EPISODE 1: Who is Kaase

Welcome back to FR, Let's Talk!!

Real Talk, Biblical truth for Christian teen girls.

Here, our tagline is Biblically Salty, Eternally Lit. Where staying salty and shining bright aligns with God's call to be the salt and the light.

This is your go-to space where teen girls can ask all the questions, big or small, about life, faith, and everything in between.

No judgment, no pressure!!

Just real talk in a safe, anonymous environment. If this is your first time here, welcome!

I am so glad you have found yourself here.

I wanted to take this very first episode to tell you a little bit about myself. But before I do that, I want to give you a little information about the structure of this podcast.

Here at FR, Let's Talk, our success hinges on teen girls submitting all their burning questions.

Without question, I have nothing to answer!!

So maybe you're asking, well, how do I submit my questions?

Great question!

The first and easiest option is to head over to our website and submit your question there.

That website can be found below in our show notes, but quickly, www.frletstalk.com.

Additionally, reach out directly on the podcast, text me or DM me, follow along on our Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Pinterest socials, where you can also message me directly.

Or never hesitate to just shoot me an email.

My line is always open.

Once you submit your questions, I dive into researching the answers. I answer three questions each episode, every Tuesday and Thursday, in under three minutes straight from the Bible.

If we miss your question, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and our emails.

Following along ensures you will never miss an episode and never miss a possible answer to all your burning questions.

As a reminder, everything here is anonymous. You will never know the face behind the question, as well, and no question is off limits.

Ask anything seriously.

Along with the anonymous Q&A, you'll also find my thoughts on the latest trends.

Favorite products and fun things just for teen girls. Okay, enough about the podcast.

I think it's important for us to build some credibility. So let me share a little bit about myself.

My name is Kaase Levell. I live in Castle Rock, Colorado. I am a wife to Adam of almost 15 years and a mom to two daughters, Raleigh, who is 12 and Hendrix, who is 10.

I homeschool both of my girls and I wouldn't replace it for anything.

I am a daughter. My parents live just around the corner.

I am a sister. I have a brother who is two years older than me and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

And I am recently an aunt.

I am your resident faith coach, spiritual cheerleader, and teen mentor.

Okay. So now that we have those basic details out of the way, let me dive into the heart behind this podcast.

I have been involved in Christian teen girls ministry for over 15 years now.

And over the last two years, I've seen this shift in girls who have become so desperate to just blend in.

This desire is sadly sabotaging the Great Commission to go and make disciples when the fear of our peers or their acceptance or approval is greater than our fear of God.

Guys, my heart has never burned so passionately for this Alpha generation.

This span of teen girls who are just so insanely desperate to be seen, loved, and accepted, they're all turning to the wrong things to achieve that acceptance.

But this is precisely why I wanted to start the podcast. Because my upbringing is not all that different from many of yours. I grew up in a small town in Kansas, and honestly, I hated every little thing about small town life.

In weird ways, there were some comforting things about growing up in a small town, but the worst of it stems from everyone knowing everyone's business all the time.

I was a competitive dancer and in a small town, I intrinsically stood out for being a competitive dancer. I had a natural talent and from an early age, I was winning a lot of the dance competitions.

I noticed that this attention that I was getting for winning was met with jealousy from my peers.

It created an environment for them to exclude me and ostracize me for being good and winning. I became even more desperate than most to just blend in and fly under the radar.

This led to a season of shape shifting and morphing, becoming whoever I thought they wanted me to be, which ultimately led to an identity crisis, constantly morphing who I was.

Because I wasn't rooted in Christ, I was left questioning who I was altogether. Guys, I was desperate for someone, anyone to step into this mess with me, but I didn't know how to ask for help or tell others how lost I was feeling.

This led to six years of a chameleon lifestyle. While this doesn't seem bad in and of itself, and really more like a survival mechanism.

What it led to was total uncertainty on who I actually was.

By the time I left for college, I was more determined than ever to make a fresh start for myself. I needed a new name and a new identity.

I was ready to leave behind all the drama that surrounded my life and years of being who others wanted me to be. And it was time to stay true to myself.

Much to my surprise, I was weaker than ever, susceptible and vulnerable. The stakes were higher in college; coupled with rushing a sorority, the new narrative quickly became, not only do you need to be a certain person here, this precisely is who you need to be to fit in to the sorority girl identity.

Again, I was not met with a place that embraced an identity rooted in Christ, but rather an identity that was rooted in the world and who others said I was.

You guys, I allowed others to assign my life meaning and value.

I spent the next four years in an entirely new level of shape shifting, living out a completely false identity, stuffing down the biggest part of who I was, someone who sincerely loved Jesus.

On top of all of this loss and uncertainty of identity, when I was 18, I was back in my hometown for the Christmas holiday and through a series of unfortunate circumstances was assaulted by one of my best guy friends growing up.

You cannot even imagine the hurt and trauma and confusion that this added to my uncertainty of identity.

In the aftermath of the assault, I couldn't help but question the goodness of God and his safety and protection over my life.

I couldn't imagine how a good God would allow something so awful to happen. This probably drove me further and further from God's presence.

I started to turn to even more destructive behaviors and patterns because of the assault and I opened the door to all things Satan.

By the end of my college career, I was more lost than ever. I became someone I didn't even recognize. I didn't know right from left, from up or down.

Following college, I spent several more years partying, numbing the pain with drinking and dating people who were less than God's best.

You guys, took me four years to dig out of this dark hole. But as God is so good, he was slowly wooing me back into his loving arms.

Maybe you're wondering, gosh, Kaase, this is quite the diatribe.

Why are you sharing so much?

Well, I am sharing this because I believe in the power of testimony.

I believe that God allowed these experiences in my life so that later on I could turn around and help fellow teens in their time of need.

This is truly the heart behind, FR, Let's Talk.

Many seasons in my teen life where I was desperate and needed a safe, anonymous place to ask my questions and be met with grace, understanding, no judgment, love, and more importantly, Jesus.

The wisdom and the gift of His truth.

I needed biblical insight that I knew was sound and that could lead me and point me back to Christ.

I needed help knowing what was the next step. And so that is my hope here. That is what I want to offer you.

As well as, as well as on all of our other social platforms.

I created this space with tween and teen girls in mind, and I hesitate to go on the record saying a specific age because you guys, think all girls are at different places in their lives.

But if you're a girl and you love Jesus, you have found yourself in the right place. You are welcome here, just as you are.

And I am so excited that you would allow me to walk this path with you. I want to speak life into you and help guide you through the biblical truths of Jesus Christ and His Word.

I want nothing more than to see you mature in your walk with God. In scripture, it talks about this maturation process.

It's in Hebrews 5:2-14 that we read:

”In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Guys, this passage contrasts spiritual immaturity, which was milk, with spiritual maturity, solid food, encouraging believers to grow in their faith and understanding of God's word.

That is what I want for you here, to mature in your walk with the Lord.

Only then, when we have our identity rooted in Christ, is our confidence in His word and His truth, and we are maturing from milk to solid food can we go and contribute to the Great Commission, God's calling to make disciples.

Girls, I want you to know you are not only capable, but you are courageous enough to tell others about God's love for them.

And if you're not, if there is an area that you're lacking knowledge or confidence, that's precisely why I am here.

Please bring me all of your questions.

And I will do my best to give you the most biblical insight I can to lead you in courage and strength to share Jesus with those around you.

That is the only thing that matters. Making disciples.

So I am here for you, sis, in all the ways. I am your faith coach, your spiritual cheerleader.

I am always here for you and just an email or text away. Get God's truth into your heart and your mind.

Guys, we severely underestimate the power of our words and the power of our internal thoughts.

So before I leave you, repeat these words after me:

I am a daughter of the most high King.

And let's be honest, I am loved beyond measure.

My worth isn't about what I do.

It's all about who I am in Christ.

Fearfully and wonderfully made?

Absolutely.

God's love for me?

Unshakable.

I can conquer anything with him by my side and trust me, I am never alone.

I am not my mistakes.

I'm His forgiven, graceful masterpiece.

Nothing will ever change His love for me because I'm already perfect in His eyes.

Bold, beautiful, and confidently walking in my purpose.

What's not to love?