BIG GIRLS PANTIES & Other Business Essentials

About BIG GIRLS PANTIES & Other Business Essentials

Crafting a Beautiful Life inspires women to intentionally cultivate lives rooted in faith, filled with beauty, and lived with purpose - one meaningful conversation at a time.

Publisher

Amy Howard

Category

business · business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jul 2025

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   EP 034: Creativity Is for Everyone: Finding Beauty, Joy, & God in the Everyday with Sarah Simon

   Creativity Is for Everyone: Finding Beauty, Joy, & God in the Everyday with Sarah Simon What if creativity isn't just a talent reserved for artists, but a gift God has placed within each of us? In this episode of Crafting a Beautiful Life, Amy Howard sits down with Sarah Simon (the artist, author, teacher, and founder behind The Mint Gardener) to talk about faith, creativity, and learning to embrace the gifts God has given us. Sarah's path to becoming a full-time artist wasn't what she expected. After studying economics and working in the corporate world, an unexpected season of slowing down opened the door to a creative calling she had carried for years. What began with painting during a season of transition eventually grew into a thriving creative business, published books, and art retreats that help women rediscover their own creativity. But Sarah's story is about much more than art. Through her husband's diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, her daughter's type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and the unexpected challenges of life, she has continued to discover how faith, creativity, and joy can coexist with uncertainty and suffering. Together, Amy and Sarah explore why we sometimes dismiss our own gifts, how fear and self-criticism keep us from creating, and why making something beautiful doesn't have to be profitable to be valuable. Whether you paint, garden, cook, arrange flowers, set a beautiful table, or simply want to bring more beauty into your everyday life, this conversation will encourage you to slow down, pay attention, and give yourself permission to create. In This Episode, You'll Learn How Sarah went from studying economics and working in the corporate world to becoming a full-time artist. Why slowing down can create space to recognize the gifts God has placed within us. How to move past imposter syndrome, fear of judgment, and the belief that you're not creative enough. Why creativity is about much more than becoming a professional artist or making money. How art, gardening, cooking, and other creative practices can become expressions of worship. What Sarah's family's health challenges have taught her about faith, perseverance, and finding joy in difficult seasons. Why unused creativity can affect us more deeply than we realize. How to practice grace instead of criticism when evaluating your own work. Why the small, beautiful things in everyday life deserve our attention. How creativity can bring order from chaos, restore joy, and help us reconnect with ourselves and God. 3 Key Takeaways 1. You don't have to be a professional artist to be creative. Creativity can look like painting, gardening, cooking, organizing your home, putting together a beautiful outfit, or preparing a thoughtful lunch for your child. You don't have to monetize your creativity for it to have value. 2. Fear is not a reason to ignore your gifts. Sarah describes the fear and unworthiness she felt when she first began sharing her art. Learning to create with grace rather than judgment helped her keep going. Sometimes, we have to take the first step before we feel confident or ready. 3. Slowing down helps us notice God's presence. Busyness can keep us from recognizing what God is doing in and around us. When we make room to notice the small things, we create opportunities to experience beauty, gratitude, and joy, even in difficult seasons. Books Mentioned The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby The Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt Why This Episode Matters It's easy to believe that creativity belongs to someone else: the sibling who was always the artist, the person with formal training, or the woman whose work looks effortless on social media. But creativity is not a role that only one person in a family gets to fill. It's an opportunity to express the gifts, interests, and passions God has given you. Sarah's story reminds us that a beautiful life isn't free from hardship, and a meaningful calling doesn't always arrive according to our plans. We can experience joy in the valleys, grow through unexpected seasons, and discover beauty in the ordinary things right in front of us. You don't have to wait until life is less busy, your circumstances are perfect, or your work is flawless. You can begin creating right where you are. So here's the question: What is one creative gift or interest you've been setting aside because you don't feel talented enough, don't have enough time, or don't believe it has enough value? What might it look like to give yourself permission to explore it? #CraftingABeautifulLife #TheMintGardener #SarahSimon #ChristianCreativity #FaithAndCreativity #CreativeCalling #ArtAsWorship #FindingBeauty #ChristianWomen #LivingWithIntention #CreativityForEveryone #FaithJourney

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   EP 033: Prayer in Every Breath: Learning to Slow Down and Draw Near to God with Kayla Craig

   Prayer in Every Breath: Learning to Slow Down and Draw Near to God with Kayla Craig What if prayer didn't have to look like the quiet morning, coffee-and-Bible routine we often imagine? In this episode of Crafting a Beautiful Life, Amy sits down with author and journalist Kayla Craig, author of Our Daily Breath, for a beautiful conversation about prayer, motherhood, faith, unanswered prayers, and learning to recognize God's presence in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Kayla shares how becoming a mother shifted the way she understood her work and calling, and how a frightening season in the hospital with her young daughter left her unable to find the words to pray. That experience eventually led her to begin writing prayers for others who, like her, sometimes know they want to pray but simply don't know what to say. Together, Amy and Kayla explore the idea that prayer isn't about finding the perfect words or guaranteeing a particular outcome. It can be an ongoing conversation with God, a way of drawing near to Him, listening, surrendering, and allowing Him to change us. Kayla also shares how something as simple as our breath can become a reminder to pause, slow down, and reconnect with the God who is with us in every moment. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How motherhood helped Kayla recognize a new direction for her writing and calling What happened when Kayla found herself unable to pray during her daughter's critical illness Why borrowing someone else's prayers can be a meaningful way to pray when you don't have the words How to move beyond the idea of a "perfect" prayer life How ordinary moments like driving, folding laundry, brushing your teeth, or making dinner can become opportunities to pray What it means to think of breath as a connection point to God How prayer can change us even when our circumstances don't immediately change Why unanswered prayer doesn't mean prayer isn't working How to use simple cues throughout your day to create a more consistent prayer life A simple seven-day practice for beginning or deepening your prayer life 3 Key Takeaways 1. Prayer doesn't have to be perfect. You don't need the perfect environment, the perfect words, or a long block of quiet time to connect with God. Prayer can happen right in the middle of real life. 2. Sometimes prayer changes us before it changes our circumstances. Kayla shares the idea that prayer isn't about treating God like a cosmic vending machine. We can bring our deepest requests to Him while also allowing prayer to draw us closer to Him and transform us. 3. Ordinary moments can become sacred moments. Our breath, our morning routine, the school drop-off, the dishes, a commute, or even a stressful moment can become a cue to pause, breathe, and remember that God is near. Scripture Referenced Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Romans 8:26 The Spirit intercedes for us with “wordless groans.” Why This Episode Matters So many women want a deeper prayer life but feel like they're failing because their prayer life doesn't look the way they think it should. This conversation offers a different perspective: what if prayer isn't another thing to add to your already-full life, but a way to become more aware of God within the life you're already living? Kayla's reminder is simple and beautiful: we already have what we need to begin. We have breath. And every breath can become an invitation to remember God, listen for Him, and draw near. A Simple Practice to Try This Week: Before your feet hit the floor each morning, take one slow, intentional breath and pray: “Give us this day our daily breath.” And at the end of the day: “Oh God, You've been with me all along.” Let those two simple prayers become bookends to your day. So here's the question: Where in your everyday life could you turn an ordinary moment into a reminder to pause, breathe, and draw near to God? #CraftingABeautifulLife #OurDailyBreath #KaylaCraig #PrayerLife #ChristianWomen #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #Prayer #WomenOfFaith #SpiritualFormation #TrustGod #LivingWithIntention

3. 

   9 Sept 2026

   EP 032: Trusting God's Purpose in the Waiting with Kaci Nicole Harlow

   Trusting God's Purpose in the Waiting with Kaci Nicole Harlow In this episode of Crafting a Beautiful Life, Amy sits down with author and Bible teacher Kaci Nicole Harlow to talk about one of the hardest parts of life: waiting for something you deeply desire while wondering why God hasn't answered yet. But this conversation isn't simply about getting what you've been praying for. It's about what God may be doing inside of you while you wait. Whether you're waiting for marriage, a child, healing, financial freedom, clarity about your calling, or an answer to a prayer you've prayed for years, waiting can quietly lead us to difficult questions: Does God see me? Does He care about me? Is He good to everyone else but not to me? Drawing from her own ten-year waiting story and her book So Much Better, Kaci shares how God used disappointment, rejection, unanswered prayers, and delayed dreams to deepen her faith, reshape her identity, and prepare her for purposes she never could have imagined. Amy and Kaci explore what it means to surrender without becoming passive, take bold steps without trying to control the outcome, and trust that pruning isn't punishment. They also talk about people-pleasing, finding your calling one obedient step at a time, and why God's timing is often connected to a much bigger story than the one we can currently see. Because perhaps the waiting isn't empty. Perhaps God is doing some of His most beautiful work in the unfinished parts of your story. And what if the thing you're waiting for isn't evidence that God has forgotten you but an invitation to trust that His plans are still so much better? In This Episode You'll Learn Why waiting is about more than receiving the thing you've been praying for How God can use seasons of waiting to deepen your faith and transform your heart Why comparison can make us question whether God is truly good to us How to trust that God is working even when you can't see movement Why your identity cannot be built around marriage, motherhood, career, or achievement How to recognize your calling without needing to know the entire five-year plan The difference between taking faithful action and trying to control the outcome Why there isn't a formula for getting God to answer your prayers How rejection can reveal where we've been looking for approval Why pruning doesn't mean God is punishing you How to take the next obedient step while trusting God with everything that comes after it Why God's timing may be connected to a story much bigger than the one you can currently see 3 Key Takeaways 1. The Waiting Is Not Wasted—God Is Working in the Unfinished Parts of Your Story It's easy to measure God's goodness by whether He gives us the thing we're asking for. But Kaci reminds us that God is doing deeper work in the waiting. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things for good, and the verse that follows points us toward that ultimate good: becoming more like Christ. The waiting may not be easy, but it can have purpose. 2. God's Plan for Your Life Doesn't Follow Someone Else's Timeline Comparison can make us believe that God is blessing everyone else while forgetting us. But Kaci's powerful illustration reminds us that we may all be waiting for something different. God is writing individual stories, doing individual work, and preparing each of us in different ways. His plan isn't cookie-cutter and neither is His timing. 3. Pruning Is Not Punishment—Sometimes God Removes Things Because He Has More Fruit Ahead When something is taken away, a door closes, or life doesn't go as planned, it's natural to wonder, What did I do wrong? But John 15 offers a different perspective. The branches that are bearing fruit are the ones God prunes so they can bear even more. Sometimes God isn't punishing you. He may be preparing you for something greater than you can currently see. Scripture Referenced in This Episode Romans 8:28-29 "God works all things together for the good of those who love Him—and that good includes being conformed to the image of Christ." Ephesians 2:10 "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” John 15 Jesus teaches that the Father prunes fruitful branches so that they can bear even more fruit. The Story of Ruth and Boaz A beautiful example of faith, boldness, action, and trusting God with the outcome. The Story of Isaac and Rebekah A reminder that sometimes God orchestrates circumstances in ways we could never manufacture ourselves. The Story of Hannah and Samuel. Hannah's years of waiting were part of a much bigger story. The son she longed for would eventually become one of the most significant prophets in Israel's history. The Story of Elizabeth and John the Baptist Elizabeth's delayed motherhood was not evidence that God had forgotten her. Her son would eventually prepare the way for Jesus. Why This Episode Matters So many women are carrying prayers they've prayed for years. A husband. A baby. Healing. Financial stability. Clarity about what comes next. A dream that finally feels possible. And when the answer doesn't come on our timeline, waiting can slowly become exhausting. We begin to wonder if we've missed something, done something wrong, or somehow been forgotten. This conversation offers a different perspective. What if God hasn't forgotten you? What if He is working in ways you simply cannot see yet? What if the closed door, the rejection, the delay, or even the pruning is not evidence that God is withholding His goodness but part of how He is preparing you for the fullness of His purpose? Kaci's story is a beautiful reminder that we don't need to understand the entire plan to trust the One writing it. You may not know what God is doing. You may not know when the answer will come. But you can take the next step in obedience and trust that He sees the entire story. So here's the question: What if the season you're desperate to escape is actually a chapter God is using to prepare you for something so much better? #ChristianWomen #FaithAndLife #TrustGod #WaitingOnGod #ChristianPodcast #WomenOfFaith #BibleStudy #FaithOverFear #GodsTiming #PurposeDrivenLife #ChristianEncouragement #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianAuthor #CraftingABeautifulLife #LiveWithIntention

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Guest appearances

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