Challenges Won't Stop Me

After graduating from college, Hannah Gavios followed her adventurous spirit to Vietnam to teach and explore a new country. A weekend vacation to Thailand promised rest and relaxation, but Hannah encountered evil at the hands of a stranger instead.  After he sexually assaulted her, she unknowingly ran away in the direction of a cliff. As it was nighttime, she did not know she was running off a 150...

When we encounter zigzags (struggles) in our paths, we likely will seek help from a doctor or friend. We might pray for healing or guidance or wisdom. While those actions are important in fighting to overcome, do we include laughter? Laughter when sickness has attacked your body? Yes. Laughter when your loss is so overwhelming the tears flood your pillow? Yes. Laughter when your frustration is so...

On a Facebook post to encourage people to listen to this episode, I wrote, "You can't talk about being thrown into the wilderness without also talking about the beauty you find there during those long and lonely years."  If Shelly hadn't agreed to record part 2 of her interview, you might have thought her story ended there - that dark, lonely, and painful place. Thankfully, she...

WILDERNESS.  When we hear that word, a mental picture instantly forms in our mind. Maybe it looks like a forest or a desert.  Perhaps you don't just think of a wilderness in your mind. It's more than just a picture in your mind. You know it well. Because you've lived it. Or you're there now. My guest, Shelly Brown, was thrown into a wilderness for 13 years.  All the zigzags in...

To bring awareness about an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis during MG awareness month, I invited my good friend, Cheryl Lutz, to join me. For the last 23 years, Cheryl has lived with MG. We discuss the symptoms that led to her diagnosis, the criteria for MG, and the prognosis. She shares her struggles with a droopy left eye, weakness in her left arm and leg, fatigue, and brain fog. Tha...

When her business failed, her marriage ended, and her son was diagnosed with cancer, Kim's life imploded. The struggles were great, but her faith was greater. She leaned hard on God. "I wouldn't have survived all this without God. He's never ever abandoned me through any of this. I clung to Him, because I had nothing else," she shared. A bright light broke through when Kim...

Violence. It's a word that instantly brings vivid images to mind. It's a word that is often combined with pain and loss and fear. And unfortunately, it's a word we hear way too often these days. My guest on today's episode, Tamiko Pugh, endured years of domestic violence. She still has vivid images of the violence she endured. Pain and loss and fear walked with her while she wa...

Stories. Our life stories. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts. We likely are just fine with others knowing the good parts of our story. Often, though, we try hard to hide or even wish away the bad and the ugly parts. My guest on this episode, Sharon Jaynes, believes all the parts of our story are divine weapons against the enemy. That's a bold but true statement! In her book, When You Don&...

National Infertility Awareness Week is April 18-24 this year.  While infertility may not be a struggle you have personally experienced, you likely know someone who has. An estimated 1 in 8 men and women have struggled with infertility.  An estimated 15% of couples struggle with infertility. The physical struggles of not being able to conceive might be outweighed by the emotional struggles.  Nearly...

Today's episode is based on one of Maya Angelou's quotes. She said, "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what the color." I believe these wise words point us to an image we cannot deny. All the colors of ethnicities make for a rich tapestry - the tapestry of the hum...

As an author, avid reader, and fan of paper planners, I was excited to interview fellow author, avid reader, and fan of paper planners, Bethany Jett, who has an allergy to paper. Oh, the irony!    Bethany Jett is an author, marketer, ghost writer, and co-owns Platinum Literary Services and Serious Writer, Inc. Learn more about Bethany at bethanyjett.com.    While writing her book, Platinum Faith ,...

Sometimes life is a series of trials that never seem to end. You make it through one and manage to take a deep breath just before the hints of another one come into view, right? Those consecutive hits can leave you feeling discouraged, frustrated, and worn out. Trials test us. Trials often push us past what we think we can endure. AND trials are power packed with purpose IF we are willing to be tr...

Raise your hand if you like food.  Me, too! We know we need it to fuel our bodies, but food does so much more. It comforts and numbs us when we're struggling. What fun are celebratory occasions without food? We consume it when we're bored. Connecting with others often involves sharing food.  To complicate matters, if you have a food addiction, it's not something you can completely e...

Since March of 2020, the world's been "schooled." Our classes have been challenging. We're not just taking the on level version either. We've been thrown into the most advanced classes of how to stay healthy so as not to get COVID (Health), how to stretch our money as far as possible when the income dwindles (Economics), how to set up an office or classroom in our home (Ho...

Wow! It feels as if JOY has been sucked out of our world this week. The danger is getting stuck here. If JOY seems to be absent, it's imperative we purposefully look for it as a continued absence of joy will defeat us. Pause for a moment and think of five people/places/things that bring you joy. That wasn't hard was it? Focus on those when difficult circumstances seem to overshadow any g...

I'm looking out my window, watching the neighbors walk by with their dogs. Two boys on their bikes rode by, laughing with their heads thrown back at who knows what. The trees swaying signals a breeze that caused me to grab a jacket on my way out. The flag on my mailbox is down, reminding me our postman, Todd, picked up our outgoing mail today and likely left a pleothera of campaign ads and bi...

I interviewed my guest, Elise Tedeschi, several weeks ago. As I waved goodbye, my first thought was how much I wanted to publish her amazing story right away. The positive mindset she relied on as she fought the beast known as pancreatic cancer is incredible, but learning how God rocked this Jewish girl to the core is a story you don't want to miss!  Those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are...

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone I know, including me. Being overwhelmed with the incessant stream of information about COVID-19, struggling with the growing divide in our country concerning race relations and politics, and feeling disconnected from those we love is causing each of us to struggle with our mental health. But for those, like my guest Diane McDaniel, who have a mental il...

Everyone I know is experiencing a hard time (in one way or another) thanks to this pandemic. It's easy to get caught up in our struggles and how they are impacting our lives. No stones being thrown here as I've often done this myself. But I wonder if we could love one another better during hard times.  My friend, Susan Kent, joined me on this episode to share how she received love and su...

Today IS a good day. Is it? What makes today a good day? When during the day do you decide today is good? Do irritations like spilled coffee or frustrations like losing your debit card cause your day to go from good to bad? Categorizing a day as good or okay or bad is something we all do. When someone tells you to "have a good day!" they are wishing you well. Do their well wishes perk yo...

Sometimes it seems God isn't answering our prayers. This quote by Anonymous might give us some insight: "When you're going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember the teacher is always quiet during a test." My guest, Amy Satterfield, spent years praying for children. Many unsuccessful attempts led to desperation and a crisis of faith. Why wasn't God answer...

How many of us are willing to admit we are exhausted beyond explanation? Sure, our bodies are tired. But so are our minds, our emotions, and our souls. We run and run and run, trying to keep up with all the demands and expectations placed on us and those we place on ourselves. We rarely take the time to rest. For some, sleep comes easily when your head hits the pillow. While others, many others, s...

Admitting you're a control freak isn't something any of us want to do. Yet, those of us, myself included, who like things to be done a certain way or want to have a say in the outcome of an activity have struggles with control. We want control. What if demanding or expecting control demonstrates a lack of trust? A lack of trust in our spouse or our children. A lack of trust in the govern...

There are multiple reasons why this episode is special, but the one I'm excited about most is my guest, Mary James. She is a writer, speaker, and talented musician! And she is my 100th overcomer interview!!! Mary and I tried to record her episode over Zoom since she lives in California, and I live in Georgia. The connection was terrible - it kept dropping and lagging. Neither of which make fo...

During these days, now months, of sheltering in, I've needed music more. It fills my soul. How about you? Just a few days ago, I had some alone time in my Jeep, so I streamed Mandisa's Greatest Hits album. For my forty-five minute drive, I drank in Mandisa's powerful voice reminding me to " press on ," that " (God) gives me just what I need ," and to " raise...