The Living Story: Where Fiction, Faith, and Healing Begins
What if the stories we love are mirrors of the stories we live?
The Living Story is a soulful podcast that explores the intersection of fiction, faith, and emotional healing.
Hosted by Tennille Martinez, a writer, teacher, and spiritual storyteller, this show dives into the lives of beloved book characters both classic and contemporary to uncover the deeper truths they reveal about identity, purpose, heartbreak, growth, and God.
Each episode blends literary analysis, biblical reflection, and personal testimony to help you rewrite limiting narratives, reclaim your voice, and live a story worth telling.
Whether you’re navigating a season of waiting, walking through grief, or standing at the edge of your next chapter, you’ll find wisdom in the pages of novels, the scriptures of the Bible, and the softness of storytelling that makes space for transformation.
Expect story-driven devotionals, character-based episodes with spiritual parallels, and bonus reflections that speak directly to the soul.
This is not just a podcast. It’s a gentle companion for women of faith, creative seekers, and those ready to turn the page.
📚 Books. Bible. Becoming.
You don’t just read stories. You are one.
Episodes
69 episodes
S3 E9 | Overcoming Perfectionism in Work, Relationships, and Faith
Perfectionism promises peace but leaves us exhausted. In this episode of The Living Story, I share the quiet ways perfectionism shows up in our lives at work, in relationships, and in our faith, and how to finally let it go...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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21:51
S3 E8 | Rewriting the Pain: What Esperanza and Tamar Taught Me About Voice, Worth & Healing
Do you keep replaying the same painful inner narrative? The one that whispers, “You’re not enough,” “You’ll never be loved,” or “This is just how it is”?In this powerful episode of The Living Story, we explore how to stop rehear...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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15:16
S3 E7 | Wrestling with God’s Timing: What Janie, Joseph, and My Healing Journey Taught Me About Delay
Have you ever wondered if God forgot about you? If the delay in your life means the promise has passed you by?In this soul-stirring episode of The Living Story, we explore what it means to wrestle with trusting God’s timing when...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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18:40
S3 E6 | He Brought Me to the Door, But God Brought Me Inside
What if the people who walked you to the door can’t take you inside?In this episode, I share how God used unexpected transitions, a new teaching job, a fresh heartbreak, and a church I didn’t choose to walk me through sacred thres...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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23:21
S3 E5 | Hermoso Momento: My Ocean Baptism & the Worship Song That Healed Me
I never planned on being baptized again, but God did.In this deeply personal episode, I share the story of my unplanned baptism in the ocean, the worship song that carried me through heartbreak and change, and the sacred moment where sur...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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16:00
S3 E4 | The Girl Who Lost Her Voice (And Found It in the Margins)
After my car accident, I lost the ability to write, even journal entries or sticky notes. As a storyteller, writer, journaler, and teacher, that silence hit hard. But in the margins of books, of random words on a sticky note, of lif...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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13:32
S3 E3 | The Books That Saved Me: How Fiction, Faith & Characters Helped Me Rebuild My Life
In this deeply personal episode of The Living Story, I take you through the books that didn’t just fill my shelves—they healed my soul. After surviving a near-fatal car accident and navigating a season of exhaustion, discon...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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25:34
S3 E2 | The Blank Notebook: When You Can’t Go Back to Who You Were
What happens when life forces you to start from scratch?In this episode, I share how The Book Advantage, my first podcast, planted the seeds for something deeper, but never quite scratched the surface of why stories matte...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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9:20
S3 E1 | Before the Blessing: When the Breaking Becomes the Beginning
What if the unraveling isn’t the end—but the sacred beginning?In this premiere episode of The Living Story, I share the truth behind my podcast’s transformation—from hustle to healing, from strategy to surre...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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12:02
Welcome to The Living Story: Where Fiction Meets Faith and Your Healing Begins
What if the stories you loved held the healing you needed?Welcome to The Living Story—a podcast that weaves fiction, scripture, and personal reflection into sacred conversations about identity, healing, and becoming.<...
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1:28
#57: S.O.S. Series - The Confidence to Take the Leap into Starting a Teacher Side Hustle
If you fear failing and the uncertainty of the unknown in starting your teacher side hustle, you are not alone! The struggle to overcome self-doubt and fear can be overwhelming, especially when leaping into entrepreneurship. It's t...
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Season 2
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Episode 57
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7:51
#56: S.O.S. Series - Setting Boundaries for Teacher Side Hustle Success
Are you ready to unlock the secret to balancing your teaching career and side hustle without burning out?In this episode, you'll discover unexpected strategies for setting boundaries and protecting your well-being as a teacher with a si...
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Season 2
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Episode 56
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8:31
#55: S.O.S. Series - Use Your Project Management Superpowers for Your Teacher Side Hustle
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of juggling your teaching career and side hustle, trying to keep everything on track but feeling like you're constantly falling behind, then you are not alone! It's time to break free from...
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Season 2
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Episode 55
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9:13
#54: S.O.S. Series - Branding Your Teacher Side Hustle on a Budget
Are you ready for a surprising twist? What if I told you that branding your side hustle has more in common with setting up your classroom than you think? Stay tuned to discover the unexpected connection between creating an engaging...
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Season 2
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Episode 54
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9:49
#53: S.O.S. Series - Finding Time for Your Teacher Side Hustle
In this episode of our Sparking Out-of-Classroom Success series (SOS), we're discussing two crucial aspects of side hustle success: time management and goal-setting. Join me as we uncover practical strategies to carve out tim...
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Season 2
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Episode 53
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9:07
#52: S.O.S. Series - Conquering Self-Doubt When Starting Your Teacher Side Hustle
Welcome back, teachers, to another empowering episode of "Teach Hustle Grow"! In this episode of our Sparking Out-of-Classroom Success series (SOS), we're diving deep into the realm of self-doubt and how to overcome it on your journey toward te...
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Season 2
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Episode 52
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10:58
#51: S.O.S. Series - Kickstart Your Teacher Side Hustle
Ready to turn your teaching talents into a thriving side hustle? Join us on a new series - Sparking Out-of-Classroom Success (S.O.S.) on the Teach Hustle Grow podcast.In this episode, we'll guide you through finding your passion, overco...
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Season 2
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Episode 51
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8:27
Quarterly Transitions: How Teachers Can Align Side Hustles with School Terms
Have you ever heard these myths about thriving through quarterly transitions? Myth 1: You can't start a side hustle during the school year. Myth 2: Quarterly planning is too rigid for side hustles. Myth 3: Balancing teaching and a side hustle i...
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Season 2
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Episode 50
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11:31
Turning Teaching Sparks Into Side Hustle Ideas
Ready to be surprised? What if I told you that your experiences in the classroom hold the key to unlocking your entrepreneurial potential? Yes, you, as a teacher, have the power to turn your passions and teaching skills into a succe...
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Season 2
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Episode 49
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8:35
The Passion, Purpose and Profit Path: A Teacher's Guide to Side Hustle Success
If you're feeling overwhelmed and stuck in a cycle of complaints, longing for more but feeling powerless against the constraints of teaching, then you are not alone! It's easy to feel undervalued and overworked, sacrificing everythi...
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Season 2
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Episode 48
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13:43
10 Strategies to Help You & Your Students Overcome Procrastination
Have you heard these myths about procrastination? Myth #1: Procrastination is just about being lazy. Myth #2: Procrastination is a time management issue. Myth #3: Procrastination is a result of poor self-control. I'll share the truth about over...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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11:39
From Stuck to Starting: How Teachers Can Launch Rewarding Side Hustles
In the hustle and bustle of the classroom, I never imagined I'd find myself on a path to entrepreneurship. As I navigated the challenges of teaching, I discovered an unexpected twist that led me to a whole new world of opportunities. <...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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13:37
Overcoming Roadblocks: A Teacher's Guide to Side Hustle Success
Have you heard these myths about starting a side hustle as a teacher? Myth #1: Teachers don't have time for a side hustle. Myth #2: It's too expensive to start a business. Myth #3: Teachers don't have the skills for entrepreneurship. <...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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12:01
The Courage to Hustle: Why Teachers Should Pursue Entrepreneurial Dreams
Does the idea of pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams while maintaining your teaching career sound familiar? Have you been told to simply focus on one or the other, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction and missed opportunities?&...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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12:38
Embracing Audacity: Cultivating Courage in Education and Side Hustles
Ever felt your heart pound at the prospect of steering your students or your side hustle to uncharted territories? I'm unpacking the essence of courage, not just as a concept, but as an actionable force in the realm of education an...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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6:04