Never Perfect Faith

In this episode , Beth talks with Dr. Melissa Powell, a registered dietitian nutritionist, about her journey with multiple losses and how she learned to “shield her joy “ (ie, protect and preserve it) through reciting ancient prayers, liturgy, community and God‘s promises. Melissa shares her story of losing both parents in her 20s, and fertility issues in her 30s, and a battle with breast cancer i...

In this episode, Beth talks with Avery Campbell, a Young Life staff member who works with teenagers every day and tries to help them understand faith and grace. Beth and Avery discuss ways that it is difficult for many people, including themselves, to accept a free gift and love that you don’t have to earn. So many of us feel a need to prove ourselves in all of our relationships, and many of us ex...

In this podcast, Pat Clark, author of several books, including “My Father’s Genes”, describes his journey from the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland to a life of violence, crime, and many years in and out of prisons and institutions. He shares the story about how God worked in his heart to lead him to set up a charity to help offenders find a new purpose in life. This interview was recorded in June 2...

Many of us may be surprised by the unexpected twists of the Bible and by faith and what it entails. Jesus was very countercultural and outside the box. Did you know that the first person to see and speak with him after he rose from the dead was a woman, at a time when women were not respected as credible witnesses? Did you know that many of the disciples of Jesus struggled with doubt or confusion,...

Today Beth interviews Shonda Caines, the Head of Exceptional Education and Head of Lower School, about her experience of having a child with Down’s Syndrome and autism having to undergo open heart surgery as an infant. Shonda explains how her faith has been both challenged and strengthened, the questions she has for God, and her ongoing wrestling match with Him for control. One of her favorite Bib...

What kind of people would be willing to inconvenience themselves and take in multiple refugees from Russia? And even more, what would possess a family to put jeopardize their lives or their freedom by hiding Jewish people in their attic? Who would do this type of thing? A person who models their life after Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others. When you consider the saying “every m...

When an 18-year-old senior is brave enough to share a vulnerable story in front of his entire high school for his chapel talk, including his battle with pornography addiction, to cry while the pain of a friend’s suicide, his mother’s life-threatening battle with cancer, the death of a grandparent, and to share his faith, it’s a story that needs to be shared with a broader audience. Gus explains th...

In this episode, Beth interviews 2 missionaries who have spent 25 years in Germany, and share their story, including their own struggles with faith and discouragement. They share a story of a woman who wanted to know God, but didn’t know His name or how to talk to Him, and the powerful answers she received. Extra bonus: Beth shares a silly prank she played using her high school German vocabulary w...

So many people are understandably turned off to Christianity by those who are judgmental, self-righteous, and unloving. But that’s not at all how Jesus Christ lived his life. He welcomed the unlovable and the biggest screw ups. He embraced and forgave all who saw their need for him. Jesus was the epitome of refreshing and mind blowing. In this episode, Beth interviews Brian Salter, a pastor, husba...