Books: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry | Live No Lies | Hope in the Dark | It's Not Supposed to Be This Way | The Power of Habit | Grit | Think Again | Range | Know Yourself Know Your Money
Podcasts: The Messy Table Podcast | Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast | The BibleProject Podcast | That Sounds Fun
Podcast episodes: J.T. Thomas on the Spiritual Realities Behind Racism, Trauma & True Peacemaking | Let's Disagree
Worship songs: This is the Kingdom | High Praise | Jireh
Continuing the "God Behind the Scenes" series today is my friend, Ginny Detweiler. She is a wife, a mom, a licensed mental health counselor, and a host of Pause Renew Next podcast, with whom I had a chance to connect via Instagram last year. While it seems like a coincidence, I can attest that Ginny is not your usual podcaster in the faith space. She celebrates the ordinary, delights in life conversations, and applies her background in counseling to help people.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Ginny.
Resources: Carry | Being Known Podcast | Neuro Faith Podcast | Let's Talk Podcast | Becoming a Face of Grace | The Fifteen Minutes on Pause Renew Next!
Connect with Ginny | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
We’re kicking off a new series today called “God Behind the Scenes,” which explores various unfiltered, non-highlight reels, and even messy stories of ordinary people paired with extraordinary and perfect God.
Isaiah 45:15 in the Message translation states, “Clearly, You are a God who works behind the scenes, God of Israel, Savior God.” Whether it’s through the book of Isaiah or the book of Esther where God’s name is not even explicitly mentioned but He is all over the stories in the book: ordaining, fine-tuning, and showing up to meet the needs of His people.
Get ready, because Daniel and Meylia Kurnianto are sharing their stories today. They are the founders of BOSTempeh, a tempeh manufacturing company, and dear friends of mine with whom I have the joy of sharing the same home church, Boston City Blessing Church. By God’s grace, BOSTempeh has reached many people throughout the United States and their work has been featured in Bon Appetit magazine, VOA Indonesia, and others. As we know, this success doesn’t come without any pain, sacrifice, and even failure.
So, let’s pause and remind ourselves again that no matter what circumstances we are going through, no matter what behind-the-scenes moment we are facing right now, God is still at work. He will not leave you or forsake you. He is faithful to fulfill His promise.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Daniel and Meylia.
Resources: Audiobooks by John Maxwell
Connect with BOSTempeh | BOSTempeh website | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
PSA: You don't want to miss the closing message at the end of this episode. Please give it a listen.
Have you ever wrestled with "the way" God loves you? Like, the times when you go through a painful season in order to affirm you that He is all you need in all circumstances? Or the times when you have to fight a hard battle in order to affirm that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you? Even in the Bible, there’s a story of Jesus intentionally delaying Lazarus’ healing just so that he could resurrect Him from death (see John 11).
WOW. I wonder, how many times I desperately want a specific outcome only to find out that there is a BETTER way in the end? It's God’s way, the way that is better, beyond my wildest imagination and anything I can dream of.
So yes, you can have HOPE... even in the meantime.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Claudia.
Resources: Make Room by Community Music | Listen to Un.mute with Claudia
Connect with Claudia | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
It's the 11th episode of The Fifteen Minutes Podcast! Wow. Thank YOU for your support. I thank God for each and every one of you. I pray that, through this podcast, you will embrace the goodness of God through ordinary moments and imperfect stories even more.
My guest for today is a fellow podcast host, a fresh UC Berkeley graduate who loves Jesus and has a big heart to help people around her: Claudia Helena. Y’all, I’ve only known her for a few months during her short stay in Boston, but I can tell that she is uniquely gifted in the area of encouraging people and giving a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. She might be young but her story today will challenge you to draw near to God even in the midst of uncertainty and waiting period.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Claudia.
Listen to Un.mute with Claudia.
Connect with Claudia | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
I’m so excited to continue my conversation with Arditha today. Today, she will be sharing some practical suggestions and tips when going through a season of depression as well as when walking alongside someone who is going through a season of depression.
We can use an extra pair of ears, an extra prayer, and an extra dose of hope to go through the crazy time of the world right now. So, let’s be a good neighbor for someone today. Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Arditha.
Resources: Find Therapists Near You | National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | Prince of Peace | Broken Vessels | Cecie's Lullaby | Psalm 23 Episode
Connect with Arditha | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
From the prolonged global pandemic, the unstable geopolitical affairs, to the day-to-day hassles that we get to live as human beings on this planet earth, it becomes even more important to remind ourselves again - that yes, life can be brutal, circumstances can be really dark and frightening, BUT God is still at work.
Hope is still alive. Truth still prevails. Light still shines.
Choose to believe it, choose to notice it, choose to share it with others, one small act at a time.
My guest for today is not foreign to a hard season. Arditha Auriyane is an architect, wife, and my friend who knows firsthand how it’s like to experience a bleak season of depression. Lean in, pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Arditha.
Connect with Arditha | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Can we have hope even in the waiting? Waiting may seem so passive, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can ask God to prepare our hearts for what's to come. We can rest assured that He who was faithful in the past, will be faithful again.
There is hope in the meantime. Hold His hands, trust His promises, and be brave to take your next step.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in the second part of my conversation with Sofia.
Resources: On and On | Do it Again
Connect with Sofia | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Check out Sofia’s music on Spotify
I’m excited to kick off a new series today called “Meeting God in the Exile,” which explores various stories that showcase God's faithfulness during the season of exile, which includes waiting and transition periods, the mess, and trenches of life. Joining me today is my friend, Sofia Widya Kezia.
Sofia is a singer, songwriter, and worshipper who has experienced the dreaded season of applying for the artist visa in the United States, working full time teaching a private piano lesson until recently decided to move back to her home country, Indonesia, for good. Through multiple transition periods, she persisted in her faith. She believed that God’s plan was the best, His timing was perfect, and His way was available. So, all she needed to do was trust Him. Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Sofia.
Connect with Sofia | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Check out Sofia’s music on Spotify
In today’s episode, we are going deeper into the story of God’s faithfulness during Devina’s PhD program and what it means to have genuine trust in God. An active trust. The trust that propels you to take your next step knowing that He will guide you and provide rest for you. To borrow Devina’s word, seeking God first and trusting Him is a form of self-care because your soul will find rest and your burden is lighter.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Devina.
Resources: Elevation with Steven Furtick Podcast | Every Good Endeavor Book
Connect with Devina | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
I’m so pumped to introduce my guest for today. Devina Thiono is a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Microbiology and Immunology department. She is my dear friend, one of the most hardworking and intelligent people I know, a lover of ice cream with a sweet laugh, but don’t be despised by her appearance because she has a strong conviction. Even in the midst of a grueling PhD program, she remains steadfast in her faith. She experienced what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added afterward.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Devina.
Connect with Devina | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Yes, I am taking the solo ride today as I cannot wait to share my thoughts and meditation on the timeless truth written in Psalm 23.
This episode is actually a re-release from The Fifteen Minutes podcast when it was still in the pilot period, but I can assure you that the points mentioned in this episode are worth tuning in more than once. No, not because I am an expert on this topic or someone with all the answers, but because the words in this passage are alive and true. God is our Good Shepherd and He is with us, guiding us through every season of life.
Resources: What Does Psalm 23 Really Mean? | Where Is God When Life Is Hard? | Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy)
In today’s conversation, Sherilyn and I are talking about practical ways we can embrace the grace of God in our day-to-day life. Because how many times do we get distracted and crippled with anxiety or fear of the unknown? I am not exempt from this, which is why I truly cherish intentional practices like reading the Word of God, prayer, and worship. These practices shape how we see God, how we see ourselves, how we relate to the world, and of course, how we relate to God Himself.
So whether you are working on your project at work, getting ready in the morning, or running on a treadmill, you are welcomed and loved in this space. Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Sherilyn.
Resources: Grace to Grace | No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus | The Bible Recap Podcast (Read the Bible in a Year!)
Connect with Sherilyn | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Continuing the "Upside Down Kingdom" series, today's episode is all about GRACE. Yes, the undeserved gift from God that is extended to everyone, to you and I. The powerful gift, which radically transforms lives. The very reason Jesus suffered and died on the cross; so that you and I can have hope for our tomorrows and extend the same grace to others.
Joining me today is my friend, Sherilyn Gautama. Sherilyn is a worship leader, singer, and recent college graduate who loves Jesus and is willing to share a piece of her story when she experienced the true and radical grace of God. Knowing her strong character and personality, I truly appreciate Sherilyn’s courage and vulnerability in this episode. She might be young in age, but she has some wisdom that will remind you that God's grace is available both in desperate circumstances and ordinary segments of life. It's a rhythm that keeps our lives going. The RHYTHM OF GRACE.
Whether your 2022 is off to a good start, whether you need a reminder of this good news once again, today’s episode is for YOU. Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee, and join me in my chat with Sherilyn.
Connect with Sherilyn | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
In today’s episode, Cerise is going deeper into the trenches of servant leadership: conflict, tension, and how her relationship with God looked like during this hard time.
Leaders are not exempt from challenges, and whatever capacity you are leading at the moment: a student, a stay-at-home mom, a business owner, or a corporate executive, I hope this story brings a dose of perspective that God is calling you to be a leader, filling in a role that only you can uniquely do with a purpose: serving others and making His name known.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee and join me in the second part of my conversation about servant leadership with Cerise.
Resources: Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast | Tribl I Maverick City
Connect with Cerise | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
What better way to kick off the new year than to explore various themes and teachings of Jesus that are countercultural, likely unpopular, but timeless, alive, and true. Introducing the "Upside Down Kingdom" series at The Fifteen Minutes podcast.
I couldn't be more excited to start this series today with a conversation about servant leadership with my dear friend, Cerise Marcela.
Cerise is a Senior Vice President at CBRE, one of the largest global real estate firms. She is a worship leader and small group leader at New England City Blessing Church, where we've been serving together for several years. She has been serving in various leadership capacities, and I can attest that she exercises an upside-down-Kingdom leadership, where the greatest should be the servant of all, and serving means picking up the cross for others, even those who are hard to work with, or even when the work is behind the scenes unrecognized.
Pop in those earbuds, reheat your coffee and join me in the first part of my conversation about servant leadership with Cerise.
Connect with Cerise | Em | The Fifteen Minutes
Welcome to The Fifteen Minutes Podcast, a space where you can pause, rest, and be reminded of what is important in only 15 minutes. Ordinary conversations, imperfect stories with extraordinary and perfect God.