Conversations around sex, dating, marriage, and purpose can feel complicated—especially as moms raising daughters in a changing cultural and church landscape. In this episode of Courageous Girls, we sit down with bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host Annie F. Downs for a powerful and honest conversation about singleness, calling, and trusting God with the long story of our lives.

Together, we explore how the church’s messaging around marriage has shaped girls and women, and why it’s time to shift the paradigm—from “when you’re married” to “if you’re married.” Annie shares vulnerably from her own journey of singleness, faith, disappointment, joy, and deep intimacy with God, reminding us that no one is behind, late, or forgotten.

This episode invites moms and daughters alike to release comparison, redefine sexual purity as a lifelong practice, and embrace the freedom of living fully present in the chapter God has us in right now.

In this episode, we discuss:

🔹 Singleness as a valid calling – Why marriage is not the finish line, and how every season holds purpose and dignity.

🔹 Sexual purity as a lifestyle – Reframing purity beyond marital status and grounding it in discipleship and identity.

🔹 You are right on time – How to dismantle the “late bloomer” narrative and trust God’s timing with courage and peace.

🔹 What does this make possible? – Learning to see closed doors, waiting seasons, and disappointment as invitations, not failures.

Our hope is that this conversation helps you raise daughters—and become women—who know they are deeply loved, fully called, and free to live boldly with God, no matter what their story looks like.

Website: https://www.anniefdowns.com/

Learn more about the Courageous Girls movement at www.mycourageousgirls.com

Follow along on Instagram: @mycourageousgirls

Read the book: Courageous by Terra Mattson

Download the Courageous Girls App—available on any app store.