Longing for More

Life gets busy, and it's easy to get distracted. We can quickly end up off the path intended for us without realizing it, especially when we are doing important work. Satan loves it when we get pulled away from the people in our lives and the work we are called to do. Don't let him get away with it. Let go of the things that distract you from your purpose, and choose the things that matt...

Despite everything that separates us in the world, we have more things in common than most care to admit. We are all God's children, and we are all sinners. It's easy to cast the first stone when we see wrongs happening in the world around us, but we are challenged to be gentle with those who oppose the truth. When we stand up for truth with kindness and grace, others see Christ through...

Servant leaders don't look for accolades; they quietly do the work they are called to do and show God's love through their actions. In this week's episode, we honor a true servant leader in the emergency response field in Central South Dakota. Watching the example of how she lived her life provides many lessons. The legacy she left behind is subtle but powerful, and we can all take...

People tend to limit God by what we have experienced or seen. We distrust His promises and try to do things our way. We do this with both the big and small things in life. In this episode, guest Melissa Rohlfs shares how if we have faith in the possibilities, we can surrender to God. She shows that it's in that place where we find healing, freedom, and peace. Join us for this meaningful conve...

Plans in life often shift. When they do, we can either be disappointed and give up or look expectantly for God's promise to bring good into every situation. In this episode, I talk about two examples of things that went wrong this week, but when all was said and done, both turned out better than I could have imagined. It's a matter of believing in the possibilities and not giving up when...

Too often, our expectations in life turn into disappointments. What if, instead of setting ourselves up to be discouraged, we shifted our focus and lived in expectancy of seeing God everywhere? In this episode, our guest, speaker, author, and coach, Dana Lyons, shares her experiences as she learned to listen and look for God in all things and how letting go of her earthly expectations changed ever...

Emotions are high with the recent historic decision of the Supreme Court. Not only is the nation split on where they stand on the issue of abortion, but Christians are too. In this episode, we discuss the enormous opportunity Christians have to speak in love and support of those affected by past decisions and those who struggle with where they stand on the issue. It is more important than ever tha...

To reach true success in life, seeking the kingdom of heaven should be your primary goal. We are to delight in God's law and meditate on it day and night; only then will we prosper in all we do. But contrary to the world view, we won't avoid failure or challenges. Instead, we learn they are essential to the journey to help us grow in faith and live in His will. Listen to this episode and...

The word love is widely overused and often under demonstrated. We love our favorite food, our work, and even the latest hit movie, but we sometimes struggle to love our neighbor as God calls us to. This episode discusses how to show love through our words and actions. To shine God's love into the world, we need to love people even when it's hard. It's the only way some people will e...

The definition of tolerance has changed drastically through the years. The attitude that people should celebrate, enable, and promote another person's point of view regardless of whether one agrees is damaging the core of our society by planting seeds of hatred and violence. This episode explores tolerance and how God calls Christians to reevaluate how we view sin and interact with those we m...

In a world where it's hard to know who to trust, we should be able to believe our church. But can we? Scripture warns us about false prophets, but we don't know what we don't know, and it can be easy to fall into the trap of a church that does not follow God's plan. Even though they may profess Jesus and point to the Bible, they may have rules and policies that do not align wit...

Most people know we can be held in contempt of court if we bear a false witness when witnessing in court. Sadly, few are concerned about bearing false witness about the truth regarding God's Word. Although most Christians own at least one Bible, less than half read it consistently, and fewer still treat it as a source for living their daily lives. It's no secret that the Bible has fallen...

Do you ever struggle to know God's will for your life? We all do at some point. In this episode, I share how God calls us to shift our focus to Him so we can align with His will. To do so, I read the chapter, The Heart Shift from my book, A Different View: Start Living the Life Your Soul Longs For , because it tells the story of a time when a tragic loss showed me God was stirring my heart an...

In a world where it's difficult to know who to trust, it's alarming how easily we can fall into the trap of scammers. The world is full of people who will take advantage of others, and now, more than ever, we need to use discernment. In today's episode, we learn about a new scam that even the most educated fall for. But it isn't just our money the imposters are after. Sometimes...

Playing make-believe as a child is a beautiful thing. But when we pretend as adults, life can get complicated in a hurry. We always have choices to make, and sometimes it can be a bit blurry as to which choice is the "right" choice when debating two good options. In a world full of fake news, authenticity has become something we look for in the people we associate with both in business a...

Life doesn't always work out the way we plan. If we get far enough off track, we begin to doubt ourselves and even God. When this happens, we long for clarity. If you're frustrated that life isn't going the way you planned, know that the clarity you receive may not look the way you think it will. Listen to this episode of Longing for More for help finding the lessons, the blessings,...

Are you a comparaholic? Do you find it difficult to stop playing the comparison game? Whether you consider yourself competitive or not, you may be in the habit of checking to see how you measure up against others. You may be causing undue pressure by creating expectations of yourself and others that aren't realistic. Join guest Renee Vidor, author of Measuring Up: How to Win in a World of Com...

We can get so wrapped up in our search for knowledge that we can lose sight of God's plan for our lives. This episode discusses this cry for knowledge and how we can accept that we can't know everything, let go of the need to do so, and learn to trust God. This is a crucial step in the  Live Your More Process . To find out if you are Living Your More take the FREE quiz at https://bit.ly/...

We celebrate notable occasions in our lives all the time. In this episode of Longing for More , we celebrate the successful launch of the book, A Different View: Start Living the Life Your Soul Longs For, with impactful interviews and the premiere release of the compelling book trailer! Join guest host Neil Matthews as he helps author, Vona Johnson, celebrate the launch of this new book. Find out...

The new year is an excellent time to evaluate where we are in life and make adjustments if we aren't where we want to be. This episode of 'Longing for More' challenges you to evaluate whether you are fully living your faith and trusting God or trying to do life on your terms. Despite what the world tells us, we can find freedom in letting go and trusting God. If you long for a simpl...

If your soul longs for more peace, hope, and joy, you will want to listen to this special episode of Longing for More where special guests, Yvette Walker, Elizabeth Meyers, and Vona Johnson visit with Jody Howe about these topics. Each guest in this episode has recently released a book that will bring you peace, hope, and joy for the holidays and beyond. We pray you are blessed by this special Chr...

Our search for peace, hope, and joy during the holidays can often get lost in a rush to fit everything in during this season of preparation. This episode of Longing for More offers a short prayer to help you focus on the reason for the season and avoid losing sight of the focus of our celebration, Jesus Christ. Don't let the distractions and disappointments of unfulfilled plans keep you from...

Believers love Christmas because it helps us focus on Christ and the incredible gift He is to us. We use Advent, the weeks leading up to Christmas, to prepare for His coming--both by remembering His birth and looking forward to His return. If that's the case, shouldn't we celebrate every day as Advent? In this episode of Longing for More , I share the last chapter of my new book, A Diffe...

Scripture calls us to be thankful in ALL things. It's easy to be thankful for the good things in our lives. But what about the difficult things? Are we really supposed to be thankful for those too? This episode of Longing for More challenges us to look deeper for the good in all things so that we truly can be thankful in ALL things. All the time. Learn more about A Different View.   Are you l...

What kind of legacy will you leave? Will you have a positive impact on the people and the places you encounter during your life? Today's episode, the first of the relaunch of Longing for More , dives into why it is important that we think about the impact we are making on the world and how we can be intentional about it. Listen now to learn how you, too, can leave a legacy of faith. Take the...