Unlikely Housewives: Real Talk For Worn Out Christian Women

What if the fear you keep trying to hide is not proof that your faith is failing? In this week’s Unspoken conversation, we sit down with author, former cardiac nurse, and cancer survivor Jenna Schutt to talk about the things many Christian women feel pressure to keep quiet: anxiety, fear, mom guilt, exhaustion, disappointment, and the ache of trying to look “fine” when life feels anything but. After being diagnosed at 30 with a rare, incurable bone-marrow disease—while raising two boys in diapers—Jenna learned that knowing the right Bible verses is not always the same as knowing how to access faith when fear hits. Through chemotherapy, a stem-cell transplant, and long hospital stays, she discovered what she calls the Joy Reflex: training faith, peace, and joy to become a first response rather than a last resort. This is not a conversation about toxic positivity, ignoring painful circumstances, or pretending every hard moment is okay. It is an invitation to name what is really happening beneath the surface—and then choose truth over the fear trying to take the lead. You do not have to cover your fear with a smile, a spiritual cliché, or an “I’m fine.” You can acknowledge that life is hard. You can feel scared. You can admit you are overwhelmed. And you can still choose not to let fear lead you. As Jenna says, “Faith doesn’t deny the reality that you’re in, but it does determine how you’re going to walk in that reality.” Follow Jenna and learn more about the Joy Reflex: Website: https://www.jennaschutt.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyreflex/?hl=en Book/resources: Joy Reflex Training Guide jenna-schutt-7kfmcu.subscribepage.io Youversion Bible Plan: Anchor Before Panic: A 3 Day Peace Practice http://bible.us/r/JoZ ********************* 🎙️Are you wanting to share your message with thousands through podcasts? PodMatch is the place you need to be. Join here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/unlikelyhousewives 🧖‍♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 🎙️Want to be a guest on Unlikely Housewives? Send Tori Shirah a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unlikelyhousewives ⭐️Write an apple review and YOUR review could be read on our next episode! 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ [email protected]

“I’m fine” is often the quickest answer—and sometimes the heaviest one. Because behind “fine” can be the grief you cannot explain, the resentment you feel guilty admitting, the endless mental list you cannot turn off, the fear you are holding for your children, or the pressure to keep everyone else okay. In our first episode of our Unspoken season, we are talking about the things Christian women often feel pressure to hide: the overwhelm, the sadness, the anxiety, the loneliness, the questions, and the emotions that do not seem “faithful enough” to say out loud. But here is the truth: God already knows what you are carrying. You do not have to have the perfect words. You do not have to tell everyone everything. And you do not have to keep holding it all by yourself. This conversation is an invitation to pause, look inward, and ask: What am I carrying that no one knows about? From there, we can begin to name what is heavy, bring it honestly to Jesus, and take one small step from hiding to healing. In This Episode Why “I’m fine,” “I’m good,” and “I’m busy” can be such loaded responses. The invisible mental and emotional load so many women carry for their families. How grief can show up long after the loss—and in moments you do not expect. Why unspoken burdens can affect our bodies, reactions, relationships, and thoughts. The fear behind naming what is hard: What will people think of me? Will this land safely? Why you do not need to broadcast your pain to begin healing. How to bring your real thoughts, emotions, questions, and burdens to God. The value of safe, trusted community that can pray, listen, and gently say, “Are you sure you’re fine?” A simple prayer prompt for when you feel overwhelmed but do not yet know why. Share This Episode Know a woman who looks like she is holding it all together but may be carrying more than she says? Send her this episode and remind her: she does not have to be “fine” to be loved, seen, or held by God. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 ********************* 🎙️Are you wanting to share your message with thousands through podcasts? PodMatch is the place you need to be. Join here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/unlikelyhousewives 🧖‍♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 💙 Support the Unlikely Housewives! Represent with our UH Merch! bit.ly/unlikelymerch 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ [email protected]

What if “I’m fine” is not the truth? Maybe you are not lazy. Maybe you are not failing. Maybe you are not ungrateful for the life God has given you. Maybe you are simply carrying more than you were meant to carry alone. Here’s a snapshot of our new Unspoken season, where we are naming the things Christian women often feel pressure to hide: the emotional exhaustion beneath the full calendar, the quiet doubt behind the faithful smile, the fear of rejection, and the relentless pressure to be enough as a mom, wife, friend, and woman of faith. You can still show up for everyone, get the kids where they need to go, keep the house moving, serve at church, answer the texts, and look “fine” from the outside—while feeling emotionally and mentally depleted inside. And sometimes, instead of acknowledging what hurts, we get busier. We take on more. We keep moving because slowing down might mean admitting that something feels too heavy. This conversation is not about shame, fixing yourself, or telling the whole world your deepest struggles. It is an invitation to pause, tell the truth about what has gone unspoken, and bring it honestly to Jesus. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all… But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” — 1 John 1:5–7 What have you been carrying quietly that you can bring into the light with God this week? You do not have to explain every detail publicly. You do not have to have perfect words. But you can begin with honesty: Jesus, this is what I have been holding. I need You here. If this episode spoke to the exhaustion or pressure you have been carrying, add these episodes to your queue: Episode 107: Rest Must Be Stronger Than Exhaustion Episode 9: You Actually Are a Good Mom; Don’t Fall for the Shame & Guilt If this conversation encouraged you, share it with a woman who may be tired of pretending she is fine. And be sure to follow, rate, and review The Unlikely Housewives wherever you listen. ********************* 🎙️Are you wanting to share your message with thousands through podcasts? PodMatch is the place you need to be. Join here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/unlikelyhousewives 🧖‍♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 💙 Support the Unlikely Housewives! Represent with our UH Merch! bit.ly/unlikelymerch 🎙️Want to be a guest on Unlikely Housewives? Send Tori Shirah a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unlikelyhousewives ⭐️Write an apple review and YOUR review could be read on our next episode! 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ [email protected]

You can look like you’re holding it all together and still be running on empty. For so many Christian women, the pressure to be grateful, capable, selfless, and strong can make it hard to admit what’s really happening beneath the surface: the exhaustion, hormone chaos, stress, extra weight, painful symptoms, coping habits, and the quiet fear that your body is failing you. In this honest conversation, Dr. Tabatha—a triple board-certified physician, faith-based women’s health expert, speaker, and bestselling author—invites us to stop faking fine and start bringing our whole selves to God. She shares her own story of burnout, chronic pain, and surrender, along with a faith-centered perspective on caring for our bodies as the vessels God created them to be. Your body is not broken—and you do not have to keep carrying the burden alone. Connect with Dr. Tabatha: Dr. Tabatha Barber Website Gutsydrtabatha Instagram ********************* 🎙️Are you wanting to share your message with thousands through podcasts? PodMatch is the place you need to be. Join here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/unlikelyhousewives 🧖‍♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 💙 Support the Unlikely Housewives! Represent with our UH Merch! bit.ly/unlikelymerch 🎙️Want to be a guest on Unlikely Housewives? Send Tori Shirah a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unlikelyhousewives ⭐️Write an apple review and YOUR review could be read on our next episode! 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ [email protected]

Stay in Touch In this year-end episode, we look back on a full season of podcasting, real life, and all the chaos that comes with Maycember. We talk honestly about motherhood, faith, friendship, serving others, and what it looks like to keep showing up when life feels full. From housework and prayer to joy, relationships, and the unexpected ways God uses hard seasons, this conversation is equal parts funny, honest, and encouraging. It’s a reminder that even in the busiest months, God is still working and still faithful. What We Talk About Why Maycember feels busier than the holidays. Reflecting on a year of consistent podcasting. The most listened-to episodes from the “For the One” series. Why the Unlikely Husbands episode resonated with listeners. A real-life “report card” on housework, faith, friendships, and handling life. How serving others can become an act of worship. Finding joy in busy, emotional, and imperfect seasons. The importance of showing up for your people. What’s next for the podcast after the summer break. Episode Highlights Honest laughter about the realities of motherhood and busy schedules. A look back at how God used the podcast this year. Practical encouragement for praying in the middle of life’s chaos. A reminder that friendship often looks like showing up, helping, and serving. A candid conversation about grace, growth, and real-life faith. Thanks for being part of the Unlikely Housewives community. We’ll be back after the summer with more conversations, more laughter, and more honest faith-filled moments. ********************* 🎙️Are you wanting to share your message with thousands through podcasts? PodMatch is the place you need to be. Join here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/unlikelyhousewives 🧖‍♀️Sunlighten Sauna Sponsor: https://get.sunlighten.com/unlikely Save up to $1700! 🗣️Join our community on Facebook and connect with us on Instagram! 💙 Support the Unlikely Housewives! Represent with our UH Merch! bit.ly/unlikelymerch 🎙️Want to be a guest on Unlikely Housewives? Send Tori Shirah a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unlikelyhousewives ⭐️Write an apple review and YOUR review could be read on our next episode! 🇺🇸Hosted by Tori Shirah and Tracy Stine 💌Contact us ➡️ [email protected]