Finding God in Our Pain

Letting God Rewrite Trauma and Abuse, with LaShaundra Barnes

Summary:
*My guest, LaShaundra Barnes shares her story of finding God amidst her deep personal struggles of abuse and suffering.
*LaShaundra discusses her abusive relationship, which began after reconnecting with a high school acquaintance, highlighting the barriers that kept her in the relationship, including love, loyalty, and legal issues concerning her children.
*She speaks about the fear of the unknown and anxiety that hindered her ability to leave the abusive relationship sooner.
*LaShaundra emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community and the role of her church in helping her through the healing process.
*She shares her experiences with her children's mental and emotional health, revealing the impact of witnessing domestic abuse and the challenges of raising neurodivergent children.
*Our discussion touches on the need for individualized parenting, considering each child's unique needs and triggers.
*LaShaundra highlights the power of scriptures and worship music in providing comfort and encouragement during difficult times.
*She talks about the importance of forgiveness in the healing journey and how it has helped her find peace and co-parent with her children's father.
*LaShaundra encourages others to share their stories, emphasizing that our experiences can transform lives and bring people closer to God.
*She stresses that for those in abusive situations there is a need for therapy and counseling to thrive after abuse.
*LaShaundra provides hotline numbers that have 24/7 access:
In emergency and life of death situations: Call 911 or the emergency number in your area.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
The Center for Family Safety and Healing: Text the word start, S-T-A-R-T, to 88788.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, simply dial the number 988.

Podcast Intro:
When I met LaShaundra my first impression was her vibrancy. The joy in her eyes, (which as believers we know that is the presence of the Holy Spirit), the tone of her voice and her presence. These things combined, I heard and saw joy and it became more pronounced as she began to share what she has been through, is going through. Life has not been easy and yet she describes herself as blessed.

LaShaundra’s testimony is one of the reasons why I do this podcast. When everything familiar in our life gets turned upside down, people want to know where is God? Does God make a difference? Does He care and if so, what does His kindness look like? How does He make a difference?

LaShaundra is a single mom with 3 young children and she has endured countless levels of abuse some of which are mental, emotional, physical, financial, etc. And yet, she shares a message of God’s goodness despite the cruelty of this life and the proof (of God’s goodness) is displayed in her, through her, day to day.

I’m not saying her life is all sunshine, rainbows and smiles because she admits it’s difficult. Single moms know that singleness is a challenge all it’s own. Moms with special needs children know the complications on a daily basis. Abused women are familiar with the struggle to find healing and wholeness again. Women who know they need to leave abusive situations are faced with overwhelming fears of what if and that is enough to keep them in the abuse. 

When faced with the possibility of a new life, rebuilding ourselves and rebuilding our lives, how do we trust, who do we trust? I even think about, if we can’t even trust the people we can see, hear and touch, how do we learn to trust God? Will God still love us even if we find ourselves in situations that are of our own doing or does He just look at us and say, you made that bed now sleep in it.

If you’re living any of these situations or questioning God about His goodness you will find great encouragement in LaShaundra’s message of how God cares for us at every turn in our journey. She has learned that having spiritual disciplines that keep her grounded in Christ is the first line of defense against overwhelm, anxiety and fear. She reads the word of God and she relies on God to be who He says he is and do what He says He’ll do. He has never failed her and even her learning curves of discovering God’s heart have brought her new levels of intimacy and greater/deeper joy.

Be encouraged today as you listen to LaShaundra’s example of who the God of the Holy Bible is in the context of pain and suffering. God speaks the most beautiful things in the dark.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

 

Other Related Podcast Episodes:
Breaking Cycles of Abuse and Trauma: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/31/breaking-cycles-of-abuse-and-trauma-with-lindsey-smith/
From Survive to Thrive, Overcoming Sexual Abuse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/01/03/from-survive-to-thrive-overcoming-sexual-abuse-with-tina-ivey/
Heal From Childhood Abuse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/03/01/healing-from-childhood-abuse-with-virginia-jones/
Christian Marriage, Abuse and Boundaries: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/04/12/christian-marriage-abuse-and-boundaries/

Connect with LaShaundra:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@herdesiredhaven

Bio:
LaShaundra Barnes is a Podcast Host and Producer who uses her passions, gifts and creativity to glorify God. She is an entrepreneur, a domestic violence survivor and is currently a single mother raising neurodiverse children. Her life experiences both good and bad have shaped and molded her into the woman she is today. She's determined to tell her story showing how good God is and the wonderful acts and miracles He's done in her life. By sharing her story she desires to help others believe, to find purpose in their pain and peace in the midst of life’s storms.

RESOURCES:
Here are some 24/7 Confidential Services:
In emergency and life of death situations: Call 911 or the emergency number in your area.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
The Center for Family Safety and Healing: Text the word start, S-T-A-R-T, to 88788.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, simply dial the number 988.

From Bartender to Nun, to Bartender to Transformed, God never gives up!

Summary:
*Gina Economopoulos shares her journey of faith, family, and personal struggles.
*She grew up in a large, loving Italian-Greek Catholic family.
*After college, Gina became a bartender, finding it a suitable job due to her social personality.
*She struggled with alcoholism, initially not recognizing it as a problem.
*Gina faced significant grief with the loss of her mother, which led her to question her faith.
*Her journey included becoming a Catholic nun, seeking deeper meaning and love.
*She experienced significant suffering and confusion during her time in the convent.
*Gina eventually left the convent and struggled with identity and faith.
*Her fiancé's death from alcoholism was a turning point in her life.
*Gina found healing and a renewed relationship with God through a 12-step program, leading to sobriety.

Intro to the Podcast:
My guest, Gina Economopoulos has quite the unexpected twists, turns and cliffhangers in the chapters of her life story. Even as unique as our individual stories are I feel sure you’ll find many ways that you can connect with Gina. Her message is most definitely is for us all, God never gives up! 

Raised in a large, traditional Italian-Greek family, Gina's early life was a rich tapestry of Catholic values and unconditional love. The seventh child of 8, Gina was doing all the expected things as well as all the typical things of her youthful days in college and young adulthood but as life does, her world is flipped upside down and for her it was the death of her mother.

Gina shares her story of navigating the fragility of life both in her (in her brokenness and searching for love and purpose) as well as the brokenness of the world around her. Throughout her mistakes, searching, challenges and heartbreak after heartbreak, Gina maintains her out-going, people loving personality. Her resilience continues to bring her faith to the forefront and even her sense of humor remained albeit, at times it was used to cover up the pain.

A quick line of events for Gina’s life gives you the overview of the various challenges and a glimpse of God’s faithfulness to be along for the whole journey. A child who had medical/health complications that lead to a feeling of lack and the need to excel and prove her worth.

In college she was a party girl and also graduated with a degree in social work. Out of college she began bartending as a career but as mentioned it was the death of her beloved mother that shook her to the core. She found herself turning back to her Catholic roots, searching for meaning and solace in her grief. This loss acted as a catalyst, propelling her into a period of searching for something more profound—something to fill the void that partying and alcohol could not.

Her spiritual journey took a sharp turn when she joined a convent, seeking a deeper relationship with God and a sense of belonging. Despite her efforts to discover the peace she thought the convent would give her, the challenges within herself as well as the added difficulties and conflicts with the other nuns/sisters, would lead to her being asked to leave the convent. This was a devastating blow that increased her feelings of lack, adding more confusion and uncertainty.

The next chapter of Gina's life brought her back into the world where she would need a job and a paycheck, problem is she hadn’t worked for 12 years. So she returns to what she knows best, bartending. Her knowledge of religion struggles against the intimate relationship with Christ that is developing but it’s never more challenged than when she finds love and is then forced to endure the heartbreak of losing her fiancé and his death is associated with alcoholism.

She walks away from God but little does she know, God never gives up and she hasn’t given up either, she just doesn’t know it yet. She goes to a global recovery program modeled after AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) called The Rooms. Heartbreak/pain and anguish were in full anger and hatred mode but just maybe a tinge of fear lead her to The Rooms. And this is the very place where she slowly allows God to reveal Himself in a deeper and more intimate way. Learning that God never gives up on us solidified her journey from religion to relationship and it’s been maturing ever since.

Gina's story highlights the incredible resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering belief that even in the darkest times, there is hope and healing available. Her message is clear: don't give up, because God never does. He loves you and He will transform you if you let Him. It's a testament to God’s heart to save, heal and redeem. No matter how winding the road may be God is there every step of the way. God never gives up on us!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Other Related Podcast/Blog Topics & Resources:
Resource:
In the Rooms - A Global Recovery Community: https://www.intherooms.com/home/
Podcasts:
Did God Fail Jane?: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/05/10/did-god-fail-jane/
In the Presence of God: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/02/presence/
Blog:
The Good God: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/06/01/good-god/

Connect with Gina:
https://www.ginaecon.com/

Bio:
Gina Economopoulos was born in Syosset, NY, to a strong Italian and Greek loving family. She graduated from Eastern CT State University and bartended before embarking on a 12 year convent journey after her mother’s passing.

Settled on the Jersey Shore, Gina now works as an End of Life Doula, extending her compassionate heart to those in there final chapter. She found solace in sobriety as a proud Alcoholics Anonymous member, and her story of resilience through tragedy and faith inspires others to face life’s challenges.

Discovering God Through RevelationShip, with Cathy Garland

Summary -
*RevelationShip Concept: Cathy Garland discusses the concept of "revelationship," a term that emerged from a teaching session at her father's church. It emphasizes a dynamic relationship with God through ongoing revelations, exploring how God reveals Himself through various ways, including scripture, creation, and personal experiences.

*Suffering and Faith: Cathy shares her personal journey through significant life challenges such as divorce, child loss, and a severe car accident. Despite these hardships, her faith remained strong, and she questions why churches often fail to teach believers how to suffer well and glorify God through their suffering.

*Authentic Faith and Deconstruction: Cathy talks about the importance of authentic questioning in faith, drawing from her own deconstruction experience. She highlights the value of testing one's beliefs and the dangers of adopting a consumer-like approach to religion by picking elements from different faiths without deeper understanding.

*Attributes of God: The discussion touches on God's holiness as the foundation of His attributes, referencing a quote by Stephen Charnock. Cathy emphasizes that every action of God is inherently holy and serves a purpose, even if difficult to understand.

*Upcoming Works and Study Guides: Cathy mentions her upcoming book "The God Who," which will further explore how God reveals Himself. Both this and her previous work, "Revelationship," include study guides designed to help readers apply theological insights practically in their lives.

Podcast Intro:
My guest Cathy Garland introduces us to the word and concept of revelationship. She shares her journey of faith, which has been tested through numerous hardships, including divorce, child loss, and a car accident. These experiences have led her to develop a concept called "revelationship," which she explains as an evolving relationship with God through revelations. Cathy emphasizes the importance of seeing God in all aspects of life, including the painful parts, and how this understanding forms the basis of her book titled Revelationship - Transformative Intimacy with Christ.

Cathy discusses the shortcomings of the church in teaching believers how to suffer and mourn well. She critiques certain prosperity-driven teachings that suggest hardships are solely a result of personal failures. Instead, she argues that suffering is a part of life and can serve as a profound teacher that draws individuals closer to God. Cathy stresses the importance of authentic mourning and the discomfort it can cause others, highlighting the cultural reluctance to face and share pain openly.

The conversation also delves into the topic of deconstruction of faith, with Cathy sharing her own experience of questioning her beliefs and how her parents, her father was a pastor, supported her exploration. She emphasizes that true faith can withstand questioning and that deconstruction should not be feared. Cathy advocates for the importance of surrender and obedience to God, suggesting that these practices help train us to resist the our human tendency to choose lesser things over what God offers us and Cathy even points out how we would easily and consistently choose the very thing that will kill us if left to our own understanding and our own desires.

Finally, Cathy discusses various ways people can experience God, such as through worship, nature, and service, noting that these are legitimate pathways to deepen one's faith. She highlights the significance of repentance, not as a means to earn God's forgiveness but as a process of personal growth and sanctification. As we wrapped up you’ll hear Cathy’s passion for people to understand that God actively pursues a relationship with us, and that He’s eager to reveal Himself, driven by His unwavering and holy love for us.

Live Loved and Thrive! @lifeofthrive.com

 

Other Related Podcast topics and/or blogs:
The Trouble With Jesus, Navigating Faith with Constance Hastings: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/10/09/the-trouble-with-jesus-navigating-faith-with-constance-hastings/
Relationship is Simple (Blog - Sherrie): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/
Micro Moments with God to Grow Relationship Intimacy: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/

Connect with Cathy - Revelationship:
Revelationship site: revelationship.net
Revelationship on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seekrevelationship/
Revelationship on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seekrevelationship
Revelationship on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seekrevelationship
Free Devotional & Study Guide: https://www.revelationship.net/devotional-and-study-guide-lp
Gracefull Garlands:
Gracefull Garlands on IG: https://www.instagram.com/gracefullgarlands
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gracefullgarlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracefullgarlands
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinegarland/
Blog: https://cathy544.wixsite.com/gracefullgarlands (also on Revelationship.net)

Bio:
Cathy Colver Garland, oldest daughter of Dr. Randy Colver, writes Gracefull Musings, a blog providing
women a moment of rest and challenge before those little fingers appear under the bathroom door. A
former Vice-President of a software company, she currently consults with institutions and companies on
marketing, sales, and strategy. She also mentors women in professional, spiritual, and personal
development. Saved and living an “absolutely surrendered” life, her passion is to teach people to hear
God's voice and obey, surrender their lives absolutely, and walk in freedom. She is married to
Mickey and has two children in elementary school.

Since Cathy mentioned her father (Dr. Randy Clover) as being the co-author of the book, here is his Bio:
Ordained in 1982, Dr. Randy Colver is a seasoned Bible teacher who has written numerous Bible
workbooks for class instruction and online studies. Dr. Colver received his ThD from Logos University
and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Dr. Colver serves as an elder and teacher at the
Coweta Community Church. Dr. Colver and his wife, Kim, have been married for over forty years. They
have six children and fifteen grandchildren, including co-author Cathy Colver Garland. Dr. Colver
believes, “My greatest blessing is to know that all my children are serving God.“

The Trouble with Jesus, Navigating Faith with Constance Hastings

Summary:
*Constance discusses her book, "The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away," which explores controversial topics related to faith and encourages readers to reflect on their beliefs and understanding of Jesus.
*The conversation delves into themes such as understanding God's role in suffering, the transformative power of faith, and the importance of maintaining a relationship with God despite doubts and challenges.
*Constance shares personal anecdotes to illustrate her journey of faith, including experiences that reinforced her belief in God's presence and guidance through difficult times.
*The discussion touches on contemporary issues like the deconstruction of faith and contrasts the world's view of love and tolerance with the unconditional love of God.
*The importance of engaging in respectful conversations about faith with skeptics or doubters is emphasized, with Constance suggesting that her book can serve as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and spiritual exploration.

Podcast Intro:
My guest, is author, Constance Hastings, who has recently written a book titled "The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away." I think you can tell by the title that we poked around in some pretty weighty specifics on faith, skepticism, and how we make sense of the world. The reason I wanted to have this conversation because suffering will have you contemplating the plan to leave your faith. If you find yourself if a place of skepticism because the pain is too great and you it simply does not match your definition of what a good God would do, take some time to listen to all that Constance has to share.

Constance talks about her personal growth with the Christian faith and she also shared examples of her journey and the moments in her life where she felt God's presence most profoundly.

One story she shared was about a time when she felt abandoned—not just by people, but by God. She described a church retreat where, somehow, she was left behind as everyone else packed up and left the area the group had been visiting. Alone and angry, she journeyed down the rock road and finds herself standing in front of an unusually large stop sign…with the wind whipping through the night air she continues demanding answers from God. And then something remarkable happened: a sense of peace washed over her, and the Holy Spirit reminds her spirit that she is not alone…for me, it’s always that marker of peace in the midst of struggle that reminds us of God’s presence. When she was finally reunited with the group, she knew the experience had changed her. The first-hand experience of not only God attending to her on a dark road, all alone. But feeling His presence evaporated those moments of vulnerability and hard questions and drew her into a deeper intimacy with Christ.

Listening to Constance's stories made me reflect on my own life and those moments when I've felt life's troubles weighing heavily on me. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to have all the answers or we need to be in control of the outcome. But as Constance pointed out, the real beauty is revealed when we let go of the need to control everything and allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of transformation. Her words reminded me that faith isn't about having everything figured out; it's about trusting that in the midst of our struggles, we're never truly alone. So next time you're feeling overwhelmed, have the courage to discover who God really is vs who you think He should be—pause, engage the heart of God, and remember that the love and answers that you're seeking is already available, He’s just waiting for you to notice and lean in to His great love for you.

Live loved and thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Related Podcast Topics on having hope and growing faith when you want to give up:
Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness w/Sherrie Pilkington: https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/

Finding Hope in the Ashes w/Lea Turner: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/09/25/finding-hope-in-the-ashes-with-lea-turner/

Blog Post - Life Verse: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/07/life-verse/

 

Connect with Constance:
Link to purchase the book: The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away
https://amazon.com/author/constancehastings
Substack: https://jesustrouble.substack.com
Blog: https://constancehastings.com The Trouble with Jesus blog
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/constance-hastings-0969a7136
X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/@cm_hastings
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheTroublewithJesus

Bio:
I did not intend to write a book about Jesus. I did not believe I would ever join any church. I never thought I would be involved in formal church ministry as ordained clergy. My life should have been my own, teaching the literature I loved and having a life to enjoy my simple hobbies and family. But the Trouble with Jesus is God does not let us walk away, but instead pursues us until we find ourselves found. I was very good arguing with God, wanting my own direction and expecting it to be blessed. Didn't happen. With gentle nudges and a Holy Spirit grab around the throat, God has taken me through a life-journey to places and people I would have never known except by God's plan. Not the path I ever wanted, but the one I was given. Thank God.

Constance Hastings brings an outsider’s perspective to what insiders know about the story of Jesus. Raised by non-religious parents, educated in a Christian school; lover of great literature, teacher of the disadvantaged; ordained in a mainline denomination, mental health counselor outside the church; she aims to make connections speaking in new places the old voices of meaning. With an edgy voice recognized by those caught in an existential dilemma, for those who have never or not been in church for a long time, for those who used to think they knew him, Constance Hastings confronts your concept of one of the most controversial figures whoever existed and the trouble Jesus means.

Finding Hope in the Ashes with Lea Turner

Summary:

• Personal Experience and Faith: Leah shares her personal journey through multiple hardships, including the loss of her house, her son's addiction, and her mother's cancer. She emphasizes how these experiences have deepened her intimacy with God and strengthened her faith.
• Permission to Feel and Wrestle with God: The discussion touches on the importance of embracing emotions and being transparent with God. Leah explains that acknowledging and wrestling with feelings of grief and suffering can lead to experiencing God's peace and presence more profoundly.
• Community and Support: Leah highlights the significance of community support during times of grief. She shares examples from her own life where friends and community members provided crucial support, reinforcing the idea that healing often involves others helping to "unravel our grave clothes."
• Message of Hope and Redemption**: Throughout the conversation, Leah and Speaker 1 underscore the message of hope in Christ. They stress that while grief and suffering are inevitable, turning towards God and trusting in His plan of redemption can lead to healing and transformation.

Podcast Intro:
My guest is Lea Turner, a wife, a mom to 5 children, she’s an author and a grief coach. When you hear just a little bit of her story today, you’ll see how much experience she’s had in the area of grief and it will explain why she’s the perfect one to come alongside grieving hearts and help them navigate the seasons of life when we live with loss and uncertainty.

A quick overview of her grief journeys (with an S - plural)…within a very short time period of 3 years it included death, cancer, a house fire where she and her family lost absolutely everything include the family dog), her son battling addiction, shattered dreams, heart surgery…and just recently her mom’s cancer journey has shifted and is adding yet more uncertainty for the days ahead.

Our conversation focuses on Lea's book, The Freedom to Feel: Finding God in Grief and Trauma, Her book goes into greater depth with regard to what we discussed plus additional topics that we didn’t have time to discuss.

I really picked around in Lea’s pain and she was gracious enough to answer every question. She explains how her relationship with God has evolved through each season of loss, emphasizing the importance of building a foundation with God to weather difficult times. She shares a story about a pastor's advice that spending time with God is preparation for future hardships.

Lea highlights the importance of embracing feelings of grief and suffering rather than running from them and she explains that acknowledging and feeling pain allows the Holy Spirit to provide comfort, contrasting this with numbing behaviors like alcohol or excessive activities. She also discusses the importance of not becoming a victim of grief, suggesting that continually dwelling on hard stories can trap a person in their suffering. Instead, she recommends balancing necessary daily responsibilities with the need to process emotions and seek God's guidance.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did as we discussed the hope and transformation that comes from a relationship with God. All that she shared is very encouraging but I especially loved the reminder when she said that as believers we lament, meaning we grieve with hope.

I’d say that Leah's over all message and I whole heartedly agree with it….is the importance of continually turning towards God. Even in the midst of grief and heartache we can count on God's character and presence to remain constant through every crashing wave of any storm we endure.

Let’s listen in for encouragement and a reminder that God has a plan of redemption for every form of suffering they endure.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Podcasts Related to this Topic:
Widows, Grief and Finding Hope with Anne-Marie Lockmyer: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/02/14/widows-grief-and-finding-hope-with-anne-marie-lockmyer/

Life and Hope After an Accidental Death, with Jennifer Eikenhorst: https://alifeofthrive.com/2023/07/18/life-and-hope-after-an-accidental-death-with-jennifer-eikenhorst/

Hope Deferred with Lainie Stubblefield - Marriage and Children - https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/10/26/hope-deferred/

 

Connect with Lea:
Website: leaturner.com
IG: @leagjturner
FB: facebook.com/aheartatrest
Newest book: The Freedom to Feel: Finding God in Grief and Trauma
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Feel-Finding-Midst-Trauma/dp/B0D2PGK11T/ref=monarch_sidesheet

 

Bio: 
Lea Turner is a heartfelt, empathetic writer and speaker who longs to meet and encourage us in our pain. Joyfully broken through three years of her family struggling with trauma and loss, including death, cancer, losing everything to a house fire, drug addiction, loss of a dream, and heart surgery has made her a reluctant expert on grief. Lea is a soulful listener and wisdom seeker, passionate about walking with grieving people through trauma, pain, and loss. She lives in Mississippi with her husband and five kids making her a northern girl stuck in a southern world. 

 

Navigating the Journey to Spiritual Maturity, with Dr. Sheila Jackson

Summary:

*Faith and Surrender: Both speakers highlight the importance of faith, surrendering one's will to God, and trusting Him even when it requires personal sacrifice and letting go of one's own desires.

*Discerning God's Voice: Identifying God's voice involves aligning it with Scripture and recognizing the fruits of the Spirit, while being cautious of one's own desires potentially deceiving them.

*Spiritual Dreams and Visions: Dr. Sheila explains that dreams and visions connect believers to the spiritual realm, can be used for personal guidance or intercession for others, and should be journaled for clarity and interpretation.

*God's Unfailing Support: The conversation concludes with the affirmation that nothing is impossible with God, and He is always willing to go to great lengths to support and guide His followers, even in their most challenging times.

INTRO TO THE EPISODE:
Life can throw some seriously tough curveballs. When it does, it’s our spiritual foundation that can make all the difference. My guest Dr. Sheila Jackson is an intercessor, a prophetic voice, Biblical teacher, and an Associate Pastor. Additionally, she founded the Wind Spirit Soul Prophetic School in 2006, dedicated to training prophetic vessels, people just like you and I.

In this episode I had the privilege of sitting down with her to unpack what it really means to be spiritually mature, how to hear from God, and why faith and prayer are so crucial. We had a very relaxed conversation exploring God’s Word and His heart for us as we pursue an intimate relationship with Him.

Dr. Sheila opened up about the journey to spiritual maturity, describing it as a process of developing a deeper relationship with God and transforming into His image. It's about embodying the character of God, showing love, patience, and kindness, and living it out. It’s not just about knowing these virtues intellectually. It’s about putting them into action. Being the hands and feet of the Lord.

Dr. Sheila shared her struggles with submitting her will to God. Boy, can I relate to that! Dr. Sheila, someone who’s always made things happen, found it tough to let go and trust God, especially when His plans didn't align with her desires. She candidly admitted that it’s easy to obey God when His will matches ours, but the real test comes when He asks us to give up something we deeply want. It’s in those moments of surrender that we grow the most.

We also delved into the intricacies of discerning God’s voice amidst the noise of our own desires and the enemy’s deceptions. Dr. Sheila emphasized that God’s voice always aligns with Scripture and is rooted in love and truth. Yet, when our desires are strong, it’s easy to be deceived. She shared personal stories, including a poignant one about almost marrying the wrong person because she mistook her own desires for God’s will. It’s a humbling reminder that we need to constantly renew our minds and seek God’s guidance with a pure heart.

We touched on the mysterious realm of spiritual dreams and visions. As we talked about discerning God’s voice from the voice of the enemy in the context of dreams and visions, I share my experience with a dream that until now, I’ve only told my sister about. It has to do with satan injecting himself into my dream and God breaks the communication.

But these spiritual dreams and visions aren’t just for the prophets of old; they’re a way God communicates with us today. Dr. Sheila encouraged us to journal our dreams and visions, as they often contain messages from God meant for prayer and intercession, not just for the sake of knowing. It’s a practice that connects us to the spiritual realm and helps us align our lives with God’s purpose.

If you’re a Christian who gets uncomfortable with the thought of moving in the spiritual realm; you have a spirit; you’re already part of the spiritual realm. As you pursue the Lord, and you receive discernment from the Lord it is of the spirit. A relationship with God is spiritual so there’s no reason to fear it and besides In Ephesians 12 it tells us who we battle. We do not fight against flesh and that the real fight is rooted in, and based on the spiritual realm.

So the journey to spiritual maturity is about constant growth, surrender, and the courage to seek God’s will above our own. It’s a path filled with challenges and detours, but also with profound revelations and deeper intimacy with God. As Dr. Sheila so beautifully put it, “There’s nothing impossible with God.” And that’s a truth worth holding onto, most especially as we learn to grow in relationship with God. So no matter where you are on your spiritual journey God delights in us as we journey to His heart.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Dr. Sheila Jackson:
Facebook: https://www.facebook/joshua2715
Email: sheilajac12@yahoo.com
Email: windspiritsoul28@yahoo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sheila-jackson-ed-d-99116a29/

Bio:
Dr. Jackson holds an Ed.D. in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University and an M.S. in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. After nearly 15 years as a Corporate Buyer for General Motors, she transitioned into education and ministry. With over 20 years of ministry experience, Dr. Jackson has served as an intercessor, prophetic voice, Biblical teacher, and Associate Pastor. She founded the Wind Spirit Soul Prophetic School in 2006, dedicated to training prophetic vessels. Dr. Jackson also expanded her ministry internationally and is a staff instructor with The Prophetic Empowerment Network. She is a mother, grandmother, and spiritual mentor to many.

Joining Jesus Christ in His Pursuit of Your LBGTQ Identified Child, With Melinda Patrick

Points of Discussion:

Melinda emphasizes the importance of prayer and surrender to God, highlighting that your LGBTQ identified child’s same-sex attraction itself isn't a sin, but acting on it is, and her main prayer is for her daughter's holiness rather than heterosexuality. Melinda emphasizes that a parent's responsibility is to love, pray for, and support their child, but not to control or fix them, as transformation is God's role.

The conversation covers practical steps for parents, such as setting boundaries with love, having open and honest conversations, and not compromising biblical truths, while still showing unconditional love and support to their children.

Melinda shares her personal experiences and the transformation in her relationship with her daughter, advocating for the pursuit of Jesus and intimate prayer as key elements in walking this difficult journey.

The show notes include resources, as well as Melinda’s links where you can purchase her book, sign up for her newsletter, follow her podcast etc. If you sign up for her newsletter you can find out where she’s speaking next and the various events that are available for parents dealing with similar situations. 

Podcast Intro:

My guest Melinda Patrick is multi-talented on many levels. She is a podcast host of two podcasts, one of which is The Bridge Between Us: Loving Your LGBTQ Identified Child Without Compromising Truth. Melinda is a writer, an international speaker and she recently added author to her writing credentials in early 2024 when she published, The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ in His Pursuit of Your LGBTQ Identified Child’s Heart.

What I believe makes Melinda successful at connecting with people and loving them well is her passion to love Christ first and foremost; to discover His heart and to willingly make her own heart transparent so that the Lord can write His love story with her, onto/into her own heart.

I’m going to try and make this intro super short because I want to get right into all the information and insight that Melinda has to share but I am excited about everything she shared so hopefully I can contain myself. May you have ears to hear all that the Holy Spirit shares through her. Listen to this episode a couple of times because you don’t want to miss anything. From practical advice, deep wisdom, a parent's insight, knowledge of how to navigate this sensitive topic with God, you simply do not want to miss anything.

Here are just a few of the questions she addressed:  What is the parent’s responsibility? Is it our job, the parent's job, to save our child? Is there any hope for relationship if our child doesn’t want to be saved? What is the difference between desiring our child to change vs our child being transformed? How do we navigate hard conversations? Melinda says we need to define some words as the basis of hard conversations. I think we can all agree that in this particular time and culture, words have been hijacked and they no longer mean what they used to mean. 

My biggest take away from our conversation was personal. I loved how her experience of allowing God to challenge her heart, her fears and her pride was in line with what I am discovering about the Lord myself.

Taking our emotions, fears, lie based thinking and all the ways we feel/believe that God should/would/could answer our prayers and we pause. We bring Him our pain and our hard questions, expose what our heart believes, we get real about our motives with the One who thoroughly knows these things about us. 

God’s not afraid of our emotions. He gave us emotions and I personally believe they also serve as an alarm system of sorts. Emotions let us know when we need to engage the heart of God for His truth and healing. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the word says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  In short, we bring God our pain and we allow Him to speak His truth/His Word into that pain and it redefines what we’ve built our false belief system on.

I can’t express to you the level of freedom, peace, truth, love that is available to you through this process of trusting God with our pain. Actually, here’s a perfect example. Let’s jump into my conversation with Melinda! What you see, in this case what you hear, is what you get in real life with her. 

Listen in and be encouraged by her passion for the things of God because He’s doing a deep revelatory work in this woman’s heart and you get to glean the wisdom.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Related Podcast Topics:
Melinda Patrick (May 16, 2021): Christian Mom Whose Daughter has Same Sex Attraction - https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/05/16/same-sex-attraction/
Sherrie Pilkington (Solo Podcast Episode): Micro Moments With God To Grow Relationship Intimacy - https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/08/14/micro-moments-with-god-to-grow-relationship-intimacy/
Rachel Fahrenbach, Practicing Rest, Practicing Sabbath - https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/10/27/sabbath/
Complicated Questions (Blog Post): https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/07/22/complicated-questions/

Connect with Melinda:
Author of The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ In His Pursuit Of Your LGBTQ-Identified Child's Heart
Host of The Bridge Between Us Podcast and The Even While Podcast
Opt-in for Living Life, Waiting Well Newsletter
Opt-in for The Bridge Between Us Newsletter
melindapatrick.org

Bio:
Having a child involved in the LGBTQ community for more than 11 years, Melinda Patrick knows what it is like to grieve the choices our loved ones have made and understands the helplessness we feel when things aren't as we had hoped. Through her healing journey and healing relationship with her daughter, she is passionate about emboldening and equipping parents to join God where He is at work in their lives and families.
 
Melinda Patrick provides parent support for His Wonderful Works, Inc., is the host of the award-winning
podcast - The Bridge Between Us, author of The Daring Rescue: Joining Jesus Christ In His Pursuit Of Your LGBTQ-Identified Child's Heart and serves on the board for Restored Hope Network. She is an international speaker who often speaks at family conferences, church ministry events, and parent groups to equip families and the church to love well while not compromising Truth.

Micro Moments With God to Grow Relationship Intimacy

Discussion Points:
*Host, Sherrie discusses a Bible Study titled "Do You Love Me? Exploring Our Relationships with God and Others" by Debbie Swindall, facilitated by Amy Heilman of Breathe Deep Ministries, which has deeply impacted her relationship with God.
*Sherrie emphasizes the importance of making intentional time to engage with God, especially during emotional or challenging moments, to discover His love and purpose for us.
*She shares her journey of finding peace and intimacy with God, highlighting the challenges of slowing down and truly resting in Him, rather than merely checking off religious tasks.
*The episode encourages listeners to seek God's presence in every micro moment, using specific action steps to process emotions and receive God's grace and guidance, ultimately experiencing a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Podcast Episode/Transcript: This is going to be a short episode but it was important enough for me to make it an episode because I had to share this study with you. It’s titled, Do You Love Me? Exploring our relationships with God and others by Debbie Swindoll. Published by Grafted Life Ministries. From what I can discern it’s been around since 2014; I have the 3rd edition published in 2018.

Have you ever had the opportunity to participate in this particular bible study? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts, your takeaway. This is the first time I’ve ever described a bible study as sweet. The most tender hearted bible study I’ve ever been a part of. When I say tender hearted, it’s because of the way it reveals the Father’s love for us, His heart to know us and for us to discover Him. The point that was highlighted for me, was the simplicity of what God requires of us in order to know Him more. Then I was perplexed because I treat it with such difficulty.

Because of the way I’ve grown in my intimacy with Christ (after doing this bible study) I wanted to make you aware of it as well. Should you want to participate I can definitely get you in contact with my friend who is the founder of Breathe Deep Ministries, Amy Hellman. I don’t receive any type of compensation for connecting you with her. Her contact info will be in the show notes. She’s not the publisher nor the author but she facilitates this study.

You may be familiar with Amy’s name because she has been on my podcast a couple of times. A few years back she was a guest and we talked about her book Soul Stripper. It’s a free download online. It is her personal story of how God works with us to strip us of (by way of healing) the various ways we’re attached to this world. As well as the ways we attempt to satisfy our flesh or people please etc. and she moves us into finding our identity in Christ, a strong identity in Him alone.

Also, she did one other episode where she took the mic to interview me about my first year of podcasting, asking me questions about all that I had learned through the messages that my guests had shared. That would have been in Sept. of 2021, which reminds me, I’m putting together some pretty exciting things for my 4 year anniversary in September of this year! I’ll keep you posted.

And then lastly, real quick with Amy you may have heard me speak of finding, what I considered and it has proven true, my last layer of healing from abandonment issues. Part of my journey with finding healing for various things associated with my childhood. Amy walked me through Theophostic Prayer and using that healing model the Lord gave me a vision.

I’ve talked about the vision before so I won’t repeat it again, so we can get to the purpose of this episode but engaging the Holy Spirit through Theophostic prayer and the vision of the Lord’s presence (in a very scary time as a child), broke off the last bit of pain associated with abandonment. All that to say this, the reason I even know anything about this study is because I’m currently seeing Amy for Spiritual Direction counseling and she offered me this study and I gladly joined in and boy am I happy I did.

The Lord has been calling me into these pockets of quiet time with Him. As He’s doing that it’s never been more obvious to me that my challenge is to slow down. Rest. Rest in Him. Rest with Him.

I actually thought I was slowing down because my typical pace and the fact that I was making time to engage the Holy Spirit showed a marked difference in my life even from a couple of years ago. I’m thinking I’m doing the thing and knocking it out of the park but something just stayed under the surface that simply did not sit right. A feeling of doing the thing but still missing out. Not getting the full expression, the full experience. However, I simply couldn’t put my finger on what was possibly missing.

I’m reading the word, I’m making a joyful noise unto the Lord singing praise and worship music, praying for my family/friends, I go to church etc. I’m checking off the good Christian girl checklist. Well, I did the Christian checklist for many years but at this time in my life I would not have called it that because my heart is head over heels in love with Jesus.

I love my time with the Lord. I’m no longer trying to perform to earn His affection or make sure I’m maintaining His approval. He has seen me at my absolute worst. And not just once. But countless times. He has yet to turn away. As an example of my affection for the Lord, in this particular season of my life, I am very content, very happy and I have a deep rooted peace in my soul. I need nothing and I want nothing. He has my full attention and I wait on Him to direct my life.

So it was in those quiet times with the Lord, that the missing something seemed to be more prominent when I rushed the wrap up of my time with Him. I would enjoy my bible reading and prayer time but in the mornings I’d get to a certain point and then I’d be up and into something else so quickly I was left wondering if I even told the Lord, "I love you?!"

When I’d have my quiet time with the Lord in the evenings, it often ended with me going to sleep and not remembering if I even finished my prayers. I would fall asleep in the middle of praying or simply talking to God about something or reading His word. It’s not that I felt condemned because if you have children, is that not the sweetest thing you can experience; your children so content with you that they will let their guard down, and surrender to the day, falling asleep with you nearby.

However, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I’m missing out on something. That Jesus intended more for me. But what was missing?

It’s intriguing to me that the simplicity with which we have access to the heart of God as He sits on His sovereign throne and yet in real time our actions say it’s incredibly difficult. Maybe on a subconscious level, we believe it to be a, too good to be true, scenario and so our heart discredits it so that it carries no weight in our life?

Or maybe it’s that God’s goodness and kindness are always available and so we take it for granted. It’ll always be there so it’s no rush, I’ll get to it when I can. I know I’ve treated God that way. The Creator of all things wants to know me and I have “better things” more pressing things to do. As I say that out loud it’s incredibly humbling. It’s mind boggling that I pass up these moments with such ease. Even if I experience a flash of guilt, it’s simply that, a flash.

Because the truth is, as a daughter of the One True King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who has no rival and no equal that you can picture yourself running up to the throne room doors and not only do the armed guards step aside they open the massive doors without a question. You run toward your Father. No one stops you as you climb up the steps, probably stepping all over His royal train that fills the throne room. Into His lap you sit and you begin to tell Him about your day and He is absolutely delighted that you have chosen to come and sit with Him.

If you’re a parent, you can imagine or maybe you know the feeling when your children chose to spend time with you OR when your children choose lesser things (like video games or being on their phone). We’ve all heard it said that one of our biggest mistakes is that we think we have time….but time is a resource that quickly evaporates.

Many times I have questioned, you’ve heard me ask on my podcasts, why-oh-why do we choose lesser things than the perfection that God offers us. After engaging this study I have the answer!

Many of you already have the answer but God is so kind to us in the way He brings revelation to us as the individuals He created us to be. Sometimes, things just click and you have a DUH moment. Like, I knew that part and that part but now it’s all come together for a much clearer understanding. Maybe that’s when you move from the duh moment to the ah ha moment.

Why do we choose lesser things compared to what God has for us? Because in this life we will deal with the flesh and yet our soul knows there’s something more. We are made mind, body and soul/spirit. We’re trapped in an earthly body, with a soul that longs for heaven and our mind is the battlefield. We straddle this world with our flesh and the spiritual world with our spirit.

There is an intentional action, an intentional choice, in the battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be but let’s look at the details of what we’re working against first.

In this place between discovering what we were created for and heaven, we fight against the desires of the flesh because the flesh that we’re wrapped-in is broken and sinful; it wants what it wants using the quickest, least resistant path to immediate gratification and yet our soul intuitively knows there is something more.

In our DNA, God placed His image and therefore a natural desire for Garden of Eden moments. Our soul longs for beauty, truth, life, relationship, love, joy, etc. etc so the soul searches and its first access point is to use the flesh to find it. Our emotions, our 5 senses, the world around us…it’s natural to us, God gave us those things….but this is why the Lord says we must be born again, that we need to die to our flesh, that we need to pick up our cross and follow the Lord. As uninviting as that sounds always remember you are never alone in the process. You have the very presence of God and our biggest trials bring the most beautiful rewards.

In the midst of choosing lesser things over taking those incremental steps toward discovering and fulfilling what you were created for, which is rooted in discovering God’s heart for you, you can be encouraged that God is never offended, never mad, nor does He want to teach you a lesson. We can learn plenty of hard knock lessons from following our flesh…God doesn’t need to do anything to us, there’s plenty of teachable moments in one days time based on how we personally engage life….one micro decision at a time, throughout any given day.

In the moments when our feelings and/or our emotions are driving us, it’s time to take breath, maybe a couple of breaths, and grab a few minutes with Holy Spirit. This juncture (of environment and our emotion) is the place where we can interrupt old patterns, challenge lie based thinking and negative reactions. Because the truth is, if we do not create a space in which we give God our emotions and allow Him to filter them with His truth we will, without fail, end up creating survival skills and self-coping vices (based on our own limited understanding/experiences) that we think are helping or at the very least, protecting us.

When we don’t take responsibility by way of making time to heal from our past traumas, emotional and mental scars, all the affects of living in a broken world and with our self-imposed survival skills and self-coping vices we will stay in our own dry, dusty desert for 40+ years just like the Israelites. God is with us but our eyes are never seeing and our ears never hear.

Sadly, trauma never leaves on its own. The grip of that which seeks to steal, kill, and destroy has to be evicted. You have to break agreement with it, cast it out when necessary. You’ve heard me say this before, we’re not responsible for what has been done to us but we are responsible to find the healing we need and to not give up until we are walking in God’s peace, healing and redemption.

When you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and invited Him to live in your heart, you gained access (through Jesus) to now discover who you were created to be. Something that had been hidden from you as a prior enemy of Christ.

Now with direct access to the throne of God, you have the opportunity to discover how He knit you together in our own mother’s womb. What is it about you that is most like God? What gifts and talents mirror His creative heart? What are your core charateristics that align with Him?

As you go on this adventure with Christ and He reveals your gifts, talents, skills and He begins to open doors and create certain connections and relationships, He will reveal this things and teach you how to steward them with Heaven’s value system vs our own value system. He will reveal it little by little so that you can digest and apply what He is showing you. Hence the lifelong adventure of relationship and His revelation after revelation.

The simplicity with which we can know the depths of God’s love for us and who He created us to be, what we were created for, the different seasons He’s calling us into, what our gifts and talents are… comes down to this, time.

To make time, is the intentional action, the intentional choice in the midst of the emotional and mental battleground of the mind that takes us from being controlled by the flesh to walking in the fullness of who God created us to be.

Not time checking off the good Christian girl to do list with the just get it done heart posture. The result of that type of investment is fake at best and you can expect your return to be empty as well; ask me how I know. Take the time to be still and discover the type of Father who loves you. Intimacy grows over time and engagement.

In every circumstance of your life and in every micro moment that you have an emotion or a question about who you are, maybe you’re being challenged in an area where you’re weak, or your moments when you feel disconnected, overwhelmed and you’re loosing hope. Pause, be still, breathe, turn your heart and mind toward Jesus. Engage God/Jesus/Holy Spirit (you can start with any one of the 3), invite Him in, ask Him what is this I’m feeling. Why am I feeling this?

If He reveals it (because sometimes He simply gives you encouragement in the moment to endure and/or He offers His reassurance that He’s with you and He’ll see you through) ... so when the time comes that He reveals it, ask Him to help you. And maybe this might be the most challenging part of the process is to accept His grace as you are stepping into who He’s called you to be.

Most of the time it’s not a flawless transition. Here’s what I think is the perfect example of this journey we’re on. Adam and Eve started off living in intimacy with God. They had daily, face to face conversations with God. He was present 24/7, and they rejected Him. We’re born in the condition of having rejected Him and we’re on the journey to return to the benefits of the Garden of Eden. Daily, direct access spirit to spirit or heart to heart with God. He’s present 24/7 and He waits for our invitation for Him to join us in our darkest, most painful places of life.

Nothing about this life, our existence, our challenges, how we use our gift of choice etc. has God concerned, confused or disengaged. Nor is He overwhelmed or disgusted. No. God knows marriage is hard. God knows that the various types of handicaps or physical illness will cause us to question who He is. He knows the evil that people do to one another. Heat breaking yes, but He’s the God who walks among His people

He’s never taken off guard and you know why? Because He’s already put those things to death in the spiritual and He wants you and I to know and experience it too. He wants those Garden of Eden moments with us.

He’s saying, babe, will you bring that to me? Will you trust me with that pain, that emotion, your reaction? I’ve already healed that on the cross but I want you to allow me to walk you through your personal pain because I want you to experience, first-hand, the healing I’ve provided. I want you to see how much I love you as you let me dismantle the lie based thinking or the painful memories you have. I give double for the what the enemy has robbed you of. I take the very thing that satan wanted to destroy you with and I flip it producing good things in your life. I bring redemption, I bring restoration.

Allow me to remind your heart of Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Making time is a challenge. Accepting God’s grace as a way of life is humbling and therefore it struggles against our pride/our flesh, but there may be an even bigger challenge for the flesh and that is to have the courage to see God for who He really is. Not who we want Him to be and not who we think He should be. It threatens our flesh because we may have to redefine some foundational things we have been building our life on. I actually think it might even be more scary to change direction when we realize that some of our foundational blocks have been lies.

All the more reason to give God space (by being still) and allow Him to reveal Himself to us in every context of life, most especially in the context of pain and suffering. If we can do that and actually embrace who He is even though it may be in direct opposition to what we thought would be, or what we want it to be … that’s the place of transformation, where we step into more and more of who we were created to be. Where we find the kind of purpose that even if it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, we’ve never felt more alive, fulfilled and rewarded.

(side note: God moves in unique ways with us as the individual He created us to be but what we experience or the revelations we receive with Him will never contradict God’s character and nature. If you feel that God is revealing Himself and it is in opposition to His word, question the source. If not inline with God, it is not of Him).

Do you have the courage today to give God those micro moments of engagement with the emotions or feelings that need some healing, maturing; things that need a closer inspection even though it will challenge the way you perceive yourself? I would encourage you to start today and try to catch yourself in those type moments. Interrupt where those emotions will take you. Pause, breathe and engage God with these 3 actions steps/conversation that were in the study (I’ve added some of my words for the way I shared this message but they are in the same in nature).

1. God, what is happening with regard to what I’m experiencing or feeling?
2. God, help me to perceive what you reveal and give me courageous ears to hear.
3. God, show me what your grace looks like in this moment.

And I’d even add this question for God ... Who do you want to be for me in this situation?

The more time we spend with God to process the impact or purge the residue of this life, the more peaceful, and the more beautiful life becomes. We don’t have to wait for heaven to enjoy the heart of the Father, the joy of the Son, Jesus nor the wisdom/revelations of Holy Spirit. We can know a slice of heaven, a small taste of the Garden of Eden in the here and now. All it takes are micro moments of pausing, of investing our time in the heart of God. When we do, we watch our meager offer, our 5 loaves and 2 fish if you will, multiplied beyond our imagination.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Resources:
Breathe Deep Ministries/Amy Hellman - https://www.breathedeepministries.org/
Grafted Life Ministries: Graftedlife.org

 

Related Podcast Episodes:
In the Presence of God (w/Kevin White): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/03/02/presence/
Here’s How Psalm 23 Showed Me God’s Faithfulness (w/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2022/08/17/heres-how-psalm-23-showed-me-gods-faithfulness/
Can I (or Anyone) Ruin God’s Plan for My Life? (W/Sherrie Pilkington): https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/04/24/can-i-or-anyone-ruin-gods-plan-for-my-life/

Related Bog Posts:
Investing in Relationship: https://alifeofthrive.com/2020/11/03/investing-in-relationship/
Relationship is Simple But it Takes Courage: https://alifeofthrive.com/2019/03/11/relationship-is-simple-but-it-will-take-courage/