🎧 Show Notes

Anxiety can be overwhelming — it paralyzes our actions, steals our peace, and convinces us of lies about our future. In this raw episode, I share the fear-filled season when my husband Jeff faced life-threatening health issues and how anxiety tried to control me. From sleepless nights and “worst-case” thinking to tears in church, I share what it looks like to wrestle with anxiety as a believer.

But more importantly, I share how God met us there. Through His Word, through prayer, through wise counsel, and through the daily practice of surrender, fear began to loosen its grip. If you’re walking through overwhelming anxiety, this episode will remind you: God is with you in the fear, and you can take back your thoughts with His truth.

Scripture Highlights:

• “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7
• “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.” — Isaiah 55:8
• “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” — Psalm 56:3

Key Takeaways:

• Anxiety often looks like fear of “what’s next,” fueled by irrational, fatalistic thoughts.
• It can affect every part of life — eating, sleeping, worshipping, even leaving the house.
• God’s Word is the only true weapon against fear.
• Wise counsel and community can help re-anchor your heart to God’s truth.
• Healing is not “one and done” — it’s a daily practice of choosing faith over fear.

Action Step: This week, pay attention to your thoughts. Notice when fear starts spiraling. Don’t let those thoughts grow. Instead, combat them with God’s Word — out loud if you need to. Replace lies with truth and watch peace take root where anxiety once ruled.

SHOW NOTES

When God Doesn’t Answer Your List: From Demands to Deep Trust

In this episode, I share what my first prayers looked like after Monica’s death—raw, desperate, and full of demands. From pleading for miracles to panicking over future loss, I’ll tell you how my relationship with God shifted from transactional to transformational.

I’m reading from the final chapter of Dying to Be Healed, where I open up about how Monica’s faith journey—and eventual death—led me to chase after God with a new purpose.

This isn’t a tidy testimony tied up with answers, but a reminder that peace doesn’t come from getting what we ask for—it comes from trusting the One we ask.

And often, the greatest healing doesn’t happen in the way we expect.

📖 Scripture of the Week

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16

Take time this week to reflect: Are you asking God more for things… or for more of Him? Let your prayers shift from demands to drawing near.

SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode, I share what it felt like to return to church and work after losing Monica. I’ll explain the disconnect between those inside the “fishbowl” of grief and those viewing from the outside.

Using the unlikely example of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, we’ll explore why having information about grief is not the same as living it. You’ll hear about the power of compassionate presence, the frustration of well-meaning but hurtful comments, and the difference between education and revelation when it comes to comforting someone who is grieving.

Bible Verse for Reflection: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." —Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Action Step

Think of someone in your life who is grieving. Reach out and offer a simple gesture: let them know you’re thinking of them and would be honored to listen if they want to talk about their person. It’s not about fixing—just about being present.

SHOW NOTES

Healing in grief often begins with small, consistent victories. By celebrating the little things—getting out of bed, returning a text, breathing through a tough moment—we honor how God is helping us heal day by day.

Bible Verse: Zechariah 4:10 — “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

Highlights

• Grief has no finish line, but it has forward movement in little steps that lead to healing.

• Wins are not just the big accomplishments—they’re the small daily faith steps.

• Building a “Faith Résumé” helps solidify God’s goodness in our lives.

• Naming and sharing wins build confidence and hope.

In today’s episode, I share my personal triathlon experience as an honest metaphor for walking through grief. From choking on the first wave to limping across the finish line, this story is a reminder that real strength isn’t always graceful—and healing doesn’t follow a straight path.

Grief, like a triathlon, demands Acceptance, Belief, and Consistency. It’s not about speed or perfection—it’s about showing up for the long haul.

You’ll walk away from this episode encouraged to stop measuring progress by how strong you look and instead start noticing how brave you’ve been to keep going.

Key Highlights

• A story of panic, perseverance, and progress in the middle of a triathlon

• The ABCs of healing: Acceptance, Belief, and Consistency

• Why showing up daily matters more than feeling strong

• How grief setbacks aren’t failure—they’re part of the journey

• The surprising encouragement that comes from finishing—imperfectly

Scripture for This Episode

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

SHOW NOTES

Psalm 77 captures the tension of grief: raw sorrow and anchored hope.

• Verses 1–10 give space to lament and reminds you God listens.
• Verses 11–20 invite us to remember.
• This pattern can help you process grief while building trust in God’s faithfulness.

Key Takeaways

• You are allowed to question, cry, and feel overwhelmed (v.1–10).

• God doesn’t turn away from your brokenness.

• Remembering God’s past faithfulness—your “Faith Resume”—can anchor your hope in the storm.

Action Step

Create your own Faith Resume. Write down the moments when God carried you. Let those memories breathe life into your present and future.

Other Verses to Hold on to:

• Lamentations 3:21–23 – “Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish…”

• Isaiah 43:2 – “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...”

Show Notes

Is it really possible to live again after loss — and not just survive, but thrive? In this honest episode, I walk through my own journey of grief and how I slowly moved from despair, to questioning, to discovering purpose again. I’ll share what helped (and what didn’t), the surrender process that changed everything, and two powerful scriptures that reframed how I see my future.

If you’re struggling to believe in life after loss — this episode is for you. There is hope. And there is purpose. It may not look like what you had planned, but it might just become more beautiful than you imagined.

📖 Scriptures to Meditate On

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Psalm 77:11 "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of old."

These verses remind us to focus not on figuring out the future, but on remembering God's faithfulness — and trusting Him to lead the way.

💬 Final Thought

You won’t go back to life ‘before’ — and trying to will wear you out. But you can move forward. And in doing so, you’ll honor your loved one in the most beautiful way — by living with purpose, faith, and joy again.

Show Notes

When grief clouds our view, it’s hard to imagine that anything good could ever come from it. In today’s episode, I share the story of my friend Ayako — how a connection born from Monica’s suffering turned into a 16-year journey of friendship, faith, and miracles.

Through Ayako’s baptism, God reminded me that healing, trust, and transformation are often slow — but always possible.

Key Takeaways:

• Friendships formed in hard seasons often carry eternal impact.

• Small acts of kindness can plant seeds of faith even when we can’t see it yet.

• Grief is not the end of the story; it’s often the soil where miracles grow.

• God will not let you walk through grief without leaving His fingerprints of hope.

Scriptures to Reflect On:

• Philippians 1:6 — "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

• Isaiah 61:3 — "…to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

**Closing Thought: Don’t diminish the grief you feel — but never underestimate what the Lord can do through it.