The Love Offering

Does money feel like a constant source of stress? Join Rachael Adams and Crystal Paine for an encouraging conversation about starting where you are, using what you have, and making room for generosity. Crystal is the founder of Money Saving Mom and author of The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women: How to Stop Stressing, Begin Where You Are, and Build the Future You Want . In this conversation,...

The dishes need washing. The pickup line is moving slowly. Your mind is carrying a dozen concerns about your children. Could one of those moments become a conversation with Jesus? My dear friend Chelsey DeMatteis joins me on The Love Offering Podcast this week to talk about Mercy in the Margin —and recognizing God’s presence in the mix-ups, mess-ups, and marvelous moments of motherhood...

Have you ever known in your head that God is good, but struggled to feel it in your heart? Maybe you’re carrying grief, navigating an unexpected change, or praying about something that remains unresolved. On this week’s episode of The Love Offering Podcast, author and poet Laura Wifler shared something that stayed with me: sometimes we need someone else to hold hope for us—to pra...

Is there an idea you can’t shake? A ministry you’ve considered starting, a business you’ve dreamed about, or a desire to nurture a family legacy of faith? You sense there may be a next step to take, but fear, uncertainty, or past mistakes keep you wondering whether you’re the woman for it. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I’m talking with author and Bible teac...

Have you ever replayed a conversation with your child and wondered, What did I do wrong? Maybe you’re grieving choices you never imagined, a relationship that feels strained, or an empty chair at your family’s table. You love your child deeply, but you’re unsure how to stay connected while remaining faithful to what you believe. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , my friend...

Have you ever wondered, “If I really trusted God, would I still feel this scared?” Maybe you’re worried about your children, afraid of what others might think, or hesitant to say yes to something God is asking you to do. You want to be faithful, but the fear hasn’t gone away. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I’m talking with Jess Connolly about her book, You C...

Have you ever finished a long day, looked at everything you didn’t get done, and felt like you were falling behind? I have. Sometimes we’re carrying far more than anyone can see, yet we still expect ourselves to keep going as though nothing is heavy. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I’m talking with Leslie M. Bosserman, author of Emotional Endurance , about what it takes...

Some conversations ask us to slow down, listen with compassion, and make room for the pain others may be carrying. This week's episode of  The Love Offering Podcast  is one of those conversations. I'm joined by  Ellen Mary Dykas , director of Equipping for Ministry to Women at  Harvest USA , to talk about finding hope after sexual betrayal. Whether this is part of your own...

The rooms we tend are shaping the lives lived within them. The meals prepared in our kitchens, conversations shared around our tables, prayers whispered beside beds, and people welcomed through our doors all help turn a house into a home. This quiet, faithful work may feel ordinary, but it creates a place of peace, belonging, and love. This week on The Love Offering Podcast, I’m talking with...

Have you ever felt a little lost when something that once defined your days suddenly changed? Children grow up. Careers shift. Ministries evolve. Dreams unfold differently than we imagined. Sometimes a season ends long before we are ready—and when our identity has become tangled up in what we do, that change can leave us wondering who we are. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I’...

What if the darkest seasons of your life are not evidence that God has abandoned you—but the very soil where He is quietly growing something good? This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I’m talking with my dear friend Nicole Jacobsmeyer, author of Something Good Will Grow . Through her experiences with cancer, miscarriage, depression, rejection, and other deep wounds, Nicole has lear...

In this special bonus episode from The Bible Explained , Host Jenn Kokal is joined by Kristy Graham, a dedicated wife, mom, and communications expert at Samaritan's Purse. Kristy shares her personal story of how her family's life was shaped by their involvement with Samaritan's Purse, and how her role in the organization's podcast,  On the Ground , has been a game-changer for her faith. Krist...

Have you ever walked through a season when simply making it through the day felt like all you could manage? Maybe grief has changed everything. Perhaps the future looks nothing like you imagined, or someone you love is hurting, and you don’t know what to say. When life feels this heavy, people often encourage us to “hang in there.” But what happens when we no longer have the stre...

Have you ever approached your time with Jesus as one more task to complete? Read the Bible. Say the prayers. Check the box. Move on with the day. I understand that tendency because I've felt it too. We can love Jesus deeply while quietly treating our relationship with Him like a performance review—always wondering whether we are doing enough, growing enough, or getting it right. But Jesus ne...

So much of motherhood happens where no one else can see. It’s the middle-of-the-night wake-ups, the endless loads of laundry, the whispered prayers, the carpool conversations, and the thousand small sacrifices that rarely receive recognition. In the moment, we may wonder whether any of it is making a difference. But God sees it all—and none of it is wasted. This week on The Love Offeri...

What battle are you carrying today? Maybe it is an unanswered prayer, a painful loss, a strained relationship, a health concern, or a circumstance that feels far beyond your control. When life feels overwhelming, we can become so consumed by our emotions—or so busy trying to fix everything ourselves—that prayer is often one of the first things we neglect. This week on The Love Offering...

Have you ever experienced a loss that divided your life into a “before” and an “after”? Fourteen years ago, my friend Lisa Appelo woke to the sound of her husband Dan’s strange breathing. Within hours, she learned he had suffered cardiac arrest and could not be revived. In a single morning, Lisa became a widow and the sole parent of seven children. As Lisa tried to pu...

When you hear the word worship, what comes to mind? Maybe you picture standing in church on Sunday morning, singing with your hands raised. Perhaps you think about prayer, reading Scripture, or verbally praising God. All of these are beautiful expressions of worship—but worship was never meant to be confined to a church service. Our entire lives can become an offering to God. This week on Th...

When you hear the word gentleness , what comes to mind? If you're anything like me, you may think of someone who is quiet, passive, or soft-spoken. But what if we've misunderstood biblical gentleness all along? This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I had the joy of talking with Christie Thomas , author of Everyday Prayers for Gentleness . As fellow authors in the Everyday Prayers series through...

Have you ever wondered how all the pieces of the Bible fit together—or even how your own story fits into God's greater story? If you've ever opened Scripture feeling overwhelmed or found yourself questioning where God is in the middle of your everyday life, I think this week's episode will encourage your heart. I had the joy of sitting down with  Randy and Rozanne Frazee  to t...

Have you ever looked around and wondered why, even in a world more connected than ever, so many of us still feel lonely? I think most of us long for friendships that are genuine relationships where we're known, encouraged, challenged, and loved. Yet building those kinds of friendships can feel harder than ever.  This week on  The Love Offering Podcast , I had the joy of talking with my s...

Have you ever wondered if what you're doing really matters? Maybe your days feel ordinary. Maybe you're faithfully serving your family, showing up for work, caring for others, or quietly doing what God has called you to do—but sometimes you wonder if it's making any difference at all. If you've ever felt that way, this week's episode of The Love Offering Podcast is for you. I had the joy of...

Have you ever felt God nudging you toward something—but fear, doubt, or insecurity kept you from taking the next step? Maybe it's having a difficult conversation, starting a Bible study, pursuing a dream, reaching out to a neighbor, or simply trusting God in an uncertain season. Whatever it is, you're not alone. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I had the joy of talking with author La...

Have you ever felt exhausted from constantly thinking about how you're doing, how you're perceived, what you're accomplishing, or whether you're enough? If we're honest, most of us live there more often than we'd like to admit. This week on  The Love Offering Podcast, I sat down with author Morgan Krueger to talk about her new book, Made to Magnify: Choosing to Live for Jesus When Everything...

Have you ever found yourself replaying someone else's words, assuming they were judging you? Or maybe you've caught yourself criticizing someone in your mind, convinced you're seeing the situation clearly. If so, you're not alone. This week on The Love Offering Podcast , I sat down with my friend Shannon Popkin to discuss her new book, Kinda Judgy: Finding Mercy for Myself and Others in Six Storie...