Stephen Tilmon is known for inviting people to search for the truth together without being judgmental or divisive. Just figuring it out together. Timely topic, right? With our nation in such a state, confronting difficult truth and healing toward unity may seem impossible. But there is hope.

I was honored to be invited on Stephen’s show Faith and Failures. Most definitely, I’m an expert at failing! 

The Right Conversation Transforms Relationships

Together, Stephen and I talked about the way certain conversations transform relationships. How? By gently confronting difficult truth, allowing us to heal together toward unity.

And yep, he got me talking about stuff I did not intend to share publicly. For instance, really personal ideas about how dads influence their kids by checking in or, sadly, checking out. (Don’t miss the conversation I had with DeeDee Lake about how to open up the right conversations with teenage daughters on Fireside Talk Radio.)

The conversations we avoid at home affect the fabric of our culture. No doubt about it. 

In this episode of Faith and Failures, Stephen and I laugh about some of the communication obstacles we all face in marriage. Plus, we get serious about topics the church must gently address. Clearly, confronting difficult truth is one important role of the body of Christ. (Stephen is also associate pastor of Connect Church in Longview, Texas.)

God is Not Afraid

“God is not afraid of hard questions,” said Stephen as we chatted about what I learned in my challenge to recover after an abortion over forty years ago. (Find out how God seeks us.)

I saved the interview for this month because January 17th is Sanctity of Life Sunday, first established by President Reagan in 1984, only a few years after my decision to abort my child.

But as I write this blog, I realize the themes in our conversation perfectly coincide with all we’re seeing in America’s political arena. Was there ever a more urgent time for Christians to call for self-restraint and judicious patience? Confronting difficult truth in our culture will take all the authentic spirituality and humility we can muster. 

The American Conversation

Certainly, our American family is one huge dysfunctional family in desperate need of a gentle rational conversation! Destructive values, the impulse toward violence, the lack of maturity on all sides of the political spectrum. Poisonous ideas floated as truth. America is known throughout our history for confronting difficult truth, but, oh my!

We started Camp Krafve because we felt our culture needed positive truthful messages. We added, “Truth with a Texas Twang” with a little wink to our own fallibility. Nope, we don’t think we know everything. But Texans are not shy about sharing an opinion in a friendly, humorous way.

Learning the Hard Way

Little did we know then how important positive conversations would be now only a few short years later. Seriously, though, I should have known. Heaven knows I struggled enough to communicate within my own family. Just when I think I’m an expert, something pops up to remind me of what an amateur I am!

Stephen likes to focus his stuff on hard topics we avoid, even in church. Don’t you love that? I’m really thankful he gave me a chance to share some of the things I’ve learned the hard way about how to have great conversations.

I am grateful. I’m especially grateful for YOU!!❤️ ❤️ ❤️ Keep reading for prayers, questions, and more fun stuff!

🙂
cathy

Truth with a Texas Twang

• Cathy Primer Krafve,
• Host of Fireside Talk Radio  
• The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations
• Marriage Conversations: From Co-existing to Cherished
• Or go to amazon.com/author/cathykrafve

P.S.

Stephen and I talked about how many words make a woman feel like she’s going to throw up. They’re so stressful. Some words and experiences are so traumatizing that the word can shut down your brain. Confronting the truth and healing toward unity is not for wimps. To help you have tough conversations, I interview experts on hard topics for Fireside Talk Radio.

About a Conversation with God

Prayer is a conversation with God. But what if we think prayer is like having a conversation with an earthly father who always shut us out? We kinda think it might be just like that. We don’t know. Yet, all the while, God is seeking us out for companionship. (One of my heroes, Janet McHenry, came on the show to talk about prayer.)

I am convinced that conversation is the pathway to companionship, whether it’s talking to God or the person sitting next to you. On the couch, watching TV, eating potato chips, not talking.

You’ll find over forty strategies for life-transforming conversations in The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations. Go from isolation to influence. I want that for you, my dear reading friend! Please order the book today! Don’t wait another minute to have the life-transforming conversations you crave. Sorry, I can’t help you with the potato chips. ❤️

The Bearded Cactus

If you like humor and friendship, check out Bearded Cactus, Stephen’s podcast with his lifelong friend, Julian Pizarro. Just the right mix of silly and serious guy humor about parenting, wives, you name it. When I listen in, I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a guys-only conversation in front of a football game. Very funny stuff.

May we pray together?

Good Father in heaven, You seek us out to have companionship with You! What joy to be able to communicate! Thank You, O Great Creator, for that privilege. Now our nation needs a dose of come-to-Jesus truth about how to use influence creatively and with loving joy. We want great conversations in our homes, too. Help us, O Lord! We humbly ask for Your mercy on us and on this great nation. Bless us now because that’s Your heart’s desire. We pray in Your Son’s mighty name. Amen.

We LOVE to hear from YOU!

When has a conversation changed your life? Which conversations would you love to have? What prevents you from having a transformative conversation today?

If something in this blog touched your heart, please sign up to receive it free each week and share it with your friends. Thank you!! ❤️

Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations. We welcome your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang.