Finding God in Our Pain

Living in Uncertainty, with Angie Baughman

This conversation is deeply layered and beautifully delivered by my guest Angie Baughman who intimately knows loss and what it means to live with complete uncertainty. 

A simple car ride with her family turns their world upside down. She’s in the car with her husband and 2 young sons, a vehicle crosses the line and hits them head on. The crash affects her entire family; immediate, extended, church as well as their friends. Everyone  who was courageous enough to step into roles and take on responsibilities of what it entails to support a family. 

The tragic results of the accident put Angie and her oldest son who was 7 years old at the time, in the hospital. Between the two of them they had 8 surgeries. In the blink of an eye she began a journey of loss and total uncertainty at no fault of her own. 

And then at a point where she’s gaining some independence, she’s working hard to hit the physical therapy goals with a strong desire to do away with the level of need and personal care she receives, including the desire to be the one making all of the decision for her and her family, but then she’s blind signed by a brain bleed. It was a result of the car crash but yet it doesn’t present itself until 18 months later.  She’s in a great place of improvement, moving forward and now she’s starting all over again. 

Because of her extended recovery Angie’s belief system, and not exclusive to her faith, is more than simply challenged or shaken, it’s shattered. Since satan is famous for attaching himself to our traumas, in the midst of Angie questioning everything about her life, satan brings a past trauma to the forefront of her mind/heart. 

Satan’s intention, of course, is to destroy Angie with this compounding trauma but she decides to accept God’s invitation and allow Him to heal her. In the intimacy of His invitation, He lets her know, He’s not giving her back the life she had, He’s taking her back to move her forward. Satan may have brought back past trauma but God was going to reveal His heart to healing. He was preparing a table for her in the presence of her enemy.

At one point in our conversation I asked her how do we take negative/traumatic/lies/thoughts captive to Christ and she lays out several things we can do to interrupt satan’s intentions and rewrite them with God’s promises. 

If you’re living with uncertainty or it’s one of your biggest fears, then you’ll find quotable wisdom that you can hang on to, right down to her parting words as we closed our time together. Listen in to discover what those lifelines are that Angie has to share. Let’s dive in to find God in the painful places of life. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @ alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Angie:
Website: https://livesteadyon.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/angiebaughman421/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/livesteadyon
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwl0_Edd8fNHz7y1jLOqj4g

Bio:
Angie Baughman is a pastor, Bible teacher, author, podcaster, founder of Steady On ministries, and creator of the Step By Step Bible study method.

At sixteen, she was groomed into a romantic relationship with a high school teacher and faced community rejection when she went public with her story. Knowing and living by the promises of God helped free her from layers of shame, and she now creates resources that help people cultivate consistent Bible study habits.

Widows, Grief and Finding Hope, with Anne-Marie Lockmyer

My guest today is a grief specialist, she is certified in critical incident stress debriefing, a certified trauma-integrative practitioner, an 8-time award-winning author on grief, and the founder of The Grief & Trauma Healing Network. Anne-Marie Lockmyer has quite a well-rounded education on grief but her passion is to help grieving widows.

She’s a widow herself, so my conversation with Anne-Marie is both from her personal experience as well as her professional ability to help widows process and heal. We had a great conversation that I’m excited to share with you!

Some of the things we talked about were: what does it mean to be blessed in a Christian context when in fact we’re not exempt from pain and suffering; the complexity of grief (that it does affect the brain and the body); giving yourself permission to grieve, to be angry, to laugh, to have joy. Grief is a roller coaster at best so the focus is to care for yourself as you journey through.

We talked about healing and that it is possible. Doesn’t mean you forget about your loved one or that you’re not honoring them anymore if you’re not sad. It doesn’t mean that your life will magically return to what it used to be. Sadly, it will never be the same. It will be different, but it can still be beautiful.

As Anne-Marie shares her experience of unexpectedly losing her husband Mark and it happens while she’s out of the country. I add that because I personally think that not being able to get to your loved one at such a critical time adds yet another layer of trauma to the trauma. Her husband passed from a brain aneurysm, this not only leaves her blindsided and numb but they have a special needs son who responded to his father like no one else.

When Anne-Marie received word over the phone, in a foreign country that her world had been ripped apart and would never be the same, she asked one thing of God. "God, if I have to go through this, may I glorify you, honor Mark and impact lives?"

As you listen to the message on her heart, or visit her website, check out her widows retreat and engage her extensive resources, I think you’ll see that God has honored her request. God has taken the very same thing that evil intended to destroy Anne-Marie with and did something really beautiful.

Let’s listen in so that we might find God in the midst of pain and suffering.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Anne-Marie:
Email: annemarie@griefandtraumahealing.com
Website: Grief & Trauma Healing Network 
https://griefandtraumahealing.com
Free online grief support site: MyGriefCare.com
 https://www.mygriefcare.com
Your Grief Guides YouTube Channel 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXrACWW7qjFlQ1A26onCMQ
Anne-Marie’s 8-time award-winning book “When Their World Stops - The Essential Guide to Truly Helping Anyone in Grief”   https://amzn.to/3Sb2T2f

Bio:
Anne-Marie Lockmyer is a grief specialist, certified in critical incident stress debriefing, a certified trauma-integrative practitioner, 8-time award-winning author on grief, and founder of The Grief & Trauma Healing Network. As a widow herself, Anne-Marie knows the pain and devastation that grief and loss cause and is living proof that you can go from surviving to thriving. Anne-Marie works with people worldwide, and is passionate about advocating for and loving grievers and being an educational catalyst to society on grief and loss.

 

How God’s Creative Nature Builds Faith, with Morgan McCarver

What do we do when God interrupts our life and turns it in a completely different direction? My guest, Morgan McCarver has an answer to that question. Just when all of her disciplined years of dance training and mastering control of her body was about to pay off in the world of competitive dance, she was forced to submit to a surgery that would avoid severe health complications in the future. 

Morgan would endure a spinal fusion surgery that would alter her body’s ability to comply with the demands of dance. With a year long recovery ahead, and without dance, Morgan felt the need to create so she and her mom began to look for various outlets.

What could possibly be out of convenience for her mother’s schedule, she enrolls Morgan in a summer camp and her class is a pottery workshop. You’ll hear how God uses this seemingly insignificant enrollment to then open a whole new world for Morgan. 

Morgan makes mention of the book of Genesis (in the Bible) reminding us that humanity is first introduced to God through the creation process and it’s that side of His nature that He shares with Morgan as a way of revealing His heart to her. The beauty He brings forth through this form of expression in Morgan can be found in numerous art galleries, her Etsy account and in the pages of the book she’s written, titled, “God the Artist: Revealing God’s Creative Side Through Pottery.”

As Morgan creates with her hands, God is creating in her and through her as well and it’s the same for each of us. 

Listen in to discover the beauty God has for us in the creative process and how it can be overlayed onto what He’s doing in our lives as the individuals He created us to be.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com 

 

Connect with Morgan:
www.morganmccarver.com (find the link to her book, Etsy shop & if you buy wholesale, her link to Faire.com)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mccarver_porcelain/?hl=en
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/morgan.mccarver.7/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-mccarver
X (formerly Twitter): https://www.sotwe.com/GodTheArtistBk

Bio: Morgan McCarver was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her work is inspired by her female mentors of past and present, as well as her connection to Victorian corsetry through her scoliosis journey. She received an art degree with a ceramics concentration and a double minor in art history and business in 2019 from Anderson University in Anderson, SC. McCarver had the honor of receiving the 2019 Outstanding Art Major Ceramics Award her senior year. As a 2020 701 Center for Contemporary Art prize finalist, she had the honor of being the youngest artist to ever make it that far. She is a multi-award winning artist who recently received an Artist Support Grant to attend a national ceramics conference. She has had the honor of displaying her work in 3 solo exhibitions, “FemininiTEA” 2020, “The Strength of a Wildflower” 2022 and “Postures in Porcelain” 2023. She recently completed a residency at Edgewood Cottage in Blowing Rock Summer 2023 and participated 2022 as well. McCarver has studios in Asheville, NC and Spartanburg, SC. Her art can be found in various galleries around the Carolinas and Tennessee. Her first book, “God the Artist: Revealing God’s Creative Side Through Pottery,” will be released with Morgan James Publishing January 9, 2024.

Consider the Possibility of a Transformed Life Without Alcohol

My guest today is Rose Anne Forte (For-Tay). She is an Alcohol-Free coach, a Positive Intelligence Coach and an International Best-Selling author of the award winning daily devotional titled, “The Plans He Has for Me.” Today’s episode is discovering more about her 12 week devotional and the challenge to purposefully consider the possibility of a transformed life. 

Rose Ann was a successful executive, ministry leader in the church, bible teacher, mom, wife and more but when her marriage fell apart she found herself in a place of desiring to be free from the psychological slavery of her alcohol habit.

One of the great things I feel that Rose Ann is doing in the program that she’s created (by marrying the secular addiction program she used with the true, lasting hope and change that the God of the Holy Bible offers), is to shift our mindset about labels such as alcoholic, recovery and sober. 

In my personal opinion, she’s taken a very practical approach about these 3 words moving them from a secular viewpoint to the transformed reality that God provides. 

That made sense to me because of the complete work of Christ on the cross and the fact that by His stripes we are healed. Not partially healed. Not kinda healed. But healed. And I agree that healing takes place in layers but that does not negate the full redemptive restoration accomplished on the cross that is available to us today and every day. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think labels are important when it comes to identifying a problem. Labels help  to establish a starting point to work from. Once a problem is identified it helps with taking responsibility for the changes you need to initiate. What does taking responsibility do? It moves you from the victim mentality (another label) to victor, a much better adjective.  

Do relapses happen? Sure. Rose Ann and I talk about that aspect of breaking any type of addiction. Relapse is part of being healed in layers. 

If you struggle with or have struggled with addiction, it will always be a part of your testimony with regard to the journey you went through. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re tied to that label or this world’s value system. If there’s one thing (among many) that a personal relationship with Christ gives you it’s living above the chaos and limited understanding of this world. 

What I’m getting at is, at some point there comes a time when you leave behind the words alcoholic, recovery and sober.  Rose Ann talks about this in more detail. You reach a point where you’re reigning in life, free of addiction and in this case alcohol. The recovery process is complete, you're living a life that no longer resembles addiction.

With every layer of healing we step into the progressive story of renewal and redemption that Christ is writing over our life. He’s writing a much bigger love story with us as the unique person He created us to be. His heart is to help you break free from the grip of this life and step into who He created you to be when He knit you together with His own hands.

If you feel like something in your life is out of sync, maybe something has a bigger hold on you than you feel comfortable with/it’s nagging you or if you’re clear that you struggle with any type of addiction, Rose Ann’s personal transformation will give your heart encouragement to know that freedom is possible.  

If you’d like to consider the possibility of a transformed life, check out Rose Ann’s 12 week program, “The Plans He has for Me.” The link is in the show notes. Also included in the show notes are links to Rose Ann’s free resources which I think they are also on her website. ThePlansHeHasForMe.com 

Listen in for a dose of encouragement from Rose Ann Forte!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

 

Connect with Rose Ann:
Articles and free resources: Website
Podcast: Say Goodbye and Imagine! Podcast
Instagram:  @roseannforteplans

Bio:
Rose Ann is an Alcohol-Free Coach, a Positive Intelligence Coach and International Best-Selling author of an award winning daily devotional called “The Plans He Has For Me”.   She helps people put alcohol to the side for 12 consecutive weeks by educating them with the scientific principles behind alcohol abuse using God’s foundational principles to renewing your mind.
 
The Plans He Has For Me is a 12 week focused devotional for those who want to rid themselves of the psychological slavery of their alcohol habit.

From Survive to Thrive, Overcoming Sexual Abuse, with Tina Ivey

My guest and friend, Tina Ivey allowed me to ask questions about her personal trauma of domestic and sexual abuse. Tina has not only survived sexual abuse by her father but she’s excelled beyond merely surviving. She is living a life that is full, busy and rewarding. I personally feel that one of the strongest markers for a life of thrive/thriving is to live in peace, contentment and forgiveness. Those qualities describe Tina.

In this episode we talk about many aspect of abuse such as what keeps victims from speaking up? What is something that the average person can look for in order to help someone who is experiencing sexual abuse? Additionally, Tina shares her foster care experience that included a neighbor girl who was a bully. Tina also shares how she and that girl (after they had become adults) cross paths and how God challenged Tina’s ability to forgive.

I asked Tina about forgiveness in 3 areas: her father, God and herself. Like so many abuse victims, she withheld forgiveness from herself the longest. She shared about her regrets and the healing process that took place as she wrote her book titled, Better Than I Should be: Overcoming Sexual and Domestic Abuse through Forgiveness and Personal Healing. The book became available for purchase on December 20, 2023, so it’s available now.

We didn’t get to discuss all that Tina’s book reveals so the purchase link will be in the show notes if you’d like to read more about her journey. She had the proverbial cards of life stacked against her since she was a tiny girl but God does amazing things with simple childlike faith.

Real quick before we get started, when I was looking at the transcript there is a part of our conversation where Tina refers to Jaci. I noticed we did not share who that is. Jaci is Tina’s daughter.

Let’s get to it. Listen in for a small glimpse into Tina’s journey through sexual abuse and her steadfast faith in believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He’ll do.

Lived Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Tina:
IG - christina.w.ivey
FB - https://www.facebook.com/christina.w.ivey

Resources:
Tina’s book: Better Than I Should Be: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Should-Overcoming-Forgiveness/dp/B0CLMVMWBC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YZSKAX6THOO&keywords=better+than+i+should+be%2C+tina+ivy&qid=1703796036&sprefix=%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1
Safe House Project: safehouseproject.org
Amy Watson - Wednesday’s with Watson. Amy has a powerful story of her own and is a strong advocate for hope, healing and restoration. Connect with Amy: WednesdaysWithWatson.com
Living Waters - Help for those who are dealing with sexual and relational brokenness- https://www.desertstream.org/who-we-are & https://www.desertstream.org/find-a-group

Bio:
Christina Warren Ivey Grew up in a small rural town in Martin County, NC. As a young girl, her childlike faith led her to invite Jesus to be her Lord and Savior and she has pursued Him ever since. Growing in her personal and intimate relationship with Christ has given her the keys to find healing and forgiveness after years of abuse. Better Than I Should Be is her first book and will walk you through her journey to emotional wellness.

Living with Unrelenting Pain, CRPS with Darci Steiner

If you’re dealing with overwhelming pain my guest Darci Steiner has a testimony of amazing resilience as she lives out the debilitating affects of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS. In her book, Beauty Beyond the Thorns, Darci reveals how God cares for us in the darkest valleys in life. What she shares can benefit anyone who is dealing with pain that makes it seem like there's no way out.

While we didn’t discuss in detail the medical side of self-care I wanted to mention it now. If you’re experiencing a crisis of mental health, emotional health of physical health, consider medical professionals and/or medication (per your doctor) in addition to your faith journey. Unrelenting pain can be a very lonely journey so Darci points us to the One who will never leave nor forsake us. God is always present, always listening and ready to tend to you.

CRPS is called the suicide disease because when ranked on a pain scale, CRPS is found to be the highest pain one can feel hence the suicide disease label. People who know this level of unrelenting pain want to escape, permanently. Especially because they’re told there is no cure. But God, right?

Twenty years ago a fall down the steps ignited Darci’s first experience with CRPS. The pain was so great that she did not have an appetite and became malnourished and was dying. Darci shares a little bit about her story of being bedridden for 2 years and the healing journey she experienced.

What gripped my heart is that 5 years ago on a very special day for her family, the simple need of having to go back into the venue to grab something that she forgot and a chair topples from a stack and strikes her in the ankle. Immediately the pain seared from the injury and Darci knew she was headed back into CRPS.

So at the time of this recording she is living with CRPS once again. She talked about the difference in how she engages God’s heart this time. Because of her vulnerability, we get a glimpse of a maturing faith forged in deep pain that produces an intimacy with God that cannot be developed in any other context.

One of the ways that Darci’s faith matured is that while in God’s word she received revelation on the distinction between being and doing. Darci’s pain severely limited her ability to engage in some of the most simple things in life…at one point of being bedridden for 2 years, as Darci lay in bed she asked her husband to create a tent over her with the bed sheet because when it touched her skin it caused excruciating pain.

As she lay in bed day in and day out she began to question the purpose of living. She couldn’t do anything, she wasn’t of any help, she couldn’t enjoy her young daughters. Life was happening around her but without her. Even today she can only watch her grandchildren with assistance and short intervals.

It’s in this quiet place of simply being with God that she discovers a whole new level of intimacy with Him. The revelation that His only request for her, for any of us is to be with Him. A weight was lifted and she began to see the beauty of Christ’s extravagant love for her in the humble posture of being.

One last thing and we’ll jump into the conversation with Darci.  I especially loved how Darci shares that in the dark valleys of life God is there. I know we’ve heard that a thousand times but it’s a great reminder that we don’t have to go looking for Him. We don’t have to pray for Him to find us. We don’t have to check off the good Christian checklist for Him to show Himself. He’s already there. We simply need to engage Him in the being.

If you’ve been struggling with the thought that a good God would not have you suffer like this I challenge you to reframe that. God is good because despite the reality of the pain in this life, He doesn’t abandon or reject us nor does He leave us to figure it out on our own. He enters into our pain with us, comforts us, leads us into healing, and untangles our fears. In short, He gives us His very presence.

Darci was the absolute sweetest because despite her pain and my probing questions she has such a deep desire in her heart to share an encouraging message with others who are experiencing unrelenting pain whether it’s in their mind/mental health, body/physical health, heart/emotional health. Listen in because Darci does a beautiful job of revealing the heart of God in the context of pain and suffering.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Darci:
Website: https://www.darcijsteiner.com 
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/darcijsteiner
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/darci.andersonsteiner
Instagram: https://instagram.com/darcijsteiner.writer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcijsteiner/ 
X (Formerly Twitter):  https://twitter.com/DarciJSteiner 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/darcijsteiner
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/darcijsteiner/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/darcijsteiner.com
YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8I8Pweui5tUt1DVvpeqEIA
WomenSpeakers.com
Audible

Bio:
Darci J. Steiner is the author of the award-winning biblically based book Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering. She is an inspirational speaker, author, writing coach, and nutritionist. Darci began writing to process her pain after a foot injury disabled her due to the nerve-pain disorder Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Darci writes and speaks messages that uplift and inspire audiences to always hold on to hope. She loves spending time with her husband, two adult daughters, and two grandchildren. Please visit www.darcijsteiner.com to subscribe to The Upside of Suffering Newsletter.

How to Genuinely Help the Brokenhearted, with Sherrie Dunlevy

Have you ever felt inadequate when trying to express your care and concern to someone who is grieving? If so, my guest Sherrie Dunlevy is going to help us understand how we can genuinely help the brokenhearted. She’ll shed some light on what to say and what not to say as well as what to do and what not to do. Plus along the way, Sherrie gives us additional insight that is going to help if you’re facing a season of loss and uncertainty yourself.

Something I always like to point out is that grief is not limited to loosing a loved one. Anything that leaves us brokenhearted which equates to anytime we’re separated from that which we hold near and dear to our hearts. It’s times like that when everything familiar shifts and the pain demands a grieving process. When part of our life is torn away, we’re in need of an honest evaluation of how this tragedy impacts our life and what resources do we need to engage, in order to move toward full healing.

Sherrie has a background in television as a news anchor, a radio talk show host, and she is currently a podcast host as well as a grief coach. And we can add author to her list of accomplishments because she’s published a book titled, Can I Help?

Sherrie wrote this book because she has a deep compassion for those who are in a season of grief. As a grief coach her focus is to help the grieving process their pain. Based on the knowledge and insight that Sherrie has gained as a grief coach we push out the topic of grief to talk about how we can avoid adding extra stress and demands on our loved ones who are struggling with deep pain and even deeper questions.

When someone is faced with the uncertainty of life, the struggle to understand their circumstance is fertile ground for isolation, confusion and to be honest, awkwardness. It’s the awkwardness that causes us to distance ourself from our loved one or to say things that are blanket statements. Blanket statements are the type of cliche comments that when said everyone knows it’s just a substitute for, I don’t know what to say.

Sherrie’s book, Can I Help?, will give you the confidence to feel more at ease with the topic of grief and as you implement and practice Sherrie’s advice you become more comfortable to share space someone who is grappling with the reality of their old life vs the life they are now forced to know.

There’s power in having confidence for this topic because it removes barriers and lets an aching heart know that they are seen, heard and cared about. When you’re in pain, knowing that you’re not alone is powerful enough to give people hope for a better tomorrow.

The bottom line is, neither the brokenhearted nor the people who desperately want to help will have all the answers. Every situation is unique to the person who has experienced a tragedy/trauma. And the truth is, the brokenhearted can’t articulate what they need in the moment. In addition, the one who desires to be there for their loved one, feels helpless. If they both know anything, it’s that neither one can reach the pain because neither one can change the devastating reality of loss.

Sherrie makes a clear distinction, which I felt was truly foundational to having the courage to reach out to someone who needs a kind word and that is, to remember it’s not about you. Sherrie and I partnered that portion of the conversation with another key truth that she pointed out: The person who wants to help can’t fix it and it’s not their job to fix it. To me, that takes a huge weight off and it allows the caregiver (not in a medical sense but rather in the context of relationship) to simply show up, sit quietly if necessary and allow their loved one to find their way through the grief.

If you’ve ever felt helpless, confused, or awkward when it comes to navigating grief then listen in to see how you can remove typical barriers and create a connection of support that brings peace and invites healing.

Live Loved and Thrive!

Connect with Sherrie:
Website
Grief Coaching Services
Book and Resources
Facebook

Bio:
Former NBC News Anchor Sherrie Dunlevy served the Wheeling, WV area for nearly 30 years both on television and radio. Today she is a best selling author, Inspirational speaker and the Founder of the Graduating Grief Academy and host of the Graduating Grief podcast. 
 
Her Number one best selling book “How Can I Help?” was written to help people know exactly what to say and do when the people they love and care about are hurting.
 
Sherrie helps people step out of the pain of their grief, so they can step into living with purpose, passion and JOY.

 

Transcript

Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Peace, with Jodi Howe

Author Jodi Howe is here to talk about anxiety. More specifically, she’s here to tell us how to do more than simply manage it. She gives us various examples of how we set ourself up for patterns of anxiety. She shares practical steps for not only catching these patterns but she also offers suggestions on evaluating our schedules and practices that we can unknowingly add overwhelm to our typical day. 

Jodi’s book, The Air That I Breathe is a resource that she couldn’t find when she so desperately wanted relief from the panic attacks that threatened to overtake her life. She shares the various lessons she’s learned along the way so that you can gain immediate insight vs struggling to figure out the best ways to find freedom. She also shares the countless ways that God steadied her, led her and healed her through this journey. 

The current (IYKYK) publishing date for Jodi’s book is November 27, 2023. You will be able to find it on Amazon as well as Jodi’s website (jodihowe.com). Christmas is just around the corner so maybe you want to drop a hint or two to let your peeps know that you’d like a copy for Christmas. Also, if there’s someone in your life who could really use help to get their anxiety under control, consider Jodi’s resource (aka her book, The Air That I Breathe) an excellent tool in seeing that come to fruition. 

If you’re like me you’re gonna immediately love Jodi because she’s full of life. While her wit will have you laughing I’m most impressed with her courage to be transparent about real life challenges. 

Even when life doesn’t look neat, predictable and pretty she doesn’t side step the hard parts but takes them on knowing that God will see her through. This book is such an incredible tool because Jodi’s personal experience has been so beautifully blended with practical steps of application and the wisdom of God’s word and the fact that He’s already laid out how we can live without anxiety, worry, fear and overwhelm.

Let’s listen in to discover how we can find God in the midst of the struggle to quiet our mind and find peace in a world that is anything but peaceful.

Live Loved and Thrive! @Alifeofthrive.com 

Connect with Jodi:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
X (Formerly Twitter)

Jodi’s Bio as seen on her website:
I grew up in Upstate New York. Raised in Syracuse and even attended Syracuse University. I am still a die-hard fan of everything Orangemen Football and Basketball. I also enjoy the NFL. Go Giants. Oh, and the Bills, too. After all, I am from NY!
 
I now live in North Carolina. In between life, I have lived in New York City, San Francisco, and Albany, New York. Still, I love the South. Not the heat, but the south. The mountains are 3 hours away—the ocean, 2.  It's the best of both worlds and I get all of my beloved seasons.   
 
At home, I can be found in my comfy chair with my smartphone, writing content and studying through devotionals and the Bible. And sometimes I watch a show or two.  
 
I love to be with people and am highly extroverted. I am in my "happy place" when behind a microphone. This may come as a surprise to some, but I also love to retreat on my own. I am fueled by quiet time with the Lord and peaceful surroundings. Reflecting. Praying. Dreaming. Learning and then Praying some more. Focusing on The Air that I Breathe. Which is Jesus!
 
I have lived, grieved, and learned hard lessons through a marital break-up and family struggles (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). I also know anxiety very well, and it is my first actual testimony to God, his love, and experiencing the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). Apostle Paul tells us we will have thorns in our flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), but God's grace is sufficient for each day. I am a testimony to that.  

I am a mother of 2 girls. I adore them with all of my heart. They are beautifully unique in their ways, and I am genuinely proud of them.   

Will you join me in my life-long journey of knowing and loving Jesus? Living in him is the abundant life promised, and yes, it's all good when we shift our perspective toward God's plan for our lives.  And wholeheartedly, I believe we can also have some fun along the way.

You are Loved,
Jodi