Category: Accountability
2019 Faith and Entertainment Blog Series
Welcome to the ‘Faith and Entertainment’ series, where I interview followers of Jesus who work in the entertainment industry, i.e., musicians, athletes, actors, etc.
WHY did I start doing these interviews? Two reasons. 1. I have a deep appreciation of music and acting. 2. I am very passionate about personal soul care and authentic discussions about living out our daily faith. So, I figured…why not blend the two?
CLICK on a picture below to read (or HEAR) each interview.
Recording Artist: Mary Sarah
Recording Artist: April Kry
Recording Artist: Lucas Hoge
Recording Artist: Kaitlyn Baker
Actress: Ashley Sutton
Recording Artist: Holly Tucker
Recording Artist: Curtis Grimes
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN to the new podcast on Spotify and Soundcloud.
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Let me know who YOU would like me to interview next for this series! Drop a comment below. I am an ordained pastor in the Church of God. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and have been working in faith-based counseling for over 20 years. Each of these discussions have greatly encouraged me, and I pray they encourage you too.
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Interview with Holly Tucker
Next up for the ‘Faith and Entertainment’ series is Nashville recording artist and song writer, Holly Tucker!
Holly began her career in music at the age of 8, and received a rare four-chair turn in 2013 on Season 4 of The Voice. She advanced all the way to the top 6 vocalists that season and was invited back for the finale.
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Holly. I could tell that she has a true heart for Jesus and his calling on her life, solely based on her honesty and openness about her own struggles and doubts with God in difficult seasons. All of us wrestle with God’s timing, quietness, and call from time to time. But not everyone is willing to be gut-level honest about what that has looked like for them.
I’ve linked her music on Youtube and Spotify below. Be sure to give her a listen. But for now, enjoy our encouraging discussion around her authentic faith journey.
[Brent]: You recently retweeted a quote by Bob Goff. “Fear and insecurity will always try to talk us into settling for lesser things.“ Can you speak into that a bit? Does anything come to mind?
[Holly]: Man, it has been a very tough one and a half years for me. Lots of set backs and losses, especially in my music career. To be completely honest, I’ve been really angry with God, that he’s given me a gift to use for his glory…it’s a calling but I don’t feel like I’m being used effectively right now. I’ve said yes to opportunities I shouldn’t have said yes to. Every opportunity isn’t a good opportunity. Lately when I pray to God it sometimes feels like I’m talking to air. I’m really working hard to hold on to my faith, but I’m in a deep valley right now. I’ve just been settling. This tweet was mainly a reminder for me.
[Brent]: What is one of the most helpful pieces of life advice (outside of family) anyone has ever offered to you?
[Holly]: At 13 years old I saw Darryl Worley perform at the Grand Ole Opry for 1st time. I was with my parents and we learned about a secrete alleyway artists would use to exit the Opry and slip off to one of the nearby bars. He was a big influence to me, so we went to the back after the show and I got to meet him! I shared with him my dream of pursuing a music career. I’ll never forget what he said to me. “Well, that’s a great dream, Holly. Keep singing. But don’t let this business change you.” This industry is all about changing you to what it thinks you should be, so it’s a constant battle to remain unique and true to your message.
[Brent]: What does Holly’s personal quiet time look like? How do you connect with God best?
[Holly]: It’s been longer than I’d like to admit. I usually like to sit down with a pencil and highlighter. And I always come with questions, and I write them next to the scripture I’m reading. This is one way I engage in conversation with God, and I find that I am encouraged later on down the road when he provides me with solutions or knowledge pertaining to questions I’d jotted down weeks or even months ago.
[Brent]: We all experience constant hills and valleys, and the seasons in between. Regarding your most recent valley, can you describe how you weathered it? Prayer, scripture, wise counsel, music?
[Holly]: I haven’t quite figured this out yet. Praying and reading the Word would be the most logical answer, I guess. I don’t know! Maybe this is why I’ve been in this ‘valley’ season for so long. Even though I avoid talking to God, and he still finds ways to talk to me. I still make myself go to Church every Sunday. I’m still figuring it out. But I know this won’t last. It will eventually pass. I’m not asking to be a Taylor swift, I simply want to survive in this industry.
[Brent]: Is God teaching you anything new right now?
[Holly]: It seems like he’s always teaching me patience. I’m constantly over-thinking and worrying about every possible outcome. God’s always working on that with me. I need to stop being in control all the time. As for new, I don’t think I’ve ever had my faith tested this hard.
[Brent]: If you were to pass on to heaven tomorrow and all but one of your songs ceased to exist, which one would you want to remain for people to hear and why?
[Holly]: I’ve never been asked that before. Haven’t written this song yet.
[Brent]: If you could travel back in time and witness any moment of Jesus’ life while he was in the flesh on Earth, what would it be…and why?
[Holly]: Instantly in my mind, it would have to be his talk with the woman at the well. To witness that conversation. To experience his example of mercy here. Those stories make my heart happy. Also, woman who touched his robe in the chaotic crowd. It goes back to his mercy and her faith being so strong.
[Brent]: What made you want to do this interview?
[Holly]: Honest, I don’t get a lot of requests for faith-based country. It’s refreshing to talk about my faith like this, especially right now in this season.
Enjoy one of my personal favorite Holly Tucker songs, ‘The Finer Things.”
Connect with Holly, subscribe, follow, etc. HERE > > >
Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, website, youtube.
Join the discussion and LEAVE A COMMENT below.
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My Interview with Actress Ashley Sutton
Guys, this is my 5th interview for the ‘Faith and Entertainment’ series, BUT it’s my 1st interview with an actor in Hollywood.
Ashley Sutton has been in numerous movies & commercials, done voice-overs, and has worked with huge companies such as MAC cosmetics and the Jessa Hinton swimsuit line. She also worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme in the movie, Swelter.
This interview was so much fun! So encouraging. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
[Brent] How do you continue to nurture your relationship with Jesus while managing/growing your career and travel schedule?
[Ashley] This is probably the hardest question being young in the world today with social media. It’s easy to focus on self. So I’d have to say keeping people of faith around me regularly is absolutely critical. I also have learned to say ‘no’ a lot to take care of myself. I work to make it part of my self-care. This often includes lots of listening to worship music, and frequently asking, “What can I do (to connect with Jesus) RIGHT NOW?”
[Brent] What is one of the most helpful pieces of life advice (outside of family) anyone has ever offered to you?
[Ashley] Well, my acting manager is a Christian. And she’s constantly reminding me that everything is going to be OK. God is in control. And that it’ll all end up how He wants it to work out for me.
[Brent] What does Ashley’s personal quiet time look like? How do you connect with God best?
[Ashley] It’s not consistent at all. It’s just so hard in career with no set schedule in the day. So having a regular routine is simply impossible. But I hike a lot. I look at the flowers and their intricate design. The sound of birds singing and other things God made. These remind me of him. He feels close when I’m enjoying his creation outdoors. I also listen pretty exclusively to Christian. Commuting in L.A. allots me plenty of time for this.
[Brent] We all experience constant hills and valleys, and the seasons in between. Regarding your most recent valley, can you describe how you weathered it? Prayer, scripture, wise counsel, music?
[Ashley] I’ve been a Christian since I was very young. I grew up in the Catholic church, and then stepped away to my own church where I could better connect. In 2013, I was in a very bad accident on a movie set on a boat. I almost died! My faith changed after that day. I think often the only way to get out of our spiritual valleys (dark seasons) is to just keep moving. Do things that bring joy. Another thing is that quantity not same as quality when it comes to friendships. More is not better. A million Instagram followers won’t comfort or help me when I’m struggling as much as a small handful of really close friends. Struggle is OK, it builds character. (authentic comment coming) My accident actually showed me that I didn’t really like the person I was before the accident. Without hard times we wouldn’t be able to grow and be able to continue to work on becoming the best version of ourselves.
[Brent] Is God teaching you anything new right now?
[Ashley] Oh yes. Just the same lessons. To be patient! My default is to work ward to obtain goals quickly. So it seems God is regularly reminding me, ‘Work hard, but don’t be anxious about obtaining results immediately. Leave that part to me.’
[Brent] If you could travel back in time and witness any event recorded in the Bible, what would it be…and why?
[Ashley] I’d have to say it would be when Jesus was sleeping in the boat during a storm and his disciples were freaking out. He asked them why they had such little faith. I’d want to witness that because that would show me the level of strength/faith I should have and need. I’m an actress. I live in pictures, so actually watching this would be amazing.
[Brent] Looking back, if you could give college-age Ashley any advice for the years ahead of her, what would it be?
[Ashley] Find what brings you joy and stay with that. Don’t worry about anything else. The rest isn’t nearly as important. Don’t allow simple moments with family slip by because you feel like you should be working on your career.
[Brent] Do you have any personal boundaries for accountability with so much available to you?
[Ashley] Simply being willing to say no to jobs/opportunities that might not be best for me. This hasn’t always been true for me, but now I just don’t do it. I’m much more selective with what acting roles and other opportunities are available to me.
[Brent] Lastly, what made you want to do this interview?
[Ashley] I don’t actively take steps to go out and talk about my faith. It’s usually more private. I thought this might be a good way of letting others no the realist version of myself, possibly helping someone who reads this. But I think this is also good for non-believers who read this. Christians haven’t always openly, or accurately, portrayed the hard part of life.
I’ll leave you with this small but enjoyable work of Ashley’s…
You can learn more about Ashley Sutton at her webpage, or stay connected with her on Instagram.
Join the discussion and LEAVE A COMMENT below.
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How To Embrace Your ‘New’ Season
Ok, if I’m honest I really don’t have a firm grasp on embracing new seasons myself. But like many of you, I am in the middle of weathering one currently so…let’s have a discussion. Shall we?
As I was beginning to pen this post, this scripture came to mind…
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” – Eccl. 3:1
A Season, or time, for everything. The Hebrew meaning for time here is a ‘set or appointed time.’ In other words, the seasons you and I are facing today are no surprise to God. There is a reason we are where we are!
And sometimes this requires us to reevaluate some of the regular patterns and habits we’ve set in place. To change things up a bit, if you will. Now, this is really difficult for a guy who ‘needs’ to know what to expect in my day and who values (to a fault) concrete habits. It’s my comfort zone, BUT God operates best outside of comfort zones!
So, what does it look like to EMBRACE a new season of life?
Here’s what I know and have personally experienced. We must be willing to step into it. This requires (demands) faith. And faith without action is dead. You and I must be able to rest in the promise that God is not surprised by where we are right now, and he does have a purpose for us while we are there.
Be intentional to spend time in his Word. Ask him to speak clearly to you through his Word and through other believers. Journal your thoughts and what you think God is telling you.
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3 Things Every Believer Must Practice Regularly
Great pastors and authors like Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have taught about the subject of Spiritual Disciplines for years. Now, there isn’t a complete list like the Ten Commandments in the Bible that groups all of the disciplines together for us (although that might have been handy). The Bible doesn’t even refer to them as Spiritual Disciplines. Yet, these are spiritual practices Christ followers can observe so that they are able to grow and mature in their faith and their understanding of God.
While disciplines like solitude, fasting, and tithing are among well over a dozen others, below are three spiritual practices I believe to be absolutely critical if a believer wants to experience life fulfillment, have joy, and grow closer to Jesus.
Bible Intake | The Bible holds all that we need to know about God’s character and his heart toward us. If we never read the Scriptures and only pray and spend time with other believers, all we will have is a highly personalized philosophy of God. Very little truth or foundation.
‘But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) And of course we know that all scripture is inspired/breathed by God. It’s not an option. We were created for God’s word to fuel us, to give us life.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) God’s word guides our choices and directs us on our life journey. He’s our GPS! And here’s the great thing. We you and I take a wrong turn in life, he simply says, ‘re-routing.’
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18) A couple of those ‘wondrous things’ would be learning about God’s will for us and making new discoveries of his character and personality.
Prayer | When we take time to pray we are making an investment in our relationship with God. I’ve often said that prayer is like taking God to coffee. You hopefully enjoy each other’s company, learn something new about each other, and openly share what’s on your hearts.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) God already knows what you want and need. So why pray? Because God actually wants us coming to him, talking to him, and acknowledging the relationship. God is not a deadbeat dad who is disconnected and merely sends a child support check in the mail each month.
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17) God both hears and acts. He’s accessible 24/7. And he works on our behalf.
Community with other believers | We were not created to do life alone, nor to thrive or struggle on our own. Not only do we see the importance of community in the Creation story back in Genesis, but it was also fully lived out by Jesus with his disciples.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) Believers should lovingly encourage each other to do good for others and to love in ways like Jesus did.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) Walking 100 yards with a 500 pound weight on your back is MUCH EASIER if you have a large number of like-minded friends near you to help carry it.
So, would YOU add anything to my list? Have you experienced these three things in your own life?
And possibly more important, do you struggle with one of these more that others?
Join the discussion and LEAVE A COMMENT below.
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What To Run To And From
A quote by Erwin McManus from the final day reading of The Way of the Warrior devotion on Youversion.
Sometimes we need to run. Toward or away, but running is action. Away from fear, negativity, and unhealthy influences. And toward hope, love, and real community.
Now, regarding people we need in our lives…let’s define ‘need.’ Need isn’t the same as want, or even demand. The people we really need in our lives can be defined this way. We need those who honestly care about what’s best for us and who will journey with us.
Join the discussion and LEAVE A COMMENT below.
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How To Choose Joy In The Tough Things
Last week I had the privilege to hear Skye Jethani speak at our District Pastors’ Conference.
This is a quote from his talk that really grabbed my attention. Let me provide a little context.
Examples of some things we DO NOT choose: medical diagnosis, unemployment, depression, ministry calling, where we are born, divorce, changes in social behavior, our parents, etc.
Some of these can be GOOD, and we all know that some can equally be UNFAVORABLE.
Now, it’s easy for us to choose JOY in the things we actually choose; things we had a say in. But it’s another issue when a life circumstance makes its way into our lives that we have little to no control over.
The REAL QUESTION to ask, then, is this. Does God have a purpose for me in this particular situation? And even though I DON’T LIKE IT, can I embrace it as my current reality and TRUST GOD to work through me?
So you see, making a conscious decision to choose (own) what we didn’t actually choose in the first place can be a real game changer.
What UNCHOSEN circumstance are you in today? What might it look like if you chose to OWN IT?
I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below. You can also connect with me on Twitter and Instagram!
Didn’t See It Coming [review]
Here’s my review of Carey Nieuwhof’s latest book. [I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book]
Carey Nieuwhof offers powerful insight and reflection in his latest book, ‘Didn’t See It Coming.’ (order your copy HERE)
He combines wisdom with personal authenticity in a ways that all of us can relate.
One of the inevitable challenges we will all face at some point in life is the reality of irrelevance. Carey says…
“The barrier to change, of course, is that anything that deviates from your default–your normal–will feel unfamiliar, challenging, and sometimes even threatening.“
This section on irrelevance was the most challenging for me personally. I’m still working through what my approach to this challenge is going to look like.
He may have written on irrelevance in a chapter or two, but this book is clearly one of the most relevant reads of the year! Please take my word for it and be sure to get a copy. And then take your time reading through it. Highlight, underline, or journal your thoughts in Evernote as you read.
I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
“When you’re no longer breathing, the legacy you’ll leave will center on your character.”
“Progress begins with self-honesty.”
“As a culture, the more connected we’ve become, the more isolated we’ve grown.”
“Conversation has become a press conference with whomever happens to be listening.”
“You can make excuses or you can make progress, but you can’t make both.”
“Culture never asks permission to change. It just changes.”
“…keep changing, learning, and evolving. Change starves off irrelevance.”
Learn more about Carey
You can stay connected with Carey Nieuwhof at Twitter and Instagram. And if you are a 
podcast listener you really need to check out the Carey Nieuwhof Leadershp Podcast!
3 Tips To Implementing Strong Social Media Boundaries To Protect Your Marriage
If you’re married or engaged and one or both of you are active on Social Media, take a minute to watch this short video. I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you’ve done anything similar in your relationship.
Join the discussion and LEAVE A COMMENT below or connect with me on INSTAGRAM.
For specific questions about your marriage, email me brentdumler@icloud.com
May God bless you with a fulfilling, happy, and long marriage together!
Lead Right 