iLEAD Podcast: Recent Episodes

Misti Green

Instructional Leaders for Excellence, Action and Development - iLEAD Podcast offers a space for conversations surrounding the current educational landscape from credible insight, practical advice and best practices to educator tales of humor and heartache - and all that lies in-between.

When Giftedness, Pride, and Proximity Begin to Compete with Purpose

Episode 2 of the Samson series: After The Drift Before Delilah, we move deeper into the parts of Samson’s story that are often skipped. From Timnah to the riddle, revenge, the jawbone, Gaza, and the city gates, this episode explores how extraordinary strength, repeated success, pride, and personal desire can slowly pull a person away from purpose. Samson keeps surviving himself, and that may be the most dangerous part of all.

Most people think Samson’s downfall began with Delilah, but the drift started much earlier. This episode explores how proximity, pride, exhaustion, and small compromises can slowly move us away from the boundaries meant to protect what we carry.

Love can be real, but character is revealed over time.

In this episode, Misti Green explores the difference between feelings and consistency, sincerity and transformation, and why lasting relationships are built on patterns—not promises. Through personal reflection, leadership insight, and faith, you'll be challenged to look beyond potential and recognize the behaviors that truly build trust.

Pull up a chair... the table is set.

Why are we so drawn to instant gratification while overlooking the quiet faithfulness that builds a meaningful life?

In this episode, Misti Green explores the difference between living for fleeting feelings and living with purpose. Through Scripture, she reflects on self-control, discipline, emotional maturity, and the daily choices that shape our faith, relationships, and future.

If you've ever found yourself chasing the next thrill instead of the next right step, this conversation is for you.

God gave Noah detailed instructions for building the Ark. With specificity, God guided every measurement and every material, and clearly outlined how each structural detail served a purpose. Yet one thing was noticeably absent.

The Ark had no rudder. No sail. No way to determine its direction.

In this episode, Misti Green reflects on what that detail reveals about obedience, trust, and the seasons of life where God's invitation is no longer to direct the outcome, but to remain where He has placed us. Through the story of Noah, we consider the difference between building and surrendering, why the same waters that brought destruction also lifted the Ark, and how God's preservation is often at work in seasons that feel uncertain.

Sometimes the absence of control is not a sign that you are lost.

It may be a reminder that you are being carried.

In a world where ideas can be shared, rewritten, and repeated in an instant, how do you recognize the difference between a voice and an echo?

In this episode, Misti Green reflects on the difference between borrowed information and lived wisdom, exploring why experience gives ideas their weight and why real transformation can never be copied. Together, we'll consider what it means to develop a voice shaped by life, faith, discipline, and growth rather than simply repeating what someone else has already said.

A voice carries experience.

An echo carries information.

And those are not the same thing.

What if the biggest plot twist isn't discovering who God wants you to become, but realizing He already knew who He created you to be?

In this episode, Misti Green explores the difference between performing for people and following Jesus. Through reflections on faith, humanity, discipleship, and grace, she challenges the idea that spiritual growth requires becoming someone else. Instead, she invites listeners to consider a different possibility: that God is not asking for a performance, but for a willing heart.

Join the conversation as we explore what it means to remain human, walk in love, and follow Christ without losing the person God created you to be.

In a world that rewards performance, authenticity can feel risky.

In this episode, Misti reflects on the growing pressure to become more acceptable, more marketable, and more easily understood. Through stories, observations, and personal reflection, she explores what it means to embrace wholeness in a culture that often rewards carefully curated personas.

Because human beings were never meant to be one-dimensional, and maybe the most courageous thing we can do is stop asking who we should be and start embracing who we already are.

Pull up a chair.

The table is set.

In this episode of the iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green reflects on faith, identity, authenticity, healing, leadership, and personal growth. What if following Christ was never about becoming less of yourself, but becoming more aligned with who God created you to be? This honest conversation explores discernment, resilience, surrender, emotional healing, and learning how to embrace your personality, strengths, and humanity while growing spiritually.

The chase does not always look reckless. Sometimes it looks like loyalty, survival, ambition, responsibility, or staying too long in places that quietly disconnect you from peace. In this episode, Misti Green reflects on the tension, anxiety, exhaustion, and emotional weight that can come from constantly striving, proving, and carrying environments that no longer align. Together, we unpack the difference between movement and true peace, God’s permissive will versus His perfect will, and how contentment is often found not in chasing harder, but in returning to stillness, alignment, and God.

In this episode of the iLEAD Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green reflects on the difference between building something meaningful and remaining in something that only feels comfortable for the moment.

Through a grounded conversation on clarity, alignment, consistency, and intention, this episode explores what happens when one person is trying to build while the other is simply experiencing the connection. Misti invites listeners to consider what is actually being sustained, what requires shared responsibility, and why clarity often costs more than comfort.

Rooted in Luke 14:28, this episode is for anyone discerning whether what feels good is also aligned with what can truly last.

What if the deeper lesson in Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s story is not the lions or the fire, but the loyalty that existed before either came? In this episode, Misti explores how shared conviction, disciplined friendship, and covenant alignment protect identity when cultural pressures compromise. This is a conversation about the people at your table, the company you keep, and who remains faithful when you are not in the room.

When life feels cut back and smaller than before, it can be hard to recognize that God may still be preserving what matters most. In this episode, Misti reflects on the sacred meaning of the stump in Daniel 4 and Isaiah 11, reminding us that reduced does not mean ruined when God is still protecting the root.

We often talk about the weight of waiting, but the pause is different.

In this episode, Misti Green explores how stillness isn’t delay, it’s alignment.

If you’re in a quiet season, this conversation will help you recognize the difference between confusion and clarity, and trust what’s settling before you move.

Pull up a chair. The table is set.

What if the greatest tool for preventing bullying isn’t a program, but presence? In this episode, Misti Green calls educators, leaders, and anyone who works with young people to stop looking away and start showing up. From hallways to classrooms to district offices, culture is shaped by what we tolerate and what we choose to confront.

This is a call to courage, accountability, and care. Because when adults lead with presence, kids feel safe enough to breathe, learn, and belong. 💛

🎧 Listen if you believe culture changes when adults do. ✨ For educators. For leaders. For anyone who refuses to look away.

In this tender episode of The iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast, Misti reflects on legacy, lineage, and the sacred language of the kitchen.

From her grandmother’s embossed-glass macaroni dish to her mother’s banana-pudding and red-velvet cake recipes, she explores how food becomes more than nourishment — it becomes inheritance.

As her youngest son grows up in a quieter, more intimate season of home, and her daughter begins carrying traditions forward in her own kitchen, one simple phrase rises above it all:

“Thanks for the food.”

This episode is about appreciation. About knowing where your gifts are valued. And about laying your love at tables that understand the cost, the care, and the history behind what you offer.

Pull up a chair. The table is set.

In this episode of the iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green explores how life’s hardest seasons gently reveal what’s happening inside us. Through faith-centered reflection, real-life stories, and encouragement, this conversation invites listeners to notice how they process pressure, disappointment, and waiting—without shame. If you’re navigating uncertainty, emotional growth, or a season of transition, this episode offers hope, clarity, and grounded faith for unsettled times.

What does loyalty cost you? And when does faithfulness quietly turn into self-betrayal?

In this episode, Inconvenienced for the Sake of Loyalty, we explore the difference between healthy devotion and one-sided sacrifice. We talk about integrity, projection, emotional reciprocity, and why loyal people often carry weight that was never meant to be theirs alone. If you’ve been adjusting, waiting, excusing, or shrinking in the name of loyalty, this conversation will bring clarity, peace, and permission to choose alignment over obligation.

This episode is for anyone learning that real loyalty is mutual, life-giving, and rooted in integrity.

This finale episode of Divine Encounters - Appointed Time, Obedient Heart reflects on the powerful throughline of 1 and 2 Samuel and the spiritual formation of King David. Through themes of leadership, obedience, accountability, repentance, and faith, we revisit key moments including Hannah’s prayer, the cave of Adullam, Nathan’s confrontation, Joab’s loyalty, Absalom’s rebellion, and the altar of surrender. A tender, reflective conclusion exploring how God shapes character through waiting, failure, relationships, and divine encounters that still speak to modern leadership and personal faith today.

We often remember David as the giant-slayer or the man after God’s own heart, but the final chapter of his story tells a quieter, more challenging truth. In this episode of Divine Encounters — Appointed Time, Obedient Heart, we walk through the closing scene of 2 Samuel, where David chooses certainty over trust, counts what God never asked him to measure, and learns the cost of obedience delayed.

This episode invites us to reflect on where we rely on outcomes instead of faith, how accountability can feel uncomfortable but necessary, and what it looks like to return — kneeling — to the altar. A story of leadership, humility, and surrender that still speaks powerfully today.

In this episode of Divine Encounters — Appointed Time, Obedient Heart, we step into one of Scripture’s most tender and painful family stories. Tracing Absalom’s journey from unaddressed grief to rebellion, this conversation explores how silence, unresolved injustice, and unmet repair can shape our relationships and leadership. Through David, Tamar, and Absalom, we reflect on what happens when wounds are ignored, why love without truth fractures, and how God remains present even in broken family systems. This episode invites listeners to examine where healing is needed before distance becomes drift.

In this episode of Divine Encounters, we reflect on the quiet drift that led King David from purpose to compromise and the moment grace called him back. Tracing David’s journey from the battlefield where he faced Goliath to the balcony where comfort replaced discipline, this episode explores how neglect, unchecked power, and silence shape our choices—and how repentance restores what drift erodes. A story of accountability, mercy, and legacy, this conversation invites listeners to examine their own rhythms, guardrails, and callings in everyday life.

In Episode 9 of Divine Encounters, we step into one of the most tender pictures of grace in all of Scripture. Through the story of Mephibosheth, we see a King who does not wait for healing before extending kindness, and a table prepared before worthiness is proven.

This episode unpacks chesed - covenant love that remembers, restores, and reaches for those hidden in Lo-Debar. If your past has marked you, if loss has shaped your identity, or if you’ve learned to survive instead of belong, this conversation will remind you that grace is not delayed by your limp. God still calls your name. He still sets the table. And He still invites you to sit, not as a charity case, but as family.

Episode 8 of Divine Encounters — Appointed Time, Obedient Heart explores 2 Samuel 6:12–22 and the return of God’s presence to Jerusalem. Through David’s worship, Uzzah’s mistake, and Michal’s contempt, this episode reveals the difference between excellence and reverence, performance and true worship. Learn what it means to choose presence over optics, humility over pride, and devotion over dignity as God refines the heart through divine encounters.

Divine Encounters — Appointed Time, Obedient Heart is a soul-anchored podcast that walks through Scripture to reveal how God shapes purpose through process. Each episode explores the space between promise and fulfillment, where obedience is refined, character is built, and destiny is formed.

This isn’t just a Bible study. It’s an invitation to recognize God in the in-between.

For those navigating waiting seasons, leadership transitions, healing, and growth, Divine Encounters reminds us that every encounter with God—whether quiet or confronting—is shaping who we are becoming.

In this powerful conclusion to 1 Samuel, we walk with David through caves, betrayals, strongholds, and supernatural rescues — and witness Saul’s final unraveling. From Adullam to Ziklag, from restraint in the cave to recovering all, this episode demonstrates how divine encounters shape leaders in both hidden and challenging seasons. If you’re navigating delay, confusion, spiritual warfare, or a place that feels like ashes, this chapter will remind you: God protects, God directs, and God restores.

Listen and subscribe to stay connected as the Divine Encounters series continues every two days.

Jealousy in relationships can turn love into competition and friendship into spiritual warfare. In this episode, we examine the stories of David, Saul, Jonathan, and Michal to learn how to recognize jealousy, protect your peace, and discern the people God sends for your healing and destiny. Perfect for anyone seeking guidance on navigating toxic relationships, establishing loyalty, setting boundaries, and finding God’s protection during challenging times.

What if the very barrier in front of you is the gateway God is using to move you into purpose? In this episode, we uncover how roadblocks, delays, and detours are often divine redirections, not denials. Pull up a chair. The table is set for a shift in perspective that turns obstacles into invitations.

Some farewells hurt because our heart still hopes, but obedience requires release. In Saul and Samuel’s final chapter together, we learn how to let go with grace when God closes a door we would have kept open. If you’re grieving a chapter ending, this episode will meet you tenderly.

Sometimes, the path to purpose starts with something that feels lost.

In this episode, Misti Green unpacks Saul’s divine encounter, depicting how an ordinary search for donkeys led to an unexpected anointing and a kingdom assignment. It's a reminder that what looks like delay is often direction, and God’s purpose is never out of place, just right on time.

Hannah’s private surrender became a public legacy. In this opening to Divine Encounters: Appointed Time, Obedient Heart, we follow a prayer that “shifted heaven,” the birth of Samuel, and the threads that lead to Saul. Obedience isn’t loss, it’s the doorway to legacy

What’s the difference between God’s permissive will and His perfect will? In this episode of The iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green explores how God can allow paths that carry grace yet leave us feeling unsettled, and how His perfect will brings mercy, alignment, and rest. Through the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac, this conversation unpacks obedience, waiting, and why provision doesn’t always mean approval. If you’re in a season of uncertainty, spiritual suspension, or quiet obedience, this episode will help you discern where God is leading and how to trust His timing.

A gentle reflection on the space between the highlight reel and real life, where faith grows, presence matters, and becoming happens quietly.

In this episode, Misti breaks down the truth we often overlook: some people have a Peter moment, while others have a Judas pattern. Learn how to discern the difference between a bad day and an evil heart, how to spot patterns that reveal character, and how to reposition yourself with wisdom, clarity, and peace.

Delusionally Optimistic: Choosing Joy Without Denial is a reflective, faith-anchored episode of the iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast that explores how to choose joy amid change, grief, and uncertainty—especially during the holiday season. Through a personal Christmas story and real-life perspective shifts, Misti Green shares how delusional optimism is not denial, but a grounded choice to live settled rather than suspended. This episode encourages listeners navigating divorce, loss, transition, or emotional heaviness to release comparison, embrace hope, and rediscover joy without needing all the answers.

In this Suspended to Settled finale, Misti Green closes the journey that began with Moving from Understanding to Accepting. Through the quiet strength of David, Jesus, Elijah, Hannah, Peter, and Paul, she reminds us that peace isn’t found at the end of the struggle; it’s formed within it. In a world that rewards noise, this episode invites you to slow down, lean into God’s Word, and rediscover the sacred sound of stillness.

Even in confinement, the Apostle Paul discovered a peace the world couldn’t take away. In this Suspended to Settled episode, Misti Green shares how God can bring contentment in chaos, faith through confinement, and purpose in waiting, turning prison walls into places of worship. If you’ve ever felt stuck, silenced, or shut in, this episode reminds you that true freedom is an inside job and peace can still bloom behind bars.

Failure isn’t the end of the story; it’s often the shoreline where grace begins. In this Suspended to Settled episode, Misti Green revisits Peter’s morning after the denial, when Jesus turned shame into restoration and guilt into purpose. Discover how grace doesn’t just forgive what broke you, it rebuilds you quietly, until peace stands where failure once did.

Hannah at Shiloh: Peace Before the Promise reminds us that sometimes God quiets the storm inside us before He changes the one around us. In this episode, Misti Green continues the Suspended to Settled journey, tracing how Hannah moved from striving for understanding to resting in acceptance. Discover how peace can arrive long before the promise, and how surrender can become the softest kind of strength.

Even prophets get tired. In this episode, Misti Green reflects on Elijah’s moment of exhaustion, when the fire faded, but God’s whisper remained. It's a reminder that sometimes the most sacred strength isn’t found in the miracle…but in the stillness that revives you.

Sometimes the oil speaks years before the office does. In this episode, Misti Green explores David’s journey between anointing and appointing — the sacred stretch where calling is tested, character is refined, and patience becomes purpose. If you’ve ever felt suspended between promise and fulfillment, this one reminds you: you’re not forgotten, just being formed.

Even Jesus had a moment between purpose and pain, a space where surrender felt heavy but holy. In Nevertheless, Misti Green reflects on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where “not my will, but Yours” became the bridge between agony and peace. This episode of The Misti Blue Podcast invites you to find strength in surrender, trusting that obedience, not understanding, is where true peace begins.

Sometimes the hardest season isn’t the ending or the beginning, it’s the in-between. In Suspended to Settled, Misti Green invites you to find peace in the hallway seasons of life, where one door has closed, and the next hasn’t opened yet . This episode of The Misti Blue Podcast reminds you that stillness isn’t punishment; it’s preparation, the place where trust is built, and peace finally feels like home.

Sometimes peace doesn’t come from understanding why — it comes from releasing the need to. In The Difference Between Accepting It and Understanding It, Misti Green explores the quiet courage it takes to let go of what you can’t comprehend and trust what’s unfolding. This episode of The Misti Blue Podcast reminds us that healing begins not with answers, but with acceptance.

Most of us were handed boxes labeled “acceptable,” “professional,” or “safe,” but purpose doesn’t fit inside packaging. In this episode, Misti Green challenges the pressure to conform and invites you to lead, live, and love with unapologetic authenticity. Because the world doesn’t change when we fit in, it changes when we dare to break the box.

After twenty-eight years of serving in education, Misti Green reflects on what happens when the work you love starts to stretch you beyond capacity. When the Badge Lost Its Tension isn’t a story about endings: it’s a story about release, renewal, and faith in the in-between.

Join Misti as she shares how God meets us in moments of change, how purpose outlasts position, and why surrender can sometimes be the most courageous form of strength.

Some people aren’t used to hitting home runs; they’re used to striking out. ⚾️

This episode is a reminder to stay in motion, trust the pitch, and keep showing up with purpose even when others can’t handle your speed. When God’s the pitcher, every throw has destiny written on it.

In the field, in the fight, in the cave, and even in his failure, David found peace not in perfection, but in God’s presence. This finale reminds us that true peace isn’t the absence of struggle, but the nearness of the Shepherd who walks us through every storm.

When the waves rose and fear took over, Peter’s faith began to sink, yet even then, Jesus reached for him. This episode reminds us that peace isn’t found in perfect faith but in the outstretched hand of a faithful God. When life feels unstable, uncertain, or overwhelming, His grip is still stronger than your storm.

Series: Peace in the Storm

When the flames rose, they didn’t bow — and they didn’t burn. In the heart of the fire, they found peace not because they escaped it, but because God was with them in it. This episode reminds us that true peace isn’t the absence of heat — it’s the presence of the fourth man in the fire.

Series: Peace in the Storm

Leah’s storm wasn’t loud; it was the quiet ache of being unseen. Married by deception. Loved by comparison and chosen by circumstance. And yet, in her pain, God saw her.

This episode explores what it means to find peace when you’re overlooked, rejected, or forgotten. Because even when others don’t choose you, God does, and His peace has a way of finding those who feel invisible.

🎧 Listen to Episode 7 of the Peace in the Storm Series - available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Series: Peace in the Storm

Grief can make even the familiar feel foreign, the silence, the waiting, the ache of what’s been lost. Mary Magdalene knew that silence well. Once tormented, now delivered, she followed Jesus with fierce devotion. But at the tomb, all she could see was loss… until He called her name.

In that one moment, “Mary”, sorrow turned to peace. This episode is a gentle reminder that even in the darkness of grief, God still calls you by name, still sees you, and still meets you where love once felt lost.

In this episode of Peace in the Storm, we meet the woman caught in the act, exposed, humiliated, and surrounded by judgment. But Jesus didn’t join the accusers; He stooped low, wrote in the dirt, and offered mercy instead of condemnation. This episode is a reminder that even when others throw stones, grace still whispers your name. Peace after shame isn’t found in perfection; it’s found in His presence.

For twelve years, she was labeled by her issue - isolated, misunderstood, and unseen. But one act of faith changed everything. This episode of Peace in the Storm: Faith in the Uncertainty reminds us that even when healing feels delayed, peace can still be present.

Faith reaches where hands cannot.

In this episode of Peace in the Storm: Faith in the Uncertainty, we journey with Hannah, a woman who teaches us how to find peace amidst sorrow, waiting, and unanswered prayers. Year after year, she wept while others mocked her, yet she never stopped believing. Her story reminds us that peace isn’t found when the promise arrives; it’s born in the stillness of surrender.

Before you hold the promise, you can still hold His peace.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube — search iLEAD | Misti Blue.

Betrayal leaves wounds that no one can see, but Joseph’s story reminds us that peace is still possible in the middle of pain. Sold by his brothers, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison, he still chose faith over bitterness. In this episode, we explore how Joseph found peace through every storm, not by seeking revenge, but by trusting God’s redemption. Let his journey remind you that what others meant for evil, God can still use for good.

When life unravels and the waves rise, peace can feel impossible to find. In this ten-part series, Misti unpacks the stories of men and women in the Bible who faced devastating storms: loss, betrayal, sickness, shame, and waiting. Through the storms, they discovered that peace isn’t the absence of struggle, but the presence of God within it.

Each episode blends storytelling, scripture, and real-life reflection to help you anchor your faith when everything feels uncertain.

Pull up your chair, take a breath, and find Peace in the Storm.

Job lost everything, yet held on to God. In this opening episode, we explore how peace isn’t the absence of pain but the Presence that steadies us in it. Pull up a chair and be encouraged.

Not every table that looks inviting will nourish you. Some conversations sharpen you, while others quietly drain your strength, cloud your focus, or distract you from your calling.

In this crossover episode of the Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green unpacks the power of circles, tables, and relationships—the spaces where your future is being formed. Drawing from Scripture, real-life moments, and leadership lessons, she explores why the tables you choose matter and how to discern when it’s time to move your chair.

If you’ve ever wrestled with belonging, struggled to protect your calling, or wondered why certain tables leave you empty, this episode will remind you: alignment isn’t arrogance. It’s stewardship.

Find the table where you’re sharpened, where your flame is fanned, and where your purpose is protected.

In this episode of the Misti Blue Podcast, Misti Green shares how an ordinary Sunday in the kitchen turned into an extraordinary lesson about love, care, and God’s timing. On her brother and sister-in-law’s last day with her, she filled the table with homemade food: biscuits and gravy for breakfast, collard greens, and Sunday dinner in the evening.

Through the slow work of cooking, she reflects on how love is often expressed through patience, intentionality, and sacrifice, and how God, much like a careful cook, prepares us with the same kind of deliberate care.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your small acts of love matter, or if the process you’re in is worth it, this episode will remind you: nothing is wasted - release the spoon and, "Let It Cook."

Bullying isn’t just a student problem; it’s a leadership problem. In this episode, Misti Green breaks down what federal and state policies actually require, how schools should respond, and why advocacy matters when the system fails to protect kids.

From classroom culture to district accountability, she exposes the gaps between policy and practice, and empowers parents, educators, and administrators to take action that gets results.

💡 Learn the laws.

🗣️ Find your voice.

✊🏽 Protect every child.

Because policies protect on paper - but people protect in practice.

In a world full of filters, trends, and imitation, Misti Green reminds us that authenticity still stands undefeated. This episode dives deep into the difference between pseudo-confidence and lived confidence, and why what’s real will always outlast what’s rehearsed.

Pull up a chair - the table is set. It’s time to remember who you are and walk boldly in it.

Audacity isn’t arrogance - it’s alignment.

Every difference-maker gets mislabeled. This episode invites you to have the audacity to be misunderstood—staying steady, rooted, and aligned when your calling is ahead of its time. Featuring David’s journey, Dr. King’s resolve, and my own story of leading through grief and grit.

Pull up a chair, you’re in good company.

When your heart is pure and your integrity is anchored, misunderstanding doesn’t disqualify you—it often means you’re early. In this episode, we unpack the courage it takes to be misread and keep moving anyway. From David’s caves to Dr. King’s cell to real moments from my own leadership journey, this is a call to alignment over applause, obedience over opinion, and light that disrupts what darkness made comfortable.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why “misunderstood ≠ misplaced”
David’s restraint: purpose that refuses to rush
Dr. King’s urgency: obedience that won’t wait for consensus
My story of showing up through loss and leading with quiet strength
How to stay steady when “tone” becomes the scapegoat for your confidence

Quotes to remember

“Audacity isn’t arrogance - it’s alignment.”
“You don’t need the understanding of others to validate the instruction of God.”
“Being misunderstood doesn’t mean you’re wrong - it means you’re early.”
“Obedience will always outlast opinion.”

In this final episode of Beauty for Ashes: Purpose in the Pain, we bring the journey full circle. From Leah’s rejection to Joseph’s betrayal, Ruth’s grief, David’s failure, and Esther’s fear, each story has revealed how God weaves pain, loss, and trial into a greater tapestry of purpose.

Like the farmer in Isaiah’s parable, every strike, every pressing, every season of sifting has meaning. Nothing in your life has been wasted. What felt like ashes—failure, delay, rejection, or heartbreak has been preparation for the beauty God is still bringing into focus.

If you’ve missed earlier episodes, go back and listen to the whole series. Each one offers a different lens into how God redeems pain and calls us to a higher level. And as we close this series, remember: your ashes are not the end. They are the soil where God grows beauty.

What do you do when life places you in a position you didn’t ask for — carrying a weight you never thought would be yours? Esther knew that ash. Orphaned, displaced, and living with a hidden identity, she faced fear and risk at every turn. And yet, God positioned her “for such a time as this.”

In this episode of the Misti Blue Podcast, we walk through Esther’s story and discover that:

Loss and displacement can position you for purpose.
Courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear - it rises in the middle of it.
Influence isn’t for applause - it’s for assignment.

Esther’s ashes became the stage for her most excellent assignment, and her courage rewrote history. Her story reminds us that God can use our hidden seasons, our losses, and even our fears to position us for His purpose.

Scripture Anchor: Esther 4:14 “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Listen in and be encouraged: your ashes may be the soil where God plants your calling.

What do you do when the ashes are your own fault? In this episode of the Misti Blue Podcast, we step into the life of David, the shepherd boy who became a king, the giant-slayer who became a leader, and the man after God’s own heart who also became an adulterer and a murderer.

David’s story is messy and real. He knew the ash of rejection, the ash of fear, and the ash of moral failure. Yet his life reminds us that failure is not final when grace is your foundation.

Through David’s highs and lows, we’ll uncover three truths:

Being overlooked doesn’t disqualify you — it positions you.
Your failures don’t cancel your calling — they can deepen your dependence.
God’s grace can turn shame into a testimony of redemption.

If you’ve ever felt disqualified by your mistakes, this message is for you. David proves that ashes are not the end — they are the soil where God grows beauty.

Scripture Anchor: Isaiah 61:3 — “He will give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

Ruth’s story begins in heartbreak. She married into an Israelite family that moved to Moab during a famine, only to lose her father-in-law, her husband, and her brother-in-law. Widowed in a foreign land, Ruth faced grief, poverty, and uncertainty—ashes of a life she never expected.

Yet Ruth chose loyalty over comfort. She left her homeland to care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, and worked humbly in the fields of Bethlehem. There, God’s quiet providence placed her in the path of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer.

In Part 3 of the Beauty for Ashes: Purpose in the Pain series, Misti Green explores how Ruth’s faithfulness in loss became the doorway to redemption and legacy:

Loyalty in the ashes can open the door to a lasting legacy.
Faithfulness in small, unseen places positions you for God’s bigger redemption.
God’s provision often arrives through people and unexpected opportunities.

Ruth’s life reminds us that grief and displacement are not the end of the story—God can turn the ashes of loss into the soil of legacy.

Betrayal hurts deepest when it comes from the people we trust most. Joseph knew that pain. Sold by his brothers, falsely accused in Potiphar’s house, forgotten for years in prison—his life seemed buried in ashes. Yet every setback became a step toward destiny.

In Part 2 of the Beauty for Ashes: Purpose in the Pain series, Misti Green unpacks Joseph’s story from Genesis to show how:

Betrayal can break your heart, but it cannot break your calling.
Your pit is not permanent—it’s preparation.
What others mean for evil, God can turn for good.

Joseph’s journey proves that delay is not denial and that God’s elevation often comes through the very places of our deepest wounds.

Your own betrayal or season of waiting may feel final, but God is still writing beauty into your story.

Leah’s life was marked by rejection. Bartered into marriage, overshadowed by her sister, and unloved by her husband Jacob, she knew the sting of comparison and the ache of being overlooked. Yet God’s plan for Leah did not end with her pain.

In this opening episode of Beauty for Ashes: Purpose in the Pain, Misti Green unpacks Leah’s story from Genesis and shows how God turned the ashes of betrayal and unrequited love into the very soil of redemption. From Leah’s womb came Judah—the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ.

This conversation invites every heart that has wrestled with rejection, betrayal, or feeling unseen to discover that:

Being overlooked by people never cancels being chosen by God.
Painful seasons can birth the greatest purpose.
God sees what others ignore and writes beauty into the very places that feel wasted.

Leah’s journey reminds us that even when people do not choose you, God still calls you, and your ashes can become the seedbed of His greatest work.

Step into Beauty for Ashes: Purpose in the Pain, a special series on the iLEAD | Misti Blue Podcast. Through the lives of Leah, Joseph, Ruth, David, and Esther, you’ll see how God turns betrayal, grief, rejection, and loss into the very soil of purpose.

This 5–7 minute trailer invites you to: • Recognize that restoration doesn’t rewind—it reveals what’s next. • Name the ashes you carry and trust God to redeem what you release. • Notice the quiet signs of renewal—small wins, timely encouragement, and unexpected joy.

Your process is the path to your purpose. Every shake, every sift, every season of pain is preparation for the beauty God has already planned. Subscribe and follow so you don’t miss an episode of this hope-filled journey.

Turnaround campuses are among the most challenging places to lead—but also among the most important. In this episode of the iLead Podcast, we break down what a turnaround campus really is, why so many of them serve our most marginalized students, and what it takes to flip the narrative.

Drawing from real data and real examples—including Mike Miles’ bold work in Houston ISD—we discuss the systems, mindsets, and leadership required to transform a campus from failure to success. From the dangers of relying on “autopsy data” to the power of capacity building, rapid feedback, and coherent systems, this episode explores the weight and the promise of turnaround work.

At the heart of it all is one fundamental principle: every student deserves access to high-quality instruction and educators who believe in their success, regardless of the barriers they face. If you don’t think that, turnaround work isn’t for you.

Listen in and be challenged to rethink leadership, rebuild systems, and keep moving the needle of success for all students.

Misti Green shares real stories of students whose struggles are often hidden behind hoodies and bravado. This episode reminds educators that connection comes before compliance and that one caring adult can transform a school’s culture.

Misti Green shares her own journey from “hallway kid” and high school dropout to educator and leader, and the story of a student whose quiet resilience reminds us that every child’s life can be transformed. This episode calls educators to look beyond behavior, lead with compassion over compliance, and become the lifeline every student deserves.

At 14, I left home with no plan, no safety net, and more fight than fear. From sleeping on couches and eating leftovers, to crossing the border with a fake ID, I should not be here today—but God’s hand carried me the whole way. In this raw episode, I share the story of resilience, grit, and faith that turned a runaway into a comeback. Anchored by Psalm 91:11 and Deuteronomy 30:3, this is a reminder that your story isn’t over. No matter how scattered you feel, God can pick up the pieces, restore what was lost, and shape you into your own comeback kid.

In this raw and unfiltered episode of the Misti Blue Podcast, I open up about what it means to grow up as a preacher’s daughter — seeing the beauty and the brokenness of church life — and how that shaped my faith. I talk honestly about wrestling with my humanity, my use of profanity (“I use the F-word like a comma”), and still loving Christ with everything I am. Through the story of David — a man after God’s own heart despite his failures — I share why faith isn’t about perfection, but about pursuit. If you’ve ever felt unworthy to speak about God, this conversation is for you.

The first episode of the 'With Maddie in Mind' series seamlessly blends the strategy of iLEAD with the soulful storytelling of Misti Blue. Inspired by a joyful three-year-old diagnosed with autism, we explore early literacy, IEPs, and parent advocacy—helping families protect their child’s joy while building strong futures.

Visit my website for downloadable resources to help you understand and navigate the system as your child's most prominent advocate: https://www.ileadmb.com/media-resources

Waiting seasons are some of the most difficult to navigate. In this episode, Misti unpacks the emotional weight of waiting—when prayers seem unanswered, doors stay closed, and silence fills the space. Through personal stories, scripture, and soulful reflection, she reminds listeners that the wilderness isn’t punishment—it’s preparation. You may feel forgotten, but God is still working. Stay rooted. Stay anchored.

Change doesn’t wait for the perfect moment, and neither can leadership. In this episode of The iLEAD Podcast, I discuss what it really takes to lead change that is felt, trusted, and lasting. Through personal stories, corporate parallels like Southwest Airlines, and the anchoring frameworks of Dr. Pete Gorman, this episode offers both heart and strategy. Whether you're leading in schools or systems, this is your call to lead with courage, clarity, and credibility.

Visit my website for Change Leadership downloadable resources: https://www.ileadmb.com/media-resources

In this powerful episode of Misti Blue Moments, Misti reflects on what it means to lead with courage in the face of resistance. Drawing inspiration from the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and the legacy of Claudette Colvin, she explores how true leadership means showing up - not for applause, but for impact. This is a call to rise, to root yourself, and to run with purpose.

The Nail That Sticks Out explores what it really means to stand out in life and leadership. I’m Misti Green, host of the Misti Blue Podcast. In this episode, I share the cost of being different, the resilience it takes to face criticism, and how resistance—like the wind that strengthens trees—can forge us into something unshakable. This is for anyone who’s ever felt hammered down for daring to be themselves, but knows they were made to stand tall.

In Episode 6, "What's Under That Hood", I share an inspiring story of resilience, kindness, and the power of education. Through the journey of a young boy who overcame personal trauma with courage and a smile, we explore the essence of being a force for positive change. This boy, with his simple acts of generosity and his triumph over adversity, taught me invaluable lessons about the impact of compassion over compliance in the classroom.

Reflecting on this experience, I advocate for educators to look beyond the surface, understanding each student's unique challenges and strengths. I emphasize the importance of empathy and personal connections in fostering an environment where every student feels valued and supported.

Join me as we discuss the importance of being "The Nail that Sticks Up" for transformative change and acting as a "Force Multiplier" in the lives of our students. This episode is a call to action for all educators to lead with kindness and intentionality, making a lasting difference in the educational journey of our students.

In this episode, I reflect on being, 'The Nail that Sticks Up' and embracing being a 'Force Multiplier'. I share a narrative of trauma and how I am choosing not to allow the traumatic experience to be the period or end point of my journey in this field I have grown to love deeply.

I am anchoring myself to my passion for the field of education, my purpose to do what is best for students - all students, and my belief that every single student is salvageable and capable of success.

Join me in being 'The Nail that Sticks Up' for change and being a 'Force Multiplier'.

In the final part of this three part series, we continue enhancing tier one planning practices by developing the skill of designing aligned learning objectives. Aligned learning objectives should be a first step in lesson planning. Aligned learning objectives provide students with part of the route on their journey toward academic mastery. Learning objectives are done ‘for students’ and ensure educators are accountable for aligned instructional moves.

In part two of a three part series we dive into deconstructing standards to support in predicting misconceptions and analyzing instructional gaps. Deconstructing standards is a critical step of planning for quality tier one instruction.

In part one of a three part series I dive into the process of strategically prioritizing skills and standards. During this episode, I will reference the Priority Standards work of Larry Ainsworth and Mike Mattos. Join me as we partner together to enhance our planning practices as we work to move the needle of student achievement toward excellence.

In this episode we discuss the power of response when faced with adding new skills or learning to our already proficient toolkit to improve our productivity, performance and proficiency. I will chat with my youngest son about a time when he had two choices - 1) to throw in the towel and quit, or 2) plow straight ahead - embracing the challenge to learn something new and embrace it as an opportunity to get better.

Introducing the iLEAD Podcast, a space for Instructional Leaders for Excellence, Action and Development. During this short introduction episode, I share the why behind iLEAD as I reflect on accepting my past, embracing my present and looking forward to the future.