Fighting For Joy

Today I am excited to release the first episode of a three-part series that I recorded with my husband Eric on the topic of marriage and ways that we can fight for joy IN marriage. Over the past 3 years I have asked numerous times about topic suggestions for the podcast - and over and over again, marriage is the #1 thing that you bring up. It’s a favorite topic for us, too, but its a huge topic! T...

I’m so happy to introduce you to a special woman in our community who is known as “Mama Lu”. Her nickname points to the role that she plays in the lives of so many - mentoring, teaching, mothering, and encouraging. Her actual name is LuAnn Ruwe. She has been married to her husband Chris for 44 years. They have 7 children (plus 6 of them have brought spouses to the family) and 13 grandchildren. LuA...

Perfectionism. What comes to mind when you hear that word? For many people, trying to attain “perfection” here in this broken world leads to despair, extreme frustration, debilitating doubt, never feeling good enough, and constant comparison with others which leads to a deep discontentment that permeates the soul. It can feel almost maddening. Like carrying a weight around that is absolutely crush...

Lament. Is that a word that you are familiar with? Before Jackson died, it wasn't a word that I thought much about. But in grief, the examples in Scripture of Biblical lament have really resonated with me. Lament IS releasing our emotions as we cry out to the Lord, but it goes further - it also includes asking for God's help to respond in trust and worship. Lament helps us focus on God’s character...

Name the top 10 people who have had a transformative influence on your life! One of those people for me is my guest today, Pastor Don Solin. Don currently pastors a church in Ohio and is a certified life coach, but many years ago he was my high school youth pastor. In the midst of such tender years of growth and struggle, he and his wife Marcie loved on us crazy teenagers in such meaningful ways....

Are you in the midst of a "waiting season"? Maybe your life doesn't look like you thought it would. Or you find yourself in the middle of really difficult circumstances that won't be changing anytime soon...or ever. You long for a different job. A different health journey. A spouse. A family. A different ending. A different story. Is there joy to be found in these longings? Can we experience hope...

Let’s face it, life in this world of ours is such a “both/and"! It can be beautiful and exciting…AND...it can be hard, painful, and disappointing - sometimes all at the same time! Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for our struggles to end or our circumstances to change before we can experience joy. And hope. And peace. It is possible to find these things right in the messy middle! We can experienc...

On this episode my husband Eric and I answer some of your listener questions! Questions like: "What does your grief look like in year 7?" "How do you recharge?" "How are you able to be so open and vulnerable with your story?" We recorded our first Q & A episode last season and you loved it so much that we wanted to do another one for you. Thank you for submitting questions. It was a joy to sha...

Today we are kicking off Season 3! I’m grateful to get back to sharing stories of fighting for joy and can't wait to tell you about the exciting things that I have planned for the podcast over the next few months. On this episode, my favorite podcast guest, my husband Eric, is joining me to recap a few things from Season 2 as well as help me to introduce what is coming up in Season 3. *The Fightin...

Today I am wrapping up Season 2 of the podcast with a special episode that is dedicated to my mom, Virginia Nelson. She went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 7th, 2020. Her life was a shining example of what it looks like to fight for joy in the midst of this broken world. Her persevering faith carried her through each trial that she faced and her long relationship with Jesus allowed her to sin...

Today we are wrapping up this special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. I hope that it has inspired you and given you practical ways to keep pressing on through these weird and uncertain days. As you listen to this episode, may you be reminded that our ultimate hope and joy needs to be found in something, actually Someone, who is much greater than...

We are in the middle of a three part series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have never lived with such uncertainty. We aren’t used to this much time at home…without going to school, without going into work, without malls, restaurants, sports, and activities. And sadly, for many families, it’s not merely the uncertainty and inconvenience that...

Today I am launching a special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. This is definitely a time in our country and in our world when the fight for joy is so important. We have been pushed out of our comfortable and privileged lives into so many unknowns - into shutdowns, loss, unwanted change, and even fear and worry. So, how do we find joy in the mids...

Today’s topic is close to my heart as I truly believe that living in tight community with others is a crucial component in our fight for joy. God created us to be relational beings. It’s rooted in the fact that we are created in the image of God, who is triune and relational Himself. We aren’t meant to walk alone. As we live life together and share in each other's joys and sorrows, the fellowship...

I'm doing something different on the podcast today and it's pretty special! I'm sitting by the fireplace in our living room on a Friday night with our kids to talk about grief, family, and fighting for joy together. We’ve been spending a lot of time together these past couple of weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and while we were brainstorming things to do here at home, the kids suggested...

I am extremely excited about releasing this episode today! When I began to think of people that I wanted to have on the podcast this season to encourage you in your fight for joy, Becky Novecek was at the top of the list. Becky is one of the most beautiful, interesting, and purposeful people I know. I learn so much from her. I’m inspired by her. She helps me see beauty in all kinds of places. And...

Life in this world of ours is such a “both/and". It can be beautiful and wonderful AND it can be so disappointing, confusing, and hard. Sometimes all at the same time! Pretty much everyone will, at some point, experience a difficult season and find themselves struggling through a time of discouragement, loneliness, betrayal, anxiety, sadness, grief, and the list goes on…sometimes it just isn’t eas...

Today is an important episode because as a Christian, nothing brings us as much help in our fight for joy as the Bible does. In this episode, my husband Eric returns as a guest to share about the ways that he implements the truths of God's Word into his daily life, and how knowing and trusting in God’s promises has provided him with things that nothing else in this world can! God's Word is so powe...

My guest today is Naomi Adjei, a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Omaha. I met Naomi through a mutual friend and we’ve enjoyed using Instagram to develop an encouraging new friendship. She has been such a blessing to me these past few months and its been fun to cheer each other on in our various callings. Naomi is passionate about wholistic care. She works to help people thrive with a health...

Today we continue on with Season 2 after a nice long break over the holidays! Whether you are a new listener or someone who has been listening since the beginning, my sincere hope is that you are encouraged and helped in your own fight for joy. I started this podcast to remind us all that there IS hope to be found in the midst of this broken world. We CAN experience joy, even in the middle of diff...

Today I am thrilled to have a new friend of mine, Jen Stutzman, on the podcast. Jen and her family are fellow Nebraskans and we met online through our mutual love for podcasting, being purposeful with social media, and looking for God in all things (many thanks to Laura Ruwe, my guest on episodes 8 and 14, for connecting us)! If you follow me on Instagram, you already know about the Stutzman's min...

I hope you guys are enjoying Season 2! We’ve gotten off to a great start and I am thankful you are listening and sharing the podcast with others who you think may be encouraged. More importantly, I hope you are continuing to fight for joy in whatever you are facing today, and that this season of The Fighting For Joy Podcast is giving you fresh perspectives as you listen to my friends share about v...

Today I have two very special people on the podcast to talk about Fighting for Joy with Friendship! They are my dearest friends Cathy Brown (my guest on Episode #2) and Kathy Craig. They came to Nebraska for a girls weekend in September and I just knew that we needed to record an episode together on this theme while they were here. We talk about everything from prayer, to the Voxer app, to raising...

Laura Ruwe was one of your favorites on Season 1, so I am thrilled to have her return as a guest on the podcast for Season 2! Laura has made some beautiful progress in her continued fight for joy this year and I'm grateful for her willingness to come back on to share about two practical tools that have brought her tremendous help. I think a lot of you will resonate with what she shares today as de...

My guest today on the Fighting for Joy Podcast is our counselor, Claire Cunningham. Going to counseling has been a huge help in my personal fight for joy these past 6 years - in fact when people want to know what has helped me keep progressing in grief, my appointments with Claire and the things that I have learned through counseling are always at the top on my list. Not only does Claire help us h...