Finding Something Real Podcast

Today, we have a special guest on the podcast! Janell’s mom Shannon joins Janell and Lieke to talk about the difference Jesus makes. Shannon talks about her experience with drinking to escape, accepting Jesus as her Lord and Savior at the age of 16, and the difference Jesus has made in her life. She also talks about how her faith has impacted her relationship with her parents. There is a lot of go...

Bryan Drake, a Christian illusionist, joins Janell on the podcast today! Bryan and Karla Drake have performed for hundreds of thousands of people over the past 10 years. They have witnessed the amazing grace of God first hand as thousands of people at their shows have surrendered their lives to follow Jesus. Their unique mix of comedy, mentalism, and illusions have mesmerized audiences all across...

This May, we are going to seek to answer a few questions by Lieke! Lieke shares with Janell about her faith story including details about bring baptized as a baby, growing up in the Netherlands, attending a Christian school, and how her perception of the Christian faith changed when she went to the United States for a while. This month, we will seek to answer three of Lieke’s questions: How could...

Today on the podcast, Janell and Castin chat with returning guest Drew Berryessa and his colleague Cynthia Beaudry. As a warning, this conversation discusses some topics that may be too mature for some. Cynthia shares her story of growing up with two moms, dealing with the murder of her dad, and how she came to be set in her belief in Jesus. Drew shares his story of struggling with his sexuality,...

Today on the podcast, Janell chats with returning guest Melanie Casteneda about Castin’s question — “Why is there a mental health stigma in the Church? How can we help those who are struggling with mental health issues? Why isn't the Church addressing this topic more?” As a warning, there is mention of suicidal ideation in this episode. Melanie talks a lot about the ups and downs of her mental hea...

Pastor Michael Landsman joins Janell on the podcast today to address some of Castin’s questions! The Rev. Michael Landsman is a pastor with an Evangelical background, serving in a mainline Protestant church, who loves the Church Fathers. He serves as Pastor of Zion’s Stone UCC in Northampton, PA. He received a Master of Divinity from Biblical Theological Seminary. He and his wife Chontey live in t...

Janell is joined by Castin in today’s episode! Castin shares her faith journey and mention some of the questions she hopes can be answered by this month’s guests. Castin is a college student who is studying journalism and advocacy. She comes from a very close and loving family. She shares about her struggles grieving over the loss of her brother, getting to know God after a suicide attempt, and mo...

Part 2 of Janell and Mariah’s conversation wit h Micah airs today! In this episode, you’ll hear about what came of Micah’s decision to fully trust in Jesus, the repercussions of waking away from the Mormon church, why it’s common for young people to become Mormon, Mariah’s response to a simple Gospel, and more! We hope you enjoy! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing...

Today on the podcast, we have Micah Wilder. Like his brothers before him, Micah was raised in a devout Mormon family and served his mission.. While on his mission, a Baptist pastor challenged him to read the Bible, which he did--and gradually his Mormon world came crashing down around him as he encountered the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. His new life in Jesus sent shockwaves not only throu...

Today we have a very special returning guest. Lindsey Medenwaldt is Director of Ministry Operations at Mama Bear Apologetics, where she’s the resident worldview and world religion specialist. She has a master’s degree in apologetics and ethics from Denver Seminary, as well as a master’s in public administration and a law degree. She’s also a full-time children’s pastor, an editor and writer for th...

Alex Earls joins Janell on the podcast today! They talk about Alex's experience growing up in a Christian home with parents who were intentional about showing Christ in all aspects of parenting. She also shares about her experiences learning about other religions, how that has impacted her love of Christi and missions. They also talk about the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latt...

Today, Mariah joins Janell on the podcast! Mariah appeared on the podcast last year, but since then has undergone some significant chances in her life. From beginning a new relationship to joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She and Janell talk about it all in today’s episode! Hope you enjoy! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To lear...

Hello All! As we kick off Season 5 of the podcast, Janell has a special message for you! She shares her reason for highlighting Restoration, Eternity, Authenticity, and Love when she talks about finding something real. Today particularly, she is talking about Authenticity and Love. We hope you like this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn...

Hello All! As we kick off Season 5 of the podcast, Janell has a special message for you! She shares her reason for highlighting Restoration, Eternity, Authenticity, and Love when she talks about finding something real. Today particularly, she is talking about Restoration. We hope you like this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more abou...

Hello All! As we kick off Season 5 of the podcast, Janell has a special message for you! She shares her reason for highlighting Restoration, Eternity, Authenticity, and Love when she talks about finding something real. Today particularly, she is talking about Eternity. She also shares the exciting things you can expect from season 5! We hope you like this episode! ___________ We would love to than...

Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! --- What if you were an agnostic who was starting to- maybe- see the world differently? What if you had asked God to help you and you thought He had answered in a tangible way? What if you saw the beauty of the world around you and fel...

Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! — Would you follow Jesus if it seemed like everyone around you was choosing to follow something else? Or how would you stay anchored to faith in Christ when you are constantly bombarded by big questions about Christianity, not just by...

Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! — Lindsey is the executive director and resident world religion expert of Mama Bear Apologetics. She holds a Masters in Apologetics & Ethics from Denver Seminary, a Masters in Public Health, and a degree in Law. Recently, Lindsey w...

Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! __ Today’s episode is super special! Janell and Dagmar sit down with German apologist Julia Garschagen. Julia shares how she came to a relationship with Jesus and how the secular culture she grew up in affected her. The ladies talk abo...

Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! Happy New Year, friends! As we plan for this new year of podcasts, we want to share with you some of our favorite episodes from 2021! We hope you enjoy this replay! — Another month, another co-host! Today, we are introducing you to Dag...

For the last episode of 2021, we want to share with you this conversation between Janell, Lu, and Katie Dommel. Thank you so much for sticking with us this year. Happy New Year!! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! Be on the Podcast!

Merry Christmas, friends! Today, Janell, Tori, and Pastor Bob Luhn talk about the Hope Jesus brings to the world and to the weary. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! Be on the Podcast!

Today on the podcast, Janell and Ruby sit down with David Abraham. David shares the story of how he came to faith in Jesus, why he is so passionate about sharing about Jesus Christ, how he encourages those struggling with depression, and more! We hope you enjoy this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Somethi...

Bree Jeffries joins Janell and Sevanna on the podcast. Bree is a certified mental health counselor, EMDR certified therapist, and clinical supervisor. She spends lots of time working with churches and loves serving others through counseling. Bree shares a little about her background before the crew talks a little about christmas traditions, and Tik-Tok. They also discuss counseling as a ministry,...

Happy December! Today, Abby McDonald joins Janell on the podcast. Though Sevanna could not be here for this recording, Abby and Janell do discuss Sevanna’s questions. They talk about the unique experience of growing up Christian and teaching children Christian truth. They also discuss the maturity that comes along with asking faith questions, God’s pursuit of us, reading the Bible, prayer, and mor...