Why I Move My Chair to the Front of the Line (And You Should Too)

In a recent guest appearance on the Faith Over Addiction Podcast, Kristen Wambach—noted author, speaker, and transformation coach—shared a profound revelation that began with a cup of coffee and an unexpected "visitor" in her kitchen. What do you do when the "onslaught" of life feels slimy, overwhelming, or just plain frumpy? For Kristen, a literal timber slug on her kitchen counter became a divine catalyst for a lesson in self-honor and spiritual positioning

I have enough 'Hellos' with God that I can say, 'He didn't say that,' and my focus stays on what He did say."
​—Kristen Wambach

​The Authority of the "Secret Place
"As a leader who has navigated the complexities of raising four sons while managing decades of ministry, Kristen knows what it feels like to be "unseen." She recounted a pivotal moment early in her ministry when a leader at a 6,000-member church introduced a "pedigreed" guest with fanfare, only to turn to Kristen and ask, "Excuse me, what's your name?"

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Instead of allowing that moment to define her worth, Kristen retreated to her "secret place"—her journal.
"I stayed quiet because there’s safety in being quiet.
I didn't let it stop the encouragement God had given me.
​I stood in what He had spoken to me."
Within three months, Kristen was moved to the front, leading worship and singing solos. As she explains, God isn't looking for our resume; He is looking for our heart's alignment with His anointing.

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𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻: Facebook Group

He speaks to us from that place—seated in heavenly places—until we never listen from anywhere else."
​—Kristen Wambach

Commanding the Subconscious

One of the most powerful "SHIFT" moments of the interview was Kristen’s coaching on spiritual leadership over the mind. When the world feels out of control, Kristen teaches a specific command: "Subconscious mind, let my spirit lead."
By acknowledging that we are seated in heavenly places—far above the chaos of the "seven-layer bean salad" of life—we move from the role of a beggar to that of an heir. Kristen’s 30-year history of journaling serves as a testament to this "history of trust," proving that when we are authentic with our "Hello, God," He is faithful to meet us with tangible peace.​

Drawing the Line in the Sand

Kristen challenges every listener to recognize their unique placement in their family and generation. You aren't just surviving the onslaught; you are the one God placed there to change the atmosphere. By moving your "chair to the front of the line" and prioritizing your relationship with the Holy Spirit, you become a beacon of divine wisdom that rewrites not only your life but the lives of those around you.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

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Podcast Transcript: Faith Over Addiction

Host: Tanya Gioia
Guest: Kristen Wambach
[0:00] Kristen: Coming up next, I'm busy. I think I'm teaching a woman's Bible study and I'm at home having my quiet time with the Lord and I get up in the morning to have that precious cup of coffee and I kid you not, in my kitchen there is a huge timber slug and it is crawling on my kitchen counter. Oh, what are you doing here? Oh, there's a timber slug. And it made me like, oh, it's leaving slime. Oh, and that feeling like, what are you doing in here? And so immediately I think, well, did I bring any flowers in from, you know, that he how? And then I just went, "Oh, that feeling in my kitchen."
[0:48] Kristen: And so I'm sitting down with God with that, "Oh, what is that timber slug doing in my kitchen?" And he's slimy and he—it's a slug. And all of a sudden I thought I went, "Huh? Well, well, God, did you put the timber slug there?" But that feeling of that day, that morning, do you know what I did that day? I went and got a haircut. I went to the local thrift store and bought a couple of new outfits.
[1:20] Tanya: Nice.
[1:21] Kristen: Yeah. And I just—that's what I did that day. That afternoon, I got a call from a young lady who I was connected to in ministry and stuff. She called me. She goes, "Kristen, they're having this legacy meeting over here in McMinnville. You need to come." That was the very next day. She called me in the afternoon. Very next day, I got to be there by 10:00. But remember, I got my haircut. I have something new to put on. I was done out the door on the road. And I said, "God, you got to save me a ticket." Done. Walked in, had a ticket, everything. I felt kind of good. I felt good about myself.
[2:12] Kristen: Remember where it started was that that timber slug is like, "Hello, we need—we need to fix it up a bit here."
[2:20] [Music/Intro]
[2:21] Tanya: Welcome to Faith Over Addiction podcast, where the chains of fixing and striving are broken and joy is rediscovered in Christ. You're here because you know there's more for you. A life beyond addiction's chaos, rooted in God's peace and promises. This is the place where Christian women like you learn to release the weight of fixing and striving and instead lean into God's strength to create a home filled with love, grace, and hope. She is clothed with strength and dignity. Proverbs 31:25. That's you. You may not feel like it yet, but you are stronger than you know. And God has so much more for you than carrying someone else's addiction.
[3:12] Tanya: Here we'll uncover how to set healthy boundaries with love and a little humor. Find resilience and grace in the messy moments of life. Celebrate small victories and embrace joy like never before. Lean into God's promises for restoration and strength because he's not done with your story or your loved ones. This is your invitation to rise up. Embrace your worth in God's kingdom and take back what's been stolen by addiction. Your peace, your joy, your future. Your faith is the foundation and your boundaries are the bridge. And God's truth is your guide.
[3:53] Tanya: I'm Tanya Gioia, your host and fellow traveler on this journey through the chaos of addiction. I'm here to cheer you on, equip you with tools that work, and share the truth that's changed my life. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10. Together, we'll uncover how to create safe, loving space for healing. Starting with your own heart and home. By setting boundaries, trusting God's plan, and embracing his truth, you can reclaim your joy, your peace, and your family's future. Then you will be able to stand firm for your family and legacy as a kingdom daughter. A woman who can laugh at the days to come knowing her identity is secure in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and get comfortable. Let's walk this journey together. We're about to take back what's been stolen, create a safe healing space for you and your family, and rediscover the joy God has waiting for you.
[4:59] [Music Ends]
[5:00] Tanya: Welcome to the Faith Over Addiction podcast. I'm Tanya Gioia, your host. I am bringing you another beautiful Christ lover and we're going to talk about something near and dear to my heart. This is Kristen Wambach and she's going to talk to us about this beautiful identity in Christ to where we can be seen and we can also feel safe. So Kristen, open up for us what God laid on your heart this morning.
[5:32] Kristen: Ah, exactly that. So, a few months ago, when Tanya and I connected and we said the big yes—yes, we have something to talk about to share—I went into my secret place and I asked God, I said, "What is important? What's—what do you want to bring out of everybody's heart? And what do you want us to hear today?" And I really just felt prompted that there's so many times in our life we don't feel seen even in our own homes and our own communities and our relationships. But I want to be seen—feel that tangible feeling of being seen by God. And how do I—how do I find that his—his eyes looking at me? And how do I find it so it makes me feel safe? Because when we feel safe, boy, we can just overcome anything, when we can crawl right back into that secret place with God and we feel that hug and that safety as a father, as a leader, as an overcomer. And that's what he laid on my heart today for us to talk about, for us to share.
[6:45] Tanya: Amazing. So, as I talk to more and more women, that feeling of safety is probably primary. You know, am I safe in my house? Am I financially safe? Am I a safe person? Am I with a safe person? Are my children—you know, we talk a lot about safety. And and that always—when you talk about being seen sometimes when we raise our hand or speak out we don't always get a response that makes us feel safe. So in the identity as we're building our identity in Christ, what's your take on that safety coming from that inner light rather than financial resources, having a good job, having a great marriage, kids are doing well, all those types of things. So how do we maintain that safety in our identity in Christ rather than allowing the world to tell us whether we are safe or not?
[7:53] Kristen: Mmm, thank you. Thank you. I'm going to add a story where there was a conflict in my life because that just brings it to the forefront. Um, years and years and years and years and years. I'm 66, so I can say years and years. My husband and I and my little ones—I have four sons.
[8:16] Tanya: That qualifies me as something... having four—that qualifies you for a lot. I'm surprised you still have drywall in your house.
[8:21] Kristen: I know, the wrestling alone! They are all happy and healthy adults. Yay. But when they were little and we started attending church in Portland, which is just about an hour away and I was growing in my faith with God and and he was calling me as a leader—you know, here I—I'm trying to hold life together here. Church was an hour away. So as a young mom, you understand, okay, you got to shuffle everybody. You have to be super organized. Get them in the car. Now we have to drive for an hour. So you have to have snacks and water and all—I mean, this is before we even get out the door.
[9:11] Tanya: Yes. Yes.
[9:15] Kristen: So God called us to a 6,000 member church. Talk about not being seen.
[9:19] Tanya: Yes.
[9:21] Kristen: How do you fit in? and you got to shuffle your kids down and sign them in and all that stuff and find your place. Well, we've been attending there for a while and I'm musical. So, usually one of the first places that God will create a community for me is in the area of music and worship. And so he kept prompting me, "Oh, join the choir, join the choir, join the choir." Well, that didn't feel too hard because I had quite a bit of experience.
[9:57] Kristen: So, I remember the day that yes, you can come in, you can join the choir. And I went in and—we're talking a church back in the day and they have the big screens and the video and they're on television. This was okay—they're on television. The choir dresses and we kind of match and all this other stuff. So, I'm getting my first time there for choir practice. And the choir leader, very successful, creative young man, he starts to introduce the new members that came to the choir. And he—all of a sudden he calls this one very attractive young lady up and oh he just gave this pedigree like she's this and this and she's sang here and here and she's—her whole pedigree of how accomplished she was. And then he introduced me and he goes, "Um, excuse me, what's your name?"
[11:15] Tanya: Ouch.
[11:18] Kristen: Talk about feeling unseen. And that was my first exposure. I mean, I just felt like this big. Here's the hindsight: her pedigree—this person who was so flowery introduced before me—her pedigree kind of shook like sand and issues came up and she was very inconsistent and wasn't there very long. Within three months, God had moved me forward. I was part of the worship team. I got to sing special music and solos. So what was God doing there? He—he was trying to get all of us to see past the pedigree, past the accomplishments, to see where he place his eyes, his anointing.
[12:20] Kristen: So, but it was—I mean that was just point blank. "Excuse me, what is your name?" Ouch. It just hurt. And you know that's after you do all the mom stuff, all the organization, and then you just feel like, well, hello. Can't you do your research? Can't you—you take the time to welcome people and remember their name.
[12:50] Tanya: Yeah. Yeah.
[12:53] Kristen: But God never forgets our name. Never. Never. Palm of his hand.
[12:58] Tanya: Yeah.
[13:00] Kristen: He never forgets who we are and he always remembers—he knows what we've done to be there. He knows where our heart is and he will always expose a heart that is set to know him and share him.
[13:20] Tanya: Yeah. Always. What did you do—so, it expanded, right? What did you do that day, that afternoon, when you felt so unseen and so unheard?
[13:38] Kristen: I stayed quiet because there's safety in being quiet. And I remember coming home and that's when you run to your secret place and say, "God, that didn't feel good."
[13:57] [Music] [13:58] Kristen: "That just did not feel good." But I didn't let it stop the encouragement that he'd given me to be there—that I was in the right place, and it was the right time and he had called me to do that and it opened so many doors because I just stood in what he had spoken to me.
[14:28] Tanya: So instead of accepting how the world saw you, you stood in the fact that he said you need to be here.
[14:38] Kristen: Yes.
[14:40] Tanya: How did you get to that place to where you were listening to him over everybody else?
[14:48] Kristen: My number one tool is journaling. And I know so many people roll their eyes at me. I've taught journaling, but that's the number one thing that—if I could hand some tangible, it would be to journal. I have 30 years plus of journaling. So I went from paper notebooks to digital and now I actually you know teach and share that. But when I started to write down what I felt, what I felt I heard God say, he confirmed and honored that. So it's like—between you and I—I wrote down your first response to me. And when I place honor on that, then God comes in and goes, "Oh, I see that." And then honor continues to build. So when you feel heard and seen, what does he do? He goes, "Oh, she's honoring what she hears me say." And so then he gives you more and he gives you more and he gives you more because you're listening to God. The same thing we want—to be heard. We want people to listen to us. God is the same way.
[16:20] Tanya: Break that down—into I know you teach this—break that down into tiny steps. What can the woman sitting at home going, "You know what, I don't feel very heard. I don't feel very listened to, especially in my family." Where can she start with her journal? What is something that she could start with today?
[16:38] Kristen: Thanking God that, okay, I have a pen and I have a piece of paper. I'm sitting here. "God, hello." Even if you write hello, it reminds me of Hagar in the desert who is fleeing from Sarah and she's given the last of the water to her boy and she's going to wait to die. And I think a lot of us feel like that in some of our relationships when you're at that death stage you talk about in your unfinished book about unmasking the enemy. What—what lies is the enemy telling you when you have given away the last of your water and you feel so unseen and you're just waiting to die?
[17:30] Kristen: Well, if I were writing that in my journal: "Oh hello, I just gave away the last of what I perceive. Whether it's the last five bucks in my checking account, whether it's like, oh, my husband and I—oh, we just tore each other apart. Oh, God, that just feels—what do I do with that? And now, God, even though this has happened, I still got to be a mom. I still got to take care of my kids. I still have to collect myself, go to work today." And so that "hello" is—is huge. But even though there's hell in the hello, which life sometimes can feel that way, you just go, "Oh, God." And there—there's something about when you write down your authentic feelings. You're not trying to cover them up.
[18:37] Tanya: Mhmm.
[18:40] Kristen: And you usually Holy Spirit will come in and say to me and go, "Well, how—how's that working for you?" But I've given God that permission, that place to talk to me. I—I want to talk about my real me. What was my part when I had an argument with my husband? What was my part? What was his perspective? And he'll usually get get down in there and say, "You know, you have a feeling here, a hurt here, and you came from that point of hurt, and it really wasn't about your husband and you." And I'll go, "You're right." And if I would have discussed a hurt with him ahead of time, maybe I wouldn't have triggered and flipped off the handle.
[19:40] Tanya: Yeah.
[19:41] Kristen: And that's the power of Hello. "I feel like this." Because when you write it down, it's like God is sitting right there looking over your shoulder and going, "Uh-huh. Yeah. Well, why do you feel like that?" And you get to share it and tell it and you feel heard. Then all of a sudden, he starts flooding your comings and your goings with the—the need. He starts filling the need on your way to work on the radio when he turns on that—that your favorite song that makes you feel like, oh you can—you know I mean—and that's because he's communicating to you.
[20:41] Tanya: What—what about—so I think there's a step—a little bit of a step before that of trust. What if I don't feel safe to tell God how I really feel? I—I know in a way that seems—he already knows you. He knows who you are, but writing it down makes it more real. How can I trust that? Just like for Hagar, well, he told Hagar to do something she didn't want to do. How can I trust that God is there and out for my good?
[21:22] Kristen: All right. Okay. Which story? I have a couple other stories. I go, "Oh, which—which h—trust is something that is built into a relationship." And I'm going to say a lot of people would say trust is earned, which in some avenues that's not incorrect, but in my experience with God, he doesn't put that "earn" word into the conversation. It's: we take "hello, I feel" and sometimes we say, "God, are you there?" So every time that we are vulnerable and share how we feel with God, then hearing him speak to us throughout the day in those secret places on the way to work, walking the kids in the park—when we hear those, we also write down what we perceived. Over a period of time, trust is built.
[22:47] Kristen: So, I have a story. Um, kids are middle school—the oldest ones—junior, freshman, sophomore, in high school. So, they're feeling their testosterone. There's a lot of testosterone in the home. I got to wear—I got to put pink on just to feel like, "Oh, hello, God. Here's some estrogen." So, I have my estrogen turned up. I already know that. Yeah, God, you've called me to be a leader. And how? And so, I remember in this season where you're just depositing everywhere and I was feeling a tad bit frumpy. So, I hadn't painted my nails. I probably hadn't trimmed my hair in a while. And the checking account—it's organized, but—it'd be so much safer if it was a little fuller, right?
[23:56] Kristen: And so I'm busy. I think I'm teaching a woman's Bible study and I'm at home having my quiet time with the Lord. And I get up in the morning to have that precious cup of coffee and I kid you not, in my kitchen there is a huge timber slug and it is crawling on my kitchen counter. Ew. "What are you doing here? Oh, there's a timber slug." And it made me like—oh, it's leaving slime. Oh, and that feeling like, "What are you doing in here?" And so immediately I think well did I bring any flowers in from—you know—that he how? And then I just went oh that feeling in my kitchen. And so I'm sitting down with God with that, "Oh, what is that timber slug doing in my kitchen and he's slimy and he—it's a slug." And all of a sudden I thought I went, "Huh? Well, well, God, did you put the timber slug there?"
[25:02] [Music]
[25:07] Kristen: But that feeling of that day, that morning, do you know what I did that day? I went and got a haircut. I went to the local thrift store and bought a couple of new outfits.
[25:20] Tanya: Nice.
[25:21] Kristen: Yeah. And I just—that's what I did that day. That afternoon I got a call from a—a young lady who um I was connected to in ministry and stuff. She called me. She goes, "Kristen, they're having this legacy meeting over here in McMinnville. You need to come."
[25:48] Tanya: Mhmm.
[25:49] Kristen: That was the very next day. She called me in the afternoon, very next day. I got to be there by 10:00. But remember, I got my haircut. I have something new to put on. I was done out the door on the road. And I said, "God, you got to save me a ticket." Done. Walked in, had a ticket, everything. I felt kind of good. I—I felt—I felt good about myself. Yeah. Remember where it started was that that timber slug like—hello, we need—we need to fix it up a bit here.
[26:24] Kristen: And so I'm sitting there in the audience and this just a miracle that I'm here and and feeling kind of together. And I'm sitting with—chitchatting with some girlfriends that I see here and there. And all of a sudden—okay, so we got to start with a timber slug. We feel better. We get a haircut. We get a new little outfit on. We're feeling good. And all of a sudden, up on the platform—and I'm in a new environment with people that I don't really know—all of a sudden, this huge angel appears on the platform.
[26:59] Tanya: Wow.
[27:01] Kristen: Huge angel smiling at me. And he was dark skinned and he looked like some Arabian chief or something. He was gorgeous—royal, satiny clothes—and he just smiled at me with these big pearly whites and I went—okay, I went wow God. And some of my friends know that God has been teaching me these kind of things and showing me these, so I whisper to her I go, "You should see this huge angel—he's gorgeous." And I'm—I'm telling her right? and so then we had an afternoon break in the conference and all of a sudden she comes up to me, you know, I'm eating my lunch and she comes to me. She goes, "Oh, by the way, I told the host about your encounter that there's an angel and he might call you up." Oh, no. No.
[28:04] Kristen: So, we're back from lunch for our afternoon session and sure as—he said, "Uh, excuse me. Where—where—where's the lady that saw the angel up on the thing?" And I went—and all of a sudden I'm up there. They hand me the microphone and I tell this amazing story about this beautiful angel named Chairman. Well, I've had relationship with Chairman since that time. That particular church body still calls me the "angel lady." But I am so thankful that God put a slug on my kitchen counter the day before so I could feel better about myself because what he was going to do the next day—he was going to put me in front of people that are my peers and a microphone in my hand.
[29:00] Tanya: Wow. Wow. What is it that that said to you? You're living with five men at that point, right? You got four sons and a husband. Somebody else can take care of this slug.
[29:16] Kristen: Yes.
[29:17] Tanya: It's not your job. What said to you, okay, I'm going to go take—this is a signal to take care of myself. A lot of us would have squished the slug, thrown it away, been angry all day, been frustrated like you said, "How did I get in here?" Look for the why. All those types of things. You saw it as an opportunity to say, "I am important. I'm an image bearer. I'm going to go take care of myself," which set up a whole domino effect. What took you in that direction? What did God say to you during that—that morning prayer time?
[29:52] Kristen: Well, I don't know that it's words. It was the feeling that lingered that caused me to move. That feeling of the grossness—of the grossness of a slug.
[30:03] Tanya: Yeah.
[30:04] Kristen: It was the feeling. I didn't have the aha moment, "Oh, this is God." No. Heck no. When I looked back on it, I went—the feeling that it made me feel. And he knew—he knew it would move me to do something to feel better about myself. Nothing better than a new "do" and a new outfit.
[30:31] Tanya: Even from the local thrift store. Absolutely. I'm a thrifter myself. Most of what I've got on has come from the thrift store. When you are—so you had a lot of people to take care of, right? You're the only woman in this this group. A lot of the listeners are in that situation to where if they don't handle it, it's not going to get handled. That could be the mortgage. That could be food on the table. That could be getting a child to school. How do you step out and trust and say, "God, I'm not big enough to handle this. I need you." Which is basically what Hagar did when he told her to go back. She said, "You're the God who really sees." And she went back.
[31:26] Kristen: I think God rearranges the sentence. We might say, "Well, I don't feel big enough." But if you put that God sees me—if you put those goofy things that he does for us before that—then that's what gives us the courage. I'm not—in my "hello" in journaling—I'm not complaining that, "Oh, if it doesn't get done, I have to do this. I have to do this." No, I'm writing down what I feel. I honor who I am. I honor that these feelings are authentic. They're there for a reason. That's the reason why we need Holy Spirit in our lives. And if we don't allow Holy Spirit to come in and comfort us and bring peace—because if we stuff down those feelings, then we're denying Holy Spirit of the ministry to us to encourage us to say, "Oh, you know what? You are strong enough."
[32:37] Kristen: And when you start saying hello and you have 20 pages of hello, then you have 200 pages of hello. You have a history of trust and you can go back and say—that's right. I did that and he'll remind you just like my story of the slug. He reminds me today when I was asking God for you, for our listeners, for this time—it came up like this because I wrote it down and I remembered how God made me feel. So when God goes to such extents to make us feel seen and we write it down, then that just builds and we go, "You know what? I can call the bank today and I—I am a big enough person that I say we're going to pay half here and half here." And I'm that person that will actually follow through with that. I'm the mom that I can show up at the counselor's office at the high school because my kids got into it with somebody. And I won't make excuses for my kids, but I will show up and I will listen. I will be responsible. I will hear. And then I'll have a discussion with my son with appropriate consequences.
[34:15] Tanya: Let's come back to safety. So, you've had two experiences. You're—you're up in front of people with the choir. You're up in front of people at this other church and you're speaking. Now, one of the things you talk about in your book is unmasking the enemy. What happens after you are seen? And how do you deal with that? Because a lot of us stay unseen because it doesn't feel safe. So, how do you deal with it when the enemy says, "No, that wasn't the right thing to say." Or, "No, that wasn't what you needed to be doing." Or, you know, the more we get seen—and you can see this with people in ministry—the more you get seen, the attacks get heavier.
[35:16] Kristen: I'm thinking how to say it. I have learned—I didn't learn it just yesterday or the day before—but I have learned that my focus on God is so much more powerful than the impressions that the enemy would like to put in front of my face. There is a—a learned response in communication that if there is a—a thought that continues to pester me to say that you can't or you or you won't—I have enough history with God. I have enough "hellos" that I can say God didn't say that. And my focus is on what God said—on what God said. And therefore I'm not duking it out with the enemy. I don't even have my boxing gloves here. I mean, his boxing gloves, he would—I don't have time for him and his negativity. I don't—I don't have time because I'm focusing on God. I'm focusing on me. I'm focusing on all of the fullness that he put in me so that I can be a great me, a great wife, and a great mom.
[37:07] Kristen: And guess what? If I fail in those things, that's what forgiveness is for. And I—I've learned to be quick with forgiveness. Quick. Because the quicker I am to forgive myself, the quicker I am to say, "Oh, geez, Joseph, I'm really sorry. Mom just lost it there. Would you forgive me?" Quick with my children. Quick with my husband. And then in that moment of quickness when I have authentically said, "I messed up. Geez, would you forgive me?" So then sometimes the enemy will throw a card in and the people around us will go, "Oh, but you—you did this, Mom." I'll go, "Excuse me. Doesn't forgiveness erase and bring the slate back to where we began?" So I know the power of forgiveness and I—sometimes you have to remind people: "I asked forgiveness for this. Do you remember? I am sorry you feel this way." And what it does is that it just like—throws the boxing gloves. Yes. They have to put the boxing gloves in their own secret place and they get to deal with it.
[38:37] Tanya: What—what do you do with self forgiveness? I'm so glad you brought up forgiveness. What do you do with self forgiveness? Because often why we are hurt, wounded, and want to stay unseen is we don't feel worthy. What do you do with self forgiveness?
[38:59] Kristen: Actually, that was something that took me years to learn. And I was usually the last person to forgive. But that's why we have a relationship. And he doesn't point it out. He builds us up so that we can walk on it and and and learn. God never points out my failures or my—my weaknesses. He just has to be a part of who we are in life. I had to learn to forgive myself. I had to learn to put my chair at the beginning of the line. I had to learn: well, what is my conviction in this area? What is important to me? Who do I think I—I am? What's important to me to portray for my life? But I had to learn to have that conversation.
[40:12] Kristen: And then when I started to write down: "Well, this is who I am. This is what I like to do. This is the pretty pink paint in my room. That's because I'm feminine and—and I like it." And I had to take time to know who I am. And then when I act unbecomingly, I go, "Oh, that—that's not who I want to be." Yeah. Because I've had that conversation with myself and the Lord is there, right? "Well, that's not who I said that I wanted to be." And therefore you have this balance because you've spoken to yourself how you want to be and therefore you can put a check and go, "Oh, that's unbecoming. I'm not going to respond that way." But I—I didn't learn to move my chair to the front of the line for years and years and years.
[41:24] Tanya: What kept you from moving your chair to the front of the line?
[41:30] Kristen: Oh, that's a—that's a powerful question. I also grew up with three brothers and was the only girl.
[41:38] Tanya: You have been surrounded by young men for a long time. Help me Jesus.
[41:44] Kristen: So, in your question—yeah. Wow. It's the grace of God that goes before me. You have to look at where you've come from to realize that maybe you're the person that God placed in your family. And those generations might go back a bit farther than—maybe you are the person that God said, "I brought you into this family to draw that line in the sand of Jesus Christ." because you are going to change the way your family responds, the way your family loves and has a relationship with God. And that's how he taught me to move the chair forward because I had to believe. I go—"I am the one that you placed in the family. I am the one."
[43:02] Kristen: So if you're the one in the family that's drawn that line in the sand of Jesus Christ, then you need to know yourself so that you can always be the first one to check off and go, "Ooh, that was unbecoming. That wasn't appropriate behavior." Because you know that you're the one. And maybe that's just outside your family. Maybe it's in your generation. So you start feeling what God has placed inside of you—him—and how important it is for us to—we want to grow. We desire to grow. It's not that we need to grow. We desire to grow.
[43:56] Kristen: One of my favorite key scriptures in my life is from Romans 8. It's 37-39. And I love the Mirror Translation by Francois Du Toit. It says: "On the contrary, in the thick of these things, our triumph remains beyond dispute." What God did for you and I is beyond dispute. In the thick of things—whether I behave well, whether I don't behave well—his love has placed us above the onslaught. So, here we are. Here's the onslaught. His love—we're seated in heavenly places right there. We are above the onslaught. And this is my conviction: "No threat, whether it be death or life, be it celestial messengers, demon powers, or political principalities. Nothing known to us at this time or even in the unknown future. No dimension of any calculation in time or space, nor a device not yet invented has what it takes to separate you and I from the love of God unveiled in our hearts in Jesus Christ." Nothing.
[45:27] Tanya: Amen.
[45:28] Kristen: Nothing. No freaky things. No spiritual woo woo. No devices or energies made by man. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
[45:45] Tanya: What keeps that instilled in you when those fleshly things are coming up and you want to behave—because our flesh says "I want to behave like this. I feel slighted. I feel wronged. I feel unheard. I specifically feel unsafe." How do you hold that? That—that I think is the key. How do you walk it out?
[46:11] Kristen: Okay, there's onslaught. Seated in heavenly places, you learn over a period of time to remain being seated. Now, your spirit never moved from being seated—ever.
[46:31] Tanya: Mhmm.
[46:33] Kristen: It's just as you said, our—our flesh sometimes forgets subconscious mind. "Subconscious mind, let my spirit lead." Wow. "Subconscious mind, let my spirit lead me into prosperity. Subconscious mind, let my spirit lead me into peace."
[46:58] Tanya: And now—now let's break that down. When you say "let my spirit," what we're saying is let my spirit married to the Holy Spirit, right? This is not me saying "I want, I need, I must have." This is—subconscious mind, let my spirit think—I'd have to say connected to the Holy Spirit—lead me in the direction you want me to take today. Like when your day blows up—you know, somebody needs something, somebody's sick, the dog ran off, the car won't start—you know, whatever is happening, let my spirit lead. Maybe the Holy Spirit's telling you to stay home and take a nap.
[47:38] Kristen: Yeah. Yeah. But let my spirit—if—if—if we were to put our spirit underneath a microscope. Microscope—there we go. A microscope. You could not find the difference. You couldn't say, "Oh, this is God's spirit. This is Holy Spirit. This is Jesus's spirit. And this is mine." You could not separate them. And oh, by the way, oh, here's—oh, here's Tanya. She's in there. And oh, maybe this is Barbara, one of her listeners. Oh, there's Elizabeth in there, too. Oh, Elizabeth—oh my goodness. A brand new set of twins. Oh my. She's in there, too. Let our spirit lead.
[48:36] Tanya: That's a very powerful statement. That's a really powerful statement, Kristen. It really is. So, I'm going to have to—I'm going to have to ponder that because when we get in those situations to where you feel unsafe, which often makes us act out of control because we're trying to regain control. That's a surrender statement that says, "I am out of control, but I know who's in control, and I'm going to let it happen." Not the bad behavior. I'm gonna let whatever—you know, the car's not starting. Yeah. I'm gonna let it happen. Yeah. I'm gonna pull up my big girl pants today and say, "Ah, I could probably call my neighbor and she could give me a ride to work." But we can't do that until we calm down out of, you know—"How could this? Why is God—this is on top of me? Shouldn't they? Blah blah blah." We have all kinds of things. We have it. It's like—you remember the seven layer bean salad? It's like the seven layer bean salad and I'm trying to swim through the top to get out. You know, that's a very 1970s mayonnaisey type thing. It—it's—it's so thick. I can't get out of the swamp to say, "You know, subconscious mind, let my spirit connected—for I'd have to say connected to the Holy Spirit—lead me."
[50:04] Kristen: I have a question for you.
[50:06] Tanya: Yes, ma'am.
[50:07] Kristen: Who said that you were on the inside of the salad anyhow?
[50:11] Tanya: That's true. That's true. That's what—that's what it feels like. I—I call my house the swamp. Thank goodness I work from home in the sense that to get out of the house, there's so many things that call to me. The dishes need to be done. The floor's not swept. The dog needed a walk. That I look at being somewhere on time and I'm like, "Oh, you're always late." So, I'm already beating myself up because I have fought this swamp to get out the door rather than commanding the swamp in the name of Jesus. "Be still. Be calm. Let me get to my Alpha or the youth group or whatever I'm going to that day."
[50:56] Kristen: Great coaching session, Kristen. Oh, so when we come back and say subconscious mind—that's where all that busy and all the—the onslaught happens. Let my spirit lead. So lead—we learn to lead ourselves. Okay, the dishes need to be done. The dog needs to be walked. We've got a week's full of laundry here, and I got to go do this, this, and this, and this. Okay, I think I need to get organized. What is important? What is actually got my name on it? Sometimes we have to figure out what has my name on it, what doesn't have my name on it. Or did I allow a whole bunch of other people to put my name on it? That's why you say hello.
[51:52] Tanya: Or let me give you this one. I think this is a lot of the audience. Or to feel safe, I want to continue to overload myself. So: one, my mind stays busy, I don't have to think about what the real issues are I need to deal with. Or two, people in my family, my friends, my group will like me because I act this way. And what I've been hearing you say is: do the hello. How does God want me to act? What am I responsible for according to him? Even if I lose some relationships, I haven't done it in a way that is—um—often how we do it, that that is angry and destructive. I've said this: God is asking me not to serve here right now. This is—this is not where I need to be. That's having true identity safety in the only person who can make us safe. We cannot—I cannot look to you. I cannot look to family. I cannot look to friends. They can't keep me safe. Only God can. And again, you know, we got to be realistic. That is safety in the spirit. Sometimes safety in the pocketbook, safety in the housing, safety in the car running—it's not there.
[53:15] Kristen: I like to ask a lot of questions of God because fear—False Evidence Appearing Real. Amen. Well, mmm—I might say, "Well, why do I feel unsafe in my finances?"
[53:30] [Music]
[53:33] Kristen: Well, I could come back—because I didn't balance my checkbook in the beginning. There's—there's a behavior right there of organization. That's a "hello." I'm going to balance my checkbook here, here, here, here, and here. Been there, done that. Or maybe I've abdicated my responsibility—either as an earner or as a spender—as a—how do you put this? As—as someone who is being cognitively dissonant. I say this is what I'm doing, but I'm not actually implementing what I'm doing. and—and not in the sense of self-reprimand, but in the sense of: "God, you've asked me for this and I have pretty much put up my hand and said no." and—that—yeah. and I go, "You want me to do this—I have this, this, and this—and you—you—you want me to be the one who does the finance hello?" Um, "God, remember the dyslexia that turns the numbers out and screws around with—so we can't add here." I go—and—and—and other people in the house actually went to college to be an accountant and you're asking me? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. He'd say, "Yes, I am."
[54:55] Tanya: Yeah.
[54:57] Kristen: And oh, by the way, I'm healing you of that dyslexia.
[55:01] Tanya: Yeah.
[55:02] Kristen: And he goes, "Yes, I am. I'm teaching you how to balance your checkbook so that later in years you can have four online businesses and a ministry and be an author because you need to learn how to organize and repicture." Sometimes it's reparent, but repicture yourself on who you are.
[55:30] Tanya: Because that's—that's one of you—you've hit one of the key things that—that—that has been on my heart lately is—um—instead of asking God for things, to speak over—speak life over the things that are already there or will be. "I know that you will provide. I know that there is the right house. I know that there is the right car. I know that there is the right plan for my sons. I know that there is the next step." To speak it out as if, rather than to—I don't think there's anything wrong coming to God and and humbly asking. But his call on me right now is to speak it out as if, rather than to ask him to provide. To say, "You've already provided. It's already here." And I don't mean that as a "blab it or grab it" or any type of thing like that. It's just speaking life rather than coming to the throne as a beggar because we're not beggars.
[56:33] Kristen: And I will come right back to the power of journaling. When you—you journal your hellos and all of a sudden—because we're not journaling the trials of the day, we start journaling—we get creative and we go, "Oh, uh, I—I—I really like the way my neighbors did fix their yard with the pots and the flowers." And that's—and you start getting creative. And Holy Spirit goes, "Well, well, yeah, you—you have that really cute wire box in the—in the backyard. Why don't you fill that with some soil and go get some flowers from the nursery?" and and get you—all of a sudden see yourself creatively. And God—that creativity goes, "Oh, can you see yourself in—in four or five years? Can you see your husband and you? Can you see a—you're renting this house because you're buying a larger one and what would it look like?" Oh, it—it would have two bathrooms. Oh, "God deliver me to two bathrooms." And that's it. You allow yourself to be creative and it starts coming through.
[58:00] Kristen: So, as you said, we're not asking out of need. We're asking because there's a relationship of how big God is and we're seated above the onslaught having a conversation with him being the one in the family because we can wear our "big girl pants"—and some of us get to have multicolored big girl pants with the polka dots because we wear so many hats.
[58:30] Tanya: Yeah. Yeah, that's why God created you to be you, because you can. And we're trusting that what he says is true in Jeremiah that his plans are good for us. You were trusting that that is happening. That and and I think it's much like confidence. You have to—you have to step out and do it. And that's how you gain confidence, not by waiting for it to happen. And so to step out and thank him for what is already being provided says "I trust you already." You know we were back to—is trust earned or is trust given. I trust you already. And unlike trusting the human realm, we're trusting somebody who is trustworthy, cannot lie, and will fulfill on the promises.
[59:18] Kristen: Mhmm.
[59:20] Tanya: Stepping out into that changes the perspective on, "Oh my God, there's a timber slug on my counter." And you know, I can see how a lot of people would say that's really hard to extrapolate on that I should take care of myself. But the truth is, if you had chosen not to take care of yourself, gone after a member of the family and said, "Why didn't you blah blah blah whatever," and then got—just gone down the drain, it would have been a rotten day. And when your girlfriend called, you probably would have said, "I can't do that. I'm in too much of a mess. I'm in too much of a sweat to do this." It's amazing. Kristen, you've been amazing. Tell us where we can find more. You have a beautiful podcast. We have—we're a little over time, but tell us where we can find more of you. Your podcast, what that looks like for you.
[1:00:15] Kristen: Uh-huh. My podcast is called Interviewing Jesus. It's pretty simple. Interviewing Jesus. You can find me at kristenwambach.com. Um, boy, if you put my name in, it'll go all over social media because years ago, God said, "You have to be findable." So, it's my responsibility—our responsibility as leaders—to be findable. So, that's why we go, we put our stuff out there. This is to be found. And yes, my first book is The Unfinished Book. And I'll share—it shares my raw story of a Baptist farm girl sitting in the pew and all the way—all the hard places of figuring out who I was and how God opened up my spiritual eyes so I could see and what man thought about me seeing. Not very comfortable, right? and leading me. That's how I got there. That's how I arrived because God said, "You're seated here above the onslaught." And so, he's started telling our stories from this location. He didn't—he doesn't tell our stories from that location in the midst of the onslaught. He speaks to us from that place—seated in heavenly places—above the onslaught. And he has the patience and the love and the persistence to constantly speak to us from there until we never listen from anywhere else.
[1:02:14] Tanya: Amen. So I encourage all of you: head over to kristenwambach.com. She's got a lot of things on there—all kinds of planners, other blogs, her—her Unfinished Book, and um this Interviewing Jesus podcast. Amen. Amen. Kristen, would you pray over the audience before we go?
[1:02:40] Kristen: Absolutely. Father God, I thank you for an opportunity to gather hundreds of chairs. Hundreds of chairs—above the onslaught. Thank you for reminding each one of us that we are seated in heavenly places. We're there. And Father, I ask that you'd open up our eyes and our ears and our hearts and our perceptions to only hear you from that perspective. Thank you, God, for making us feel tangibly safe. Thank you, God, for making us feel tangibly loved—tangible. You are a touchable and tangible God. Open up our feelers to know. And thank you, God, for giving us the courage to pull that piece of paper and that pencil or pen out and say every single day, "Hello. What should we talk about today?" God, thank you for the blessing of hearing your encouragement. I bless you and say, "Yes, you can," in Jesus name. Amen.
[1:04:10] Tanya: Amen. Thank you so much Kristen for being here. What a great discussion.
[1:04:15] Kristen: Thank you.
[1:04:18] [Music/Outro]
[1:04:20] Tanya: Thanks so much for tuning in to the Faith Over Addiction podcast. Remember nothing changes until something changes. Today is your day to step out in faith and make a difference. You are a daughter of the King, a woman who can spark incredible ripple effects of hope and healing, not just in your own life, but in your family, your community, and God's kingdom. If this episode encouraged you, bless someone else by sharing it. Send it to a friend who needs a little hope, or post it on Instagram and tag me. I'd love to hear what resonated most with you.
[1:04:54] Tanya: And hey, if you're ready to reclaim your God-given identity and create a safe, loving space for yourself and those you care about, let's talk. Book a quick call with me today and I'd love to hear your story and help you take the next step. Oh, and don't forget to head over to Apple Podcast, search for Faith Over Addiction, and leave me a review. Your feedback not only makes my day, but helps other women find this podcast and step into freedom, too. You are strong. You are loved. And the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10. Until next time, keep walking boldly into the life God has for you.
[1:05:35] [Music Ends]

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Conclusion: Finding Your Seat

The "onslaught" of life—the demands of family, the weight of ministry, and the noise of the enemy—often tries to convince us that we are drowning in the swamp. But as Kristen Wambach reminds us, the truth is found in our spiritual geography. You aren't on the inside of the struggle; you are seated in heavenly places, far above the chaos. Whether it is a "timber slug" on your counter or a season of feeling unseen, these moments are not your identity. They are simply prompts to return to the secret place, open your journal, and say, "Hello, God." When you prioritize that connection, you stop fighting for victory and start living from it. You are the one God placed in your family to draw the line in the sand. It’s time to move your chair to the front of the line and let your spirit lead.

Your Next Step: Activate Your Identity

Are you ready to shift from striving to standing? Kristen has designed specific tools to help you navigate your journey with heavenly wisdom and authentic authority.

• Listen to the Full Interview: Dive deeper into the conversation on the Faith Over Addiction podcast and hear the full "Angel Lady" story.
• Start Your "Hello" Journal: Download Kristen’s journaling prompts to begin building your own history of trust with God today.
• Explore the "Spiritually BRAVE" Framework: Visit the coaching page to learn how to simplify the supernatural and connect with your God-inspired DNA calling.

Listen to the Episode

Explore Coaching with Kristen

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Identity, Sonship & Healing

"Unlock the blueprint of your creation. Leveraging 20 years of transformation coaching, Kristen Wambach guides you into the discovery of your Spiritual DNA calling. This pillar is dedicated to anchoring your Identity in Christ and experiencing the miraculous restoration that occurs when your life aligns with Heaven’s original intent."

•   Walking in Faith: Harnessing the Power to Create (Broken to Beautiful Podcast)

•  Being Seen and Feeling Safe: Finding Your Identity in Christ (Faith Over Addiction)

•   Hearing God's Voice & A Testimony of Miraculous Healing (Her Desired Haven)

• Hearing God & Healing Generations (The Kim Sorrelle Show)

PRESS RELEASE
Corvallis Author and Global Voice Kristen Wambach Featured on Faith Over Addiction Podcast: A Call to Spiritual Leadership and Identity
CORVALLIS, OR — Kristen Wambach, a Corvallis-based ordained pastor, acclaimed author, and host of the Interviewing Jesus Podcast, was recently featured as the guest expert on the latest episode of the Faith Over Addiction podcast. This landmark episode serves as a primary resource for Wambach’s mission to empower women through spiritual authority and the "Spiritually BRAVE" lifestyle.
In the episode, titled "Seated Above the Onslaught: Finding Safety in Your Identity," Wambach draws from her 40+ years of ministry leadership to address the heavy burdens of family addiction and the "onslaught" of modern striving. Representing Pillar 4: Leadership, Entrepreneurship & The Global Voice, Wambach demonstrates how local leadership in the Pacific Northwest translates into a global message of restoration and divine wisdom.

“We often feel like we are fighting from the bottom of a swamp,” says Wambach. “But the truth of our identity is that we are already seated in heavenly places. This episode is about helping women in Corvallis and around the world reclaim their peace and move their 'chair to the front of the line' in their own families.”
The episode highlights critical themes for Wambach’s "Global Voice" platform:

• The "Hello" Protocol: A practical journaling framework for establishing an authentic, daily history of trust with God.
• Navigating the Onslaught: A Theological Deep Dive into Romans 8 (Mirror Translation) regarding spiritual safety.
• Generational Cycle Breaking: How to stand as a "Kingdom Daughter" and draw a line in the sand for family legacy.
• Spiritual Leadership: Commanding the subconscious mind to follow the spirit to find peace in chaotic environments.

As a transformation coach and the voice behind the Interviewing Jesus Podcast, Wambach continues to bridge the gap between heaven and earth for aspiring entrepreneurs and seekers of deeper truth. This latest feature reinforces her standing as a trusted Christian voice and an expert in navigating the intersection of faith and practical life.
The full interview, complete transcript, and reader activations are available now at kristenwambach.com/interview-faith-over-addiction-spiritual-safety.
About Kristen Wambach:
Kristen Wambach is an ordained pastor, transformation coach, and author based in Corvallis, Oregon. With over 20 years of experience teaching people to engage with the spiritual realm, she is the creator of the Kristen Wambach Coaching Framework and host of the Interviewing Jesus Podcast. She is dedicated to helping individuals connect with their God-inspired DNA calling through authenticity and divine wisdom.
#Media Contact:
Kristen Wambach
kristenwambach.com
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