Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt

Episode: My Calling in Life… Can I Miss it? with Annie F. Downs
Date: December 8, 2025
Guests: Madison Prewett Troutt (Host), Annie F. Downs

Episode Overview

In this candid, heartfelt, and joy-filled episode, Madison Prewett Troutt and bestselling author and speaker Annie F. Downs dive deep into the topics of calling, contentment, singleness, and abundant life. The conversation covers Annie’s personal journey from teaching to full-time ministry, handling life’s delays and detours, trusting God’s plans, and practical wisdom on seeking purpose wherever you are. With vulnerability and humor, they dismantle cultural and spiritual myths around missing your calling, idolizing marriage, and how to stay true to God’s truth in every season.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Annie’s Journey: From Teaching to Writing & Speaking (07:46–13:49)

• Annie’s Roots: Raised in Atlanta, Annie shares about becoming a Christian at age five and her early struggle with secret sins.
• Teaching Years: Taught elementary school for five years, intentionally pouring into her students:

  “I would bring my guitar and make up songs… I wanted them to understand why it was funny. I was teaching them how to be funny!” (09:28 – Annie)

• Launching Her Writing Career: Annie wrote her first book as a homemade curriculum for her Bible study girls.

  “At the end of that semester, one of the girls says, ‘Will you print me one more of these and staple it like a book so I can give it to a friend?’ ...Did I just write a book?” (10:25 – Annie)

• Perseverance & Rejection: 47 rejections before publishing her first book, ‘Perfectly Unique,’ six years after writing it.

  "God is in the details and in the big picture." (13:49 – Annie)

2. Finding and Living Your Calling (15:47–20:46)

• Dealing with Career Uncertainty:

  “One of the biggest things people DM me about is struggling with their career path and what they feel called to do. Am I doing what God made me to do?" (15:47 – Madison)

• Rejecting the ‘Chutes & Ladders’ Mentality:
  Annie illustrates how life is not about hitting the wrong square and “sliding back to start”—God’s will is not that fragile.

  “I just don't think if you are pursuing God, you can miss what he has for you… God is just so much more generous than we give him credit for.” (17:40 – Annie)

• Advice for Uncertainty: Take wise risks, invite trusted voices in, and try—even if it means making mistakes.

3. Abundant Life in All Seasons (22:45–27:29)

• Joy & Fun in Following Jesus:
  “You make following Jesus look so fun and cool!” (22:45 – Madison)
• The “If-Then” Fallacy:
  Annie shares her own struggle of believing “if I do it right, I’ll get what I want,” and how ultimately, abundant life is about obeying God, not bargaining with Him.
• Don’t Wait to Fully Live:

  “I had this cheap comforter on my bed…My narrative was, when I get married, I'm going to get a nice comforter…I slept under that comforter for five or six years. What are you doing? It’s a comforter. Get the comforter.” (24:36 – Annie)

• Grieving What You Don’t Have, Embracing What You Do:

  “Abundant life doesn't come when you tell yourself you have everything. Abundant life is when you tell yourself the truth and then you get excited about what this makes possible.” (30:57 – Annie)

4. Contentment, Entitlement & Idolizing Marriage (34:21–41:04)

• Why Do We Idolize Marriage?
  “Why is marriage such a deep desire and often an idol?” (34:21 – Madison)
• Cultural and Scriptural Roots:
  Annie explores historical and biblical reasons for women’s longing for marriage, and the modern tension between independence and intimacy.
• Dealing with Entitlement and Self-Righteousness:
  The danger of the “older brother” mentality—“I think I deserve better than this...because a lot of people are watching I thought I was going to get a perfect story.” (38:52 – Annie)
• Commanding Your Heart to Hope:

  “Sometimes you have to command your heart, like put your trust in God.” (41:04 – Madison)

5. Singleness as a Gift and Living in the In-Between (45:46–52:05)

• Reframing Singleness:
  “The gift of singleness is the one that people feel like is a backpack they can't take off…but can you look at the life God has given you and say this is a gift?” (46:46 – Annie)
• Freedom and Opportunity:
  “I get to do what I want…I’m running after God and I listen to his direction…but I kind of get to do what I want.” (47:45 – Annie)
• God as True Husband: Annie recounts times God tangibly “showed up” as her provider and protector.

  “In Isaiah, God says, I am your husband... There have been times where I have…said, if you’re my husband, what would you do here? Help me.” (48:16 – Annie)
  “No one will have loved me as long as Jesus did. No partner will have been through as many seasons with me as Jesus has.” (51:42 – Annie)

6. Intimacy with God & Constant Connection (52:26–58:12)

• Don't Compartmentalize Your Faith:
  “It would be so weird if [my husband] was compartmentalized into a really small aspect of my life…He is everywhere…” (53:30 – Madison)
• Practical Tips:
  “I can talk all the time, for sure. So in the car, I can say, Lord, that does not make any sense. Or, what are you doing? Or, can you help me?” (54:33 – Annie)
• Invite God Into Everything:
  “Anything you want help with, we can ask the Lord...Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to flirt...Why would He not want to teach you how to be good at romantic relationship?” (55:43 – Annie)

7. Staying True: Integrity, Scripture, & Accountability (58:15–67:38)

• Building Integrity in Small Things:

  “If I put something in my grocery cart and decide I don’t want it, I take it back to where I got it from…Little opportunities to have high integrity build muscles that you need in big opportunities.” (58:44 – Annie)

• No Secrets Life:

  “Little white lies lead to medium sized…then you’re in a mess and you’re not living with high integrity...Trust is lost in buckets and gained in drops.” (59:53 – Annie)

• The Power of Hiding God’s Word:
  Madison and Annie share about memorizing scripture and the transforming power of knowing it by heart.

  “If you memorize scripture…when people come to you, you’re able to give them God’s word and not your opinion.” (62:47 – Madison)

• Accountability:

  “I don’t have secrets. I don’t have a secret life. You stay true by being high integrity, being in the Word, accountability, no secrets.” (64:56 – Annie)

• Freedom is in the Light:

  “If you’re spinning lies or have a secret life you’re trying to protect, get it out now!...You want an abundant life? You can do whatever you want when you don’t have secrets.” (66:08 – Annie)

• Being Faithful in the Little Things:

  “When you’re faithful with the small, God can entrust you…When we’re not faithful with the small things, it leads to really big, bad things.” (66:29 – Madison)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Singleness and God’s Faithfulness:
  “No one will have loved me as long as Jesus did. No partner will have been through as many seasons with me as Jesus has. Nobody matters to me like he does… And that’s what makes it fun: I’ve got the safetiest safety net ever because I got Jesus.”
  (51:42 – Annie)

• On Calling:
  “If you are pursuing God, I do not think you can miss what he has for you. You can’t miss the job, the city, the partner, the plan he has for you.”
  (17:40 – Annie)

• On Contentment:
  “Abundant life doesn’t come when you tell yourself you have everything. Abundant Life is when you tell yourself the truth and then you get excited about what does this make possible.”
  (30:57 – Annie)

• On Practicing Integrity:
  “Every day you’re given the chance to do little things that let you work on that muscle…If you will practice telling the truth when the consequences are low, when you’re really having to stay true when the consequences are high, you’ve already got those muscles.”
  (58:44, 60:13 – Annie)

• On Confession & Freedom:
  “I didn’t experience true freedom from that sin (pornography) until I confessed it and brought it into the light.”
  (67:13 – Madison)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Annie’s Early Story: 07:46–13:49
• Questions about Calling / Chutes & Ladders Metaphor: 16:36–18:14
• Abundant Life, Joy, and Contentment: 22:45–27:29
• Marriage, Entitlement, Idolatry: 34:21–41:04
• Singleness as a Gift, God as Husband: 45:46–52:05
• Praying Without Ceasing, Practicing His Presence: 52:26–58:12
• Staying True: Integrity, Confession, Scripture: 58:15–67:38

Final Encouragement & Prayer (69:59–71:11)

Annie closes with an invitation to open hands before God, releasing control and entrusting desires and unmet expectations to Him, seeking to live with high integrity, joy, and gratitude for today:

“Thank you that you are our portion and our cup and our lot is secure today. We are grateful. Holy Spirit, would you just do whatever you want to do in our lives today. Teach us. Help us. We are just leaning on you. We love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
(70:21–71:11 – Annie)

Key Takeaways

• You cannot “miss” God’s calling if you are pursuing Him.
• Abundance and joy are available wherever you are, regardless of relationship status or unmet dreams.
• Waiting seasons, singleness, and detours are not evidence of missing out but are opportunities to grow deeper with God.
• Integrity and authenticity in the small things form the foundation for staying true to God and yourself in big moments.
• True contentment comes from focusing on what you have, taking all things to God, and living every moment in His presence.

This episode is rich in practical wisdom, real-life examples, and encouragement for anyone navigating uncertainty, longing, or struggle to trust God with their calling and season of life. Madison and Annie provide a safe, joy-filled space, consistently reminding listeners: you can’t miss what God has for you if you’re following Him. Live with integrity, gratitude, and openness, one day at a time.