Stories of Hope in Hard Times

The other day people were sharing stories of miracles at church and I wanted to stand up and say, "And sometimes God says no." Sometimes the miracle doesn't happen. What then? When God Says No: 4 Lessons From the Book of Job 1. Hard Things Happen to Good People The very beginning of the book of Job opens with this verse: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was...

As the mother of 3 adopted children (two with Down syndrome), Heather Avis has a passion to shout the God-Given worth of every person! She loves celebrating inclusivity and how we are each different and unique. Enter to win a FREE copy of Heather’s New York Times Bestselling Children’s book,  Different - A Great Thing To Be!     The contest ends August 11th 2021 at midnight. Episode...

How do we battle a World full of crazy commotion? What do you do when you need answers, peace or stillness? This one secret will help. What is the secret? How do people do it?  The Story of Elijah Well, I’m going to take us back to a story in the Old Testament about the prophet Elijah and see if we can learn an important principle. Do you remember Elijah? He is the one who had the compet...

Julianne Donaldson never thought she would struggle with depression or go through a divorce. But, she clung to God to help her find her true self amidst her darkest moments and wrote a beautiful new book, "Come Sweet Day: Holding On to Hope in Dark Times.” Episode Discussion Points Favorite place she has ever lived was Germany and she has a huge bucket list of places she wants to still visit and t...

Have you ever had an impression to do something that scares you? Today I share the ICAN steps to help you overcome fear and reach your goal. (Plus you get a sneak preview of my new song, Don't Give Up.) What do you do when an intriguing but scary idea pops into your head, and you're pretty sure God wants you to take some action? 4 Simple Steps to a Achieve a Scary Goal Let me introduce the acronym...

Nina’s life was altered the day her teenage son came home from school with yellow eyes. She learned to courageously choose God and gratitude along her detoured path. Episode Discussion Points What growing up in her home looked like The car accident that changed everything Why she climbed out the window to escape her father How the things her mother taught her came back to her memory What she used...

Did you know that some meditations are proven to reduce stress? Today Christian Yoga Instructor, Katy Willis, teaches us the Kirtan Kriya. If you would prefer to watch today’s episode as see the techniques Katy teaches, watch the YouTube version here: Episode Discussion Points Katy tells us how she got into Yoga and Meditation and how it helps her Katy teaches us the interactive and proven method...

Krista Isaacson had 30 hours from the time her two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor until she passed away. She shares her incredible journey of faith and learning to lean on God through this unbearable burden. Discussion Points The crazy shenanigans Krista’s daughter Elora got into as a young girl The day everything changed The blessing of having family close by to help, support...

Has change ever paralyzed you with anxiety? Today I share the story of my son with low-functioning autism aging out of public education and the 6 steps which helped me (and can help you) successfully navigate change. 6 Tips to Navigate Change with Success Turn to God Focus on Today Use Healthy Distractions Talk or Journal about it Be Kind to Yourself and Don't Compare Take Baby Steps Toward Your P...

Danice wondered if God was punishing her when her health began to fail as a teen. Follow her journey to a correct diagnosis with SAD and ME/CFS with God’s help. Discussion Points How Danice had undiagnosed exhaustion as a teenager, and why it took 6 years to be properly diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD How she finally found someone who figured out what was wrong with her. How Dani...

Tamara shares how she decided to dive deep on the the meaning of one word: repentance. This changed her entire perspective on death. Episode Discussion Points I have two words I have never liked: repentance and death. They have a negative connotation in my brain. But all of this changed one day when I deep dived into what the original Hebrew and Greek words for Repentance meant (surprise: they don...

Shawn Rapier: Adoption & How I Learned Love is Unconditional Shawn never dreamed as a kid struggling with ADD that someday he would adopt 6 children. He humorously shares the struggles, joys and perspective he's learned from parenthood. Episode Discussion What it was like Living with ADD in the 1970’s and 1980’s and how he wasn’t doing well in school. How using technology has helped Shawn with...

A story Caroline Rose shared morphed into an powerful image in my mind which gives me hope in my darkest moments. Episode Talking Points Caroline's story of saying "no" to chemo and then changing her mind when nurse Jan told her what to focus on. What did Jesus focus on when he suffered in Gethsemane and on Golgotha? Did He look down through the ages to see you and me? Did His love for us pull Him...

Caroline Rose went from running marathons to being a cancer patient with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She shares her journey of faith, endurance and how a dog she rescued, saved her in return. Episode Discussion Points How she reacted to the news of her sudden life detour of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. How her type A personality was able to learn (eventually) that she really doesn’t control anything. God is...

Today I share The Mother's MIte, the story of a modern woman blended with the Bible story of the Widow's Mite. Jesus can and will help in our darkest hour. The Mother's Mite The Mother’s Mite tells the short story of Sarah, a modern-day mother juggling a teething baby, sick children, laundry, dishes, work, and finances. Sarah feels spent, drained, alone, and empty. One night her exhaustion turns t...

Chani had several life detours including an accident and being unable to have children. She learned to trust God through adoption, foster care, and life. Episode Discussion Points How being hit by a car at 15 changed her life dreams of being an Olympic athlete How a photo of Jesus and a simple saying helped her to keep going How one phone call from a doctor shattered her dreams for having children...

Lisa Goich shares the story of being able to spend 14 days with her mother before she passed away and how she learned to process grief. Episode Discussion Points Loved ones and others come as death draws near to usher loved ones to the other side. Why it is important to keep talking about loved ones after they pass—especially their funny stories. Processing death (especially when it is unexpected)...

Sharla shares the story of her grandfather going from mobster to faithful follower of Christ and how telling true stories can help youth learn resilience. Lessons from Grandfather You don’t have to be perfect to fulfill your life mission and to follow God. When you know God loves you, you can follow Him with complete trust and faith. Episode Talking Points One prime example she uses in her newly r...

Have you ever wondered why we hit rock bottom? Could good ever come from it? I share 4 questions which help rebound stronger after hitting rock bottom. My Most Recent Story of Hitting Rock Bottom In September I hit rock bottom . The combination of dealing with COVID restrictions, trying to help my children stay focused for online school after a LONG and exhausting summer caring for my son with low...

Kristen Jenson’s life changed one day when her 18 month old son almost died. As a full-time caregiver of a child with a disability, she leaned on God and angels to help her survive and then she was able bless others. Discussion Points Kristen enjoys baking. It is one of her creative outlets which brings her joy. She and her husband eat a mostly plant-based diet. The near-drowning of her son, and h...

After a conversation with a friend dealing with a spouse who was diagnosed with depression, I decided to bring on Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Kim Rippon to give tips on how to help loved ones who are struggling. Episode Discussion Points Talk to your loved one (ideally one on one). Some ideal phrases that help people open up are: How are you doing? We are pretty good friends and I’ve noticed...

Bill Bach never expected to face divorce or lymphoma in his life, but he found he could navigate any challenge with God’s help and by changing his perspective. Discussion Points The place he’d recommend visiting after traveling and living all over the world Navigating the shock of divorce and it’s ensuing grief with God’s help How asking God “What lack I yet?” and “What wouldst thou have me do? he...

We all get lost sometimes, the question is: are we worth finding? I share what I learned losing a pair of gloves. Story Summary Today I share the story of losing a very needed and appreciated pair of gloves at hardware store. I was devastated and enlisted the help of store associates to help me find the gloves. I searched all over for about 10 minutes. 3 Truths About Lost Souls At the time of the...

After experiencing the death of her son and father to suicide, Lark Galley had to learn to heal herself and her family. Listen as she shares her story, wit and wisdom and learns to breathe again. Lark and I had some very frank and open conversations about mental health and how to help ourselves and others since the added stress of COVID has hit us. Episode Discussion Points Shifting priorities to...

Tamara K. Anderson tells a story in her life about a time when she felt completely overwhelmed, the answer she received, and the 4 steps to problem solve any situation with God's help. My Story of Feeling Overwhelmed In this episode I take you to a time in my life as a young mother when life was very overwhelming. I had 4 children ages: 7 years, 6 years, 2 1/2 years and 6 months. The challenge: on...