The Christian Nutritionist

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61: Love Without Borders with Angela Braniff of This Gathered Nest

I think as women and mothers, we are always looking at others and making critical commentary on ourselves. Author Angela Braniff said when people found out she wanted to adopt another child or have more biologically, people looked at her like she was crazy or said she must be “vying for sainthood.”
But she never set out with this as her life plan. Who plans to have 2 biological children, adopt 4, birth two adopted embryos, homeschool them all and try to run a business from home at the same time? This was a story that unfolded as God led her. She had to let go of her “checklist life” and embrace the unexpected journey of God’s plan.
After reading this book, I HAD to get Angela on the podcast to hear more about how she even has time to brush her teeth much less orchestrate all she has going on.
She graciously joins me this week to share the beautiful, painful, messy, lovely and real story of letting go and letting God.

EPISODE 61: Love Without Borders with Angela Braniff of This Gathered Nest

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SHOW NOTES

(0:00) Intro

(0:44) Welcome back to the club!

  • Happy Mother’s Day!

  • Today’s Topic: Discussing the book Love Without Borders by Angela Braniff

  • Welcome to The Christian Health Podcast, Angela!

(3:58) A glimpse into a day in the life of Angela:

  • No two days are hardly ever the same!

    • Block scheduling and loose routines

    • Slow start to the days

    • Sharing mealtimes together

    • Bedtime routine

(8:33) Angela’s vision for her life and how it evolved:

  • “Checklist to a happy life”

  • Challenging the narrative of what it means to have a happy life.

    • Continued search for feeling and belonging

    • What happens when you do not fit in the story line

(11:50) Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours…

  • Angela was craving depth and something that had meaning.

  • How could she use her blessings to benefit others?

  • Receiving signs from God:

    • We tend to brush off signs as coincidence.

    • The Lord used dates and numbers to confirm things for Angela.

    • God is in the details of things.

(16:56) Angela’s realizations on her trip to Africa:

  • Her first adoption was in Congo

  • Her adoption stories in her book are wonderful!

  • She realized that she had an Americanized view of Jesus

    • Eye opening contrasts

    • Perspective and gratitude

  • Prince of Peace painting

(25:32) Listening to our callings and leaning into faith:

  • Jehovah-jireh

    • Genesis 22:14

      • The Lord will provide

  • Concept of Goers and Senders

  • Filtering through what we have to give as individuals

  • Chelsea’s vision!

    • Sometimes God gives us a vision to hold.

    • Holy clues

(35:38) Angela’s pregnancy stories and experiences:

  • Angela had difficult pregnancies

    • Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)

      • Debilitating morning sickness

    • Pregnancy amnesia

    • Desire to have another child never left her heart.

(40:26) Contemplating projections and potential judgments:

  • Noticing the actions of others and using it as a comparison.

    • Why is that poking me?

  • Recognizing the beauty of the differences in our lives.

  • “Good for her, not for me.”

    • Remembering to mind our own business!

(45:08) Angela’s twins:

  • Trying to conceive created doubts.

  • Tried alternative treatments for infertility that did not work.

  • Embryo adoption:

    • They adopted two embryos

    • Both embryos stuck! 💗

  • Baby #8 :)

    • Stork drop

(5242) Angela’s Anchor Questions:

  • Anchor meal:

    • Honey mustard chicken and other fresh grilled food

    • One pot meals

  • Anchor verse:

    • James 1:2-12

      • Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 

  • This Gathered Nest on Youtube and IG

  • Love Without Borders: How Bold Faith Opens the Door to Embracing the Unexpected

(57:16) Outro & Disclaimer



Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!




XOXO,

Chelsea