Join us at The Bright Side for your daily dose of positive news and inspiration: https://livethebrightside.com/

Do you have a junk drawer?

You know the one—filled with old receipts, random keys, ketchup packets, and things you just can't bring yourself to throw away.

Many of us have an emotional version of that drawer.

In this episode of the Live Faith First Podcast, Elliot Sands sits down with author Laurie Davies to discuss her book, Emotional Hoarding, and why so many of us hold on to shame, regret, fear, anger, bitterness, secrets, and worry long after they stop serving us.

Laurie explains that emotional healing isn't about pretending difficult emotions don't exist—it's about understanding why we've held onto them and allowing God's grace to transform them rather than letting them control us.

Together they discuss:

• What emotional hoarding is—and how to recognize it

• Why shame thrives in isolation

• The surprising connection between regret and God's grace

• How anger often hides deeper wounds

• Why secrets carry such a heavy emotional cost

• Building a healthier emotional foundation through truth and community

• The role of counseling, trusted friends, and God's grace in emotional healing

If you've ever felt weighed down by emotional baggage, this conversation offers practical wisdom and biblical hope for living lighter and freer.

Laurie Davies s an author, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcast host passionate about helping people discover the freedom found in God's grace. Based in the Phoenix, Arizona area, Laurie has spent decades teaching Scripture and encouraging Christians to move beyond fear, shame, and emotional burdens into deeper intimacy with Christ.

Her newest book,Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff That Keeps You Stuck, explores how unresolved emotions—including worry, anger, regret, guilt, shame, bitterness, and secrets—can quietly accumulate over time, preventing us from loving God and others as we were created to do.

Through biblical teaching, practical insights, and personal stories, Laurie equips readers to identify emotional clutter, uncover its roots, and experience lasting freedom through God's grace.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Laurie Davies

Website: https://lauriedavies.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurieDaviesAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriedaviesauthor/

Connect with Live Faith First

Website: livethebrightside.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

Episode 2 of The Bright Side podcast.

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Join us at The Bright Side for your daily dose of positive news and inspiration: https://livethebrightside.com/

Is play a luxury… or is it part of God's design for humanity?

For many of us, hobbies feel like a guilty pleasure—something we squeeze in only after the work is done. But what if recreation, creativity, and delight aren't distractions from the Christian life? What if they're part of it?

In this episode of the Live Faith First Podcast, Elliot Sands sits down with Brianna Lambert, author of Created to Play, to explore a biblical theology of play and why enjoying God's creation can actually deepen our spiritual formation.

Together they discuss:

• Why God created a world of abundance—not merely utility

• How hobbies shape our character and spiritual growth

• The surprising connection between play, humility, and worship

• Why creativity reflects the heart of our Creator

• How gardening, cooking, puzzles, scuba diving, woodworking, and other hobbies can become acts of worship

• The hidden temptations every hobby carries—and how to enjoy God's gifts wisely

If you've ever felt guilty for taking time to enjoy life, this conversation offers a refreshing reminder that God delights in our delight.

Brianna Lambert is an author, speaker, and freelance writer who helps Christians rediscover the goodness of God's creation in everyday life. A longtime homeschool mom and storyteller, Brianna has spent more than a decade writing about faith, family, beauty, and spiritual formation.

Her first book, Created to Play: How Taking Hobbies Seriously Grows Us Spiritually, invites readers to rethink hobbies and recreation through a biblical lens. Rather than viewing play as wasted time, Brianna argues that creativity, delight, and enjoyment are gifts from God that cultivate humility, gratitude, worship, and joy. Living in Indiana with her husband and three children, Brianna enjoys reading, gardening, raising ducks, exploring the outdoors, and discovering new ways God's creation points us back to its Creator.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Brianna Lambert

Website: https://briannalambert.com/

Book: https://briannalambert.com/books/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannalambert.author/

Connect with Live Faith First

Website: livethebrightside.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst