Between Us is a monthly conversation series on 1 True Talks where Renee and Amanda sit down for real, candid conversations rooted in Biblical truth and real life.

What if strength and softness didn’t compete, but completed each other? In this Between Us conversation, we sit down with Amanda West to unpack the new terrain of dating, the pull of independence, and the quiet need every woman has to feel safe enough to “hang the hat” at the door. From first texts to long-haul love, we explore how clarity, kindness, and congruence turn sparks into something you can actually build on.

We dig into the real frictions: men’s single-task focus vs. women’s multitasking minds, why “be direct” beats “drop hints,” and how specific requests paired with sincere gratitude can change the tone of a home. If hot-and-cold behavior drives you crazy, you’ll hear practical language for setting expectations without sounding harsh and ways to protect your time, your hobbies, and your voice. Because the traits that drew someone to you, your faith, your joy, your grit shouldn’t disappear once dating gets serious.

Amanda also brings hard-won wisdom for single moms and widows navigating love after upheaval. We explore the difference between rebuilding grit after grief and guarding your heart after divorce, how to avoid comparison traps, and why raising the bar around values like faith, integrity and consistency, outlasts chasing a look or a physical attribute. We talk about guarding your mind, choosing counsel from people who’ve built what you want, and holding the frame of your life while letting God fill it in ways you didn’t plan but deeply need.

If you’re ready to date with hope, communicate with warmth and clarity, and keep your identity intact, this Between Us conversation is for you. Share this episode with a friend who needs it, subscribe for more 1 True Talks. Have a question, story, or topic you'd love for us to talk about in a future Between Us episode? Email us at amanda@1truematch.com, we'd love to hear from you!

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What if the fastest way to love is to slow down? We sit with Pastor Steven Mencia to unpack how a reluctant church visit for a teenage date turned into a life shaped by Jesus and how that journey reshapes the way we approach singleness, dating, and marriage.

Steven’s story moves from early skepticism to deep faith, then through trials that tested a young relationship: chronic illness, long distance, breakups, and the question every couple faces will we stay when it’s hard? Together, we explore why singleness is not a penalty box but a formation ground, how to wait without wasting the valley, and what it means to discern God’s voice when urgency shouts for quick decisions. You’ll hear practical markers of spiritual alignment, more Scripture, more honesty, more peace and red flags that quietly dull your devotion.

We also tackle identity and worth. Steven shares the “well vs wound” lens for choices, the widow’s quiet gift as a model of obedience over performance, and the freedom that comes from dating as someone already loved, not someone hustling to be chosen. From “microwave culture, crockpot God” to Romans 12’s renewing of the mind, this conversation offers grounded wisdom for moving at a pace that lets character prove itself, community support you, and God’s timing lead the way.

If you’ve felt overlooked, rushed, or tired of rejection, consider this your permission to breathe. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs steadiness, and leave a review telling us where you’re learning to slow down and trust God’s best.

More Info about Celebration Church: https://www.celebration.org/

Follow Steven: https://www.instagram.com/stevenmencia10/

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The years between 25 and 35 can feel like a tidal wave: career moves, marriage questions, fertility timelines, money pressures, and the constant hum of outside opinions. We invited best-selling author and mentor Stephanie Mae Wilson to help us quiet the noise, listen for God’s voice, and make choices that create a life we actually want to live, long before the ring, the job title, or the baby arrives.

Stephanie shares the moment she stopped living by borrowed deadlines and started trusting God with outcomes, a shift that led her to say yes to adventure, service, and ultimately meeting her husband. We unpack what healthy pursuit really looks like, mutual interest, reliability, and shared effort, while dismantling the myth that a woman must sit on her hands to be “chosen.” If you’re tired of keeping a relationship from hitting the floor, you’ll find language, boundaries, and confidence to move toward certainty and care.

Prayer and presence thread through our talk. Stephanie’s 100-day prayer journal, Every Single Moment, guides women to pray for a future partner without idolizing an imagined person or abandoning their own growth. We explore why one of the most transformative prayers is for a best friend, and how female friendships lower stress, build courage, and make the steep hills of life feel climbable. Stephanie also offers a beautiful parenting picture: don’t cram God into a tidy jewelry box; invite your kids into a wide, living relationship with Him.

If you’ve felt the squeeze of the “everything era,” this conversation brings relief, practical tools, and hope. Tune in to learn how to curate your inputs, invest in real friendship, participate in your love story, and trust God while taking bold, grounded action. If it resonated, share it with a friend, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

More about Stephanie: https://stephaniemaywilson.com/

Follow Stephanie Here: https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/

Check Out Stephanie's Podcast: https://stephaniemaywilson.com/girlsnight

Stephanie's Prayer Journal Every Single Moment: https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/products/every-single-moment

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