Episode 169 :: Nikki Anders :: Stories of The Journey to Bethlehem
11/10/23 • 69 min
I am so excited to share with you a really special conversation with the incredibly talented Renaissance woman Nikki Anders. Nikki is an award-winning musician, songwriter, and music producer in the TV and film industry. She shares some of her experiences in the music industry as a solo artist and member of the music group Avalon, her and her husband Adam’s time working on “Glee” as well as many other films, and now are the creative team behind the new movie musical “The Journey to Bethlehem.”
Nikki shares how the Lord closed and opened so many doors over the last seventeen years from an idea about a Christmas movie the whole family could enjoy and focus on the true story of Christmas, all the way to bringing the music, script, and spectacular vision on their hearts to fruition. Placing themselves in the shoes of the real people who lived the days of Jesus’ coming into the world was a practice of holy imagination and allowing themselves to wonder how God wove this story together. The Christmas story is sometimes too familiar to those who have grown up hearing it. This movie and its music breathes so much life into the incredible true story of the God who loved us so much, He sent His Son as a baby, to a very real family, who faced very real risks, because we needed a Savior.
Ever since I had this conversation with Nikki, the music has brought up some really amazing conversation opportunities and questions from my two kids, and I already can tell our experience of Christmas and Advent this year will be different because of this movie, the music, and the way it has ignited the curiosity and imagination of my children.
This world is weary and longs and groans to be restored. A Savior has come and made redemption and salvation available to all who call on Him. And I hope that wherever you are, I can whisper some hope to your heart today. You matter, friend. And your story matters.
Connecting with Nikki:
“Journey to Bethlehem”’s Instagram
“Journey to Bethlehem” soundtrack
Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story.
Scripture References:
Ephesians 4:1- Following the call of God
Matthew 13:1-9- Scattering seed living as God wants you to live
1 Corinthians 10:31- Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God
Daniel 1- Daniel and the exile in the Palace of Babylon
Daniel 3- Shadrach, Meshach and Abendengo’s God
Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2- Mary, Joseph, and the Christmas story that is in the pages of scripture
Luke 1:26-56 - Mary and an angel appeared to her
I am so excited to share with you a really special conversation with the incredibly talented Renaissance woman Nikki Anders. Nikki is an award-winning musician, songwriter, and music producer in the TV and film industry. She shares some of her experiences in the music industry as a solo artist and member of the music group Avalon, her and her husband Adam’s time working on “Glee” as well as many other films, and now are the creative team behind the new movie musical “The Journey to Bethlehem.”
Nikki shares how the Lord closed and opened so many doors over the last seventeen years from an idea about a Christmas movie the whole family could enjoy and focus on the true story of Christmas, all the way to bringing the music, script, and spectacular vision on their hearts to fruition. Placing themselves in the shoes of the real people who lived the days of Jesus’ coming into the world was a practice of holy imagination and allowing themselves to wonder how God wove this story together. The Christmas story is sometimes too familiar to those who have grown up hearing it. This movie and its music breathes so much life into the incredible true story of the God who loved us so much, He sent His Son as a baby, to a very real family, who faced very real risks, because we needed a Savior.
Ever since I had this conversation with Nikki, the music has brought up some really amazing conversation opportunities and questions from my two kids, and I already can tell our experience of Christmas and Advent this year will be different because of this movie, the music, and the way it has ignited the curiosity and imagination of my children.
This world is weary and longs and groans to be restored. A Savior has come and made redemption and salvation available to all who call on Him. And I hope that wherever you are, I can whisper some hope to your heart today. You matter, friend. And your story matters.
Connecting with Nikki:
“Journey to Bethlehem”’s Instagram
“Journey to Bethlehem” soundtrack
Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story.
Scripture References:
Ephesians 4:1- Following the call of God
Matthew 13:1-9- Scattering seed living as God wants you to live
1 Corinthians 10:31- Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God
Daniel 1- Daniel and the exile in the Palace of Babylon
Daniel 3- Shadrach, Meshach and Abendengo’s God
Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2- Mary, Joseph, and the Christmas story that is in the pages of scripture
Luke 1:26-56 - Mary and an angel appeared to her
Previous Episode
Episode 168 :: Travis Thompson :: Stories of Mental Health, Addiction, Faith and Healing
Travis Thompson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices in Middle Tennessee. He is a PhD candidate who works with clients from many backgrounds to find the deeper meaning of their struggles and embrace long-term recovery from the pains that they experienced. His work is focused on being healed from past hurt and toward future success. During our conversation, Travis shares his journey of wrestling with his own mental health as a teenager, his recovery and healing journey, and entering the world of becoming a mental health professional serving and helping others like those who served and helped him.
We’ll talk today about the stigmas around mental health, counseling, and medication, particularly in Christian circles, and how to care for people struggling with addiction AND those walking through it with them. Travis has actually written a book specifically around that topic of understanding addiction and how it impacts those around an addict and it is called To Those Left Behind: Helping Partners and Families Understand and Heal from Addiction. He’ll unpack many of the themes from his book, the effect and aftermath on mental health and addiction from the pandemic, where we see mental health in the Bible and he offers hope to those who may be suffering in the cycle of addiction as well as encouragement for those in the residual waves of it with someone they love.
Modern mental health issues and recovery can seem overwhelming and confusing. I hope this conversation can serve you wherever you are in your journey, and perhaps Travis’ book might as well! No matter whether this journey is a part of your story, or someone you love, we are all wrestling with real issues bound up in these broken bodies. There is hope for all of us. As long as you’re breathing, God is not finished with you. You matter, and your story matters.
Connecting with Travis:
Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story.
Scripture References:
Romans 8:28- God works all things together for good
Psalm 107:2- Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story
Psalm 142 (an example)King David struggling with mental health
Ephesians 4:17-32- Paul talks about putting off the old self, drunkenness for one
Job 16:2- Job’s friends and their bad advice
Gensis 3- Eve misquotes God’s word
Galatians 5:24-Paul talks about gnostic dualism
Matthew 17:20- Mustard seed
Psalm 19:1- The Heavens are declaring the glory of God
Psalm 112:1-9 Psalm 37:4-, God made us to know delight
Hebrews 4:12- The word of God is alive and active
Genesis 19:30-38- Forgive me Noah!! It was LOT getting drunk off the boat a...
Next Episode
Episode 170 :: Justin & J.L. Gerhardt:: Stories of Encountering God at the Intersection of Story and Worship
Justin and J.L. Gerhardt are on the podcast today, and you will love hearing from them! There is an epic retelling of their meeting and falling in love complete with 90’s Hearthrob meet cute and all. More than that, Justin and J.L. share about their journey of God leading them both into ministry with words, calling their family to travel the world, and unleashing their creativity and courage to press into new ways to encounter God and His Word. This journey has given birth to various creative outlets for the Gerhardt family, but the one we talk about the most in this episode is Justin’s incredible podcast “Holy Ghost Stories.”
“Holy Ghost Stories” is a unique podcast that is more like an immersive narrated experience that takes stories from the Old Testament, unpacks them, and breathes life into the grit and shadow as well as the rapture and delight of God encountering His people. Justin’s heart for this podcast is to remind us that we have an inheritance of stories in scripture that we share in an immersive, but often adolescent way to children, to try and captivate them and introduce them to God. And then they grow up. And as Justin says “We stop telling the stories and stop teaching the stories. And a story taught is different than a story told.” There is absolutely fruit to be found in teaching! However, grown-ups can miss out on what these stories have always had for us when we face real suffering, real rejoicing, and everything in between unless we revisit what they really were: real events that happened with real people with a very real God.
Y’all hanging out with the Gerhardts is such a delight, and I can’t wait for you to get to know them a little better. If you loved this episode, or love Holy Ghost Stories you need to attend a live experience! And for my local friends, there is one coming up in Nashville in December! I really believe you will see the Old Testament in a more alive and engaging way, and it will help you prepare your heart for the coming of Christmas. I hope I see you there.
Connecting with the Gerhardts:
J.L.’s Substack- “The Goodness”
Justin’s Substack “The Latest”
Giving to Holy Ghost Stories one time or via Patreon
Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story.
Scripture References:
2 Corinthians 12:9- Strength in weakness
Hebrews 12:2- God is the author
Hebrews 4:12-The Bible is alive and active
1 Samuel 28- The witch of Endor
Genesis 37-50- The Story of Joseph
Jonah 1-4- Jonah and the Whale
Genesis 6- Noah and the Ark
Genesis 39:12-18-Potiphar’s wife calling to Joseph
Judges 3:12-30- The story of Ehud and Eglon
Judges 1- The book of Judges
Genesis 25 (is where it starts)- The Story of Jacob
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/simply-stories-podcast-161570/episode-169-nikki-anders-stories-of-the-journey-to-bethlehem-36458284"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to episode 169 :: nikki anders :: stories of the journey to bethlehem on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy