrast between where Jesus rescued me and how it’s visualized on the book cover from the ugly destruction of what the world had for me.
Q: So how did writing unwanted no more affect you emotionally and spiritually? (40:53)
A: It was, it was so hard. Maybe it was like, I mean, it was an emotional roller coaster and I would go through these like silly moments, like, oh my goodness, I’m totally writing this book. And then literally within moments I am like hysterically crying and I can’t do that…
Q: So, what are you working on next? (47:02)
A: So I am actually working on a chapter for She Writes for Him, I work with abortion recovery and abortion is a part of my story and it’s a huge passion of mine to help women who have experienced abortion to help them to receive that forgiveness and the process through the pain caused by their abortion.
Q: So, who would you say was your greatest mentor? (48:06)
A: By far the most influential mentor type relationship God gave me was a sweet woman. Her name is Marilyn Benton and she just inserted herself into my life when I was a brand-new baby believer and did life with me.
Memorable Quotes
“Boy it’s just fun when you embrace your adventure, whatever it is and know that it is from the Lord” Liz Curtis (20:12)
“Not that God caused ugly things because that’s not God, but he was able to orchestrate the ugly things of fallen sinful men to bring such beautiful redemption.” BJ Garrett (35:21)
Guest Bio
Liz Curtis Higgs is the author of 37 books, with 4.6 million copies in print. Her latest release, 31 Proverbs to Light Your Path, shows how thirty-one nuggets of truth reveal God’s faithfulness: “I will instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths” (Proverbs 4:11). In another recent devotional, 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart, Liz explores 31 favorite verses chosen by more than a thousand women.
BJ Garrett is a fun and energetic speaker and author. Full of joy and passionate about helping others, BJ has served on numerous non-profit board of directors and administrative teams and has served in full-time ministry since 2004. Student ministry, women’s ministry, missions, and abortion recovery are closest to her heart. BJ has been involved with Christ-centered Abortion Recovery & Education (CARE) since the spring of 2012 and has served as the Executive Director since June 2016, initially becoming involved with this ministry as a client in need of post abortion healing.
Links
“31 Verses to Write on Your Heart” by Liz Curtis Higgs (21:41)
“31 Proverbs to Light Your Path” by Liz Curtis Higgs (23:14)
“Unwanted No More” by BJ Garrett
“She Writes for Him“ (47:09)
Guest Websites
Liz Curtis Higgs
BJ Garrett
And remember – write Romans 8:28 on your heart!
I’ve been around Christian publishing since 1987 when I helped our ministry self-publish an important resource for Vietnam veterans and their families. That book went on to be picked up by a royalty publisher and has since sold over 250,000 copies with a million in print.
