Christian Woman Leadership Podcast with Esther Littlefield & Holly Cain - 111: Encountering Trafficking, Learning to Trust, & Choosing Truth with Amanda Florczykowksi

111: Encountering Trafficking, Learning to Trust, & Choosing Truth with Amanda Florczykowksi

08/04/20 • 60 min

Christian Woman Leadership Podcast with Esther Littlefield & Holly Cain

How do you trust God when your entire world is turned upside down? And how do you cling to truth when you’re the target of criticism and doubt?

Amanda Florczykowksi joins me for this episode to share her story of a first-hand encounter with a sex trafficking attempt, her decision to go public with the experience, and the resistance she ran into as a result. Take a listen to hear how Amanda learned to trust God in the midst of each step of her journey, as well as how she was able to choose truth in the midst of doubts.

Key Points:

Amanda’s life & leadership [4:27]
What led Amanda to write her book “Unraveled” [9:34]
Going public with her story [17:30]
Processing criticism and rejection [24:05]
How rejection changed her view of persecution [28:12]
How to respond to criticism as a leader [33:01]
- Importance of having a mission and vision
- Know when it’s time to lead and when it’s time to leave
- Never give up
Dealing with doubt from those who are closest to you [38:57]
Leadership lessons from the publishing process [50:31]
Leaders are Learners [54:40]

Key Quotes:

“I never questioned God, but I started to question my perception of him.”

“Every good leader at some point has had to wrestle in pain and the ones that emerge the best leaders are the ones that have encountered it and been able to walk through it with the Lord.”

“You have so much for grace for people when you recognize it is a spiritual battle.”

“When you understand in leadership that you will be misunderstood--I didn’t say judged, but misunderstood--it gives you room to love and the grace to recover.”

“When the voice we trust on earth the most makes us feel like God can’t be trusted we must choose truth. You have to choose truth.”

“Wise counsel should never trump God’s word or what He has spoken to us.”

“Know how to study your bible, then study it.”

“Christian leaders are so needed, but you have to start with God’s word to be impactful.”

Resources & Links:

Amanda’s book - Unraveled: Mothering Fiercely in a World Full of Fears

Leadership as an Identity by Crawford Loritts

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Connect with Amanda:

Amanda Florczykowski is an intrinsic lover of risk, progress, and people. Her ability to merge all three embodies her personal mission. Her love for women, her desire to see families strengthened, and her unabashed faith in Christ Jesus have led her to found a MOPS International© ministry group and a University-Model® School. As a degreed communicator, Amanda’s professional career, pre-kiddos, included awards and high heels as both an educator and top marketing professional for an industry leader.

When not involved in family life, reading, or writing, Amanda uses her pioneering ambition and experience to partner with business CEO and Development Pastor husband to consult with organizations who desire to prosper. Lastly, she is a magnetic motivator speaking on the topics of motherhood, leadership, and faith (see ‘Speaking’ tab above).

Amanda’s family of six, along with their German Shepherd, Radd, live in the Texas Hill Country outside Austin. And while accomplishments are part of a bio, Amanda wants you to know they don't rival her joys; a nightly sunset, "I love you" from her child's mouth, answered prayers, a good night's rest, a big, Saturday breakfast, a clean kitchen, a hot bath, board games, finding $10 in her pocket, a good movie, date night, and welcoming friends into her home to eat and laugh.

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Tag @estherdlittlefield on Instagram
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We have a fun way for you to partner with the podcast and get access to exclusive content. Every month, we add at least 1 bonus clip from an interview or from Holly and I to a special podcast for our partners. You can become a podcast partner for as little as $5/month by clicking here.

Connect with Esther...

How do you trust God when your entire world is turned upside down? And how do you cling to truth when you’re the target of criticism and doubt?

Key Points:

Amanda’s life & leadership [4:27]
What led Amanda to write her book “Unraveled” [9:34]
Going public with her story [17:30]
Processing criticism and rejection [24:05]
How rejection changed her view of persecution [28:12]
How to respond to criticism as a leader [33:01]
- Importance of having a mission and vision
- Know when it’s time to lead and when it’s time to leave
- Never give up
Dealing with doubt from those who are closest to you [38:57]
Leadership lessons from the publishing process [50:31]
Leaders are Learners [54:40]

Key Quotes:

“I never questioned God, but I started to question my perception of him.”

“Every good leader at some point has had to wrestle in pain and the ones that emerge the best leaders are the ones that have encountered it and been able to walk through it with the Lord.”

“You have so much for grace for people when you recognize it is a spiritual battle.”

“When you understand in leadership that you will be misunderstood--I didn’t say judged, but misunderstood--it gives you room to love and the grace to recover.”

“When the voice we trust on earth the most makes us feel like God can’t be trusted we must choose truth. You have to choose truth.”

“Wise counsel should never trump God’s word or what He has spoken to us.”

“Know how to study your bible, then study it.”

“Christian leaders are so needed, but you have to start with God’s word to be impactful.”

Resources & Links:

Amanda’s book - Unraveled: Mothering Fiercely in a World Full of Fears

Leadership as an Identity by Crawford Loritts

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Connect with Amanda:

Support the podcast

Our Merch Store

Click here to go to the store and find merch you'll love!

If you grab one of the items and share a photo on social media, use the hashtag #leadwithconfidence and/or tag us so we can see it!

Tag @estherdlittlefield on Instagram
Tag @estherlittlefield on Facebook

Become a Podcast Partner & Receive Bonus Content

Connect with Esther...

Previous Episode

110: How to Take Your Next Steps Into God's Calling [Summer Throwback Series]

Do you have a dream or an idea about something God is calling you to do, but you’re not sure how to step out into the unknown?

Often we sense God calling us to something new, something different... but we are afraid to take those first steps, especially when we don’t know what the outcome is going to be.

In our final episode of our Summer Throwback Series, you’ll hear from several of our past guests and find out how they were able to take courageous steps into something new. You’ll hear about their real life experiences as well as glean wisdom and hear their recommendations for how you can take your first steps.

Featured Guests on this episode:

I did not include this one in the clips, but I want to point you to Episode 93 if you are experiencing hesitation or doubts about pursuing a dream or calling God has given you. In that episode, I talk about 5 obstacles to pursuing your purpose and give you some encouragement around getting started.

Key Quotes from this throwback episode:

“It really was hearing God’s voice, stepping out without really knowing what that meant at the time, but trusting that God was gonna take me through.” - Tembi Secrist

“I don’t think you can ever lead well without wise counsel.” - Rachel Pellegrino

“I needed to wrestle, because otherwise I wouldn’t really need Him.” - Merritt Onsa

“A lot of people ‘kinda’ want to do something, but if you are not all in on it, it’s not going to happen.” - Jocelyn Sams

“If you have that tug on your heart or that feeling that you need to do ‘a thing’, but you’re not sure how... God already has the plan, He already has the solutions.” - Stefanie Gass

Support the podcast

Our Merch Store

Click here to go to the store and find merch you'll love!

If you grab one of the items and share a photo on social media, use the hashtag #leadwithconfidence and/or tag us so we can see it!

Tag @estherdlittlefield or @christianwomanleadership on Instagram
Tag @estherlittlefield on Facebook

Become a Podcast Partner & Receive Bonus Content

Connect with Esther and Holly:

This episode was originally published on estherlittlefield.com/episode110.

Next Episode

112: How to Share Your Convictions as a Christian Leader (without promoting legalism)

Christian leaders are often passionate about what they believe. But they do not always share their personal convictions in ways that are healthy or productive.

There is real danger when Christian leaders use their personal convictions as a mandate for how others should live. Doing this tends to lead towards legalism and away from discernment. But what should we be doing instead?

In this episode, I’m diving into a topic that is relevant to what is happening in our world right now. You can’t go on social media or the news lately without seeing people, including Christian leaders, making blanket statements about what you should or should not be doing (wearing masks, how to respond to racism, etc).

And while I sometimes agree with the recommendations, I’m concerned with the ways they are being communicated. In many cases, leaders are creating a set of rules that you must follow in order to be seen as a ‘real Christian’... and this is legalism. But how can we share our convictions and beliefs without promoting legalism?

Today I’m sharing from a blog post that I wrote previously with 5 principles for sharing our convictions as leaders.

Click here for the full show notes for this episode.

Connect with Esther and Holly:

This episode was originally published on estherlittlefield.com/episode112.