The Best of You

Today's Scripture: Colossians 1:15–20 What do you do when your nervous system believes everything depends on you? Today’s Scripture reminds us that it is in Christ (not in our own control)that all things hold together. This episode helps you recognize over-responsibility, release what was never yours to carry, and learn how to participate in love without becoming the hidden center of everyone else...

"Can I forgive someone and still keep healthy boundaries?" "Why does forgiveness still feel impossible?" Forgiveness is one of the most beautiful teachings of the Christian faith—and one of the most misunderstood. Many of us learned that forgiveness meant moving on quickly, letting go of our anger, or restoring a relationship before trust had been rebuilt. But what if forgiveness isn't about minim...

Today's Scripture: Numbers 13:25–33 What do you do when fear makes a hard conversation, new opportunity, or uncertain future feel bigger than your capacity to face it? Today’s Scripture shows how fear can distort self-perception, magnify obstacles, and make us feel like “grasshoppers in our own eyes.” This episode helps you notice fear without letting it shrink your sense of God, yourself, or what...

Today's Scripture: Luke 13:34–35 **Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when someone you love will not come close, receive help, or change the pattern that is hurting them? Today’s Scripture gives us a tender and honest picture of Jesus longing to gather Jerusalem like a hen gathers her chicks —and grieving that they were not willing. This episode helps you love...

Today's Scripture: Psalm 37:1–8 What do you do when someone who hurt you seems to be winning? Today’s Scripture speaks into the anger, grief, resentment, and fixation that can rise up when people do harm and appear to get away with it. This episode helps you care about justice without letting someone else’s wrongdoing take over your inner life. You’ll learn: *Why “do not fret” means more than “do...

Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 **Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when you’ve prayed for something to change—and it still hasn’t? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on one of the most uncomfortable passages in the New Testament: Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Paul pleads with God three times for it to be removed, and God does not remove it. Instead...

Have you ever noticed how quickly old patterns resurface when you're around family? Maybe you find yourself walking on eggshells. Struggling to voice your preferences. Feeling responsible for everyone else's emotions. Or slipping back into roles you thought you'd left behind years ago. In this episode, Dr. Alison revisits one of the most requested conversations from the podcast, exploring how the...

Today's Scripture: Genesis 21:14–19 What if the help you need is closer than you can see right now? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the story of Hagar in the wilderness—a woman who had been used, cast out, and left to survive what she did not choose. When the water runs out, Hagar reaches the end of herself. But God hears, draws near, and opens her eyes to a well that was already there....

Today's Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**Have you ever taken a risk, stepped out in faith, and then wondered if you made a mistake? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the story of Peter walking on water toward Jesus. Peter begins with courage, but when the wind picks up, fear takes over and he starts to sink. This passage reminds us that...

In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on David’s honest prayer: “My spirit fails.” This is not a polished prayer or a failure of faith. It is a truthful prayer from a depleted soul. If you’re still functioning on the outside but feel dry, drained, or quietly unraveling on the inside, this passage gives you language for coming to God exactly as you are. We explore: *Why depletion is not laziness...

Today's Scripture: Ephesians 1:3–12 **Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.** Why is it so hard to receive a love that's freely given—especially if you’ve learned that love has to be earned, approval is conditional, or goodness is for other people? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Paul’s astonishing words about blessing, belovedness, adoption, redemption, forgivene...

Scripture is powerful.  It has the power to comfort, guide, convict, and restore. But when it's taken out of context or used to control, it can also leave deep wounds. In this conversation, Dr. Alison sits down with theologian and Mending the Soul co-founder Dr. Steven Tracy to explore how Scripture can be used as medicine—or as poison—for those who have experienced abuse. Together, they unpack so...

Today's Scripture: Zechariah 8:4–5 What if one of the clearest signs of healing isn’t just that danger ends—but that joy returns? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Zechariah’s beautiful vision of restoration: elderly men and women sitting safely in the streets, and children playing again. It’s a picture of hope after devastation, safety after fear, and joy returning to the most vulne...

Today's Scripture: Mark 5:1–20 Have you ever started answering to a name your pain gave you? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the story of the man living among the tombs in Mark 5—a man whose torment had become his name. When Jesus asks, “What is your name?” he does not ask in order to shame him, but to surface what has claimed him and begin the work of setting him free. We explore:...

Today's Scripture: Psalm 86:1–7 What do you do when you feel so tired, stretched thin, or aware of your need that even prayer feels vulnerable? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the tender image of a God who bends low to hear us. This passage gives us permission to bring our need honestly into God’s presence—not as a shame statement, but as a truth statement. We explore: *Why need ca...

Today's Scripture: Romans 12:15**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the holy work of mourning with those who mourn. She explores why grief often needs presence more than advice, and how attunement, co-regulation, and the way of Jesus help us sit with sorrow without rushing to fix it. We explore:*Why grief can feel so isolating*What...

What if healing isn’t just about changing your circumstances—but also tending what’s been growing inside of you? Last week, we explored the metaphor of seed and soil: the way your nature and your nurture shape who you become. This week, we’re going deeper. Because your inner world isn’t just one plant—it’s more like a whole garden. In this episode, we’ll explore the difference between tending your...

Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:12–17In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the complicated loyalty Jonathan faces as Saul’s son and David’s friend. Through the lens of family systems, she explores what happens when love, truth, guilt, and unhealthy family roles collide. We explore:*Why family loyalty does not mean covering for harm or pretending everything is okay*How family systems often wo...

Today's Scripture: Mark 6:31-32**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Jesus’ tender invitation to come away to a quiet place and rest. She explores overstimulation, constant availability, and why honoring your limits is not a failure of love—it may be what helps you return to love. We explore:*Why overstimulation is often a capacity...

Today's Scripture: Psalm 34: 4-8In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on what it means to bring fear into the presence of God. Instead of shaming fear or trying to force it away, she offers a compassionate way to recognize the fearful places within us and return to love. We explore:*Why fear can become a quiet but powerful inner leader*How fear and shame work together to keep us hiding*What it...

Today's Scripture: Ephesians 5:21–33**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the often misunderstood language of submission. She explores the heart of Paul’s teaching through the lens of Jesus: mutual reverence, self-giving love, and power expressed through care—not control. We explore:*What submission is not *Why Ephesians 5 begins wi...

Why do certain situations overwhelm you while someone you love seems completely unaffected?  In this episode, Dr. Alison explores one of the most important questions we ask about ourselves: Why am I the way I am? Using the image of a seed planted in soil, she explains how your God-given wiring, childhood environment, sensitivity, and nervous system all work together to shape the person you are tod...

Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5–8 In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on the powerful image of a tree planted by water. She explores what happens when we ask approval, productivity, perfectionism, control, or another person’s response to carry the full weight of our security. We explore: *Why needing people is not the problem—but making one person your source can drain your soul *How approv...

Today's Scripture: Mark 9:43–47**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when you keep returning to the same behavior—the one that offers relief in the moment but leaves you feeling ashamed, disconnected, or farther from love? In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Jesus’ intense words in Mark 9:43–47 and reframes them not as an invitation to self-hatred, but...

Today's Scripture: Psalm 40:1–3 What do you do when you’ve prayed, waited, done the work, and still feel stuck in the middle of a pit? In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Psalm 40:1–3 and the kind of patience that isn’t passive, polished, or emotionally detached—but deeply honest before God. This episode is for anyone who feels worn down by waiting and needs a reminder that God hears, tur...