Where did you see God?

In episode 82 , we address shame and blame.  After all, several episodes this season have encouraged vulnerability with others, but what happens when your openness isn't received well?  What do you do if the other person blames you for your trauma?  When Sharon Hughes was a teenager, she found herself in a frightening situation that later led to her best-selling book, "The Girl...

In episode 81 , I get to talk to longtime-friend-from-youth Zac Stein.  The reason I'm grateful for this conversation is that this episode was actually Zac taking a step of obedience and faith in response to God's invitation for him to share his experiences.  The problem is, Zac has been through some hard things -- many of which he may be healing from for the rest of his life -- and...

In episode 80 , we explore how healing can be found in the midst of something as permanent as death.  For all her life, Genesis' father was her best friend, so when he suddenly became paralyzed, she was crushed.  She and her mother prayed intensely for healing, and when he passed sooner than expected, she was at a loss for what to think about God.  Yet in the midst, she didn't lose...

In episode 79 , we press into the difficult space of rejection.  Rejection hits us in a uniquely hard way, because it not only leads to loss and isolation, but can cause us to question our identity and value.  Kelli Calabrese opens up about her experience of rejection through a difficult divorce; however, we learn that in the midst, she discovered that the God who created her will never...

In episode 78 , Amy brings about a uniquely challenging topic.  All season, we've explored different ways to find healing; what do you do when the thing meant to heal you actually causes harm ?  Amy had sought support from a Christian Counselor who was also an elder at her church, and over the course of a year experienced that hardest season of her life due to "therapist abuse".  Pe...

In episode 77 , God shakes things up.  In a lot of ways, this episode is like most of the others: someone shares about a wound or trauma, and what healing looks like in the midst.  It's pretty easy for anyone to listen to a previous episode and appreciate and honor the guest's experience; this may not be the case for Ebony Walden.  What Ebony shares hits on a topic that many want to...

In episode 76 , Kimberly Bell opens up about her childhood trauma, from witnessing domestic abuse, to abandonment, to emotional abuse, to sexual abuse... and somehow, she still believes God loves her and was with her.  Her conversation is a powerful exploration into how we can still trust God, and still heal, from something as destructive as childhood trauma. Has God brought you healing after...

In episode 75 , Jerry Fu, a conflict resolution coach for Asian-American leaders, helps us process through the reality of tragedy -- that it will exist -- and how we might develop a healthy "theology of tragedy."  Is there a way to tread the tension between tragedy and faith?  To believe that God is good when our circumstances aren't? Has God invited you to embrace tragedy? Jerry is happ...

In episode 74 , "ya boy Troy" talks about counseling.  For most of his life, counseling wasn't an option; stigmas hit on multiple fronts, telling him "men need to be tough" and "real Christians don't need counseling."  Then a rough work situation hit in 2017 -- and echoed in 2020 -- to make him think, "...maybe God wants me to check out counseling..."  That step of obedience ended u...

In episode 73 , Dr. Rick Chromey helps us tap into an oft-neglected opportunity for healing: validation.  His journey took him from "pause for applause" to "well done, my good and faithful servant." Whether you are longing to be recognized, or to not be misrepresented, our desire for validation -- external and internal -- can become crippling.  We talk about why we desire validation and...

In episode 72 , Phil Barth helps us tap into an area of healing that we don't take seriously: stress.  You may not have a disease or brain tumor, but all of us deal with stress.  Phil didn't take it seriously, which is why he one day in 2015 he found himself in the cardiac wing after having a heart attack.  One thing the doctor said to him stood out: "You need to lower your stress."...

In episode 71 , Marti Williams, co-founder of Into The Neighborhood -- a ministry and staff that authentically live out loving their neighbors -- walks us through another resource God has given us to navigate "healing": supportive community.  Through her ministry and in her day-to-day life, Marti has made space to walk alongside individuals in recovery, and along the way she discovered not ju...

In episode 70 , Peyton Garland, author of Not So by Myself, shares her journey of church trauma leading to challenges with mental health, a hard diagnosis in a lonely season, and the moment when she shook her fist at God and discovered His messy love.  There are tremendous stigmas around mental health generally, but especially in the Church, that lead us too often to fail to reflect Christ's...

In episode 69 , Raychel Perman and I press into the idea of "secondary trauma", when you not only experience a trauma, but are traumatized by it being ignored, dismissed, or rejected.  [Trigger warning] Raychel shares her journey of navigating domestic abuse at the hands of a husband wrestling with alcoholism, and striving to know how to seek God when things could get so painful.  We hit...

In episode 68 , Rachel McCants -- an author, motivational speaker and playwright -- shares how she was pursuing her dreams and the life she wanted, until she unexpectedly passed out and learned she had a brain tumor.  As we explore her story of healing, we discover a startling truth: sometimes we reject the healing opportunity God is offering. How can we grow in not placing conditions on our...

In episode 67 , we hear the story of Barby Ingle, who KNEW she was meant to be a cheerleader.  She trained and performed cheerleading, dance and gymnastics starting at age 4 through college, and straight out of college started her own cheer & dance training company.  She was living her dream... until a car accident left her with a rare disease and years filled with misdiagnoses, disa...

In episode 66 , Rich Lewis helps us explore the valuable practice of Centering Prayer, or meeting God in silence.  In 2014 Rich learned about this practice, and in the 7 years since he has not only found himself transformed into a different person, but discovered opportunities that he had not asked for or imagined.  Rich shares that this simple, accessible act can be a powerful step in t...

In episode 65 , Andrena helps us press into an area of healing we want to avoid: unforgiveness.  While we can feel like we want God to heal us from the wounds inflicted by others, He may see a more important healing that will cost us more than we are willing to give.  What if that healing is actually abundantly more than we could ask or imagine, and the wounds we are fretting are but "li...

In episode 64 , we continue our series focused on "healing."  Michaela was another unexpected connection through PodMatch, and all I knew of her story was that she had a "lifelong struggle with legal blindness."  In fact, she was born completely blind, leaving doctors at a loss for why or what to do.  Then, at 7 months old, she was miraculously healed, even though she continues to j...

In episode 63 , we continue our series focused on "healing."  As powerful as miraculous healing stories are, I knew it was important to also capture stories of when healing didn't happen; God must have known that too, because He made my podcast the first to pop up when Darci used a podcast matching site for guest spots.  Darci Steiner, MS, is the author of " Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Dis...

In episode 62 , we begin a new series focused on "healing."  We are first joined by Pastor Will Roberts, who shares his own experience of exploring the concept of healing as a Presbyterian pastor with charismatic connections.  He has encountered both miraculous healings and moments when healing seemed elusive, and through it all he believes one of the most important elements of his journ...

In episode 61 , Josh Mozug and I process not just this season, but the broader topic of how the Church engages "questioning" and the invitation God may be giving us. The fact this season even exists points to the reality that many people are wrestling with hard questions, and struggling to find a healthy, loving space to process that within the Church.  If we are serious about living out the...

In episode 60 , we hear from Rhonda and Mike, who have been going all in on seeking God, and have hit countless obstacles along the way.  Maybe you've been there too: you've been living for God, only to find things falling apart or getting worse.  What do you do in those moments? Rhonda and Mike keep going.  They know something about God that I think could encourage us. As a bonus,...

In episode 59 , Micalah shares the story of how a church she loved spending all her time at as a youth became a place she did not feel welcome, at least not unless she buried pieces of who she was and what she felt.  The past few years have been difficult watching a place she loved become one that made her feel unloved, but she holds to hope that God wants -- and has -- better for us. If you'...

In episode 58 , Christen -- a long-time friend and listener, and technically our first story -- share her story of discerning God's calling on her life.   Have you wrestled with "calling"?  We feel this pressure to figure out, name, and accomplish whatever we are supposed to do in life, but can find ourselves struggling when we hit obstacles or failure.  What does God want us to do?...