Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart

How do you see yourself?  How you answer that question makes a difference in how you go through life. Before the foundations of the world were laid, God chose you to be His very own. His choosing of you wasn't based on anything you would do or accomplish in your life. He chose you because He loves you as His precious child. Sometimes we get stuck in thinking that we are the sum of our sins or that...

Michelle sits down with writer and speaker Katie Koplin to talk about what it means to know that you are Hidden in Christ from Colossians chapter 3. What a gift God gives to you through Baptism that you become Hidden in Christ and the work that He has done for you on the cross. Becasue you are hidden in Him, you have received every spiritual blessing that has been given to Him.  You can face each...

Advent is a time for waiting, but it's also a season of trying to cram long to-do lists in our already overbooked calendars. Maybe like me, you feel anxious by all the expectations you've placed on your calendar to have everything done and perfect for the holidays. Expectations can leave us feeling anxious because what happens when life changes? You can plan everything perfectly, but people can ge...

What feels impossible to you in this season of your life? Health issues, family struggles, grieving the loss of a loved one, work challenges, or problems at church.   I invite you to hold up what seems impossible before the Lord and sit with Him, while we take a look at Mary's story today. I know it's not easy to look at what feels impossible but your Immanuel promises to be with you in all things...

What is the cry of your heart? What is the prayer you've been whispering over and over again to God until you wonder if you should even keep asking? But the longing lasts, and you wait in the hope of knowing that God promises to hear your prayers and that He always answers your prayers, maybe not in the way you imagined, but always out of His divine love and grace towards you.  Advent is a time of...

Michelle interviews author and speaker Heidi Goehmann on her newest book,  Emotions & the Gospel Created For Connection. In this episode, we talk about the following: why Heidi wrote this book what did she learn while writing the book processing emotions and why it's important We also look at contemplation as a way to process our emotions and at the emotion anticipation in preparation for the Holi...

How do you respond to pressure? Perhaps like me, the last couple of years have weighed heavy upon your heart as the stress of the pandemic, economic changes, the political climate in our country, and the stressors of daily life piled up. How do you move forward when it feels like you are burdened down by the pressure and stress?  The Lord promises his steadfast love and faithfulness to us as we wa...

Michelle talked to Margo Heath Dupre about her book, Be Thou My Guide: A Bible Study on Trusting God.  Margo wrote down all of her questions for God in journals for over 18 years. She spent time searching and reading scripture to understand more about how she could trust God. As she studied, she looked at different people in the Bible and learned from them and their stories on what it looks like t...

Does your hope feel frayed right now? Or do you feel like your prayers are stuck on repeat? You or a loved one is facing a problem you cannot fix, and your mind stirs with "What if" thinking. In this episode, Michelle shares a simple practice that she learned from Heidi Goehmann during the Reflection Mini Challenge about what you can do with your "what if" thoughts. Michelle also shares how we can...

One of my favorite people to talk to about emotional and mental health is Heidi Goehmann. God allowed our lives to intersect because of our love for words and His Word. Throughout my life, I've labeled my emotions as positive or negative, and when I perceived my emotions through an unfavorable lens, I would feel ashamed. Through my friendship with Heidi, I learned we don't need to label our emotio...

Have you ever messed up or made an unfixable mistake? Your failures do not have the final say over you, God does, and I love how Sharla writes about this in her new book, Measured by Grace. I hope you can take the time to listen in and learn how God sees us as enough in Christ Jesus. I loved my conversation with Sharla; even though I read through her book in preparation for the interview, I learne...

In this episode, I talk to Heidi Goehmann who is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed independent mental health professional about reflection and how it impacts our mental health and how it helps us emotionally and spiritually.  We talk about this through the lens of the Five R's of Reflection that I have in my book, Promised Rest.  The following is a condensed version of the five Rs: Re...

Often, our worries come from not being able to control a situation. The truth is that we cannot plan for all the uncertainties we will face, but we can trust our Immanuel, the God who is with us, to give us His strength and peace through all the trials and troubles we will face in this life. When our minds become stuck in "what if" thinking, we see things from our finite viewpoint. We forget that...

Does your heart feel shaken and shattered? Perhaps you feel bruised and battered from all that has happened over the last couple of years. You are weary and tired and you long for peace. God promises to be your Good Shepherd and you can rest in His unshakable faithfulness towards you today and always. In this episode, Sharla Fritz, interviews me about my book Promised Rest, we talk about how the G...

Fear makes us forget who we are as God's children. Our thoughts race with the limitations we have to solve our problems. We face the unfixable and feel shaken. Jesus steps into our brokenness, and His faithfulness towards us is unshakeable. Jesus gives us His peace and strength. We can rest in His capable hands. He holds all things together. God's power and strength are not limited to our understa...

What are you facing right now? Is it a problem you cannot fix? Friends here is a precious truth I've learned over the years, that God's grace is sufficient for every circumstance. He will provide all you need to get through each moment. In this episode, Christina Hergenrader, interview's Michelle about how God provides for us, even when life feels impossible.  If you would like to connect with Mic...

Have you ever wrestled with these questions? How can I trust God when life doesn't make sense? How do I trust God when He doesn't answer my prayer right away?  How can I trust God when He doesn't fix my problems in the way I thought He should? If you've struggled with these questions or ones similar you are not alone, I'v wrestled with all of them. In this fourth episode of the Promised Rest Serie...

Have you ever found yourself in a story you didn't choose? Perhaps you have felt unseen by those who should love and care for you. It's a lonely place, but here is the precious truth, God will never leave you, and He is your El Roi, the God who sees you and knows you by name. Donna Snow, a great friend of the podcast interviews me about the 3rd chapter of my book, El Roi. In this episode we talk a...

Do you ever wonder how God could love you?  The world will point out your sins and tell you that you're not good enough for God to love you. But God steps into your story and shows you through Jesus how much He loves you. In this episode, Deb Burma interviews me about my book, Promised Rest, and we talk about the name Abba, which means papa or daddy. This means that God's love for you is beyond me...

When life looks uncertain, what do you cling to? Do your thoughts turn towards God or how you might fix what is wrong? But what if—you can't fix it? What happens then? What you believe to be true about God changes how you live your life and face each moment.  I write more about this topic in my book,  Promised Rest: Finding Peace in God's Presence. It is a meditation on God's various names and cha...

When you are weary, do you have trouble concentrating? Perhaps you even notice this struggle when you are reading the Bible, and you find yourself reading the same passage over and over again. Friends, I don't ask you these questions to make you feel guilt or shame. I ask a friend who shares in this struggle too. In this final episode of the Weary Traveler Series, we will share a grace-filled prac...

Are you weary from all the anxious thoughts you have swirling about through your soul and minds as you look at the brokenness in the world? And do you just wish you knew the right words to pray, or what can you say to God? Michelle and Deb sat down and talked to Dr. Dan Paavola about his book, Our Way Home: A Journey through the Lord's Prayer. (Click here to learn more about the book.) In our conv...

Michelle and Deb sit down and talk to Faith Doerr How do you think about your thoughts and your feelings? Do you try and ignore them and hope they will sort themselves out? Magically get better? Michelle and Deb wanted to address the importance of mental and emotional health and they invited their friend and fellow author, Faith Doerr to sit with them to have an honest conversation about mental he...

When sorrow stirs in your soul, how do you face it? Maybe like me, you want to look away because it feels too heavy for you to carry, and you wonder how you will bear its load. If you have ever been overwhelmed by loss, devastated by a disaster, or weighed down by defeat, you know what sorrow feels like. It's no wonder you may want to look away…you may even wonder how you can face a new day.  Jesu...

Have you ever grown so weary from waiting that your heart aches with sadness? You wonder if God is still listening. The silence causes your soul to hang heavy with sorrow and the scars run deep. But here are some precious truths:  God always hears the cries of your heart. God's grace goes deeper than your sorrow God will never leave you nor forsake you God cannot break His promises to you. Jesus s...