Episode Summary: 

Today’s episode with Laurie Davies brings a powerful lens to a struggle many of us don’t even realize we have: emotional hoarding. We joke about “emotional baggage,” but most of us are carrying far more than a suitcase—we’re holding closets full of unprocessed feelings like worry, panic, regret, false guilt, anger, or shame. Our guest’s new Moody Publishers release offers a gentle, insightful, biblical pathway to recognize the emotional clutter weighing us down and step into the freedom Christ provides. This is a conversation that will help you name what’s been holding you back and learn how to release it for good.

 

Quotables from the episode:
I have a luggage tag that I put on my carry-on bag, and it says, “My emotional baggage won't fit into the overhead bin,” and it always gets a lot of laughs. We talk about that in a light way sometimes.  My thesis in the book is that we don't actually have an emotional baggage problem.  We're emotional hoarders.
I think hoarded hearts are very much like hoarded homes.  We can let emotional kind of skyscrapers build in our hearts.  Before we know it, we're maneuvering our way around with all this clutter, which actually is a lack of freedom.
All these kinds of emotions that God doesn't want us to haul all of these out to the dumpster.  But I do think he wants us to look at them, acknowledge them, process them, and see kind of what he's showing us through them.
I think any of us who want to put forth that we're 100 percent healed.  I mean, we'll all be looking at each other in heaven, 100 percent healed.  And until then, aren't we glad for the grace of God and the tenderness of the Holy Spirit?
We know these emotions are not good.  They don't even feel good.  But if we go back to bitterness, I think if we're being honest, sometimes we like the way the grudge feels in our hands.  It gives us that little feeling of “I'm not going to let them off the hook.”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ set us free.”  So why would we go back to wearing a yoke of slavery?  Freedom is of high value to the Lord.  It's why he came to set the captives free, to set the prisoners free.
When we start to face the things that are keeping us stuck, we'll taste a freedom that we won't want to turn back from. It’s a life changer, and we won't want to go back to the chains we once wore.  They just won't fit anymore.
Grace fills all those gaps where we wish we would have gone left instead of right.
There's no room for shame.  There is plenty of room for conviction.  And conviction is offered to us as a gift to restore our relationship with God.

 

Scripture References:
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

Recommended Resources: 
Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff that Keeps You Stuck by Laurie Davies
Free Stress-Response Personality Assessment
Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories
YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1
YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2
Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference
Revive & Thrive Summit 2
Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1
Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2
Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian  Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.)
YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip
Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide
Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win
Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award
Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue

 

Social Media Links for Host:

Connect with Laurie Davies:

Website / Instagram

For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:

Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book  Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails  /  Website  /   Blog  /  Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson)  /  LinkedIn  /  Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple

 

Guest: 

Laurie Davies is a writer, national speaker, and lay counselor who helps women deal with their “emotional accumulation,” letting go of things like regret, grudges, false guilt, and shame. Her debut book, Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff That Keeps You Stuck, released with Moody Publishers in March 2026. Laurie’s writing has been featured in Guideposts and the Proverbs 31 First 5 app, and she also serves as lead editor on Shaunti Feldhahn’s Atlanta-based ministry staff. Laurie lives in the Phoenix area with her husband of 30 years. Their adult son lives nearby.

 

Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Audio Technical Support: Ashton Bengtson

Episode Summary: 
Today&rsquo;s episode with Laurie Davies brings a powerful lens to a struggle many of us don&rsquo;t even realize we have: emotional hoarding. We joke about &ldquo;emotional baggage,&rdquo; but most of us are carrying far more than a suitcase&mdash;we&rsquo;re holding closets full of unprocessed feelings like worry, panic, regret, false guilt, anger, or shame. Our guest&rsquo;s new Moody Publishers release offers a gentle, insightful, biblical pathway to recognize the emotional clutter weighing us down and step into the freedom Christ provides. This is a conversation that will help you name what&rsquo;s been holding you back and learn how to release it for good.
&nbsp;
Quotables from the episode:
<ul>
<li>I have a luggage tag that I put on my carry-on bag, and it says, &ldquo;My emotional baggage won't fit into the overhead bin,&rdquo; and it always gets a lot of laughs. We talk about that in a light way sometimes.&nbsp; My thesis in the book is that we don't actually have an emotional baggage problem.&nbsp; We're emotional hoarders.</li>
<li>I think hoarded hearts are very much like hoarded homes.&nbsp; We can let emotional kind of skyscrapers build in our hearts.&nbsp; Before we know it, we're maneuvering our way around with all this clutter, which actually is a lack of freedom.</li>
<li>All these kinds of emotions that God doesn't want us to haul all of these out to the dumpster.&nbsp; But I do think he wants us to look at them, acknowledge them, process them, and see kind of what he's showing us through them.</li>
<li>I think any of us who want to put forth that we're 100 percent healed.&nbsp; I mean, we'll all be looking at each other in heaven, 100 percent healed.&nbsp; And until then, aren't we glad for the grace of God and the tenderness of the Holy Spirit?</li>
<li>We know these emotions are not good.&nbsp; They don't even feel good.&nbsp; But if we go back to bitterness, I think if we're being honest, sometimes we like the way the grudge feels in our hands.&nbsp; It gives us that little feeling of &ldquo;I'm not going to let them off the hook.&rdquo;</li>
<li>Galatians 5:1 &ldquo;It is for freedom that Christ set us free.&rdquo;&nbsp; So why would we go back to wearing a yoke of slavery?&nbsp; Freedom is of high value to the Lord.&nbsp; It's why he came to set the captives free, to set the prisoners free.</li>
<li>When we start to face the things that are keeping us stuck, we'll taste a freedom that we won't want to turn back from. It&rsquo;s a life changer, and we won't want to go back to the chains we once wore.&nbsp; They just won't fit anymore.</li>
<li>Grace fills all those gaps where we wish we would have gone left instead of right.</li>
<li>There's no room for shame.&nbsp; There is plenty of room for conviction.&nbsp; And conviction is offered to us as a gift to restore our relationship with God.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Scripture References:
<ul>
<li>Psalm 139:23-24 &ldquo;Search me, God, and know my heart&hellip;See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Recommended Resources:&nbsp;
<ul></ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://link.amazon/B0jdgUAtr">Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff that Keeps You Stuck</a> by Laurie Davies</li>
<li><a href="https://drmichellebengtson.com/srpa/">Free Stress-Response Personality Assessment</a></li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3b4Tfsi"></a><a href="https://amzn.to/3OpAZgQ">Sacred Scars: Resting in God&rsquo;s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted</a>&nbsp;by Dr. Michelle Bengtson</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3sCoqqm">The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms</a> by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories</li>
<li>YouVersion 5-Day Devotional&nbsp;<a href="http://bible.us/r/A57">Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms</a></li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3twWnXp">Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right</a> by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bible.com/en-GB/reading-plans/31089-today-is-going-to-be-a-good-day">YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/31151-today-is-going-to-be-another-good-day">YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://leanhealthyageless.com/revive-and-thrive-landing-mb/">Revive &amp; Thrive Women&rsquo;s Online Conference</a></li>
<li><a href="https://leanhealthyageless.com/fall-2020-revive-and-thrive-landing/">Revive &amp; Thrive Summit 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://bit.ly/3mJPixb">Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://bit.ly/3to2SJc">Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/2ZSTP4N">Breaking Anxiety&rsquo;s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises</a>&nbsp;by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian&nbsp; Writer&rsquo;s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award&rsquo;s Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/16633-breaking-anxietys-grip-by-michelle-bengtson">YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety&rsquo;s Grip</a></li>
<li><a href="https://drmichellebengtson.com/breaking-anxietys-grip-study-guide/">Breaking Anxiety&rsquo;s Grip Free Study Guide</a></li>
<li>Free PDF Resource: <a href="https://drmichellebengtson.com/fight-anxious-fearful-thoughts-download/">How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win</a></li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/2zB0e7J">Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor&rsquo;s Personal Journey Through Depression</a>&nbsp;by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/2yMdN46">Hope Prevails Bible Study</a>&nbsp;by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader&rsquo;s Choice Award</li>
<li>Free Webinar: <a href="https://drmichellebengtson.com/10-tips-to-beat-the-blues-webinar-replay-sign-up/">Help for When You&rsquo;re Feeling Blue</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Social Media Links for Host:
Connect with Laurie Davies:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hollyandrewscoaching"></a>
<a href="https://lauriedavies.com/">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lauriedaviesauthor/">Instagram</a>
For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:
Order Book <a href="https://amzn.to/3OpAZgQ">Sacred Scars</a> / Order Book <a href="https://amzn.to/3sCoqqm">The Hem of His Garment</a> / Order Book <a href="https://amzn.to/3twWnXp">Today is Going to be a Good Day</a> / Order Book &nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/2Vvipro">Breaking Anxiety&rsquo;s Grip</a>&nbsp;/ Order Book&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/2Vus9SJ">Hope Prevails</a>&nbsp; / &nbsp;<a href="https://www.drmichellebengtson.com/">Website</a>&nbsp; / &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://drmichellebengtson.com/category/blog/">Blog</a>&nbsp; /&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleBengtson">Facebook</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/DrMBengtson">Twitter</a>&nbsp;(@DrMBengtson) &nbsp;/&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrMichelleBengtson">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;/&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/drmichellebengtson">Instagram</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/Drbhopeprevails">Pinterest</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn92DHzGSZk8psDb2FKazOQ">YouTube</a> / <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-hope-filled-perspective-dr-michelle-bengtson-podcast/id1468018011">Podcast on Apple</a>
&nbsp;
Guest: 
Laurie Davies is a writer, national speaker, and lay counselor who helps women deal with their &ldquo;emotional accumulation,&rdquo; letting go of things like regret, grudges, false guilt, and shame. Her debut book,&nbsp;Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff That Keeps You Stuck, released with Moody Publishers in March 2026. Laurie&rsquo;s writing has been featured in&nbsp;Guideposts&nbsp;and the Proverbs 31 First 5 app, and she also serves as lead editor on Shaunti Feldhahn&rsquo;s Atlanta-based ministry staff. Laurie lives in the Phoenix area with her husband of 30 years. Their adult son lives nearby.
&nbsp;
Hosted By:&nbsp;Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Audio Technical Support: Ashton Bengtson

Your Hope-Filled Perspective draws on Dr. Michelle Bengtson’s almost 3 decades of clinical expertise as a neuropsychologist to help her listeners regain hope, renew their minds, and transform their lives. With a perfect balance of clinical expertise, compassion, and vulnerability, Dr. Bengtson and her guests purpose to share Biblically-based hope-filled perspectives for real-life issues, struggles, and concerns. Voted #2 in 2022's Podcast Magazine's Top 50 Moms in Podcasting.

Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Your Hope-Filled Perspective draws on Dr. Michelle Bengtson&rsquo;s almost 3 decades of clinical expertise as a neuropsychologist to help her listeners regain hope, renew their minds, and transform their lives. With a perfect balance of clinical expertise, compassion, and vulnerability, Dr. Bengtson and her guests purpose to share Biblically-based hope-filled perspectives for real-life issues, struggles, and concerns. Voted #2 in 2022's Podcast Magazine's Top 50 Moms in Podcasting.

Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson

How to Recognize Hidden Emotional Baggage You Didn’t Know You Were Carrying

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/3c2abebe-9fee-4c1c-b3c2-b4d6002a029a/transcript