Annette’s 4-category spectrum - Category 1: “Normal” human flaws—can be selfish or insensitive at times, but can self-reflect, repent, repair, and grow. - Category 2: Emotionally immature; hurtful without calculated malice. Constant defensiveness, blame-shifting, meltdowns when confronted. Change is unlikely; aim is reducing chaos and managing wisely if you choose to stay. - Category 3: Calculated and conniving. Love-bombing, data-mining your hopes/fears to weaponize later. Public charm/private cruelty. Dangerous in church/community settings. You won’t resolve this. - Category 4: Sociopathic/psychopathic traits. Amplified cruelty and real danger. Divorce triggers the “monster.” Requires safety planning, documentation, and expert help.

Dating red flags and protection - Love-bombing: intense pursuit, “soulmate” language, over-the-top gestures, fast-moving timeline. - Boundary testing: pushes past your limits; discomfort rises quickly. - Inconsistencies and subtle cruelty: backhanded comments, smirks at tears or grief, delight in your pain. - How to protect: move slowly, keep physical/emotional boundaries early, listen to the Holy Spirit and your discomfort, look for patterns (not isolated incidents), and let time test character.

If you stay (Category 2 dynamics) - Goal: not fixing him, but wisely reducing chaos and preserving your well-being and the household’s stability. - Tactics: reframe requests in terms of what benefits him; avoid head-on confrontation; build your life outside the relationship (calling, ministry, education, friendships). - Support: grief the loss of the dream; get equipped; find a small, trusted peer group who truly understands narcissistic abuse.

If you’re considering leaving (especially 3–4) - Safety first: if there’s a risk of harm, have a go-bag for you/kids/pets and get out. - Prepare: document everything; expect financial sabotage; avoid using the term “narcissist” in court unless there’s a diagnosis. - Kids: courts may be vulnerable to “parental alienation” claims; consider a High-Conflict Divorce Coach to reduce legal costs and navigate strategy. - Church/community: narcissists often “borrow” your credibility and pre-poison relationships. Find a healthy church culture and rebuild wise support.

Biblical considerations for divorce - Abuse, abandonment, adultery are valid biblical grounds. With minors, weigh carefully: safety, modeling for children, and the realities of family court.

Healing and identity - Post-abuse, identity is almost always impacted. You can be 10 years out and still hear their voice in your head—self-abuse by proxy. - The path: clean up the past (lies, agreements, unresolved pain), rebuild identity in Christ, then step into power and authority with wisdom and boundaries. - Beauty must rise with pain: intentionally add joy, nature, creativity, and community to counterbalance suffering.

Church and parenting insights - Teach kids the Word, discernment, and healthy vs. unhealthy relationship dynamics. Christlike love includes boundaries and walking away when necessary.

Programs and resources Annette mentioned - Living Well While Staying: coaching for women who choose to remain in Category 2 marriages, focused on reducing chaos and rebuilding a meaningful life. - Cinderella No More Academy: membership community and tools for recovery and growth. - Cinderella Conversations: 4-session discovery series on identifying narcissistic dynamics, tactics, false guilt, and spiritual warfare. - Upcoming book: Cinderella No More: Becoming Ella (target 2026). She’s seeking early readers for feedback. - For severe trauma/PTSD: consider a Christian therapist specializing in trauma; complement with coaches who understand narcissistic abuse. Interview for fit.

One thing to remember - You didn’t cause it, you can’t fix it—and this isn’t the end. With God, this can be the beginning of a new, stronger chapter. You get to write the next chapters with Him.

PODCAST INTRO:

My guest Annette Chesney is a Christian coach, speaker, and seasoned recovery professional  who equips women healing from narcissistic abuse.

Narcissistic dynamics can be hard to spot because they often look like ordinary relationship friction at first. Many people struggle to tell the difference between someone who is simply hurting and occasionally hurtful, and someone who persistently harms others without accountability. 

One useful way to think about it is as a spectrum: not everyone with difficult traits is a narcissist, and not every narcissistic person behaves the same way. Understanding this range can help you decide what you’re seeing—and what to do next.

But before you think that keeps you in the dark….Annette has created a spectrum that consists of 4 categories or types of narcissists including 10 different characteristics. What she shares is very interesting and from my experience very accurate.  Annette’s work is done both one-on-one and in groups. She talks primarily from a women’s point of view with regard to narcissistic abuse but she did say men are subject to women narcs as well. 

Annette talks about common red flags and she says pay attention to patterns over time rather than isolated incidents; that wider view tells the truth.

Annette even shares about how she coaches women who choose to stay in a challenging relationship…she teaches  “management” strategies that focus less on changing the other person and more on stabilizing her client’s environment, protecting her energy, and minimizing chaos. A few of the examples she gave were learning how to reframe requests so they’re seen as mutually beneficial, limiting circular arguments, and building a strong support system outside the relationship. 

She even touches on the subject for when separation or divorce becomes necessary and minor children are involved. She alerted us to the fact that trauma symptoms, including anxiety and PTSD‑like responses, are not uncommon adding that qualified mental health support and targeted coaching can help you recover clarity and confidence.

Even with the reality of living with the effects of narcissistic abuse…the dismantling of who you are, loss of confidence, identity, goals, dreams etc. , Annette says recovery is possible. Many people find that healing involves unpacking earlier hurts, challenging false beliefs, rebuilding identity, and learning durable skills: boundaries, self‑care, emotional regulation, and discernment.  Getting connected with the right help will make all the difference and get you to what she calls…your Kingdom Zone of Impact where you’re living with identity and purpose in Christ. 

Her parting words were for the listener to remember two things that are worth holding onto: you didn’t cause someone else’s narcissistic pattern, and you can’t fix it for them. What you can do is prioritize safety, educate yourself/get informed, surround yourself with wise support, and invest in your own future. Whether you’re staying, preparing to leave, or rebuilding afterward, the next chapters can be healthier—with Christ those next chapters are filled with restoration and redemption, they can bring clarity, strength identity and purpose… and they’re yours to discover with the Lover of Your Soul, the One who never abuses you, never fails you, Jesus.

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk

Connect With Annette:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-chesney/ Website: https://annettechesney.com/ Visit her website for more information on the programs and resources Annette mentioned: - Living Well While Staying: coaching for women who choose to remain in Category 2 marriages, focused on reducing chaos and rebuilding a meaningful life. - Cinderella No More Academy: membership community and tools for recovery and growth. - Cinderella Conversations: 4-session discovery series on identifying narcissistic dynamics, tactics, false guilt, and spiritual warfare. - Upcoming book: Cinderella No More: Becoming Ella (target 2026). She’s seeking early readers for feedback. - For severe trauma/PTSD: consider a Christian therapist specializing in trauma; complement with coaches who understand narcissistic abuse. Interview for fit.

-Faith roots: Grew up in a large Romanian Christian family (with Syrian Christian heritage); accepted Christ at 7; faith deepened after her aunt’s death from cancer.

-Calling to law: Loved advocacy and public speaking; passed the bar after intense study; landed her dream role as a federal prosecutor in San Francisco.

-Health crisis: Fell acutely ill in week two on the job with a rare, under-researched neurological vertigo disorder; tried ~30–150 therapies and ~38 medications (often worsened symptoms); bedridden for three years on a bedpan; ultimately resigned her post.

-Ongoing illness: Continues to experience constant spinning sensations; multiple tentative diagnoses, no definitive cure; learned to walk again despite worsening symptoms when upright.

-Spiritual wrestle: Initial confusion turned to seasons of bitterness and anger (more than depression); felt misunderstood by some believers when she sensed God calling her to accept ongoing suffering.

-Acceptance and surrender: Believes God spoke that she would not be fully healed on this side of eternity; fasting exposed idols of health, marriage, and career; moved toward surrender and trust.

-Meeting Matt: Church acquaintance (youth leader) who reached out during her bedridden years; he had suffered childhood cancer and was later diagnosed with terminal cancer; they formed a deep bond through shared suffering.

-Marriage and loss: Married despite her illness and his terminal diagnosis; experienced “joy in grief” through ministry and creativity; Matt died a year later; Lara testifies to God’s peace and preparation through the loss.

-Joy amid grief: Practiced finding “sprinkles of joy” (comedy clips, music, niece’s smile, devotionals); launched The Silverman Show (YouTube: comedy, music, theology); organized jazz fundraisers, including $13K raised for Haiti.

-Theology of suffering: *Critiques “prosperity gospel light” in American church; calls for preparing believers to suffer well. *Emphasizes biblical themes: joy in suffering; God’s intentional purposes; eternal rewards (e.g., “crown of life”); 2 Corinthians 4:17’s “eternal weight of glory.” *Points to Isaiah 61 (double portion/redemption), 1 Peter 1:7 (tested faith), Job-like redemption ultimately fulfilled in eternity. *Cites Helen Roseveare’s testimony about trusting God in suffering.

-Identity transformation: Early identity tied to achievement and “gold stars”; illness stripped these; learned identity in Christ, not performance; challenged by Matt’s loving rebukes about pride and usefulness.

-Honest struggles: Jealousy when others receive “basic blessings” (marriage, children, health); wrestled with God’s statement “I know what’s best for you”; learning to believe God’s wisdom without having micro-level reasons.

-Church’s role: Encourage sound theology of suffering, eternal perspective, and the call to “joy in grief”; avoid equating God’s love solely with earthly blessings.

-Memoir: Wrote her memoir from bed over eight months, capturing God’s “receipts” (journaled answers, provisions, and lessons); aims to comfort sufferers with biblical reasons for suffering and stories of God’s nearness.

-Hope redefined: Realistic hope is anchored in eternity (John 11:25); freedom from fear of death empowers purposeful living now.

-Key scriptures referenced: 2 Corinthians 4:17 (eternal glory) 1 Peter 1:7 (tested genuineness of faith) Isaiah 61 (redemption, double portion) Isaiah 43:19–20 (streams in the wilderness) Romans 8:29 (conformed to Christ) John 11:25 (life beyond death)

-Core takeaway: God provides “streams in the desert.” Open your heart to receive and choose joy in the midst of grief; joy and sorrow can coexist, and God will redeem suffering—fully in eternity, and often with foretastes now.

PODCAST INTRO: What happens when the life you planned—brilliant career, healthy body, tidy faith, marriage and children—collides with relentless suffering? For comedian, jazz singer, author, violinist, and Stanford-trained attorney Lara Silverman, that colission became a calling.

Lara spent years pursuing her dream of becoming a federal prosecutor—years of academic discipline, devoted goal setting, and passionate pursuit. After graduating from Stanford, she enters the grueling vetting and elimination process of 1000 hopeful lawyers with the goal of making it to the top 3. When she learns that she made it in the top 3 her dream becomes a reality…she is standing at the pinnacle of a major goal in her life. She was accepted as a federal prosecutor and begin the task of fully stepping into that role.

Until in her second week on the job, she fell violently ill with what would later be discovered as a rare, unresolved neurological condition that keeps her in a constant state of the world spinning around her. She endures that condition to this day…8 years now, 3 of which left her bedridden, on a bedpan, being cared for and nursed by her parents. Thirty-eight medications failed. Careers, plans, family timelines—all stripped away.

In her personal dark valley of multi layered deaths, her testimony is that not only does God meet her there, He has never left her.

True to being a trained lawyer, in her effort to make sense of her spinning, crumbling world she uses the Word/Bible to question God’s goodness and His fairness demanding that He explain Himself. She’s met with firm, steady, unwavering love that consistently engages her pain inviting her from striving to surrender.

Through Lara’s fasting, God exposed hidden idols—health, marriage, career—not to shame her, but to set her free. Because I think we all know that if we build our lives on things that will fade, change, transition, not to mention the fact that we have no guarantees on anything we risk losing ourselves into despair and ruin.

Then came an unlikely gift. As Lara lay in bed, a church acquaintance—Matt Silverman, a brilliant, joy-filled believer battling terminal cancer—began calling to pray and wrestle through theology with her. Friendship became love. They married, held jazz benefit concerts for Haiti, launched a small YouTube channel, and practiced “joy in grief” as a spiritual discipline. Exactly one year later, Matt went home to Jesus.

Lara’s testimony is not tidy. She speaks frankly about anger, bitterness, jealousy, and the ache of unanswered prayers. Yet she clings to promises many avoid: that suffering refines faith (1 Peter 1), forges intimacy with Christ, prepares us for eternity (2 Corinthians 4), and—even here—can be met with streams in the desert (Isaiah 43). She believes God will redeem every loss, whether in the here and now or in eternity—and that the doctrine of reward, often neglected, gives sturdy hope when the nights are long.

Her invitation is simple but not without surrender and therefor difficult:

Look for “sprinkles of joy” each day.

Refuse to waste your pain—serve others through it.

Live now with eternity in view. If you’re not afraid to die, you can truly live.

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. That’s Lara’s way through the wilderness—and a lifeline for anyone walking it today. In her memoir, Singing Through the Fire, she chronicles all of that’s happened, how God shows up, the challenges she’s put before Him and vice versa. What does it look like to struggle with God ? Lara provides examples, proof that He doesn’t leave even when our faith is weak and ungodly. He holds us up when our faith falters and He sustains us through the most devastating emotional, mental, physical, battles.

Let’s listen in and find a reason to hope again, to find joy and to be comforted in what can feel like the wilderness.

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk

CONNECT WITH LARA: Main Hub: https://linktr.ee/Larap3 Amazon link for her book: https://a.co/d/ayQyB52 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lara.palanjian.silverman Instagram handle: @larapalanjian Youtube: https://youtu.be/TDcUeQrbVZk Watch the deeply moving BOOK trailer here:  https://youtu.be/TDcUeQrbVZk Watch the second BOOK trailer here: https://youtube.com/shorts/bO34s0tLYyY?si=uTMALdhOPB6TOCnt RESOURCES PER LARA: Helen Roseveare’s testimony: https://youtu.be/VJCCx-qiZ24?si=ANuKzA-A-F6kwEkt Podcast: Keep an eye/ear out for her new podcast: Singing Through Fire w/Lara Silverman

BIO: Lara Silverman is a Christian author, lawyer, jazz singer, comedic actress, violinist, and songwriter. She holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. in both Economics and Political Science from UC Berkeley. Before falling seriously ill in 2018, Lara worked for two federal judges and practiced high stakes litigation for three years at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, where she specialized in intellectual property, antitrust, and contract cases of all kinds.   In 2023, Lara co-founded The Silverman Show—a multifaceted comedy, music, and theology show—and released her debut jazz/pop album as her own music producer in February 2024. In September 2024, she debuted as Mrs. Serious in her solo Armenian comedy show online, amassing upwards of 300,000 views on individual videos on Instagram. Lara’s writing has been featured in various respected Christian blogs, where her reflections on faith, suffering, and grace have encouraged readers across diverse audiences. Even as she remains mostly bedridden today, she anchors her unwavering hope in God.

-Dating is harder today due to digital misrepresentation and added life complexities after 40 (widowhood, divorce, family-of-origin issues); real-life community is essential for discernment and support.

-Prioritize meeting and observing potential partners in Christian community and everyday life to see a 360-degree picture (church involvement, service, friendships, parenting).

-Four non-negotiables for compatibility: 1) a disciple of Jesus (vibrant, fruit-bearing faith), 2) adult readiness for marriage (responsibility, job, ownership), 3) humility and teachability, 4) generally aligned direction/calling.

-Avoid “project” dating and rescuer roles; don’t ignore red flags—marry a whole person as you bring your whole self, with ownership and healing underway.

-Therapy can be valuable, but vet carefully; seek biblically grounded counseling and community oversight (e.g., Focus on the Family’s vetted counselor network).

-Lisa’s book, The Dating Manifesto, urges intentional, biblically honoring dating, debunks rom-com myths, and equips singles to live with purpose and hope while navigating grief and unmet expectations.

-Churches often center on families; singles can be part of the solution by serving, leading, and creating community rather than criticizing from the sidelines.

-Treat early dates as exploratory conversations (not instant marital auditions); ask your own questions, keep emotional perspective, and ensure you can remain in community, in a healthy way, if it doesn’t work out.

-Discuss difficult topics (past relationships, addictions, pornography) as the relationship progresses; look for transparency, accountability, and community verification—humble, teachable responses are key.

-Identity in Christ anchors dating and marriage; sexual integrity matters (avoid premarital sex and cohabitation), trust God’s timing, and “wait well” by abiding in Christ, engaging community, and pursuing purpose with open hands.

PODCAST INTRO: Dating today can feel like defusing a minefield—especially after 40, when life experience, grief, divorce, or long seasons of singleness shape how we show up. So my guest today, Lisa Anderson is an author, she is the director of Boundless at Focus on the Family, and hosts The Boundless Show podcast.

Our conversation is based on a biblical viewpoint of dating. I know many think it too strict but if we’re honest, God’s ways always bring life, peace, joy, protection and that’s a pretty good return on your investment.

Lisa lays out some clear boundaries on dating and even sharing how to reflect on our own personal wholeness (meaning in what mental/emotional condition are we showing up, which can also help us know if we’re even ready to be dating). She talks about how to find a mate who is healthy themselves and what does healthy even mean. Her point being, if you’re dating after 40 then there’s been a lot of life that has happened. That’s a reality that we must fold into the process and so how can we discern between healthy, a hot mess, a fixer upper?

I don’t know about you but at my age the thought of a fixer upper is not appealing but Lisa takes the reality of how life takes it toll on us and she breaks down on exactly how to tell if this is someone who has taken responsibility and is moving forward, vs stagnate or a straight up red flag.

Oh and then there’s the challenges of digital dating. That seems to raise the bar on deception but in all fairness I’ve had friends who have used digital dating and they had good experiences. So don’t be dismayed, Lisa says there’s some good news. You don’t need perfect conditions to move forward, you need community, clarity, and courage. And that’s what Lisa delivers in this conversation.

Real quick, Here are 2 of her dating suggestions that I think are solid:

Start with real community

One of the safer places is to meet someone in an environment where you spend time. Do you have a hobby, do you volunteer, where do you go to church & do you participate/serve at church? Ideally, you’re looking for like minded people and they’re going to be in the same places you are. Lisa says Community is the safest place to meet people and the wisest place to test new relationships. I thought that smart because you have an environment where people know the both of you.

Date with purpose—but keep it simple

I personally feel that dating is for marriage so I think that would put a lof of pressure….so Lisa was saying Think “exploratory conversation,” not instant compatibility quiz. It’s just coffee. Ask good questions. Just relax and Lisa reminds us… Until there’s a ring, you’re a brother and sister in Christ—treat each other that way.

I’ll wrap up after this quick list. Here’s 4 non-negotiables to begin with. In our conversation Lisa breaks these down even more with great insight, examples and wisdom.

A disciple of Jesus: Not just church attendance—active pursuit of Christ, fruit of the Spirit, repentance, and engaged Christian community.

In a position to marry: someone who has done or is doing their homework on their personal healing journey, shows responsibility, forgiveness, financial steadiness, follow-through.

Humble and teachable: Open to counsel, not playing the blame game, and receptive to wise instruction.

Generally headed in the same direction: Lisa looks at personal callings on their life and rhythms that can realistically unite for a stronger bond.

So much good stuff, check the show notes for a link to her book, The Dating Manifesto: A Drama-Free Plan for Pursuing Marriage with Purpose with Author, Lisa Anderson and a link to the Focus on the Family’s counseling network.

Let’s dive in!

Lived Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk Podcast Host

CONNECT WITH LISA: Podcast Host: The Boundless Show: Boundless Website Her Book: The Dating Manifesto: A Drama-Free Plan for Pursuing Marriage with Purpose - Amazon Link Focus on the Family Website: Focus On The Family

BLOG INTRO: Author, J Harrington didn’t come to spiritual warfare through theory—she was drafted by loss. A military spouse and young mom, Jay describes herself (when in her 20s) as being prickly and performance-driven, a Sunday-only faith wrapped around busyness. She married her high school sweetheart, her husband became a marine and they began their family. They were first blessed with a precious daughter and with J’s second pregnancy she prayed for a little boy so that the Harrington name would carry on through the generations to come. 

But J’s life was about to be flipped upside down in a cruel and unpredictable way. God prepared her for the unthinkable when He spoke into her spirit before Hurricane Florence: “Get used to the idea that you don’t get to keep your son.” As the hurricane came near, knocking out power even before it came on land…(and then if you remember anything about Florence, the east coast experienced power loss for 2 weeks, some longer)…J became concerned realizing she hadn’t felt her baby in a few days. When the hospitals were finally up and running accepting appointments, her fears became a reality when they found no heartbeat. 

Forced to deliver her son as though everything were normal, she says, the delivery room was thick with peace. Nurses felt it, the custodian felt it—“like a warm hug.” As J prepared to leave the hospital God gave her a heads up on the battle that would be waiting for her.

When she walked out of the hospital, the warmth lifted. What followed were “angry prayers,” the kind you don’t think you’re allowed to pray. J reminded us that God’s a big boy, and that He can handle our emotions. I agree because He’s been doing that for well over 2000+ years. 

Even though J could not praise the Lord or pray, she still went to church and it became the place where the faith of others washed over her until her own praise could rise again.

Through grief came transformation. J admits that The me before my tragedy, couldn’t be used the same way. Loss softened what feistiness had hardened. It also opened her eyes to the battle she believes many Christians ignore: not just demonic opposition, but the daily front-lines of choice. 

While studying Ephesians 6:12: (“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”) t was the word “powers” that stuck out to her. So she dug into the Greek word and the deeper meaning of “powers” and she found it to mean, authority, yes, but also “the power of choice.” In other words: our decisions can be a battlefield and that really resonated with me. Not only from the view point of experiencing that personally but seeing choices as a daily battle that I face and this of course made me see how important it is to understand spiritual warfare.

J’s discovery became a book…. Swords Up: Mastering the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare for Today’s Christian Woman—an eight-week Bible study she says the Holy Spirit downloaded in minutes after she dared Him to use her pen. The study reframes the armor of God as both defense and weapon, threaded by two essentials: surrender and prayer. “Prayer engages every piece of armor,” We’re essentially fighting with one hand tied behind our back if we neglect the Word.

I know prayer and surrender seem very weak but isn’t that just like God to confound the wise with simple things that reveal themselves as having transformational power? 

J’s challenge for us is simple and fierce: dust off your Bible!

Let’s listen in to see how we can be equipped to battle all that this life can throw at us with the intention of destroying us even if it’s only on the inside. Swords UP ladies, the battle is real.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Hugs, Sherrie Pilk

RESOURCES - Other podcasts on this topic: The Possibility of Joy After Child Loss, with Lisa Espinoza: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/07/16/the-possibility-of-joy-after-child-loss-with-lisa-espinoza/ A Deep Dive of the Soul After Child Loss, with Bridgett Dunbar: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/03/a-deep-dive-of-the-soul-after-child-loss-stillbirth-with-bridgett-dunbar/

CONNECT WITH JANANYA:

Website: https://jpharrington.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/jpharringtonauthor

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jananyaharrington/

BIO:

J. Harrington is a dynamic author and ministry leader who brings a unique blend of military spouse experience, academic insight, and spiritual passion to her writing. With a background in anthropology and project management, Harrington serves as the Digital Content Manager for Holy Culture Radio while serving in church ministries. Her work reflects a deep commitment to faith and a knack for applying biblical truths to modern challenges. When not writing or serving her community in Jacksonville, NC, you can find her embracing life's adventures with her family of four.

PODCAST INTRO: As my guest Janelle Martin shares, addiction affects normal people. I personally think there is no boundary that addiction won’t cross. Mainly because when we use a substance to alleviate pain, find escape, dull our feelings; plain and simple … it works.

Janelle learned this (addiction affects normal people) and countless other things associated with addiction when it came to light that her daughter Regan was using in order to cope with parental heartbreak, trauma and the overwhelm that it brought to her life.

Janelle’s journey through addiction from the parent’s perspective began with fear, grief, and the heavy stigma that so often hushes families. She grew up believing addiction happened to “other people,” until it shattered her own home. What followed was a crash course in letting go, setting hard boundaries, and grieving the loss of shared memories, milestones (specifically her senior year because it all came to a head at that time)—so she didn’t go to the prom, she did not graduate with her class and nor did she get to enjoy all the ways that celebration culminates after 12 years of schooling. Janette found herself missing the simple joy of “normal.”

A turning point came through community. While Reagan entered a long-term adolescent recovery program in Arizona, Janelle found that this recovery program also had a parent group that met weekly—there is such incredible value in finding people who understand without explanation. Encouraged to “work her own recovery,” she got a sponsor and worked the 12 steps, not because Janelle had a substance problem, but her greatest desire was to see her daughter healed so this was how she could meet her daughter where she was. The 12 step process unexpectedly transformed Janelle’s life.

Faith sustained her. She cried out to the Lord, tearfully lamenting in her car. At work she’d be the only one in the office so she would play worship music and she would cry. She’d take long walks with Beth Moore teachings in her earbuds and she would cry—she found strength, provision, and practical help in places only God could have orchestrated.

As an example, she knew nothing about how to address addiction, and she certainly knew nothing about how to begin recovery and yet from a random google search she found the perfect facility and was matched with the right counselor that could work with her daughter in a productive way. Also, being able to afford her daughter’s treatment and the opportunity to travel to see her a few times, funds that were already drained from the divorce and custody battle somehow stretched. Provision met her at every step.

Today, Janelle leads meetings for her group, Parents of Addicted Loved Ones. She offers resources and encouragement to families who feel alone. Her message is simple and liberating: addiction happens to ordinary families. You didn’t cause it. You can’t cure it. But you don’t have to walk it alone.

If addiction has touched your home—or the home of someone you love—there is help and hope for the journey. You’re not alone mainly because Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake you but He also gives us tangible resources and people who have walked the road we may find ourselves on and they’re ready to lock arms, comfort and lead when possible.

Let’s listen in to discover Janelle’s story and how this has changed not only her life…but because of what she’s been through and the passion she has to help others, she’s changing the lives of countless parents and families.

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie

Connect with Janelle: Her Book: “Losing Her, Finding Us”: https://www.ourbeautifulrecovery.com/services-1 Website: https://www.ourbeautifulrecovery.com Instagram: @ourbeautifulrecovery Facebook: Janelle Martin Author Janelle leads weekly PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) meetings in Houston, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (free).

BIO: Dr. Janelle Martin is a licensed counselor, certified IASIS MicroCurrent Neurofeedback provider, and a doctor of functional medicine. She is the founder of The Mind Connection, a holistic mental health practice based in Houston, Texas, where she helps clients heal from trauma, addiction, and emotional dysregulation using an integrative mind-body approach. Janelle is also the author of Losing Her, Finding Us, a powerful memoir chronicling her daughter’s battle with addiction and their family’s journey to healing. With deep empathy and hard-earned wisdom, Janelle now advocates for families navigating similar paths, offering practical support and hope. Her work combines clinical expertise with personal experience to meet others in their pain and walk with them toward recovery.

- Guest, Author and speaker Debora Coty shares how to find joy amid pain, drawing from deep personal losses and decades of ministering to women.

- Writing journey: Her Too Blessed to Be Stressed brand unexpectedly grew to 40+ books/products with 2M+ copies sold worldwide; new devotional Bless Your Heart focuses on daily encouragement.

- “Papa God”: She uses the intimate, biblical sense of Abba (Papa/Daddy) to help women experience God’s unconditional love beyond imperfect earthly-father images.

- Faith in crisis: Six miscarriages triggered a two-year spiritual shutdown; daily praying through the Psalms—starting with “angry” psalms—slowly reopened her heart to God’s presence.

- Recent trials: Multiple family deaths, job loss, knee replacements, a spouse’s cancer, and a 5-year legal battle to protect her grandchildren—culminating in unexpected, miraculous breakthrough.

- Joy vs. happiness: Happiness depends on circumstances; joy is a chosen, steady confidence in God’s unchanging character that can coexist with grief.

- Tools for resilience: Gratitude (Philippians 4:6–7), worship/music, nature, Scripture, intentional fun and laughter, and noticing daily “grace notes” (small signs of God’s care).

- “BOGO blessings”: Inspired by 1 Peter 3:9—when you bless others, you “be one, get one,” receiving blessing as you give it.

- Anchoring Scriptures: Philippians 4:6–7 (peace covenant), Psalm 46:1 (ever-present help), Psalm 147:3 (heals the brokenhearted).

- Invitation: Join her BFF (Blessed Friends Forever) community for mutual prayer, encouragement, and practical faith; final charge—keep seeking God’s presence with perseverance.

PODCAST INTRO: If you’ve ever wondered how joy can possibly coexist with grief, today’s conversation is for you. I’m joined by beloved author and encourager Debora Coty—creator of the Too Blessed to Be Stressed series, with over two million copies in print worldwide. She and I had a chance to connect for the podcast while she was visiting family in the Smokey Mountains and Debora brought her signature warmth, humor, and hard-won wisdom to help us find God’s presence in life’s most painful seasons.

We talk about the difference between happiness and true, resilient joy; how scripture—especially the Psalms and Philippians 4:6–7—anchors us when our faith feels shaken; and the “grace notes” God sprinkles through our days when we learn to look for them. Debora opens up about profound losses—miscarriages, family heartbreak, health challenges, and a long, exhausting court battle—and how waiting on God can still lead to breathtaking redemption.

You’ll hear practical tools to refresh a weary spirit: gratitude that changes the atmosphere, worship that invites God’s presence, nature that whispers His care, and yes—laughter—as a catalyst for joy. Debora also shares about her new devotional, Bless Your Heart, and invites you into her BFF—Blessed Friends Forever—community for prayer, connection, and ongoing encouragement.

Let’s listen in as Debora shares her message of joy, hope and encouragement. As soon as she starts talking you know immediately that’s she’s an encourager at heart maybe it’s because she exudes the joy of the Lord…and because of that joy, I think you’ll be surprising to hear all that she's been through and yet she still keeps leaning on Jesus for His joy and strength.

Live Loved and Thrive @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

ADDITIONAL BLOGS AND/OR PODCASTS ON THIS TOPIC: Joy in the Midst of Grief, with Author Sonya Mack: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/01/04/joy-in-the-midst-of-grief-with-author-sonya-mack/ Finding Hope in the Ashes, with Lea Turner: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/09/25/finding-hope-in-the-ashes-with-lea-turner/ Widows, Grief and Finding Hope, with Anne-Marie Lockyer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/14/widows-grief-and-finding-hope-with-anne-marie-lockmyer/ The Possibility of Joy After Child Loss, with Lisa Espinoza: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/07/16/the-possibility-of-joy-after-child-loss-with-lisa-espinoza/

CONNECT WITH DEBORA: Website: https://deboracoty.com/ Learn more about Debora’s BBF (Blessed Friends Forever) Group by subscribing to her blog (which is on her website)

BIO: Debora M. Coty is an events speaker, columnist, certified writing coach, and award-winning author of over 200 articles and 40 inspirational book products, including the bestselling Too Blessed to be Stressed series, which has influenced two million lives worldwide.

An orthopedic occupational therapist for 36 years and piano teacher for 30, Debora rejoices in life as a diehard tennis addict and choco-athlete (that’s the step beyond chocoholic – she exercises just so she can eat more chocolate). She’s a bodacious women’s Bible study leader, and animated storyteller to anyone who’ll listen. Deb lives, loves, and laughs in central Florida with her long suffering husband of 47 years, two grown children, and five precocious grandbuddies.

Debora, known for her offbeat blend of humor and hope, has a passion for bringing women together to deepen relationships vertically (with their heavenly Father) and horizontally (developing heart-friends). Deb loves hosting a fun-loving community of BFFs (Blessed Friends Forever) from all over the globe at www.DeboraCoty.com.

PODCAST INTRO: My guest Lori Ann Wood has discovered so much beauty in the midst of a life detour that could only promise uncertainty and yet it became a divine detour. Hard fought beauty, as she sifted through layers of questions and gave God her deep heartache. What she’s discovered and shares here today, is going to be gold for your heart.

Lori Ann shares the journey she entered into when her life hit a major detour, based on an unexpected diagnosis of heart failure. Married to her high school sweetheart and mother to three adult children, Lori's life was bustling with activity and health consciousness. However, a shocking diagnosis challenged her understanding of control, faith, and God's presence in suffering.

Lori Ann candidly discusses the initial disbelief of her diagnosis and the silence from God that she experienced, comparing her questions and search for understanding and the struggle with answered prayer to a spiritual wrestling match. Despite her pristine health metrics, she overlooked minor symptoms, not knowing those symptoms were pointing to her life changing detour.

Throughout the conversation, Lori Ann delves into the duality of grief and gratitude, acknowledging the coexistence of pain and thankfulness. She emphasizes the significance of lament in her faith journey, a practice she initially hesitated to embrace but found crucial for expressing her deepest fears and doubts to God.

I especially loved when our conversation turned to her book, Divine Detour where she explores three pivotal questions inspired by Jesus's temptations in the desert: Is this life all there is? Is God always good? Is God's plan enough? These questions reflect her struggle with worry, doubt, and control, ultimately leading her to a deeper relationship with God.

You’re going to be extravagantly blessed as you listen to this conversation and all that Lori Ann has to share. In every one of her answers she delivers beautiful insight with regard to God’s heart for those who are suffering.

If you are in a season of loss and uncertainty and you wonder where God is, does He care about what is happening in your life….then make time to engage with every bit of Lori Ann’s insight.

The title of her book says it perfectly, Divine Detour because when the unexpected throws a block into the road that were happily headed down, I know that is the exact spot where the enemy wanted to destroy us (with a diagnosis, with that loss, with no end in sight, with grief)…but God….He enters with His love, grace and mercy, and turns our detour into something far more beautiful than what this life has to offer.

If at all possible, get your pen and paper ready because you’re gonna want to capture and reread these distinctions and revelations that Lori Ann has to share.

Live Loved and Thrive @ alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

PODCASTS AND/OR BLOGS ON SIMILAR TOPICS: Building Faith in Uncertainty, with Katie Jones: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/03/12/building-faith-in-uncertainty-with-katie-jones/ Living in Uncertainty, with Angie Baughman: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/28/uncertainty/ The Uncertainty of Life - Choroidal Melanoma (Eye Cancer), with Suzanne Stines: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/08/16/the-uncertainty-of-life-cordial-melanoma-eye-cancer-with-suzanne-stines/

CONNECT WITH LORI ANN: Website: https://loriannwood.com/

BIO: Lori Ann Wood lives with her husband in an empty nest in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. After discovering a serious heart condition almost too late, Lori Ann became an award-winning author and speaker whose passion is to explore deep faith questions along the detours of life. Lori Ann’s first book, Divine Detour: The Path You’d Never Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted, is available at Amazon and at https://loriannwood.com/books/.   If you’re on a detour, and find it difficult to communicate with God, get her free gift, 5 Prayers & Promises When You Can’t Talk to God, at https://loriannwood.com/hope/.   For more information about the heart failure warning signs Lori Ann missed, she’d love to share her graphic as a gift to you, https://loriannwood.com/heart.

PODCAST INTRO: My guest, Debra McNinch sits down to have an in-depth conversation about prodigal children and we talked about all the ways this affects a mother’s heart. No matter the type of rebellion your child is walking in, addiction, LGBTQ, rebellion of family values, estrangement, cutting off parents has become a huge movement…really any way that we see our children living outside the way they were raised specifically the biblical values that the parent tried to instill.

We talked about guilt and how mom’s and dad’s can find forgiveness vs beating ourselves up over the would’ves, could’ves & should’ves. I’ll put (in the show notes) a quick list of the 3 ways to engage forgiveness but don’t miss out on the message surrounding it because Debra gives much more info in the episode itself.

We looked at shifting the burden that we carry in our heart for our child’s salvation and their entry into heaven because ultimately it’s not our responsibility, it’s God’s job and He is trustworthy to watch over His children. God has a purpose and a plan for your child just like He has one for you.

I beginning to understand that the key is learning how to get behind God to support what God is doing. But I’ll be honest, that is not for the weak hearted because you have to be willing to lay down the illusion we carry with regard to control, we have to address our pride and we have to be willing to cling to God when we see our children struggling through consequences.

We acknowledged that this is spiritual warfare and that Satan is trying his best to not only destroy the family unit but to cut off and destroy generations that belong to our children. Debra shares a strategy for our battle stance to be able to affectively engage and strike down the enemy of our soul.

We may not be responsible for our children’s faith but as Debra says, Love goes to war; so we can certainly stand in the gap and effectively fight the Goliath that is coming after them. Debra’s 5 point battle stance that she shares can also be seen in the show notes but again, she shares much more detail in the episode so don’t miss that bit of gold.

Some of our conversation is based on the belief that if we raise a child in the church and instill biblical values we believe we have a guarantee of their salvation and their pursuit of Christ and heaven’s value system etc. but many of us know that it does not guarantee they will always adhere to those instilled values.

If I had to boil this conversation down to 2 major takeaways, it would be hard but I think I’d side with Debra’s personal battle cry…No one fights alone and also when she said something that I have come to understand more deeply after walking this valley of loosing my husband….”God’s promise isn’t that you’re going to get the perfect outcome. His promise is that He’ll never leave you and that He’s going to walk with you the whole way.” Knowing you’re not alone is a lifeline for the heart.

Near the end of our conversation Debra had me super encouraged as she gave the battle cry for all parents to stand up. For us to fight the lies that culture dictates, and to dismantle the belief that we’re powerless adding that engaging God’s heart in the battle is where our power comes from.

If you’re a parent of a prodigal, Debra offers guidance and hope. You can receive more in-depth instruction in her book, Battle Cry - Waging the Spiritual Battle for Your Prodigal. And you can find encouragement in her support group, Battlecrymoms.com.

Let’s listen in to find hope and understanding on how to engage the power of Christ in order to give God the burden and how we are to stand in agreement with Him.

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk

3 STEPS TO FIND FORGIVENESS: - Go to the alter ask God for forgiveness - Ask your child forgiveness - Put on the Armor (action) and Stand (in faith) that Christ is going to fight the battle for you.

BATTLE STANCE TO STAND IN THE GAP FOR YOUR CHILD: - Pick a verse for your child and pray it over their life every day. - Worship - God inhabits our praise/worship. - Pray - Acknowledge God’s full authority over your child. - Speak God’s promises over your child. - Connect with a supportive Community.

MORE PODCASTS AND/OR BLOGS ON SIMILAR TOPICS: Does God Care About People in Prison? Ex-Con, Steven Snook Says Yes!: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/02/15/does-god-care-about-people-in-prison-ex-con-steven-snook-says-yes/ From Bartender, To Nun, to Bartender, to Transformed - God Never Gives Up, with Gina Economopoulos: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/11/06/from-bartender-to-nun-to-bartender-to-transformed-god-never-gives-up/

CONNECT WITH DEBRA: Website: https://www.debramcninch.com/ Her Book: https://www.debramcninch.com/battlecrybook Support Group - there’s a group for moms and there’s a group for dads: https://www.debramcninch.com/battlecry

BIO: Debra McNinch is a wife, mom, speaker, first-time author, and the founder of the BATTLECRY Prayer Movement—a growing community of parents who are praying their prodigal children back home to Jesus.

She loves photography, working on her photo farm, and sharing life with  Steve, her husband of 33 years, two sweet puppies: Poppy the Berne Doodle and Dodger the Miniature Schnauzer. She is also the faithful feeder of Butters, the neighborhood stray cat.

Debra’s favorite things are Jesus, coffee, cupcakes, and glitter (in that order!). She collects vintage junk, anything sparkly, and more Sharpies than one person needs. She takes pride in learning a new skill each year and gets through life by leaning on God’s Word—and a little humor. She especially loves when the two collide.

Born and raised in Winfield, Kansas, home to Bluegrass and Burger Station, Debra has moved nine times to six different states. Each move brought her closer to God and connected her with lifelong friends.

In Fall 2024, Debra released her first book with CrossRiver Media, sharing her family’s story and how it led to a powerful prayer movement for prodigals. She writes and speaks to encourage parents to keep praying and keep believing—because prodigals are coming home.

PODCAST INTRO: Life is our personal journey, filled with unexpected turns, challenges, and moments of profound revelation. For my guest, Melissa McLaughlin, a teacher turned author, her journey of faith has been marked by both struggle and transformation, ultimately leading her to a deeper relationship with Christ. Melissa's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, faith, and the profound impact of God's word in our lives.

Melissa grew up in a Christian household, surrounded by love and the teachings of the Bible. Her early life experiences, including growing up with a brother who had special needs, and that inspired her to become a teacher. For 28 years, she dedicated her life to educating children, driven by a passion for learning and problem-solving.

However, life threw her a curveball when health issues forced her into an unexpected early retirement. Faced with excruciating physical pain and the loss of a career she loved, Melissa found herself questioning God's plan for her life.

In the midst of physical pain, losing the career that filled her day and becoming dependent on her husband and others, Melissa discovered that her identity was not rooted in her career, accomplishments or abilities but in her relationship with God.

Through prayer and reflection, she realized that God was using her hardships to peel back layers of self-reliance and pride, revealing her true identity as a child of God. This revelation brought about a different type of pain and true to God’s way of healing us, it was also beautifully transformative, leading her to a deeper understanding of her faith and purpose.

As God moves Melissa away from teaching He opens a new door for her to be an author. Her first book, "In Dark of Night, When Words Fail, Voice of Jesus, Pray for Me," was born out of her personal struggle with prayer. Through the power of scripture-based prayers, Melissa found her voice and a new way to connect with God. Her latest book, "The Whole Bible Devotional," offers readers a 66-day reading plan that highlights the presence of Jesus throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. This devotional is designed to help readers see the Bible as a cohesive narrative and to deepen their relationship with God.

Melissa's story is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, God is at work, using our struggles to draw us closer to Him. Her journey illustrates the importance of clinging to faith and finding solace in the power of scripture. As she shares her experiences, Melissa encourages others to hold on to Jesus, trusting that He can bring beauty from ashes and transform our lives in ways we never imagined.

Let’s listen in and give our heart a beautiful dose of encouragement!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

MORE PODCASTS AND/OR BLOGS ON SIMILAR TOPICS: The Transformative Power of Gratitude, With Amanda Schaefer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/01/15/the-transformative-power-of-gratitude-with-amanda-schaefer/ Word Power (Blog): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/06/24/word-power/ The Word (Blog): https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/08/03/the-word/

CONNECT WITH MELISSA: Website: https://melissamclaughlin.org/about

BIO: Melissa McLaughlin is a teacher, writer, wife, mom, speaker, prayer leader, and an overcomer. Her passion is pursuing Christ with biblical truth, Spirit-filled grace, and fervent prayer.

PODCAST INTRO: The ministry of my guest, Reverend Cheryl Kincaid, focuses on giving voice to Christian women caught in violent situations and relationships, aiming to help them find wholeness and healing through God's instruction.

Using her personal story of abuse combining that with her education in Marriage and Family Therapy along with her Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary, Rev Cheryl talked about understanding abuse, boundaries, identity, righteous anger, and forgiveness as taught in the bible. The discussion on forgiveness alone was worth the conversation because so much about God’s love and forgiveness has been hijacked with a toxic empathy that is used against tender hearted, conscious Christians especially the abused.

We talked about the difference between forgiveness and denial. Reverend Cheryl states that forgiveness requires acknowledging the hurt caused by others and making a conscious decision to forgive, while denial involves minimizing the impact of the abuse or rationalizing it.

One of the tools that Rev Cheryl shares is for the moments when you’re having a flashback, you’ve been triggered or trying to resolve inner, emotional mental conflict in yourself. She shares this exercise, the therapeutic term known as classical conditioning and it involves using your dominate hand to represent yourself as the adult you are and your non-dominate hand as the child you were.

Using your dominant hand you write down something like, I know you’re in pain right now and Using your name, you ask yourself by writing down, what is going on? Then Using your non-dominant hand write down your emotions. There is a point to using your non-dominant hand because it looks like a child’s handwriting.

Then Looking at the emotions that surfaced you use your adult hand (that knows the truth about where you are now) to comfort your child hand (that is bringing forth the emotions that are connected to the pain).

Reframe the emotions with truth whether it be with God’s word/His promises, with facts such as Rev Cheryl said things like, You couldn’t take care of yourself then but you can take care of yourself now and then you’d list truths. If it was about money, it could be, I have a job, I have a bank account, I’m working toward financial independence. If it was about not having control then say, I have control over myself, I’m responsible for myself, I am learning to set boundaries, I have boundaries in place etc Things that speak truth over where you are today.

To me, I thought it was effective using your hands because it gets you outside your head. I think that would be beneficial because sometimes you have so much emotion and overwhelm in your head that if you can make it external, it seems to help you isolate and sort through your emotions in that moment.

It reminds me of the effectiveness of journaling as a way to purge your thoughts on paper, it gets everything you can list out of your mind and you can sort through it that way too.

So in short, us the classical condition exercise to take what you’re believing based on your past and updating it with the truth of where you are today and where you’re headed, toward wholeness and healing. And even if your current answers for today (as the adult) are not in your favor with regard to healing and wholeness it gives you a starting point, it helps you pinpoint the fact you need to take action.

One of the things we didn’t get a chance to talk about is that Rev Cheryl is an author of several books. Her stories are inspired from witnessing God’s redemptive grace in the messy reality of authentic life for Christian’s, including her own. In her stories she’s not afraid to address violent issues that many women find themselves in. Using realistic life situations she reveals the heart of God, His love, care, concern, ability to heal and restore despite the brokenness of this life.

Be prepared to stop this audio along the way so that you can digest what she is sharing; which is practical advice and things you can immediately implement to move from being a victim to becoming victorious!

Let’s listen in!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

MORE PODCASTS AND/OR BLOGS ON SIMILAR TOPICS: Letting God Rewrite Trauma and Abuse, with LaShaundra Barnes: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/11/20/letting-god-rewrite-trauma-and-abuse-with-lashaundra-barnes/ Breaking Cycles of Abuse and Trauma, with Lindsey Smith: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/31/breaking-cycles-of-abuse-and-trauma-with-lindsey-smith/ Heal from Childhood Abuse, with Virginia Jones: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/03/01/healing-from-childhood-abuse-with-virginia-jones/

CONNECT WITH REVEREND CHERYL: Website: https://revcherylkincaid.com/

BIO:

Reverend Cheryl Kincaid is a Presbyterian Minister who studied Marriage and Family Therapy at Bethel Seminary and has a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. 

Reverend Kincaid is a prolific author of five books, Hearing the Gospel Through Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol (which is the winner of the 2013 Independent Christian Publishers Illumination Reward for bible study), The little Clay Pot, The Little Candle That Was Frightened of the Dark, Karrie's Thorn and A Forgotten Door Called Home. 

Rev. Kincaid seeks to tell the story of God’s comforting redemptive grace in the midst of an imperfect world. Rev. Cheryl Kincaid has twenty years of experience in Christian ministry, and she confesses that many of her stories were inspired from witnessing God’s redemptive grace unfold in wounded Christian’s lives, including her own. 

Visit her website at Pastor Cheryl Kincaid's website to hear her sermons and hear more about her other books at https://revcherylkincaid.com/. To read about Rev. Kincaid's inspiration for writing Hearing the Gospel Through Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol visit her website http://www.dickensandchristianity.com/ and read about Charles Dickens' faith journey.

PODCAST INTRO: Have you ever struggled with God over a problem that is very heavy and even traumatic? Maybe it’s a consequence from a choice you made or maybe it is a problem someone created for you (based on their choices). Either way, you’re faced with a difficult decision. My guest, Anita Keagy shares about her unplanned pregnancy at 17 and the all the different ways that God met her in her circumstance.

Anita’s family had always provided a strong foundation of faith in Christ and they pointed her to Him again when she needed clarity, answers, direction, forgiveness. As you’ll hear in her story, God was ahead of her need beginning with a relocation. God had already stirred her pastor father to look for a church in Lancaster, PA. Her father was offered a pastoral job so they had just recently moved when Anita discovers she’s pregnant. The church that the Lord placed them in welcomed them with kindness and the desire to help them. It was a church family and environment that would be supportive to a new pastor and his family including an unwed 17 year old pregnant daughter.

When Anita asked God what was best for her baby she felt she’d heard clearly that adoption was to be her choice. Even after making the decision she felt God was leading her toward, as her belly grows and she begins to feel the baby move, she second guesses whether it was God she heard or herself. Have you ever been there? Trying to discern whether you heard God right, did He really say that? I think that question is as old as the Garden of Eden. It’s that struggle where we’re asking/wondering, was that your voice God or my internal voice?

As we all know, adoption does not end with a decision. This is an issue of the human heart and there is a lifetime ahead both for the mother and the child. Anita points out her concerns about creating abandonment and rejection issues for her daughter. Even though she had prayed and requested a Christian family for her daughter, Anita still had anxiety wondering if her little girl was safe, loved, protected.

In the delivery room, Anita had only heard her daughter cry, she did not get to see her nor hold her so Anita’s heart ached to meet the baby that had changed her life. She so desired to learn more about her. In our conversation, you can tell that Anita’s heart was broken but she held on to hope that God would one day allow a reunion and Anita would actually meet, touch, hug her daughter, hear her daughter’s voice once again.

There are many precious moments that Anita shares but the one that stood out to me was the exchange that she and God had in a quiet moment together and God speaks into her spirit about His longing for the orphan hearts of the children that He desires to adopt and even those who have professed Him as their Savior but have yet to make Him the Lord of their life through reading His word, talking with Him and creating intimate relationship. As God speaks into Anita’s spirit, the revelation that God shares is a pivotal moment in her life and her ministry is born. She has an incredibly hope filled heart to model and equip, in a simple way, how to engage the heart of God, pursue Him and grow in intimacy.

Listen in to hear how God walked with Anita in the midst of her unplanned pregnancy. Learn what is was like for Anita to finally meet her daughter. And to me, the cherry on top of it all, the beauty of God’s ability to use the pain of Anita’s broken heart yearning for her daughter and exchange it for something far more beautiful than Anita could think to ask for.

That’s our God; to take the pain of this life, dismantle it with His truth and His love, repurpose it and bring beauty! A true beauty for ashes story. Let’s listen in!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

OTHER PODCASTS AND/OR BLOGS ON THIS TOPIC: Healing And Blending Families Through A Surprise Adoption X2 with Jennifer Uren: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/05/26/adoption/ (Blog) A Mother’s Day Wish for You (this includes the precious mommas who chose adoption): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/05/12/a-mothers-day-wish-for-you/

CONNECT WITH ANITA: Website: https://www.joyshop.org/ Book Link: https://www.joyshop.org/shop Free 21 Day Challenge: https://www.joyshop.org/21-day-challenge

BIO (as seen on her website joyshop.org/about)  Anita Keagy founded JoyShop Ministries in 2006 with one simple mission: To inspire people to spend time with God every day through Bible reading and prayer. Since then, she has traveled nationwide and internationally, sharing her message of seeking God first each day as the key to abundant life and joy. Thousands of people have heard and responded to her dynamic message at conferences, retreats, school chapel settings and churches.

With a compelling story of how God used a very difficult situation in her life for His glory, Anita shares candidly how she became pregnant as a teenager – all the more “scandalous” because she was a preacher’s daughter – and made the difficult choice to place her daughter for adoption. Although she never had the privilege to see or hold her child, Anita never stopped yearning to know her first-born daughter, even as she married and had four more children. Through a file of letters and the help of her adoption agency, Anita finally met her firstborn 21 years later. God used Anita’s own desire to know her child to impress upon her how much He wants to know His children – us! With that knowledge, a ministry was born that is now thriving and impacting lives every day.

Anita is the author of, “The File: A Mother and Child’s Life-Changing Reunion.” Her motivational 6 session DVD series, “Seeking God First,” has encouraged and challenged those who long for a deeper relationship with God. Her DVD, “Letters to an Unknown Daughter” is her personal testimony of motherhood, hope, and healing. Her book and DVD series, along with additional supportive materials, can be purchased on her website.

Anita Keagy lives in Washington Boro, Pennsylvania, with her husband Paul. She is the mother of 5 adult children, and 11 grandchildren. She attended Messiah College and received training from both Kay Arthur, of Precept Ministries, and Anne Graham Lotz.

PODCAST INTRO: What happens when your dreams of a fairytale marriage, a Prince Charming husband and living happily ever after come crashing down around you? Kim Harr, a woman of faith diligently sought God’s heart for her marriage and pressed Him for His ability to make all things new and yet her marriage ended in divorce. By her choice.

Author Kim Haar shares her personal story not only with divorce but the harrowing experience of her ex-husband kidnapping her, assaulting her for 4 hours and then shooting her boyfriend Andrew, 10 times.

Initially when Kim was trying to make her marriage work she shares that while she and her husband attended marriage counseling there were many times when she felt lost and unsupported and that’s what motivated her to work toward and achieve her license as a professional therapist. Today she’s helping women become the best version of themselves and she’s super passionate about helping women get “unstuck” from the things they may not be able to put a finger on yet but they do realize there’s a disconnect.

Once a victim, Kim now walks in victory and that is what lead Kim to write and publish her book, Healing from Life’s Deepest Hurts - Reclaiming Your Life After Grief, Loss, or Trauma. She shares her personal story in much more detail than we have time for in this podcast episode and she also gives the reader tools so they can initiate their own healing and wholeness in their personal story.

If you find yourself facing a divorce or in the aftermath of divorce, listen to Kim because not only does she remind you that you are not alone, she’ll help you navigate the painful terrain of what can feel like a shameful failure. If you’d like more wisdom and discernment for the journey, you can check out her book (links below) or you can reach out to her using her contact info (as seen below).

Side Note: When Kim is talking about her ex-husband shooting Andrew we leave you hanging. I didn’t mean to do that! ’m sure it was because Kim and I had already talked so I knew how it turns out and therefore could easily focus on other aspects of Kim’s message. Do know that at the end we come back to Andrew and let you know how that all turned out. You could fast forard to the end but you’d miss so much deep wisdom that Kim shares along the way. So hang in there because Kim does tell you what happened not only with Andrew but brings us up to speed on her life.

Let’s listen in to find out that there’s no story so broken that God cannot heal it!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Other podcast episodes and/or blogs on this topic: *Making Marriage Healthy with Marriage Counselor, Leslie Davis: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/11/08/marriage-healthy/ *Christian marriage, Abuse and Boundaries, with Stephanie Jordan: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/04/12/christian-marriage-abuse-and-boundaries/ *A Porn Free Marriage is Possible with Rosie MaKinney: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/05/11/porn-free/ *Healing for Male Sexual Abuse Survivors with Dr. Kelli Palfy: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/30/male-sexual-abuse/

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY: Website: https://kimberlyhaar.com/ Podcast: Keeping It Real: https://kimberlyhaar.com/podcast/ Purchase Her Book (link is on the page near the bottom): https://kimberlyhaar.com/healing-from-lifes-deepest-hurts-book/

BIO: Kimberly Haar is a licensed therapist, author, and speaker with nearly two decades of experience in trauma recovery and marriage and family therapy. Blending clinical insight with deep faith, she helps others move from pain to purpose. Drawing from her own story of healing, Kimberly shares a message of hope and restoration, reminding others that with God, no story is too shattered to be rewritten, and no life too broken to be beautifully restored.

PODCAST INTRO: Guest, Lisa Espinoza is an author, coach and a speaker. She stops by the show today to share her personal story of child loss, grief and finding joy even in the midst of great pain.

The process of grief is as different as the person it comes upon but none-the-less we can find incredible value because shared story is how grieving hearts find encouragement. Child loss is an indescribable pain that no parent wishes to be part of. For Lisa, the loss of her son Chandler was a life-altering event that reshaped her world in countless ways.

Lisa shares a heartfelt conversation of her experiences, providing us with a glimpse into a love that will never end coupled with the grief that accompanies the loss of a child. Her story is one of resilience, hope, and the unwavering belief in the power of connection both with having Christ as your foundation and staying connected to life by way of offering practices of remembrance whether that be spontaneously and deliberately.

You’ll hear Lisa’s reflection on Chandler’s adventurous spirit, the kind of person who embraced life with open arms and an open heart. Chandler was one of the four children that Lisa and her husband have (and I do say have because the fact that Chandler is their son will never change)…, a son who brought joy and chaos in equal measure (If you’re raising boys you’ll know exactly what she’s talking about when she shares those examples). You’ll definitely see that Chandler lived life to the fullest.

The journey of grief is a roller coaster ride at best, yet it is also a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Lisa's approach to grief involved reclining in the Lord and trusting Him to be with her through the dark valley. With God beside her, she decided to embrace the pain and allowed herself to feel deeply. She talked about other healthy ways of processing emotions and pain whether through counseling, writing, or simply sitting with the emotions; maybe with trusted friend who can bear that type of weight (in a healthy way).

By accepting the loss and finding ways to adjust to a world without Chandler, Lisa not only finds encouragement for each day but peace and dare I say it (in this context of grief), she finds joy that honors her son's adventurous spirit.

In her quest to find meaning amidst the sorrow, Lisa found purpose in helping others navigate their grief (her coaching services). Her writings, initially shared on a blog, became a source of comfort for many, offering a candid and raw portrayal of her journey. Through her words, Lisa provides a lifeline to those who feel isolated in their pain, reinforcing the knowledge that they are not alone. Because of the response she was receiving from her blog posts, she decided to published her story and it is now available to anyone who would love to be encourage (link below). Her story is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, the possibility of joy and connection can light the way forward.

Lisa Espinoza's story is a poignant testament to the enduring power of love and the human capacity to heal and find meaning amidst profound loss. Her journey through grief is a beacon of hope, showing that even in the face of unimaginable pain, you are never alone and you can trust God to know the way through.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Connect with Lisa: Website: https://www.lisaespinoza.com Her books: First, Brush Your Teeth—Grief and Hope in Real Time: https://www.lisaespinoza.com/first-brush-your-teeth Days of Whine and Noses—Pep Talks for Tuckered Out Moms FB - https://www.facebook.com/lisachandlersmom IG - https://www.instagram.com/lisa.espinoza/

BIO: Author and speaker Lisa Espinoza is a trusted companion to others along their journeys of grief. In her book First, Brush Your Teeth—Grief and Hope in Real Time, Lisa shares with raw honesty the story of losing her youngest son Chandler and reminds us that hope and joy are possible, even after the greatest heartache and loss.

OTHER BLOG POSTS AND/OR PODCAST EPISODES ON THIS TOPIC: *A Deep Dive of the Soul After Child Loss, with Bridgett Dunbar: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/03/a-deep-dive-of-the-soul-after-child-loss-stillbirth-with-bridgett-dunbar/ *Finding Peace and Comfort After the Death of Her Son, with Alicia Hodges: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/08/30/finding-peace-and-comfort-after-the-death-of-her-son-alicia-hodges/ *Surviving Grief and the Death of Her Daughter, with Carole Sluski: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/03/15/surviving-grief-and-the-death-of-her-daughter-with-carol/ *Hope Reger and The Death of Her Son: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/12/22/hope/

LISA MENTIONED THESE BOOKS: Lisa spoke of 3 books that she found great comfort in. You can find these books on Amazon and many other sites that sell books. (I do not get any compensation should you purchase): Healing after Loss by Martha Hickman Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff The Choice, by Edith Eger

Liz and I agree that grief changes you in countless ways and as much as we may want things to go back to the way they were, they never will. How can they? We’ve lost a significant portion of our life.

Liz and her first husband, Ryan met when she was 22, fell in love and married in 2014. They wanted a family and were blessed with their first daughter. But sadly, they would only have 6 1/2 years together. Ryan, at 39 years of age unexpectedly passed away at home, alone on his treadmill.

To add more trauma to her shattered heart, Liz discovers that she’s pregnant one day after Ryan’s funeral. Not traumatized over being pregnant, but heartbroken that Ryan will never meet his daughter, nor will she meet her daddy and being a single parent was never in her life plans.

One of the significant motivators of transformation for Liz was the realization that she could stay bitter or get better. She chose, get better. She engaged the hard questions, evaluated the cost of living angry and despite the pain, she pushed forward to discover that she isn’t afraid to draw new boundaries, set new standards and start new businesses. She’s exploring life, options, opportunities and breaking ground (personally/professionally) in countless ways.

Liz has an encouraging perspective on finding her way through the pain, embracing new revelations of who she is as she grows through the various challenges and pain points with personal discoveries in all the many facets of her life.

Listen in to find out that widowhood is not the final chapter in her story, my your story and even your story.

Liz’s example gives us the courage to discover that there is even more to life because God is the author of our stories. He always has a plan and fulfilling your purpose has only begun.

You’ve heard me say many times before…keep your eyes on God because He’s writing a much bigger love story, an overarching love story with you as the unique person He created you to be and Liz, with the life she is choosing to cultivate is a beautiful example of that.

Let’s listen in and be encouraged today!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Here are some additional podcast episodes and/or blogs that pertain to finding God in our pain: Widows, Grief and Finding Hope, with Anne-Marie Lockyer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/14/widows-grief-and-finding-hope-with-anne-marie-lockmyer/ Widower, Daniel Doolan Shares His Story of Love and Loss: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/12/21/widower-daniel-doolan-shares-his-story-on-love-and-loss/ Widows and Financial Preparedness - Gayle O’Brien Blachura, CFP: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/09/28/widows-and-financial-preparedness-gayle-blachura-cfp/

CONNECT WITH LIZ: Website: https://www.lizfiedlermergen.com/ Podcast w/Apple link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flower-farmer-forum/id1674239699 Book Coming in March of 2026 - Learn more here: https://www.lizfiedlermergen.com/author IG: lizfiedlermergen FB: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.weber.545

BIO: After six years of marriage, two days after our only daughter’s birthday, I lost my husband. The day after his funeral, I found out I was pregnant again. 

Widowed and pregnant at 31 years old, I spent the first six months in a state of rage and anger, continuously growing more upset when people treated me like either a fragile flower or a bomb about to explode. After months of therapy, I learned to focus on the intention behind people’s words rather than get upset when they didn’t approach a situation how I wanted them to. Grief can be isolating, but we grievers can’t shut out everyone who says or does the “wrong thing”. One day, I decided to focus on the intention behind the sometimes poorly delivered sentiments because I realized if I ended every relationship when someone said the wrong thing, I would not have any friends left. I was glad they did not know what I was going through.

Every day I wake up and say to myself, "I'm not going to waste the day being angry. That's not fair to Josh." It takes so much work. I know that anger is a normal part of grief. I can't control the way the world treats grievers, but I can control how I respond.

My podcast, instagram account, book club, and other resources are all devoted to helping it be easier for others to grow through grief.

Judgment vs. Discernment - Parts of the conversation focuses on the difference between judgment and discernment. Kim stresses the importance of building relationships and understanding individual stories because we can’t expect to be heard if we don’t first invest, aka listen.

The Role of the Church - The conversation touches on the importance of allowing space for questions and struggles without fear of judgment or ostracism. Invite difficult conversations and differing viewpoints for the purpose of discovering and revealing God’s truths and His heart about the matter for both the one struggling with identity issues as well as the believer who may have a heart posture that God wants to bring a deeper revelation that aligns with His truth, love, character and nature.

Embracing Both Faith and Love - As Kim reveals, it's possible to hold onto faith while loving an LGBTQ child. Kim emphasizes that understanding doesn't mean affirming every choice but involves listening, empathizing, and walking alongside them.

Tools and Resources - Kim's journey led to the creation of resources like "Pride and Promises," aimed at helping families navigate these complex dynamics.

Final Reflections - The conversation ends with a powerful reminder of God's scandalous grace — a grace that doesn't discriminate and a love that is unwavering. Kim's story is a testament to the transformative power of love and the importance of reflecting Christ's love in all interactions. We can lay down the weight of judgement, which enables us to share God’s truths without feeling responsible for the outcome and relax in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is qualified to do His work.

In navigating these challenging waters, may we all strive to embody the empathy, compassion, and love that Kim so beautifully advocates for.

PODCAST INTRO: My guest is Kim Stlip and she is the founder of Pride and Promises, a beautiful ministry she created that equips believers to hold on to their Christian faith and their LGBTQ+ kids. But I want any parent listening to know, no matter how your child identifies you’ll find great wisdom in the biblical discernment that Kim shares.

Kim doesn’t have any 3 letter adjectives behind her name or lofty degrees that declare her worthy but she is a mom with the courage to stand in the gap between God’s truth in the holy scriptures and God’s heart for humankind. Kim is motivated by the fact that many Christians struggle to truly love like Jesus without feeling like they're compromising biblical truth.

When I think about the phrase of investing blood sweat and tears, surely Kim’s picture is next to that description…actually, any mom who has been willing to be the punching bag (my words not Kims) for truth in the very context of a broken world and their children trying to find their way in it.

I want to share my personal take away from our conversation because I could really relate to every bit of the relationship aspect of our conversation and relationships beyond my children. I do not have children who struggle with same sex attraction but relationship (across the board) is hard, complicated and layered.

I used to think that the hardest part of raising children was when they were young and I was trying to bend their will to the things that would bring them reward, benefit, health. In my heart I was trying to equip my sons to contribute to the world in meaningful, purposeful ways. But no one told me it would be more difficult when they were adults and you have to watch them struggle with the complexities of life as it gets weightier and responsibility after responsibility is added to their years.

Here’s a quote from Kim “And the hard part is when we hold on so tightly to our right and your wrong, and we don't take one another's stories with empathy, then that's where we hold our fist up and we don't end up coming back together. And so you always diffuse anger with empathy and understanding. And truly, anger is almost always love disappointed.” That my friend hit me in the heart.

I had a powerful reminder of the finished work of the cross when Kim brought us back to the cross….and it always comes down to this for any human being (and not just in the context of this topic, it’s all of humanity)….if the opportunity to have direct access to God again was going to be a possibility then it was necessary for Christ to go to the cross. For me, my sins. Imagine yourself as the only person alive and Christ goes to the cross for you.

He endured the horrific process of crucifixion, the bloody, beaten beyond recognition, publicly stripped naked, disfigured in every way; and I’ve read some commentary that pointed out you would not have been able to tell if he was male of female. 

When Christ hung on the cross He had no guarantee that any of us would choose Him. Now, God knows our heart, the condition/character/nature and because of that He knows which one of us will choose Him but that does not negate the fact that our gift of choice is still a real thing.

He doesn’t man-handle our gift of choice. There’s enough evil in the world to see that He does not intervene with our ability to choose. In other words, He doesn’t remove that ability because we refuse to use it in a responsible, wise, healthy way but it is worth remembering He is capable of healing anything this broken world does to us via other peoples choices or the places we find ourselves in because of our own choices.

Kim has such courage to have this delicate conversation pointing out that the core of where the conversation should be grounded is in the person of Christ versus where the church and most people, myself included focus on, and that is sexuality. I get it though, the world has made it a sexual issue but as believers we’re to look through the lens of God’s heart at the world around us.

And that’s what Kim does at Pride and Promises. A wealth of information that is honest, straightforward biblical truth and presented with the same compassion that Christ provided for each and every one of us on the cross. As Kim and I agreed, at the foot of the cross is level ground for sinners.

When you hear Kim’s heart behind her encouraging message, I hope that you have breakthrough in your personal life and personal relationships on every level. All of what she shares can be applied to any relationship we can experience because again, our conversations and heart motive should be grounded in the person of Christ.

Let’s get into the beauty, the hope, and the heart of God by listening to what Kim has to share!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Other Episodes and Blogs that pertain to this subject of God meeting us in broken places: -Joining Jesus Christ In His Pursuit of Your LGBTQ Identified Child, with Melinda Patrick: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/28/joining-jesus-christ-in-his-pursuit-of-your-lbgtq-identified-child/ -No Longer in Bondage to Sexual Addiction, with Logan Hufford: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/17/sexual-addiction/ -Christian Mom Whose Child has Same-Sex Attraction, with Melinda Patrick: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/05/16/same-sex-attraction/ -A Porn Free Marriage is Possible, with Rosie MaKinney: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/05/11/porn-free/

Connect with Kim: Website: https://www.prideandpromises.com/ Free Resource - 31 Conversation Starters to engage your child after they come out: https://www.prideandpromises.com/conversation-starters Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569053302851 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prideandpromises/

Kim's Bio: My sweet spot has always been in coaching and mentoring young women, moms and wives, offering encouragement and guidance through everyday life and its challenges.

Driven by a profound dedication to my family, a gratitude for people, and a love for the one-anothers, my heart is to encourage other families in navigating the tangled up circumstances that don’t have linear solutions. We haven’t done it perfectly…read the blogs.   My favorite people are my husband, Pete, our son & two daughters, and the guys they took the names of and brought into our family. Beyond treasuring my family, I’m a curriculum and freelance writer, ministry volunteer, and fellow encourager.

- The conversation centers around grief, faith, and healing, featuring Dr. Amanda McNeil, an associate pastor and counselor.

- Amanda shares her journey, raised in a blended family and losing her father as a teenager, impacting her deeply and leading her to her current path.

- She speaks on the intersection of the Bible and science in understanding grief, discussing her book, "Overcoming the Overcast: Navigating the Storms of Life with God."

- The dialogue explores the concept of grief as a journey that can coexist with hope, emphasizing the importance of community and support.

- They discuss the role of childhood perceptions and shame in shaping adult grief experiences, highlighting the need for honest engagement with personal stories.

- The transformative power of God in grief is emphasized, with insights into how God’s presence can provide comfort and healing.

- Amanda stresses the importance of allowing oneself to feel both joy and grief simultaneously, a duality that can aid in healing.

- The discussion touches on identity shifts due to grief and how the church can better support those suffering.

- Amanda’s book serves as a practical guide combining scripture, neuroscience, and personal insights to help navigate grief.

- The conversation concludes with the notion that despite the storms of grief, the constant presence of God offers hope and healing.

PODCAST INTRO:

Grief is a universal experience. As I’ve often shared with you, there are many types of grief so if you’re listening today and you haven’t lost a significant person but you’ve been separated from something that you held near and dear to your heart then you’ll be able to apply what Dr. McNeil shares in this message to your pain/your life. I say Dr. McNeil because she’s certainly earned her credentials but I found her to be so down to earth I caught myself addressing her as Amanda.

Dr. Amanda McNeil, is mom, wife, counselor, pastor, speaker, and an author and I’ll share a little bit about her most recent book in just a minute.

A Personal Journey of Grief and Faith

Her journey with grief began at a young age after unexpectedly losing her father. And this personal tragedy began to shape her path, leading her to become a strong voice and advocate for those who grieve.

The Interplay of Grief, Mental Health, and Faith

During our discussion, Amanda highlighted how grief impacts mental health and how both the Bible and science provide insights into navigating this difficult journey. She emphasized the importance of understanding how grief can be traced through family history and how it affects us on multiple levels—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Story Work and Healing

Amanda advocates for engaging in "story work" to process grief. This involves reflecting on our life experiences and understanding the narratives we've formed, often from childhood. By doing story work, we can identify and challenge lie-based beliefs that might be rooted in shame or guilt. The purpose for bringing those emotions to the surface is because now you have a target to work with in regard to healing and wholeness.

Joy and Grief Can Coexist

A common struggle in grief is reconciling moments of joy with the pain of loss. Dr. McNeil reassures us that experiencing joy does not betray our grief or love that was attached to our loss. Instead, it is part of the healing process, allowing us to live fully even amidst sorrow.

Overcoming the Overcast

As mentioned she’s an author and her latest book titled "Overcoming the Overcast: Navigating the Storms of Life with God," is her book that she describes as a “love letter” to those experiencing loss. It combines scripture, neuroscience, and counseling principles to provide a practical guide for navigating grief. She emphasizes that, like a storm, grief can feel overwhelming, but the "Son of God is still shining" above the clouds, offering hope and healing.

Final Thoughts

Grief is a complex journey, and faith can provide a powerful anchor. Whether through scripture, community, or personal reflection, finding ways to navigate grief with hope and resilience is crucial. Dr. Amanda’s insights remind us that while loss may be a part of our story, it does not define the entirety of our lives.

If you’re in need of encouragement and hope today, listen in to receive the wisdom and guidance that Dr. McNeil offers those who are navigating the storms of grief and loss.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @ALifeOfThrive.com Sherrie

EPISODES AND/OR BLOGS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TOPIC: - Widows, Grief and Finding Hope, with Anne-Marie Lockyer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/14/widows-grief-and-finding-hope-with-anne-marie-lockmyer/ - Pet Loss and Grief, with Pet Loss Grief Companion, Rachel Shirley: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/05/08/pet-loss/ - Joy in the Midst of Grief, with Author, Sonya Mack: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/05/08/pet-loss/ - Finding Peace and Comfort After the Death of Her son, with Alicia Hodges: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/08/30/finding-peace-and-comfort-after-the-death-of-her-son-alicia-hodges/ - Scars (blog post by Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/12/28/scars/ - It’s Always Been You (blog post by Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/08/24/its-always-been-you/ - Suffering (blog post by Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/21/suffering/

CONNECT WITH DR. AMANDA MCNEIL: - Website: https://www.amandacmcneil.com/ - Free Chapter to her newest book: https://www.amandacmcneil.com/free - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacmcneil/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McNeilCoaching/ - Coaching with the McNeils: https://www.mcneilcoaching.com/

Bio: After losing her father tragically as a teen and later navigating infertility, Amanda learned how to lean into faith and has developed an authoritative voice of hope. Dr. Amanda McNeil is an author, counselor, and pastor from Orlando, FL.

She is an expert in leadership coaching, and both premarital and grief counseling. Her first book released November 2024 as a #1 New Release on Amazon for the Christian Counseling and the Death, Grief, & Spirituality categories.

She is an international speaker for leadership and mental health conferences and the cofounder of McNeil Coaching alongside her husband, Justin. She is a miracle mom and is mid at pickleball and is proudly millennial picking an oat milk latte over any other type of coffee.

PODCAST INTRO: My guest today, Ron Jones, is a pastoral counselor and mental health advocate and he stopped by to share his first-hand experiences and insights into his victory over treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This discussion touches on the complexities of living with TRD, the challenges of traditional treatment methods, and the importance of having a strong identity in Christ and growing in faith throughout the healing process.

What is Treatment-Resistant Depression?

Treatment-resistant depression is a severe form of major depressive disorder. Ron explained that clinically, it is defined as depression that does not respond to at least three different classes of antidepressant medications. Ron also shared that this condition is not merely about resistance to therapy but is specifically linked to the ineffectiveness of psychotropic medicines.

The Struggle with Traditional Treatments

Ron describes the frustration of navigating the medical system, which often prioritizes treating symptoms over addressing root causes. He likens the process to taking aspirin for a headache without investigating the underlying cause. He even pointed out that this approach can be disheartening, especially when medications take weeks to show results, if at all.

A Journey of Identity and Faith

Throughout his journey, Ron emphasizes the importance of understanding one's true identity. He believes that much of mental illness stems from a misalignment between who we are and who we perceive ourselves to be.

For Ron, this journey of self-discovery was deeply intertwined with his faith, which provided a foundation and a source of hope. This foundation withstood 13 years of struggling AND also provided room for growth and intimacy with Christ as he searched how to get out from under his depression. As shared in then opening clip….Ron was desperately clinging to hope God and yet had no hope.

Steps Toward Healing

Ron offered practical steps for those struggling with depression:

Evaluate Your "Have To's": Examine the non-negotiables in your life that might be contributing to your stress and consider whether they are truly necessary.

Identify Primary Lies: Reflect on the negative emotions you feel most often and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the first time you felt this way.

Listen for the Holy Spirit: Spend time in silence, asking the Holy Spirit, "What's We most important thing I could hear right now?" and be open to whatever answer comes without editing it.

Something I added, only because I have to do this: when I’m seeking God for an answer I have learned that I need to write it down. It is very commen for me to forget the details of what He spoke into my spirit. If you want to add a #4: Write down what you hear the Holy Spirit speak into your spirit and refer to it as often as you need to.

Conclusion

Ron’s story gives us a deeper revelation about Treatment Resistant Depression because it’s from his personal experience; his 13 year battle to find relief. His faith, community, and self-reflection was instrumental in overcoming his TRD. While traditional treatments may fall short mainly because they’re go to is to fix things with medicine vs looking at a more holistic approach that would include a deep dive into one’s identity. So Ron's journey offers hope and encouragement to those facing similar struggles, reminding us that there is always a path to discovering the benefits of knowing the truth and having a stronger identity.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

With regard to the acronyms you’ll hear Ron use, here is what they stand for (this info is more current than the audio intro to this podcast episode): SSRIs - (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are a class of antidepressants that help treat depression Sozo is a practice/method used by some Christian ministries to describe their approach to inner healing, which focuses on restoring broken relationships with God and healing past trauma (for more info check out sozo.org)  SNRIs - Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors PCP - Primary Care Physician BPD - Borderline Personality Disorder

Resources along the same topic: Unrelenting Pain Known as The Suicide Disease (CRPS), with Darci Steiner -  https://alifeofthrive.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=9563&action=edit Autoimmune Disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Faith, with Sara Salazar - https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/01/autoimmune-disease/ Hope in the Midst of Chronic Illness, with Sara Willoughby - https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/01/01/hope-in-the-midst-of-chronic-illness-with-sara-willoughby/

Connect with Ron: Ron’s podcast w/his friend (Nick): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ron-and-nicks-best-friend-podcast/id1599899345

Amazon link to Ron’s most recent book - The Little Book of Forgiveness - The Pathway to Freedom: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Forgiveness-pathway-freedom/dp/B0DYNXWKBW/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oljVyfzmkcvd-tRRqhc8qzcDCCeB-vKQpdasKmcPpGyLFkFehAMYradfiTGZARL3MVN6ar_YRewiXpEMrwt-ig.0u01g9j57uS-UD4NfXgrNw4IxQKkAQYxAoW0rJG8AV0&qid=1743803194&sr=8-1

Ron’s Bio: R. Kenward Jones is a disruptive teacher, writer, podcaster (who isn’t these days?), counselor, husband, father and grandfather.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degrees in biblical studies and counseling. 

His debut novel, Buried at Sea, was published by Penmore Press in 2022.  Daily, he writes proverbs, parables and prayers and shares them on his Facebook page and website to inspire and encourage.

R. Kenward Jones is a US Navy veteran and served as both an enlisted man and officer for 12 years before he left the military to become a pastor.  After a 13-year long bout with treatment resistant depression he left the ministry to reset his life.  He knows the Valley of the Shadow of Death and the power of personal Creativity as the way through it and out of it.

Currently he works as a counselor and teaches the 515A “zero excuses” bootcamp at the local YMCA.  He and Tina, his high school sweetheart, have been married for 40 years, have two children and one grandchild, and live in Southeastern Virginia although they still consider the Shenandoah Valley to be their “home.” 

R. Kenward Jones enjoys life and joy tempered by suffering and more than anything wants to help other sufferers experience the same.

PODCAST INTRO: In the face of life's most challenging storms, it's often the faith journeys of resilience that inspire us to keep moving forward. Leslie Brennan's journey, as shared on this podcast episode, paints a vivid picture of how faith in the God of the Holy Bible, His grace, and our perseverance/our faith can transform even the darkest moments into a testament of hope and healing. A faith journey that transformed Leslie's heart, her perspective and her future as she transitioned from, “Why God!” to “How can You use this God?”

Embracing the Unexpected

Leslie's story begins with the revelation of her husband's drug addiction, a discovery that initially left her questioning her own role in the unfolding chaos. The initial blame, filtered through past trauma, led her to believe she was somehow responsible for the turmoil. However, it was through this painful revelation that Leslie began to see the bigger picture: a journey of faith that would lead her from self-blame to a deeper understanding of God's purpose and His extravagant love.

A Journey of Faith and Healing

Leslie emphasizes the importance of not abandoning faith, even when life's challenges seem insurmountable. Her husband's addiction, his process to overcome his addiction…and later, separate from any addiction issues, his motorcycle accident that resulted in the loss of his leg, these were pivotal moments that tested their marriage and her faith. Then two years after the motorcycle accident her husband suffers a debilitating stroke brought on by an undetected fragmented bone that prohibited blood flow. Yet, it was through these trials that Leslie witnessed what she describes as "God's extravagant grace."

The Power of Vulnerability and Sharing

One of the most powerful aspects of Leslie's story is her willingness to be vulnerable and share her journey with others and her story serves as a reminder that our past mistakes and current struggles do not define us; rather, they become a part of the larger narrative of redemption and grace as God brings us inner healing, clarity and purpose to our lives. 

A Testament to God's Grace

Despite the challenges and heartaches, Leslie has emerged with a stronger faith and a renewed sense of identity. Her journey from questioning "why" to embracing "how" God will use her experiences for good exemplifies a profound shift in perspective that many of us strive for.

As she continues to navigate life's uncertainties, Leslie's faith remains her anchor. Her story encourages us all to seek God's presence in our own trials and trust that He is writing an overarching love story with us, one of redemption, healing, purpose and hope.

In sharing her journey, Leslie invites us to reflect on our own lives and consider how we can find grace and strength in the midst of our personal storms. 

Listen in and discover Leslies’ message that God uses every painful moment because no matter how dark the night, in God’s hands there’s always a breakthrough—a new beginning filled with the promise of God's unwavering love and grace. 

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie Pilk

Additional Blogs and/or Podcasts That Are Similar to This Topic: Navigating the Journey to Spiritual Maturity, with Dr. Sheila Jackson: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/09/11/navigating-the-journey-to-spiritual-maturity-with-dr-sheila-jackson/ Healing is a Journey and You’re Worth the Trip, with Taleah Pletzer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/12/18/healing-is-a-journey-and-youre-worth-the-trip-taleah-pletzer/ Spiritual Disciplines Can Heal and Transform, with Healey Ikerd: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/06/19/spiritual-disciplines/ Turning Chaos Into Purpose, With Noah Asher: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/03/13/turning-chaos-into-purpose-with-noah-asher/

Connect with Leslie: Website: https://lnk.bio/lesliebrennanspeaks Email: leslie@targethomegroup.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gracetogrowcircle/

Bio: Leslie Brennan is a passionate speaker, author, and Realtor® dedicated to helping others break free from past mistakes and step boldly into their God-given purpose. With raw authenticity and a powerful personal testimony, Leslie inspires audiences to embrace their true identity, overcome life’s obstacles, and walk confidently in faith.

As a trusted Realtor® in Hampton Roads, Virginia, Leslie helps families find the homes where their next chapter begins—serving with compassion, integrity, and a heart for healing. Whether from the stage, in her writing, or across the closing table, her mission is the same: to bring healing, hope, and lasting transformation to those ready to rewrite their story.

Summary: - Karen Dittman discusses her journey of faith and personal growth amidst challenging life circumstances. - Of her two books, one focuses on the benefits of 7 minutes with Jesus, practicing gratitude and the other is a simple yet life changing perspective on wellness from a biblical perspective, introducing concepts like the Grace Cycle. - Karen's life was profoundly impacted by her daughter's addiction, which led her to seek a deeper connection with God. - She describes feeling overwhelmed during a difficult period, likened to being on a "hamster wheel," with multiple personal and family challenges. - A pivotal moment was when she learned to surrender control and place her daughter "on the altar," trusting God's plan for her. - Karen emphasizes the importance of experiencing God's presence in the midst of life's struggles, rather than seeking to change the circumstances. - Her journey led to a deeper understanding of God's love, transforming her perception of her own worth and identity in Christ. - She discusses the concept of the grace cycle in her latest book, promoting gradual, supportive changes rather than drastic overhauls. - Karen concludes by reassuring the audience that they are not alone in their struggles, as God is always present and ready to offer support and love.

Podcast Intro: Karen Dittman, my guest on this episode, shares her journey through overwhelming personal challenges. I say overwhelming because in an by itself each one of these challenges could take its toll on any of us and Karen was juggling many of these life challenges at the same time.

In Karen’s personal example she didn’t have the option to put life on hold, catch her breath and reengage. Life was coming non-stop, fast and furious and in serious ways. Serious responsibilities that included her husband and her children. She and her husband fostered and adopted, and after struggling years with infertility she’s surprised with a bio child at 47 (God has a sense of humor right!). She discovers that her adult daughter is struggling with addiction, and Karen has walked through other challenges with her children, things like anxiety, ADHD, autism.

Rather than delve into each one of these areas we touched on a couple but I thought it important to discover how did Karen learn to lift our head under the weight of everyday life. I want to know not only how she survives but actually thrives. What did she discover about Jesus in the midst of what she terms as life on the hamster wheel?

Life can be very chaotic and I loved the way Karen pursed the heart of God for a practical solution that met her where she was at. She discovered that God cares about the hamster wheel and that He had solutions and practices that would keep her tethered to His heart, walking His pace and staying in grace, peace and true joy.

We talked about her book: Thriving in Grace: Unleashing Wellness from a Biblical Perspective. I found great value in the Grace Cycle. A process for change that focuses on acceptance, small steps to turn things around and celebrating progress. The Grace Cycle is so simple and yet life changing. I scratch my head sometimes. How is it that I overlook the power of Christ’s simplicity. There are often times when the simplicity of God is my stumbling block to breakthrough!

Also, Karen has a spiritual discipline of spending 7 minutes with Jesus throughout the day. I knew immediately the value of this because when I am intentional about making this a priority to my day I’m refreshed, I have clarity and I’m motivated. So I loved this reminder. She gives us great info on the benefits of 7 minutes with Jesus and how she practices that but she goes into greater detail in her book The Fruit of Gratitude: Cultivate a Thankful heart of Experiencing God’s Goodness.

Karen’s ability to find peace and purpose through pain serves as a beautiful inspiration for those of us facing similar challenges, offering hope and practical guidance for deepening one's relationship with God. That my friend, intimate relationship with our Creator enables us to lift our head under the weight of life in its most crushing seasons.

Let’s listen in so that we might discover how to live loved and thrive in the midst of the overwhelming seasons of life!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive. com Sherrie Pilk

Additional Podcast Episodes/blogs related to this topic (overwhelm):

Navigating the Empty Nest with a Healthy Mental Well-being with Dr. Mel Tavares:  https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/01/29/navigating-the-empty-nest-with-a-healthy-mental-well-being/

Letting God Rewrite Trauma and Abuse, with LaShaundra Barnes: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/11/20/letting-god-rewrite-trauma-and-abuse-with-lashaundra-barnes/

A Caregiving Season with No Regrets, with Rayna Neises: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/12/04/a-caregiving-season-with-no-regrets-rayna-neises/

Connect with Karen: Website: https://karenadittman.com/

Amazon Book Links: Thriving in Grace: Unleashing Wellness from a Biblical Perspective: Amazon Link

Bringing Grace Home: A Bible Study Companion to Thriving in Grace: Amazon Link

The Fruit of Gratitude: Cultivate a Thankful Heart by Experiencing God's Goodness: Amazon Link

Podcast Intro: My guest is Denise Clanin, a wife, mom and author. She and I connected because of her willingness to share her personal story about losing her brother, Garrett to a rare mutation known as NF2. This disorder caused tumors to grow throughout his body, and that resulted in degrees of loosing his quality of life such as his ability to speak and hear; two of the major ways we communicate! I can’t even fathom that slow separation from your loved ones. At the time of the diagnosis Denise was 9 and Garrett 11. At the time of Garrett’s passing he was 29.

My conversation with Denise weaved together loss, resilience, and faith and the fact that grief can be very transformative in powerful ways. Faith was the cornerstone for Denise as she navigated what it meant to have a sibling who was experiencing a gradual decline in health and in quality of life.

We talked about how she felt as her parents naturally gravitated to Garrett’s ever increasing dependency. I was curious about that because at 9 years old she’s in elementary school, and then through middle and high school and into college; crucial years for a young girl, a young woman. As we talked, I felt I heard in her voice (and the way she shared about this part of the journey) healing and acceptance saturated with grace.

With the ever morphing process of the family dynamic we talked about identity and how that is impacted, and how everything about our life is based on identity and so what do we do when things are shifted and we lose titles, responsibilities, relationships? Denise talked about God’s ability to use the tragedy of life for transformation in us and how He moves us into a greater purpose using the pain of life.

We talked about the book she authored, Among the Stars and how she blended parts of her life to create a family friendly read that has an uplifting message for the heart and the mind. We folded into the conversation, how therapeutic writing/journaling can be in the grief process. And she’s started on her next book that will develop one of the characters found in the first book. I love a series where you can engage in more than one book.

Listen in and I hope you’ll be encouraged by Denise’s desire to share her experience into the complexities of grief, the importance of community, and the enduring power of hope, faith, and love.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Related topics (podcast and/or blog): Sara Salazar - Autoimmune Disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Faith: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/01/autoimmune-disease/ Sherrie Pilkington - Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/ Genetic Testing and Prophylactic Mastectomy, with Erin Simon: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/02/01/genetic-testing-and-prophylactic-mastectomy-with-erin-simeone/

Connect with Denise: FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092102171844

Bio: Denise had always dreamed of writing her book. As a child, she loved to write stories with memorable characters and positive themes. She carried this passion for writing into her adolescence and early adulthood, hoping to publish one of her stories someday. However, as with any story plot, there were obstacles to reaching this goal. At Pepperdine University, she began to study accounting, a degree that required intense concentration and countless hours of studying and memorization. In addition, it was around that time when her older brother’s chronic medical condition took a turn for the worse – leaving him in almost constant pain and removing his ability to hear, speak, and see well. His parents transitioned into full-time caregivers who sacrificed their time and energy so that their son could live another day.

For Denise, this devastating life change meant taking a step back from her hobbies, instead focusing on her family and establishing herself in her career. Sadly, her brother succumbed to the complications of his condition five years after her college graduation. She appreciated the precious time she had with him and the positive impact he left behind. Although she continued her accounting profession after his passing, she knew the corporate world wasn’t where she wanted to remain.

A few years later, Denise and her husband moved from sunny San Diego to the forested terrain of Post Falls, Idaho, to plant their roots – buying their first home and expanding their family. That was when she finally found the inspiration to pen her first book, “Among the Stars” – originally an idea she wrote for her creative writing class in college. From there, she continued to push forward despite a decade-long writing hiatus and several bouts of writer’s block. She is thankful that God has provided her with the words to share with others through her book, touching on the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and hope – while also paying homage to the notable people in her life, including those who have passed. She hopes this tale of first love, friendship, and family connection will bring joy and encouragement to those who need it.

Intro/Blog Post: I’m so appreciative for my guest Michelle Nezat and her courage to talk about what is often termed as church hurt. In the intricate tapestry of human relationships, church communities hold a unique place, often serving as a haven of support, spiritual growth, and community. However, church communities including the leadership are not immune to the imperfections of human nature, and at times, they can become a source of profound hurt. 

To Michelle’s heartbreak she and her husband are in between churches. She shared her very transparent, humble journey and what it’s like in their current waiting period of leaning into the Lord to direct and confirm a new church family they can be folded into. Her willingness to look at both sides of the equation was refreshing. Whether it was through the lens of church responsibilities or the responsibilities of the believer she had a fair, biblically informed perspective.

As I listened to Michelle, I became aware of the various ways church hurt affects so many aspects of one’s spiritual grounding. We looked at what are some of the causes of church hurt such as personal sensitivities, past traumas, and individual mistakes. As human beings, we bring our own emotional baggage into every relationship, including those within a church community.

Additionally, failed leadership or sins committed against members can definitely be the most significant contributors to church hurt. Even well-intentioned leaders can fall short in their responsibilities. When they do it can lead to a deep sense of betrayal and hurt because as Michelle states, the leadership is not just someone you like or hope likes you, they are someone you have put your trust in, whom you look up to for examples and modeling of God and His word.

The conversation also touched upon the options available to individuals experiencing church hurt. While leaving the church may seem like the immediate solution, Michelle emphasized that leaving might not always lead to healing. Instead, she advocated for seeking greater holiness and aligning one's actions with God's will. This could involve choosing to stay and work through the issues or leaving with a heart open to finding a new community where spiritual growth can continue. The decision ultimately rests on discerning what leads to greater holiness in one's life and seeking the Lord's guidance in the process.

Finally, our discussion highlighted the role of forgiveness and the importance of maintaining a focus on Christ. Forgiveness is essential for healing, but it does not always mean restoring broken relationships. It involves letting go of bitterness and entrusting the situation to God. By fixing our eyes on Jesus and embracing how He modeled forgiveness, we can navigate the complexities of church hurt and find peace and purpose.

Michelle helps us keep our focus on the fact that the church is the bride of Christ, and where man fails, God himself will reveal His truth. In whatever context we pursue Him in, He will reveal Himself to those who earnestly seek Him.

If you’re navigating church hurt today, this episode is a must. Michelle will encourage your heart, help you stay on the right path and give you hope for your breakthrough in Christ!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Other Resources - Podcasts/Blogs: After Abortion Care and Healing, with Serena Dyksen: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/06/05/after-abortion-care-and-healing-with-serena-dyksen/ Investing in Relationship (Blog): https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/11/03/investing-in-relationship/ Micro Moments with God To Grow Relationship Intimacy, with Sherrie Pilkington: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/

Connect with Michelle: Website: https://www.michellenezat.com/about/ Podcast: https://www.michellenezat.com/podcast-3/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleLNezat/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellenezattv LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellenezat/

Bio: Michelle Nezat writes Christian fiction with a purpose. The themes in her novels mirror the themes in the Bible and serve as a jumping-off point to study Scripture and theology in a new way. She's a Cajun girl born in Idaho and living in Louisiana, and she has the best gumbo and sweet tea in the neighborhood (according to her husband and two daughters). Her passion is God's Word and inspiring others to discover and interact with Scripture for themselves. Drawing from over a decade of Bible teaching through her podcast More Than a Song, she's turned to stories to inspire readers to explore deep theological truths.

Infertility and Foster Care: The conversation delves into Katie's struggle with infertility and how she and her husband embraced foster care. Her experience underscores the emotional and spiritual challenges involved in letting go of personal desires and aligning them with their purpose according to God’s plan for their life.

Unexpected Blessings: Despite having made peace with not having biological children, Katie's unexpected pregnancy brought both joy and new challenges. She shows us how life can take unexpected turns and the importance of being open to God’s plans.

Medical Crisis and Faith: Katie faced a life-threatening situation after childbirth, leading to an emergency hysterectomy and her newborn would need a last ditch effort to save him. Her unwavering faith, even in the face of potential loss, demonstrates profound trust in God's goodness and plan.

Community and Support: The role of community and the church is emphasized as a vital source of support and prayer during difficult times. Katie’s talks about how being part of a faith community can provide strength and encouragement.

God's Presence in Suffering: Katie reflects on the presence of God during her darkest times, finding comfort in knowing that God understands human suffering and pain. She experienced first hand that in God you can find peace and strength through faith, even when faced with trauma and loss.

Transformation Through Trials: The conversation highlights the transformative power of trials, as Katie learns to appreciate God for who He is, not just for the blessings He provides. This insight is a profound reminder of the deeper spiritual growth that can occur through adversity.

Podcast Intro: My guest Katie Jones is quite inspiring and her story had me holding my breath and fighting back tears. Life is often a tapestry of unexpected events and trials that test our resilience and faith and Katie has that in common with many of us.

Early in her marriage, she and her husband discovered they were not able to conceive and the doctors could not give them an answer as to why they could not. Katie struggled with God about wanting to be a mom. As she and her husband try to discern God’s leading He opens their hearts to fostering children. Despite the challenges that come with fostering children they fall in love with the kids and the beauty in breakthroughs and progress in the children’s healing journey. As they walk out their fostering journey with the Lord, they shifted their desires to align with what they believed were God’s plans for them, no biological children but rather the blessing of foster children. Her story takes a dramatic turn when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant.

This news was hard to wrap her mind around and is initially met with disbelief but that soon turned to joy, and Katie and her husband began to let themselves be excited about having a biological child. But their joy and happiness were severely tested at the birth of her sweet baby boy. Within hours both Katie and their newborn Malachi were being monitored for serious problems. Within a day or two they are both diagnosed with sepsis and things began to quickly and drastically change for them both.

Katie had to make a life or death decision that would prevent her from having any future children and Malachi would endure a last ditch effort that involved cutting into both the carotid and the jugular arteries, a high-risk procedure that would prevent any further use of those two arteries in the future.

One of the more profound moments, for me during our conversation was when she shares how she was praying with her husband, their family, church family and those who have supported them in the last couple of days. They’re praying together as Malachi is preparing to go in for this procedure, what they call an ECHMO procedure and she verbally takes a stance by telling God out loud, God if you take his life, I still trust you. That was yet another place in our conversation where I had to fight back tears because she stands in faith knowing that her one and only son is at risk during a medical procedure and that she has no future opportunity to have biological children.

Katie's story is an incredible testament to resilience, faith, and the power of community. She emphasizes the importance of the church's support and the way God is working through the church as a global community of believers. Her experience underscores the belief that while God does not promise an easy life, His gives us the beauty of HIs presence and His faithfulness and that offers us comfort, peace and hope in the darkest of times.

Listen in to Katie’s message of who the God of the Holy Bible is in the midst of loss and uncertainty and may your faith be encouraged for greater intimacy with Jesus.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Here’s where you can find Katie when she’s not playing with Malachi: My online financial school - https://redeemingyourfinances.com Free Gospel-Centered Budget Planner - https://kingdomimpactworkshops.com/budget-planner-optin Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@KatieFiolaJones  

Bio: Katie Fiola Jones embodies a passion for empowering individuals to manage their money in alignment with their faith. As a youth pastor's wife, mom, foster mom, a graduate of Colorado Christian University, avid traveler, real estate investor, and Certified Christian Financial Counselor, Katie's diverse experiences have shaped her understanding of the intersection between faith and finances. She is the visionary behind Redeeming Your Finances, an online school for believers to learn how to manage their money using skills that are rooted in the Gospel.

Additional Episodes and/or Blogs on this topic: Living in Uncertainty, with Angie Baughman: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/28/uncertainty/ The Uncertainty of Life - Choroidal Melanoma (Eye Cancer), with Suzanne Stines: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/08/16/the-uncertainty-of-life-cordial-melanoma-eye-cancer-with-suzanne-stines/ Hope in the Midst of Chronic Illness, with Sara Willoughby: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/01/01/hope-in-the-midst-of-chronic-illness-with-sara-willoughby/

Transformation Through Faith: Ana's story highlights the transformative power of faith and community, demonstrating how even those facing significant adversity can find hope and purpose.

Overcoming Adversity: Her journey exemplifies resilience and determination, showing how education and a supportive network can break the cycle of poverty and abuse.

Purpose and Calling: Ana's experience underscores the importance of seeking one's purpose, suggesting that prayer and reflection can reveal one's calling, even in unexpected ways.

Community Impact: Her work with the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide illustrates how individuals can effect change by addressing both physical and relational poverty, emphasizing the importance of holistic support systems.

Hope and Redemption: Ana's story is a testament to God’s redemption and the idea that no matter how dire one's circumstances, there is potential for a better future through faith and perseverance.

Podcast Intro: Ana Megrelishvili shares her incredible journey from a painful childhood marked by poverty and abuse to finding hope and purpose through faith and community. As a child, Ana faced severe hardships, including hunger and isolation, exacerbated by an abusive alcoholic father. Despite these challenges, she experienced a pivotal moment at 12 or 13 when she felt a profound sense of purpose, after receiving a word of encouragement from God. She shares that she didn’t realize it was God at the time but this experience stayed with her even to this day with great detail and vividness. As her story unfolds, you’ll see that God was speaking about His plans for her life.

Her path to transformation began with a life-changing opportunity to study in the United States as an exchange student, which exposed her to a loving and supportive Christian family. She discovered a way to return to the US via a college scholarship and in her second host family the father was a Christian pastor. These families modeled the heart of God and her experiences planted the seeds of faith, even though she initially resisted religious beliefs. It’s so like God to always be creating opportunities for us to know Him if we choose to engage Him, isn’t it?

She graduates with a degree in business and immediately jumps in to the lucrative career of sales. And she’s successful. After building a solid career in sales complete with the various accolades and achieving all of her personal goals such as buying the condo in the beautiful high-rise, having it tailored to her specific taste, driving the fancy car and wearing the beautiful clothes. Yet Ana felt unfulfilled and empty despite achieving her American dream.

She knew there had to be more to life and so she begins to question God. God visits again and speaks to her. She responds to what He says and makes the most of trying to follow what she heard. In her obedience she’s brought to tears, weeping because of an unexpected gesture from a homeless woman. In that moment a spiritual awakening ignited a genuine desire to pursue the heart of God and discover what her purpose in life was supposed to be.

As Ana shares her journey you’ll notice the golden thread that God was weaving throughout her life and continues to do so to this day. As she pursued God’s heart, laid down all the material things she had collected He brought her full circle and she shares that she’s never been more joy filled in all of her life. She now dedicates herself to addressing relational poverty through her global ministry, the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide, an initiative that aims to eradicate homelessness by building supportive communities and providing mentorship to those in need.

Let’s listen in to discover how God used the very thing, poverty, abuse, .the very things that were supposed to destroy Ana and leave her void of her purpose. But because Ana responded to God, she’s discovering what God had written on the pages of her life before even one of them came to be.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @Alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Related Resources: Does God Care About People in Prison? Ex-con, Steven Snook says Yes!: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/02/15/does-god-care-about-people-in-prison-ex-con-steven-snook-says-yes/ Crisis Pregnancy and Foundation House Ministries, with Suzanne Burns: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/02/17/podcast-episode-suzanne-burns-crisis-pregnancy-and-foundation-house-ministries/ Unconditional Love - Blog post by Sherrie Pilk: https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/07/15/unconditional-love/ His Way - Blog post by Sherrie Pilk: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/09/21/his-way/

Connect with Ana: Website: www.cpnworldwide.com

Bio: Ana Megrelishvili grew up in the country of Georgia in Eastern Europe in a highly dysfunctional family, experiencing hunger, violence, and abuse. Ana immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty on scholarship with Berea College in Kentucky, where she hoped to begin a better life.

After years of success in business, Ana had a transformative experience that resulted in surrendered faith. As a result of a God-given vision, Ana founded the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide (CPNW) in Atlanta, Georgia, blending her passion for positive change with actionable initiatives.

CPNW goes beyond typical networking by integrating business relationships with service-oriented values, fostering global community transformation. Grounded in Christian principles, Ana ensures CPNW serves as a collaborative hub, uniting faith-driven leaders to pursue a societal betterment.

Though CPNW Foundation work, Ana addresses relational poverty by facilitating meaningful connections and providing a support network. CPNW Foundation focuses on mentoring the homeless, providing them with the relationships and support necessary to rebuilt their lives and break the cycle of poverty.

Ana shares her journey of healing and resilience in her book, Finding Courage to Change, while also contributing to Powerful Female Immigrants: Volume 3, sharing her inspiring journey from Georgie to the US Ana’s impact extends to co-authoring Success Redefined with Jack Canfield, earning her recognition as an Amazon Best-Selling Author

Intro: Author and Women’s Ministry Leader, Heather Bradley shares her profound experiences and insights on the theme of "suffering well". Heather's journey through personal tragedies and challenges highlights the intersection of suffering, faith, and the transformative power of a relationship with God.

Heather herself has been challenged with this very thing not once but twice and both of those instances had to do with 2 of her children, both sons. She refers to these seasons of life as her "even if" and "even though” stories. 

God didn’t move His hand to change Heather’s 4 month old son’s health issues and her baby boy, Brennan passed into the arms of Jesus. When her other son, Nathan was 6 years old the family experienced his overnight transformation into a mental and emotional journey of pure exhauston lasting 10 years before God moved His hand to change Nathan’s health condition. 

How do we suffer well when the One who could change our circumstance doesn’t or at the very least He waits an awfully long time? 

But hold on to this truth…we don’t need to fear the painful valleys in this life, and it has nothing to do with sidestepping or avoiding the pain itself. Nobody this side of heaven avoids trauma and suffering. But if you’re a believer in Christ our suffering and pain are turned into purpose. 

We’re transformed, refined and walking in a deeper level of intimacy with and freedom in Christ. There is nothing in this life that compares to the peace and joy that God can give in the very midst of traumatic pain and suffering. That’s why no weapon formed against us shall prosper. If we give God space to speak into our pain, to answer the cries of our heart, comfort us when the answers won’t come, He gives us the beauty of His presence that overwhelms our pain.

So Heather and I made it a point to talk about the struggles and realities faced by many Christians, particularly in the United States, who often perceive faith as a pathway to unending joy and favor, devoid of pain and suffering. However, Heather's journey illustrates that suffering can coexist with divine joy, favor, and anointing, revealing a more complex, yet enriching, narrative of faith. The truth is, God is in the business of transforming us using the very pain that was supposed to destroy us.

In sharing her journey, Heather not only provides insight into her personal trials but also offers a message of encouragement for others navigating their own paths of suffering. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of faith and the beauty that can emerge from the ashes of our pain. 

As believers, we are reminded that suffering is not the end of our story. God transforms all the weapons formed against us for our good and His glory. To me, being held in God’s secure embrace, is the safest place to be in the most unstable environment I’ve ever know.

Let’s listen in to hear the wisdom that Heather shares, may your heart be encouraged!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com Sherrie Pilk

Other resources on the topic of suffering: Hope in the midst of Chronic Illness, with Sara Willoughby: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/01/01/hope-in-the-midst-of-chronic-illness-with-sara-willoughby/ Discovering God Through RevelationShip, with Cathy Garland: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/10/23/discovering-god-through-revelationship-with-cathy-garland/ Finding Hope in the Ashes, with Lea Turner: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/09/25/finding-hope-in-the-ashes-with-lea-turner/ Suffering (Blog Post), Sherrie Pilk: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/21/suffering/

Connect with Heather: Website: https://www.truthfreedomministry.com/ Podcast: https://www.truthfreedomministry.com/podcast Link for her Book, Unthinkable: https://www.truthfreedomministry.com/unthinkable Brandon Heath - Don’t Be Afraid: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmghvthTTk&list=OLAK5uy_lwPpoQjoIU5-72AJC5MRU6ug30PYAeKuU Brandon Lake - Don’t Give Up On Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gW1IVM3qq0#ddg-play

Bio: Heather Bradley is the founder of Truth Freedom Ministry, a social media ministry for women, to be equipped and encouraged in the things of God. She is passionate about helping people walk through the hard things of life. 

A Texas girl at heart, but loves the adventure of going to new places. She has been married to the love of her life, Kelly, for over 29 years and they have 4 children. They homeschooled their kiddos and have lived all over the USA, but are happy to be home in Austin during this season. 

You will typically find her serving at her local church, that they help plant, in pastoral care and women's ministry. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Later she attended Bible School and has been ordained in pastoral ministry. 

Heather love’s gardening, reading books, trying new recipes, and traveling. Her favorite pace to be is sitting down for coffee with others while listening to them share their life stories. The latest news is she is a first time grandmother! So, her new name is Gigi! 

Heather co-host’s a podcast, called Leaving The Shallows, with her good friend-where they help listeners leave the shallow end and go into the deeper things of God. Her prayer is that others would know the love of Jesus in their hardest moments here on earth and experience His healing and purpose and know that He is always with them.

Summary: -Distinction Between Mental Health and Mental Well-being: Mental health often involves clinical diagnoses, while mental well-being focuses on overall emotional and psychological health without a clinical diagnosis. -Holistic Approach to Health: Importance of addressing mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health collectively. The conversation highlights the impact of nutrition and lifestyle habits on mental well-being. -Role of Faith in Counseling: Mel discusses the benefits of incorporating a biblical perspective in counseling and the limitations faced by secular counselors in discussing faith. -Purpose and Productivity in Later Life: The conversation touches on the idea that individuals in their 50s and 60s enter some of their most productive decades, encouraging listeners to pursue dreams and goals regardless of age. -Overcoming Trauma and Forgiveness: Mel shares personal experiences and emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and healing from past traumas, suggesting that Christian counselors or recovery groups can provide support. -Importance of Goal Setting: Setting goals provides structure and motivation, allowing individuals to turn their dreams into reality. -Community Engagement: Engaging in community activities and volunteering can alleviate loneliness and depression, fostering connections with others. -Anxiety Busters: Practical tips like eating healthily, maintaining a sleep routine, and reducing media consumption can help manage anxiety. -Hope and Encouragement: Mel concludes with a message of hope, emphasizing that there is always hope in God's plan and encouraging listeners to reach out for support.

Podcast Intro: My guest, Dr. Mel Tavares is an award winning Author, Speaker, Teacher, and Coach and she sat down with me and provided a very informative conversation about entering our 50’s and 60’s with a healthy mental well-being and ready to explore all the new possibilities set before us. I chose the empty nester season of life because I felt like that encompassed a lot of the changes that a woman faces when entering her 50’s and I wanted to expand it to our 60’s as well.

The transition into the empty nest phase of life can be a profound and transformative period in a woman’s life because it is often filled with mixed emotions and new challenges. You may be seeing your children off to college, giving some away in marriage. Maybe your employment is going through changes; do you want to quit your current job and start the job you’ve always wanted to do/changing careers altogether? Or maybe you’ve decided to start going back to school and let’s not forget that some ladies are also caregivers for their parents. So this particular time in a woman’s life can be mentally, emotionally and physically overwhelming and how do we navigate it all?

So Mel and I looked at the question how can we enter into this season of life equipped to make the most of it? The first thing we look at is our mental well being. Mel makes a distinction about mental health and mental well-being. I asked her questions such as, where can someone start when trying to pinpoint our gifts and talents? How can we discover what we’re created for especially if we’ve lost connection with our true selves? Truth is, we’ve devoted ourselves to those around us and in doing so we can loose touch with who we are as an individual woman. And then there are the times we’re just stuck; we know somethings not working but we don’t know how to get unstuck. And here’s something else we talked about, what happens when we forget how to dream?

Ultimately, the journey through the empty nest phase is an invitation to embrace change and rediscover oneself. By prioritizing mental well-being and adopting a holistic approach (which Mel talks about), individuals can navigate this transition with confidence and joy. It is a time to reflect, dream, and step into new roles with a renewed sense of identity and purpose, knowing that the best years are yet to come.

Listen in for all the wisdom and insight that Mel has to share!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Mel: Mel Tavares Media Links
 Website: https://www.drmeltavares.com/
                                                                          *Free Downloadable Workbook: 6 Weeks, 6 Life Goals Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormeltavares/ Rise Up and Conquer Your Day Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/208329358938340 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmeltavares/

Bio: Mel Tavares is an award-winning author, speaker, life coach, and frequent media guest. Mel holds a Doctorate of Ministry, in Pastoral Care and Counseling and has 35 years of experience in working with families professionally and in ministry. She is a board certified mental health coach and life coach. She and her husband live in Connecticut, have seven adult children and eleven grandchildren. Her books, including the award-winning, best-selling book ’21 Days to Improved Mental Well-Being’ are available through Amazon. Other resources can be found on her website: DrMelTavares.com

Additional Episodes on the topic of mental illness: Navigating Her Children’s Mental Illness Journey - Patty Sepety: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/07/06/navigating-her-childrens-mental-illness-journey-with-patty-sepety/ Making Marriage Healthy with Marriage Counselor, Leslie Davis: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/11/08/marriage-healthy/ Michele Poe on Mental Health Illness and Suicide: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/10/28/mental-health/

Podcast Intro: Gratitude is an ever-present concept in our lives, yet we often underestimate its power to transform our perspectives and experiences. The episode today was a great conversation with author, podcast host and speaker, Amanda Schaefer.

She shared her insights on how the simplicity of gratitude can be more profound than we imagine, offering a window into a value system that transcends our earthly understanding. Gratitude, she explains, is not a trait some are simply born with, but a discipline and a choice that anyone can learn and embrace. It is an attitude that, when practiced intentionally, can lead to a profound transformation in one's spiritual and emotional life.

Amanda discovered gratitude is part of our neural pathway that, once traveled repeatedly, becomes a well-worn trail in our minds. This practice of choosing to focus on the positive aspects of life, even amid challenges, reaps, peace, joy, and blessings. 

By acknowledging the beauty and goodness around us, we can cultivate a mindset that anticipates good things and, in turn, experiences more of it. This is not to say that gratitude is a natural inclination for everyone; it requires conscious effort and practice. Amanda emphasizes that the discipline of gratitude is something that has to be developed, much like any other skill or habit. Once the habit is formed, you will naturally perceive and notice countless things to be thankful for.

The practice of gratitude is not complicated. Amanda recounts how she began a simple morning routine of expressing gratitude before her feet even touched the ground. By starting the day with a focus on the goodness of God, she found that it set a positive tone for the rest of her day. When one is grateful, feelings of fear and anxiety are replaced with peace and joy, as gratitude and fear cannot coexist.

Moreover, Amanda highlights the biblical perspective on gratitude. We talked about Philippians 4:8, which encourages believers to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. This verse encapsulates a heart posture of gratitude, guiding individuals to meditate on the good and praiseworthy things in life. In doing so, one aligns closer with a life of peace and intimacy with God. The act of focusing on gratitude is not just a spiritual exercise but a transformative experience that can renew the mind and spirit.

Throughout this conversation Amanda reminds us, this practice of gratitude is within everyone's reach and can bring about profound personal and spiritual growth and create deeper intimacy with Christ.

Let’s listen in and be encouraged today!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Other Related Podcast and/or Blog: Blog - Hallelujah! https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/11/02/hallelujah/ Podcast: Donna Renay Patrick - When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/11/10/donna-patrick/

Connect with Amanda: Website: www.acupofgratitude.org IG: www.instagram.com/acupof_gratitude FB: www.facebook.com/amanda.f.schaefer

Bio: Amanda Schaefer is a podcast host, author, and speaker. She carries with her the goodness of looking through a lens of gratitude. The “A Cup of Gratitude” podcast is global, reaching over 111 countries and 3000 cities. As a speaker, Amanda teaches the Bible while challenging audiences to live the way God intends. She has a way of making scripture come alive through everyday examples. Amanda’s books include, “Crumbled, A Place for Broken People” and “Daily “Instaration.” She is a contributing author of “Life Changing Stories and the newly released books, “One Chance, One Dance, Don’t Miss the Moments in Your Life,” and “Courageous Voices Unlocked.” Her books are down to earth and packed with Biblical truth. Amanda has also written articles for “The Brave Women Series,” “The Uncommon Normal Gratitude Series,” “The Love Offering,” “The Warrior Women Series,” “Butterfly Living, “The Empty Nest Mom Series,” and “The Season Series.” She has a new collaborative book project due to be released this December and is under contract to write a new manuscript slated to be released in February 2025.

PODCAST INTRO: My guest, Sara Willoughby is a young woman who is courageously navigating life with chronic illness. Sara's journey is not just a testament to her resilience but also a beacon of hope for many who find themselves battling similar challenges. Her story underscores the power of faith, the importance of community, and the unexpected beauty that can emerge from suffering.

The Beginning of a Long Journey

Sara’s life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, multiple chemical sensitivity, and toxic mold poisoning. Her path to diagnosis was long and stressful because of several misdiagnoses and various consultations with 13 different doctors—Sara shared that misdiagnoses and countless doctors is a journey that is very familiar in the chronic illness community. This prolonged uncertainty and the eventual diagnosis upended her life. One facet of her diagnosis of being exposed to mold in her home lead to her and her family losing their home and cherished possessions.

Faith Amidst Adversity

Sara's faith has been a cornerstone in her journey. She speaks candidly about the struggles she faced in reconciling her belief in a loving God with the suffering she endured. She talks about what it means to live a purposeful and fulfilling life in the midst of ongoing uncertainty. Her relationship with God deepened as she allowed herself to ask difficult questions and seek God for His answers.

Finding Purpose in Pain

Despite her limitations, Sara discovered new avenues to serve God and others. Her writing became a powerful tool for ministry, allowing her to connect with a global audience. Through her blog, the book she wrote and the Diamonds conference for Christians with chronic illnesses, Sara has fostered a community where individuals can share their experiences, find resources, and support each other.

The Beauty of a Slower Pace

Sara highlights the unique contributions that those with chronic illnesses can make to the world and the church. The slower pace of life, often imposed by illness, offers opportunities for deeper reflection, creativity, and meaningful/purposeful connection (something that I personally feel is no longer prioritized in our society; people are just too busy). Whether through snail mail ministries, prayer, or online conferences, Sara emphasizes that those with chronic illnesses have valuable gifts to share.

Embracing God's Love

Throughout her journey, Sara has learned to trust in God's plan, even when it doesn’t look like what she personally envisioned for herself. She has seen God resurrect her aspirations in unexpected ways, from publishing a book to serving overseas and marrying a supportive partner. Her story is a powerful reminder that God's love and purpose for us are not diminished by our circumstances.

Conclusion

Sara Willoughby's journey with chronic illness challenges how we naturally want to define a "normal life" and I loved it because the beauty that radiates from her life, the intimacy she has with the Lord, the significance of a slower pace, the creativeness born out of hitting a wall per se, it’s one of the most beautiful reminders that God uses everything about our life to deliver us into a deeper richness of identity, meaning, and purpose and on countless levels. 
Her willingness to share her story offers hope and encouragement to those facing similar challenges. Leaning into her limitations by trusting in God's love, Sara has found a fulfilling and purposeful life, inspiring others to do the same. Her message is clear: you are not alone, and there is beauty and purpose to be found, even in the midst of suffering.

Live Loved and Thrive! @ alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Sara: Diamonds Conference Website: https://diamondsconference.org/  He's Making Diamonds devotional freebie: https://sgwilloughby.com/devotional/  Website: https://sgwilloughby.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgwilloughby/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sgwilloughbyauthor 

Bio: Sara is the author of He's Making Diamonds and the founder of the Diamonds Conference, an online event for Christians with chronic illnesses. She lives in California with her husband and loves dark chocolate and adventures.

Podcast Intro: I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Taleah Pletzer, a trauma-informed coach and healing prayer facilitator. She shared her personal journey through a turbulent childhood and the profound impact that trauma had on her life. Through her story, she illustrates the powerful message that healing is possible, no matter the depths of past traumas and I don’t know about you but that’s the kind of message I love to hear; hope in a better tomorrow.

Understanding Trauma and Its Impact

Talia's childhood was marked by chaos and abandonment, leading to countless challenges, including issues of attachment and self-worth. She candidly spoke about her experiences with sexual abuse, the rejection of her family, and the struggles she faced growing up in a household filled with addiction and darkness. Despite these challenges, Taleah found hope and healing through her relationship with God.

The Role of Faith in Healing

One of the key themes of our discussion was the role of faith in Taleah’s healing journey. She described moments of divine intervention that saved her life and provided comfort during her darkest times. While Taleah did not have a relationship with God during the abuse, she now emphasizes the importance of building an intimate relationship with God, because she believes it is crucial for true healing and transformation.

Trauma-Informed Coaching and the Emmanuel Approach

As a trauma-informed coach, Taleah uses the Emmanuel Approach, a method that combines brain science with biblical principles. This approach helps individuals connect with Jesus in a tangible way, allowing them to explore their emotions and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Taleah highlighted the significance of starting healing sessions with positive memories to activate relational circuits in the brain, facilitating a deeper connection with God and oneself…which played a significant role in her recovery. Her story serves as a testament to the transformative power of faith and perseverance.

Conclusion

Taleah Pletzer's story is powerful…so much so I titled this podcast after her own words….healing is a journey and your worth the trip!. Her message to those who feel trapped by their past is clear: you are not alone, and there is hope for a brighter future. By embracing the healing power of faith and seeking support from compassionate guides like Taleah, anyone can find the strength to overcome their trauma and live the life God intended for you o experience…one of wholeness and freedom.

Whether you’re in trauma A, B or you simply feel stuck in your head or your heart, Taleah is waiting to help and the healing power of Jesus is waiting to transform.

WARNING Before we get started Taleah does give a warning that her testimony may create a trigger for some people as it does include the topic of self harm. If that is something you are sensitive to you will want to listen out for the point in our conversation when you hear Taleah’s voice crack, she pauses and she says sorry, this is a little bit hard for me….this is where you will want to pause and either pray to prepare yourself to enter into the topic with Taleah or come back at a later time when you’ve had time to process your own feelings.

Let’s listen in!

Connect with Taleah: FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563515485284 Email: Hearthealing123@gmail.com Phone: 775-324-8064

Bio: Taleah (pronounced Ta’Leah) is a dedicated trauma informed coach specializing in empowering women to navigate through life’s challenges with resilience and grace. As a survivor of both physical and sexual abuse throughout her childhood, Taleah knows first hand the long term effects of trauma can have on a person if the root issues are not addressed. 

As a Christian and a mother of 5 daughters, she brings a compassionate and understanding approach to her work. Living on a ranch, Taleah understands the importance of nurturing growth and healing, both in the fields and in the hearts of those she supports. With her expertise and empathy, Taleah guides women on their journey towards complete healing and freedom , therefore empowering them to live abundantly!

Podcast Intro:

My guest today, Rayna Neises (Nigh-sis) has a passion for coming alongside those in a season of caregiving. Her experiences of walking both of her parents home, and into the arms of Jesus started her on a journey with a deep desire to help others who find themselves overwhelmed as a caregiver.

She’s now a certified coach who can help you navigate your caregiving season. She’s authored a book, No Regrets, Hope for your Caregiving Season and the focus is to do just that, help you meet the demands of caring for others and not loosing yourself in the process. I love how she puts it, helping people find a way to honor the person they’re caring for, walking them all the way home with no regrets and still have a life to walk back into.

You’ll need to listen to all the different options for balancing the ever changing demands on a caregiver's day. And while Rayna’s parent’s diagnosis of Alzheimers had an end to her caring season, all of her knowledge, insight and practical advice would be super beneficial for those who are caring for loved ones over an extended period of time. Instances where there is no closure; they’re living with uncertainty as to how long they will be caring for their loved ones. The longer the caregiver role the more important it will be to put Rayna’s suggested practices in place and use them on a regular basis. The natural relationship of caregiving can include parents caring for children, spouses caring for each other, friends who step in to care well.

Rayna is also the host to her podcast, A Season of Caring where her guests share their knowledge and experience, about the subject of caregiving and they too provide hope, encouragement and resources in addition to all that Rayna has available on her website: https://raynaneises.com/

Here are some of the topics we touched on: Rayna challenges the traditional definition of a caregiver, advocating for a broader understanding that includes anyone who provides care and support to others, whether they are paid professionals or family members.

Rayna reminds us that Caregiving is not a static role but one that ebbs and flows with the ever changing caregiving demands. Rayna makes the point that it’s important to recognize when making adjustments are necessary. Whether it's reallocating time, seeking help, or making pivotal decisions about care etc.

We talked about how important it is to build a support network. It’s essential, whether it’s through family, friends or hired caregivers. Rayna points out ways to build a support system saying this approach not only eases the caregiver's burden but also enriches the caregiving experience for everyone involved.

I delved into what it means to finish the caregiving task well and with no regrets. To me, the thought of that being a possibility (and Rayna is proof that it is possible), is an incredibly comforting outcome to being a caregiver.

We talked about embracing flexibility and options. I love this because Rayna's journey teaches us that caregiving decisions are not set in stone. The ability to pivot and explore options, whether in living arrangements or daily routines, can lead to better outcomes for both the caregiver and the person receiving care.

Ultimately, Rayna's message is one of living without regrets. By being intentional in your caregiving roles, making informed decisions, and allowing room for change, caregivers can look back on their experience with a sense of fulfillment and peace. Rayna’s story is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and faith in transforming the caregiving journey into a season of growth, peace and no regrets.

If you are in the midst of a caregiving season or if you find yourself in a caregiving role, listen in and let Rayna speak some beautiful encouragement to you today!

Live Loved and Thrive! Sherrie

Connect with Rayna: Email: Rayna@ASeasonofCaring.com Coaching Services/Support Groups/Education workshops etc: https://www.aseasonofcaring.com/ Caregiver Wellbeing Check-In: This free resource is a pop up (it will appear on the page as you visit her coaching website): https://www.aseasonofcaring.com/ Book - No Regrets, Hope for you Caregiving Season: https://www.aseasonofcaring.com/no-regrets-hope-for-your-caregiving-season/ Podcast: A Season of Caring: https://www.aseasonofcaring.com/podcast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMNeQw8WKnxWal4Qp3G5OBg Content Magazine: https://www.aseasonofcaring.com/content-magazine/

Bio: Rayna Neises is Certified coach and author of “No Regrets:  Hope for Your Caregiving Season”. With the rich tapestry of her life, from the fields of her family farm to the heart-wrenching experience of losing both parents to Alzheimer's disease, Rayna has crafted her calling into a mission that lights the way for others. As a devoted wife, a cherished Graham, and a loving stepparent, her life is a testament to the power of faith and family.

Rayna's professional journey as a Certified Coach, speaker, and Author offers a beacon of light to those navigating the complexities of life and caregiving. Her voice resonates not only through the pages of her book but also through the airwaves as the host of "A Season of Caring Podcast," where she delves into conversations that help caregivers live content, love well and care without regret in their caring season.

Rayna also extends her reach and compassion through "Grannies Talkin' Dementia Podcast," a platform where she shares insights, stories, and support for those affected by dementia, bringing understanding and hope to a community that cherishes every memory and moment.

In every word she writes and every conversation she leads, Rayna Neises embodies the essence of living a life with no regrets, embracing each season of life with grace, faith, and a heart full of gratitude.

Podcast Intro: When I met LaShaundra my first impression was her vibrancy. The joy in her eyes, (which as believers we know that is the presence of the Holy Spirit), the tone of her voice and her presence. These things combined, I heard and saw joy and it became more pronounced as she began to share what she has been through, is going through. Life has not been easy and yet she describes herself as blessed.

LaShaundra’s testimony is one of the reasons why I do this podcast. When everything familiar in our life gets turned upside down, people want to know where is God? Does God make a difference? Does He care and if so, what does His kindness look like? How does He make a difference?

LaShaundra is a single mom with 3 young children and she has endured countless levels of abuse some of which are mental, emotional, physical, financial, etc. And yet, she shares a message of God’s goodness despite the cruelty of this life and the proof (of God’s goodness) is displayed in her, through her, day to day.

I’m not saying her life is all sunshine, rainbows and smiles because she admits it’s difficult. Single moms know that singleness is a challenge all it’s own. Moms with special needs children know the complications on a daily basis. Abused women are familiar with the struggle to find healing and wholeness again. Women who know they need to leave abusive situations are faced with overwhelming fears of what if and that is enough to keep them in the abuse. 

When faced with the possibility of a new life, rebuilding ourselves and rebuilding our lives, how do we trust, who do we trust? I even think about, if we can’t even trust the people we can see, hear and touch, how do we learn to trust God? Will God still love us even if we find ourselves in situations that are of our own doing or does He just look at us and say, you made that bed now sleep in it.

If you’re living any of these situations or questioning God about His goodness you will find great encouragement in LaShaundra’s message of how God cares for us at every turn in our journey. She has learned that having spiritual disciplines that keep her grounded in Christ is the first line of defense against overwhelm, anxiety and fear. She reads the word of God and she relies on God to be who He says he is and do what He says He’ll do. He has never failed her and even her learning curves of discovering God’s heart have brought her new levels of intimacy and greater/deeper joy.

Be encouraged today as you listen to LaShaundra’s example of who the God of the Holy Bible is in the context of pain and suffering. God speaks the most beautiful things in the dark.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Other Related Podcast Episodes: Breaking Cycles of Abuse and Trauma: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/31/breaking-cycles-of-abuse-and-trauma-with-lindsey-smith/ From Survive to Thrive, Overcoming Sexual Abuse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/01/03/from-survive-to-thrive-overcoming-sexual-abuse-with-tina-ivey/ Heal From Childhood Abuse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/03/01/healing-from-childhood-abuse-with-virginia-jones/ Christian Marriage, Abuse and Boundaries: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/04/12/christian-marriage-abuse-and-boundaries/

Connect with LaShaundra: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@herdesiredhaven

Bio: LaShaundra Barnes is a Podcast Host and Producer who uses her passions, gifts and creativity to glorify God. She is an entrepreneur, a domestic violence survivor and is currently a single mother raising neurodiverse children. Her life experiences both good and bad have shaped and molded her into the woman she is today. She's determined to tell her story showing how good God is and the wonderful acts and miracles He's done in her life. By sharing her story she desires to help others believe, to find purpose in their pain and peace in the midst of life’s storms.

RESOURCES: Here are some 24/7 Confidential Services: In emergency and life of death situations: Call 911 or the emergency number in your area. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 The Center for Family Safety and Healing: Text the word start, S-T-A-R-T, to 88788. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, simply dial the number 988.

Intro to the Podcast: My guest, Gina Economopoulos has quite the unexpected twists, turns and cliffhangers in the chapters of her life story. Even as unique as our individual stories are I feel sure you’ll find many ways that you can connect with Gina. Her message is most definitely is for us all, God never gives up! 

Raised in a large, traditional Italian-Greek family, Gina's early life was a rich tapestry of Catholic values and unconditional love. The seventh child of 8, Gina was doing all the expected things as well as all the typical things of her youthful days in college and young adulthood but as life does, her world is flipped upside down and for her it was the death of her mother.

Gina shares her story of navigating the fragility of life both in her (in her brokenness and searching for love and purpose) as well as the brokenness of the world around her. Throughout her mistakes, searching, challenges and heartbreak after heartbreak, Gina maintains her out-going, people loving personality. Her resilience continues to bring her faith to the forefront and even her sense of humor remained albeit, at times it was used to cover up the pain.

A quick line of events for Gina’s life gives you the overview of the various challenges and a glimpse of God’s faithfulness to be along for the whole journey. A child who had medical/health complications that lead to a feeling of lack and the need to excel and prove her worth.

In college she was a party girl and also graduated with a degree in social work. Out of college she began bartending as a career but as mentioned it was the death of her beloved mother that shook her to the core. She found herself turning back to her Catholic roots, searching for meaning and solace in her grief. This loss acted as a catalyst, propelling her into a period of searching for something more profound—something to fill the void that partying and alcohol could not.

Her spiritual journey took a sharp turn when she joined a convent, seeking a deeper relationship with God and a sense of belonging. Despite her efforts to discover the peace she thought the convent would give her, the challenges within herself as well as the added difficulties and conflicts with the other nuns/sisters, would lead to her being asked to leave the convent. This was a devastating blow that increased her feelings of lack, adding more confusion and uncertainty.

The next chapter of Gina's life brought her back into the world where she would need a job and a paycheck, problem is she hadn’t worked for 12 years. So she returns to what she knows best, bartending. Her knowledge of religion struggles against the intimate relationship with Christ that is developing but it’s never more challenged than when she finds love and is then forced to endure the heartbreak of losing her fiancé and his death is associated with alcoholism.

She walks away from God but little does she know, God never gives up and she hasn’t given up either, she just doesn’t know it yet. She goes to a global recovery program modeled after AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) called The Rooms. Heartbreak/pain and anguish were in full anger and hatred mode but just maybe a tinge of fear lead her to The Rooms. And this is the very place where she slowly allows God to reveal Himself in a deeper and more intimate way. Learning that God never gives up on us solidified her journey from religion to relationship and it’s been maturing ever since.

Gina's story highlights the incredible resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering belief that even in the darkest times, there is hope and healing available. Her message is clear: don't give up, because God never does. He loves you and He will transform you if you let Him. It's a testament to God’s heart to save, heal and redeem. No matter how winding the road may be God is there every step of the way. God never gives up on us!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Other Related Podcast/Blog Topics & Resources: Resource: In the Rooms - A Global Recovery Community: https://www.intherooms.com/home/ Podcasts: Did God Fail Jane?: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/05/10/did-god-fail-jane/ In the Presence of God: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/02/presence/ Blog: The Good God: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/06/01/good-god/

Connect with Gina: https://www.ginaecon.com/

Bio: Gina Economopoulos was born in Syosset, NY, to a strong Italian and Greek loving family. She graduated from Eastern CT State University and bartended before embarking on a 12 year convent journey after her mother’s passing.

Settled on the Jersey Shore, Gina now works as an End of Life Doula, extending her compassionate heart to those in there final chapter. She found solace in sobriety as a proud Alcoholics Anonymous member, and her story of resilience through tragedy and faith inspires others to face life’s challenges.

*Suffering and Faith: Cathy shares her personal journey through significant life challenges such as divorce, child loss, and a severe car accident. Despite these hardships, her faith remained strong, and she questions why churches often fail to teach believers how to suffer well and glorify God through their suffering.

*Authentic Faith and Deconstruction: Cathy talks about the importance of authentic questioning in faith, drawing from her own deconstruction experience. She highlights the value of testing one's beliefs and the dangers of adopting a consumer-like approach to religion by picking elements from different faiths without deeper understanding.

*Attributes of God: The discussion touches on God's holiness as the foundation of His attributes, referencing a quote by Stephen Charnock. Cathy emphasizes that every action of God is inherently holy and serves a purpose, even if difficult to understand.

*Upcoming Works and Study Guides: Cathy mentions her upcoming book "The God Who," which will further explore how God reveals Himself. Both this and her previous work, "Revelationship," include study guides designed to help readers apply theological insights practically in their lives.

Podcast Intro: My guest Cathy Garland introduces us to the word and concept of revelationship. She shares her journey of faith, which has been tested through numerous hardships, including divorce, child loss, and a car accident. These experiences have led her to develop a concept called "revelationship," which she explains as an evolving relationship with God through revelations. Cathy emphasizes the importance of seeing God in all aspects of life, including the painful parts, and how this understanding forms the basis of her book titled Revelationship - Transformative Intimacy with Christ.

Cathy discusses the shortcomings of the church in teaching believers how to suffer and mourn well. She critiques certain prosperity-driven teachings that suggest hardships are solely a result of personal failures. Instead, she argues that suffering is a part of life and can serve as a profound teacher that draws individuals closer to God. Cathy stresses the importance of authentic mourning and the discomfort it can cause others, highlighting the cultural reluctance to face and share pain openly.

The conversation also delves into the topic of deconstruction of faith, with Cathy sharing her own experience of questioning her beliefs and how her parents, her father was a pastor, supported her exploration. She emphasizes that true faith can withstand questioning and that deconstruction should not be feared. Cathy advocates for the importance of surrender and obedience to God, suggesting that these practices help train us to resist the our human tendency to choose lesser things over what God offers us and Cathy even points out how we would easily and consistently choose the very thing that will kill us if left to our own understanding and our own desires.

Finally, Cathy discusses various ways people can experience God, such as through worship, nature, and service, noting that these are legitimate pathways to deepen one's faith. She highlights the significance of repentance, not as a means to earn God's forgiveness but as a process of personal growth and sanctification. As we wrapped up you’ll hear Cathy’s passion for people to understand that God actively pursues a relationship with us, and that He’s eager to reveal Himself, driven by His unwavering and holy love for us.

Live Loved and Thrive! @lifeofthrive.com

Other Related Podcast topics and/or blogs: The Trouble With Jesus, Navigating Faith with Constance Hastings: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/10/09/the-trouble-with-jesus-navigating-faith-with-constance-hastings/ Relationship is Simple (Blog - Sherrie): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/ Micro Moments with God to Grow Relationship Intimacy: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/

Connect with Cathy - Revelationship: Revelationship site: revelationship.net Revelationship on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seekrevelationship/ Revelationship on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seekrevelationship Revelationship on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seekrevelationship Free Devotional & Study Guide: https://www.revelationship.net/devotional-and-study-guide-lp Gracefull Garlands: Gracefull Garlands on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gracefullgarlands Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gracefullgarlands Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracefullgarlands LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinegarland/ Blog: https://cathy544.wixsite.com/gracefullgarlands (also on Revelationship.net)

Bio: Cathy Colver Garland, oldest daughter of Dr. Randy Colver, writes Gracefull Musings, a blog providing
women a moment of rest and challenge before those little fingers appear under the bathroom door. A
former Vice-President of a software company, she currently consults with institutions and companies on
marketing, sales, and strategy. She also mentors women in professional, spiritual, and personal
development. Saved and living an “absolutely surrendered” life, her passion is to teach people to hear
God's voice and obey, surrender their lives absolutely, and walk in freedom. She is married to
Mickey and has two children in elementary school.

Since Cathy mentioned her father (Dr. Randy Clover) as being the co-author of the book, here is his Bio: Ordained in 1982, Dr. Randy Colver is a seasoned Bible teacher who has written numerous Bible
workbooks for class instruction and online studies. Dr. Colver received his ThD from Logos University
and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Dr. Colver serves as an elder and teacher at the
Coweta Community Church. Dr. Colver and his wife, Kim, have been married for over forty years. They
have six children and fifteen grandchildren, including co-author Cathy Colver Garland. Dr. Colver
believes, “My greatest blessing is to know that all my children are serving God.“

Podcast Intro: My guest, is author, Constance Hastings, who has recently written a book titled "The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away." I think you can tell by the title that we poked around in some pretty weighty specifics on faith, skepticism, and how we make sense of the world. The reason I wanted to have this conversation because suffering will have you contemplating the plan to leave your faith. If you find yourself if a place of skepticism because the pain is too great and you it simply does not match your definition of what a good God would do, take some time to listen to all that Constance has to share.

Constance talks about her personal growth with the Christian faith and she also shared examples of her journey and the moments in her life where she felt God's presence most profoundly.

One story she shared was about a time when she felt abandoned—not just by people, but by God. She described a church retreat where, somehow, she was left behind as everyone else packed up and left the area the group had been visiting. Alone and angry, she journeyed down the rock road and finds herself standing in front of an unusually large stop sign…with the wind whipping through the night air she continues demanding answers from God. And then something remarkable happened: a sense of peace washed over her, and the Holy Spirit reminds her spirit that she is not alone…for me, it’s always that marker of peace in the midst of struggle that reminds us of God’s presence. When she was finally reunited with the group, she knew the experience had changed her. The first-hand experience of not only God attending to her on a dark road, all alone. But feeling His presence evaporated those moments of vulnerability and hard questions and drew her into a deeper intimacy with Christ.

Listening to Constance's stories made me reflect on my own life and those moments when I've felt life's troubles weighing heavily on me. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to have all the answers or we need to be in control of the outcome. But as Constance pointed out, the real beauty is revealed when we let go of the need to control everything and allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of transformation. Her words reminded me that faith isn't about having everything figured out; it's about trusting that in the midst of our struggles, we're never truly alone. So next time you're feeling overwhelmed, have the courage to discover who God really is vs who you think He should be—pause, engage the heart of God, and remember that the love and answers that you're seeking is already available, He’s just waiting for you to notice and lean in to His great love for you.

Live loved and thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Related Podcast Topics on having hope and growing faith when you want to give up: Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness w/Sherrie Pilkington: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/

Finding Hope in the Ashes w/Lea Turner: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/09/25/finding-hope-in-the-ashes-with-lea-turner/

Blog Post - Life Verse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/07/life-verse/

Connect with Constance: Link to purchase the book: The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away https://amazon.com/author/constancehastings Substack: https://jesustrouble.substack.com Blog: https://constancehastings.com The Trouble with Jesus blog LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/constance-hastings-0969a7136 X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/@cm_hastings Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheTroublewithJesus

Bio: I did not intend to write a book about Jesus. I did not believe I would ever join any church. I never thought I would be involved in formal church ministry as ordained clergy. My life should have been my own, teaching the literature I loved and having a life to enjoy my simple hobbies and family. But the Trouble with Jesus is God does not let us walk away, but instead pursues us until we find ourselves found. I was very good arguing with God, wanting my own direction and expecting it to be blessed. Didn't happen. With gentle nudges and a Holy Spirit grab around the throat, God has taken me through a life-journey to places and people I would have never known except by God's plan. Not the path I ever wanted, but the one I was given. Thank God.

Constance Hastings brings an outsider’s perspective to what insiders know about the story of Jesus. Raised by non-religious parents, educated in a Christian school; lover of great literature, teacher of the disadvantaged; ordained in a mainline denomination, mental health counselor outside the church; she aims to make connections speaking in new places the old voices of meaning. With an edgy voice recognized by those caught in an existential dilemma, for those who have never or not been in church for a long time, for those who used to think they knew him, Constance Hastings confronts your concept of one of the most controversial figures whoever existed and the trouble Jesus means.

• Personal Experience and Faith: Leah shares her personal journey through multiple hardships, including the loss of her house, her son's addiction, and her mother's cancer. She emphasizes how these experiences have deepened her intimacy with God and strengthened her faith.
• Permission to Feel and Wrestle with God: The discussion touches on the importance of embracing emotions and being transparent with God. Leah explains that acknowledging and wrestling with feelings of grief and suffering can lead to experiencing God's peace and presence more profoundly.
• Community and Support: Leah highlights the significance of community support during times of grief. She shares examples from her own life where friends and community members provided crucial support, reinforcing the idea that healing often involves others helping to "unravel our grave clothes."
• Message of Hope and Redemption**: Throughout the conversation, Leah and Speaker 1 underscore the message of hope in Christ. They stress that while grief and suffering are inevitable, turning towards God and trusting in His plan of redemption can lead to healing and transformation.

Podcast Intro: My guest is Lea Turner, a wife, a mom to 5 children, she’s an author and a grief coach. When you hear just a little bit of her story today, you’ll see how much experience she’s had in the area of grief and it will explain why she’s the perfect one to come alongside grieving hearts and help them navigate the seasons of life when we live with loss and uncertainty.

A quick overview of her grief journeys (with an S - plural)…within a very short time period of 3 years it included death, cancer, a house fire where she and her family lost absolutely everything include the family dog), her son battling addiction, shattered dreams, heart surgery…and just recently her mom’s cancer journey has shifted and is adding yet more uncertainty for the days ahead.

Our conversation focuses on Lea's book, The Freedom to Feel: Finding God in Grief and Trauma, Her book goes into greater depth with regard to what we discussed plus additional topics that we didn’t have time to discuss.

I really picked around in Lea’s pain and she was gracious enough to answer every question. She explains how her relationship with God has evolved through each season of loss, emphasizing the importance of building a foundation with God to weather difficult times. She shares a story about a pastor's advice that spending time with God is preparation for future hardships.

Lea highlights the importance of embracing feelings of grief and suffering rather than running from them and she explains that acknowledging and feeling pain allows the Holy Spirit to provide comfort, contrasting this with numbing behaviors like alcohol or excessive activities. She also discusses the importance of not becoming a victim of grief, suggesting that continually dwelling on hard stories can trap a person in their suffering. Instead, she recommends balancing necessary daily responsibilities with the need to process emotions and seek God's guidance.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did as we discussed the hope and transformation that comes from a relationship with God. All that she shared is very encouraging but I especially loved the reminder when she said that as believers we lament, meaning we grieve with hope.

I’d say that Leah's over all message and I whole heartedly agree with it….is the importance of continually turning towards God. Even in the midst of grief and heartache we can count on God's character and presence to remain constant through every crashing wave of any storm we endure.

Let’s listen in for encouragement and a reminder that God has a plan of redemption for every form of suffering they endure.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Podcasts Related to this Topic: Widows, Grief and Finding Hope with Anne-Marie Lockmyer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/14/widows-grief-and-finding-hope-with-anne-marie-lockmyer/

Life and Hope After an Accidental Death, with Jennifer Eikenhorst: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/07/18/life-and-hope-after-an-accidental-death-with-jennifer-eikenhorst/

Hope Deferred with Lainie Stubblefield - Marriage and Children - https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/10/26/hope-deferred/

Connect with Lea: Website: leaturner.com IG: @leagjturner FB: facebook.com/aheartatrest Newest book: The Freedom to Feel: Finding God in Grief and Trauma Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Feel-Finding-Midst-Trauma/dp/B0D2PGK11T/ref=monarch_sidesheet

Bio:  Lea Turner is a heartfelt, empathetic writer and speaker who longs to meet and encourage us in our pain. Joyfully broken through three years of her family struggling with trauma and loss, including death, cancer, losing everything to a house fire, drug addiction, loss of a dream, and heart surgery has made her a reluctant expert on grief. Lea is a soulful listener and wisdom seeker, passionate about walking with grieving people through trauma, pain, and loss. She lives in Mississippi with her husband and five kids making her a northern girl stuck in a southern world. 

*Faith and Surrender: Both speakers highlight the importance of faith, surrendering one's will to God, and trusting Him even when it requires personal sacrifice and letting go of one's own desires.

*Discerning God's Voice: Identifying God's voice involves aligning it with Scripture and recognizing the fruits of the Spirit, while being cautious of one's own desires potentially deceiving them.

*Spiritual Dreams and Visions: Dr. Sheila explains that dreams and visions connect believers to the spiritual realm, can be used for personal guidance or intercession for others, and should be journaled for clarity and interpretation.

*God's Unfailing Support: The conversation concludes with the affirmation that nothing is impossible with God, and He is always willing to go to great lengths to support and guide His followers, even in their most challenging times.

INTRO TO THE EPISODE: Life can throw some seriously tough curveballs. When it does, it’s our spiritual foundation that can make all the difference. My guest Dr. Sheila Jackson is an intercessor, a prophetic voice, Biblical teacher, and an Associate Pastor. Additionally, she founded the Wind Spirit Soul Prophetic School in 2006, dedicated to training prophetic vessels, people just like you and I.

In this episode I had the privilege of sitting down with her to unpack what it really means to be spiritually mature, how to hear from God, and why faith and prayer are so crucial. We had a very relaxed conversation exploring God’s Word and His heart for us as we pursue an intimate relationship with Him.

Dr. Sheila opened up about the journey to spiritual maturity, describing it as a process of developing a deeper relationship with God and transforming into His image. It's about embodying the character of God, showing love, patience, and kindness, and living it out. It’s not just about knowing these virtues intellectually. It’s about putting them into action. Being the hands and feet of the Lord.

Dr. Sheila shared her struggles with submitting her will to God. Boy, can I relate to that! Dr. Sheila, someone who’s always made things happen, found it tough to let go and trust God, especially when His plans didn't align with her desires. She candidly admitted that it’s easy to obey God when His will matches ours, but the real test comes when He asks us to give up something we deeply want. It’s in those moments of surrender that we grow the most.

We also delved into the intricacies of discerning God’s voice amidst the noise of our own desires and the enemy’s deceptions. Dr. Sheila emphasized that God’s voice always aligns with Scripture and is rooted in love and truth. Yet, when our desires are strong, it’s easy to be deceived. She shared personal stories, including a poignant one about almost marrying the wrong person because she mistook her own desires for God’s will. It’s a humbling reminder that we need to constantly renew our minds and seek God’s guidance with a pure heart.

We touched on the mysterious realm of spiritual dreams and visions. As we talked about discerning God’s voice from the voice of the enemy in the context of dreams and visions, I share my experience with a dream that until now, I’ve only told my sister about. It has to do with satan injecting himself into my dream and God breaks the communication.

But these spiritual dreams and visions aren’t just for the prophets of old; they’re a way God communicates with us today. Dr. Sheila encouraged us to journal our dreams and visions, as they often contain messages from God meant for prayer and intercession, not just for the sake of knowing. It’s a practice that connects us to the spiritual realm and helps us align our lives with God’s purpose.

If you’re a Christian who gets uncomfortable with the thought of moving in the spiritual realm; you have a spirit; you’re already part of the spiritual realm. As you pursue the Lord, and you receive discernment from the Lord it is of the spirit. A relationship with God is spiritual so there’s no reason to fear it and besides In Ephesians 12 it tells us who we battle. We do not fight against flesh and that the real fight is rooted in, and based on the spiritual realm.

So the journey to spiritual maturity is about constant growth, surrender, and the courage to seek God’s will above our own. It’s a path filled with challenges and detours, but also with profound revelations and deeper intimacy with God. As Dr. Sheila so beautifully put it, “There’s nothing impossible with God.” And that’s a truth worth holding onto, most especially as we learn to grow in relationship with God. So no matter where you are on your spiritual journey God delights in us as we journey to His heart.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Dr. Sheila Jackson: Facebook: https://www.facebook/joshua2715 Email: sheilajac12@yahoo.com Email: windspiritsoul28@yahoo.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sheila-jackson-ed-d-99116a29/

Bio: Dr. Jackson holds an Ed.D. in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University and an M.S. in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. After nearly 15 years as a Corporate Buyer for General Motors, she transitioned into education and ministry. With over 20 years of ministry experience, Dr. Jackson has served as an intercessor, prophetic voice, Biblical teacher, and Associate Pastor. She founded the Wind Spirit Soul Prophetic School in 2006, dedicated to training prophetic vessels. Dr. Jackson also expanded her ministry internationally and is a staff instructor with The Prophetic Empowerment Network. She is a mother, grandmother, and spiritual mentor to many.

Melinda emphasizes the importance of prayer and surrender to God, highlighting that your LGBTQ identified child’s same-sex attraction itself isn't a sin, but acting on it is, and her main prayer is for her daughter's holiness rather than heterosexuality. Melinda emphasizes that a parent's responsibility is to love, pray for, and support their child, but not to control or fix them, as transformation is God's role.

The conversation covers practical steps for parents, such as setting boundaries with love, having open and honest conversations, and not compromising biblical truths, while still showing unconditional love and support to their children.

Melinda shares her personal experiences and the transformation in her relationship with her daughter, advocating for the pursuit of Jesus and intimate prayer as key elements in walking this difficult journey.

The show notes include resources, as well as Melinda’s links where you can purchase her book, sign up for her newsletter, follow her podcast etc. If you sign up for her newsletter you can find out where she’s speaking next and the various events that are available for parents dealing with similar situations. 

Podcast Intro:

My guest Melinda Patrick is multi-talented on many levels. She is a podcast host of two podcasts, one of which is The Bridge Between Us: Loving Your LGBTQ Identified Child Without Compromising Truth. Melinda is a writer, an international speaker and she recently added author to her writing credentials in early 2024 when she published, The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ in His Pursuit of Your LGBTQ Identified Child’s Heart.

What I believe makes Melinda successful at connecting with people and loving them well is her passion to love Christ first and foremost; to discover His heart and to willingly make her own heart transparent so that the Lord can write His love story with her, onto/into her own heart.

I’m going to try and make this intro super short because I want to get right into all the information and insight that Melinda has to share but I am excited about everything she shared so hopefully I can contain myself. May you have ears to hear all that the Holy Spirit shares through her. Listen to this episode a couple of times because you don’t want to miss anything. From practical advice, deep wisdom, a parent's insight, knowledge of how to navigate this sensitive topic with God, you simply do not want to miss anything.

Here are just a few of the questions she addressed:  What is the parent’s responsibility? Is it our job, the parent's job, to save our child? Is there any hope for relationship if our child doesn’t want to be saved? What is the difference between desiring our child to change vs our child being transformed? How do we navigate hard conversations? Melinda says we need to define some words as the basis of hard conversations. I think we can all agree that in this particular time and culture, words have been hijacked and they no longer mean what they used to mean. 

My biggest take away from our conversation was personal. I loved how her experience of allowing God to challenge her heart, her fears and her pride was in line with what I am discovering about the Lord myself.

Taking our emotions, fears, lie based thinking and all the ways we feel/believe that God should/would/could answer our prayers and we pause. We bring Him our pain and our hard questions, expose what our heart believes, we get real about our motives with the One who thoroughly knows these things about us. 

God’s not afraid of our emotions. He gave us emotions and I personally believe they also serve as an alarm system of sorts. Emotions let us know when we need to engage the heart of God for His truth and healing. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the word says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  In short, we bring God our pain and we allow Him to speak His truth/His Word into that pain and it redefines what we’ve built our false belief system on.

I can’t express to you the level of freedom, peace, truth, love that is available to you through this process of trusting God with our pain. Actually, here’s a perfect example. Let’s jump into my conversation with Melinda! What you see, in this case what you hear, is what you get in real life with her. 

Listen in and be encouraged by her passion for the things of God because He’s doing a deep revelatory work in this woman’s heart and you get to glean the wisdom.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Related Podcast Topics: Melinda Patrick (May 16, 2021): Christian Mom Whose Daughter has Same Sex Attraction - https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/05/16/same-sex-attraction/ Sherrie Pilkington (Solo Podcast Episode): Micro Moments With God To Grow Relationship Intimacy - https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/ Rachel Fahrenbach, Practicing Rest, Practicing Sabbath - https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/10/27/sabbath/ Complicated Questions (Blog Post): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/07/22/complicated-questions/

Connect with Melinda: Author of The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ In His Pursuit Of Your LGBTQ-Identified Child's Heart Host of The Bridge Between Us Podcast and The Even While Podcast Opt-in for Living Life, Waiting Well Newsletter Opt-in for The Bridge Between Us Newsletter melindapatrick.org

Bio: Having a child involved in the LGBTQ community for more than 11 years, Melinda Patrick knows what it is like to grieve the choices our loved ones have made and understands the helplessness we feel when things aren't as we had hoped. Through her healing journey and healing relationship with her daughter, she is passionate about emboldening and equipping parents to join God where He is at work in their lives and families.   Melinda Patrick provides parent support for His Wonderful Works, Inc., is the host of the award-winning podcast - The Bridge Between Us, author of The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ In His Pursuit Of Your LGBTQ-Identified Child's Heart and serves on the board for Restored Hope Network. She is an international speaker who often speaks at family conferences, church ministry events, and parent groups to equip families and the church to love well while not compromising Truth.

Podcast Episode/Transcript: This is going to be a short episode but it was important enough for me to make it an episode because I had to share this study with you. It’s titled, Do You Love Me? Exploring our relationships with God and others by Debbie Swindoll. Published by Grafted Life Ministries. From what I can discern it’s been around since 2014; I have the 3rd edition published in 2018.

Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in this particular bible study? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts, your takeaway. This is the first time I’ve ever described a bible study as sweet. The most tender hearted bible study I’ve ever been a part of. When I say tender hearted, it’s because of the way it reveals the Father’s love for us, His heart to know us and for us to discover Him. The point that was highlighted for me, was the simplicity of what God requires of us in order to know Him more. Then I was perplexed because I treat it with such difficulty.

Because of the way I’ve grown in my intimacy with Christ (after doing this bible study) I wanted to make you aware of it as well. Should you want to participate I can definitely get you in contact with my friend who is the founder of Breathe Deep Ministries, Amy Hellman. I don’t receive any type of compensation for connecting you with her. Her contact info will be in the show notes. She’s not the publisher nor the author but she facilitates this study.

You may be familiar with Amy’s name because she has been on my podcast a couple of times. A few years back she was a guest and we talked about her book Soul Stripper. It’s a free download online. It is her personal story of how God works with us to strip us of (by way of healing) the various ways we’re attached to this world. As well as the ways we attempt to satisfy our flesh or people please etc. and she moves us into finding our identity in Christ, a strong identity in Him alone.

Also, she did one other episode where she took the mic to interview me about my first year of podcasting, asking me questions about all that I had learned through the messages that my guests had shared. That would have been in Sept. of 2021, which reminds me, I’m putting together some pretty exciting things for my 4 year anniversary in September of this year! I’ll keep you posted.

And then lastly, real quick with Amy you may have heard me speak of finding, what I considered and it has proven true, my last layer of healing from abandonment issues. Part of my journey with finding healing for various things associated with my childhood. Amy walked me through Theophostic Prayer and using that healing model the Lord gave me a vision.

I’ve talked about the vision before so I won’t repeat it again, so we can get to the purpose of this episode but engaging the Holy Spirit through Theophostic prayer and the vision of the Lord’s presence (in a very scary time as a child), broke off the last bit of pain associated with abandonment. All that to say this, the reason I even know anything about this study is because I’m currently seeing Amy for Spiritual Direction counseling and she offered me this study and I gladly joined in and boy am I happy I did.

The Lord has been calling me into these pockets of quiet time with Him. As He’s doing that it’s never been more obvious to me that my challenge is to slow down. Rest. Rest in Him. Rest with Him.

I actually thought I was slowing down because my typical pace and the fact that I was making time to engage the Holy Spirit showed a marked difference in my life even from a couple of years ago. I’m thinking I’m doing the thing and knocking it out of the park but something just stayed under the surface that simply did not sit right. A feeling of doing the thing but still missing out. Not getting the full expression, the full experience. However, I simply couldn’t put my finger on what was possibly missing.

I’m reading the word, I’m making a joyful noise unto the Lord singing praise and worship music, praying for my family/friends, I go to church etc. I’m checking off the good Christian girl checklist. Well, I did the Christian checklist for many years but at this time in my life I would not have called it that because my heart is head over heels in love with Jesus.

I love my time with the Lord. I’m no longer trying to perform to earn His affection or make sure I’m maintaining His approval. He has seen me at my absolute worst. And not just once. But countless times. He has yet to turn away. As an example of my affection for the Lord, in this particular season of my life, I am very content, very happy and I have a deep rooted peace in my soul. I need nothing and I want nothing. He has my full attention and I wait on Him to direct my life.

So it was in those quiet times with the Lord, that the missing something seemed to be more prominent when I rushed the wrap up of my time with Him. I would enjoy my bible reading and prayer time but in the mornings I’d get to a certain point and then I’d be up and into something else so quickly I was left wondering if I even told the Lord, "I love you?!"

When I’d have my quiet time with the Lord in the evenings, it often ended with me going to sleep and not remembering if I even finished my prayers. I would fall asleep in the middle of praying or simply talking to God about something or reading His word. It’s not that I felt condemned because if you have children, is that not the sweetest thing you can experience; your children so content with you that they will let their guard down, and surrender to the day, falling asleep with you nearby.

However, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I’m missing out on something. That Jesus intended more for me. But what was missing?

It’s intriguing to me that the simplicity with which we have access to the heart of God as He sits on His sovereign throne and yet in real time our actions say it’s incredibly difficult. Maybe on a subconscious level, we believe it to be a, too good to be true, scenario and so our heart discredits it so that it carries no weight in our life?

Or maybe it’s that God’s goodness and kindness are always available and so we take it for granted. It’ll always be there so it’s no rush, I’ll get to it when I can. I know I’ve treated God that way. The Creator of all things wants to know me and I have “better things” more pressing things to do. As I say that out loud it’s incredibly humbling. It’s mind boggling that I pass up these moments with such ease. Even if I experience a flash of guilt, it’s simply that, a flash.

Because the truth is, as a daughter of the One True King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who has no rival and no equal that you can picture yourself running up to the throne room doors and not only do the armed guards step aside they open the massive doors without a question. You run toward your Father. No one stops you as you climb up the steps, probably stepping all over His royal train that fills the throne room. Into His lap you sit and you begin to tell Him about your day and He is absolutely delighted that you have chosen to come and sit with Him.

If you’re a parent, you can imagine or maybe you know the feeling when your children chose to spend time with you OR when your children choose lesser things (like video games or being on their phone). We’ve all heard it said that one of our biggest mistakes is that we think we have time….but time is a resource that quickly evaporates.

Many times I have questioned, you’ve heard me ask on my podcasts, why-oh-why do we choose lesser things than the perfection that God offers us. After engaging this study I have the answer!

Many of you already have the answer but God is so kind to us in the way He brings revelation to us as the individuals He created us to be. Sometimes, things just click and you have a DUH moment. Like, I knew that part and that part but now it’s all come together for a much clearer understanding. Maybe that’s when you move from the duh moment to the ah ha moment.

Why do we choose lesser things compared to what God has for us? Because in this life we will deal with the flesh and yet our soul knows there’s something more. We are made mind, body and soul/spirit. We’re trapped in an earthly body, with a soul that longs for heaven and our mind is the battlefield. We straddle this world with our flesh and the spiritual world with our spirit.

There is an intentional action, an intentional choice, in the battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be but let’s look at the details of what we’re working against first.

In this place between discovering what we were created for and heaven, we fight against the desires of the flesh because the flesh that we’re wrapped-in is broken and sinful; it wants what it wants using the quickest, least resistant path to immediate gratification and yet our soul intuitively knows there is something more.

In our DNA, God placed His image and therefore a natural desire for Garden of Eden moments. Our soul longs for beauty, truth, life, relationship, love, joy, etc. etc so the soul searches and its first access point is to use the flesh to find it. Our emotions, our 5 senses, the world around us…it’s natural to us, God gave us those things….but this is why the Lord says we must be born again, that we need to die to our flesh, that we need to pick up our cross and follow the Lord. As uninviting as that sounds always remember you are never alone in the process. You have the very presence of God and our biggest trials bring the most beautiful rewards.

In the midst of choosing lesser things over taking those incremental steps toward discovering and fulfilling what you were created for, which is rooted in discovering God’s heart for you, you can be encouraged that God is never offended, never mad, nor does He want to teach you a lesson. We can learn plenty of hard knock lessons from following our flesh…God doesn’t need to do anything to us, there’s plenty of teachable moments in one days time based on how we personally engage life….one micro decision at a time, throughout any given day.

In the moments when our feelings and/or our emotions are driving us, it’s time to take breath, maybe a couple of breaths, and grab a few minutes with Holy Spirit. This juncture (of environment and our emotion) is the place where we can interrupt old patterns, challenge lie based thinking and negative reactions. Because the truth is, if we do not create a space in which we give God our emotions and allow Him to filter them with His truth we will, without fail, end up creating survival skills and self-coping vices (based on our own limited understanding/experiences) that we think are helping or at the very least, protecting us.

When we don’t take responsibility by way of making time to heal from our past traumas, emotional and mental scars, all the affects of living in a broken world and with our self-imposed survival skills and self-coping vices we will stay in our own dry, dusty desert for 40+ years just like the Israelites. God is with us but our eyes are never seeing and our ears never hear.

Sadly, trauma never leaves on its own. The grip of that which seeks to steal, kill, and destroy has to be evicted. You have to break agreement with it, cast it out when necessary. You’ve heard me say this before, we’re not responsible for what has been done to us but we are responsible to find the healing we need and to not give up until we are walking in God’s peace, healing and redemption.

When you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and invited Him to live in your heart, you gained access (through Jesus) to now discover who you were created to be. Something that had been hidden from you as a prior enemy of Christ.

Now with direct access to the throne of God, you have the opportunity to discover how He knit you together in our own mother’s womb. What is it about you that is most like God? What gifts and talents mirror His creative heart? What are your core charateristics that align with Him?

As you go on this adventure with Christ and He reveals your gifts, talents, skills and He begins to open doors and create certain connections and relationships, He will reveal this things and teach you how to steward them with Heaven’s value system vs our own value system. He will reveal it little by little so that you can digest and apply what He is showing you. Hence the lifelong adventure of relationship and His revelation after revelation.

The simplicity with which we can know the depths of God’s love for us and who He created us to be, what we were created for, the different seasons He’s calling us into, what our gifts and talents are… comes down to this, time.

To make time, is the intentional action, the intentional choice in the midst of the emotional and mental battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be.

Not time checking off the good Christian girl to do list with the just get it done heart posture. The result of that type of investment is fake at best and you can expect your return to be empty as well; ask me how I know. Take the time to be still and discover the type of Father who loves you. Intimacy grows over time and engagement.

In every circumstance of your life and in every micro moment that you have an emotion or a question about who you are, maybe you’re being challenged in an area where you’re weak, or your moments when you feel disconnected, overwhelmed and you’re loosing hope. Pause, be still, breathe, turn your heart and mind toward Jesus. Engage God/Jesus/Holy Spirit (you can start with any one of the 3), invite Him in, ask Him what is this I’m feeling. Why am I feeling this?

If He reveals it (because sometimes He simply gives you encouragement in the moment to endure and/or He offers His reassurance that He’s with you and He’ll see you through) ... so when the time comes that He reveals it, ask Him to help you. And maybe this might be the most challenging part of the process is to accept His grace as you are stepping into who He’s called you to be.

Most of the time it’s not a flawless transition. Here’s what I think is the perfect example of this journey we’re on. Adam and Eve started off living in intimacy with God. They had daily, face to face conversations with God. He was present 24/7, and they rejected Him. We’re born in the condition of having rejected Him and we’re on the journey to return to the benefits of the Garden of Eden. Daily, direct access spirit to spirit or heart to heart with God. He’s present 24/7 and He waits for our invitation for Him to join us in our darkest, most painful places of life.

Nothing about this life, our existence, our challenges, how we use our gift of choice etc. has God concerned, confused or disengaged. Nor is He overwhelmed or disgusted. No. God knows marriage is hard. God knows that the various types of handicaps or physical illness will cause us to question who He is. He knows the evil that people do to one another. Heat breaking yes, but He’s the God who walks among His people

He’s never taken off guard and you know why? Because He’s already put those things to death in the spiritual and He wants you and I to know and experience it too. He wants those Garden of Eden moments with us.

He’s saying, babe, will you bring that to me? Will you trust me with that pain, that emotion, your reaction? I’ve already healed that on the cross but I want you to allow me to walk you through your personal pain because I want you to experience, first-hand, the healing I’ve provided. I want you to see how much I love you as you let me dismantle the lie based thinking or the painful memories you have. I give double for the what the enemy has robbed you of. I take the very thing that satan wanted to destroy you with and I flip it producing good things in your life. I bring redemption, I bring restoration.

Allow me to remind your heart of Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Making time is a challenge. Accepting God’s grace as a way of life is humbling and therefore it struggles against our pride/our flesh, but there may be an even bigger challenge for the flesh and that is to have the courage to see God for who He really is. Not who we want Him to be and not who we think He should be. It threatens our flesh because we may have to redefine some foundational things we have been building our life on. I actually think it might even be more scary to change direction when we realize that some of our foundational blocks have been lies.

All the more reason to give God space (by being still) and allow Him to reveal Himself to us in every context of life, most especially in the context of pain and suffering. If we can do that and actually embrace who He is even though it may be in direct opposition to what we thought would be, or what we want it to be … that’s the place of transformation, where we step into more and more of who we were created to be. Where we find the kind of purpose that even if it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, we’ve never felt more alive, fulfilled and rewarded.

(side note: God moves in unique ways with us as the individual He created us to be but what we experience or the revelations we receive with Him will never contradict God’s character and nature. If you feel that God is revealing Himself and it is in opposition to His word, question the source. If not inline with God, it is not of Him).

Do you have the courage today to give God those micro moments of engagement with the emotions or feelings that need some healing, maturing; things that need a closer inspection even though it will challenge the way you perceive yourself? I would encourage you to start today and try to catch yourself in those type moments. Interrupt where those emotions will take you. Pause, breathe and engage God with these 3 actions steps/conversation that were in the study (I’ve added some of my words for the way I shared this message but they are in the same in nature).

1. God, what is happening with regard to what I’m experiencing or feeling?
2. God, help me to perceive what you reveal and give me courageous ears to hear.
3. God, show me what your grace looks like in this moment.

And I’d even add this question for God ... Who do you want to be for me in this situation?

The more time we spend with God to process the impact or purge the residue of this life, the more peaceful, and the more beautiful life becomes. We don’t have to wait for heaven to enjoy the heart of the Father, the joy of the Son, Jesus nor the wisdom/revelations of Holy Spirit. We can know a slice of heaven, a small taste of the Garden of Eden in the here and now. All it takes are micro moments of pausing, of investing our time in the heart of God. When we do, we watch our meager offer, our 5 loaves and 2 fish if you will, multiplied beyond our imagination.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Resources: Breathe Deep Ministries/Amy Hellman - https://www.breathedeepministries.org/ Grafted Life Ministries: Graftedlife.org

Related Podcast Episodes: In the Presence of God (w/Kevin White): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/02/presence/ Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness (w/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/ Can I (or Anyone) Ruin God’s Plan for My Life? (W/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/04/24/can-i-or-anyone-ruin-gods-plan-for-my-life/

Related Bog Posts: Investing in Relationship: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/11/03/investing-in-relationship/ Relationship is Simple But it Takes Courage: https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/

Podcast Intro: Lindsey Smith is my guest today and I admire her courage to talk about the darkest experiences of trauma in her life; some of which include sexual abuse, marital abuse and the various ways it impacted her mental health and self-worth.

Side Note: I want to pause for just a moment before I jump back into this intro because I want to point out how important it is that once we have healed we share our story of God turning our pain into purpose….right before Lindsey and I get together for this recording for her to share her testimony of healing and restoration despite the evil of this life, she gets a call that gives her some very disturbing news. This happens …I’d say with 1 out of every 15 of my guests; something unforeseen and certainly the timing is unexpected that an obstacle to our recording or a type of derailment presents itself and we have the decision to make, do we stop, do we delay or cancel our conversation. To me, it was obvious that the enemy wanted to break Lindsey’s focus, silence her voice, cause her to cancel our conversation. But the enemy did not win. We prayed and asked Holy Spirit to intervene and bring peace to her heart and mind so that the goodness of God could be proclaimed. We went from the prayer right into the recording and maybe it was just me but I could hear it in her voice as Holy Spirit began to bring her into a place of calm.

Lindsey’s courage to share her story reveals her passion to let people know the importance of God’s role in her healing process, saying that it was through a gradual and gentle reintroduction to faith that she began to understand and accept God’s love and salvation.

Every single one of us are created in God’s image, but we’re born into a sinful world. Lindsey, born in God’s perfect image entered into a generational curse that plagued her family which included sexual abuse and a lack of respect for the women in the family. Since no one before had stood in authority to break the curse Lindsey bore the effects that resulted in a very unstable and fearful mental state of mind. Fear crippled her ability to live her life, cultivate healthy relationships and make confident decisions. The expected result of these influences resulted in an abusive marriage for 18 years.

We talk about the significance of breaking generational curses and soul ties as part of her spiritual healing and how God's guidance was crucial in orchestrating her recovery. Lindsey also discusses her journey through various forms of therapy, and her eventual realization that only through Jesus could she find true healing and freedom from shame.

Lindsey's message is clear: despite the severity of her traumas, God's grace can transform and redeem, turning even the darkest experiences into sources of strength and hope.

Listen in and be encouraged today! God’s heart for healing and restoration breaks the grip of the enemy’s plans over your life.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Lindsey: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lindseymary_smith/

Bio: Lindsey Smith is Spiritual Coach for women specializing in anxiety and trauma.  In her decades long pursuit of relief from the effects of childhood trauma she trained in many modalities to facilitate her own healing while also developing a deep desire to help other women. Her path ultimately brought her back to the Heavenly Father and Jesus where she experienced deep healing of long-time wounds and restoration of her wholeness as a Holy Daughter. It is her greatest desire to help free women from the bondage and suffering that results from trauma and abuse so they can reclaim their birthright of peace, love, joy and abundance.  As a coach she helps women find a place of safety within themselves by building a relationship with God.  Guided by God and the Holy Spirit, she assists them in finding healing and liberation from anxiety and the consequences of complex trauma such as shame, depression, hopelessness, toxic relationships and chronic pain.

Related Podcast Topics: Kimberly Bell - Taking Responsibility for Your Healing: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/12/07/taking-responsibility-for-your-healing-with-kimberly-bell/ Amy Nordhues - Sexual Abuse at the Hands of a Mental Health Professional: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/16/amy-nordhues-sexual-abuse-by-a-mental-health-professional/ Tina Ivey - From Survive to Thrive, Overcoming Sexual Abuse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/01/03/from-survive-to-thrive-overcoming-sexual-abuse-with-tina-ivey/ Dr. Kelli Palfy - Healing for Male Sexual Abuse Survivors: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/30/male-sexual-abuse/

PODCAST INTRO:

The topics of sexual addiction, being a sex addict and really any addiction is a prison that I know God not only desires to set people free from but absolutely can break the chains and offer people truth, freedom, and forgiveness. Which in turn allows them to live a life that many do not image is possible.

My guest, Logan Hufford has a candid conversation about his struggle with sexual addictions. While this is a man’s perspective I do believe that my primarily female audience can benefit from what Logan shares. Logan says that 60-80% of men struggle with a sexual addiction of some degree so there is the possibility that someone you love is silently struggling and I’d like to think that this conversation will give you courage to bring up this topic, or give you hope in knowing that healing and recovery is possible and may the resources Logan shares encourage your loved one to take step toward recovery.

Logan is brutally honest about the way he operated in his addiction and the dual life he was living. After bargaining with God to change him, and not receiving a response, the simple realization that there were other men who had found freedom from this dark cave of existence gave Logan a glimmer of hope that started him on the road to recovery. He also sheds some light on the fact that it’s a spiritual battle, and that Satan’s goal is to pervert anything good that God has established, with the family being the number one target.

He shares the resources that he has participated in to overcome the demonic grip of addiction and in this specific conversation, (sexual addiction as it pertains to men), he spoke about these resources: The Conquer Series - Ted Roberts (Pure Desire Ministries) Logan said this is the best resource for someone who wants to understand sexual addiction & sexual addiction recovery. It goes in to great depth about what is happening to the body and the mind (spiritually, physically, emotionally). Because it is more than making a choice. You’ll hear Logan talk about how the brain and body are changed by the very things that God created and meant for our good but as Logan shares, we can pervert the good things God has for us.

Prodigals - This is a men’s group that offers accountability - Logan himself leads a Prodigals group. The Amends Process - Elective Mentorship program He briefly mentioned Celebrate Recovery - I know of the Celebrate Recovery programs here in my area because a previous church that I attended hosts them. It’s a 12 step, faith based program that offers hope, and help to anyone who struggles with things such as addiction, co-dependency, compulsive behaviors.

Side Note: At one point Logan uses a term FOMO and just in case you wonder what that means, it’s Fear Of Missing Out.

Let’s dive into this conversation to discover Logan’s journey through addiction and into his willingness to be proactive, engage recovery, and submit himself to God’s transforming, sustaining power and in exchange he receives freedom, wholeness and living the life he had only dreamed was possible.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

More Episodes Similar to this Topic: Rosie MaKinney, A Porn Free Marriage is Possible: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/05/11/porn-free/ Rose Anne Forte, Consider The Possibility of a Transformed Life Without Alcohol:https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/01/17/consider-the-possibility-of-a-transformed-life-without-alcohol/

Connect with Logan: IG: @no.longer.in.bondage (direct link: https://www.instagram.com/no.longer.in.bondage?igsh=MWl6d3B0NzE0Y2ltdQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr) Prodigals (in Alaska, where Logan lives) - Www.prodigalsofalaska.com

Resources: The Conquer Series: https://conquerseries.com/whats-the-conquer-series Celebrate Recovery: https://celebraterecovery.com/

BIO: Logan is a born & raised Alaskan, married to his gorgeous bride Carrie, who herself is a 4th-generation Alaskan; and together they are raising 4 amazing but crazy little monkeys. 

Their life is a simple one - they love their family time, their dogs, and exploring the beautiful Alaskan wilderness. 

And yet, absolutely none of this should be possible today. For years, Logan did just about everything in his power to destroy his marriage and his life. Logan was a raging sex addict. Porn, affairs, hiring prostitutes, and more had simply become a way of life for Logan. He thought he had no hope. 

In 2016, God began to change all that. Through Recovery, God transformed Logan’s life and his marriage.

Logan and his wife Carrie each now lead Recovery groups, doing what they can to give back by sharing the gifts that God has given them.

Since January of 2021, Logan has been blessed to be able to use many of the tools he’s learned in Addiction Recovery, as a Dave Ramsey-endorsed personal finance coach. He’s honored to help folks find freedom & healthy living, in a different venue than just specifically recovery.

But when her personal life was flipped upside down by the loss of her precious son (at birth) would it be her professional training that helped her or her personal relationship with Christ? After having the chance to talk with her I see where both were very beneficial.

To me, what I came away with (and granted this is just a small portion of her story), in and around the initial impact of such devastating pain it was her faith, her intimate relationship with Christ that enabled her to struggle well with the good God she professed in the context of suffering. And now, after having walked through that very personal valley of death Bridgett uses the revelations/the healing she experienced coupled with her professional skills.

True to God’s nature He wastes nothing and you’ll hear that in this conversation and you’ll see the fruit on her website bridgettdunbar.com. She offers various resources and services that give focus in helping others find their way through confusion, uncertainty, grief and loss.

Along with those resources on her website you’ll also see that one of the ways that she extends her hand and heart to others is through the book she authored, Grief, Loss and the Goodness of God - A Path to Healing After the Death of a Child. You can learn more about this book on her website. At the time of this episode going live in July of 2024, she’s offering the download for free.

There are many layers to Bridgett’s personal story and you know me, I ask some bold questions of my guests, only because I truly desire to know how did the God of the Holy Bible meet them in their pain.  I genuinely want to know, does knowing, following, and serving God make a difference?

I asked Bridgett, questions like, “What did you need to surrender to God in order to heal?” I asked, “After such a deep dive with God what is your personal discovery about the meaning of life?” And, “What did it do to you, what did it mean to come face-to-face with the fact that the good God you professed did not show up when you needed him?”

Bridgett did not shy away from these tough questions and as I listened, there was a strong theme that kept coming up. It was the way she reminded me that grief makes us very vulnerable and in that vulnerability we are at war with the enemy. She lays out clear strategies in order to overcome each wave of grief and spiritual attack. You’ll hear her say she’s not denying reality but rather she’s engaging it with truth.

She shares that when we’re pressed in on all sides, what we’ve been cultivating on the inside of us, in our heart, our mind, our emotions will come to the surface.

Pain causes us to clash with our belief system. In that clash, that struggle to make sense of what we thought life was supposed to be and where we find ourself, which is faced with uncertainty about everything we thought, then we’re challenged with what comes to the surface. Will it be fear, lack of faith, lie based thinking? It all comes to the surface.

Our emotions that were grounded in experiences rather than truth are at question. Bridgett shares that when she engaged worship she experienced one of the most effective strategies in a spiritual battle. It’s when we take the battle stance of worship that we engage the power of the Kingdom of God.

It’s such a simple engagement when you turn worship music on, begin to listen, begin to sing. No matter where we are in our grief/healing journey, it’s immediately effective. It grounds us, invites the very presence of God, the joy (that is beyond our ability to comprehend/or create on our own) shows up. It gives us hope in a better tomorrow and lifts our gaze to God’s promises for us.

Let’s listen in and hear all the beautiful ways that Bridgett points us to the heart of God and equips us to fight well in the midst of grief, pain, and suffering.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Bridgett: Website: BridgettDunbar.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/bridgettrdunbar/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/brdunbar Free (at time of original release 07.2024) Download of her book titled, Grief, Loss and the Goodness of God - A Path to Healing after the death of a Child: https://bridgettdunbar.com/grief Resources (both free and very affordable!) - https://bridgettdunbar.com/resources444

BIO: BRIDGETT DUNBAR is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, public speaker, co-host of the HE/She Podcast, and co-founder of the Outlier’s Way. She has personally experienced the loss of two children through stillbirth and miscarriage. Since then, Bridgett has dedicated herself to helping individuals dealing with grief and loss find their way back to joy and peace.

With a diverse background that includes positions as a spiritual leader, pastor, inner healing trainer, facilitator, and prophetic teacher, Bridgett is deeply passionate about guiding both men and women toward a life of freedom, wholeness, and an authentic connection with God.

More podcasts on this topic: Erin Honeycutt on Infertility and Miscarriage: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/12/16/bonus-podcast-episode-erin-honeycutt-infertility-and-miscarriage/ Alicia Hodges - Finding Peace and Comfort After the Death of Her Son: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/08/30/finding-peace-and-comfort-after-the-death-of-her-son-alicia-hodges/ Serena Dyksen - After Abortion Care and Healing: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/06/05/after-abortion-care-and-healing-with-serena-dyksen/

Hope Reager - The Death of Her Adult Son: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/12/22/hope/

Together she and I want you to know, to have, to experience freedom in all the ways God meant for you to be free so that you can walk in your true identity in Christ and know the fullness of His plans for your life.

God is the only deity that I’m aware of who never asks you to act like something didn’t happen or to accept what happened or to distance yourself from your traumas. The God of the Holy Bible says give me your hand, I’m going to guide you through this valley and into healing. So God boldly walks us right through the middle of our personal valley of death. He takes pain and gives it purpose, redeems what we’ve lost and replaces it with better and He restores us to our right mind where fear does not reign. 

The more I talk about the transforming power of God’s word the more I realize that change starts with a simple decision that we want peace more than we want to live with what fear cultivates in our life. That decision is not enough though because we must take action with some discipline and intention. Among many things that Healey talked about she gave us a super simple way to start the process of changing the way we think and therefore changing the way we live.

Healey suggests that we take a situation or a lie based thought, such as I don’t like my smile, no one loves me, I can never do anything right,(fill in the blank with your personal fear or negative self-talk). Then find a scripture to replace the destructive nature of the words and beliefs you are currently using/thinking. Using scripture to replace destructive self-talk will begin to feed the creation of new neuropathways in the brain and starve the life based neuropathways that you previously created and used.  lie.  By not focusing on our lack but by speaking God’s truth into life starves the lie we believed. 

Scriptures such as Psalm 139:14, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Or if fear is overwhelming, then turn to a full scripture such as Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

In short, every time your negative thought comes into your head, interrupt it with your phrase or wash your thoughts with scripture and rewrite the lies with God’s truth. I’d suggests you practice this discipline with intention for a minimum of 21 days because that’s the time it takes to rewrite a neuro pathway in your brain. Thirty days is even better!

Something else that Healey shared that was super simple and yet oh so powerful with regard to changing our language is to rephrase your I am statements and to I feel. 

She made the distinction that speaking I am statements over ourselves such as I am scared, I am lonely, I am weary, are statements of identity and yet we are not our emotions or our fears. So when we’re talking about emotions use the phase I feel scared, I feel lonely, I feel weary. 

I’d even suggest you include self defeating statements such as I am ugly, I am fat because there is an emotion/a fear behind these words and change them to I feel ugly, I feel fat. 

When we intentionally change the wording to I feel, this gives us control over our emotions and we move from labeling ourself as less than, to healing; in other words, restored to who God says we are. We’re no longer a victim of an emotion. We have emotions but it’s not who we are. 

That is just a few of the simple actions that we can take that will change the direction of our life!

Alright, let’s get into this informative and potentially life changing conversation with Healey Ikerd.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Healey: Website:  https://writtenbyhealey.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/writtenbyhealey/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WrittenbyHealey Face your Fears Freebie - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fu_CGjKaGWXO3QapzQtyxV62EuTwIrfe2b2Br3Ii2zk/edit?usp=sharing

Bio: Healey Ikerd is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Arkansas and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. 

She has also earned a Certificate in Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  She is a U.S. Army Veteran and has worked in the mental health field for over 17 years. 

She owns her own private practice in Fayetteville, Arkansas called HopeLife Counseling and is the author of Changing Your Feeling – A Workbook for Anxiety and Worry From a Christian Perspective and a newly released children’s book called The Red Ball – A Story of Friendship and Forgiveness. 

Her passion is to help others excel in life and relationships through biblical principles. Healey is a mom and a new “Grammie”.  She and her husband live on a small farm in Northwest Arkansas. 

Additional Podcasts on Various Other Healing Ministries: Theophostic Healing w/Frank Meadows: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/04/10/theophostic-healing-prayer-with-frank-meadows/ Deliverance Ministry w/Karen King: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/09/13/finding-freedom-through-the-deliverance-ministry/ Emotion Code w/Eileen Love: Part 1 - https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/06/07/emotion-code-therapy-part-1-with-eileen-love/ & Part 2 - https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/06/22/emotion-code-therapy-with-eileen-love-part-2/

Per their website SheFoundHisGrace.org, their mission is “For men and women to find forgiveness after abortion and be set free from shame, guilt and regret. Turning our pain into purpose.”                 

I’ll start with this statistic that Serena shared however, this episode does not shame or guilt anyone. You’ll hear Serena share her abortion experience at the age of 13 and how it impacted her life for many years, even in ways she didn’t connect with the abortion. We are discussing truths, facts, personal stories and examples but only encouragement for those who are hurting is what you’ll hear.

Serena shared that 63 million babies have been lost to abortion so that made me think about the ripple effect. If we want to look at, say a ballpark figur with regard to the level of pain that is present in our communities, our families, our churches we can’t forget that there is a set of parents. We need to remember that the abortion has affected 2 additional people (per baby) who will potentially live with guilt and shame.

She Found His Grace Ministry has a mission to provide post abortion healing so mothers and fathers can find forgiveness, purpose and redemption. Every hurting heart that connects with She Found His Grace is pointed to the only One who can do such a transformational work of the heart. Only God is the superior opponent for satan. God is the only reason we can know anything good in the reality of a broken world and an enemy who hates us.

God has the power and the authority to use the very thing that satan meant to destroy you with and give it purpose in your life. Victory over sin and shame is God’s expertise. How can we experience a come back from one of life’s most devastating choices? Jesus’ example on the cross and his resurrection is for us today and He offers us that same ability to rise again to new life in Him. Yes, we’ll know new life in eternity with Him but the God of the Holy Bible is alive and active in our life today and he offers us new life. New life to experience and to know it in the here and now.

I stress this because I want you to know that you can never go too far and that you are not alone in your pain and confusion. Throughout this podcast episode you’ll hear reason after reason to reinforce this truth.

Serena and I talked about so many things one of which was how the abortion pill has shifted the abortion clinic from an office environment into the personal home. This move shifts the responsibility and magnifies how the mom is even more isolated in her abortion experience. Something that Serena is hearing more and more is that when the so called “clump of cells” passes from the body looks more like a baby than the women were prepared for. The level of trauma is layers deep. What are they supposed to do under those circumstances because abortion clinics do not offer any after care even though they know how traumatizing it is for their customers.

Something that I wasn’t aware of and I don’t hear it being talked about AT ALL is the abortion pill reversal option. Serena shares some helpful and encouraging information and a beautiful testimony of a woman who regretted taking the abortion pill, took action within the required timeframe, received and took the reversal antidote pill and was able to deliver a healthy baby.

Here’s a perspective I never considered, on the She Found His Grace website there are personal stories from siblings who grieve the loss of the aborted baby and Serena shares that these are some of the most passionate supporters because they see the healing transformation their family experiences and they want that for other families too.

There is a lot of heartbreaking aspects about abortion but something Serena talked about was the various types of abuse experienced in abortion clinics. This caused me to wondered out loud how much worse it could get especially if the woman shows any indication that she may not get the abortion.

Something precious we talked about was the event Serena hosts and it’s when mothers and fathers give dignity to their children and part of that experience is to name their child. Serena almost had me in tears hearing how beautiful God is to not only make it okay to acknowledge the life of the child, but to give him/her an identity with a name and to create a family bond. That’s so God’s heart; family, relationship. Yet another reason why He wants more than anything for you to bring Him your pain. You’re His son or daughter and He wants to heal you.

After this conversation and getting a glimpse into Serena’s passion to facilitate healing for the men and women who have experienced abortion I was left with the lingering impression on my heart of the powerful impact that a once broken heart made whole in Jesus can realistically have on those around them.

Every healed heart becomes a voice and gives courage for other broken hearts to find healing as well…Think about how Serena herself found healing and gave God her yes in obedience and look at what He’s done with her transformed heart. If the gospel started with 12 transformed lives and has reached around the globe, I’m in awe to think what’s possible with each ripple affect that individual people will start and the contribution they’ll make for post abortion healing throughout the continents.

All the more reason to find healing for guilt, shame, condemnation because when you do, it flips the table on satan’s plans to destroy your life. Letting God rewrite the painful places with His extravagant love, forgiveness, restoration, grace, mercy and all the beautiful ways that He cares for us and heals us, that’s true victory.

Let’s listen in to hear all that Serena has to share. Not only is it very interesting and life changing but I love to hear the joy in her voice. God has done a good work because even her laughter is a testimony that with God it’ll all work out for our good and His glory.

Lived Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Serena: serenadyksen.com SheFoundHisGrace.org Hotline: 574-400-5272 abortionpillreversal.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shefoundhisgrace Instagram: Instagram.com/she_found_his_grace Pinterest: Pinterest.com/sdyksen

Bio: Serena Dyksen is a wife, mother, speaker, post-abortive, author and founder of the She Found His Grace Ministry. She is also a sidewalk counselor where she ministers to abortion-minded mothers and fathers. Serena shares her story to empower men and women to know their worth through the saving power of Jesus Christ. She currently serves on the board of Northern Indiana Adult and Teen Challenge along with her husband Bruce. When she’s not in the trenches of ministry, she enjoys spending time with her family, drinking coffee, traveling and enjoying the beach.

Cindy will help you get to the root cause of various emotions such as anxiety, worry, fear, overwhelm right down to the root cause. Once identified, any lie based thinking will be challenged and rewritten with the truth of God’s word. Doing this will deliver you into a place of freedom as you begin to interrupt thought patterns and belief systems that we’ve built on lies. This is where freedom is introduced into your life because dismantling lie based thinking will bring results that will be seen and felt in the quality of your life and your relationships not to mention the physical peace in your mind and body.

Cindy showed me a colorful wheel that has 6 core emotions and from there the wheel fans out into other possible underlying emotions. It looked intimidating but as she talked me through it I can see where it’s an effective tool that goes right to the heart of things. This pinpoints a starting place, an emotion to work with and begin your healing journey right away.

As I talked with Cindy I realized how tangled our emotions can be and gained a better appreciation on how important it is to take the time to sort them out. Cindy’s knowledge, the ability to ask the right questions, her tools, especially the emotion wheel partnered with the word of God, will give you the ability to take ownership of your emotions. Cindy equips you to actively move toward healthy emotions and healthy mental condition for the win. And the win is using God's truth to find freedom and peace.

We talk about personalities like those who stuff feelings down, those who don’t know what they really feel and would prefer to avoid having to confront them as well as those who explode saying exactly how they feel without a filter. 

In the middle of looking at these types of reactions that people have Cindy said something that stood out to me (among other things), she was talking about being embarrassed by forgetting to pay a friend for their services and how Satan can get a foothold with emotions such as embarrassment. This caused Cindy to want to avoid other friends who might know she failed to pay their mutual friend Then Cindy begin to isolate, which of course is satan’s playground of the mind. Cindy’s experience reminded her of the power of our emotions to cause chaos and anxiety until she was able to get back to her friend and make that payment. 

Just another reminder of why we need to pause and evaluate our emotions when they seem out of proportion to the situation, whenever they’re over the top or even concerning when the result is unhealthy (as a pattern for responding) such as isolating or avoidance. Because ultimately satan’s strategy is to separate us from our friends and especially separate us from God because He is the Fountain Head of truth. He’s the God of relationship and therefore satan will delight and work overtime to rob us of knowing freedom and thriving at life especially in these specific areas of our life.

I like that Cindy didn’t side step the fact that the way we process our emotions is a life-long challenge but that the gift you give yourself when learning to identify them is that you do so quicker. Being more efficient at identifying unproductive thinking helps us to resolve our emotions faster which returns us to a healthy mental condition even sooner and that is a beautiful thing if you ask me. 

This reminds me of being a Christian in the sense that It’s not that we’ll never sin again, it’s that we recognize our patterns faster. We begin to take immediate responsibility, we repent which keeps an ongoing, open communication relationship with God. Because satan is betting, hoping that we’ll hide ourselves form God (because of our sin). That way satan can work us over punishing us as he mentally beats us up about our sin.

Cindy shared so much more but I’ve said enough so let’s get into this most interesting topic that can pave the way for a whole new skill set by enabling you to maintain your peace and live in freedom from mental chaos and overwhelm.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Cindy: Website: https://cindyyorks.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-emotional-rescue/id1527487292 Instagram: @_cindy_lafavre_yorks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindylafavre.yorks?mibextid=LQQJ4d YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CindyLaFavreYorks Published Trilogy: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cindy-Yorks/author/B07L7GG8H3?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Bio: Cindy LaFavre Yorks shares her gift of encouragement and passion for authenticity and emotional healing through a variety of artistic mediums. She is an award winning journalist, a speaker and the author of a devotion door trilogy available on Amazon (The Side Door: Welcoming God's Divine Detours (Book 1 of 3, Door Devotional Trilogy). Additionally, Cindy is a podcast host and her podcast “Your Emotional Rescue” debuted this spring (2024) and can be found on YouTube and a variety of other hosting sites.

When Rachel and I were connected up I was so excited to learn that there is true support for those who are grieving the loss of a beloved pet. I love my pets but I’m also one who tries to just push through my grief possibly because I’ve bought into societies value system with regard to grading the level of importance when it comes to death. I don’t really know why I try very hard to push through the death of my pets

Every time I’ve lost a pet I am utterly heartbroken but I never take the time to grieve like I need to and with each passing pet loss my grief seems to get more difficult and more difficult. I had my 13 year old, little 5lb Yorkiepoo put down in March of 2023 and it broke. My. Heart.

So much so that I kept feeling like I wanted to cry the whole time I was talking with Rachel and even now tears are threatening to start but as usual I’m holding them back as I do this intro.

Something that is in the distance for me is that I currently have 2 senior dogs who are each 11 years old and a cat who is 7 years old. Flesh or fur we never get them as long as we want them so it is inevitable that I will have to lay them to rest some time in the near future. The thought of that causes me to struggle with whether or not I’ll get any more animals. I just don’t know if my heart can take it.So when I learned there is grief support I knew I wanted to share this with you, my listeners!

Rachel is someone who cares about your beloved fur baby and she can help you navigate this painful season. As soon as Rachel starts talking you’ll be able to tell that she’s comforting and kind, two wonderful traits that let you know you can trust her with your pain and that she’s genuinely there to help heal your broken heart. She knows your pain firsthand because she lost her beloved fur baby, Winston.

We delve into all the aspects of her book which, in my opinion cover the full scope of what someone will go through when they lose a pet. I can’t think of a topic in her book that she left out right down to the last chapter where it addressed the los of various professions that either care for dogs like veterinarians as well as dogs who serve their community both professionally and personally to include military, police, support animals. But she didn’t stop there, she brings these additional topics to the table…having to euthanize a pet due to financial or behavioral issues, a pet who died of a tragic accident.

She addresses people who do not have children and she wraps up her book by sharing first-hand stories from her clients.

Some of the topics that Rachel and I talked about were how does one process grief for a pet, the importance of a bond between human and pet, is there a right way or wrong way to grieve, honoring your precious fur baby and we didn’t side step the debate about pets going to heaven.

At one point Rachel and I talk about our pets being a gift form God and how much they embody His spirit of unconditional love, joy, and tangible affection. We refer to God reveling Himself through our pets…I even said that His spirit shows up in animals…but to be clear I’m not saying that God is a dog or is a specific animal I’m saying that God uses our pets and any animal he wants to speak to us….like the Balaam’s donkey in the book of Numbers 22:21-39 - not only did the donkey save Balaam’s life because God reveals Himself to the Donkey… but God also opens the donkeys mouth and he spoke truth, common sense to Balaam. So when/if you hear me say that God is like a dog or a cat etc. I’m not saying He is an animal but that He uses His creation to reveal His nature and give tangible ways that we can experience His character.

If you’re grieving the loss of a precious pet, I hope that what Rachel shares with you today will strengthen your heart for the grief journey because you’re not alone!

Let’s get into this most encouraging conversation and you can find all the links in the show notes.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Rachel: Website: https://www.rachel-shirley.com/ Book: https://www.rachel-shirley.com/the-book-pet-loss-and-divine-healing Purchase Rachel’s Book via Amazon

Bio: As a mother of two incredible boxer boys, Spencer and Charley, my life is deeply enriched by their loving companionship. As a devoted wife and woman of faith, I've dedicated my life to helping those in need of comfort and care during the most painful seasons of their lives.   Many people ask me how I can walk so closely with others during their time of difficulty when losing a pet. I affectionately share with them that I could not imagine doing anything besides serving my fellow man and their beautiful pets in this loving way.     Life is precious. Together, let's honor what we've been graciously blessed with…our pet's lives with whom we love so dearly.

There are tons of truth that will show you, no, God's plan for your life cannot be ruined, no matter the contributing force. However, near the end of this podcast, I talk about the one thing that can indeed block God's plan for your life, and I don't think you'll be surprised when you hear what it is. I do hope that you'll receive a fresh dose of encouragement and that you feel empowered to take the next step.

And here's how this topic came up and why I wanted to share it with you. I had the chance to speak at a Christian women's event, and Psalm 23 was the verse that their gathering was based on. I get excited about Psalm 23 (as many of you know this about me). Memorizing that particular Psalm has been such an incredible weapon for me, not only in my every day, ordinary life, but it's my lifeline when things are complicated and painful.

When I proclaim Psalm 23 over my life or the life of my loved ones, it infuses me with hope, encouragement, confidence, and it strengthens my faith muscle.

Allow me to tie this in really quick as another resource for Psalm 23. After I had a measure of grief healing, I could look back and see how God worked in my life in ways (at the time) that I did not discern, and I wanted to share how God showed up. And so, I did a stand-alone podcast episode titled Here's How Psalm 23 Showed Me God's Faithfulness. In this episode I gave tangible examples of what it meant for God to be faithful in the midst of my grief.

Currently it has over seven thousand six hundred downloads (I'll put the link in the show notes). I add that little bit of info because in this episode we're going to specifically build on Psalm 23:3 as our core scripture. With regard to the question, can God's plan for our life be ruined, the verse reads, "He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

The purpose of drawing the focus in on that specific verse is that I want to look at God's heart for restoration, as well as look at other examples of how the heart of God is to restore us to his paths of righteousness, who He created us to be for His name's sake. Think about how invested God is in us. We are His name sake.

If you're one of my faithful listeners, many of you know my story of unexpectedly losing my husband in early 2018. It was six years ago as of February 21st, 2024. He left our home at 8AM. Everything seemed fine. However, by lunchtime that same day, he had a massive heart attack and passed away. Something my boys and I never saw coming. Never.

Out of that pain a portion of my redemption is to encourage believers in the dark valleys of life, so I spend a lot of my time looking at the good God I profess through the lens of pain and suffering. I have the precious privilege of my guests allowing me into some of the most vulnerable moments they've ever known. It is an intimate space to be allowed into because I get a glimpse of how God enters into our pain and how he works in the privacy of someone's personal devastation.

When life no longer resembles anything we once knew, I think it's a fair request we make of God to put things back like they used to be. I too have pleaded with God. I had been with my husband for a little over 33 years. I repeatedly asked the Lord to give me back my normal, return things to how they used to be. Give me back my old life.

Struggling under the weight of pain and an internal fight to orient myself and to gain my footing, in my mind, it actually seemed possible that if I could just go back to the way things used to be, everything would be OK. Life would be good again.

If you've got some life under your belt, life experiences with some hard things, more than likely you've asked God to put things back like they used to be. And I've shared this with you before, this type of pain, loss, suffering is not exclusive to losing a loved one.

Anytime we struggle under an immense weight of pain, (no matter what it personally means to have your world flipped upside down), our brain is grasping at anything familiar. And yet, at the same time, panic is there because we know in the back of our mind, or maybe it's in the back of our heart, knowing that this shaking and shifting is actually exploding our life into tiny little pieces.

That's why it's so important to grieve when life takes unexpected twists and turns. After a life changing event, it will not return to how things used to be. It simply can't. And we need time for our head and our heart to catch up.

When life goes missing, the good news of the gospel isn't exclusive to our salvation. It is the reason that we can know anything good on this side of heaven.

There are times when we'll find ourselves in broken, painful consequences because of our own choices. And then there are times when we'll find ourselves in broken, painful consequences because of someone else's choices or simply because life happens, like with my husband. Either way, we're left with the aftermath of what feels like a head on collision.

In any of these situations, something that had been previously tethered to our heart, our life, our identity has been disrupted. And when it's broken, it's broken. Acting like it isn't broken only delays the suffering.

Whether we find ourselves in the position of needing God to restore us because of our own choices or the choices of others, we have two perfect biblical examples that are proof that we can know and experience God's hope, healing and restoration. The biblical proof that I'm going to share is something you are more than likely very familiar with but I want to look at these historical accounts, potentially/hopefully through the lens of a fresh new reminder.

For those of us who have made poor decisions (and I count myself among these precious people), whether we're living with lifelong consequences, maybe unforgiveness is eating at us, or shame and guilt stab us like a knife. Be encouraged by this beautiful example of God's power and authority to repurpose our poor decisions.

God's standard, His rules, His precepts, are for our safety. So, when he told Eve (and he told Adam too) eat from any tree in the garden except that one, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he did so as a loving father who wanted to protect his children.

And as we know, Eve decided to go outside the boundary that God had put in place because she had heard from the serpent that eating the fruit would make her like God so that couldn't be a bad thing, right? Eve loved God.

But what Eve didn't bargain for is that while she would indeed know something God knew, Eve did not have the authority and the sovereignty to handle or overcome this new knowledge. The reality of her choice came with consequences, and that's what God was trying to protect her from. He didn't want her to endure the consequences that he knew were attached to her choice. It was going to break his heart as he watched her struggle under the reality of this knowledge with no power against it.

I feel sure, because I'm a mama, that what broke his Fatherly heart the most, Eve was now separated from him. And He knew who was coming for her. The enemy and a constant battering on her mind and her heart and her body. Steal, kill, destroy, steal, kill, destroy.

Sean Covey said, “We are free to choose our paths, but we can't choose the consequences that come with them."

Eve's choice to do things on her own terms resulted in more than a lifelong consequence. We live under a generational curse because of Eve's choices.

The language of the culture today gives us so-called encouragement by telling us to handle things on our own. You see all the social media quotes and posts about being independent and strong and how you don't need to rely on anyone. You don't have to ask for help, you can do it yourself, and you're so strong but that my friend, is the world talking. Every single time without exception when I want to handle things in my own understanding and with my own discernment, I will create a coping skill or some sort of self protection method apart from God’s plan to heal and redeem.

If I don't take the thing straight to God and expose it, ask for his guidance, input and his wisdom, I end up struggling with something God never intended for me to endure. I end up in the negative, struggling with things that are detrimental to my well-being, less than God's best for me. The result of me doing things independent from God is that fear and anxiety show up. My emotions want to lean into depression. I start feeling disconnected, feeling like no one sees me or no one cares. I have a constant feeling of overwhelm. All these things have Satan's fingerprints on them. These types of steal, kill, destroy feelings.

So, Eve bites the apple, introduces sin to the world, and then God threw his hands up and proclaimed that his plan was ruined and that he didn't know what he was going to do now, right? No! Thank God, no!

Eve's choice, catastrophic as it was, did not overpower God's authority. God always has a plan of restoration. A plan that overwhelms the broken things of this life. God flips the script on the pain and suffering in this life and brings beauty from our ashes, both for our good and his glory.

For those who choose the finished work of the cross, the curse that Eve put on us is broken. Because of Christ's shed blood and resurrection, we have direct access to the heart of the Father. His heart for us that desires to save and restore.

And that, my sweet friend, is why your poor choices do not have the power to destroy the calling on your life. Can we temporarily derail the original path? Delay it? Cause added obstacles and complications where we show up with additional baggage than before we went off the rails? Yes, we can. But once we submit ourselves to God, when we repent and bring it into the light, His light, we get to watch him transform our situation and return us to His paths of righteousness.

In God's plan of redemption things like regret, shame, guilt, unforgiveness, and the like have been accounted for or planned for. God knew it was coming. He's not surprised by our humanity. He was not caught off guard and had to scramble to figure out how to manage this new revelation that we threw at him.

Sweet friend, he's made a way for you and I to lift our heads under the weight of our choices and even better, we don't have to wait for heaven. I think our biggest challenge is comprehending the truth of God's heart for restoration and stepping into it.

If we knew how true, how strong God's heart is for restoration, we would grab a hold of it in the here and now. We wouldn't delay for a single second. We don't have to pray for God to have a heart of mercy and restoration. We don't have to look for it, work for it, hope for it. That's who he is, with or without our acknowledgement. All we need to do is engage his heart. And how do we do that?

Cultivate a life of intimacy with our Father. Discovering who he really is versus who we want him to be, who we think he is or who we think he should be. Get to know his heart and who he says we are and watch your life be transformed.

For those of us who by no choice of our own, find our lives flipped upside down, that which was the atoning sacrifice to correct Eve's selfish decision is also perfect proof that despite the horrific tragedies in this life, abandonment, rejection, innocent blood, being misunderstood, lied about, betrayed, all the different ways that one human being can choose to assault another human being, the list is endless.

Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing is impossible for God. His plans are bigger, his power is sovereign, and his authority answers to no one. He has no rival and no equal.

And allow me to add this example of God's extensive power and authority. Hell, the lake of eternal fire, is the place God has ordained where people will spend eternity if they choose not to allow Jesus to pay their sin debt.

Hell is God's real estate. That's why God's word plainly tells us in Philippians 2:10-11, "Whether in, heaven, on the earth, or under the earth, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

From the very pit of hell, God will be acknowledged. In either eternity, (heaven or hell), we're on God's turf and we are on His Kingdom territory. And that is why I can guarantee you that God can bring good despite the devastation of this life. Hell answers to God.

With God having no rival and no equal, and because all things are under His authority, He ordained the death of His only Son as the acceptable atoning sacrifice that would break the curse of our sin penalty.

Yes, Christ's death was planned, but Jesus would not have the luxury of avoiding the human aspect of that suffering. He would suffer in every way that we do as humans.

Jesus's life, his horrific death, the burial, the victory of his resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father would not be without deep pain. A soul aching, bone saturating submission that caused him to cry out to the Father to give him relief from the torment, anguish that brought blood out of Jesus's pores while in the garden of Gethsemane. And not just the physical suffering, but the very core of who God is.

Our God, the God of the Holy Bible is the God of relationship, and Father and Son would be separated. God would turn away from his son until our sin penalty was paid in full and the curse was broken. And what result does God bring about with his son's horrific death? Colossians 2:15 tells us in the NIV, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

And let's not forget Ephesians 6:12 that tells us the importance of disarming the powers and authorities, Ephesians 6:12 in the NIV tells us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Christ's death publicly put Satan to shame, both in the physical world as well as being acknowledged in the spiritual realm.

If you've had no choice about what happened to you, where does this leave you? What does Christ's death, burial, and resurrection mean regarding what you've lost? Ultimately, Jesus offers us hope, healing and restoration but it will take courage to heal. The dark valley you find yourself in…God knows the way through. He’s been there. He put to shame the evil that has been inflicted on you. You do not walk this journey alone. No valley is too dark nor is there one that is too deep for him to bring healing.

I do hope it's comforting to know that God fears nothing. Not our anger or our rage, not our ungodly questions, not the evil of this life.

There is simply nothing about our existence that God fears because he has the power and authority (the permission and ability) to take the very thing that Satan meant to destroy us with…and not necessarily destroy us, as in our physical death. Satan is content if he can destroy us with our thought life, hold us captive through our emotions, or keep trauma locked in our hearts. It's all the same to him. If it will silence us, make us bitter, isolate us, paralyze us, or separate us from God from his truth in any way, shape, or form, it's a payoff for Satan.

God isn't afraid, dismayed, overwhelmed or disconnected because no matter our situation, his solution is redemption for absolutely anything evil that this life can dish out. What we can't do in our own strength, the fact that we have no power or authority to change our circumstances, but God. God repurposes the reality of pain. Not that He immediately takes us out of it, but in His hands, we're guaranteed that our pain is never for no reason. He takes the evil pain inflicted upon you and turns it into purpose. That's a table prepared for you in the presence of your enemies.

I feel sure I've shared this with you before but allow me to share once again, something the Lord spoke into my spirit as I processed the death of my husband. I was telling God that I found no comfort in what people were saying to me, that God does not give you more than you can handle. I knew they were trying to be kind, and so I received it with grace, mainly because even I've said that before to people.

But now, standing on the receiving side, it's stung every time because I wanted to scream. Oh, yes, he does. I assure you he does. I am undone in every way. I did not choose this, and I don't want to be here.

So, I took all of that pain to the Lord. It was probably considered ungodly, and it was raw, but it was honest. And in the midst of my breakdown, the quiet, calm voice of the Holy Spirit downloaded something very precious into my heart, and it changed my perspective. It is something that I will always hold close to my heart, he said Sherrie, I don't allow anything I don't plan to redeem.

And that didn't mean that I was going to skip the grieving process or forget my husband. It simply meant that nothing touches his children that he does not have the power to use for our good in his glory. He always has a plan. God always has a plan that overwhelms our limitations, that rewrites the mental, emotional, and spiritual demise that Satan had planned for us.

So, my sweet friend, no matter the reason that you're struggling with the evil of this life, my encouragement for you today is rest. Rest your weary heart. Rest your mind and the constant running from one anxiety laden thought and memory to another.

Grab a hold of this lifeline Matthew 11:28 "And then Jesus said, come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Your heart can have complete confidence that God will take care of you to the degree that you allow Him. And here's where the Yes, God's plan for your life can be blocked. Because remember, He will never force himself on us. He doesn't push us into anything. He extends His hand and invites us to allow Him into our pain. He will gently, tenderly work in the places that we expose to him. To walk in our full calling is to engage God’s heart on an intimate level. In that intimacy we find healing, meaning, clarity, and our calling.

Plenty of people leave this life, never having fulfilled the calling on their life because they did not have the courage to allow God to heal them. And I'm not saying God can't work in your life on your behalf. I'm just saying that if you don't engage him, the benefits of your healing are limited, and you won't perceive what he's doing.

In the healing process, you discover things about God that solidifies your value and your worth. If you keep God at arm's length, you'll miss out on the secrets that He has that he only reveals in the darkest, most painful places of life. He responds to our authentic, honest, and transparent pain when we trust Him with it.

Whether we're a victim of our own bullying because we won't accept God's forgiveness, nor will we forgive ourselves, or we're a victim to someone else's choices and maybe there's some unforgiveness there that holds us hostage. I want you to remember this. In the fight between good and evil. Forgive, don't forgive. Heal, don’t heal. Rest, don't rest. Trust, don't trust. The push and the pull. Do you know what the prize is? Do you know why the fight is so intense?

It's your heart. Your heart is the prize. It’s the place where the fountain of your devotion, affections, love, commitment, are sheltered in. All that God placed in you when He knit you together, creating you in His image.

You get to choose who you give your heart to. Either one. Satan or Jesus. Because both are pursuing you, both have a plan for your life.

Let this truth settle deep into your heart. Amid such a savage battle for your heart and I say savage because we know that Satan is cruel, ruthless, and full of vile hatred for the things that bear the image of God, you. But God is savage in his extravagant, pure, selfless, uncompromising, unapologetic love for us. In this every day battle for your heart, Satan sees your heart as a trophy with bragging rights. But God sees your heart as a priceless treasure that he longs to restore, right up until the moment you get to see him face to face.

Friend, let's embrace God's restoration. Let's have the courage to heal and fulfill God's plan for our lives.

Additional Resource: Another Podcast Episode You May Like Episode Title: Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness - Website w/audio: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/ Audio Only: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-mqbaw-1295c97

This episode with Frank Meadows takes a very close look at the benefits of healing and deliverance. You’ll hear me press into this healing and deliverance a few times as I try to dig down for a deeper understanding.

Frank takes us back to his roots on why he would even become interested in the healing ministry and how it impacted his life. He does an incredible job of explaining healing and deliverance as he shares his practices, methods and overall goal when he’s working with a client.

What excites me the most about the deliverance ministry is that even though we’re Christians the fact remains that we still deal with trauma and with Theophostic Healing Prayer we have the ability to be set free. Which equates to peace for our minds and our hearts. 

Ever wonder why a Christian pastor can also be a slave to porn? Why would a Christian wife be unfaithful? Didn’t she make a vow to her husband in the presence of God? Wouldn’t you be shocked to find out that a highly respected Christian is prone to fits or rage and physically abuses his/her spouse and children? 

There’s been more than one Christian family dealing with wayward children struggling with drugs, alcohol, identity issues, same sex attraction. Why are believers still using curse words in their every day language? Why are we lying about things, cheating people or the business we work for? Especially if we know God’s word and walk in a deep relationship with him? And yet, that is exactly what can and does happen.

Ultimately, we know that becoming a Christian does not mean that we are instantly perfect. We were born into sin and our maturing process with God is done in layers as He washes off the residue of this life, transforming us into His likeness.

Could it be that believing what we read in the Bible or hear in church is not enough or more accurately our knowledge needs experience too? 

If our living God wants a living breathing relationship with us might He want to take us from believing what we read/hear to knowing by way of experiencing His benefits? I believe so because when we experience God it reinforces what we’ve read/heard/believed with our mind and now our heart has proof because of God’s peace and freedom that floods our life.

I’m not knocking traditional therapy, I’ve used it, it’s great but the difference that I have experienced between traditional therapy and Christian deliverance therapy has been hands down a level of sustained peace in my life that I have never known before. At the core of my heart, mind, body I am at peace. I’m not saying that situations/circumstances/people do not challenge that peace but I have a place of rest that I can continually return to or build on whenever I find myself using/trying to create self-protection/coping skills.

Because remember, as Christians we don’t need to go looking, begging, praying, wishing, hoping for God’s peace, healing, deliverance. It’s already there. We’re called to engage what is already available to us and live with the benefits in the here and now.

Let’s get into this episode because I want you to hear all the good stuff that my guest Frank Meadows has to share, let’s dive in and hear how our lie based thinking is how we stay trapped and how using Theophostic Healing Prayer to dismantle these barriers opens up a floodgate of freedom and peace; living water poured into our hearts, bodies, minds.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrivie.com

Connect with Frank on his website: https://www.meadowshealingprayercenter.com/about-us/

Bio: Frank is the founder of the Meadows Healing Prayer Center in Chesapeake, Va. For years,he has counseled and ministered healing prayer to many in the Hampton Roads, VA area. He has been utilizing Theophostic Healing Prayer with great results since 1999. Since that time many have come from across the United States to receive Franks’ ministry for extended times of intensive healing prayer. Since that time he has ministered over 17,000 hours using Theophostic Healing Prayer. Frank has taught and facilitated many Theophostic Basic Training Seminars and healing prayer training locally, nationally, and internationally.

Frank is a mental health professional and a licensed clinical social worker. He is also the clinical director of Christian Psychotherapy Services in Chesapeake, Virginia. He has been in practice there since 1989 ministering to clients and families with emotional, relational, spiritual and abuse trauma recover issues.

We talked about the impact that soul ties have on relationships, personal growth, and the importance of recognizing and breaking these ties through self-evaluation, Godly instruction, leaning into the heart of God and professional counseling with regard to trauma associated with some soul ties.

Mary Beth defined a soul tie and while it is not a biblical term she connected the dots for us with regard to how the Bible refers to uniting/joining/cleaving to someone as the same result of a soul tie.

I had a lot of curiosity about soul ties because it’s not something often spoken about in church and yet when they go undetected they rob us personally in countless ways, some of which are delaying our ability to fulfill the calling on our life, becoming a victim because of a lack of identity, staying stuck in trauma which cripples mentally, emotionally/physically. These are some of the possible results of staying attached to unhealthy soul ties. 

I asked some very pointed questions about pornography soul ties, how soul ties created in past sexual relationships impact current ones. We talked about abusive relationship soul ties. I even asked Mary Beth about unwanted soul ties that are forced upon us such as rape and she even included incest in that portion of the discussion. In short, it was a very I interesting topic for me. 

You may hear Mary Beth back on my show again because the book that she is in the process of writing is on generational curses and that is something else that I’m very interested in!

Let’s jump in and educate ourselves on soul ties, see if they apply to our life and if so, let’s break them off and walk in countless new levels of freedom!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Mary Beth: Website marybethpowers.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/mary.b.powers IG: girl.be.still

Bio: Mary Beth is passionate about seeing women experience Jesus in a life-changing way.

She speaks authentically as a safe place for women to share their struggles. Whether one-on-one or from a podium in a room full of women, she loves to see women thriving in the fullness of Jesus!

Mary Beth is a certified speaker and long-time Bible teacher. She currently serves as a connection Pastor at her church. She is known for her infectious personality and caring for others. She has a deep devotion to her family. She is married to her forever crush, Mike, and they parent three children together. They live in North Alabama in a small but growing town called Hazel Green. They enjoy the empty-nest season, and together, they love to travel and try out new restaurants.

She loves exploring new coffee shops, but most days, you will find her curled up next to her Aussie, Hartlee, coffee in one hand and her journal in the other, finishing a book about God’s unfailing love.

But she has a new role that she finds her favorite: being a Nana to her 3 new grandsons!

Don’t get me wrong our pain and suffering do not fulfill the same purpose and plan as the crucifixion. It will never equate to the work He accomplished. My point in making the connection of the Easter weekend from Friday to Sunday is that Jesus took all of our suffering, anguish, shame, guilt, regret, trauma and nailed it to the cross. This is proof that He has the power to turn our chaos into purpose too!

Through the model that Jesus gave us on the cross of overcoming the evil of this life, when we experience heartbreaking seasons we have an example of what processing the pain of this life looks like: Friday can be the pain of the impact, the moment our life changed forever.  Saturday is the waiting season in-between Friday and Sunday. And then Sunday is the season of healing and restoration. 

Noah breaks down a season of chaos into 3 phases: 

*The Prepare Season - I really liked that Noah equips us to prepare for our own Friday moment.  I was really curious to know, how can someone actually prepare for their life to be interrupted with chaos because we all know it’s not an “if it happens” scenario it’s a “when it happens” reality and yet I don’t consciously prepare for bad things to happen. So his insight is very helpful to first recognize that you probably are preparing yourself you just didn’t recognize it and then to see other ways you can equip yourself. 

*The second season is In The Midst - Noah terms it as your Saturday season. You’re between the life changing event and the healing, restoration, redemption phase. Noah talked about how we can make this time as beneficial as possible, what value does this phase even have? What can you learn about God in (what I call the) the struggle season because it can be full of questions as we struggle to understand all that has been impacted. Questions like, "Why did you let this happen God?” "Why did this happen to me?” "What am I supposed to do with my life now?” "Who am I now?" 

*And the final season, the Aftermath which I now term as Sunday. This is a time of healing, restoration and redemption - but what does that even mean in an individual life? It means a lot of beautiful things. Discovering your purpose, receiving revelation of God’s heart for you as his son or daughter and Noah talks about several more. 

Noah did a fantastic job of making this topic of chaos very relatable and as you’ll hear he adds humor to what can be a very weighty topic. Not only does he back up his revelation and the real examples with Biblical truth, he also adds a little wit with references to characters such as The Lion Kin and Eeyore. 

I asked Noah if there was a difference between chaos and trauma, and we talked about grief and grace, perseverance on the journey and we used Joseph’s story (among other biblical examples) to look at how God repurposed everything that was done to Joseph to bring good out of despair, and not just good for Joseph but for many and of course that echos the work of the cross as well. When you think about the good that the cross produced for as many who will accept Jesus’ payment for our sin debt. 

Let’s listen in to find out how to navigate the 3 phases of chaos so that we might be prepared when our Friday arrives. If we’re prepared we know Who to turn to so that we can go from pain to purpose! We can have hope in a better tomorrow because we have the promise and the proof that Sunday is coming.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Noah: Website: www.thenoahasher.com IG: @TheNoahAsher on Instagram  Email: chaosovercomer@gmail.com

Bio: Noah Asher is an author, Chaos-survivor, business owner, and communicator. Noah helps people find purpose within their pain and their past. His new book, CHAOS: Overcoming the Overwhelming, is a guide on how to navigate through difficult times and come out stronger on the other side. Noah believes that everyone has a purpose, and he is dedicated to helping people find it.

A simple car ride with her family turns their world upside down. She’s in the car with her husband and 2 young sons, a vehicle crosses the line and hits them head on. The crash affects her entire family; immediate, extended, church as well as their friends. Everyone  who was courageous enough to step into roles and take on responsibilities of what it entails to support a family. 

The tragic results of the accident put Angie and her oldest son who was 7 years old at the time, in the hospital. Between the two of them they had 8 surgeries. In the blink of an eye she began a journey of loss and total uncertainty at no fault of her own. 

And then at a point where she’s gaining some independence, she’s working hard to hit the physical therapy goals with a strong desire to do away with the level of need and personal care she receives, including the desire to be the one making all of the decision for her and her family, but then she’s blind signed by a brain bleed. It was a result of the car crash but yet it doesn’t present itself until 18 months later.  She’s in a great place of improvement, moving forward and now she’s starting all over again. 

Because of her extended recovery Angie’s belief system, and not exclusive to her faith, is more than simply challenged or shaken, it’s shattered. Since satan is famous for attaching himself to our traumas, in the midst of Angie questioning everything about her life, satan brings a past trauma to the forefront of her mind/heart. 

Satan’s intention, of course, is to destroy Angie with this compounding trauma but she decides to accept God’s invitation and allow Him to heal her. In the intimacy of His invitation, He lets her know, He’s not giving her back the life she had, He’s taking her back to move her forward. Satan may have brought back past trauma but God was going to reveal His heart to healing. He was preparing a table for her in the presence of her enemy.

At one point in our conversation I asked her how do we take negative/traumatic/lies/thoughts captive to Christ and she lays out several things we can do to interrupt satan’s intentions and rewrite them with God’s promises. 

If you’re living with uncertainty or it’s one of your biggest fears, then you’ll find quotable wisdom that you can hang on to, right down to her parting words as we closed our time together. Listen in to discover what those lifelines are that Angie has to share. Let’s dive in to find God in the painful places of life. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @ alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Angie: Website: https://livesteadyon.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/angiebaughman421/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/livesteadyon YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwl0_Edd8fNHz7y1jLOqj4g

Bio: Angie Baughman is a pastor, Bible teacher, author, podcaster, founder of Steady On ministries, and creator of the Step By Step Bible study method.

At sixteen, she was groomed into a romantic relationship with a high school teacher and faced community rejection when she went public with her story. Knowing and living by the promises of God helped free her from layers of shame, and she now creates resources that help people cultivate consistent Bible study habits.

She’s a widow herself, so my conversation with Anne-Marie is both from her personal experience as well as her professional ability to help widows process and heal. We had a great conversation that I’m excited to share with you!

Some of the things we talked about were: what does it mean to be blessed in a Christian context when in fact we’re not exempt from pain and suffering; the complexity of grief (that it does affect the brain and the body); giving yourself permission to grieve, to be angry, to laugh, to have joy. Grief is a roller coaster at best so the focus is to care for yourself as you journey through.

We talked about healing and that it is possible. Doesn’t mean you forget about your loved one or that you’re not honoring them anymore if you’re not sad. It doesn’t mean that your life will magically return to what it used to be. Sadly, it will never be the same. It will be different, but it can still be beautiful.

As Anne-Marie shares her experience of unexpectedly losing her husband Mark and it happens while she’s out of the country. I add that because I personally think that not being able to get to your loved one at such a critical time adds yet another layer of trauma to the trauma. Her husband passed from a brain aneurysm, this not only leaves her blindsided and numb but they have a special needs son who responded to his father like no one else.

When Anne-Marie received word over the phone, in a foreign country that her world had been ripped apart and would never be the same, she asked one thing of God. "God, if I have to go through this, may I glorify you, honor Mark and impact lives?"

As you listen to the message on her heart, or visit her website, check out her widows retreat and engage her extensive resources, I think you’ll see that God has honored her request. God has taken the very same thing that evil intended to destroy Anne-Marie with and did something really beautiful.

Let’s listen in so that we might find God in the midst of pain and suffering.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Anne-Marie: Email: annemarie@griefandtraumahealing.com Website: Grief & Trauma Healing Network  https://griefandtraumahealing.com Free online grief support site: MyGriefCare.com  https://www.mygriefcare.com Your Grief Guides YouTube Channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXrACWW7qjFlQ1A26onCMQ Anne-Marie’s 8-time award-winning book “When Their World Stops - The Essential Guide to Truly Helping Anyone in Grief”   https://amzn.to/3Sb2T2f

Bio: Anne-Marie Lockmyer is a grief specialist, certified in critical incident stress debriefing, a certified trauma-integrative practitioner, 8-time award-winning author on grief, and founder of The Grief & Trauma Healing Network. As a widow herself, Anne-Marie knows the pain and devastation that grief and loss cause and is living proof that you can go from surviving to thriving. Anne-Marie works with people worldwide, and is passionate about advocating for and loving grievers and being an educational catalyst to society on grief and loss.

Morgan would endure a spinal fusion surgery that would alter her body’s ability to comply with the demands of dance. With a year long recovery ahead, and without dance, Morgan felt the need to create so she and her mom began to look for various outlets.

What could possibly be out of convenience for her mother’s schedule, she enrolls Morgan in a summer camp and her class is a pottery workshop. You’ll hear how God uses this seemingly insignificant enrollment to then open a whole new world for Morgan. 

Morgan makes mention of the book of Genesis (in the Bible) reminding us that humanity is first introduced to God through the creation process and it’s that side of His nature that He shares with Morgan as a way of revealing His heart to her. The beauty He brings forth through this form of expression in Morgan can be found in numerous art galleries, her Etsy account and in the pages of the book she’s written, titled, “God the Artist: Revealing God’s Creative Side Through Pottery.”

As Morgan creates with her hands, God is creating in her and through her as well and it’s the same for each of us. 

Listen in to discover the beauty God has for us in the creative process and how it can be overlayed onto what He’s doing in our lives as the individuals He created us to be.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Morgan: www.morganmccarver.com (find the link to her book, Etsy shop & if you buy wholesale, her link to Faire.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mccarver_porcelain/?hl=en Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/morgan.mccarver.7/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-mccarver X (formerly Twitter): https://www.sotwe.com/GodTheArtistBk

Bio: Morgan McCarver was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her work is inspired by her female mentors of past and present, as well as her connection to Victorian corsetry through her scoliosis journey. She received an art degree with a ceramics concentration and a double minor in art history and business in 2019 from Anderson University in Anderson, SC. McCarver had the honor of receiving the 2019 Outstanding Art Major Ceramics Award her senior year. As a 2020 701 Center for Contemporary Art prize finalist, she had the honor of being the youngest artist to ever make it that far. She is a multi-award winning artist who recently received an Artist Support Grant to attend a national ceramics conference. She has had the honor of displaying her work in 3 solo exhibitions, “FemininiTEA” 2020, “The Strength of a Wildflower” 2022 and “Postures in Porcelain” 2023. She recently completed a residency at Edgewood Cottage in Blowing Rock Summer 2023 and participated 2022 as well. McCarver has studios in Asheville, NC and Spartanburg, SC. Her art can be found in various galleries around the Carolinas and Tennessee. Her first book, “God the Artist: Revealing God’s Creative Side Through Pottery,” will be released with Morgan James Publishing January 9, 2024.

Rose Ann was a successful executive, ministry leader in the church, bible teacher, mom, wife and more but when her marriage fell apart she found herself in a place of desiring to be free from the psychological slavery of her alcohol habit.

One of the great things I feel that Rose Ann is doing in the program that she’s created (by marrying the secular addiction program she used with the true, lasting hope and change that the God of the Holy Bible offers), is to shift our mindset about labels such as alcoholic, recovery and sober. 

In my personal opinion, she’s taken a very practical approach about these 3 words moving them from a secular viewpoint to the transformed reality that God provides. 

That made sense to me because of the complete work of Christ on the cross and the fact that by His stripes we are healed. Not partially healed. Not kinda healed. But healed. And I agree that healing takes place in layers but that does not negate the full redemptive restoration accomplished on the cross that is available to us today and every day. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think labels are important when it comes to identifying a problem. Labels help  to establish a starting point to work from. Once a problem is identified it helps with taking responsibility for the changes you need to initiate. What does taking responsibility do? It moves you from the victim mentality (another label) to victor, a much better adjective.  

Do relapses happen? Sure. Rose Ann and I talk about that aspect of breaking any type of addiction. Relapse is part of being healed in layers. 

If you struggle with or have struggled with addiction, it will always be a part of your testimony with regard to the journey you went through. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re tied to that label or this world’s value system. If there’s one thing (among many) that a personal relationship with Christ gives you it’s living above the chaos and limited understanding of this world. 

What I’m getting at is, at some point there comes a time when you leave behind the words alcoholic, recovery and sober.  Rose Ann talks about this in more detail. You reach a point where you’re reigning in life, free of addiction and in this case alcohol. The recovery process is complete, you're living a life that no longer resembles addiction.

With every layer of healing we step into the progressive story of renewal and redemption that Christ is writing over our life. He’s writing a much bigger love story with us as the unique person He created us to be. His heart is to help you break free from the grip of this life and step into who He created you to be when He knit you together with His own hands.

If you feel like something in your life is out of sync, maybe something has a bigger hold on you than you feel comfortable with/it’s nagging you or if you’re clear that you struggle with any type of addiction, Rose Ann’s personal transformation will give your heart encouragement to know that freedom is possible.  

If you’d like to consider the possibility of a transformed life, check out Rose Ann’s 12 week program, “The Plans He has for Me.” The link is in the show notes. Also included in the show notes are links to Rose Ann’s free resources which I think they are also on her website. ThePlansHeHasForMe.com 

Listen in for a dose of encouragement from Rose Ann Forte!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Rose Ann: Articles and free resources: Website Podcast: Say Goodbye and Imagine! Podcast Instagram:  @roseannforteplans

Bio: Rose Ann is an Alcohol-Free Coach, a Positive Intelligence Coach and International Best-Selling author of an award winning daily devotional called “The Plans He Has For Me”.   She helps people put alcohol to the side for 12 consecutive weeks by educating them with the scientific principles behind alcohol abuse using God’s foundational principles to renewing your mind.   The Plans He Has For Me is a 12 week focused devotional for those who want to rid themselves of the psychological slavery of their alcohol habit.

In this episode we talk about many aspect of abuse such as what keeps victims from speaking up? What is something that the average person can look for in order to help someone who is experiencing sexual abuse? Additionally, Tina shares her foster care experience that included a neighbor girl who was a bully. Tina also shares how she and that girl (after they had become adults) cross paths and how God challenged Tina’s ability to forgive.

I asked Tina about forgiveness in 3 areas: her father, God and herself. Like so many abuse victims, she withheld forgiveness from herself the longest. She shared about her regrets and the healing process that took place as she wrote her book titled, Better Than I Should be: Overcoming Sexual and Domestic Abuse through Forgiveness and Personal Healing. The book became available for purchase on December 20, 2023, so it’s available now.

We didn’t get to discuss all that Tina’s book reveals so the purchase link will be in the show notes if you’d like to read more about her journey. She had the proverbial cards of life stacked against her since she was a tiny girl but God does amazing things with simple childlike faith.

Real quick before we get started, when I was looking at the transcript there is a part of our conversation where Tina refers to Jaci. I noticed we did not share who that is. Jaci is Tina’s daughter.

Let’s get to it. Listen in for a small glimpse into Tina’s journey through sexual abuse and her steadfast faith in believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He’ll do.

Lived Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Tina: IG - christina.w.ivey FB - https://www.facebook.com/christina.w.ivey

Resources: Tina’s book: Better Than I Should Be: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Should-Overcoming-Forgiveness/dp/B0CLMVMWBC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YZSKAX6THOO&keywords=better+than+i+should+be%2C+tina+ivy&qid=1703796036&sprefix=%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1 Safe House Project: safehouseproject.org Amy Watson - Wednesday’s with Watson. Amy has a powerful story of her own and is a strong advocate for hope, healing and restoration. Connect with Amy: WednesdaysWithWatson.com Living Waters - Help for those who are dealing with sexual and relational brokenness- https://www.desertstream.org/who-we-are & https://www.desertstream.org/find-a-group

Bio: Christina Warren Ivey Grew up in a small rural town in Martin County, NC. As a young girl, her childlike faith led her to invite Jesus to be her Lord and Savior and she has pursued Him ever since. Growing in her personal and intimate relationship with Christ has given her the keys to find healing and forgiveness after years of abuse. Better Than I Should Be is her first book and will walk you through her journey to emotional wellness.

While we didn’t discuss in detail the medical side of self-care I wanted to mention it now. If you’re experiencing a crisis of mental health, emotional health of physical health, consider medical professionals and/or medication (per your doctor) in addition to your faith journey. Unrelenting pain can be a very lonely journey so Darci points us to the One who will never leave nor forsake us. God is always present, always listening and ready to tend to you.

CRPS is called the suicide disease because when ranked on a pain scale, CRPS is found to be the highest pain one can feel hence the suicide disease label. People who know this level of unrelenting pain want to escape, permanently. Especially because they’re told there is no cure. But God, right?

Twenty years ago a fall down the steps ignited Darci’s first experience with CRPS. The pain was so great that she did not have an appetite and became malnourished and was dying. Darci shares a little bit about her story of being bedridden for 2 years and the healing journey she experienced.

What gripped my heart is that 5 years ago on a very special day for her family, the simple need of having to go back into the venue to grab something that she forgot and a chair topples from a stack and strikes her in the ankle. Immediately the pain seared from the injury and Darci knew she was headed back into CRPS.

So at the time of this recording she is living with CRPS once again. She talked about the difference in how she engages God’s heart this time. Because of her vulnerability, we get a glimpse of a maturing faith forged in deep pain that produces an intimacy with God that cannot be developed in any other context.

One of the ways that Darci’s faith matured is that while in God’s word she received revelation on the distinction between being and doing. Darci’s pain severely limited her ability to engage in some of the most simple things in life…at one point of being bedridden for 2 years, as Darci lay in bed she asked her husband to create a tent over her with the bed sheet because when it touched her skin it caused excruciating pain.

As she lay in bed day in and day out she began to question the purpose of living. She couldn’t do anything, she wasn’t of any help, she couldn’t enjoy her young daughters. Life was happening around her but without her. Even today she can only watch her grandchildren with assistance and short intervals.

It’s in this quiet place of simply being with God that she discovers a whole new level of intimacy with Him. The revelation that His only request for her, for any of us is to be with Him. A weight was lifted and she began to see the beauty of Christ’s extravagant love for her in the humble posture of being.

One last thing and we’ll jump into the conversation with Darci.  I especially loved how Darci shares that in the dark valleys of life God is there. I know we’ve heard that a thousand times but it’s a great reminder that we don’t have to go looking for Him. We don’t have to pray for Him to find us. We don’t have to check off the good Christian checklist for Him to show Himself. He’s already there. We simply need to engage Him in the being.

If you’ve been struggling with the thought that a good God would not have you suffer like this I challenge you to reframe that. God is good because despite the reality of the pain in this life, He doesn’t abandon or reject us nor does He leave us to figure it out on our own. He enters into our pain with us, comforts us, leads us into healing, and untangles our fears. In short, He gives us His very presence.

Darci was the absolute sweetest because despite her pain and my probing questions she has such a deep desire in her heart to share an encouraging message with others who are experiencing unrelenting pain whether it’s in their mind/mental health, body/physical health, heart/emotional health. Listen in because Darci does a beautiful job of revealing the heart of God in the context of pain and suffering.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Darci: Website: https://www.darcijsteiner.com  Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/darcijsteiner Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/darci.andersonsteiner Instagram: https://instagram.com/darcijsteiner.writer/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcijsteiner/  X (Formerly Twitter):  https://twitter.com/DarciJSteiner  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/darcijsteiner Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/darcijsteiner/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/darcijsteiner.com YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8I8Pweui5tUt1DVvpeqEIA WomenSpeakers.com Audible

Bio: Darci J. Steiner is the author of the award-winning biblically based book Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering. She is an inspirational speaker, author, writing coach, and nutritionist. Darci began writing to process her pain after a foot injury disabled her due to the nerve-pain disorder Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Darci writes and speaks messages that uplift and inspire audiences to always hold on to hope. She loves spending time with her husband, two adult daughters, and two grandchildren. Please visit www.darcijsteiner.com to subscribe to The Upside of Suffering Newsletter.

Something I always like to point out is that grief is not limited to loosing a loved one. Anything that leaves us brokenhearted which equates to anytime we’re separated from that which we hold near and dear to our hearts. It’s times like that when everything familiar shifts and the pain demands a grieving process. When part of our life is torn away, we’re in need of an honest evaluation of how this tragedy impacts our life and what resources do we need to engage, in order to move toward full healing.

Sherrie has a background in television as a news anchor, a radio talk show host, and she is currently a podcast host as well as a grief coach. And we can add author to her list of accomplishments because she’s published a book titled, Can I Help?

Sherrie wrote this book because she has a deep compassion for those who are in a season of grief. As a grief coach her focus is to help the grieving process their pain. Based on the knowledge and insight that Sherrie has gained as a grief coach we push out the topic of grief to talk about how we can avoid adding extra stress and demands on our loved ones who are struggling with deep pain and even deeper questions.

When someone is faced with the uncertainty of life, the struggle to understand their circumstance is fertile ground for isolation, confusion and to be honest, awkwardness. It’s the awkwardness that causes us to distance ourself from our loved one or to say things that are blanket statements. Blanket statements are the type of cliche comments that when said everyone knows it’s just a substitute for, I don’t know what to say.

Sherrie’s book, Can I Help?, will give you the confidence to feel more at ease with the topic of grief and as you implement and practice Sherrie’s advice you become more comfortable to share space someone who is grappling with the reality of their old life vs the life they are now forced to know.

There’s power in having confidence for this topic because it removes barriers and lets an aching heart know that they are seen, heard and cared about. When you’re in pain, knowing that you’re not alone is powerful enough to give people hope for a better tomorrow.

The bottom line is, neither the brokenhearted nor the people who desperately want to help will have all the answers. Every situation is unique to the person who has experienced a tragedy/trauma. And the truth is, the brokenhearted can’t articulate what they need in the moment. In addition, the one who desires to be there for their loved one, feels helpless. If they both know anything, it’s that neither one can reach the pain because neither one can change the devastating reality of loss.

Sherrie makes a clear distinction, which I felt was truly foundational to having the courage to reach out to someone who needs a kind word and that is, to remember it’s not about you. Sherrie and I partnered that portion of the conversation with another key truth that she pointed out: The person who wants to help can’t fix it and it’s not their job to fix it. To me, that takes a huge weight off and it allows the caregiver (not in a medical sense but rather in the context of relationship) to simply show up, sit quietly if necessary and allow their loved one to find their way through the grief.

If you’ve ever felt helpless, confused, or awkward when it comes to navigating grief then listen in to see how you can remove typical barriers and create a connection of support that brings peace and invites healing.

Live Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Sherrie: Website Grief Coaching Services Book and Resources Facebook

Bio: Former NBC News Anchor Sherrie Dunlevy served the Wheeling, WV area for nearly 30 years both on television and radio. Today she is a best selling author, Inspirational speaker and the Founder of the Graduating Grief Academy and host of the Graduating Grief podcast.    Her Number one best selling book “How Can I Help?” was written to help people know exactly what to say and do when the people they love and care about are hurting.   Sherrie helps people step out of the pain of their grief, so they can step into living with purpose, passion and JOY.

Transcript

Jodi’s book, The Air That I Breathe is a resource that she couldn’t find when she so desperately wanted relief from the panic attacks that threatened to overtake her life. She shares the various lessons she’s learned along the way so that you can gain immediate insight vs struggling to figure out the best ways to find freedom. She also shares the countless ways that God steadied her, led her and healed her through this journey. 

The current (IYKYK) publishing date for Jodi’s book is November 27, 2023. You will be able to find it on Amazon as well as Jodi’s website (jodihowe.com). Christmas is just around the corner so maybe you want to drop a hint or two to let your peeps know that you’d like a copy for Christmas. Also, if there’s someone in your life who could really use help to get their anxiety under control, consider Jodi’s resource (aka her book, The Air That I Breathe) an excellent tool in seeing that come to fruition. 

If you’re like me you’re gonna immediately love Jodi because she’s full of life. While her wit will have you laughing I’m most impressed with her courage to be transparent about real life challenges. 

Even when life doesn’t look neat, predictable and pretty she doesn’t side step the hard parts but takes them on knowing that God will see her through. This book is such an incredible tool because Jodi’s personal experience has been so beautifully blended with practical steps of application and the wisdom of God’s word and the fact that He’s already laid out how we can live without anxiety, worry, fear and overwhelm.

Let’s listen in to discover how we can find God in the midst of the struggle to quiet our mind and find peace in a world that is anything but peaceful.

Live Loved and Thrive! @Alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Jodi: Website Facebook Instagram X (Formerly Twitter)

Jodi’s Bio as seen on her website: I grew up in Upstate New York. Raised in Syracuse and even attended Syracuse University. I am still a die-hard fan of everything Orangemen Football and Basketball. I also enjoy the NFL. Go Giants. Oh, and the Bills, too. After all, I am from NY!   I now live in North Carolina. In between life, I have lived in New York City, San Francisco, and Albany, New York. Still, I love the South. Not the heat, but the south. The mountains are 3 hours away—the ocean, 2.  It's the best of both worlds and I get all of my beloved seasons.      At home, I can be found in my comfy chair with my smartphone, writing content and studying through devotionals and the Bible. And sometimes I watch a show or two.     I love to be with people and am highly extroverted. I am in my "happy place" when behind a microphone. This may come as a surprise to some, but I also love to retreat on my own. I am fueled by quiet time with the Lord and peaceful surroundings. Reflecting. Praying. Dreaming. Learning and then Praying some more. Focusing on The Air that I Breathe. Which is Jesus!   I have lived, grieved, and learned hard lessons through a marital break-up and family struggles (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). I also know anxiety very well, and it is my first actual testimony to God, his love, and experiencing the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). Apostle Paul tells us we will have thorns in our flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), but God's grace is sufficient for each day. I am a testimony to that.  

I am a mother of 2 girls. I adore them with all of my heart. They are beautifully unique in their ways, and I am genuinely proud of them.   

Will you join me in my life-long journey of knowing and loving Jesus? Living in him is the abundant life promised, and yes, it's all good when we shift our perspective toward God's plan for our lives.  And wholeheartedly, I believe we can also have some fun along the way.

You are Loved, Jodi

Leslie and I talked about how marriage is simply two broken people bringing out the brokenness in each other but Leslie said something that I cannot ever remember considering it quite like she shared. Granted, I’ve been a widow now for a little over 5.5 years so maybe I’m just not remembering.

She said, “A lot of times God will use the marriage relationship to provide healing for those broken places.” I don’t recall considering conflict in my marriage, as an opportunity to heal. Although, in hindsight it was times of frustration and feeling at my wits end in my marriage that caused me to seek my own personal healing.

When I think about it, that’s so like God. He knows marriage is gong to bring our brokenness to the surface. He knows we’re going to challenge each other and it’s going to trigger all the areas where we need healing and He’s fine with that. He’s fine with it because in the process He’s asking us to give that painful place, that brokenness to Him so He can heal it. The sooner we give it to Him the sooner we get to walk in freedom.

God’s heart is to heal us in the here and now. To build our trust, to show us His faithfulness and ability to Shepherd us well. 

A significant distinction that Leslie made is looking at the difference of what it means to have a strong identity based on who we are IN Christ AND who we are TO Christ. So good. I can’t wait for you to hear that part.

We took a look at abuse, submission, obedience and humbling but it’s not the typical conversation that you may be used to hearing. Leslie believes that submission preached without including the importance of biblical leadership is not viable. Additionally, Leslie points to varying levels of trust between spouses and the fact that when the marriage vows (that were spoken between you and your spouse in front of witnesses) are broken then there’s some work that needs to be done.

Whether is was submission, obedience, humbleness, or abuse, no matter our topic, Leslie balances it with clarity, hope and God’s heart for us and for marriage.

I am confident that her message is going to encourage you to continue pursuing the heart of God and discovering His intention for marriage and the freedom He has for us as the individual He created you to be.

We can’t forget, that if we’ve professed the Son of God as our Lord and Savior, then He’s made a vow to us. He’ll never leave us nor forsake us especially in the painful places of life. 

I don’t want to delay any longer, let’s listen in so that we might get a glimpse of how to find God in our pain, specifically the broken places in marriage.

Live Loved and Thrive! @Alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Leslie: Website Counseling Podcast Resources Facebook Instagram

Bio: Leslie is the co-host with her husband, Doug, of The Vision-Driven Marriage podcast. They currently work with couples who are experiencing the overwhelm of the whirlwind of life. She earned a Master of Science degree in counseling from Illinois State University in 2008 and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in 1991. She has been trained as a certified Suicide Intervention Specialist and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Leslie has been married to Doug for 34 years. Together they have four beautiful daughters and three sons-in-law. Four sweet little granddaughters call her Nana.  She likes to write, scrapbook, and has recently taken up watercolor painting. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/463bf4a1bbd74ee6b8e335669e679edb/view

But talking with Sue, listening to her life, hearing about her ministry, her husband and family, God has not wasted a single moment of pain and suffering and neither has Sue. In pursuit to rewrite the lies that she believed about herself, she has agreed with God on everything that He has to say about her, and the way that He loves her. Hence the birth of Crown of Beauty International. It is her passion to lead women to find freedom from the defeating lies that they think, feel, and live out in their personal lives. 

Sue travels all around the world and walks through every door God opens for her and she points the hearts of women to God’s truth and His deep love for them. Sue is amazing!

I want let you know that the thing that was supposed to keep your mouth shut, the thing that has you feeling guilt and shame, give it to God and He’ll transform it into an adventure you would have never thought to ask for nor could you imagine.  

We talked about so many things but a few of those that stuck out to me were, talking about how reading God’s word (the Bible), how it transforms you through the work of the Holy Spirit. Not just from a spiritual aspect. She talked about when the word is built upon and it begins to transform us little by little it also affects our posture, the way we walk, how we talk to people, the way we show up in places, roles, responsibilities. It reminded me of this, I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced it but sometimes when you’re talking to someone you can see joy in their eyes, a light in some people’s eyes. Without fail, every time I dig a little deeper in conversation with them, sometimes asking point blank are you a Christian or a different faith based question I find out that they are indeed Christians. Seeing a light in their eyes makes complete sense to me because we are filled with the Light of the World.  

Because of Sue’s international travel she talked about how our negative self-image and negative internal dialog is seen all around the world, even including men. They’ve started a separate program for men. Hearing that, I asked her what is the common dominator. And of course you can always trace it back to the one who steals, kills and destroys us from the inside out. 

Ultimately, we believe varying degrees of lies about ourself. Anytime we believe a  lie and it goes unchecked, it is not in our favor. We will not fare well.  It can start out as a good thing but at some point it has the potential to tip into a lie. We can start out confident but then end up prideful, we can start out being kind and caring but we end up being a doormat.

So I had to ask her this question, how do we keep our life in balance? Sue’s response? By consistently, exposing our way of thinking to God’s truths. Challenge the triggers in our life by allowing God room to speak into those places. In doing so He’ll expose the lies for us. The best part is that He downloads His truth so that if we choose, we can rewrite what we thought was truth with the real thing, God’s truth AND His love. I saw a quote from Billy Graham “ Most of all let the Word of God fill you and renew your mind every day. When your minds are on Christ, Satan has little room to maneuver.” 

If you’ve been listening to several of my past podcast episodes on the healing ministry here’s something that Sue shared that lined right up with how God made us mind, body, soul, spirit, it’s all meshed together. Sue has been studying the brain and unforgiveness. She’s been reading medical materials etc. and she shares that through medical science she discovered that unforgiveness is now considered a disease because it has the same impact on your body as a disease. So, that of course reminds me of the Bible verse Proverbs 14:30 (NLT), A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy (in my opinion a form of unforgiveness) is like cancer (a disease) to the bones. (My emphasis added)

Let me wrap up with this and we’ll get started. Our transformation from bondage, and I don’t care what area or form of bondage you’re in, but going from bondage to freedom it’s going to require our participation. An active engagement not only pursuing God for truth but putting it to work in our life. Taking part in our transformation has to do with interrupting negative thoughts or beliefs by using God’s promises, His truths to rewrite the lies we believe, and Sue says, it takes intentional work to create new neuro pathways that change our brain and therefore change the course of our life. 

God is inviting us to discover Him in the healing process and He’s created our body to be successful at overcoming the obstacles of this life. So let’s listen in and see how and where we can find God meeting us in our pain with solutions, transformation and redemption.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Bio: Crown of Beauty International founder, Sue Corl, was born with a severe cleft palate, without a nose, upper lip, or palate. During the first 15 years of her life, Sue underwent 26 major operations. As a child, she heard lies about her physical appearance and struggled emotionally with her self-worth. In her late twenties, she began the journey of emotional healing as she opened God’s Word and discovered the truths of who she is: fearfully and wonderfully made and an image bearer of God.

Her personal story inspired her to begin Crown of Beauty International to help women around the world to experience the same freedom from lies, shame, and strongholds that God provided for her.

Sue is an international women’s conference speaker, author, mentor, and Bible teacher, and served 25 years as a missionary in Asia. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother of two adult children. She has a passion to see women set free by receiving the love of God and living out their potential in the powerful truth of who they are in Christ.

Connect with Sue: https://www.CrownofBeautyInternational.com

I wanted to share this sweet reminder, that the Lord gave me. I love when the truth of what I know about God sinks in a little bit deeper into my heart. In this case it broke off some pride I had about forgiveness and not the forgiveness we typically think of first, that of forgiving others. This was about forgiving myself.

I almost want to ask you to listen to this episode at a time when things are quiet and you’re in a personal space so that you can actively respond to what a share but I know that everyone has a very busy life and therefore that’s a hard request.

Whether you listen now or whether you use my suggestion later to process with God, I’m hoping to create an opportunity for you to hear God’s voice because I’m thinking you’re like me in that you already know the truth of God’s forgiveness and yet we still beat ourself up with guilt and shame. This proves there is some value in digging a little deeper, or simply lingering a little longer with focused concentration to discover freedom when it comes to forgiving ourself.

Again, the quiet space is not mandatory because I was driving down the road when God spoke into my spirit. The sweetness of the Lord had me in tears. I don’t want anything to happen to you should you be driving. Maybe pull over if the love of the Lord comes over you like it did me.

What I have to share today will keep pointing us back to the cross, something you may feel is a bit overdone. Not overdone with the reverence we have for the cross but possibly overdone with regard to how familiar you are with the message of the cross. Stay with me please because I can’t get to where I want to take us without going to the cross. And to be honest, as Christians it is always about the cross. It is the core of our faith. It’s what makes our faith different. The fact that we have a relationship with the Living God. An alive, active, engaged relationship. We can know our God and hear His voice.

There is the potential that some parts of what I’m going to delve into might feel a little abrasive because when God revealed my pride to me in the context of forgiving myself I hadn’t thought of it as pride. Additionally, I’m well aware that when people get too close to the things that we are sensitive about it feels judgmental but when God exposes us He does it in love and He’s inviting us into deeper relationship, where trust (in Him) is matured.

I want this message to be done in love so that is why I’ll be pointing you to God to have your conversation with Him. I want Him to reveal what He wants to set you free from. My goal is not to add condemnation to this conversation. That is satan’s speciality. God convicts but He never condemns, two different things. I want this conversation to be done in the same gentle, kind way that God did it for me. He didn’t call me out to embarrass me. He gently exposed my pride in order to set me free from it. It’s times like that when He takes us back to the cross, not to harm us, but to heal us.

I’m going to prompt you with an exercise and it’s based on the times when the devil tries to drag us back to a place that reminds us of our shame, guilt and regret.

I’ve worked through a lot of childhood trauma. I think everybody’s pretty clear on the fact that our family of origin sets the pace for our adult life and so it impacts our decisions. Those experiences help craft the lens through which we see people and the world. We make a lot of assumptions because our experiences do not have a full understanding so now we’re dealing with lies we believe, and it all creates the value system we live by.

Because no family, no person, no relationship is perfect and sinless, this gives satan plenty of opportunity to try and take us back to painful memories or experiences. We can all find ourselves in these familiar places of thinking defeating thoughts because satan has his successful patterns that he runs on us. It will always be his goal to to steal the truth of God’s word, because in truth there is freedom. Satan wants to kill our hope, faith, love, our relationships and at the very least destroy us from the inside out.

In times when a situation activates one of our coping skills or in any way that we’ve created a self protection method, let it be an instant signal for us that God wants to engage our heart about what we’re feeling. He’d love to hear your heart and be given the opportunity to speak His truth into whatever it is we’re believing to be true. In moments like that, meet Him at the cross. The place where He won the full victory over all of life’s failures and brokenness.

The things that primarily cause us guilt and shame are structured around something that we’ve done, that we’re responsible for. Our actions, our decisions, and our choices have brought us shame and regret. If we’ve repented for our sins then we can have assurance that we’re forgiven (because of the cross) and yet we play the shameful memory of our actions over and over in our mind and in our heart. It’s in this context of forgiven yet unable to let go that I want to create an opportunity for you to take a fresh look at the cross and reconsider something about God’s heart for you.

And real quick allow me to take a detour because I don’t want to overlook this aspect of guilt and shame. With regard to feeling shame or guilt, I’m not referring to times when someone has violated/victimized you. If you’re living with guilt and shame because you feel that what happened to you is somehow your fault, this message does not apply to your situation.

I’ll be talking about choices that we make and are solely responsible.

If you find yourself dealing with guilt and shame over something someone did to you, there is a measure of trauma healing that needs to take place because you’re not responsible for the actions of another person. In short, you can’t own another person’s choices.

While you are not responsible for what happened to you, if there is any responsibility to be had on your part it would taking responsibility to flip the script on satan. Make every effort to find the healing you need. Make life giving decisions to get what you need and don’t stop until you are free.

Just so I don’t drop you off cold in the middle of this episode, if you have a few minutes, disengage from your immediate To Do List and recline in the Lord, rest with Him. Just receive from Him. If you want to engage God, ask Him, Lord what step do you want me to take next so that I can process the guilt and shame I feel? Who do I need to talk to in order to find healing from these thoughts that are eating away at me on the inside.

Also, I will put links in the show notes for a few past episodes and in a couple of weeks there is another one coming out on October 20th. These episodes all take a look at the various healing ministries available to believers. My guest Eileen Love and I talked about Emotion Code Healing - it was broken into 2 parts (Part 1 & Part 2). There’s an episode on the Deliverance Ministry Healing with Karen King. Additionally, the episode on October 20th is on the Healing Prayer ministry with Frank Meadows. So remember to come back on or after the 20th to find that one.

Coming back to our topic at hand, overcoming the guilt and shame that is based on our decisions and choices. Specifically the situation where we’ve repented for our sins but we are not able to forgive ourselves. Here’s a suggestion, my intended exercise on how to engage the Lord:

Find a place where you can be real with God. Intentionally invite him into your space, ask him to protect the conversation that you’ll be having with him. He’ll command His army to position themselves in the atmosphere so that you can say whatever is on your heart. God is going to protect your vulnerability. He never asks for a perfect conversation, He asks for a genuine one.

Once you’ve intentionally invited God into your space and He has secured the atmosphere I want you to bring to the forefront of your mind the thing that taunts you with guilt and shame. Expose it by speaking it out loud to the Lord. Father, every time this thing (tell him what the thing is not because He doesn’t know but He will only work on what you’re willing to give Him. He will not force anything from you or on you). Father, every time this comes to mind I block it out. I feel disgusted…whatever it is you feel, think, believe etc., talk to God.

Today could possibly be the first time that you’ve actually verbalized it. Maybe your shame and regret keeps you from talking about that thing that has left your heart battered and ragged, and exhausted. But you think about it. Your internal dialog beats you up over it when it surfaces.

Maybe you’ve been talking with God about it but you keep returning to it, like you’re still chained to it. Feeling like you have no control over it, no voice about it, no freedom from it? You just feel helpless to change it or make a difference.

You did what you did or maybe you didn’t do what you should have done. You said what you said or maybe you said nothing and you feel that you should have said something. Now you’re left with the emotional baggage, potentially physical ailments not to mention the mental battle. The good news? All that has the potential to change if you’re willing to be transparent with the Lord in the safety of the space He’s protecting you in.

Remember in Genesis 32 when God asked Jacob, “What is your name?” It was not that God didn’t know Jacob’s name but Jacob had a lot of trauma attached to his name. In Biblical times, a person’s name was part of their identity. Jacob’s name means deceiver and Jacob lived up to that. As a matter of fact, the reason Jacob is struggling with God in this verse is because he was getting ready to cross paths with his twin brother Esau and Jacob was responsible for not only stealing Esau’s birth right but Jacob also stole the final blessing from their father that rightfully belonged to Esau.

Jacob initially reaches out to Esau in an attempt to make peace with his brother. In response, he receives word that Esau is headed his way with 400 hundred of his men in tow. So now Jacob has come to God scared to death for his life and God asks Him, What is your name?

It might seem like a strange question in such a desperate situation. God wasn’t trying to shame Jacob. God was inviting Jacob into transparency, to be truthful with him. But why, you might ask? Because change only happens when we expose our fear, guilt, and shame. But not to just anyone but rather expose it to the One who defeated it. The One who can make a difference, the One who can turn it of your good. Guilt and shame left in the dark, bouncing off our heart and our mind, it only becomes bigger and bigger in our mind and emotions.

I can’t say this enough, when God calls us out of the dark places of our mind, he’s not trying to expose us for the purpose of embarrassment or to beat us down reminding us who the Almighty God is. Without authentic transparency we can’t connect to people. We’ll have a surface relationship at best. And let me just say here, not everyone is trustworthy with our pain so you should guard you heart in this area. But the God of the Holy Bible wants real, life giving, life breathing relationship with us. We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge. Change only happens when we expose our fears to the origin of truth, the fountain head of truth. Nothing stands against God’s truth.

Because God will not push Himself on us, He was inviting Jacob into deeper relationship. He was saying, son, will you get real with me about what you’re feeling/experiencing? Will you have the courage to expose your fear to me so that the thing you keep struggling with, that thing you keep running from, we can put on the table and we can talk about it and we can work through it together?

And Jesus says to us, my precious daughter, will you give that thing to me? Will you trust me with your pain? Daughter, do you believe that I love you and I have good things to give you in exchange for your nightmares?

When we take our pain to God and struggle well to discover His truths in the context of our deep questions He gives us the beauty of His presence and we are transformed by the revelation that accompanies His presence. Truth shows up every time God shows up and we don’t have to wait for the spirit to move we can invite Him in and initiate an intimate exchange. God honors our authentic struggle because He knows that it takes courage to be transparent with Him, to step beyond our human understanding and experiences and accept His invitation into intimacy.

So you’ve invited God into your space, and He has taken authority over the atmosphere, you’ve brought that thing into the Light of His presence and you’re letting anxiety flow out of your mouth. As you verbally process this brings a measure of release to your mind and body.

The next thing I want you to do is picture God with you. See His kind and caring manner. Maybe He’s holding your hands, looking into your eyes with gentle affection. Maybe He’s sitting at the table with you. I can guarantee you this, if he’s sitting at the table with you He’s sitting next to you and He’s got His arm around you.

In the safety and security of God, continue to purge your pain as long as you need to. Let Him know how you feel. What is your worst fear, your worst nightmare about that thing? Tell Him why you feel guilt and shame, or whatever emotion you feel. If you want, ask Him to show you where He was when this or that happened? He’s never left you so He was present.

He’s not afraid of anything you share. You won’t scare Him off. He won’t reject you. This space of transparency and pain all tangled together in what can feel like a terrifying mess, this is His speciality and I’ll tell you why. He doesn’t extravagantly attend to us knowing that He WILL heal us, He’s drawing us into the healing He’s ALREADY provided.

When we expose our fear and pain to him, healing and restoration begins not because a spontaneous healing happened in that He’s decided to now alleviate your guilt in that moment. But because you pursued Him in this context, it was engaged and therefore applied in that moment. It was already purchased on the cross you just hadn’t made it personal yet.

Whatever you admit, confess or reveal, all the emotion, regret, shame, it doesn’t have to be pretty, or nice or even godly. Real pain, deep pain is messy. After you’ve poured it all out and you’ve come to the end of yourself, I want you to hear your Father God’s voice. He’s calm, soft spoken, loving. He’s saying, my precious precious daughter, I’ll take that, and I’ll take that, and that too and give me that one. Give it all to me. Let it go. I’ve already settled these things. Let me show you.

Let Jesus lead you to the cross. Envision Christ scooping up all the emotion that you’ve been willing to expose and I want you to watch him lay your actions, choices, sins, onto His heart and then willingly lay on the wooden beams fashioned into a cross.

Bear with me, this is the familiar part that may feel a little overdone. But this time, make it personal by seeing it through the eyes of knowing Jesus is taking your place. See the roman soldiers drive an iron peg through his left hand, and an iron peg his right hand, then another iron peg through his feet. Watch as they hoist the pole into the air and drop the foot of the cross down into the hole in the ground. It hits hard and the iron pegs tear His flesh. They’ll pierce his side with a spear and the final drops of His atoning blood along with water, the living water of life, will spill onto the ground.

I’m not reminding you of this historical account because I want you to feel sorry for Him. This is not about pity. Jesus was not victimized in the manner of the Romans taking his life, He willingly laid down His life. I’m not telling you this to compound any guilt or shame because the truth is, we have no authority, no input, and no point of reference with regard to God’s plan on what the payment for sin will be and Jesus’ agreement on how it will be settled.

I’m reminding you of the cross because it’s always about the cross. It’s the intersection where God’s truth and provision meets man’s sin and human will.

This question may still be be lingering in the air, How do we move from the knowledge of forgiveness to embracing this as truth in our life? How do we make this our core belief and understanding so that we operate and do life from the place of being forgiven? How do we make the leap from knowing in our head that we’re forgiven to actually forgiving ourselves?

Maybe our inability to forgive ourselves is twisted up with the cross. And it’s the reason why we won’t let ourselves off the hook. Because the truth is, it should have been me. It should have been you. Paying for what we’ve done. That was our debt. Our burden, our guilt, our shame, our choices, our actions.

When it comes to realistically applying forgiveness, there is a portion of the process when we apply God’s truth every time guilt and shame comes up in our mind. We interrupt the thought with truth, not allowing our mind to start running wild. While that can seem robotic, God’s truth overwhelms every lie and is very effective.

The point of forgiveness that I’m trying to examine are the times where we’re checking all the Christian boxes of what makes a good Christian so that our good outweighs our bad. We’re doing all the right things. We’re praying, we’re fasting, we’re in church every Sunday all with the hope that we’ll get God’s approval and then He will supernaturally change the way we feel. I don’t want to deny the practical part of applying God’s word to our life, but what I want to dig down into is the pride part.

Could it be that we’ve put ourself on the cross? Let’s say we have. And yet we’re STILL struggling to extend forgiveness to ourselves. On the one hand, we can’t deny the truth of our guilt and on the other hand, somewhere down to the core of our DNA we also acknowledge that we are grossly under qualified (and that is putting it lightly) to carry the weight of the cross.

Whatever the reason is, I do know that pride can blind us. It did me. If we don’t humble our hearts we will find ourselves on the hamster wheel of guilt, shame, forgiveness, guilt, shame, forgiveness. It feels like a rat race but that’s simply the world’s value system. In God’s value system, it’s the intersection where God’s truth and provision meets man’s sin and human will.

I’m reminded of a story that’s been around as long as I can remember, I feel sure you’ve heard it. It’s about the man who worked at a bridge with railroad tracks. He was responsible for opening and shutting the bridge for both the boats and the train. He’d taken his little boy to work one day and the youngster was playing on the tracks. To the father’s surprise a train was approaching faster than he could get to his son but if he closed the bridge lowering the train track his son would be crushed. Not sure if it’s a true story or not but it goes on to say that the man made the excruciatingly heart shattering decision to save all the people and their families that were on the train and he lowered the tracks crushing his little boy. The people on that train would go on living their life, never knowing what the father sacrificed nor what the precious son had afforded them.

I often overlay that onto God’s Fatherly heart because some believers will never grasp the fullness of freedom that has been paid for them. Surely God’s heart must have broken because in the sin payment transaction God turned His face away from His beloved Son. Full payment for sin, the kind that saves us, translates to God the Father, being separated from His Son, Jesus.

Some believers will go on living their life, entangled in shame, regret, never embracing what God ordained and what the blood of the Son afforded them. They’ll maintain a distance between their head knowledge that God had a plan to pay their debt of sin and yet never embrace it in their heart what the precious son afforded them with His blood.

This whole message, this episode started when I was in my car, driving down the road, talking with God, the image of Christ on the cross making the just and final payment for my sin came to my mind. I’ve seen this picture countless times in books, and all kinds of preaching material but this time, my heart responded to the immense sacrifice, I made it personal. I saw the intimacy of what Jesus was doing for me and it softened my heart in a different way. The kindness of Jesus overwhelmed me. Kindness can seem like such a weak word in the scale of this particular context.

Romans 2:4 says, Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

What had me weeping was being overwhelmed with the goodness and kindness of God even though I was in a place of pride, despising the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience. I wasn’t letting the work of the cross, His Son’s blood be enough. I was making it about me.

I would not have made a direct connection with that way of thinking, none-the-less, it was playing out in my life, in my thought life. And when I saw how precious the Lord is to me even though I looked upon the cross with contempt/pride my heart become overwhelmed. If Jesus’ blood satisfied my sovereign, holy God, why was I being prideful still making it about me?

God hasn’t abandoned us at Friday on the Cross. He gave us the Sunday resurrection. Our God is alive. Jesus is alive. Living breathing, fresh perspectives, new beginnings, the God of do overs. That’s the power of the blood.

I’ve said a lot to bring us to this one point. It’s time to change our vision of the cross, our self imposed definition of what pays our debt. If you’re still in a strangle hold by your past I want to know, when you look up at the cross do you see Jesus on it or is it empty? Do you see Jesus’ work finished or unfinished?

If we haven’t allowed the blood to pay our debt we’re as good as a dead (wo)man. We’re physically alive but we’re mentally/emotionally 6 feet under.

And we’ll stay stuck in that type of mental grave until we soften our hearts, humbly admit that we’re not capable of paying our debt. Not now, not at our last breath, not at any time in between. Let’s take ourself off the cross. It’s not about us. Face it, we cannot pay for what we’ve have done or not done. We cannot fix what we said or did not say.

If you agree with the atoning blood of Jesus and His finished work on the cross, you have been acquitted. The final words of Christ on the cross apply to us. It. Is. Finished.

Tell your mind, YOU’RE FREE! Tell your heart, YOU’RE FREE! Tell your body, YOU’RE FREE! We don’t have to wait for heaven to live in peace, joy, and freedom.

Give God, give Jesus, your praise and gratitude. Take a moment to let Him embrace you with His presence. Soften your heart toward His love, make Him personal in your heart and mind. And then do Him the best honor of all, let the world see God in you! Get out there and...

Live Loved and Thrive!

Get Rid of Guilt and Shame:

1. Invite God into a conversation. Ask Him to take control of the atmosphere.
2. Bring to the forefront of your mind the thing that still causes you guilt and shame.
3. Talk with God about how you feel. Give him all of your pain and questions - Purge all your beliefs that surround the pain.
4. Picture God with you, listening in a loving way. Ask Him, who do you want to be for me in this? What do you want me to know about You in this context of my guilt and shame?
5. Trust God with your pain. Tell God you do not despise His Son Jesus and the work of the cross. Lay your guilt and shame at the foot of the cross.
6. Break any agreement you have made with the lies you have believed about your guilt and shame.
7. Give God your praise and thanksgiving. It can be in tears, laughter, songs of worship, outright words of praise etc. in whatever way you want to worship Him and give Him His due honor.

RESOURCES: Past Podcast Episodes: Emotion Code with Eileen Love: Part 1 - https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/06/07/emotion-code-therapy-part-1-with-eileen-love/ Part 2 - https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/06/22/emotion-code-therapy-with-eileen-love-part-2/ Deliverance Ministry with Karen King: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/09/13/finding-freedom-through-the-deliverance-ministry/ October 20, 2023 - I’ll add the link for the podcast on Healing Prayer Ministry with Frank Meadows. In the meantime you can check out his website: https://www.meadowshealingprayercenter.com/

Christian Science was the faith of her family so Lauren was born into the teachings, practices and beliefs. Family is key. People find themselves in cults just like people join gangs or enter into relationships that end up being toxic because initially they feel like family and ultimately who doesn’t want to belong?

I’ve often said this, when we look at society as a whole, (our worries, fears, anxieties, or motivations to accept less than we are worthy of, when we allow people to violate our bodies and our minds etc.)we can peel away all the different choices that people use to cope and self protect and I personally believe that we can all be boiled down to one thing. We fear being alone.

I also think that our fear of being alone has to do with the way we were created. It’s in our DNA to seek relationship and yet nothing in this world will fully satisfy. Ultimately, our desire for relationship is to draw us to the One who created us. We were created for an intimate, real relationship with the living God. It was His original plan for us to dwell face to face with Him but when sin entered the Garden of Eden we were separated from Him. We’re left with the need, a deep desire to find home, to find God.

This desire to find the One who fills us is a beautiful gift from the Father because once we pass from here, our soul, the part of us that lives eternally will face one of two realities, heaven or hell. God has created in us the desire to know Him so that we might choose Him and therefore live eternally with Him. 

The thought of not spending eternity with God grieves His heart and so He gives us an innate desire to avoid being eternally alone (separated from love, joy, peace, a place where there is no pain, no tears etc.). It is the goodness and kindness of God to give us yet another way to seek Him and choose Him. That’s the heart of a Father, to give His children every opportunity to choose Him, to have another chance at eternity with Him.

Being heard, seen, loved, valued, not being alone is an incredibly powerful motivator for people to stay in destructive relationships be that faith based, dating, friendship, marriage, work etc.  

Lauren talks about the red flags that we need to be aware of. Granted we may not discern them at first because there is a conditioning, a soft build up to the actual abuse but some of the ones Lauren touched on were things like, the requirement to be obedient to the belief system, don’t question their authority, distrust outsiders, shoulder any burdens you experience, and undermining trust in yourself.

After you hear all that Lauren talks about in this conversation you’re going to want to get her book, Leaving Christian Science. She shares more of her personal story and includes 9 other people who share their experiences and why they too left the false faith. 

Each chapter addresses the various theological inconsistencies taught by Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science. Lauren and her guests compare Christian Science themes such as matter, Jesus Christ, contagion, prayer, and sin. Examining these inconsistencies provides a deeper understanding of the Christian faith that Lauren now pursues in freedom and truth.

Let’s get this conversation started. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Lauren: Website: laurenhunter.net Amazon Book Page: https://amzn.to/32LKPRk Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/laurenhunter.net/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/mamahunter100 Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenhhunter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhhunter/ Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/laurenhhunter/ Amazon Author Central: https://amazon.com/author/laurenhunter NetGalley Widget Link to review copy: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/203967 Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/lauren_hunter BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lauren-hunter

Bio: Lauren Hunter is a writer who loves the big picture of God’s journey we are all on together. Raised in a fourth-generation family of Christian Scientists, Lauren left her family’s faith behind at the age of 25 to become an evangelical Christian. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they live in Northern California with their four children.

It’s no secret, God has a plan for your life and so does Satan but before we jump into finding freedom I do want to pause for one minute and acknowledge that some people do not believe that a Christian should or could have trouble with demonic attachments and influences or oppression, and if that's you, don’t check out. 

Allow me to humbly submit to you Job. A man who was tested in every single capacity of life and never sinned against God. As a matter of fact, it was because of Job’s faithfulness that God offered him up to Satan. With restrictions of course, but none the less we see Job go from traumatic emotional pain, to physical illness pain to a place where the pain turned inward on himself as he cried out to the God he believed in. 

We have this perspective about Job but we can also acknowledge that we’ve all been through portions of Job’s journey. Our own emotions can become weary unless we isolate ourselves from life and relationship. But isolation is Satan’s playground with regard to our mental thought life. So take the time to talk to Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal the various ways that your enemy works against you to steal your mental health, kill your peace of mind and ultimately destroy you, even though you remain physically alive. Ask Holy Spirit to give you revelation and then whatever He reveals, take it captive to Christ.

Karen is here to let us know that we can find freedom from anguish, confusion, depression and anxiety, all the ways that we suffer when Satan goes undetected and therefore runs rampant in our thought life. Times when we allow negative thoughts and experiences to overwhelm us to the point that we live in fear and cannot find any peace. We’re in constant survival mode, never confident about which way to turn. 

Mental health is simply one way Satan works against us and Karen feels that stored emotions in her body (from a 20 year abusive marriage) contributed to the 2 cancer diagnoses that she’s received. But it has only fueled her desire to stand on God’s word and experience what it means when we read in the Holy Bible that, "...by His stripes (His wounds) we are healed." (My emphasis inserted)

He paid the price for our healing (be it mental, physical or emotional) with every drop of His Son’s blood so I am confident that the blood He’s invested is a clear indication that healing is for everyone. In other words, God wants a return on His most precious investment. 

Not only does Karen participate in the deliverance ministry by assisting people to be set free by the power of Christ but she herself has benefited greatly by also allowing others in the deliverance ministry to break off demonic influences that she has experienced. 

Additionally, she’s taken the time to investigate in what ways she has allowed Satan to have access to her and when she finds points of access she exercises the power and authority of Christ’s work on the cross. She shuts down the strongman and his structured kingdom, forbidding any division and casting them all into the pit of hell where they came from.  

Another way that Satan finds an access point and then we’ll get to the conversation with Karen, is when the uncertainty of life hits us it creates an environment that is rich with regard to questioning God’s goodness which in turn causes us to question God’s love for us and His intentions. Questioning God in the midst of pain is normal and expected but it’s an opportune time for Satan to attach himself to our pain and flood us with past pain that lines up with our current situation and therefore validating our emotions. All with the purpose of driving a wedge between our heart and God’s heart. Satan wants us to lose our footing on the truths that we already know about God.  

Satan wants us to define God based on our pain and fear.  Satan attacks us in our most vulnerable places. Our weakest moments are the perfect time for him to slay us and again, he doesn’t necessarily want to kill us physically but rather slay us emotionally and mentally. I can only imagine the daily celebration we afford him when we are alive yet dead inside. And really what kind of Christian testimony is that to the world especially when we’ve been given authority over our enemy and freedom in the presence of our enemies, despite the existence of evil in his life. Take that Satan!

Let’s get started so we can hear all that Karen has to share! 

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Karen: https://finding-freedom-ministries.com

Resources: Downloads Books Videos

Want more information/episodes about other types of deliverance ministry options? Here are some links to past episodes: Emotion Code Therapy Part 1 Emotion Code Therapy Part 2

Bio: Karen King is an ordained minister who has been involved in ministry in Hampton Roads for many years. She is trained in deliverance, inner healing, and counseling. She is also a mother of seven children and has four grandchildren. Karen spent many years raising her large family as a single mom. Because of her perseverance and years walking closely with the Holy Spirit, she experienced deep inner healing from fear and low esteem. In the midst of these trials, she was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She has an amazing testimony of walking out her physical and emotional healing that was activated by her amazing faith in the healing power of Christ. Karen’s faith and determination through these trials allowed her to flourish in her spiritual gifts as she sought deliverance and inner healing from the oppression.

Karen also has a passion for nutrition and is a certified health coach.  This has played a large role in her physical healing.  Karen spent many years in catering and loves to mentor others in nutrition and wellness.  The Lord has given Karen a vision of one day opening a healing ranch where people can come for health coaching, physical healing, inner healing, and deliverance.  She has a passion to help people from the inside out and shares the love of Christ through her relationships.

Karen now serves the Lord by ministering to others who are fighting through the same mental, spiritual, and physical trials that she conquered through the power of Christ.  She has a special calling to mentor young people and woman who are struggling in their spiritual and physical walk.  Karen also specializes in personality assessments using the Disc assessment system to discover a person’s personality type.  These assessments help improve communication, productivity, and conflict management in one’s spiritual walk, job, and ministry.  She also has taught Disc assessment to churches, ministries, and businesses.

Karen also actively serves as a deliverance minister and is on staff with Finding Freedom Ministries, helping break ungodly oppression through the power of Christ and counseling others through inner healing.

I want to back up just a little bit. Allow me to layout my day before I learned we had lost Zane. I had recently started a 7am Tuesday morning prayer time with a sweet mom of 10. We had to start early because of the demands on her day.

On the morning of June 16th 2020, we met and this young momma shared an amazing miracle that she and her family experienced that past weekend. True to the nature of a miracle something horrific presents itself and despite everything saying it should have a tragic ending it turns out completely different and their (then) 4 year old son is perfectly fine with no concerns left about his physical condition or motor skills etc. I can testify to the fact that he is indeed complete, whole, typical little boy. I left our short visit in awe of how God shows Himself faithful.

On that same day, twelve hours later I saw my phone ringing with a number I did not recognize so I ignored it. What immediately followed was a text and the caller shared her name saying she was a good friend of Alicia’s. 

Alicia, my sweet friend and devoted mx (motocross) mom whose family we had grown close to through many years of traveling together cheering our sons on, praying for their safety and nursing them when they were injured. We shared in tragedy and triumph, good and bad, highs and lows. 

I snatched up the phone and dialed the number back. I knew in my spirit I didn’t want to hear what she had to say.  But of course when someone you love is in need you’re propelled to run toward them. 

As the woman spoke on behalf of Alicia my heart shattered into a million pieces. It would seem that God did not show Himself faithful for her baby boy. Yes, Zane was 30 but do our children ever stop being our babies? 

These two women, my young mom of 10 and Alicia wear many hats in order to fulfill all the roles they are responsible for and they both value that of wife and mother above all the titles they’re known by. They are passionate about God and they each serve Him with their whole heart. 

Two moms serving the same God whom they profess to be good, kind, loving and protective. One with a beautiful story of restoration and protection and the other laid her son to rest. 

Neither mom did anything wrong. Neither mom was more perfect than the other, more godly and more favored and loved by God. 

How do we make sense of the good God who, at times seems cruel and at the very least does not treat us fair or equal. One minute He’s saving the day and the next it seems He’s disinterested, nowhere to be found. 

I’m not going to pretend I have the answers to understand what is clearly beyond my ability to grasp or process. A deep wisdom beyond my limited understanding holds the answers to the deepest cry of a shattered heart. 

What I can do though is share personal, first hand stories that give real life examples of how God cares for us in the darkest of dark valleys and that’s what Alicia does in this episode.

We discuss the sovereignty of God, His authority over life and death and why He is trustworthy with our pain. We touch on the stigma of drug abuse and whether or not it’s a choice. Especially when it’s introduced to a young person because of an injury. Maybe it’s a choice early on but at some point the chemical change in the brain takes over and that’s the reality of the fight, not a simple choice to use or not use. 

She briefly talks about what she refers to as “growth edges” and how, not wanting to be stuck in her grief, caused her to step out in faith to new territory in her spiritual growth and personal life. 

At one point I ask her a question that I like to ask my guests because I think it’s one of the major ways Satan attempts to separate us from God, His truth, healing, and redemption. 

I asked her, in what ways did Satan try to drive a wedge between her and God. Her answer gave me a different perspective. One I hadn’t thought about. Satan was set on destroying relationship but since He couldn’t shake Alicia’s connection with God he came after her personal relationships.

Near the end of our conversation I asked her about Psalm 23, specifically  how did God prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemy and what she shared gave revelation, making it clear that what God did in that situation can be applied to everyday life.

Where is the good God we profess when things become to much to bear? Listen in and hear Alicia’s testimony on how to find God in our pain. 

Connect with Alicia: Email: skinsoreal@gmail.com  IG @aliciahodges7 FB Alicia Williams Hodges  Biz. Website aliciahodges.neora.com

Bio: My name is Alicia Williams Hodges and I am originally from Roanoke, VA.  I have been married 37 years and we live right outside Roanoke on Smith Mountain Lake. I have two beautiful children and a 2 year old granddaughter.

I am a Founding Member with Neora, a Holistic Anti-Aging Beauty and Wellness Company and celebrated my 11th year in May of 2023. Previously, I had been a stay at home mom for 20 years and my days were filled with ministry, non-profit work and raising my kids.

Life happened in “08 and Neora found me! I am a solution provider for your aging needs and concerns. I am very passionate about helping people look, feel and live their BEST life NOW, while building a legacy of faith, hope, love and wealth for families and future generations.

Although I have an international business, I love networking, connecting and helping people build their businesses.

Want more encouragement on this topic? Listen to this episode with guest Carole Sluski, a mom who lost her daughter: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/03/15/surviving-grief-and-the-death-of-her-daughter-with-carol/

Even though Suzanne was having trouble with her eyes she felt it had more to do with her new schedule and work environment than anything serious so she didn’t make a doctor’s visit a priority.  What initiated this journey of uncertainty was a simple, but out of character request from her young daughter to see an eye doctor based on the fact that she was having trouble seeing the front of the classroom, the chalkboard.  

In the process of diagnosing Suzanne accurately, they look at 3 markers that will tell a patient what their chances are of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. Suzanne’s test revealed that of the 3 levels, she has the highest marker indicating she is at the highest risk for her cancer to spread. But that initial diagnosis, is just the beginning of her journey as she pressed into the God who has shown Himself faithful in so many other areas of her life. 

As you listen to her story, maybe you’ll hear what I heard with regard to Suzanne’s faith. Yes, she struggled with God, yes it was frightening, yes she had questions for God as the heart stopping news continued to  unfold. But God was already in motion, putting things in place. In His perfect timing, He moves Suzanne and her family from rural North Carolina to the hustle and bustle of Richmond, VA. This location would put her much closer to the doctors she would need before she even knows she’ll need them. 

Here’s why I ponder how her faith has increased the miracles in her life. 1 Chronicles 5:20, the last part of verse 20 says, “…they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in Him.”

Suzanne’s story is going to encourage your heart in knowing that God is trustworthy and faithful through the dark valleys, especially because she shares two very important updates that I’m sure have the medical field scratching their heads or at the very least rereading previous data. But now they have some hope to share with their other patients. 

You know, if someone told me I was one of 6 people, in one million who had received something, I’d be thanking God for the lottery win. It's embarrassing, but I do believe that is where my mind would go first. But listen to the end of this episode and hear Suzanne’s parting words. In her heart she did win. She is discovering the most precious, intimate things about God in the fight for her life. 

Let’s jump in to this amazing testimony of finding the God of the Holy Bible in the midst of pain and suffering. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Suzanne: Freebie - 6 verses for peace, trust, and healing: https://suzanne-stines.ck.page/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homebasewithsuz

Bio: When Suzanne was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer in 2018, her world came crashing down. She felt completely overwhelmed and struggled through every stage of grief. She learned how to chase Jesus with her whole heart and has since pursued a deeper and more intimate walk with Him. She will encourage you, make you laugh and bring you to tears with stories of how God has moved in her life before and after the diagnosis. Suzanne resides in Richmond, VA with her husband and daughter. Ladies are invited to join her Facebook group, Home B.A.S.E. with Suz, where she provides weekly Biblical and spiritual encouragement. You can find more info about Suzanne here where you can sign up for her newsletter and contact her for speaking events.

As many of us know joy is not something we have to cultivate in our own power and it isn’t defined by our circumstances. As believers it is a fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control). And because it is a fruit of the spirit it is already present and available to us. We need only identify what we’re allowing to get in between us and the joy that is rightfully ours as God’s children’s. 

Doris has written a 6 week bible study on joy and this conversation includes the topics covered in the book: Reveal, Respond, Receive, Renew, Rest and Reach.  I believe her bible study provides a full investigation of joy, how we can find the fruit of joy in our life, how we can maintain it, and how we can increase the joy in our life.

At the beginning of this episode Doris shares about an exercise she challenged her audience to participate in with regard to laying down their joy stealers as well as agreeing not to take them back. 

She said she’d love to know if my podcast listeners take her challenge too and engage in the exercise she talks about. If you do interact with her proposed exercise, I as well would love to hear how you did and especially what action you took afterward to acknowledge your desire to leave your joy stealer(s) with God allowing Him to work them out in your life as you go about your day in His joy.  So leave us a comment associated with this episode. 

Let’s listen in to discover the power found in the simplicity of the type of joy that God has provided for us. 

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Author Bio:

Doris Swift is an author, speaker, founder of Fierce Calling Ministries, and host of the award-winning Fierce Calling podcast. She is passionate about equipping women to dig deeper into God's word, take action where their passion, compassion, and conviction intersect, and walk boldly in their fierce calling. Her new Bible study, Surrender the Joy Stealers: Rediscover the Jesus Joy in You, a six-week Bible study rooted in John 15, is available at dorisswift.com.          She currently resides in Central Florida with her husband Brian, is mom to an amazing son and daughter and their spouses, and Gammy to six awesome grandkids.

Connect With Doris: Website: dorisswift.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DorisSSwift Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorissusanswift/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DorisSSwift

Transcription: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/621e62d78ba64b39ad5170405c44bc78/view?organization_id=868176

She's recently published a book about her journey titled, Left Turn: Life Unimagined. Unimagined indeed. The scope of all that this tragedy seeps into is nothing shy of every facet of her life and the lives of others. Her heart and the hearts of everyone affected have been shattered in countless ways.

Jennifer takes full responsibility for the accidental death of David, a motorcyclist that she did not see after stopping at the stop sign. She has an incredibly humble posture in the position of having taken the life of another human being. Additionally, she has great compassion for those who find themselves in the same exact position as her, having accidentally caused the death of another person.

I'm not quite sure why I find the topic of forgiveness so intriguing but when Jennifer and I were able to get our schedules together for this conversation I knew that she would provide us with an incredible glimpse into the heart of God and His forgiveness. And in her case, not only God's forgiveness but the hope for forgiveness from David's family, her children's forgiveness because they were in the car at the time of the accident, her husband's forgiveness whom she withdrew from him feeling unloveable and unworthy, forgiveness from her community, her church, her job not to mention having to forgive herself and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We ran out of time before we had a chance to talk about the legal process that Texas has in place and the way it added to the devastation.

As we talked, the layers that were affected by David's death, boggled my mind. From the moment of impact the repercussions would be felt in both her life as well as David's life. They didn't know each other prior to that moment in the intersection and despite the fact that David did not survive the tragic accident, Jennifer will never forget him or his family and nor does she want to.

I'm going to keep this intro short. I'm finding it difficult to put into words the beauty and wisdom that Jennifer has to offer because of what God has walked her through. You're going to have to hear it yourself so that you can absorb this life changing information about the heart of God.

As hard as it was for Jennifer to come to grips with what had happened, she knew that this situation had to pass through God's hands and receive approval. So she had to face the fact that God in His sovereignty had allowed it. In an effort to trust Him with His purpose behind allowing it, she asked God to show her how He had prepared her for this moment and she shares the various ways that He confirmed for her that He had prepared her and that He would see her through.

Part of God's redemption for Jennifer was to connect her with Jada Pinkett Smith as a guest on her show, Red Table Talk. The Red Table Talk website describes the show "where we tackle current social and cultural issues with an inter-generational perspective." (redtabletalk.com)

Jennifer's time on the show gave her the opportunity to share the tragedy she was experiencing and how the God of the Holy Bible made all the difference. Jennifer mentions that the Red Table Talk show has approximately 5 million viewers and I do see where they have 11 million followers on Facebook. I can't help but think about how amazing God is in the redemption process.

God has also put Jennifer in the path of people whom she randomly passes and she's able to give an encouraging word for healing as well as provide resources that can help. We talked about so many things and that's why this audio ran over my preferred 1 hour max but you will not be disappointed with the message that Jennifer has to share.

As we closed I asked her the final question, was there any ONE thing she'd want to share with our listeners today. Her response echoed her compassion and empathy that you'll hear throughout the entire conversation. She didn't plead her case, you'll never hear her side step or avoid taking responsibility for the accidental death of David. Instead, she takes the posture of a surrogate of sorts and offers an apology to anyone who needs to hear, "I'm sorry" from someone like her.

This conversation will give your heart courage to trust God especially when life makes no sense and ending it all sounds more appealing.

Let's listen in to find out what beautiful things God spoke to Jennifer in her very dark valley.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Jennifer: You can connect with Jennifer at accidentalhope.com  Her Podcast: Accidental Hope Podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalHope Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidentalhope/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopeAccidental

Resource: Accidental Impacts under the Hyacinth Fellowship - a support group for those who have unintentionally caused harm to another person: https://hyacinthfellowship.org/

Bio: Jennifer Eikenhorst loves Jesus which she feels is essential in her healing and therefore she shares her beliefs freely. Her faith is the cornerstone of content for her blog and podcast. She’s the wife of a multi-sport coach, Chris (who stole her heart in her senior year of high school), mom to 4 amazing kids, math teacher, blogger, podcast host (Accidental Hope), grad student, hope-seeker, and notorious over-sharer! She’s also an advocate for CADIs (Causing Accidental Death or Injury). Besides Jesus and her family, she loves their golden-doodle Coda, dance fitness, making recipes her own, and Bible journaling.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/227d72c9f31e45efb44c8d4ba5126b08/edit

What lengths a mother will go to to get her children the help they need and Patty was no exception. She was blindsided by what happened to her daughter when she was only 10 years old and the fallout constantly challenged Patty's ability to get out ahead of the resulting trauma and mental illness issues that would unfold over time.

And I don't remember the time frame in relation to her daughter coming to her about what happened and then her son coming forward but in the midst of meeting her daughter's needs her son, 4 years younger than her daughter, requests to also have professional help like his sister. He receives the professional help and yet he follows through with his thoughts of self-harm and Patty finds herself sitting beside her son's hospital bed looking at the countless pieces of machinery not knowing if he'll live through the night.

Patty's journey into uncharted waters hit her from several sides. Along with her children's level of need, her husband would also be diagnosed with a hole in his heart and endure multiple procedures; each one having the potential of take his life. And her aging parents needed her help as well. Just when you think that would be enough, she, herself is diagnosed with PTSD.

As our conversation unfolded it became apparent to me that through every phase of her dark valley she never questioned God's faithfulness. One of the things that was thought provoking to me is that she shares how she'd read Job's story and it would comfort her that her life was not as bad as what Job had endured. Now that's one way to put perspective in your life.

Patty has the sweetest countenance, you can hear it in her voice. If you think she'd make the sweetest friend, you're right. She has a strong bond with the women that she does life with. I've met the group of women she is connected to. The whole group, not just a percentage of the women, love well. If you're ever on the Eastern Shore in the Cape Charles area of the Virginia side, and you need a kind person to talk to, stop in at Cheriton Church and ask for any one of the women who serve on the WinGS (Women in God's Service) team. I guarantee you, you'll leave feeling like you were loved on by Jesus Himself.

Let's listen in to Patty's humble, transparent story of how she navigated mental illness with her children and the uncertainty that life can challenge us with.

Connect with Patty: www.MyConciergeLLCVa.com

Bio: Patty came from a Christian home where the family attended church wherever they lived. While she and her family were living in Bangkok, Thailand, Patty accepted Jesus and was baptized at age 15. 

She has been married to David for 50 years and they have two children and two grandchildren. In 2018 Patty and David relocated to the Eastern Shore of Virginia where they love the quiet lifestyle. They currently reside in a 200-year-old, former parish house relocated from Hog Island to Nassawadox, VA.Patty and David are active members of Cheriton Baptist Church where she is on the WinGS committee. WinGS stands for Women in God’s Service.

Patty is also the business owner of My Concierge LLC, an office consulting and bookkeeping firm. She loves helping people manage their back office and has no plans to retire. You can learn more about her business on her website:  www.MyConciergeLLCVa.com.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/7d62e6959e1141cfb1c65c4563cef0b7/edit

Eileen tells us why she has a passion to heal those who live with trauma. She talks about how God captivated her heart by redeeming her pain, using her journey of trauma which in turn, allowed her to receive the vision God laid before her in the very midst of grieving the loss of her husband whom she’d been with since she was 18 years old.

When God shared his desire for her to open her home to women with traumatic experiences for the purpose of bringing them into deeper levels of healing He told her that He would make a way. He would provide the means to renovate and sustain the home for His purposes and that He has done!

I’ve just returned from visiting Eileen’s home that she has converted to the Rest and Renewal Ranch. Leaving Virginia where my setting is a combination of rural country, the beach and ocean; where I’m 12’ above sea level and everything here is lush with various shades of green and copious amounts of water everywhere, I was struck by the Arizona beauty for a completely different reason. 

I was in awe of the size of the Arizona landscape. Truly breathtaking! If you take the time to look around  there are wild flowers growing everywhere. Vibrant colors against the rocky backdrop. It reminded me of the beauty, found in the details that all around us. Beauty that we can capture and appreciate when we slow down.

Eileen’s modest home sits in the rugged terrain and vegetation that are typical to Arizona. When you go inside Eileen’s humble home there is a peace that permeates the space. You’re embraced with comfort and her kindness. You feel like you’ve always known her.

It’s times like that when God speaks to my spirit and says, You tried to put me in a box Sherrie. I’m always in awe with how unassuming God’s presence can be. There have been many times when I'm standing in the presence of God, He’s still and quiet; set in such a way that I can miss His presence. Especially when I’m looking for it in a way that I had defined it should be. A definition based on my knowledge and understanding. 

I love when He surprises me like that and He used Eileen as a beautiful example of His hands and feet. My experience reminded me of Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

I thought the contrast between the harsh landscape and her cozy home was similar to how the world can be unyielding and yet her cozy home felt like a respite, a warm embrace from Jesus in the middle of it all.

It just so happened that I visited Eileen on my birthday so she went out of her way to make me feel loved and special on that day. I agreed to try her fresh goats milk and I’m glad I did. What a delight, it was so creamy. As she mentioned in the previous episode, she’s a massage therapist so I got a massage and we also did an emotion code session which has left me with a deeper peace that no one but Jesus can provide. 

We talked about spiritual gifts and she told me about the history of the ranch that she shared with her husband before his unexpected passing. At the end of the day we went to the top of the mountain to watch the sunset over the opposing mountains in the west. It was the perfect way to say good by to my 50’s and begin the first day of 60s.

If you decide to visit the Rest and Renewal Ranch you’ll need to reach out to Eileen on her email. Her email will be in the show notes but I can give it to you right now cuz it’s pretty easy to remember: Restandrenewal@pm.me

Before we jump into the episode, I wanted to point out something that lingered after our conversation. Allow me to share the discernment that the Lord provided me.

In my conversation with Eileen I was expressing my thoughts on how important it was that you find someone trustworthy when it comes to emotion code therapy. And by trustworthy I mean a solid Christian. Mainly because you’re allowing someone into your mental and emotional space; you’re giving them access to a core element of who you are. 

To me, that is to be taken very seriously because you are entering into a spiritual realm. That is not something that I completely understand so I want to guard that. I know through Jesus I have power over the works of Satan but I never want to intentionally allow Satan to have access to me through the spiritual realm.

I’ve done yoga before because stretching is extremely important for your overall health. When you think about Physical Therapy or Chiropractors (with regard to regaining mobility in your body) it’s all about stretching the body.  To protect myself in the yoga atmosphere, whenever I did poses I would have an internal dialog with God or say breath prayers to God and tell Him I worship Him alone.

When they’d do the palms together I’d clasp my fingers in more of a child like prayer. When they ask you to clear your head or relax into Shavasana, I’d recite scripture or I’d invite God to insulate and protect me. I was only there for the stretching practices not the worship poses nor the practices of another religion so I kept my focus on the God of the Holy Bible. I thanked Him for my body, the ability to use it and desire to keep it healthy. 

I say all that to preface this, Eileen had a valid point of not knowing if our physicians are faith based or if they believe in our God yet we trust them with surgery on our bodies and we trust psychologist/psychiatrist with our emotional and mental well being. She had me thinking.

I’ll be the first one to say that we need to be selective about who we allow to have access to us, be that physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually etc. so I pondered my process with physicians and other medical personnel. 

My first acknowledgement was that I am prone to easily give them access because they’ve gone through strenuous requirements to be in those positions and yet it cannot be ignored that we all know they are considered to be practicing medicine, in short, they’re practicing on us.

Pondering that thought with the Lord reminded me and I haven’t always done this, that I pray not only for the doctor I should go to but once I have a doctor I pray for him/her. If there is a medical procedure that I need I pray for the nurses, those who assist, I pray about the equipment and instruments/tools needed, I even pray that within the attending medical team there is no conflict both in personalities nor personal relationship during my medical procedure.

So any doctor that I use, whether I know if they serve my God or not, I’m confident God has lead me to them and that He will use them to meet the need I have.

So I’ve used that same process with Eileen. I didn’t necessarily go looking for Emotion Code therapy but when God had our paths cross and I began to talk to Him about what I was learning it lined up with my desire to have Godly influence when giving someone access to the intimacy of who I am created to be.

We live in a world that is so incredibly diverse, extremely diverse so it’s quite a challenge to live a strict Christian life when it comes to who we interact with, whom we trust with our safety, our health etc. So ultimately our goal is to pray for discernment in which doctors we would use and to invite God into the services we receive. Pray over our doctors as they administer any type of healing to us. We can’t go wrong when we invite God to provide discernment and protection and we’re responsible to respond to His leading.

So let’s get into the episode. Quick recap of Part 1. It was mainly about how the body is created by God to have its own internal language, how we are created (mind, body and spirit) and how these 3 parts mesh together in such an intricate way that our body parts hold our experiences good and bad. So much so, Eileen gave a couple of examples of times when people received transplants and were subject to the original persons life. She also talked about how the body communicates within as well as gives us indication, warning and alarms when it needs attention, expression, healing. Let’s get started!

Live Loved and Thrive! 

Connect with Eileen via her email: restandrenewal@pm.me

Resources: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Restored for Life Now - Is the Emotion Code Safe for Christians: https://www.restoredforlifenow.com/post/is-the-emotion-code-safe-for-christians American Psychological Association: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-48202-001 Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-you-and-me/201509/the-good-and-bad-emotion-regulation-strategies

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/2b8a14315ff14b879c04aec47ee74356/edit?organization_id=868176

This is going to be a lengthy intro and a I hate that for you but there’s so much to unpack that I want to sort it out a little bit before we jump into the bulk of episode. My conversation with Eileen is full of examples, scripture, and first hand experiences to the point that I realized I'd have to create 2 episodes from all that Eileen shares. Part 2 will cover more of what an emotion code session looks like. 

The first thing I want to address is that this topic is going to be controversial in the Christian community. The reason is because it has been hijacked by new age healers. 

Before I explain why, allow me to give you a quick glimpse of why I brought emotion code healing to God for His input and it's because of a very good experience that I had with something similar, Theophostic Prayer Ministry or as many people call it Inner Healing Prayer therapy. 

In my theophostic prayer session I received breakthrough healing for what I believe (based on the peace in my mind/life/heart)to be the last layer of trauma for abandonment. However, I’ll be the first one to say that if I get triggered again around an abandonment issue it simply means that I still have some work to do for another layer of healing and I’m open to that because God heals me in layers. But in the meantime I live with deep peace because of Theophostic Prayer therapy.

A little history on this type of ministry is that a Baptist Minister, Ed Smith, developed the Theophostic Prayer Ministry model here in the United States back in the 90’s. 

A simplified explanation for what happens during a theophostic therapy session is that you sit with someone who is trained in this type of therapy and they guide you with questions around a traumatic event in your life and you talk with Jesus about what you are experiencing. 

In my theophostic prayer work I came to a place where I asked Jesus, "Where were you when my mother left me on the side of the road when I was 6 years old?"

As I verbally asked God this question, I was sitting still, eyes closed, nothing but darkness before me.  Then The Holy Spirit gave me the most precious image of Jesus walking beside me, his hand in the middle of my shoulder blades, He’s looking down at me. Maybe I’m talking and He’s listening but He’s looking at me and we’re walking together. That visual gave me proof that Jesus fulfills His promise that He’d never leave me nor forsake me. That one image broke off years of unforgiveness towards my mother. The power of guided prayer through painful memories stored in the body has immense reward when God and the Holy Spirit are engaged.

The outcome that I experienced with theophostic prayer is why I wanted to know God's opinion about Emotion Code therapy. 

Okay, so back to why the new age wants to make its claims on emotion code therapy. 

As believers this is no secret to us, whatever God says is good, Satan wants to distort it at the very least and destroy at the very worst. So when we look at God’s intention behind the healing qualities of herbs and oils or natural and organic healing options (because, in my humble opinion before all of the genetic mutations and man-made virus and chemicals etc. the human body, made from a handful of dust, would naturally find the healing elements that it needed from the earth) But Satan is not going to let God get the credit for that so in a vague and unassuming way satan adds his half truth to something and twists the focus away from the Creator to the created such as crystals, potions using the herbs, as well as energy healings. 

In satan’s half truths he uses a connecting link such as the fact that there is an energy to the body. God has given us a beating heart that is independent of anything outside itself. It has a rythm, a beat you can feel when you touch your pulse, an electrical current that registers on medical equipment.

But For us, Christians know that God sustains us and that by His hand we have breath, have life and healing in our body….So of course Satan is going to introduce something that sounds legit like energy healings. If you agree that there is an energy to the body then an energy healing sounds appropriate, right?

So why does emotion code therapy fall under that type of category of Satan wanting to distort and/or destroy it…emotion code healing, in a very simplistic explanation, is a therapy that locates and dislodges trauma trapped in the body. We all know that the body holds trauma and sometimes it gets so many layers buried on top of it that we loose sight of what the problem could be. 

Using the powerful name of Jesus and inviting Holy Spirit to discern trauma hidden in the body, people are finding healing and breakthrough for physical ailments that have no medical explanation, mental health is restored, anxiety is gone people are being set free from trauma. My favorite is set free from past trauma that the body has held onto.  

One of the unique things about emotion code healing is that It addresses the unique way that God has created us as mind/body/spirit/soul. The intricacies with which God has created us can only be fully appreciated and accessed by the One who knows His creation. Calling on God’s name for the restoration of our mind or our body is the only true source of healing.

Please know that I’m not trying to twist anybodies arm on this. Do like I did, check it out. Bring your concerns to God. Talk with Him about you fears. Give Him space to speak His truth to you.

Here are 3 scriptures that you can start to engage God’s heart about mental and emotional healing and ask Him to show you what it means to have a crushed spirit (something that is mental and/or emotional) and how it can dry up your bones (a physical manifestation):  

Proverbs 18:14 “A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”  

Proverbs 15:13 “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed” 

Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

As solid Christians we know to stay away from anyone who calls on any other name, other than that of Jesus Christ for healing. We steer clear from those who would try to lead us to believe that crystals have some sort of magical powers. So when it comes to emotion code therapy we’re not looking for anything other than someone who calls on the name of Jesus, talks to Holy Spirit.  In my research I even found professed Christian sites that used crystals as part of their healing process. That's a big fat no. Anything that deviates from God's name as the healing power is a strong no.

Back to my guest, Eileen.  She is a solid Christian sold out on the love of Jesus. She and her husband came to the knowledge of Christ during the Jesus Revolution era. That in itself is an interesting aspect of her story and if you’d like to hear more about that then check out the episode she did with me on March 28th 2023 titled When a Husband disengages, God’s love is enough” 

But back to the current topic at hand. 

When it comes to Eileen’s daily pursuit of God’s heart, there’s no better day for her than inviting the Holy Spirit to give her discernment that allows her to lead God’s children into breakthrough and healing. 

In this episode she talks about the journey God has taken her on over the past 30 years working with the human body. She goes into detail telling you what she’s learned and how it impacted her so I’ll simply give a quick overview. 

From being the first woman reserve firefighter with the city of Kirkland Washington, an EMT who worked in the ER, massage therapist and then emotion code practitioner. At every phase she’s learned how miraculous the body is and the intimacy of God’s care for His beloved children. 

After listening to Eileen, it’s very intriguing to me to understand how the body has the ability to heal on a physical level, say bruises, cuts, breaks, surgery, and yet there can be additional damage on a mental or emotional level. 

It is becoming very apparent that to fully heal from various traumas against/to/in the body, it will also entail addressing the mental and emotional impact as well.

Further fascinating to me is the way the body communicates with the other parts of the body, specifically the brain. The body can have a whole conversation going on within itself and we can totally miss it. And yet it cries out to us, indicating where we need to take a closer look, calling us, demanding us to find a source of healing. All using the natural alarm system given to us by God himself which is our emotions.

Listen in to these amazing examples that Eileen gives us of how the body conveys its need internally as well as externally. For me, it’s another beautiful display of God’s Sovereign design and the intimacy with which He created us.

Live Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Eileen via her email: Restandrenewal@pm.me

Resources: Restored for Life Now - Is the Emotion Code Safe for Christians: https://www.restoredforlifenow.com/post/is-the-emotion-code-safe-for-christians American Psychological Association: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-48202-001 Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-you-and-me/201509/the-good-and-bad-emotion-regulation-strategies

Book by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk - The Body Keeps the Score There are also workbooks for The Body Keeps the Score by several authors but I did not find one by Dr Kolk.

Want more information/episodes about other types of deliverance ministry options? Here are some links to past episodes: Emotion Code Part 2 Finding Freedom Through the Deliverance Ministry

Transcription:  https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/bf0b7a426be54071953826e78bb874c0/view?organization_id=868176

Believe it or not you are a natural born story-teller and your story has the power to change lives. In this episode I'm not talking about the crafted stories you see in books or movies because if we wrote books and movies in the vernacular that we naturally use, they would never sell. So I’m focused on the way we organically engage the world around us with the spoken word.

So let's first look at how we might underestimate and under appreciate words. While I know that you know how important words are, I liken it to, someone who has a natural understanding of something; maybe it's science, art, music, language and because it comes easy to them, they downplay the importance, the gift. They don't understand why it's not obvious to other people. Same with words, it’s such a natural way for us to communicate that we don’t grasp the absolute power of our spoken words. 

 Dr. Jordan Peterson (a Canadian Psychologist) said something to this effect (with regard to the importance of words), "our whole culture is based on the idea of the supremacy of the word, that it is the word itself that extracts habitable order from chaos and possibility."  

For me, the most compelling example of the absolute power of the spoken word is that God spoke everything into being. Psalm 33:9 says, "For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." There are many other scriptures that tell of God speaking things into being. Genesis, right? When God spoke everything into existence. He gives us a beautiful example of the power and importance of words.

And to further drive home the value of words in our every day life. Every morning, you rise and begin to use words to bring order to your day as you make choices. You share things about yourself with those around you. Each time you connect with someone, you’re communicating in a way that conveys your needs, sharing a little bit about what’s been going on in your life, maybe sharing bits of information about your family as well as asking them questions and listening to their reply about what’s happening in their world. You are engaging in shared story.

And that’s why I say you are a natural born story-teller. The simple act of using words to navigate our day is the most natural form of communication where we share experiences and create connection. 

Here’s another way to look at the importance of words. For a moment think about a solitary confinement environment. It doesn’t have to be a jail cell because there are plenty of people who live alone and have a limited ability to interact with others. People such as the elderly, or widows, those who have an illness that limits mobility, the youth of today are isolated from real life. So imagine what it would be like if you were not able to talk to anyone. 

Even if you saw someone, maybe they come to drop off food or provide a health appointment like a nurse stops by your house, but the time frame that they’re there is limited and they’e simply fulfilling their job duties so it’s a brief exchange at best. Very limited. 

To have a friendly verbal exchange with someone is vital to life with regard to mental health, relationship, connection and posterity? One of the most common desires of the human heart is to be seen, heard, valued and conversation can fill that need. Life is automatically enriched and becomes more meaningful when we talk with, share with and listen to those around us.  

A minute ago I mentioned movies and books, and there is also the news and social media, various outlets that engage people. The attraction to these types of formats is that they are all story based and that’s why people tune in. Shared story will never get old. It’s foundation to our culture.

I think this establishes the importance of words and this is where I want to intersect your story. When we give proof of something in our lie, things based on our personal knowledge and experience, that is also known as a testimony.

Most times when people hear the word testimony they immediately categorize that as exclusive to a church setting. They automatically assume that means someone’s salvation story (your story of how God’s love overwhelmed you to the point that you accepted what He did on the cross, acknowledged that you were a sinner and asked Him to dwell in you with His Holy Spirit). But In this particular episode I want to go beyond the standard salvation testimony. Don’t get me wrong, they’re needed and they’re powerful and I’m not going to exclude them but I want to push out this topic when it comes to how we think about our personal testimony with regard to God’s goodness. 

As believers (those who have made a profession of Fatih, accepting what Christ did on the cross/the shedding of His blood as payment for our sins) we have a place of authority in Christ. We exercise the authority given to us is when we follow in God's footsteps using the example He gave us. We open our mouth and speak. And in the particular context of shared story, we tell about the goodness of God in all types of situations in our lives. 

In Revelation 12:11 God shares a 2 part position of authority over Satan. The latter part of that verse says that we triumph over him (the evil one) by the blood of the Lamb (the lamb being Christ crucified on the cross) and the word of our testimony. 

God gives us specific instructions on how we can overcome Satan’s influence in our mind, our body…our life and the lives of those around us. So part of our authority has to do with opening our mouth and sharing with others, our personal experience aka testimony of who God has been for us in the painful places of our life. When we do, we weaken and even break the lies that Satan is wooing us to believe, or maybe even has us believing. 

When we experience God’s presence, influence, truth, love, comfort, peace, joy …..It literally exposes Satan as the liar that he is. 

And when we open our mouth and speak of the goodness of God we become tangible evidence to the world around us. We are evidence of the fact that God cares about our pain. That He enters into our suffering with us to comfort us, and lead us through.

Here are a few examples of testimonies you have to share about with others. To be honest, as you move through your full cycle of life, you may have each one of these testimonies throughout the years ahead:

If you’ve professed God as your personal Lord and Savior, then you have a salvation testimony - you have an Acts 4:12 testimony (12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”). You can share where you were in life, what sort of condition your heart was in or the journey you were on to find truth, peace, comfort…how did God meet you in your moment of need and what is the difference He has made.

If God showed up for you in your dark valley, then you have a Psalm 23:4 testimony. (…yea though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death I will fear no evil). You can testify to who God is in some of the darkest places that the human heart can experience. 

Has God healed you..then you have a Psalm 147:3 testimony (He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.) People need to know the heart of God for those who are afflicted. 

Maybe you’re experiencing a long term health condition? Are you a caregiver? You have a Deu 31:8 testimony (Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.) If this is you, then you have the ability to testify to the mysteries that God has revealed to you about His heart for those who suffer long term.

Sharing your first hand experience of what you discovered about God in your trauma is a sliver of gold to another hurting heart. It’s the knot at the end of the rope for someone who feels all alone and wants to give up. 

As many of you know this podcast was born out of a very dark valley that I walked though. My guests, predominantly women, share their personal story of who God is in the context of pain and suffering. I do this because shared story lightened my grief stricken heart when I unexpectedly lost my husband. 

As I would experience the various emotions that are associated with grief and in the times when my emotions became very intense and I was really struggling, God would send me a woman who would share her story and it would ease the pain that seared my heart. 

One example I’ll give you and it’s the story that always stands out to me when I think about the purpose of my podcast so I may have already shared this. I was struggling with the would’ves, should’ves and could’ves. In other words, the guilt of not having done enough for my husband because if I had, he’d still be alive today. That’s how Satan approached me in this painful place…I believed that if I had picked up on something, and of course in hindsight it seems so obvious, I could have changed the outcome for my husband, me, our family, my grandchildren. The weight on my heart was massive.

I kept running the various scenarios over and over in my mind. The ones that would have me get him to the hospital and they’d see that he was having a heart attack and they’d get him the help he needed and he’d still be here with us. 

And God, in His sweetness, in His kindness, sent a woman who had the courage to share her story. She said, Sherrie, my husband was in the care of doctors twice. The third time was an ambulance ride in the wee hours of the morning. I was up with our one week old daughter when he left in the ambulance. His third trip to the hospital. He died. In the care of professionals. He had meningitis and they missed it. It hit me…Professionals are not God and I’m not God. 

Hearing her story broke the grip that Satan had on my beliefs and lifted the weight of mental and emotional chaos and torment that was suffocating me. 

Some things simply belong to God and that revelation was made clear through the example in her story. Submitting myself to God’s sovereignty gave my mind and my heart a place to rest. 

Sometimes I rested in His lap, other times draped across His shoulders because He had to carry me and other times face down in the floor at His feet. But every time that I got a glimpse of His tender hands and His firmly rooted feet I got a glimpse of His scars…the scars on the hands and feet of the One who carries the burden of life and death.  

Knowing that God has a solution to death…a literal reunion for His believers…and experiencing His intimacy in the darkest time of my life I now have a story that I will never get tired of sharing because I know what it feels like to struggle with God about serious faith and life questions. I know what it’s like for Satan to constantly undermine our well being with lies, planting chaos and spinning the truth at every turn. 

The part of my story that I will share until my last breath is the goodness and kindness of God despite the pain of this life. I love using those 2 simple words…goodness and kindness. They’re extremely simple but don’t be fooled like I was….with God, in the dark places of life His goodness and kindness run extravagantly deep, and reveal infinite wisdom. Nothing about the pain of this life negates, detracts from God. It’s why you’ll often hear me say these 2 things:

1- God has not given us a vocabulary to accurately describe Him. I am unable to give Him His due honor, His proper praise and my full thanksgiving because of our limited vocabulary.

2- God speaks beautiful things in the dark. In the intimacy of pain, a place where no one else can reach,  is where we discover how extravagantly deep and how infinitely wise God is as He reveals mysteries about His heart for us.

God gives us, not just anywhere, but a specific somewhere and even better, He gives us a specific someone…to rest our heart and quiet our mind, we’re able lift our head under the weight of the pain. He gives us His son Jesus. And because of Jesus, we can have a joy that does not make any sense in the context of suffering. We can have peace knowing that God will bring beauty from the rubble and ash that used to resemble your life. 

So when it comes to our story, we’ve looked at the natural way we engage in shared story, We looked at the power of the spoken word when God spoke things into being. We also looked at the authority given to believers when we open our mouth and testify as well as the various ways we can let other’s know they’re not alone in their questions, confusion, chaos.

And that brings us to this question…Whether it’s your salvation testimony, a dark valley where God met you or the faithfulness of God through a painful health condition, how do we tell our story in a way that reveals the heart of God and reminds those who are suffering that they are not alone in their bone saturating pain. 

Here are 3 ways that you can encourage someone to not give up. To point them to the One who is able to turn the painful places of this life into something they never imagined possible and it's by using your story to introduce them to the One they can lean on, rest in and find peace in the days ahead. 

Keep this in mind when you are ready to share your story: People are genuinely overwhelmed with life so we want to be as intentional and purposeful about the parts of our story we want to share vs need to shared. 

1. What was life like before your moment of conversion, trauma, the health crisis?

Choose one example that reflects the condition of your life before it was interrupted and flipped upside down. One of the things that I would share with someone (especially if I knew it would only be a brief exchange) would be to say, my husband and I were in the sweet spot of life having weathered a little over 33 years of being together and then out of nowhere, he was gone leaving behind absolute emotional and mental devastation.  

2.  What did it look like for you to hit the wall and cry out to God?

Describe that moment when you finally came to the end of yourself…acknowledged that you did not have the ability to change your circumstance and you cried out to God. 

As an example I might say, I struggled to make sense of what happened. The questions swirling in my mind and my heart created a level of chaos in my life that I could not escape. When I finally decided to lay down my self-defined rights to have all of my questions answered in a way that made sense and fit together nice neat is when I could finally discern God's gentle kind voice. 

3. In what ways did God respond? Share one of two ways that God showed Himself faithful.

I'd probably finish up by saying, I found Jesus to be a safe place to struggle with heavy questions about life, death and faith. He never shamed me nor rejected me. He simply absorbed my pain and gently showed me the way to healing. 

Those are the 3 highlights you can use to structure your story around. Add more if you're speaking in a more relaxed setting, add less if you only get 60 seconds with someone.   

You may have heard me say this before….shared story makes the world go around in a much richer way. It is your shared story that will connect with people to healing, grow relationship, create community and solidify your family.

The final benefit of sharing your testimony about the God of the Holy Bible whether it be in the context of pain and suffering without God (and therefore your conversion/salvation testimony) or pain and suffering in the midst of a relationship with God....is that to do so is to take part in a portion of your redemption that God has for you. God never allows anything that He does not plan to redeem. In God’s hands, redemption is guaranteed….He wastes nothing…He is the sole power and authority to take what satan meant to destroy us with and turn it for our good and God’s glory. 

And people need to know that. So Share your story every time you get a chance because someone's heart needs to be encouraged. Someone needs to know that it's going to get better. Someone needs to know that God cares. Your story can make a difference to someone.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

I’ve been in this place of contemplation with God. I often grab ahold of something complicated, or at least complicated to me, and begin to talk with God about it. Sometimes He gives me understanding, discernment right away but other times He unfolds things as I talk with Him over a period of time.

Allow me to lay some groundwork for this topic, albeit common knowledge but kindly be patient with me as I include any new listeners. This podcast is rooted in discovering the various ways that we personally experience God’s presence in our pain. I find great encouragement to hear the different testimonies of God’s goodness despite the painful places of this life. You could say that I embrace having difficult conversations and taking a closer look at the suffering in this life with the goal of finding God’s presence in the midst. 

Jesus entered into our pain way before we ever knew anything about sin and the resulting consequences and that was when He was crucified on the cross. He physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually experienced things He was never guilty of. 

He felt every degree of shame, guilt, confusion, disappointment, trauma, sickness, rejection, abandonment. All of the things that come from sin and rebellion and that create fear and terror in our hearts. He took all of those things with Him, driving them down into the grave. When He rose from death to life, He left our sin and shame there, in the grave. 

Having overcome the things that torture us in this life, He now attends to our pain from the position of having conquered it. Therefore, He’s not afraid, He’s not offended. There's nothing you can do to make Him turn away. That’s good news right, we’re never alone in our pain but the best news is that He knows the way out. So He meets us in our traumas to care for us and to show us the way to heal. The healing he purchased for us with His blood. 

Since the unexpected passing of my husband and the intimacy that I experienced with Jesus through my grieving process I have a strong desire to discover God’s heart for those who who are familiar with some of the darkest valleys that we can know in this life.

Because of my curiosity, I’ve been pondering the story of Jane Marczewski. You may remember her as Nightbirde. Simon Cowell of America’s Got Talent (AGT) awarded this surprising songstress the Golden Buzzer and she was showered with massive amounts of gold confetti. Simon’s approval pushed her right past every other audition required to make it to the series of live shows. Talk about the favor of the Lord, I mean this was Simon Cowell. He was gold buzzer level impressed.

In the music industry a gold buzzer from AGT is the breakthrough a music artist needs. At the very least, it’s acknowledgement for all of the years of hard work, scrimping, saving, waiting tables, doing odd jobs, singing anywhere they’ll let you…for pennies or nothing at all. Surely, it was just the start of her dream coming true.

Course the AGT model for the show is that before Jane performs her original song titled, It’s Ok, the panel of judges asked her a few questions and Jane reveals that she is receiving cancer treatments adding, that she has a "2% chance of survival" with "some cancer in my lungs, spine and liver." 

When pressed a little more by the judges Jane replies, “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.” Adding, “I have a 2% chance of survival but 2% isn't 0%. Two percent is something and I wish people knew how amazing it is.”

If you know of Jane’s breakthrough moment and pursuit of living out her dreams to sing for the world, she most certainly did make an impression on the world. And you will also know that at the age of 31, she lost her four year battle with cancer in February 2022. 

What does God have to say about Jane’s life as an example to us? I’m not asking in an accusatory way, but in a genuine desire to know HIs heart for us when tragedy flips our world upside down and robs us of what we had planned, what we had hoped for, what we felt we were born to accomplish. I mean, why give us talents that we will never get to use….or at the very least, use for but a brief moment in time? I'm aware that that question creates mores questions. Why do we humans confine our value to this finite existence? Who is to say using our talents here, in this life is the only valid option?

As I combed over the multitude of material produced about Jane I listened to her profess her faith in an NBC4 interview. She said that while she does not specifically sing to a Christian audience, anything and everything that she does will be influenced by her Christian faith. 

Jane was a Christian believer who consistently showed her faith in believing that God would heal her this side of the grave. And yet that didn’t happen. Did God fail her?

Jane wrote a poem titled, God is on the Bathroom Floor and in that poem you can hear her struggle with God about her pain writing, "I have called Him a cheat and a liar and I have meant it. I have told Him I wanted to die and I meant it. Tears have become the only prayer I know."

But you also hear the intimacy she discovered about God's heart woven in between the push and pull of living and dying. She wrote, "Call me bitter if you want to, that's fair, count me among the angry, the cynical, the offended, the hardened but count me also among the friends of God for I have seen Him in rare form. I have felt His exhale laid in His shadow, squinted to read the message He wrote or me in the grout, I'm sad too.

In her poem Jane carries you along the journey of challenging God, looking deeper and deeper to find His heart for her. In the process she allows Jesus to embrace her, to comfort her to speak His truth with His presence and she begins to redefine what she thought she knew about living.

There’s a song written by Maverick City, a worship group, and it’s one of the songs that Jane recorded titled, The Story I’ll Tell. The opening line is “The Hour is dark and it’s hard to see what you are doing here in the ruins and where this will lead.” 

When tragedy, trauma, and even guilt and shame interrupt our lives to the degree that it’s hard to fathom how we will ever put the pieces back together, let alone even find all the pieces, where is God? Is He capable of taking what used to resemble our life or parts of it, and making any sense out of the pile of ash and dust left behind? Moments like this is when we need a life line so it's good to remember that dust in the right hands, is new life in the making.

We need hope because even if we have a strong faith there are simply times when we can’t wrap our mind around how God will ever turn our situation into something redeemable especially when we're limited by this life and what we know.

You may have heard me share this before because I heard this statement many times after my husband passed. It was said with the best intentions and I received it with grace. However, I found no comfort in it. God will not give you more than you can handle.

Sweet friend, I want to personally acknowledge that God most certainly allows us to experience more than we can handle. But here’s what I discovered about that.

God doesn’t allow anything that He doesn’t plan to redeem. Because of the finished work of the cross, God’s heart will always be for us to receive the fullness of our debt paid with His Son’s blood so that we can walk in the benefits here. Now. Today. Jesus is qualified and capable to redeem the pain of this life because He already has. The only missing piece is our willingness to give God our pain and allow Him to guide us to the healing He has.

In the times when we shut God out of our pain we’ve closed ourself off to anything good. Jesus is the only option for good in this life. 

During Jane’s treatment she stayed at a Cancer Center for Healing in Irvine California. Owned and operated by Virginia Dixon, this facility employs what their website describes as the R.E.S.T. (Relational, Emotional, and Spiritual Truth) and the Re-Constitution Method as an integrated approach to healing. If you want to know more information on that cancer center, I’ll have the link in the show notes.

What caught my attention on this particular bit of info on Jane's life is that it seems, and granted this is what I could discern having never been there. What I'm sharing with you today is based on a Youtube video of information produced by Virginia Dixon and the Cancer Center for Healing. It’s about their principles, practices and how that tied into Jane’s treatment there.

So what intrigued me is that they seek hope, peace and freedom in the midst of uncertainty. Because although Jane's life had a glimmer of hope, remember 2%, all of the options were fading. In times like that life is confusing, full of chaos in your mind, literal pain in your heart, nothing familiar about your life and R.E.S.T. goes looking for hope, peace and freedom among the rubble. In the Youtube video it states (through a graphic) that “Jane’s story with R.E.S.T. is more about reconciling relational, emotional and spiritual conflicts than the implications of a medial diagnosis.” 

I don’t know about you but I see that as a different approach. Maybe I’m just now becoming aware of it but seeing the person, and I mean really seeing the person not the disease alone; digging into the emotions, relationships and the spiritual nature of a person is going deeper than a physical issue, it's acknowledging the way God created us with mind, body and spirit. He's meshed these elements together and sometimes we need to look at these places individually.

Through a series of slides in the R.E.S.T. video it says that Jane was willing to be vulnerable and transparent, laying her brokenness on the table. She made progress and never lost sight of her dreams. Suddenly, she began to decline and became conflicted. In her despair, anger rose to the surface. 

She had some tough questions for God. “Why is God doing this to me? Why is He torturing me? I still have dreams. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. I’ve done all the right things. I’m exhausted. I’m tired. I’m mad as hell.”

The next slide reveals the crux of Jane’s struggle, saying, “This was a defining moment…A root of bitterness was the source of her conflict. Her body couldn’t fight herself and cancer at the same time.” 

Have you ever had your own bitter questions for God because we can replace that word cancer with doubt, fear, shame, guilt, trauma, addiction...whatever is terrorizing you.

Virginia goes on to share that “There is no procedure or medical protocol that can overcome the damage from dark intrusive thoughts we choose to believe. They must be displaced with the truth.” And that “There is life in truth! When we embrace it, regardless of how painful, it builds our faith, and making sense of the world around us becomes easier.”

That word truth always sticks out to me. It is not only key to orienting us to life but it also gifts with us freedom in the here and now. And for us, as believers in the God of the Holy Bible, we know the Fountainhead of truth. Christians describe it as the Trinity. God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit.

When I’m pondering something heavy with God, He’ll often show me things in the most unlikely places. I saw a clip on (I think it was) Instagram and it’s of Dr. Jordan Peterson talking to Joe Rogan. 

I feel sure everyone knows Joe Rogan and you may also know Dr. Jordan Peterson. He is a Canadian psychologist, has an intellectual mindset yet grounded in reality, I had to mention that because sadly I think logic grounded in reality is a rare find in the psychiatry world today. I don’t know that he’s a believer but he has several episodes where he conducts round table discussions with other intellectuals and scholars on the various books of the Bible. I’m listening to the one he did on Exodus. 

And because of that, I knew what Dr. Peterson was talking about with Joe Rogan. He’s telling Joe about the snakes biting the Israelites in the desert.

In the book of Numbers, Chapter 21, the Israelites go to Moses to apologize and acknowledge their sin against God and they beg Moses to plead with God for relief from the poisonous snakes. So Moses goes to God and God tells Moses to fashion a snake and lift it up on a pole and anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. So if the Israelites were obedient to God’s instructions to literally stare at what they feared, they would find life.

Then Dr. Peterson makes a reference to the scripture John 3:14, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” 

And here’s the revelation that God gave me and I’m sure it was the point that Dr Peterson was driving home but more times than not I need God's revelation when viewing Him through a deeply layered intellectual lens. And to be clear I’m not saying I’m the only one with this revelation. More than likely I’m late to the party but God downloads revelation when we seek to know Him.

Here’s the clarity that God gave me. Just like when the Israelites were obedient to God's instruction to stare at what they feared (the snake) and were given life, we too can look upon the finished work of the cross because what we find is under the victorious feet of Jesus are all the fears of this life. We stare at Jesus and what we find in Him replaces our fear with His truth. We share in His victory over all the things of this life that steal, kill and destroy.

So we stare at Jesus, engage His heart, learn His word, and discover His truth. When we wrestle well with Jesus and at the same time behold His face, we discover profound beauty as He dismantles our fears and replaces them with His presence. Then we receive His peace for our anxiety, His love for our hatred, His acceptance for our rejection, His presence for our loneliness etc. 

The word says that God catches our tears and that He will wipe away every tear. Keep this close to your heart, He does so with pierced, scarred hands.

Backing up just a little bit to finish the journey between Jane and Virginia Dixon. After Jane expressed her bitterness and Virginia pointed out that cancer wasn’t killing her that she was self-destructing because her body could not fight both the cancer and bitterness, the video slide says that Jane left their conversation “angry and despondent” and Virginia didn’t know whether or not she’d ever see her again. 

In the song, The Story I’ll Tell, there’s a part of the chorus and why the song is titled as such. I’ve chopped it up here so what I’m getting read is not verbatim.  My God did not fail…it’s the story I’ll tell. All that is left is highest praises, sing hallelujah to the Rock of Ages. 

There’s another full stanza that she sings, And I’ll testify of the battles You’ve won, How You were my portion when there wasn’t enough. And I’ll sing the song of the seas that we crossed The waters You parted, the waves that I walked. 

Jane showed incredible strength in the face of adversity, literal crossroads of life and death. She stood on her faith not only publicly but also in an authentic and transparent way through her music, poems and at the treatment center. 

Virginia Dixon had privy to Jane’s intimate struggle with God and here’s what Virginia Dixon and R.E.S.T. shared in the Youtube video as it began to wrap up… “By faith we surrender outcomes, trusting that when God gives us a dream, He’ll make a provision.” 

I know what it sounds like vs what we know happened to Jane. It’s tempting to think it was a futile fight. But read her poem, listen to her sing. Jane discovered things about God’s heart that she would have never known in any other way. The discoveries she experienced were things that we don’t have the ability to accurately verbalize. 

Whether we get to hear her testimonies audibly (spoken by her) or she gets to proclaim them in the heavens beyond our human existence, she’s seen God victoriously fight her battles and intimately attended to her when she had nothing left. Her voice fills the heavens with songs of praise about the seas that they crossed together, the waters that were parted and the waves she walked in faith. Admittedly, not in the exact way Jane had initially envisioned. But rather in God's value system, in heaven's embrace.

And that’s Jane’s redemption. Communing daily with God, singing with the unique voice she was given, in the perfection and the opulence of how God created her. In the place where no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human mind has conceived. In the exquisiteness that God has prepared for His beloved. The talents that we know of with regard to Jane were merely a shadow of her full expression.

I’m not saying she isn’t missed or that she didn’t leave a gapping hole in the hearts of her family, friends and all those who loved her...because if I was her parent or a sibling I would be tempted to say, well that's great, but I really don't care, I just want her back here with me.... but the fact remains, because death is a reality in this life, God has gone ahead of us and prepared a way, through His Son Jesus, for us to be reunited with our loved ones. 

Jane has never been more her than she is in the presence of her Creator who absolutely delights in her face to face. When she opens her mouth and continues to share her beauty, her voice, her song, you better believe that God is captivated by her excellence. 

The R.E.S.T. video wraps up with Virginia doing rounds at a clinic and sees Jane 3 weeks after her angry exit. Jane “beckons Virginia to come over, to get closer” and she says to Virginia, “You were right, after three weeks of wrestling with God, I’m free.” 

The freedom that God has for us is rooted in dismantling the fears of this life. When we look into the face of that which terrifies us and we allow God to speak His truth into the things we think are true, the lies we believe about our world/about people, offering Him the lens we’ve created based on our experiences, He gives us Himself, His presence, His truth. In doing so we can live in victory, unafraid of the terrors of this life. 

For those who have the courage to engage God about their painful places, to allow Him into our struggle with good and evil, life and death there will come a time when God asks you like He asked me and has done so on several occasions. Sherrie, If I don't do what you'e asking me to do in the way you are expecting me do it, will you still love me? Am I still enough? I have learned that my submission to His sovereignty ensures my victory. And by victory I mean, peace that surpasses earthly comprehension, freedom to live above the brokenness of this life.

God didn't fail Jane and He won't fail you either. When we have the courage to authentically and genuinely look upon the face of Jesus and struggle well, offering up that which fills our mind and our heart with fear, He graciously, gently gives His victory over the grave.

Live Loved and Thrive!

Resource Links: Poem by Jane: God is on the Bathroom Floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5r3Nmydp8A Youtube R.E.S.T. Video story of Jane Marcs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLbnh9FKSUwO NCR4 Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSOhtHtbVyI Youtube Jane singing The Story I’ll Tell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX_Mb-jsb7c The Story I’ll Tell Lyrics: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/maverickcitymusic/thestoryilltell.html Dr. Jordan Peterson: Exodus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTXU78NC_h4 Nightbirde Foundation: https://www.nightbirdefoundation.org/ R.E.S.T. - Cancer Center of Healing website: https://www.virginiadixon.com/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/21496461de79484db10e05261c8a5cca/view?organization_id=868176

Chronic illness is not what defines Jen Hardy and that's why I view her as a remarkable woman. Because of her many challenges in life our conversation covers a variety of topics. 

We talk about the meaning of life and how to find it, and the beauty of being in your 50's+. We talked about her homeschooling career with her 7 children, two of whom are on the spectrum. She impressed me when listening to how she learned to have a quality life despite the various challenges but here's why I call her a miracle, she's exceeded and continues to surpass her life expectancy based on a chronic illness that she lives with every day.

Jen has a depth of revelation that has been forged in the midst of serious life adversity. 

Of all the interesting things we talked about here's what stood out for me. Jen has made the most of every season of life and every challenge that has presented itself.

Jen doesn't merely exist in her circumstances nor does she simply get through it, she capitalizes on it. Every chapter of her life finds her pressing into God to discover who He is and who she's been created to be with the various challenges that she's experienced. 

Be encouraged by the wealth of beauty that Jen Hardy shares with us today!

Live Loved and Thrive!

Here’s more content on the topic of Chronic Illness: https://alifeofthrive.com/podcast/chronic-illness/ https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/29/pain-2/

Connect with Jen: Links: Website: https://jenhardy.net Podcast: https://jenhardy.net/fabulous-over-50 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejenhardy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejenhardy/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejenhardy/

Bio:

Jen Hardy is on a mission to help women find their inner fabulousness and transition into the life of their dreams. She’s been blogging since 2015; wrote the book, “The Sick Mom’s Guide” in 2017; and started the “Fabulous Over Fifty” Podcast (formerly Hardy Mom) in 2018. In 2022 she published three 5-year journals and also founded the Space Coast Podcasters, a group from Orlando to the coast bringing local podcasters together. In 2023 she co-hosted Podfest Expo, founded the Fabulous Over Fifty Gold Circle mastermind for podcasting women, and is preparing to publish her fifth book.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/117da9f274aa4de68243f69f9e7efb85/edit_v2?organization_id=868176

My guest Stephanie Jordan and I talk about boundaries and how they are necessary in unhealthy relationships. We even discussed Christian marriage where abuse is present and she shares what God revealed to her about releasing her from her first marriage and how divorce was the fruit of her sin. 

Stephanie, a mother of 5 and now a widow talks about the difference in her two marriages, one that turned abusive and included alcohol and the second to a man who was previously known as a hard core punk rocker with a drug problem but before you make any assumptions, he did come to a point in his life where he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior, was living a clean life and even started a ministry for the homeless. But as many of you may know….addiction is a demon that does not give up easily and so Stephanie found herself once again having to draw boundaries to keep her and her children safe. 

Stephanie gave us insight into what it looks like when relationship goes off the rails, how do we know we need to remove ourself from the equation, under what circumstances, for how long etc. She even talks about the importance of relaying clear boundaries to your children so that you can keep yourself healthy and sane as a parent who is getting pulled in every direction. 

She and I talked also talked about how God has set boundaries and has requirements in place for us to be able to do life with Him, a life that is healthy, respectful, wise, discerning, loving, kind and that’s just to name of few of the benefits.

If you’re thinking boundaries don’t feel so loving. She also explained why those who have a hard time saying no (for the purpose of setting a boundary), how they perceive boundaries, one of which is that they feel selfish when they set a boundary especially with someone they love. Something she said that I really liked and it was along the lines of, if you can’t say no, you’re not ready for no so don’t miss that part when she breaks that down for us.

Stephanie is light hearted, grounded in the word, and down to earth. In other words, you’ll connect with her easily! Let’s listen in!

Live Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Stephanie: My website: https://thestephaniejordan.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thestephaniejordan/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheStephanieJordan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_StephJordan

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestephanie-jordan/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1958441007 (book) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1W6SQNK  (ebook)

Bio: Stephanie Jordan is an author, teacher, and speaker. She has been a cosmetologist for 24 years. She has 5 amazing kids with 4 extras that her husband brought into the family. She has one dog and two cats.

  She has broad life experiences and likes adventure. She loves Jesus and intends to spend her life sharing His message in an unconventional way. Her artistic and rock n roll style influence her outlook on life and living it to the full. She is passionate about riding her Harley Davidson Sportster 48 and reading, writing and painting. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/a4bcb88d1fd74eb7b01747a5be652d0a/edit_v2?organization_id=868176

Eileen and I talk about her faith journey as part of the Jesus Revolution generation. Coming into the knowledge of Jesus and choosing to receive what He offers us, eternal life, was just the beginning of her story. It would be her personal relationship with Christ as the lifeline she’d need to live free in this life, despite the reality of a deep ache in her heart for her beloved husband to return fully to his faith.

Eileen comes to knowledge of Christ as a young person. She meets a young man, he’s a new believer too and he later becomes her husband. Once married they seek out and find a church they believe is a good fit to feed their hunger to learn more about Christ. They’re passionate about growing in their faith and they lean into their new church family. But sadly, it would be in this family environment that their faith would be challenged by what they would later come to understand, was a church of false religion, a cult.

This becomes a very significant marker in her husband’s life. That situation, along with some other experiences take its toll on him and Eileen's husband disengages from his faith to the point that Eileen can’t talk to him about God. She can’t share important things with the man she dearly loves. She feels alienated in her marriage, discouraged and mad at God.

How did Eileen stay in her marriage until her husband's passing, a 40+ year commitment with a husband who did not share his whole self with her? A marriage where she was not able to share her whole self with her precious husband.

I know that when things go bad we often ask God to put it back together, make it like it used to be. However, the beauty of allowing God to restore things is that He never puts them back like they used to be. And if we really think about it, do we want it back like it used to be? More than likely it fell apart for a reason. It wasn't able to hold up under the pressure of life. Especially if it's not God centered. God restores with His value system and that’s how we get things we never imagined or thought to ask for.  

As it does for all of us at some point in our journey, God draws Eileen back into His heart. He shows her the power of His love for her that overwhelms the lack of her earthly relationship with her beloved husband. She has some wonderful insight and shares the revelations that changed her mindset, encouraged her heart and enabled her to love her husband no matter what.

We close in a really beautiful place talking about the deeper things of relationship that God has for us in the midst of complicated life like a husband who disengages. God has bigger dreams, with deeper roots, bigger revelations that lead to deeper intimacy. Simply put, what He has for us is a beauty that is not of this world. We can’t perceive it until we experience it with Him. He does it for our good and His Glory

Let's listen in!

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/dab65521df2e48c5be778ad5780ff5dd/edit_v2?organization_id=868176

One of the most difficult experiences in this life would have to be surviving the loss of a child. I had the sweet opportunity to talk with 78 year old Carole Sluski. She has a passion for offering hope and encouragement to other parents, who, like her, have had to navigate immense grief after loosing a child. Thirty years ago, Carole laid to rest her 24 year old daughter, Paula.

Podcasts have become a fresh new way to share one's message so Carole has a renewed passion to tell her story with the goal of letting other parents know they’re not alone. She has also authored a book entitled, Thirty - A Mother's Spirtual Journey After Loosing Her Child, and she shares about her journey, from a Catholic perspective of surviving the most painful thing she's ever experienced. 

Something worth pointing out for my audience is that I acknowledge the differences between Carole’s Catholic faith and mine being an Evangelical Christian.  

With regard to those differences, I talked with Carole prior to our actual podcast episode. She was comfortable with my perspective and what my audience would be looking for and the possibility that some things could potentially be edited out.

For the most part, it was moderately edited. I did however, leave some differences that I felt could be wisely discerned by my Evangelical audience. Additionally, I also left some differing opinions when I was able to add my perspective.

I always enjoy differing conversations because I’m intrigued to hear how we, as one human race, make sense of the world around us. How we set up belief systems, which ones we ascribe to and in what way. 

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Carole on her website: https://www.carolesluski.com/ 

BIO: Carole Sluski is a mother of two daughters, but she is also a victim of the worst loss a person can have: she is a parent who lost her child and experienced mental and physical pain of grief. Through devotion in faith, she reached out to God for help to survive.

She currently resides in Florida with her husband Dr. Dennis Sluski, and after thirty years, Carole had a calling to share her journey of learning how to live out life with peace and well-being. Her story will make you cry, laugh, connect, understand, learn, sympathize, appreciate, and believe in hope.

Over the course of years, she gathered her expertise, knowledge, and talent and put it to use for her recovery and to benefit others she loves. Professionally, Carole is an accomplished entrepreneur in business and creative arts.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/167eebe3da2341358b1528a93fcb2ca1/edit_v2

Childhood abuse deeply impacts our adult life on many levels but there is hope. My guest Virginia Jones and I talk about recovering from childhood abuse. Topics such as how to heal, the importance of boundaries, and what does it mean to honor your mother and father despite the cruelty they showed you. 

Our focus today is not about the details of abuse we endured, we use our types of abuse as a point of reference but our conversation today is how to heal from childhood abuse. 

Because of the imprint left on your life from childhood abuse there is often a distance between the effects of it experienced in adulthood and actually discovering full, healthy healing. Virginia and I dig into what it looks like to heal as well as what are some of the ways we can take action or the things we can put in place that is going to move us toward healing.

As an example, in the opening (audio) clip Virginia is talking about how to take control of our thought life and internal dialog when it comes to verbally beating ourself up or dwelling on the pain of what happened. She’s not saying ignore the pain but she is saying to take responsibility for your healing and part of that is dismantling the belief systems we’ve created that are associated with our abuse. Don't misunderstand what I just said. I'm not saying you're responsible for what happened to you, I'm saying take responsibility for your healing by taking the necessary steps to find help and wholeness. 

A lot of times when I’m doing the editing for an audio, it puts me in a position where I'm outside of the conversation. That outside looking in often gives me a deeper bit of clarity and that happened with something Virginia said. 

We were talking about boundaries and the importance of setting them with regard to what it looked like to honor our parents yet make wise decisions that would keep each of us safe as well as keep our families safe. 

One part of that conversation revolved around how other people, specifically our Christian brothers and sisters may define what it means to honor our parents. We may get criticized about our decisions or receive unsolicited advice. 

Virginia made the point that we set boundaries based on the full story of what has happened versus what others think we should do based on their personal definitions of the word honor. Anyone outside the actual abuse only has part of the story and what they think they know about our situation. 

That's when I was reminded that God has set intentional boundaries for all of creation. His boundaries are based on the fact that He knows the full story from beginning to end and because of what He knows He's set limitations to keep us safe. 

When you think about the boundaries in nature, such as ocean water, if the water passes the boundaries set by God it can destroy everything in its path. 

When we step outside of His standard for doing relationship the damage can be seen and felt for years.

When we live contrary to His instruction we're at risk of life altering consequences that can bring guilt and shame. His boundaries are in place to keep us from experiencing these painful consequences because of the resulting guilt and shame. Those two consequences, guilt and shame bring separation from Christ and that’s what God is trying to help us avoid. 

When I was raising my sons, I set boundaries in my home for two things, morality and safety. Whenever my sons chose to step outside those boundaries they tied my hands. Mainly because they were at risk but also because it grieved my heart to see them suffer the consequences. 

In short, boundaries have a purpose and it’s to protect us in situations where wisdom dictates that we need to be protected. 

Before I close, I do want to add this thought, guilt and shame can be laid at the feet of Jesus and we can find peace and forgiveness. The blood of Jesus washes the things of this life off of us. It's not about living a perfect life but if we stay in close relationship with Jesus, do this life with God's value system, His heart we can limit the emotional trauma and mental scars and all the work that will need to be done to heal.

The good news of Jesus Christ is that no matter what this life throws at you, no matter what people do to you, or try to label you with…you keep the eyes of your heart of Christ. He’s writing a much bigger love story with you, an over arching love story with you as the individual He created you to be. 

Its in the drawing close to Jesus that we find peace, break free from the lies, leave behind guilt and shame and walk in the freedom that Christ has made available to us in the here and now.

Let’s listen in!

God Speaks Beautiful Things in the Dark!

You can find Virginia here: https://www.thevintagecafepodcast.com/ https://www.facebook.com/vintagecafepodcast https://www.instagram.com/audiofarmgirl/

BIO: Coming from a background of abuse has given me the perspective of being grateful for each and every day. I am a veteran homeschool mom of two amazing daughters, wife to the most amazing husband, photographer, homesteader and podcaster. I love to walk along the beach, read a cozy mystery while having a cup of Earl Grey tea and make memories with my family. One of my goals in life is to be an inspiration to others. Whether that be through my podcasting, photography or homesteading. We can give a person a fish for a day or we can teach that person to fish for a lifetime. Every day is an opportunity to change someone's life. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/5e97285d61b34802aabfa6b673cbd3f8/edit_v2

Does God really care about people in prison? What does it look like for God to pursue the heart of rebellious, prideful, stiff necked, hard headed, broken people?

Since these adjectives could describe any of us at varying stages of our life, maybe that question has crossed your mind. If so, I’m glad you’re here because my guest today, Steven Snook answers it from the position of having been a prisoner. Not only a prisoner to the experiences and circumstances in his life but as a prisoner in a federal prison, here in the United States.

This is the longest episode I’ve done to date and I’d like to say it’s because Steven and I discuss his twenty-two year prison sentence, therefore it would naturally be a long conversation. But the truth is, it’s long because of the countless stories of how God interrupted Steven’s criminal career, drastically changed his life and then proceeds to use everything about Steven’s prison journey to cross paths with individuals that are on God’s heart.  

Steven shares example after example of how God showed up in some of the most unlikely places, one example being solitary confinement.

Steven talks about how God used him to shine the Light of the World (God’s Son) into the hearts of those who were willing to grab the lifeline that God offers to each of us. 

Steven also had encouragement for the praying momma, grandmother, sister, aunt who is wrapping their loved one in prayer, asking, begging God to intervene. Because Steven has seen, over and over the power of a praying woman when it comes to inmates making peace with God. Could it be that God searches out the ones that a prayer warrior is petitioning God for and standing in faith for answered prayers?

If you think about it, there’s justice/injustice, good/evil, truth/lie, love/hate, God/Satan. My point being, there are only 2 realities that we should be concerned with, heaven and hell. This life as we know it, is a foreshadowing of what is to come when we transition into eternity. 

While here, we get glimpses of what heaven is like and we get glimpses of what hell is like. I personally think that institutionalized correction centers are a prime example of the foreshadowing, a small sample of what hell will be like.

But take heart, because on this side of eternity God enters into those places through willing men and women who will bend their will to God’s plans to reach every person possible.

At the time of this recording, January of 2023, Steven has been out of jail coming up on a year. After fulfilling his sentence, he’s transitioned from reaching the prisoners behind the bars to people outside the jail that have erected their own personal prisons or man-made hell. 

Does God care about people in prison? You bet He does! It’s the reason He sent His Son, to save us, to enable us to live free in the here and now no matter your environment/circumstances/situation. 

As you listen to what Steven shares, may your heart be captivated by the beauty of who Christ is in this type of setting and the lengths that He will go to in order to create an intersection between His obedient son or daughter and a prodigal that He is passionately pursuing. 

God Speaks Beautiful Things in the Dark!

Connect with Steven Snook: Website: JesusSpeaksLLC.com Rapha Scripture Frame: https://jesusspeaksllc.com/products/rapha-frame-15 Email: JesusSpeaksLLC@gmail.com

Bio: Steven Snook, Owner and Creator of Jesus Speaks LLC (Life, Liberty & Christianity) uses every opportunity he can to share the story of how God interrupted his life of extreme poverty and crime that had started at the age of 15. 

After many years of hardened criminal activity God reaches Steven in one personally devastating moment. Even though Steven knew very little about the God of the Holy Bible, he begins to experience this God in supernatural ways. As Steven begins to yield to the miraculous, God works both in him and through him.

God uses everything about Steven's prison sentence, including each passing year, the different prisons he's sent to, even keeping Steven in solitary confinement for a year, using Steven to reach the darkest, most isolated place in prison.

Steven’s personal transformation, including what he has currently brought to the marketplace (Rapha Scripture Frame), is a testimony of God’s power and authority to take what Satan meant to destroy him with and turn it for his good and God’s glory.  

His training ground, that of the various federal prisons across the United States, puts Steven in a unique position to speak to those who are not going to be reached for Christ in traditional ways. Now, outside prison, his passion to share the gospel and good news of Jesus Christ has not slowed down. You’ll find him talking to complete strangers about the approachable, miracle working God of the Holy Bible. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/0460402bc8cd4b09a02a670a7443d5e5/edit_v2

Erin Simeone and I talk about her personal journey with genetic testing, genetic mutations, a breast cancer scare and her double prophylactic mastectomy.

Based on her mother's cancer diagnosis Erin started preventive check-ups. At one of these appointments Erin is given the option to check for the BRCA gene.  Now mind you, Erin is in her early 30's, raising a baby boy and planning on having more children with her husband so having to face the decision whether or not to pursue genetic testing was very daunting.

Simple as it may sound, making the decision whether or not to get tested actually has a very weighty consideration attached to it. What if it comes back positive for a genetic mutation? She'd then be forced to make a decision on which path to choose and no matter what she chose, it would impact every aspect of her life. 

She did decide to do the testing and when the results came back 6 or 8 weeks later, she did discover that she indeed had a genetic mutation. Now she faced even harder decisions. Erin shares an example that her doctor gave her that let her know she faced a 75% chance of having breast cancer. What would this mean for her young family and any future plans for adding more children?

Fresh in Erin's mind is thought of her friend, a young mom herself who passed from breast cancer after a courageous fight. Erin also recalled the painful yet successful battle her mother went through as she faced her breast cancer diagnosis when Erin was only 15.

Erin shares her thoughts as she wrestles with the decision process and eventually deciding to get the double mastectomy. Additionally, she tells us the 2 things that she couldn't live without while going through the recovery period. 

As surgeries do, her mastectomy left her feeling very vulnerable and helpless so Erin also shares not only who you want in your corner but how you can come alongside someone to help them through such a vulnerable phase. 

I love what she termed her, two am friends. She was saying that you need to find people who you can call at 2am and they're there for you.

I immediately thought of my sister and a couple of my friends that I would consider my 2am friends but then I got to thinking, at our age we all cut our phones off in hopes of getting a solid night of sleep and not have to get up to go to the bathroom! But the good news is, Jesus is always accessible and that is the one thing that stands out the most in this conversation with Erin.

She gave example after example of the importance, the difference and the impact that her personal relationship with God made in the midst of uncertainty and hard questions.

Her desire to use her pain to make a difference for just one person was the motivation that kept her going. Each time she wanted to focus on the hard parts of this season she would turn her focus to God. Looking, listening and seeking His presence, allowed her to see Him through countless situations and experiences.

One of the bible verses that was very powerful for her was when God lead Moses to the Red Sea. She talks about how encouraged she became when she noticed something about that scripture that she had missed many times before. A small detail and yet oh so powerful! 

I do want to pause for a moment and purposefully speak to those who have lost a loved one to cancer and Erin does touch on it. If you've lost a loved one, we're not saying God didn't love them or protect them or that He forgot them. God holds the fullness of life in the palm of His hand it's not over until, in His Sovereignty, He brings it to a close. 

Every single one of us will leave this life on a vehicle one of which is cancer. Death comes for every living being. Actually, death is a transition phase. We will pass from here into eternity and more to Erin's point, do you know which eternity you'll transition to? There are only two choices, heaven and hell and it's on this side of eternity that we get to step out in faith and choose to love Jesus in return. What is love if not a choice, right?

With Erin's salvation in tact and her healing journey in place, the question she gets most often is, would she choose the mastectomy all over again if she had to? Listen in to find out!

Live Loved and Thrive! 

Bio: Erin lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her husband of close to eleven years, a son, Cullen who is six and a daughter, Camryn who is one. She is a local to the area, having been born and raised in Virginia, and is truly blessed to have most of her immediate family still living locally. 

She teaches in the local community and finds joy in building relationships with her students as well as working with them to achieve their hopes, dreams and goals, making learning fun and engaging. Erin attends River Oak Church where she has met life long, 2am friends that have become family, and is an active member of the church body, as well as her in home life group. She enjoys working in the children’s ministry, helping with VBS, helping new members find a place to serve wherever and whenever she meets new people, or helping in any way the Lord moves. 

While cancer has been such a tremendous part of her family, in both positive and negative ways, Erin counts it all joy to have been given the opportunity to get ahead of a cancer diagnosis, and hopes to continue to be used as a vessel for the Lord in her family, her church, her school and her community. She strives to find Jesus in every day, and leans wholly on His direction and guidance as she maneuvers through marriage, motherhood, family, church, friendships, and school. 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d059b7a3cf9d4a1bbb9955d6ee858096/edit_v2

I couldn’t wait to share this conversation with you!  My guest is Susan Johnson and she’s the author of, Some Dreams Are Worth  Keeping: A Memoir of My Bipolar Journey.

I was impressed by her courage to have an open dialog about mental illness. With her personal diagnosis of Bipolar, I had a specific interest in this topic because as many of you may know my mother struggled with bipolar. At that time, back in the mid 80’s, my mom was diagnosed as manic depressive. That's what they use to bipolar.

Not many people, my mother included are willing to talk about mental illness, and I get it. Because when I was growing up having to be on medicine because you were considered mentally unstable was considered shameful. And I’m not proud to admit it, but in a home with a mother who has brutal mood swings, I thought my mother was crazy. I said she was crazy.

So the stigma that surrounds a diagnosis of mental illness can be very unsettling and has the potential to make for a very complicated conversation because let’s be honest, how do you tread lightly with something so sensitive.

Susan is open and honest about her journey and she gives us some insight into what mental illness is and is not. Her willingness to be candid and transparent is creating a dialog that I believe removes a lot of the current day stigma by letting us see that it is manageable and life can be full and rewarding.

I’m confident that Susan's courage will give hope to those who struggle with a mental illness. She’s a college graduate, gainfully employed, happily married and has a full life! Something else she was willing to reveal is why she and her husband decided not to have children.

Her story is very encouraging! I especially liked her TED talk on Youtube (see link below). As you listen in don’t miss her explanation of why memorizing a 15 minute TED talk is an amazing accomplishment in and of itself!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Susan -

Order her book: https://www.sjohnsonauthor.com/mybook Follow her on Facebook.com/sjohnsonbooks and instagram.com/sjohnsonbooks Inspirational Speaker TM ACB Best Bipolar Blogger Award for Healthline.com 2017 Stability Leader  www.thestabilitynetwork.org Website: www.sjohnsonauthor.com TEDx talk "Having A Mental Illness Is Not A Death Sentence"  hit the link here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgeURPOQ8Ig 

BIO: Susan graduated from Drake University with a B.A. in Sociology. Since her diagnosis of Bipolar 1 in 1995, Susan's true passion in life is to help break the stigma of living with a mental illness and bring hope to those living with one. She has given a TEDx talk “Having A Mental Illness Is Not A Death Sentence.” Susan currently works with special education students as an Instructional Assistant for a school district in Nevada. Susan is a guest blogger for a mental health magazine. She received the award for Best Blogger for Healthline.com in 2017 and appeared in the 2018 "This Is Me" article in BP Hope Magazine. Susan is a Stability Leader for a nonprofit organization called “The Stability Network.” For fun she enjoys hiking, baking, traveling, yoga, spending time with her Goddaughter, and trips to the ocean. Susan is originally from Thousand Oaks, CA. She now makes her home in fabulous Las Vegas with her husband, Gary, and Siberian cat, Angel-Ann. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/3b8a4657e150401a8906739a323f1856/edit_v2

What a pleasure it is to kick off the New Year around the topic of joy with author, Sonya Mack.  My only regret is that our time together was limited. It felt like we had just started when it came to a close. 

Sonya's book, "This Changes Everything: When Death No Longer Has the Final Say," is a true story of hope for those who grieve. As I've shared before, there are many types of grief because when we are separated from that which we hold near and dear to our heart we need to grieve that loss. 

This book and the beauty that it shares was born from Sonya's deep heartache of loosing her closest confident and friend when her mother passed in 2010 due to ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). In today's episode Sonya shares the various ways that she keeps her mother's memory alive with her two young daughters who never had a chance to meet their grandmother.

I definitely benefited from what Sonya shared today because when I think about my husband only meeting two of our 6 grandchildren, I want to keep him alive in our family too. Of the 2 grandchildren that met him, my then four year old grand daughter is the only one who can barely remember him. So I'm going to introduce them to their grandfather and keep his memory alive adding in some of the practices Sonya uses with her daughters.

Finding joy in the midst of grief may sound like an oxymoron but Sonya says it doesn't have to be. In her book she talks about the various ways she found joy again after her profound loss. If experiencing joy despite the presence of grief still sounds a little out of touch with reality or too good to be true, take heart, it wasn't an overnight discovery for Sonya. It wasn't without a genuine struggle in deep pain and with even deeper questions. 

My personal experience is that when you're grieving you must be purposeful to step out from under the weight of that type of pain because it can paralyze you. So it's important to change your focus or your surroundings and discover what else is going on around you. Sonya's book tells us of the various ways that we can take that much needed break from the overwhelm of grief and find, even a small, short reprieve.

Sonya is also the CEO of The Live Joy Life and she shared that it's an organization that empowers women through community, mindset, and the LIVE JOY principles, to live in the joy God intended. 

Any book is a great book when it shares all the information you're looking for on any given topic and in this case the topic is joy but Sonya didn't stop at telling you why you need to find joy, hoping that you find ways to discover it in your own efforts. She went a step further and developed the ACE Method which lays out actions steps so that we can find the joy of life even in the midst of grief. The A C E Method is the acronym for Access, Contemplate and Execute and she gives a brief explanation on what they are and how to apply them to our life. 

Let's listen in to hear all that Sonya has to share because with God, death does not have the final say.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Bio: Sonya Joy Mack has treated grief and illness for over fifteen years as a Physician Assistant. Sonya created The LIVE JOY LIFE, an organization that empowers women through community, mindset, and the LIVE JOY principles, to live in the joy God intended by giving their pain a purpose. Her debut book “This Changes Everything: When Death No Longer Has the Final Say,” is a story of hope, humor, and healing for those who grieve and encouragement to follow God-given dreams. Her work can be seen as a guest blog for “Find Your Harbor,” “The Well Des Moines,” and “Des Moines Mom Collective,” and in the Guidepost Compilation “In the Arms of Angels.”

Sonya lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her husband and two spunky daughters, where she enjoys red wine, dark chocolate, big hugs, and living room dance parties. Sonya continues to advocate for a treatment and cure for ALS, the disease that took her mother’s life.

You can find her at on Instagram @sonyajoymack, Facebook at www.facebook.com/SonyaJoyMackAuthor, or become a part of the LIVE JOY LIFE family at www.sonyajoymack.com.

Transcript

It's not too often that a widower (a man who has lost his wife), will talk openly about grief but my guest today, Daniel Doolan took the time to share his experience of loosing his precious wife, Kathy. He and Kathy were married for 48 years before Leukemia snatched her from his embrace.

When I think about the stigma attached to a man showing emotion I wondered where does a widower find comfort? And because God has said that it is not good for man to be alone, I questioned if there is any purpose left for a widower (or even a widow) after such a devastating loss? 

Daniel talks about taking control of his grief by embracing it. Actually, more like going after it. Which I thought was vey unique because whether male or female I feel like our first response is to protect ourself from it.  But when he shared some of the benefits he was experiencing by engaging his grief whenever it wanted to well up in his heart, they were pretty significant so I can see why he'd continue using that method as part of the healing process. He talked about how cathartic and cleansing it was for him. He shared how it felt that it kept him from bitterness and the overwhelm of anxiety. He was seeing improvements whether it be mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.  

As I was talking with Daniel he said something that made me think, wow, he's been engaging God about death for quite some time. To me, it revealed the depth of his relationship, the comfort, the confidence that he has with his God. All of us know that ain't none of us getting out of here alive but we really don't want to talk about it. 

But that doesn't appear to be true with Daniel. He told me about an old prayer he used to pray. It was my impression that this was before Kathy was diagnosed with Leukemia. Maybe it was a conversation he had with God because of their various health concerns prior to her diagnosis. But he was having a conversation with God about death and he said, "Father, when one of us goes, let us be a witness. If it's me, let Kathy be a witness. And if it's her, let me be a witness to those around me of your love and of your hope." 

Since God didn't take Daniel home first, he knows God must have a plan. True to God's ability to give purpose to our pain Daniel is more than the title of widower. He has become a certified ATD Therapy Dog Handler.  Now he and his blonde sidekick, a Golden Retriever named Amber are able to have difficult conversations that most people feel are awkward and intrusive at best. 

Amber's sweet disposition softens the atmosphere as well as someone's heart and that gives way for Daniel to have an honest conversation about the pain and struggle of cancer.  He spends his time giving hope, encouragement, and unconditional love to those who are facing the fear of uncertainty and the potential of death.  

The more Daniel talked the more obvious it became. Kathy was precious to him. He took her well being, her safety, and her care very serious. You'll be able to hear it in his voice, his love for her and how much he misses her. Be inspired by Daniel's story and by the beauty that is blossoming out of deep, deep anguish.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Daniel @ dd9293@comcast.net

Bio: Daniel is retired after dedicating 40 years to his trade of choice, Television Studio/Field Engineer. Additionally, he was married to his soulmate Katherine, a true daughter of the King and Savior Jesus Christ. After 48 years together God called Katherine home in April of 2021.

True to God’s ability to use our pain and suffering Katherine’s battle with Leukemia gave Daniel a desire to comfort others who are fighting battles that are difficult for many to talk about.

Daniel is now an ATD Therapy Dog Handler. He and his furry partner Amber, offer their accepting presence, along with words of encouragement and comfort to those who are going through their journey with cancer.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/b5de0ba1e35f4d2b9bcf603c782f16fb/edit_v2

Taking responsibility is a powerful tool when it comes to healing and my conversation today guest, author and speaker, Kimberly Bell is the perfect example of what that means. Using her book titled, The Epitome of Kimmy: Accept & Embrace It All, we talked about her healing journey from the various traumas she's experienced. Such things as domestic violence, teen pregnancy, abusive relationships, as well as various other traumas and PTSD. Kimberly tells us that her powerful transformation from broken to discovering who God had created her to be wasn't an easy journey because it was plagued with set backs and returning to old patterns but Kimberly never stopped praying to the God of the Holy Bible.

While her adoptive parents could not rewrite what had been imprinted on Kimberly as a young girl they equipped her with the best possible option to discover truth and freedom. They pointed her heart to a personal relationship with Jesus. And she would need that as a compass to find her way to healing because her early trauma made her an easy target for future abuse. Even as Kimberly struggled through the various abusive relationships from early teens and for several decades, she always knew she could talk to Jesus about her pain and confusion. But she wouldn't see lasting change until she decided to try things God's way.

As it is with many of us who finally come to the end of ourselves, there came a time when she too hit the proverbial wall and surrendered. She gave up the futile struggle against the evil that she was no match for. Just like the rest of us, she tried everything she knew how, her human reasoning and strength of mental endurance but nothing brought a peace or lasting resolution to solve her pain.

I would personally say that the first glimpse of someone's healing who has thoughts of self-harm would be when they don't surrender to the voice that is telling them to end it all, to give up, you're not worth the effort, no one will ever love you. So when she didn't agree with that voice, even though she may have felt at a place of having no way out, nothing left to fight for, no human strength to fight with but I consider it a win when she didn't choose a permanent solution to a temporary situation. I say temporary because the truth is, as Christians we have a different option. We have a way out.

She choose to release the weight of the fight, the pain, the feelings of unworthiness, the memories, the shame and laid it all at the feet of Jesus. Rather than surrender to something or someone, she surrendered herself to only One with whom she was safe to be laid bare in such an incredibly vulnerable way.

Kimberly points out the importance of the gift God gave us, the gift of choice. When she exercised that gift, choosing to allow God to love on her, to accept the invitation to sit at His table and enjoy His extravagant love despite anything about her past mistakes, she discovered tangible benefits of the cross.

Some of which are: Authority over evil, the power of responsibility (which translates to freedom) and the beauty of it all, redemption.

And just in case you're wondering, how does authority, responsibility and redemption translate to my pain and suffering. What that looks like for those of us who have past traumas and pain is that we take authority over the evil that we've experienced. What does that mean? We make the choice to take responsibility for our healing. We're not taking responsibility for what happened to us, please hear me clearly on this. We're taking responsibility for our healing. We initiate the necessary steps and follow it through to complete healing.

I'm not going to lie to you, this means we engage our painful places and memories. But if there is anything, anything at all that I can make an impression with you about it would be to stay the course and don't back down. You may not have been able to fight against the person that violated you, that killed things in your heart and your mind but by God's power and authority you can fight this good fight, just like Kimberly did until your past pain no longer had any control over you.

The beauty of redemption is freedom. Discovering that what Christ did on the cross, you can live above the confinements of this life. But God never stops there. There's more. God gives our pain purpose. An example of purpose for our pain is what Kimberly is doing. She's sharing her story to encourage the hearts of others. She's taking part in the redemption plan that God has for her.

Kimberly was a delight to talk with. I loved her laugh, her fun spirit. I think those qualities were so evident because of all that she's been through and yet she had the courage to choose Jesus. She's sharing her story of healing and redemption from a new level of authority, truth and love in Christ.

Let's listen in!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Kimberly INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/theepitomeofkimmy/ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyannebell GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21705865.Kimberly_Anne_Bell WEBSITE https://kimberlyannebell.com BLOG https://kimberlyannebell.com/blog/ AMAZON https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Bell/e/B09C1JK1CC/ 

Bio: Kimberly Anne Bell is an inspirational speaker, minister, mentor, and author of "The Epitome of Kimmy: Accept & Embrace It All". She is originally from Salisbury, Maryland and holds two Degrees: The first is in Human Growth and Development, which is in the field of Psychology, and the second is in Theology. She has served on the Ministerial Staff at St. James A.M.E Zion Church and completed 4 years of Conference Studies. 

She is passionate about depending on her faith in God and being courageous enough to be transparent and speak her truth. She believes that everyone has a story and a journey that can and will inspire others. She has spoken at the Women Empowerment Expo in DC, the Women of Valor Conference in Easton MD, and more. She has also been featured in the March 2022 edition of the Authentic Insider magazine. Through her work, she uses her personal life struggles to inspire others to never give up hope while raising awareness to societal issues. She is also an advocate for Mental Health Awareness. She covers topics like physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse as well as childhood abandonment, PTSD and healing from trauma.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/b5c590095ee84bab8145c0151db1b7a1/edit_v2

My heart has been so encouraged by my guest, Tess Scott. I love, love, love how she embraces her imperfections. Tess is the founder of Listen Sister, a ministry with a focus on encouraging women through what she calls, the freakshow of life. Using her message of encouragement Tess has written a book titled, Listen Sister! Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life.

I am always in awe of women who have the ability to make peace with their imperfections. They're able to fold all of their failures and embarrassing moments into the storyline of their life. In her book, that's exactly what Tess does. She shares real stories that are simple, everyday life experiences, good and bad, embarrassing, empowering and she reveals the beauty in the ordinary. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cringe and you'll leave with your heart having experienced a deeper revelation of God's goodness.

What an interesting life Tess has lived and we touched on a little bit of each phase. Tess says she's the black sheep turned Jesus girl. She has 8 children ....all boys....8 boys.....I even tell her I wouldn't want to clean that bathroom! She's been married 4 times, two of which were to the same man. God reunites her with her husband (in her fourth marriage), and all seems like it's back on track and then she's diagnosed with breast cancer. So instead of a romantic new marriage they begin going to the cancer hospital, visits, radiation, mastectomy. It might be hard to imagine but her complicated life story is full of God's extravagant grace, and mercy.

I hoping that all who have the opportunity to read her book, listen to her wherever she speaks or follow her on social media will adapt her attitude about life's challenges and maybe borrow her courage if they need to in order to heal and move past their regrets and shame.

The courage it takes to share the embarrassing aspects of your life is one thing but to share the things that were your fault....I don't know about you but that would be a hard one for me. To expose my shame and regret to strangers feels like I'm opening myself up to personal attacks. Maybe it's my background, where perfection was drilled into my being as the only acceptable result ...and trust me I get it, perfection is completely unrealistic ...God has brought me through, given me healing but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that sometimes it's challenged and I have to address those thought patterns with God. So my point being, who wants to purposefully invite ridicule? But that's not how Tess sees it.

The only place where we're safe to expose ourselves in that manner with regard to shame and regrets, to be laid bare and vulnerable is with Christ. Once we settle our failures and shortcomings with Him no one else's opinion has any power over us. When we've transferred the pain and struggle of failure to God, laying that burden down, submitting it to His authority it no longer has the same affect on us....it doesn't hold any power over us anymore. God will never use it against us no matter how many times me return with an apology for the same thing. He'll never reject you. He'll never leave you.

The only place that we can find the power and authority to take away our sin and to embrace a forgiveness that allows us to lift our heads under the weight of our decisions and to experience restoration is at the foot of the cross.

Don't hesitate to lay your imperfections at the feet of Jesus. His blood on the cross is still as fresh for us today as it was over 2000 years ago. While we're still alive we have an opportunity to seek God's heart and find out what it means to walk in the freedom of who He is and what He's done. It's an incredible place to do life from.

Listen in as Tess shares her wit, failures and the beauty of who Christ is in the freakshow of life!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Tess: Listen Sister Encouragement for Women www.listensister.ca Top 10 Signs your Life is a Freakshow! I know you suspect it’s true - Find out for sure with this beautiful and FREE framable PDF here: https://tessscott.com/freakshow/ https://linktr.ee/ListenSisterEncouragement

Social Media Links: My website:  Listen Sister! Finding Hope in the Freak Show of Life (tessscott.com)  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/listensistertessscott  Instagram: Listen Sister Encouragement (@listensister_encouragement) • Instagram photos and videos  Linked In Tess Scott | LinkedIn 

Purchase Links: Listen, Sister!: Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life by Tess Scott, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/listen-sister-tess-scott/1140051727?ean=9781631957390)  USA - Listen, Sister!: Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life: Scott, Tess: 9781631957390: Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Listen-Sister-Finding-Hope-Freakshow/dp/1631957392/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7JF3CFP4D52O&keywords=Tess+Scott&qid=1668983379&sprefix=tess+sco%2Caps%2C463&sr=8-1)   Canada - Listen, Sister!: Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life: Scott, Tess: 9781631957390: Books - Amazon.ca  Listen, Sister!: Finding Hope In The Freakshow Of Life, Book by Tess Scott (Paperback) | www.chapters.indigo.ca  Listen, Sister! : Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life (Paperback) - Walmart.com 

Bio: Tess Scott, former black sheep turned “Jesus Girl” is mom of 8 boys and spunky “Grami with a heart above the i” to a whole slew of adorable grandkids. Using both humor and vulnerability, Tess shares her life as a speaker, an author and an encourager of women. Her first book, “Listen,Sister! Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life officially launched in June, 2022. You can usually find Tess knee deep in some sort of shenanigans in Sarnia Ontario to the ongoing embarrassment of her family.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/3df333f8d10543c192a275766f95ecfe/edit_v2

My guest today is Kim Sorrelle. She is the Director for Rays of Hope International. She is an award winning author and she is an International Speaker.

If you're familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, you know this chapter is referred to as the love verses. They describe the importance, depth and beauty of God's love for us and since He loved us first, He also expects us to love others in the way He has modeled it for us. I'm not sure about you but I really, really struggle to love like God loves.

I want to love like God loves. I know I want someone to love me the way it's described in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. I want a love that is patient and kind. One that does not keep a record of wrongs and that covers over a multitude of sins. Wait, that might be yoga pants but you know what I'm getting at. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we'll focus on verses 4 through 12. Verses 4 though 8 describe the way God loves us. Verses 9 through 12 tells us what it will be like when we leave this life behind and step into eternity. For Christians this means we step into God's presence.

Everything about this life is but a mere shadow here and these verses compare this life to being a child with regard to the way we think and reason vs the way we think and reason as an adult. You didn't think the same at 20 years old like you did when you were 13 years old. You didn't think the same from even 16 to 20.

My point being, as we age we grow in our understanding in short, thinking like a child is completely different than thinking like an adult. Same is true when it comes to what we perceive about this life now vs when we stand in God's presence.

Face to face with God will give us a depth of understanding that is unmatched by anything we had previously understood. In eternity, what we thought we knew here and what we find out to be true there will be mind blowing to say the least.

Let's take a look at verses 4 through 12 of 1 Corinthians 13 because I think it's a great chance to meditate on what God is saying here. Take the time to look at the whole chapter.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Verse 8 sets us up for the transition from what love is to leaving this world behind in exchange for face to face with God in eternity.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Let the beauty of God's instruction seep into your heart. What could life be like if every person took to heart, God's instruction on love? Hurt people would no longer hurt people. We could hold others accountable for the purpose of love, we could speak the truth in love and not be afraid. We'd be like iron sharpening iron.

Love would reign in every heart. Think about what that means for families alone. Love is what we'd emulate and spread. Why can't love be as contagious as hate?

Check out all that Kim had to share. May she bless your heart like she did mine!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

CONNECT WITH KIM:

EMAIL: KIM@KIMSORRELLE.COM

WEBSITE

https://www.kimsorrelle.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

https://tiny.one/kimsfacebookpage

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-langlois-sorrelle-11079523/

https://www.instagram.com/kimsorrelle/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/Kim_Sorrelle

https://www.facebook.com/ksorrelle

https://tiny.one/kimsorrelleyoutube

AMAZON BOOK LINKS

https://tiny.one/loveisonamazon

https://tinyurl.com/cryuntilyoulaughonamazon

TRANSCRIPT: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/40b89c379eb84e5a9a1cc0693b8927c9/edit_v2

God's word says, hope deferred makes the heart sick but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. If so, then why would it seem that God withholds good things from us? Specifically for this conversation, withhold marriage and children from my guest Lainie Stubblefield?

If you've longed for something for many years and it feels as though you've been overlooked, let Lainie's story encourage your heart because she shares how she struggles with God about her pain and the revelations she receives by engaging God's heart in her journey of deeply desiring to be a wife and mom.

Hope deferred can be about many different desires of the heart. It's longing for something but not seeing it come to fruition. As mentioned, Lainie's heart desire has been for marriage and children and as a Christian she's chosen to wait on God's timing.

A double edged sword for sure. On the one hand, I consider it a sliver of gold, being confident that God knows the man whom has He chosen to be my spouse. At the very least, when marriage gets tough I could rest in the fact that everything's going to be okay because God picked this one for me. And yet, when it's taking so long for God to answer, it's very easy to also blame Him when things don't turn out like I want or had envisioned.

Lainie reminded me of my friend Kathrine. They are steadfast in their waiting. I'm not saying it's easy. Both women are transparent about their experiences with pain and struggle but they stay the course until God moves His hand. And by move His hand, I am also not saying that He answers in the way they wanted or desired. In their struggling well with God they discover new intimacies about His heart for them. They find that God is enough in every situation.

I can't count the times when I was waiting on the Lord to answer a prayer and then at some point I get it in my head that He needs help. I jump in and "help out" aka take control. I've got this mindset that surely I missed what He was saying or where He was leading so I'm going to steer this prayer request in the right direction and get the answer I'm looking for, pronto. So, more times than I can count I have returned to the Lord in repentance with more baggage attached to my original request. Good news though, God's unfazed with my antics. In the past, He's spoken into my spirit something along the lines of, sweet child I could have saved you all of that if you'd just been patient.

I say that to say this, we can get out there and make things happen. There are other options to waiting on Christ. Lainie has other options. One of those options being that she could stay focused on her struggle and pain becoming bitter but she has set it in her heart and has chosen to submit herself to God's timing and His wisdom.

To some it may look like God has forgotten Lainie or is withholding this good thing, even Laine has asked God that question. But Lainie has pressed deeply into the heart of God to discover the beauty of intimacy with Christ. In doing so, Christ has revealed His sufficiency in singleness.

So you might be thinking, what is the importance of waiting on God? For Christians, it's in the waiting that our faith is exercised. It's where we discover new levels of relationship with God, where He reveals hidden things, gives us access to new dimensions of His heart. It's where we explore and discover things we didn't even imagine to know or ask. After all, an immediate gratification God does not require faith and certainly no relationship. There is beauty to be found in the midst of the pain and waiting. 

Lainie is warm, friendly and easy to. She talks about the various revelations that God shared with her and I loved that she had a strong understanding of the importance of both married couples and the singles with regard to the body of Christ. She has, what I would call, an intuitive understanding and even shares what she discerns with her pastor (who is very open to her input) from a singles perspective. She shares how to blend the two (married and single) in various ways for a mutually beneficial experience that edifies the whole body of Christ.

Listen in to hear all that God revealed and how Lainie has applied it to her life so that hope deferred doesn't become the sole pursuit of her life.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Lainie: https://steelmagnoliaspodcast.com/ https://www.accessmore.com/pd/Have-Love-Will-Travel-

Resources Mentioned: Tim Keller, The Meaning of Marriage Sam Alberry, The 7 Myths about Singleness

Bio: Lainie Stubblefield has helped others receive healing in their bodies as a massage therapist for over 20 years. As a follower of Jesus, she also has a heart for seeing others receive the freedom that is available in our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. She is the co-host of the Steel Magnolias podcast discussing various aspects of Southern Culture as well as a new travel podcast coming out soon called Have Love, Will Travel on the Access More Network.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/b9efa3a7cff54eb09f74e358bf0dbe94/edit_v2

My guest Lori Morrison is a Christian who happens to be a PI, Private Investigator. She deals with good and evil on a daily basis. She also hosts the podcast called The Unlovely Truth where she explores the intersection of faith and true crime. In each of her episodes she’s not making up any of the evil she discusses. Evil is real.

All of this is intriguing to me because as Christians we also face good and evil on a daily basis and we have a huge fascination with true crime. However, we don’t want anything to do with evil in our lives. I can't blame you there because if I'm honest, neither do I.

We tend to shun evil to the point that we completely avoid it, we pray it away, we’re afraid to engage it, and we’re horrified by the headlines in the news. Not only does Lori engage evil on a daily basis from the perspective of helping families find answers about their loved ones, but she also serves female inmates through a bible study.

I think about the courage that it takes to see both sides of the equation. As she shared her experiences I realized how much intention it takes to stay balanced. To have compassion for both the family of the victim and the criminal and yet engage in the fight for justice. But as Christians isn’t that what we’re required to do? Be in the world but not of it? To love justice and seek mercy?

Lori recalls the true crime story that Jesus uses as a teaching tool and in doing so she shows us how we are to combat evil and that is to become engaged in the fight to offset evil. Lori says that it’s not about becoming a PI yourself. Each of us can make our own personal impact. There is work to do, and we, as individuals, can make an impact on both sides of the equation.

As Christians we reveal the heart of God in our normal day to day activities, through our skills and passions etc. We have the opportunity to shine the Light of who Christ is into the darkest parts of life, to let a hurting world know that God has the power and the authority to turn evil for our good and His glory.  Whether that's a family that gets closure and personal justice for their loved one or the repentant heart of a criminal who becomes sold out for Christ and uses their past to heal others living in a life of crime.

If you’re a Christian you know that God loves everyone. Without exception. So our first step in using God's light to dispel the darkness of this life is to engage the heart of God. Let's find out what He wants to use about us, where He wants to work through us. Where dose He want us to apply our gifts and talents, time, energy and resources. And then let’s use Lori’s example of how she is purposeful about taking care of herself so that she’s able to balance the push and pull of this life with the passion of God’s heart. 

Live Loved & Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Lori's Bio: I'm licensed private investigator Lori Morrison. You may know me as the host of the podcast the Unlovely Truth, an author, and a speaker.  I'm here to help you become a different kind of P.I. - a Person of Impact. I've done it, I've worked with others who have done it, and I can help YOU do it, too!

Connect with Lori:

https://www.theunlovelytruth.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theunlovelytruthpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/theUnlovelyTruth

https://www.instagram.com/theunlovelytruthpodcast/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/67d8cf0e4baf49799a5b45f14898feb2/edit_v2

With the average age of a widow being 59 years old we can't overlook this important conversation on financial preparedness. Today my guest, Gayle Blachura talks all things financial with the focus on widows. How can we be prepared for the unexpected status of widow?

Gayle is a partner, CFP professional,  and financial advisor with Financial Security.  Securities are offered through Financial Security Management, a member of FINRA and SIPC.  Gayle can be reached at gayle@gofsg.com or 757-431-1414.  Or visit their website at www.gofsg.com.

This brief conversation between Gayle and I is focused on how to be as prepared as possible should the unexpected happen. This is not a deep dive because as you’ll hear, finances are very individualized and every widow’s goals and needs are different. 

The reason I wanted to have this conversation is because based on the statistics, women outlive men. I saw today that the average age of a widow is 59. But that statistic is not a recent one and I think we can all agree that covid has left behind many widows, a lot of young widows. The chances of not being a widow, well, they’re just not in our favor.

And I know you’re probably thinking, she’s being morbid and this is not something I want to think about. However, it’s worth having this difficult conversation, talking about the topic no one wants to talk about. I want to soften this topic so that women will take action, making sure they're as prepared as they possibly can be for something I pray they never experience.

My only request is that you don’t look the other way. I never imagined I’d need to be thinking about it. Even when God prompted us to make a will and estate plan, my husband and I were planning for many many years down the road. We talked in the context of 80+ years and to honest that is the way it should be done. However, unbeknownst to either of us within 6 months those plans would be put into action. My husband was only 52.

Here are a few of the questions I asked Gayle:  What is a wise thing a woman should do right now with regard to financial preparedness? What is the number one mistake women make with regard to their financial future?  What are some factors that come into play when trying to take on the bulk of financial health, solo?  What about the woman who does not understand financial matters, what is a simple starting point?

Let’s listen in to all that Gayle has to share so that this important topic of widows and financial preparedness becomes easier to talk about and take action.

“Gayle is a partner, CFP professional,  and financial advisor with Financial Security.  Securities are offered through Financial Security Management, a member of FINRA and SIPC.  Gayle can be reached at gayle@gofsg.com or 757-431-1414.  Or visit their website at www.gofsg.com.

Bio: Gayle O'Brien Blachura, CFP®, Vice President

With over 25 years in financial services, Gayle combines her experience with her training as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and her devotion to helping clients achieve their financial goals and dreams.

After several successful years in banking, Gayle sought a more personal, hands-on approach to assisting clients. In 2000, she joined Financial Security Group and earned her designations as Registered Financial Consultant, Professional Financial Planner, and ultimately, her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. She honed her skills working alongside her father, Robert O’Brien, a former U.S. Navy commander, and one of the founding partners of Financial Security. She was admitted as an equity partner in the firm in 2014, the first women to be so selected.

Gayle is a past president of the Financial Planning Association’s Hampton Roads Chapter, as well as lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. One of her passions is serving on the board of directors of Atlantic Shores Christian schools. She also lends her time to conducting financial seminars and teaching financial classes to high school students.

Gayle and her husband, Mark, live in Virginia Beach and have two children.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/51af909719c3458387d57debbc88cf48/edit_v2

My guest, Jessica Dubuque and I talk about infertility and PCOS/Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  When talking with Jessica I learned that September is PCOS awareness month so if you'd like more information check out PCOSawarenessmonth.org. 

Along with receiving encouragement as she shares about her journey through infertility she also talks about an exciting infertility option, called INVOcell. It is more cost affective as compared to the traditional IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) route.

You get to hear Jessica's success story both with her chosen infertility journey as well as a surprise conception but you’ll also get to listen in as Jessica shares that there is a backstory to the success story and it was full of pain and questions and struggle to understand what she had done wrong.

When I think about the various stories that I have had the honor to hear through this podcast I realize there is a level of brokenness in us. And what I mean by that is that there is loss, shame, embarrassment, humiliation, fear. In short, we know suffering. There are no exceptions. Everyone has experienced these things. What might be no big deal for you could be devastating for someone else. To live is to know pain and suffering.

But what I find most fulfilling is to know that God gives beauty in exchange for our broken things. He wants to engage us in the midst of our pain. To lead us into healing and provide restoration that extracts the pain from the event or events so that it no longer controls us. Where we feel at peace with our painful places. That's what healing feels like.

As Jessica tells us who God was for her in the midst of her heartache and questions she reveals this beautiful exchange between her and God. She goes from a leader of her own making, to a follower of God.

She began to pursue His heart for answers to this painful place of infertility.  And what does God do? He heals.

He’s such a good Father. He did this for me too and I know He’ll do it for you. That’s His nature, to heal His sons and daughters. Yes, He’s the God of judgement and there is a day when that will come but today, in the intimacy of relationship with Him, He wants to restore, heal, and make new.

When we engage the heart of God He’s so much bigger than the immediate painful place that we bring to Him. There is so much more wrapped up in our painful places of life. We show up with fears, assumptions, scars and nightmares.

If we allow Him to love on us and to speak into our suffering, His love dismantles and overwhelms the pain of this life. When we walk in that type of recovery and freedom, we get a taste, just a little taste of what it means for Him to bring heaven down to earth.

Listen as Jessica shares this beautiful transition as God meets her in the midst of her journey of uncertainty through infertility. May it bless you to hear of the intimacy that God cares for each of us. 

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Resources: https://www.invocell.com/ https://PCOSawarenessmonth.org

Connect with Jessica: thepowerofinfertility@gmail.com

BIO: At the age of 35, she found herself in a battle of infertility. Fear, anxiety, and shame consumed her as she looked for answers. The life she had envisioned was now full of uncertainty.   In the midst of her pain, she turned to the one who had never left her side, God. She began to embrace her journey as she clung to God’s word. God revealed to her the power of infertility. Her struggles exposed by infertility made her brave enough to confront them. She had more strength than she ever thought to fight battles that she never imagined she would.    Now, she has a passion to connect with others who also share in the pain of infertility.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/11abda32e11f434085a04e0d463060bc/edit_v2

Here are 3 ways to process your pain with God. I share with the goal of bringing a measure, however small it might be, of peace in your mind and comfort for your heart. Not to mention the opportunity for healing in your body. There are real situations in our lives that can affect our health so processing the things that are painful to us is necessary.

We live in a war zone, a spiritual war zone where we have an active enemy who is constantly looking for subtle ways to steal from us. Steal things like our peace, confidence, gifts and talents, our identity or purpose and that's just to name a few.

In this episode I'll share 3 ways that I processed my grief and pain with God. In early 2018 my world came crashing down around me when my husband of 32 years suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Through my grieving process God spoke into my darkness and gave me revelation as I talked with Him about my pain.

Anytime we are separated from that which we are deeply connected to, have expectations attached to or have a strong identity with such as a title/role/job there is a grieving process that should take place. If not, our bodies will keep the score. The anxiety and pain will be stored in the body until we process it.

There are many ways to process pain but here are the 3 that were most beneficial to me.

1. Talk TO God not AT Him
2. Talk WITH God not ABOUT Him
3. Take the time to listen to Him

In this short episode I'll break down all 3 and share just a little bit more so you can understand what I mean by each one.

Something else worth mentioning but I didn't think to include was how I found rest during the painful processing. For me, I found a place to rest my heart and quiet the chaos in my mind by reclining into the beauty of Christian music. Most Christian music is scripture so although I was not reading the bible at this time I was reminded of scripture and soaked in the love stories.

Sometimes I used Christian meditative music from trusted sources so as to avoid the music that adds subliminal messaging. I wasn't looking to be motivated to work out or eat less nor was I looking for anxiety relief messaging in my music. I just wanted to rest without any additional verbiage (subliminal or not) added to my brain. Find ways to rest that will remove distractions and additional conversations that would cause your brain to retain.

Here are some links to the two previous audios that landed us here talking about ways to process your pain with God:

1. The Good God we Profess in the Reality of Pain and Suffering: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/07/06/good-god-2/
2. Here's How Psalm 23 Showed Me God's Faithfulness: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect With Sherrie: Podcast: https://alifeofthrive.com/finding-god-in-our-pain-podcast/ Blog: https://alifeofthrive.com/blog/ Website: https://alifeofthrive.com/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/4b2c54b5430348c8a844bf2420df1ed4/edit_v2

Is it possible for God’s word to reveal His faithfulness? Do you struggle to find power in scripture? Ever wonder how scripture helps you in times of great pain and deep questions? What if I told you God's faithfulness never fails and the scriptures prove it?

This podcast episode is connected to the episode I did a few weeks ago entitled The Good God we Profess and the reality of Pain and suffering. In that previous episode I made mention of how scripture came alive to me. How it proved God true. One of the scriptures I referenced as helping me through the darkest valley I’ve known to date, that being, unexpectedly loosing my husband of 32 years, was Psalm 23.

As a follow up, this episode will be about real examples and revelation of how I found different layers of meaning in God’s word and how in this very dark valley, I discovered an intimacy with Christ I didn’t even know I was missing.

I’ll read Psalm 23 in its entirety and then I’ll break it down and tell you how this bible verse spoke to me. I'll share how God fulfilled His word in my life. How black ink on crinkly pages (in the Holy Bible) came alive to me and why scripture became a lifeline for me.

Keep in mind I’m sharing my personal experience with the God of the Holy Bible whom I identify as Father God, Jesus Christ, His Son and the Holy Spirit.

We can always count on God’s word to be consistent with His character and His nature. Anything that is true is of God. It will not contradict who He is but we can’t put Him in a box with regard to how He will show up for someone or how He will reveal Himself or how He will speak to us.

We are unique individuals and because God knows us intimately, He knows how to speak and connect His truths with the spiritual language we speak. And again, not in a way that is outside what the Bible has been preaching, tested and tried for over 2000 years. But deeper revelation of who He is, an intimacy that you have not known before.

Here’s Psalm 23 in theKing James Version (KVJ) but I encourage you to look up this verse in different versions so that you can see the depth of the word.

Our American language is so layered that we can go deeper in understanding if we look at the way the word is being used.

Think about how we use the word love or friendship. Love can be anywhere from intimate/persona/marital to a strong desire for a specific food. Friendship has layers from inner circle to social media connections where there is no other interaction. And it’s the same for God’s word.

As you study God’s word, you peel layers away and receive deeper revelation just like you would find deeper understanding as you grow in any other type of relationship. The more you invest the stronger it grows, the deeper the connection. With each layer revelation comes and God's faithfulness can be traced throughout your situation.

Psalm 23 

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Listen in for the examples and revelation of how God’s word came alive and active in my life. It lead me into a beautiful intimacy with Father, Son and Holy Spirit and it can take you there too!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifofthrive.com

Associated Links: The Good God We Profess and the Reality of Pain and Suffering

Connect With Sherrie: Podcast Blog Website

Are there times when you could really use a hug? Some days even a strangers kind word brings encouragement for a heart that is in trauma mode. My guest Danielle Bernock is known on the internet as the lady who loves you and after my brief time with her I can honestly say I know why. She understands the wounds of trauma, knows how to find healing and more importantly she is willing to love you through the process.

I left our conversation feeling loved-on with a new understanding on several different aspects of trauma. I’m hoping that as you listen in today you feel loved-on, encouraged, and a find new level of freedom to apply to your life. 

Danielle explains what trauma is and what it is not, the difference between self-love for selfishness and the self-love that honors God. We talked about the dangers of unresolved trauma, why we automatically default to negative thinking and the root of why we blame ourselves for the trauma that we’re left with. We discussed Trauma Bonds, and she gave several very practical examples of why it’s important to take care of ourselves and find healing with regard to trauma.

She has a process of healing based on the word self. She uses the word SELF as an acronym to give distinction to the steps and give a shape to the process that she uses to bring healing to those in search of relief and she does it in the most loving way.

When I say loving, I mean humble, kind hearted. You feel a kindred spirit. She knows where you’ve been. She has an idea of what you’re going through and she shows no judgement against anything you may disclose/share.

To me, Danielle represents the heart of God well. To heal the brokenhearted. To bind up their wounds. To restore. Not to its old ways but in newness of life, freedom and peace.

If you can benefit from a new level of freedom, you’re in the right place today!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @A Life of Thrive!

Get Connected to Danielle: Website Free Resources

Products Mentioned (no affiliate connection): 


Dr. Jonice Webb What Happened to You - By Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry

Scriptures Referenced:


Matthew 25:14-30


1 John 4:19 

John 6:37

Transcript

This was such an interesting conversation for me! My guest Alicia Michelle is a Christian NeuroCoach and our conversation today is structured around brain science and the Holy Bible. Don’t go anywhere if you're feeling like you don’t want a science lesson because that's not what you'll hear.

This is a helpful conversation with regard to giving insight into why we may know the word but we have trouble applying it to our lives. We know what God’s word says about our identity, our worth, that we’re loved and we’re enough. We say we believe it but there’s a dissonance between what we know and how we live it out. In short, Alicia equips women with brain and biblically based tools to renew negative thought patterns for more freedom, peace and God-centered confidence.

By talking with Alicia I learned that between the ages of 9-13 we establish our understanding of our identity, worth and how we define love. So based on what our environment is like we create a belief system and an internal dialog that will continue to run throughout our lives until we challenge it. It’s not until we’re faced with a situation, a belief or an experience that causes us to take a second look at our coping skills or our relationship skills. 

Alicia gives a personal example of how she ended up in the hospital with a life threatening medical condition because of her definitions of worthiness/being enough and what made her worthy of being loved. 

As a NeuroCoach Alicia helps her clients peel away the layers to get to the root of their belief system and then she coaches and equips by blending science and biblical truth. To hold science up to the Bible is very interesting to me. I’m always fascinated by how the Bible is revreberated through our natural world. 

Alicia explained how science is the vehicle but God’s word is the medicine. And I believe she gave another example of how neuro science is the IV and God’s promises are the medicine. 

We will always revert to the belief system that we’ve created through our experiences and environment but Alicia teaches how to take those thoughts captive to Christ by doing what is called Brain Priming and literally creating new neuropathways in the brain that override the old ways of thinking. 

Something else that was super exciting to me was when Alicia shared some science research that reveals how the brain, (once thought of being the same from birth to death) the brain is constantly renewing itself. To me, that’s why God says, renew your mind in many scriptures of the Bible. Part of Romans 12:1, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Ephesians 4:22, be renewed by the spirit of your minds. And there are several more. 

If you have received mixed messages about your worth or if you struggle with feeling like you’re never enough or question if you’re lovable, I hope you find this topic as interesting as I have because you’re about to discover that the negative internal dialog you have running in your mind, impacting your heart can be challenged and rewritten. Permanently. You can live loved and thrive in every situation because with God you’re always the head, never the tail. 

Pull up close to this conversation because I want you to hear all that Alicia has to share! It’s gonna blow your mind, in a life changing way. 

Connect with Alicia: Christian Mindset Coach for Women at VibrantChristianLiving.com Certified NeuroCoach™, Life Coach, Writer, Speaker + Bible Teacher IG + FB: @aliciamichellecoach Podcast: The Christian Mindset Coach with Alicia Michelle

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/5250eceb2cb64197ba1b202077da9579/edit_v2

I profess a good God but I'll be honest, sometimes life can feel anything but good. Why would my good God allow such pain and suffering?

This week’s podcast episode is a solo flight. It’s just me. And you of course! The reason I wanted some one-on-one time with you is because I’ve got some exciting news. I stepped into the role of Speaker! I'm a blogger, a podcaster, now a speaker and I have author in my sites. No matter the role I step into, I love to encourage the hearts of women, letting them know that they’re never alone.

With this announcement (of speaker) I want to share one of the messages that I’ve had the privilege to give at various churches and women’s groups. 

It’s based on my personal experience as I moved through the early stages of my grief after unexpectedly loosing my husband, Larry. Going from stunned silence, to anger to surrender.  But before you tune out, feeling like grief is only for the loss of a loved one, I want you to stay tuned because I share what I've discovered…grief is present anytime we’re separated from the things we hold nearing dear to our hearts. Therefore, a grieving process is familiar to all of us.

If there is any beauty to be found when we find ourself in those bottomless free falls of desperation and uncertainty it is discovering God’s presence. Discovering that His word was true.

We can go from knowing things about God through His word to a new level of intimacy because He was proven true in the darkest struggles of our lives.  Only God can reach deep pain. Because to be honest, if you can’t change my circumstance (, you can’t reach/change my pain. But God could and God did.

Knowing scripture is powerful but it’s not everything. I knew Deuteronomy 31:8 (It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed). I knew Psalm 91:4 (He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection) I knew Psalm 23 ….The The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need….I can do a later episode breaking down how God showed Himself faithful to me using Psalm 23…

But my point is that scripture is only powerful when we engage the author, God.

I knew a lot of scripture but up to that point in my life my faith had never been tested to the degree that it was when I lost Larry. Those words on crinkly pages would have pointless unless I took them to the Fountain Head of Truth, God and begin to process my pain with Him. We’re not safe processing our pain anywhere else.

No matter how traumatic this life can be, God’s heart and mission is to come to us, let us rest in Him, guide us through the pain and give us the beauty of His presence. That’s the only thing I ask for now, His presence.In every situation. When you have the beauty of His presence you get all of Him. 

Knowing what He’d done for me and how He patiently guided me through my grief and questions is why I have no worry for tomorrow. No matter what unexpected twists and turns this life takes, God is writing a bigger love story with me than anything here. 

We’re not going to avoid the pain of this life. It’s not IF something painful happens but rather WHEN something painful happens. So no matter what this life hands you, no matter how painful it might be, keep this close to your heart. You’re not alone and that the good God we profess speaks the most beautiful things in the dark. 

Let’s jump into the message and thank you for stopping by to listen.  I sure hope your heart is encouraged today! 

But before we do, If you can think of someone who would be encouraged by my message then please share this with them. If you think of a church or women's group who could benefit from knowing that they're not alone, especially in their darkest moments, use the Contact link (https://alifeofthrive.com/contact/) to let me know who I can reach out to. I'd love to encourage every heart around the world!

You can Live Loved and Thrive...no matter your circumstance @alifeofthrive.com

Associated Links: Here's How Psalm 23 Showed Me God's Faithfulness

Connect with Sherrie: Website: ALifeOfThrive.com Podcast: Finding God in Our Pain - Listen on whatever platform you use or go to my website to listen: https://alifeofthrive.com/finding-god-in-our-pain-podcast/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/881d522a67854af19c9b0de019ecbaec/edit_v2

Find your brave! Guest, Amy Debrucque is the Founder of the Life On Purpose Movement and the host of the Life On Purpose Podcast. She has also co-authored a book with her young adult daughter, Blair entitled, Embolden. And that is what our conversation is based on today. What does embolden mean and how can this book, this tool help us to overcome the things that hold us back in life.

On the cover of the book is the definition of Embolden, to give someone the courage or confidence to do something or behave in a certain way. If you struggle with anxiety, fear, worry, or stress then Embolden is a great resource to engage with.  It is a self-help book that will help you find your brave! Amy and Blair have blended together what I would define as a reflective journal with Biblical encouragement.

It’s a soft back book with beautifully saturated colors and images. It takes you through 4 weeks of daily, simplistic steps that focus on 4 areas. Week 1 is fear. Week 2 is kindness. Week 3 is temptation and week 4 is growth. It’s a very thoughtful presentation with regard to the way it’s laid out. It's uncluttered, which I think is so nice if you're dealing with anxiety because it immediately gives you a calm feeling.

The content is easily digestible for both comprehension and engaging the activation steps. Which by the way, I get no financial benefit if you order this book. It's just that I am in love with the process and the presentation. It’s the best tool I’ve seen on living out 2 Corin 10:5 which says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

So this process of the 4 weeks of focusing on specific areas of our lives will equip us to take what we believe, hold it up to Christ’s word. When we do that we allow God to speak His truths into our beliefs. Because God's truths never fail to overwhelm a lie, we win. What does that mean for us?

We gain victory over the lies we have believed based on the truths of God's word. That’s how we bring our thoughts and beliefs captive to the truth of what God says. We believe God's word and we transform our thought life, our running internal dialog making it obedient (changing our belief patterns) to the truth.

Feel like you need a breakthrough? Want to find your brave?! Check out the process that Embolden lays out. Small incremental steps…which reminds me of Zachariah 4:10 …. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." So, small incremental steps and in no time you will have dismantled the fear that was keeping you from living out all that God has created you for! 

As Amy says, “Fear isn't going to go away, but courage can get the final say”

Come on get your breakthrough!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Get Connected with Amy:

Website: https://www.amydebrucque.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amydebrucque/

Interviews/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0iYlgp6mpbl3qx87qmAPca

Transcription: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/0c39950be49549d5af86806eb30d5d26/edit_v2

Since you made it past the title, There’s More to Finances Than Money, I’d like to personally congratulate you because we both know that money is a sensitive subject. It’s vital to life, it is one of the major exchange systems we use and yet it makes people uncomfortable at best and defeated at worst. But my guest, Author and Pastor Scott LaPierre wants to do more than take a look at it he wants to equip us on how to live at peace with our finances through his book and workbook titled, Your Finances God’s Way. 

As a pastor, Scott counsels people through all phases of life and the various challenges that we enter into throughout our life. Based on his experiences, research, and Gods word, Scott has written several books that guide us through some of our most challenging roles. For example marriage, trials (as in pain and suffering), how to work and rest. He has a couple of more books and you can find them on his website (link below).

For me, the conversation with Scott was beneficial because it made me realize that throughout my lifetime as I entered into the various phases and challenges that I’d never faced before, it would have been very beneficial to have some insight into how to navigate this new territory. For example, when you're first married because there is a major shift but especially with regard to marital conflicts or finance issues. Even anxiety because if I'm honest, I didn’t understand how to balance work and rest.

My point being, how do we know what to do when we encounter these things for the first time? We don’t know what to do unless we educate ourselves. Hence the books Scott has authored.  He looks through the lens of God’s word (the Holy Bible) as the foundational piece to life and then leads us into God’s wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and understanding.  We look at how to use God’s word as a compass to make the best decisions possible in every phase of life and in this specific conversation, the context being our finances. 

Here are the two things that solidified the thought that there's more to our finances than money. After hearing them, I couldn’t help but wonder if they’re the two most powerful reasons why we avoid looking at our money. #1) We do not have a money problem, we have a spending problem. #2) To look at our finances, (the way we spend our money), is to look at the value system of our heart.

Today’s conversation with Scott is not a deep dive but his book Your Finances God’s Way, covers so much more than he and I were able to talk about in our brief conversation. Here are a few of the topics we covered: *What are some of the ways we overspend? His simple answer made complete sense and for me it's the best place to start when trying to gain control of your money.     *What are some of the heart conditions that plague our spending goals? This one is hard because we need to have the courage to take a look at our own heart.   *Can non-believers benefit from God's principles?   *Is it ever too early or too late to create a financial plan?   *I pointed out that it can’t be all work and no play, so how do we fold that into our financial goals?    *What is need and can we ask God for things? And if so, under what conditions?

We talked about much more, with the focus being practical ways to live without debt and save for retirement but our overall goal is to equip you to live in peace with your money. So how do we live in peace with money? 

Scott made a great distinction about money being neither moral nor immoral, it’s a resource that God has given us. Therefore, we educate ourselves in a way that we take ownership of this resource and we put our money to work for us. I don’t know about you, but true freedom is when I’m not being controlled and especially by a resource that I should be controlling.  

I’m so glad you stopped by today friend, may this conversation add to your desire to understand and live in God’s value system of freedom.

Get connected with Scott: FREE GIFT WHEN YOU VISIT SCOTT’S WEBSITE: www.scottlapierre.org Email scott@scottlapierre.org Podcast: Living God’s Way with Scott LaPierre

Transcript:  https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/c8bec522e72049ac89f0df14bbe11194/edit_v2

Rosie MaKinney wants you to know that a porn free marriage is possible! Rosie is the founder of Fight for Love Ministries and the author a book titled the same, Fight for Love. She is my guest and if porn is a problem in your marriage, she has some good news for you today!

If there is a lack of intimacy in your marriage, a disconnect that you can’t quite put your finger on then listen to this entire conversation. If your husband struggles with a porn addiction and you’re in need of some answers, clarity, hope and healing, you must listen to this whole conversation. If you’re a women who struggles with porn, Rosie gives you hope and points you toward healing.

Fight For Love Ministries is where Rosie equips and educates women with a baseline of information about the dangers of porn, showing them the way out of addiction because her heart is that every marriage, every woman has a fighting chance. Her book on this same topic, titled Fight for Love, is an amazing resource as well as her website https://fightforloveministries.org/.

We talk mostly about husband’s who are struggling with an addiction to porn but we also talk about the fastest growing user group, women. One third of porn users are female. We talk to them in this conversation and there is a focused portion of Rosie’s book for women who are struggling with a porn addiction. 

Her passion for bringing this sensitive topic to the surface and normalizing an aggressive stance against pornography in marriage was born out of her own personal journey because of her husband, Mark’s porn addiction.

Mark and Rosie now live a porn free marriage, Mark is a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist and Rosie gives hope and healing to other women who find themselves in the same situation she experienced. Loneliness, thinking you’re the only one, fear about speaking up, confusion and misinformation about how you should act/what you should say, and hearing just plain bad advice.

Rosie has created a clear, empowering path of freedom for women to initiate recovery and stay the course. 

Some of the topics we covered: why women blame themselves, misconceptions about porn use, the difference between how men and women interact with porn, the fact that a wife is not simply fighting her husband’s preferences or even another person and Rosie shows us how the battle is an altered chemical state in the brain.

In the opening audio clip, Rosie explains why is it still traumatic for a woman and the relationship even if the husband does not reveal his addiction. Even though the wife may not have concrete evidence, or even an explanation of the disconnect of intimacy there is still a consequence. So that whole way of thinking by a husband of, I’m not going to tell my wife because I want to protect her doesn't work. There’s still an emotional, mental and physical consequence to that way of thinking. 

Something else that was interesting to me, Rosie explained that pornography itself is not the reason for divorce and when she explained her findings it made complete sense. She points out how the attitudes and behaviors that surround porn use as typically being the ultimate destruction of the marriage.

Rosie’s message will set you free because she knows that you don’t have to try harder, you need to educate yourself on what you’re dealing with. Understanding the power position that God has already given you will help you understand the best way to stand in the gap for your husband and bring true, lasting change.

Fight for Love because it’s worth it and a porn free marriage, a porn free life is possible!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifofthrive.com

Connect with Rosie: Website: https://fightforloveministries.org/

Book: Fight For Love https://www.rosiemckinney.com/book-1 Resources Mentioned: The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Ray Gregory: https://www.christianbook.com/great-rescue-youve-taught-recover-intended/sheila-gregoire/9781540900821/pd/900823 Documentary - 3 part Brain, Heart World by Fight The New Drug: https://brainheartworld.org/

BIO: Rosie McKinney is a writer, speaker, and podcaster, who ten years ago entered the fight against her husband’s compulsive porn use. Through her faithful and uncompromising stance and his repentance, counseling, and group work, their marriage is now porn-free. From the very beginning of her journey, Rosie has been bold and relentless about reaching other wives struggling with porn-invaded marriages. There is now a thriving recovery community on the central coast of California, supervised by her husband, Mark, a certified sexual addiction therapist. Rosie is the founder of Fight For Love Ministries, which empowers women with both the facts and the faith to fight against porn addiction and its effects on them, their spouses, and their families. Connect with her at https://fightforloveministries.org/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/991e103cd40e486a990a095a60d11684/edit_v2

Author and Pastor Kevin Horath and I talk about a hardened heart. Not a physical condition but a spiritual one. He’s written several books but the one we focus on is The Pharaoh Factor - Living with a Hardened Heart. If you know the story, Pharaoh hardens his heart toward God, but what does that mean for us today? How does one acquire a hardened heart? How do we know if we have a hardened heart?

Kevin and I both dug around in our own personal stories of what it looked like in each of our specific situations of having a hardened heart. How did we get there and what does recovery look like?  And just as important, we cover the question of how do we keep our hearts soft and teachable so that we don’t return to an isolated, fearful, self-sustaining condition? A condition that I personally know is exhausting, frustrating and it’s definitely lonely. 

I marvel at the contradictions of this life in comparison to the things that have spiritual value, specifically God’s spiritual value. Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about.

When things are the most painful, the beauty of what God has for us on the other side, the healing, it is something that we couldn’t think to ask for. He wastes nothing and He redeems everything.

When we submit ourselves, our situations to God, lay down things, in God’s value system we get better than we had, better than we deserve. It’s not simply restored to what it use to be. Rather we’re given what God Himself has for us. And of course the ultimate example of submission is when Christ said, "It is finished." Sounds like the final conclusion, end of story, it’s over. And yet, it was just the beginning for us. New life, direct access to God, salvation, eternal life, heaven on earth, and so much more.

Another example is when we leave our old self behind (accepting Christ’s work on the cross), we gain direct access to our Creator. Direct access gives us the opportunity to activate an intimate relationship with God and get to discover who God created us to be at our origin, when He knit us together in our Mother’s womb. We get to put on, wear, walk-in God’s original creation for us. We fulfill our purpose, our calling with joy no matter our circumstance. Free to live above the limitations, pain and brokenness of this world. 

My final example….when fear is most terrifying, whatever area that may be, whatever form that takes on … behind that fear is a revelation, a truth about God and therefore a freedom for us to experience. The God of the Holy Bible is not the god of fear. Fear, chaos, confusion that’s the presence of your enemy. 

For example, your fear could actually be blocking knowledge of your gifting or clarity about your purpose. Satan does not want you to make a breakthrough because he can’t afford for you know who you are, for you to bring forth the message God has appointed to you, at this time in your generation.

So my point being, don’t let this brief conversation between Kevin and I, about familiar scriptures, disciplines and God’s truths pass you by. Draw in a little closer and ask Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and reveal any areas of your heart that may be hardened. Ask to reveal His truth so you can experience the freedom that He has for you.

Ezekiel 36:26 is a promise from God to you and I. It says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you, your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Why would He make this promise to us? Because, a heart of stone is only as far away as the next painful situation, trigger about past trauma, or when you hear words that strike deep in your heart, when you get what you feel, is an external confirmation of your internal voice. 

When we don’t take the painful places of this life captive to Christ, hold them up to God’s truth and let Him give us clarity with His value system, we will harden our hearts to the things we have no control over, no context for and no understanding of our identity.

Despite the pain of this life, which we all know revolves around family, friends and relationships in general. It all comes back to relationship. It’s the core of our existence because we were created for relationship. For that reason alone, it’s worth being alive to and not dead to it … even though alive. With Christ, He rewrites all the evil this world dishes out, giving our soft tender heart a safe place to thrive despite the presence and in the very midst of pain and suffering. That’s His speciality.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Kevin: IG: thefactorbooks FB: The Factor Books Website: TheFactorBooks.com

Bio: Author Kevin P. Horath is a dynamic speaker and teacher who has served as Associate Pastor for Hillside Bethel Tabernacle since 1997 as well as working as a healthcare human resources executive for over 27 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Kevin lives in Decatur, Illinois, with his wife, Kathy. They have three children, three grandchildren, two dogs, and one cat. In their free time, Kevin and Kathy love to sail on Lake Decatur.

His goal is to help others find a spiritually healthy approach to life through the realistic, practical application of biblical stories, characters, and principles.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/e023aefe34da4b418c7c8463937b34d5/edit_v2

The conversation with my guest today, John Jarman, the Author of Broken and Redeemed was a welcomed reminder of the beauty of redemption.

I can’t think of anyone who has been able to avoid the broken parts of this life. I think we all get it, that at some point we will be handed difficult obstacles, painful life experiences and overwhelming grief. At times, it comes from other people in their brokenness and sometimes it’s our brokenness that affects others. Especially the ones we love most. John is one of us, familiar with how tough life can be, well aware of how this world wants to weigh you down with guilt, shame and lies. 

John is a former football coach and marine. He’s currently a professional fitness coach and discipleship leader. As he and I were talking I took a close look at the contrast of this man’s man partnered with a tender heart for the things of God.

John has given me a short answer to some very tough questions…questions along the line of, "How do I find freedom or a renewed life?" "How can I know truth or find peace? I’m going to answer, abiding….in Christ. John uses that term several times. Abiding means enduring, continuing, unceasing. So abiding in Christ is how we bring heaven to us in the here and now.

Since the ebb and flow of this life is sure to bring pain and suffering then maybe the question we should be asking is, "How do we redeem it?" And I think John’s book Broken and Redeemed is a perfect example of how we can overlay what he’s learned onto our own lives and we too, can walk in intimacy and freedom in Christ.  

John’s story is a reminder for us that when we step through the gate, the door, Christ, (making what he did on the cross personal for us), we get direct access to God Himself. We are positioned to discover directly from our Creator, how He made us in His image when He knit us together in our mother’s womb.

We get to participate in God’s love story with us. We get to experience what being an overcomer is like. We overcome our circumstance, our pain is redeemed, we receive deeper revelation of God’s heart for us, we grow in intimacy with the God, and His truth sets us free. Where there is truth there is freedom, and when we dwell in freedom we receive peace. All the while we’re building trust in God.

You can’t force trust. Trust doesn’t come until there’s a trial. We test God in our pain, and with our questions and confusion and we find Him faithful.  

This life dishes out its weak, temporary value system but when we submit our broken things to God and let Him take over, He restores, heals and makes broken things whole. The beauty of God's restoration vs us pulling up our boot straps and making it happen is that it’s not simply restored to the way it was. It’s restored to the original plan. The plan God had for us before the foundations of the earth were laid, before we were impacted with imperfection and evil.

As you listen to John talk about how he overcame, let the beauty (and by beauty I mean strength and power) of submission and humility be revealed to you in a whole new way.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifothrive.com

Connect with John: www.brokenandredeemed.com https://brokenandredeemed.com/products/broken-redeemed-paper/ (you can get it autographed when you order through John's website) https://www.facebook.com/BrokenRedeemed https://twitter.com/broken_redeemed https://www.instagram.com/john_brokenredeemed

BIO: John Jarman is a professional fitness coach and men’s discipleship leader with a passion for seeing lives changed by Jesus Christ. A former football coach and Marine Corps veteran of Desert Storm, John’s life was radically transformed from a self destructive trajectory to one of life, wholeness, and a dynamic walk with Christ, a story that is told in the pages of Broken and Redeemed. John holds a Master's Degree in Physical Education from Ohio University, and, as of this writing, is close to completing a Master's degree in Theology from Faith Seminary in Tacoma, Washington where he resides.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/b21b8b1347174007984799c0e6f8cd31/edit_v2

There is healing for male sexual abuse survivors. Dr. Kelli Palfy, is a registered psychologist working in private practice in Edmonton, AB. Canada. Of the many ways she helps to bring healing into the lives of her clients there was one aspect that I wanted to bring to my listeners today and that is the ignored topic of male survivors of adult or childhood sexual abuse. 

What are signs that a wife might need to be aware of should her husband be a survivor of sexual abuse. How can she protect her sons (and ultimately her daughters too) from sexual abuse…especially since the statistics show 95% of sexual abuse is perpetrated by a family member, someone you trust, someone who has gained the trust of your child. 

For the first 20-25 minutes, Kelli and I talk about her journey to her Ph.d in psychology. Why the interest in helping men find wholeness and healing after sexual abuse? Granted that is not her only focus in her practice but after hearing her story I could see why she could relate.

Not only from her own hesitation to find help for the merciless bullying she endured in her work environment but what she saw day in and day out as she served her community as part of the Royal Mounted Canadian Police.  

Below you'll see some resources listed. Also, on Dr. Palfy’s website she has a Resource link on which you’ll find educational videos. There are personal stories of abuse and healing, how PTSD relates to sexual trauma, the truth about unwanted arousal and several more.

Dr. Palfy does not side step the uncomfortable issue, the tough questions, nor does she avoid addressing the internal struggle. 

Wives, if you feel that your husband is showing some of the signs that Dr. Palfy talks about, take your concerns directly to God because no one knows your husband better than God. No one knows the details of his life, any traumas that may have occurred or the way he's tried to process them. You're looking for direction, support and how to bridge the conversation (should there be a need for one). Don't hesitate to reach out to professionals for guidance as well.

Maybe you can’t identify the signs that Dr. Palfy gives but you know smoothing is wrong, possibly there’s a disconnect of intimacy. To be honest, trauma manifests in a variety of ways, some very unique. Listen to the story that Dr. Palfy shares about the man who begins to limp and it grows worse.

But in either situation, whether it's for your husband or another family member, (son or daughter), educate yourself and consult the Lord for clarity and understanding. Ask God to prepare your husband’s heart for the conversation, if he has indeed ever experienced or is experiencing any type of sexual abuse.

If you are led to be the first one to verbalize what you suspect, have courage. You are in a unique position to usher in healing for your husband, to lift a weight you have no idea the heaviness of it all. Ultimately, you win and your family wins because the head of your household is walking in wholeness and healing. You want to talk about a whole new level of connectedness with your spouse!

It’s the desire of my heart that we all take God up on His ability to bring healing and wholeness into our lives and restore our hearts.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Resources: Book: Willful Blindness, Margaret Heffernan 1in6.org - Confidential non-profit for Sexual Abuse & Assault of Boys and Men malesurvivor.org- Hope, Healing & Support for men from all walks of life Dr. Robert Marshall -https://www.roberthmarshall.com Dr. Kelli Palfy: https://kellipalfy.com/Default.aspx

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/05404e1ca8c24d0a9b0d81c76727f56e/edit_v2

It is my prayer that today’s conversation with adult sexual abuse survivor Amy Nordhues will strengthen your heart in countless ways. Amy's abuse was at the hands of an older gentleman, trusted by the community as well as the church and he was also a mental health professional.

Amy had the heavy burden of experiencing abuse both in her childhood and as this story indicates, an adult. Can childhood abuse set you up to be an easy target as an adult? Amy answers that question and many more with transparency and a genuine desire to give the abused a voice.

As we talked I could see countless ways the devil was focused on destroying her. From her childhood abuse, where she didn’t have any control over what happened to her to the professional help that at first feels like, she describes it, a sanctuary but then becomes a psychological prison.

She gives examples of the subtle ways her Doctor broke down barriers and Amy’s internal dialogue that silenced the alarms that were going off in her head.  Her candor was refreshing as she didn't side step any questions and gave authentic answers even if they weren't the type that seem appropriate, canned answer most people expect.

Satan may have tried to shut down Amy’s heart, to silence her voice, and keep her from ever discovering who she was in Christ …. but he failed.

Amy is a solid Christ follower. She’s found healing for her abuse, victory over her abusers and whenever Satan feels the desire to take a swing at her over her past, she already has the tools in place to triumph over anything evil tries to put on her.

She knows the One who is our ultimate Healer, Christ. He’s the only One who holds the restoration of our mind, body and heart and He works it all together for our good and His glory. 

Need a little encouragement for your heart today, listen in to Amy’s story of courage to report her abuser and face the backlash from those who did not believe her.

Amy’s courage now to share her story both in this podcast and through her book, Preyed Upon, Breaking Free from Professional Abuse gives you an inside look at the warped beliefs that early abuse instills, beliefs that make adult victims vulnerable to sexual predators and what it looks like to walk in victory. 

If you are in an abusive situation or if you've experienced sexual abuse, Amy is speaking directly to you and your heart will find a kindred spirit. May you remember that you are not alone.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

For more encouragement, read: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/07/27/adaptive/

Connect with Amy: https://amynordhues.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AmyNordhues https://twitter.com/Amy_Nordhues https://www.instagram.com/amynordhuesauthor/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21702772.Amy_Nordhues https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HR9TN3N https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-nordhues-636806225/ https://www.tiktok.com/@amynordhues

Bio: Amy Nordhues is a survivor of both childhood sexual abuse and sexual abuse as an adult at the hands of a mental health professional. She is a passionate Christ-follower and expert on the healing God provides. She has a BA in psychology with minors in sociology and criminology. Her devotions have been published in The Secret Place (Judson Press) devotional series. Her essay, Give Me a Sign, won 2nd place at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundation Awards. Her memoir, Prayed Upon, won the Inspire Christian Writers’ “Great Openings” contest for non-fiction. She blogs at www.amynordhues.com. A married mother of three, she enjoys spending time with family, writing, reading, photography, and all things comedy.

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/ed9d17903df94ae3a6d870cfb81caeea/edit_v2

Where or who do you turn to when times get tough? If you're a Christian then you immediately turn your focus to the presence of God. Our conversation today focuses on getting to the point with regard to the plan and purpose of our Christian faith which is pursuing the presence of God. Without the presence of God we are merely another religion.

Our salvation is the first step and it gives us direct access to God. Our worship, our prayers, our service etc should usher us into His presence.

It always has been and will always be about our personal, intimate, one-on-one relationship with Christ. If we enter into salvation but never grow in intimacy with Christ, how will we ever be able to claim our rightful place as the bride? I mean, we wouldn't even know our Groom.

My guest, Author Kevin White and I boil it down for you as we talk about his newest book, Getting to the Point: Every Guidance or Provision You will Ever Need Can be Found Today in God’s Presence. 

I want to repeat that….Every guidance. Every provision. You will ever need. Is found today. In God’s presence. 

Sound way too easy? If so, let me ask you this, how much time do you spend with God developing your relationship with Him? Talking with Him and listening for His reply? Think about distractions or times when your mind isn’t settled. I spend time with God but a lot of times I don’t slow down enough to hear Him speak. So you know what I do then? I fill in the blanks of what I’m sure He would have said. Then I run out into the day with false information.

So If you are like me and are prone to distraction or lose your focus, then when my one-on-one time with the Lord is up, I realize that I didn’t even give God a chance to speak. Or maybe He did speak and I missed it!

So it's not too good to be true because it takes intention and discipline to give God your time and create a space where He can speak into our situations, heart, mind etc. We must intentionally slow down (to thoughtfully engage) and that in itself is a challenge.

And the reality is, it’s not easy but it’s so incredibly worth it. In the times when I rest in God’s presence, give Him that space to bring His sovereignty into my life, it’s a beautiful thing. My mind, heart and emotions get a good dose of peace, clarity and strength for the day ahead because He reveals Himself in a way that affords me provision and reveals His guidance.

Listen now as Kevin shares what he’s learned about getting to the point of our Christian faith and into the presence of God. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @ alifeofthrive.com

Read more about God's intimacy for us at https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/01/11/god-2/

Learn more about Kevin and his work at https://kevinwhite.us or on his socials: Facebook: Kevin White  Twitter: @kevinwhiteus LinkedIn: Kevin White  Instagram: @kevinwhiteus

BIO: Kevin White is an international best-selling author, speaker and founder and Executive Director of Global Hope India. He has traveled over 1 millions miles and to 27 countries speaking on the point of Christianity. With the complications of today’s world, Kevin’s work simplifies and purifies the Christian experience to one fact: The point is to seek God’s presence and build a relationship with Him. 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/698afe02f9a64002a2cae43a8f1e672d/edit_v2