Sarah Starnes once had her whole life mapped out: get certified as a missionary pilot, fly deep into the jungle to support frontline missionaries, and never marry or have children. Then God had other plans.

In this episode, Maggie brings her younger sister, Sarah, on the podcast for a warm, funny, and deeply honest conversation, opening with shared childhood memories from Frontier Camp (including the summer a 12-year-old Sarah somehow became her big sister's "junior counselor") before turning to the real topic: what it means to find identity in Christ rather than in the roles we play.

You'll hear, in Sarah's words, the pivotal moment when a passage in Philippians reshaped everything she thought she knew about identity.

Sarah closes with a challenge for anyone who feels like their role, whether it's mother, career, or dream, has become their whole identity: lay it down, and walk in obedience one moment at a time.

To make sure you never miss a conversation, subscribe to Camp Fire Faith with Maggie & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. And if this episode encouraged you, consider leaving a rating and review, as it helps others looking for a place to belong find their way to the fire.

Thank you for joining in today. Whatever season you find yourself in, remember where our true hope is found, Christ in us, the hope of glory. Until next time, keep looking to Him.

Before you go, make sure to join us at the campfire on Instagram and Facebook to continue the conversation, and if you have a comment, feedback or idea for a future episode, our email address campfirefaithpod@gmail.com – we'd love to hear from you.

Highlights From This Episode:

• The summer a 12-year-old Sarah became her big sister's "junior counselor" at Frontier Camp [1:42]

• A look back to Sarah's rebellious, restless pre-teen years and the concerns Maggie had at that time that turned out to be unfounded [10:54]

• The way that an early missions trip with Teen Missions International planted a lasting seed of faith inside of Sarah [12:10]

• The pivotal prayer she made at 14, asking God to not to let her be "normal" [14:14]

• Some of the big dreams Sarah was chasing, including becoming a missionary jungle pilot and what she says happened when she met her husband [19:25]

• The pivotal Bible verse that completely reshaped her understanding of identity as "the mind of Christ" [24:16]

• Sarah looks back fondly on finding unexpected peace in the exhausting, ordinary seasons of motherhood [26:36]

• Sarah's closing challenge for listeners of the podcast [29:37]
  
  

LINKS:

Teen Missions International

JAARS

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)

Frontier Camp (Grapeland, Texas)01: Finding Your Identity in Christ: Why I Started This Podcast

Verses Mentioned:

Philippians 2:5-8

Some testimonies start in a Sunday school classroom. For Maggie's own mother, Dianne, hers starts beside a casket, which you'll hear all about today in this very special guest episode.

In this deeply personal conversation, Maggie invites her mom to the table to finally tell, in full, the story Maggie first heard as a little girl and never forgot: the story of how her mother came to know the Lord.

Dianne opens up about the deeply personal events that changed everything for her: a plane crash that took the life of someone she loved, a funeral, and a key moment kneeling at a casket in the depths of grief. What Dianne heard that day, and what happened in her bedroom that very same night, is the kind of story you don't forget.

The conversation doesn't stop there. Dianne also opens up about a fear she carried into her marriage, and the Bible verse that finally set her free of it for good, along with so much more.

To make sure you never miss a conversation, subscribe to Camp Fire Faith with Maggie & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. And if this episode encouraged you, consider leaving a rating and review, as it helps others looking for a place to belong find their way to the fire.

Thank you for joining in today. Whatever season you find yourself in, remember where our true hope is found, Christ in us, the hope of glory. Until next time, keep looking to Him.

Before you go, make sure to join us at the campfire on Instagram and Facebook to continue the conversation, and if you have a comment, feedback or idea for a future episode, our email address campfirefaithpod@gmail.com – we'd love to hear from you.

Highlights From This Episode:

• Maggie introduces her mom, Dianne, and why she wanted to share her testimony with you today [1:45]

• Dianne's childhood in a religious home in New Orleans and the impact her grandmother's faith had on her as a child [3:02]

• The story of meeting Alan, and how their relationship blossomed into something very real [4:39]

• The middle-of-the-night phone call bringing news of the pivotal event that changed Dianne's life forever [8:31]

• A single conversation at a funeral that set Dianne on a path to not just knowing about Jesus, but truly knowing him [11:16]

• How she was comforted by Jesus's presence in her bedroom that fateful night and the realization that came over her from him being with her at that time [17:45]

• Fears the enemy brought her around the safety of her husband Tom one weekend years ago, and how Jesus brought her peace through that experience [24:32]

• The specific Bible verse that has given her ongoing peace and Dianne's closing advice she would give to someone who is trying to follow the Lord in their life [29:32]
  
  

LINKS:

The Four Spiritual Laws (Cru)

Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ)

Verses Mentioned:

John 11:35

Psalm 46:10

What do you do when God seems to be nudging you toward something that scares you? In this episode of Campfire Faith with Maggie & Friends, your host Maggie shares one of the biggest leaps of faith in her own life: the decision, in her mid-40s, to go back to school and become a nurse.

It's a story with real fear in it, including some awkward situations for Maggie that she had to overcome, a few tears in the parking lot after an overwhelming first day of class, and even fainting during her very first hospital clinical. Maggie walks through the practical steps she leaned on to discern God's will and the scripture that carried her through, all while reminding listeners that God's strength shows up most clearly in our weakness, not our confidence.

To make sure you never miss a conversation, subscribe to Camp Fire Faith with Maggie & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. And if this episode encouraged you, consider leaving a rating and review, as it helps others looking for a place to belong find their way to the fire.

Thank you for joining in today. Whatever season you find yourself in, remember where our true hope is found, Christ in us, the hope of glory. Until next time, keep looking to Him.

Before you go, make sure to join us at the campfire on Instagram and Facebook to continue the conversation, and if you have a comment, feedback or idea for a future episode, our email address campfirefaithpod@gmail.com – we'd love to hear from you.

Highlights From This Episode:

• The one key question to ask that frames the whole episode [0:03]

• The vulnerable conversation Maggie had with her husband, Matt, on a walk that started it all [2:39]

• Something profound a missionary shared at a campfire years before this decision, and why it stuck with her so much [5:31]

• The Bible verse that became Maggie's anchor for stepping into something she felt completely unqualified for [9:11]

• An embarrassing mix-up at the community college library on Maggie's very first day of class and the way she reframed this situation [10:46]

• The surprising way her teenage son encouraged her and helped Maggie get through a tough first day of going back to school after many years [15:29]

• Fainting during her very first hospital clinical, and how God used that humbling moment anyway [21:45]
  
  

LINKS:

Take Heart (Psalm 27) - Live

Verses Mentioned:

2 Corinthians 12:9

Psalm 27, 55:22, 96, 118:13 & 142:8

Some invitations aren't planned out in a studio, they're born mid-air, somewhere over Texas on a long flight home. In this first full episode of Camp Fire Faith with Maggie & Friends, host Maggie Raines shares the surprisingly simple moment that turned years of listening to other people's podcasts into the courage to start her own.

Equal parts personal and hopeful, this solo episode weaves together Maggie's family of 7 siblings, her years living on a Christian youth camp in East Texas, her second career as a nurse, and a heart to make sure nobody listening ever feels like they're on the outside looking in.

As you'll hear, Maggie already has a long list of future guests in mind: her sisters, her parents, friends navigating everything from law enforcement marriages to mission work overseas, and she'd love for this to grow into a family you're part of too.

To make sure you never miss a conversation, subscribe to Camp Fire Faith with Maggie & Friends on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. And if this episode encouraged you, consider leaving a rating and review, as it helps others looking for a place to belong find their way to the fire.

Thank you for joining in today. Whatever season you find yourself in, remember where our true hope is found, Christ in us, the hope of glory. Until next time, keep looking to Him.

Before you go, make sure to join us at the campfire on Instagram and Facebook to continue the conversation, and if you have a comment, feedback or idea for a future episode, our email address campfirefaithpod@gmail.com – we'd love to hear from you.

Highlights From This Episode:

• How a long plane ride turned into the spark for this podcast, and the moment all the episode ideas came pouring out of Maggie [2:07]

• What it's like growing up as one of 7 siblings, and Maggie's invitation for you to be part of her family too [2:32]

• The verse in Colossians that shapes everything about this show, and what it means for you as a listener [3:21]

• A first look at future topics, from homeschooling versus public school to raising a child with a chronic health condition [7:20]

• Why Maggie believes your identity was never meant to be found in your job, your marriage, or even motherhood [9:57]

• What happens when a family isn't perfect (spoiler alert: none of them are), and how God can redeem the hard seasons [12:31]
  
  

LINKS:

Unashamed with the Robertsons

Verses Mentioned:

Colossians 1:27

Pull up a seat, CampFire Faith with Maggie & Friends is coming soon! Get a sneak peek at comfortable conversations about faith, family, and real life with your host Maggie. New episodes will drop soon, so hit subscribe now and be the first to know when the first full episode goes live.

Before you go, make sure to join us at the campfire on Instagram and Facebook to continue the conversation, and if you have a comment, feedback or idea for a future episode, our email address campfirefaithpod@gmail.com – we'd love to hear from you.