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Book Release Party! Should Christians Use the Enneagram? · The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, my name is Amy Wicks, and I help you navigate the overwhelm and frustration of motherhood through faith, Enneagram, and simple plans.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: As a faith-based Enneagram coach, I champion you to love your mothering style because you are the mom your kids need, even when you don't feel like it.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a mountain mama who somehow ended up on a cul-de-sac in the Midwest, overwhelmed and frustrated by motherhood.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: But the Lord didn't let me stay there.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: He helped me turn the challenges of motherhood into a wholehearted decision to get intentional with my faith, my self-awareness, and my family.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Each episode of this podcast provides perspective through story, wholehearted purpose, and simple plan so you can discover how to love your mothering style and be confident that you are the mom your kids need.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Think of this podcast as your on-the-go mom pal and friend who can't help but talk about Jesus and the Enneagram.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: So get to that pile of laundry, or hit the treadmill, or load up the kids in the car for that grocery run.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Get ready to be encouraged and empowered while you listen.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is the Simply Wholehearted Podcast.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: For months I've been compiling my previous research on the origins of the Enneagram into book format with some fun stories and bonus content on all nine Enneagram personalities.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: And let me tell you, for this Enneagram 7 personality, it has been a challenge.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: First, if you didn't know sevens aren't naturally inclined to do painful things, well, you should know that.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Especially doing things like researching the mundane details of a typology theory, especially if it turns out they can no longer use something that has been fun for them.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: I had also already released a podcast series on the topic of should Christians use the Enneagram, but I knew I needed to go back and be more thorough with my findings and even re-examine my initial conclusions, which, again, it's not natural for me.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Then it was a challenge to finish this book, especially as I had to do a few rewrites and face a plethora of edits.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Which leads me to a quick shout out to Elisa Sauer and my mom, Paula Higgins, who put many hours into making the book content excellent and publishworthy.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now there are many reasons I decided to write and release this book.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: One of them being the story I will read to you today as written in my introduction.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: But there is another story that didn't make it into the book.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: But help me keep my feet to the fire to finish and share this work with you.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because, of course, more than once I almost decided to quit this whole project.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all, in case you haven't experienced before or you didn't think I experienced it, imposter syndrome is real.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And while I'd like to think I've conquered it, my negative thoughts were alive and well as I set out to take all the steps to get this book in your hands.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: As I was writing the book, I received a cancellation notice from an author who had previously been scheduled to be on my podcast.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Heather Creekmore had already rescheduled once, so I figured I'd better seek out the reason why, as her publicist had thought her material would be a perfect fit.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Heather quickly replied to my inquiry about why she had canceled with honest concerns about the Enneagram.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: It was a resource she had originally embraced and even mentioned in her book, but after several readers reached out with their questions about the Enneagram, she too began to wonder if she had made a giant mistake engaging with this personality typology.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: I knew exactly what Heather meant, and I told her what I was working on, or at least attempting to complete, and I asked her if she would read my manuscript in progress.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's just say having a complete stranger's eyes on the material made me break into a giant sweat and to get cracking and get the material together and in an excellent format.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Her questions, her struggle, it made my writing so personal.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: I really wanted to help her process through the same challenges I had wrestled with and empower her to make a truly well-rounded and educated decision about whether she would ever use the Enneagram again.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: So after six weeks of editing and major revisions, I circled back to the conversation with Heather.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: I truly felt completely surrendered to her response and her opinion about the material.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: At this point, I knew it was clear my mission wasn't or isn't to convert anyone to the Enneagram, but rather to provide comparison and the material all in one place.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: So let's just say when I got Heather's response to the book, I was floored.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Let me share a little snippet from her email.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: The other two books I've been reading and yours have actually helped me gain a little extra understanding into the Enneagram, in that all of these systems are created by man.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: We can either choose to use them as tools behind the truth of the gospel, or we must candidly get rid of them all.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think it can be this one is good and this one is bad situation.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Carl Zhang, a psychologist and psychiatrist who founded analytic psychology and a foundation for most well-known personality systems, was not a believer.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: So anything based on his work either has to be dismissed entirely or redeemed through taking what can be gleaned and redeemed through the lens of the gospel out of his work.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think you're right.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your perspective seems spot on.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: We can't stop people from personality worship, nor can we stop historical figures from corrupting and changing things that started out to be good and useful.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: It feels like you've done good research, and I think you made a solid case.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for your care and educating me.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Well, of course, I was more than delighted and pleasantly surprised to get this kind of feedback from Heather.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And you can surmise she has rescheduled our conversation and you can expect to hear more from her in the fall.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to read and record the introduction to my new book, Should Christians Use the Enneagram, what it is, what it's not, and how it can change your life.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to give you a sample of the style and my heart behind the work I've put together.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So whether you've been uncertain about the Enneagram or question the integrity of its origins, or you just need some facts to share with others so they can come up with an informed verdict, my hope is you'll get your ebook or paperback copy on Amazon today.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, I've put the links to make ordering quick and painless all there in the show notes.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, if you're interested in specific episodes about the topic of should Christians use the Enneagram, I've given some info that is not in the book or an abbreviated version of the content in the book in episodes 158, 159, and 160.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Introduction.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: C.S.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Lewis, the Weight of Glory.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: The text came to my attention about 10 minutes before my small group was to start.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: A friend and spiritual mentor in my life was concerned about the topic of discussion in my group.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't going to be the only focus of study, but I had made it clear on the small group description.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: The text read, Amy, I'm concerned about your use of the Enneagram.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hey there.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: The group is about to start, but what is your concern?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Have you seen this video?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then up came the YouTube preview.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: The Enneagram is a satanic occult.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: My heart was in my stomach, but I had to write back.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: I won't have time to watch before the group, but I'll get back to you when I'm done.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: I hated to leave her hanging, but the moms were flooding in for coffee, affordable babysitting, and grown-up conversation.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: But unfortunately, my mind was still stuck on that morning's text thread.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: As a devoted follower of Christ and what I call an SRP, super responsible person, I was concerned about my friend's text.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Never would I want to promote something that was evil, much less involved in the occult.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: I was disturbed.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I had received much pushback over the years of incorporating the Enneagram in my podcast and social media as a certified coach.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: But I hadn't experienced someone I respected expressing their concerns when previously they had regarded it favorably.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: I had that sinking feeling in my stomach, but quickly I pushed it away.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because I lead as an Enneagram seven, I don't like to sit in pain.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Additionally, I had a living room full of women waiting for the week's lesson on Enneagram and motherhood.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Our time together was rich with conversation, revelation, and even breakthrough.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: This was a big scale of what I experienced with my one-on-one coaching clients.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: I felt exhilarated from our time together as the last mama with her two toddlers pulled out of the driveway.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then I remembered the text.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: What was I going to do?
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: I had my pat answers for Christians using the Enneagram.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: But perhaps I needed to consider further.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: What if the Enneagram came from an occultic practice such as automatic writing?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: What if the origins were steeped in Sufism or New Age teaching?
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: Could I possibly reconcile the good fruit I experienced personally and in others if the origin of this typology was tainted?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: I had personal testimony and witnessed spiritual growth in my life and my clients' lives.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: But it was time to face the music.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: I had to put my investigator hat on and do some hard research.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: I had to be willing to face the facts and determine should Christians use the Enneagram.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: I was prepared to drop the Enneagram if I couldn't justify the use, because I do what I do so others will know salvation comes from Christ alone.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: That is my single mission.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: This truth is my why in all things.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: My own research was a several month process, exploring, digging, and compiling information to carefully inform my decision of whether I could continue sharing the insights of the Enneagram from a faith-based perspective.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: And this book you hold is the bulk of what I discovered.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: But first, because we might be meeting each other for the first time, I thought I would share my intent and a little bit about my spiritual journey.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: I grew up as the oldest of four pastors' kids, which meant we attended church every time the doors were open.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: During my teen years, we were setting up and facilitating a church plant that gathered in an elementary school.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Post-high school, I found myself on a new adventure at a megachurch with the beautiful Pike's Peak as its scenic backdrop.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: My church internship not only added to my missions trip resume, administration skills, discipleship training, and experience with church politics, but I also eagerly attended the Bible Theology and Counseling Education from Oral Roberts University.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: I left my years of training and employment with the church's youth discipleship program, burned out from a culture that perpetuated striving.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, I was left with little understanding of how my gifts could best serve the body of Christ because there was so much focus on the tasks of ministry.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of traditional ministry work, I decided to be a nanny, a barista, an opening shift manager for a bakery, and even a real estate agent, all while doing behind-the-scenes discipleship and mentorship.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Marriage and motherhood continued my education in the School of Hard Knocks, which provided depth to the ministry of what simply wholehearted is today.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it was the mundane of cleaning toilets, the never-ending arguments, sleep training, or navigating community and friendships in every new season, it all served a deeper purpose.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: In 2016, when I heard the word Enneagram, my ears perked up as I was a self-professed personality nerd.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't sure yet how to spell it, but I continued to listen to my favorite faith-based podcast to learn more from Christian authors on the subject.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: What stood out to me the most about this typology was how it focused on a person's motivations.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: It explained how each person uniquely reflects our creator God as we are made in his image.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: It also challenged me to examine my coping mechanisms and the behavior I engaged in to win others' approval, acceptance, and love.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: Even a shallow jump into the information I was learning provided simple reminders to get my longings met from my Heavenly Father and be more attuned to my unconscious behavior patterns.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: I experienced good spiritual fruit by engaging with this typology theory.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: When I reached out to Beth McCord, otherwise known as your Enneagram coach, for an interview on my Simply Wholehearted podcast in 2016, I wasn't sure she could make time for someone like me.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: However, my first experience enlightened me to her generous personality.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't but a few months later that I enrolled in her coaching course so I could gain the personal benefits of the Enneagram and be equipped to share with others.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Your Enneagram coach's unique Christian Enneagram training was by far the most valuable element of our certification process.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: It empowered me to filter out the teachings that would contradict the essential tenets of our faith.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: The essential tenets that were steeped throughout my certification training were we are made in the image of a loving Heavenly Father, saved by grace through God's Son, Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk out our faith.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: The ultimate goal and mission is to know God, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Jeff and Beth McCord have successfully removed and redefined all aspects of the Enneagram that do not align with the biblical worldview.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: They direct their clients and train their coaches to spiritual disciplines, not um biblical spiritual practices.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: Some of my favorite Enneagram books which have impacted my coaching styles are Marilyn Van Sill's Self-to-Lose, Self-Define, and David G.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: Brenner's The Gift of Being Yourself.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Both of these authors teach the value of understanding how God created you and the spiritual growth found from understanding yourself better, or self-awareness.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: The term self-awareness is used in various communities and cultures, but under a biblical context, the process of self-awareness illuminates our true essence as one who has been created in God's image before we were influenced by our environment.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: It means tapping into the deeper story of our longings and motivations.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: Self-awareness and God awareness are symbiotic.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: When we take time to examine what is below the surface of our outward behavior, it clarifies how we are held captive by habitual patterns and distorted beliefs, the areas that we have succumbed to being our own God.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, our inner life matters because this is where true transformation takes place in the heart.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Other formative material in my Enneagram journey has been The Road Back to You by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, it is noticeably lacking the keys of freedom for your personality, which is in the gospel message and through prayer.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: That being stated, are all things divided into sacred and secular?
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Isn't God the originator of all that is under the sun?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: We have freedom in our faith to enjoy so many pleasurable activities not outlined in the Word of God, and to utilize research information not directly connected with the Holy Scripture.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: As long as it doesn't contradict what is commanded in the Bible, twisting God's original design and becoming an idol in our life which isn't the Lord's will for us.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: There is much more to share about my journey, but before continuing, I want to share my intent.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: First, Jesus is first and foremost the passion of my life.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Without a saving relationship with Him, my life would be meaningless and void of hope.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Second, I believe if Jesus and the gospel message is our priority, then it's healthy to disagree about the non-essentials of our faith.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it be your view of weekly communion, church boards, end times, or female pastors, we might find our souls with different beliefs.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I hope that we can still be friends because we love Jesus and want to share the hope we have in him.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: My life goal is to love God and to love people and to encourage others to do likewise.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's not my goal to convert people to the Enneagram.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, would you continue this journey with me and be willing to walk in curiosity?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, friend, for listening and supporting the launch of my book, Should Christians Use the Enneagram?
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: What it is, what it's not, and how it can change your life.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you'll get your copy today and you'll tell your friends about it.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm gonna go celebrate with my family at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be sharing all about it on my Instagram stories.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: And stay tuned for a special Christmas in July announcement that you're not gonna want to miss.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, can we all just say, whoa, it's July?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I promise this big announcement is gonna be an epic event to close out our Summer in the Enneagram series.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be so good.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to tell you all about it.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And next week, I'm gonna be sharing this summer's conversation with our Enneagram 5 guest, Bethany Smith, who happens to be co-founder of Ennea Nerd.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: She's sharing about life from her perspective so you can better understand yourself or a type vibe in your life.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, would you take a minute and leave a five-star review of this podcast?
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: So many are looking for the content I provide in these episodes, and your reviews help me get the word out.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, you are the mom your kids need.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: Continue to pursue perspective, purpose, and plans for the whole heart of life you desire.