Lifted to Hope

Not everyone is a pioneer, but we owe much to those who bravely went first. This is true for trailblazing the west, rocketing to the moon, and believing that God's grace can free us from shame. This week, I'm thrilled to welcome back Delphine Fanfon from Cameroon. Delphine shares how her dislike of pretense led her to believe in God's grace, freeing her to live authentically. She invited others to...

When poverty is the reality for everyone in a country, both believers and nonbelievers alike grapple with a deep sense of shame. Suffering becomes the norm, and only God can provide hope for freedom from this pervasive despair. In this week's podcast episode, I am honored to welcome Delphine Fanfon, a dedicated minister living in Cameroon. In this first of a two-part series, Delphine—affectionatel...

Shame distorts our perspective, often making us feel devalued by others' words and actions. Sometimes, the harm is real and there's no misunderstanding—we've been disrespected. Whether perceived or real, shame impacts us deeply and needs healing. This week, I'm joined again by Sue Tell, a veteran leader in the Navigators' Ministry. Sue shares her journey through shame and explains how comparison a...

In this episode, I have a powerful conversation with Sue Tell, veteran leader with the Navigators, as we dive into the internal struggles we face within churches and Christian organizations. In this episode, Sue opens up about her battle with shame and comparison, and how these feelings impacted her ministry.  Alongside her husband, Bill, Sue reached a breaking point where performance couldn't sus...

  When I launched my podcast in August 2022, I had no idea how profoundly God would use it to touch lives. I've been amazed by the generous souls who shared their time, hearts, and wisdom with us.  This week marks our 100th episode! To celebrate, I've created a solo episode reflecting on lessons learned, highlighting proud moments, and sharing what's ahead for the podcast and my book, "Lifted from...

Have you ever felt the sting of betrayal within your Christian community? Has a trusted leader let you down? You're not alone. The pain from such a deep wound can lead us to guard our hearts and avoid those who have hurt us. I know this because I've been there. The closeness of the relationship and the trust I placed in it made the betrayal all the more painful. In this week's episode, we explore...

God's design for the church has always been to create a rich community where all believers can mature as they learn to connect with and serve God and each other. However, we know that Satan is relentless in his attempts to destroy the work of the church. One of the Enemy's most effective strategies is spreading misguided theology that emphasizes performance over our universal need for grace. In th...

Cheryl is back to share more of her healing journey through a divorce, which like many others involved several layers of grief. Cheryl is so gifted in the sharing of details of this process, which reveal God's tender care and attention to her wounds. She will share how critical it was to find a safe space to share her pain. She will also talk about how she knew she was maturing through the grief a...

When we are walking it out,  it is so difficult to trust that God would choose to bring good from the darkest moments of our pain. In this episode, I've invited my friend Cheryl to share her story of surviving divorce and all its rippling effects, including carrying the shame of her husband's addiction leading to his arrest.  While Cheryl would be the first to admit she didn't always navigate this...

Many times when we face relational challenges, it gives us a chance to consider: how might I have contributed to this experience? In this second episode, Mark returns to share how he took time reflect on this question and own the ways his words and actions had led to part of the breakdown in trust in his marriage. He shares how he was able to grieve and heal within the context of a healthy faith c...

Divorce is a path no one ever plans to have to travel. Regardless of what circumstances lead a couple to divorce, the journey can come with plenty of grief and shame. In this episode, I've invited my friend Mark to share his experience of entering marriage and becoming a parent soon after. When nurturing the marriage took a backseat to the ongoing demands of raising kids, feelings of loneliness an...

In this second interview with Nicole Hunter, she helps us understand why the need for belonging drives so much of the decision-making that happens in the adolescent years. Instead of connecting students, social media has only magnified the feeling of being left out. More than that, it plays a significant role in increasing their vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and addiction. Parenting in tod...

As kids enter their teen years, we often recognize some dramatic shifts in preferences, priorities, communication, and decision-making skills to name a few. Without understanding the larger context of how the brain develops during these years, we risk reacting instead of responding as we relate to them.  In this episode, I've invited Nicole Hunter to join me. Nicole has been investing in young peo...

The built-up shame of so many years of being teased and misunderstood by adults and peers in Cary's life had taken quite a toll on his heart. Cary shares what greats lengths he was willing to go to try to escape the pain, which only left him feeling more hopeless.   Cary will share how some very painful circumstances led him to encounter Jesus, his future wife, and eventually, his children. He als...

We are now much more familiar with how learning differences manifest as children develop. Yet there is a considerable amount of damage done when adults fail to get curious about why students struggle to succeed or engage in traditional methods of learning. Cary, my friend and guest today endured many years of being misunderstood as a child with undiagnosed ADD.   Cary will share how these years in...

So much of our childhood is spent in a school or educational setting. When we think back to these days, you may recall some of your best teachers and favorite ways to spend time with friends on the playground. Yet it is also a setting that is performance-focused, which naturally makes us vulnerable and produces feelings of shame.  In this episode, I'll share some of the many ways that we can wrest...

In this second conversation with Brian Dario, he will share with us how he pursued reconciliation with his step-dad as an adult. The transforming power of both offering and receiving forgiveness in this relationship brought about so much redemption. He will also share how meeting his biological father produced far more questions than answers for Brian.  Yet through the highs and lows of this journ...

So many of the negative messages we receive in childhood are implied rather than spoken aloud. But when they are sent again and again, especially from people who were designated to guide and nurture us, we can easily feel overwhelmed by shame.  In this episode, I am joined by my friend and pastor, Brian Dario. Brian will share how an absent biological father and stern stepfather made it confusing...

In our first conversation with Jenny Scheid, we learned how shame can show up in how we think and feel about our bodies. As we dive deeper into this very pervasive challenge, Jenny will help us learn how to capture the lies that are fueling our shame and begin to practice honoring our bodies instead.  We will touch on what might hinder our healing journey in this area and examples of the specific...

As broken people, sin impacts all parts of who we are created to be, and our physical bodies and how we see them is no exception. I've invited therapist, Jenny Scheid on the podcast to help us understand the ways grief can prevent us from believing how valuable our bodies are, regardless of how they "fall short" according to the world's elusive standard of beauty.  As Jenny specializes in treating...

When you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror or in a group photo someone shared online, are you ever mentally snagged by critical thoughts? It's yet another element of our lives where shame can call the shots.  In this episode, I want to share with you some examples of how body shame can distort how we see ourselves, how we see others, and especially how we see God. God has absolutely wired...

Taking the time to understand that your patterns of relating are dysfunctional is the step that sets our healing journey in motion. It can be both freeing and overwhelming to realize there are different and more productive ways of relating to those in our family now or in our family of origin. But as Kaye and I talk about in this episode, there's a pretty big gap between what the average person si...

Family systems are complex for so many reasons. We were designed with a need to belong in relationships where we can connect and express our needs and in turn, care for others, too. When this happens regularly, we have the chance to thrive in these relationships. This can lead to a lot of joy and fulfillment! But when any family member finds themselves stuck in cycles of shame, that shame impacts...

Regardless of how you were raised, one thing is for certain; there are no perfect families. Even those with "minimal baggage" still manage to leave relational wounds. Because we are all fallen, we are sinners, and as a result, we are all impacted by shame. In this episode, I'll share some common examples of what it looks like for family members to engage in the "shame-contempt dance" -a topic whic...

Last week Christopher Keck shared why it's helpful to get curious about our past to draw connections between our childhood and how we show up in our parenting today. If you've taken time to do that, it's easy to get overwhelmed and you may even be tempted to get stuck in shame. That's why I wanted Christopher to come back and share how we can begin to rewrite the script and break away from unhealt...