I am so excited to have you meet my family (minus a couple of members) today! My parents, Dan and Patti Buzzell, and brother, Chris, live in Colorado. My sister, Andrea, lives in North Carolina.

For more information on Andrea's non-profit organization called the Bull City Woodshop, you can check them out here: https://www.thebullcitywoodshop.com

They are on all the socials too, so make sure to check out her awesome organization.

Be sure to check out the companion blogpost over on my website as well. It features a few fun pictures of some of the things that we spoke about on the podcast. You'll enjoy those! https://www.thestoriedinbetween.com/post/holiday-traditions

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I will be back sometime in January with some new content.

A few weeks back, I asked some of my friends and family a specific question:

How are you intentional in your relationship with others and with God?

Today, I get to share a few of the responses I received about how to be intentional in relationship with others and in relationship with God. These words are hope filled, encouraging and challenging. I can't wait to share with you these words of invitation on how to be intentional in relationship with others and with God.

You will get to meet:

Christine Wells, Grant Wells, Patti Buzzell, Kat Whelpley, and Venissa York.

For the companion blogpost, please visit my website at www.thestoriedinbetween.com

Today, I get to chat with two of my good friends from my University days, Joi Simpson and Jessica Perry. We were all involved in the music department together and lived in the same dorms for the 4 years we went to school together. Today, they are close friends, ministry partners, and the hosts of "We Digress with Joi and Jess" Podcast. Check them out anywhere! It was wonderful to get to chat with them about intentional friendship and I loved this conversation!

This is a TWO-PART conversation. For the second part of the conversation, be sure to check out Joi and Jessica's podcast: We Digress with Joi and Jess. Here is a link to their podcast, but you can be sure to find it anywhere you listen to podcasts.

https://anchor.fm/we-digressjj

Here is Joi's bio:

On any given day, you’ll find Joi Simpson leading worship, teaching theater and performance, writing and directing plays, speaking before crowds of people, or even singing at Carnegie Hall. And though she can seamlessly move from accomplishment to accomplishment, you might be surprised to learn that this talented woman struggled with self-acceptance for many years. In her own words, Joi is a native of Los Angeles, CA, where she attended Hamilton High Academy of Music. Joi received her bachelor’s degree in Music & Worship Arts from Hope International University. She puts the “multi” in “multi-hyphenate” as an accomplished actor, singer, playwright, director, producer, teacher, preacher, and motivational speaker. She also is a cohost of the podcast We Digress with her longtime friend and Ministry partner Jess Perry. Together they bring theological perspective but with fun and truth. Joi is also the author of Beautiflawed the new definition of beauty that was released in December 2021, where she shares her journey towards self-acceptance that has been one filled with ups and downs, harsh realities and greater grace, all of which are reflected in her first book: Joi shares her very personal story of family, relationships, brokenness, and rejection, she’ll uncover the truths that allowed her (and all of us) to understand who we were created to be. In “Beautiflawed,” we’ll discover how the things we see as flaws are the very things that make us truly beautiful.

You can find out more about Joi at: https://joisimpson.com

Here is more about Jessica:

What do you get when you combine practical theology, training in stage and improvisation, and a passion for not only the Church, but the people in it? Jess Perry is truly a Jill-Of-All-Trades whose eclectic background spans event production, music, technology, theater, and art. As host of the podcast “We Digress with Joi and Jess” with her longtime friend and ministry partner, Joi Simpson, Jess applies theology, wisdom, and humor to the shenanigans and challenges of everyday life. A vibrant speaker and preacher, she brings her love of people and passion for back-to-basics theology to groups large and small. While she has a deep love for coffee, cooking, and creativity, her greatest joy (other than Jesus) is being the world’s biggest fan of her husband, John. Jess and John live with their super cute rescue pup, Lucky, in Savannah, GA.

You can find out more about Jessica at: https://jessperrymedia.com

Check out their podcast, We Digress with Joi and Jess, anywhere podcasts can be found.

For the companion blogpost and more information on my podcast, please go to: www.thestoriedinbetween.com