Libsyn Directory

Your Current Trial Is a God-Sized Opportunity | Athleadership with Melissa Dawn Simkins

Release Date: 05/26/2026

Introducing Holy & Healthy: The 21-Day Challenge. Is It for You?

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Have you ever wondered, Why do I keep doing this when I know better? Hi Friend! I know what it's like to love Jesus, but when life happens, find yourself worrying, comparing, falling back into old habits, or trying to figure everything out on your own. After years of helping Christian women transform their health and lives, I've learned that knowing what to do and actually living it are two very different things. In this episode, I'm sharing how God put : The 21-Day Challenge on my heart during a hurricane, why I created it, and how these 21 days will help you set your mind and heart on Jesus,...

Why Motivation Isn't Enough (And 4 Things God Wants You to Do Instead)

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Think about how many times you've told yourself, I'm too old. It's too late. Nothing is ever going to change. I don't know what to do. I've tried everything. We can love God, read our Bibles, go to church, and still spend our days believing thoughts that don't agree with His Word. And those thoughts affect everything. How we see ourselves, how we respond to problems, the choices we make, and whether we take the next step God is calling us to take. The world teaches us to get motivated. Jesus teaches us to follow Him. And that's what we're talking about today. In This Episode We're talking...

How to Trust God in Hard Times: What If He’s Using This Battle to Build You? with Susie Larson

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

What if the battle you’re asking God to end is also the place He’s using to strengthen you and do something in your life beyond what you could ask, think, or imagine? In this powerful conversation with bestselling author and , I shared 2 sentences from her book More Than You Can Imagine that changed the way I’m walking through something in my own life: “Don’t look back, don’t rehearse, don’t rehash,” and “You’ll find that unrestrained venting only weakens you.” In This Episode Susie and I talk about how easy it is to keep replaying what happened, talking about what...

This Is for When You Don’t Know What to Do

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

What do you do when you don’t know what to do or how to know what God wants you to do? Maybe you need God’s direction for a decision, you can’t stop overthinking, fear is taking over, or you’re waiting on God and wondering why He hasn’t given you an answer. When you need wisdom, peace, or direction, it’s easy to Google it, ask everyone what they think, or keep trying to figure it out yourself. But what if your first response became: Go to God first? In this episode of the Go to God First podcast, Kim Dolan Leto shares practical biblical guidance for how to seek God first,...

3 Steps to Apply God’s Word to Your Insecure Thoughts with Susie Mendoza

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Have you ever looked in the mirror and before you even realize it, you’re picking yourself apart? If we know what God says, why do we keep having thoughts that lie to us? What if we could learn to hit pause, zoom out, and spot the lie underneath the thought before we let it take control? In this episode of the Go to God First podcast with Kim Dolan Leto, I’m talking with Susie Mendoza about how to recognize negative thoughts, uncover the lie underneath them, and agree with God’s truth instead. Susie shares a simple three-step practice. In This Episode How to recognize the lie...

Don’t Feel Like Yourself? Dr. Tabatha Barber on Menopause, Hormones & GLP-1s

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

If you’ve ever thought, “What is happening to my body, and why don’t I feel like myself anymore?” this episode is for you. Maybe you’re gaining weight even though you haven’t changed what you’re doing. You’re exhausted but can’t sleep. Your anxiety feels different. Your brain feels foggy. And maybe you’ve gone to the doctor looking for answers only to hear, “Your labs are normal.” Today, I’m sitting down with Dr. Tabatha Barber, The Gutsy Gynecologist, for the conversation I wish more Christian women were having about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, hormone...

When You’re Not Okay: How to Find Strength in God

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Are you tired of saying everything is okay when it’s not? Are you showing up, doing what needs to be done, but crumbling inside? Friend, I’ve been there. I recently went through something traumatic that shook me deeply, and I realized I couldn’t just keep pushing through. My “suck it up” broke. And maybe it needed to. In this very personal episode of Living God’s Way, I’m sharing why I changed my mind about hormones and what God is teaching me about what it really means to be strong. Because strength isn’t about proving how much you can handle. Strength is knowing...

Answering Your 3 Biggest Questions About Dieting, Aging & Anxiety

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Are the world’s messages about dieting, aging, and anxiety getting louder than God’s truth? Hi friend! In today’s episode, we’re talking about diet culture, aging, anxiety, faith, and health and how to stop letting the world’s voice become louder than God’s. I’m also sharing what I’ve learned through my own hormone journey and why experiencing anxiety doesn’t automatically mean you aren’t trusting God. If you’re tired of chasing diets and fitness trends, struggling with getting older, or wondering how your faith fits into anxiety and your mental and physical health,...

Not Seeing Results? God Showed Me Why

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Have you ever felt like you're working so hard... but nothing seems to be changing? Maybe you're eating healthier, really trying, praying for breakthrough, yet you're discouraged because you're not seeing the results you hoped for. If that's you, this episode will give you a whole new perspective. In This Episode You'll learn: Why lasting transformation begins long before you see physical results. The five stages of a home renovation and how they mirror your faith and health journey. Why setbacks don't mean God has stopped working. How to trust God's process instead of giving up. The biblical...

How to Stop Doubting & Start Believing God

GO TO GOD FIRST with Kim Dolan Leto

Have you ever found yourself thinking, "God, I know You can... but are You going to?" If you've been waiting on an answer, believing for a breakthrough, or wondering if God is still working, I pray this message encourages your faith today. In This Episode You'll learn: How to stop letting doubt hold you back. What bold, biblical faith really looks like. Why faith always leads to action. Powerful lessons from women in the Bible who trusted God. Practical ways to strengthen your faith and believe God over your circumstances. More Biblical Truth for Your Transformation If today's episode...

More Episodes

What if the hard season you’re walking through right now is actually the place God is building you into the woman He’s called you to become?

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, discouraged, or unsure of what God is doing in this season, this conversation is for you.

In today’s episode, Melissa Dawn Simkins shares how learning to lead yourself well mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually can change the way you walk through pressure, disappointment, uncertainty, and transition.

We talk about:

how God uses hard seasons to build resilience
the difference between performing and becoming
why comparison and hustle culture quietly steal our peace
identity shifts and emotional resilience
how to renew your mind in difficult seasons
the “Core Four” of Athleadership: agility, resilience, alignment, and well-being
and how to walk through the fire without losing your faith

If life feels heavy right now, I pray this episode reminds you:
God wastes nothing.

Your current trial may actually be a God-sized opportunity.

Scriptures Mentioned

Romans 12:2
2 Corinthians 5:17
Proverbs 3:5-6
Joshua 1:9
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
2 Timothy 1:7

Connect With Melissa Dawn Simkins

Athleadership Movement
http://athleadershipmovement.com/

Melissa Dawn Simkins Official Website
https://melissadawnsimkins.com

If this episode spoke to your heart today, please share it with a friend who needs that same Christian lifestyle encouragement.

You can also help me reach more women by leaving a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. Every review helps someone else find hope, healing, and strength in Jesus.

Remember You are called, chosen, and set apart — and you were made to live God's way.

With so much love,
Kim Dolan Leto

✨ New here?

If you're looking for practical ways to put God first in your health and everyday life, start with my free guide:

Putting God First in Your Health & Everyday Life

Get it here: http://kimdolanleto.com/start