Creating Margin, Anchoring Identity, and Showing Up

On a recent episode of The Sam Acho Podcast, Sam and Clif got to sit down for an incredible conversation with the wise and wonderful Priscilla Shirer. The conversation ranged from Priscilla stepping into her gifts, to choosing faith for herself, to consistency in parenting, to walking through grief, being able to say no, and trusting in the goodness of God. No matter who you are or where you are in life, there's something in Priscilla's story for everyone!

Surrendering Gifts, Choosing Faith for Yourself

Priscilla Shirer’s story is marked by transparency from the start. “What I got in trouble for most...was talking too much.” Her parents, instead of stifling her, helped her see “communications is actually the gifting, the unique wiring that God has given you. If you would just surrender this thing, not get rid of it, just surrender it to God.” College was her turning point—from a faith “incubated” by family and church to one she owned herself. “God doesn’t have grandchildren, just children.” She names the stumble: “I didn’t do that well at all...I made a bunch of decisions that I look back on and wish I hadn’t.” It was then, outside the family’s safety net, that surrender took on meaning: “Okay Lord, what do you want to do with this? What’s your purpose and your calling for my life?”

Priscilla is clear about her focus: teaching the Bible isn’t about stirring crowds, but walking people through how “there’s supposed to be abundance, there’s supposed to be peace and freedom and victory—not just when we get to heaven, but while we're on earth.” For her, faith means “an anchor that holds you...a sense of stability, a sense of hopefulness” that carries through whatever hits.

Grief, Margin, and Saying No

The last several years have brought deep loss—ten family members gone in less than six years. “It has been completely disorienting because...we haven't had a lot of death in our family.” Her mother’s final advice became a compass: “Stop and smell the roses.” Priscilla took that seriously, making space for joy and presence. “Just walking for an hour, the margin that gives me mentally, emotionally...to listen to my playlist and pray and worship God...it has been so beneficial.”

Margin, for Priscilla, is intentional: “saying enough no’s to give myself margin for better yes’s.” Not every invitation is God’s best. She says margin allows for “God moments”—spontaneous connection, gratitude, and rest that don’t fit the stuffed calendar. Sometimes margin means discovering new joys just because there’s breathing room to notice them.

Consistency, Integrity, and Raising Kids

Priscilla doesn’t claim to be a parenting expert. She anchors to what she saw her parents do: “Pick the two or three things that you’re going to be consistent about and do them.” For her family, it’s things like dinner at the table, with no phones and the same honest, sometimes awkward conversations. “Let yourself off the hook that you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be consistent.”

She also emphasized integrity: “My parents weren’t perfect, but they had integrity.” It means her life at church and at home matched. Vulnerability is welcomed, apologies are modeled, and presence matters more than speeches. With sports crowding the calendar, she encourages parents and coaches: protect space for faith, family, and growth. “Their identity and value is not wrapped up in just producing as an athlete.”

Faithfulness Every Day

Everything in this life breaks down or disappoints, but "God is faithful. He keeps showing up. His mercies are new every morning.” Ask hard questions, bring the struggle, and keep returning to that anchor. In a busy day, a hard week, or a season of waiting, remember: the acts of showing up, protecting margin, and steady consistency don’t just mark your story—they open space for God to show His faithfulness again, right where you are.