Hoping Forward - God Stories in Everyday

Hope Heals Camp is the place I have felt closest to God for the past 7 years. It is the place that God softly whispered to me to start this podcast, start a gathering place (the Hangouts) for adults with disabilities, start Hoping Forward day program as a way for people to find purpose and serve, … God has also used camp as a place of healing and encouragement for me. It is the place that I learned to draw close to God and just how much He loves me.This year, we did not win the lottery and get into camp. Others will have the opportunities I have cherished to be in that sacred space, and I'm OK. I'm thankful for the opportunities I have had in the past and others I will have in the future. This year I am trusting that God has a different blessing planned, and I'm surprisingly OK with that. I'll be praying for all the families and volunteers that are there this summer, and I'm sure there will be a twinge of jealousy when I start seeing all the pictures, but Sarah and I are OK. I will look forward to future camp weeks. And I will thank God for bringing me to the place of being OK and having peace.I hope you are enjoying this podcast! If you are, please follow, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with your friend and on social media so that it can reach more people. The purpose of this podcast is to glorify God and help others to see what He is doing in their lives.Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

Christmas Eve 2024 my van's transmission died and I bought a "new to me" vehicle all while we were visiting family in Florida (we live in Georgia). Though it was a very stressful time, I am able to look back now and see God's clear hand of protection on myself and my daughter. He provided what we needed and took care of us very well!I hope you are enjoying this podcast! If you are, please follow, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with your friend and on social media so that it can reach more people. The purpose of this podcast is to glorify God and help others to see what He is doing in their lives.Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

This is a very vulnerable episode for me. In it I discuss past struggles and how God has shown up in them and changed my life without me even asking Him. He is so good to take care of us in that way! He has a plan for your life too and it doesn't include any addiction, obsession or sin that consumes us. He can heal you and restore your life if you let Him and want Him to.  The Bible verse mentioned in this episode was Jeremiah 29:11 (my personal favorite). “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I hope you are enjoying this podcast! If you are, please follow, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with your friend and on social media so that it can reach more people. The purpose of this podcast is to glorify God and help others to see what He is doing in their lives. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

This is the second of two episodes I recorded at Hope Heals Camp 2024 in Nauvoo, Alabama. Hope Heals is an amazing place full of hope, acceptance, inclusion, and God's love. It is where the lines blur between serving and being served, ability and disability. It is like a week of heaven-practice! If you are interested in learning more about Hope Heals Camp or their other ministries, check out the Hope Heals website or reach out to me; I love to talk about it! This interview with Teisha Ray is one of adoption, loss, disability and advocacy. Teisha and her husband, Sean, live with their three kids in the central Texas area. Teisha is a pharmacist for poison control, a microcurrent neurofeedback provider and a certified biblical counselor.  They have three kids, 13, 11, and 5. They are passionate about adoption, marriage ministry, and love to play games and travel. Teisha can be reached by email at teisharay@gmail.com Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

This is the first of two episodes I recorded at Hope Heals Camp in Nauvoo, Alabama. Hope Heals is an amazing place full of hope, acceptance, inclusion, and God's love. It is where the lines blur between serving and being served, ability and disability. It is like a week of heaven practice! If you are interested in learning more about Hope Heals Camp or their other ministries, check out their ⁠website⁠ or reach out to me. I love to talk about it! Jordan Gollnick is a precious young woman who was at camp all four weeks this summer. I met her at week 4, after she had been a volunteer for the first three weeks. Jordan graduated last May with her Master's from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. She loves hugs and loves to pray for people. If you would like to contact Jordan, she is on social media at https://www.facebook.com/jordan.gollnick. I hope Jordan's story helps you see some things that God has done in your life. He cares for each of us and works in amazing ways throughout our lives. We should all keep looking for Him in our stories! If you would like to tell me your God story, you can reach me at the ⁠Hoping Forward Podcast⁠ Facebook page or at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. I'd love to hear it and share it with others!

In this episode I share another way that God has taken care of me recently. I call these "God hugs" and they are so precious to me as they are constant reminders of how much God cares for me (and all of His children) and takes care of even the small details of our lives. Enjoy! Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

In this episode, I get to chat with my pastor, Dr. Tim Riordan. Dr. Tim is the lead pastor at Sonrise Baptist Church in Newnan, GA. He is also a father, grandfather and an author. Pastor Tim has written several books, both non-fiction and fiction. I think my favorite is Songs from the Heart: Meeting with God in the Psalms. You can learn about him, his ministry, his books and connect with Pastor Tim at his website. I hope you enjoy this episode and I look forward to having Pastor Tim on the podcast again in the future! Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

I recorded this episode while my daughter, Sarah, was away at a respite house and it reminded me of respites/breaks I used to get when my roommate, Natasha would watch Sarah while I went and stayed in a hotel for a weekend. During one of those stays, I wrote Sarah a letter detailing her early life and all the amazing, miraculous things God had done to make us a family. After listening to the recording, I realized that I had gotten some of the earliest dates wrong in the letter, but decided against correcting them for the podcast because none of them change the Glory of God on display in Sarah's early life. I have gotten permission from Sarah to share her story on the podcast and even to share the typed copy of the letter. If you would like a copy of the letter, send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. I am happy to do it and Sarah and I both hope her story helps you to see God a little more clearly in your story! Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it). Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page⁠ Keep looking for God in your story!

Have you ever found yourself in a deep darkness? A time when you felt defeated, lost, hopeless? This episode discusses the value of the darkness in the way it helps us notice and appreciate the goodness of God when we see it. I hope you will listen and think about what God has been doing in your life. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it)! Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the ⁠Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page Keep looking for God in your story!

Sometimes God gives little gifts along the way and I've been fortunate enough to receive many of them! Have you noticed any of these in your life? They might come in the form of a text from a friend when you needed some encouragement, or maybe it's a miraculous healing of some kind, or a bill that gets paid unexpectedly. This episode tells about two God hugs I've experienced recently. They weren't big or flashy, but they let me know that I was seen, loved, and cared for by the Creator of the Universe. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it and share it on the podcast (either you can tell it yourself, or I can relay it)! Send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or reach out on the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page

Cara Lewis is from Mobile, Alabama and is married to Jarvis, a firefighter. Cara and Jarvis have one son, Asher, who is 4 and such a little charmer! In 2020, after some devastating medical crises with Asher, Cara went from working as a medical assistant in a hospital and doctor's office to becoming Asher's full-time caregiver. God has now shifted her career plans to focus on advocacy. She is a parent advocate, and plans events and fundraisers for special needs and medically complex families in her area. She is also a director of a non-profit organization that financially supports local families with medical equipment, supplies, and other resources. I really enjoyed sitting down with Cara and hearing her testimony of how far God has brought her and the amazing things He has done in her life and that of her son. I know you will be inspired by these stories as well! You can find Cara on Facebook at “⁠A Special Mama⁠” or her son's page, “⁠Team Asher⁠”. The verse mentioned in this episode is Deuteronomy 33:24. Hope Heals Camp⁠ is part of the ministry of Jay and Katherine Wolf. It is a sacred space of "belonging and belovedness" where our good, hard stories come together to blur the lines between heaven and earth and hardship and hope. I have never felt closer to God than at that camp. I encourage all of you to check out the ministries of ⁠Hope Heals⁠, including their newest venture ⁠Mend Coffee⁠ in Atlanta bringing jobs and hope to the community. This is my second podcast interview with a fellow camper at Hope Heals Camp. I love doing these and getting to know a little more about these precious families. The stories of good-hard lives being blessed by God in amazing ways are touching and inspiring. I hope you are inspired to notice what God is doing in your life as well!

Hope Heals Camp is part of the ministry of Jay and Katherine Wolf. It is a sacred space of "belonging and belovedness" where our good, hard stories come together to blur the lines between heaven and earth and hardship and hope. I have never felt closer to God than at that camp. I encourage all of you to check out the ministries of Hope Heals, including their newest venture Mend Coffee in Atlanta bringing jobs and hope to the community. Abigail Tanner is a fun-loving California native who always dreamed of being a musician, hair stylist, wife, and mother.  After singing in jazz bands, completing 6 1/2 years of college, and getting her cosmetology license, she finally landed herself a handsome Southern husband.  Together Abigail and Justin raise their amazing four children in the heart of South Carolina.  While dreams do come true, the road to get there has been filled with painful and unexpected valleys.  The terminal diagnosis of their third child has been a journey wrought with heartache, loss, and immensely surprising joy - a journey where Abigail found music to be a continued platform for her own healing and the encouragement of others.  Her debut EP will be launching in October 2023, so be on the lookout! Lincoln's Socials FB:  www.facebook.com/lincolnsroad Insta:  https://www.instagram.com/lincolnsroad/ Abigail Lyn Music Socials FB:  https://www.facebook.com/abigaillynmusic Insta: https://www.instagram.com/abigaillynmusic I hope you enjoy this episode of the Hoping Forward Podcast! If you do, please share it on your social media and with any friends that might benefit. As always, keep looking for God in your story!

Why do I always immediately go to worry and "figure things out on my own" instead of giving the situation to God? You would think with all the podcasts I have done, talking about the big and small things I have seen God do in my life, I would learn to trust Him to take care of what I need! In this episode, I am going to tell you about some more instances when God came through for me in amazing and unexpected ways. He can and will take care of us and our needs. Does that mean we should do nothing ourselves and just sit back and wait for Him to do everything for us? Of course not, we should do what He has given us the ability to accomplish, but when there is something outside of our ability, He will make a way. We just need to trust Him to do that and give the control over to Him. The Bible verse mentioned in this episode is Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV) There are many more verses about trusting God and not worrying about things. I'd be happy to give you more if you reach out to me via email. I would love to hear what God is doing in your story! You can tell me via email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or at the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page here. I hope you are enjoying this podcast! If you are, please follow, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with your friend and on social media so that it can reach more people. The purpose of this podcast is to glorify God and help others to see what He is doing in their lives. I will be taking a summer break for all of August and most of September. I'll be back with another episode in October for sure. I can't wait to see what God does in my story as well as yours in the coming months!

In this episode, I revisit my divorce and the ways that God works through our "messes" to draw us through to His plan. For the full episode about my divorce, see episode 3 God Shows up in Divorce. About 18 or 19 years after my divorce, my ex-husband reached out to ask me to call him. I did and after the call I realized just how much God had redeemed/blessed my life after we split up. I am grateful that my ex introduced me to a relationship with Christ, but I am also grateful for all the ways my life has been blessed that might not have happened had I stayed married to him. I also discuss the grief that came when I discovered a year ago that he had died. God can truly use the hard parts of your story (the messes) to create something beautiful and blessed! Have you experienced a little God-hug? An unexpected blessing that you didn't even know you wanted? I would love to hear about it! Message me on the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page or email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. I love a good God story and would be happy to include it on an episode if you are up for it. Until next time, keep looking for how God is working in your story!

Sometimes when we are looking for what God is doing in our lives and the world around us, we are so focused on looking for the big things -healings, monetary provision, etc- that we miss the small things along the way. I like to call those God-hugs. The little provisions; maybe an answer to prayer or maybe you hadn't even thought to ask. That was my situation in this episode. I grumbled to myself and dreaded the work I was going to have to do, but I didn't think to ask God to help. He did anyway, because He loves me that much! Have you experienced a little God-hug? An unexpected blessing that you didn't even know you wanted? I would love to hear about it! Message me on the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page or email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. I love a good God story and would be happy to include it on an episode if you are up for it.

Sometimes God gives you a calling/promise and you don't even realize when He brings it to fruition. At least that happened to me and in this episode I tell you about it. When God let me know He was going to start the blessings flowing after I received "an offer of space", I couldn't have imagined that would have resulted in all the wonderful things going on in my life now. He truly is doing more than I could ever have asked or imagined! Verses mentioned in this episode include: Exodus 14:14 - The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Ephesians 3:20-21 - Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 1 Kings 18:43-46 - "Go and look toward the sea," he (Elijah) told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. I hope that you all are noticing what God is doing in your lives. He is working in big and small ways all the time and He wants to involve you in His plans. Just open your eyes and your heart and jump into all that He has for you! Please rate and share this podcast with friends so that more lives can be touched and more people will be paying attention to what God is doing in their lives. As always, I'd love to hear from you. You can connect with me through email (lori.r.whitney@gmail.com) or through the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page here.

In this first episode of 2023, I tell a friend's God story. The reason for telling it and not interviewing my friend is that it revolves around foster care and I wanted to protect the children from any kind of unwanted attention as much as possible. My friend heard God in a dream tell her to say yes to a foster placement that was out of her comfort zone. He also promised to give her the strength she would need to accomplish what He asked of her. He is fulfilling His promise in the lives of their family and they trust that He will continue to do that. Has God ever asked you to do something outside of your comfort zone? If so, obey and He will walk with you through it! (He will probably also bless you more than you can imagine in the process!) Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com, send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Keep looking for what God is doing in your story!

This episode recaps some of the big things I have seen God do in my life this year. I am so grateful for the many blessings He has brought about that can't really be explained in any other way! He has begun fulfilling dreams and promises that He showed me in 2017. The blessings are so far beyond anything I could have asked or imagined that I can only praise Him and glorify Him with my life. I can't wait to see what God does in 2023! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow us so you don't miss any of the stories about what our amazing God can do. What has He done in your life? Has He asked you to do something that seems completely out of your comfort zone? Tell me about it! Test Him and see that He is completely trustworthy. He will be faithful to walk with you and give you everything you need to accomplish His purposes. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com, send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Keep looking for what God is doing in your story!

I am cutting back on the frequency of podcast episodes released to (hopefully) one per month. Things in my life are really blooming right now and the amount I am planning for and organizing has increased A LOT in the past month or so. This episode explains some of that and the feelings of overwhelm that have been threatening somewhat lately. Because of this podcast, I am able to go back and see how faithful God has been in the past giving me confidence that I can trust Him with my present struggles. If you are in the Newnan, Georgia (USA) area and would like to volunteer in any way with the Hangouts, reach out to me; I would love to have you and guarantee it would be as much of a blessing for you as it would for my friends with disabilities! You can contact me by email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow us so you don't miss any of the stories about what our amazing God can do. What has He done in your life? Has He asked you to do something that seems completely out of your comfort zone? Tell me about it! Test Him and see that He is completely trustworthy. He will be faithful to walk with you and give you everything you need to accomplish His purposes. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com, send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Keep looking for what God is doing in your story!

I actually recorded most of this episode in April when God was first showering me with amazing blessings. I hope listening to this will give you hope and encouragement that God really can do as Paul promises in Ephesians 3:20, “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.” These blessings were totally unexpected and are still continuing to unfold. If you are in the Newnan area and are interested in volunteering at the Hoping Forward Hangouts or if you would like to donate to help fund them, send me an email or reach out to me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lori.whitney.79. I would love to hear from you and would appreciate the support! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow us so you don't miss any of the stories about what our amazing God can do. What has He done in your life? Has He asked you to do something that seems completely out of your comfort zone? Tell me about it! Test Him and see that He is completely trustworthy. He will be faithful to walk with you and give you everything you need to accomplish His purposes. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com, send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Keep looking for what God is doing in your story!

Tracy Hokanson is wife to Jeff and mom to Zeke, Nate and Mabel. Through her kids, Tracy's eyes were opened to the need for inclusion. Helping her daughter navigate the world with her disabilities ignited Tracy's passion not only for inclusion, but education and disability advocacy. While people might say she is the perfect mom for her kids because she is such a great advocate she likes to say advocacy picked her. Mabel and Tracy recently started making reels trying to educate about disabilities and inclusion one reel at a time. You can find her on Facebook or Instagram. If you are part of a family impacted by disability, I hope you will look into the ministry of Hope Heals. It is powerful and healing! If you are interested in walking alongside these families and being part of something so much bigger than yourself, you should check them out and become a Compassionate Companion or help in another aspect of camp. I guarantee it will have a wonderful impact on you and your family! Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, email me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com, or leave me a voice message here on Anchor. Be sure to follow Hoping Forward: God Stories in Everyday so that you know when we release new episodes (usually every other Friday). If you have a minute. please rate and review the podcast to help others find it. As always, my prayer is that this podcast will help listeners more readily notice and take note of what God is doing in their own lives. Have a great week!

Kristi Damron is a new friend from Hope Heals Camp this past summer. She is a former nurse (25 years) and lives on a working farm/ranch in the small town of Carter, Oklahoma. Kristi is married and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. In January 2019, Kristi suffered a severe stroke at 44 years old. After a 6-8 hour surgery, a week in a coma, a week in the hospital, 45 days in rehab and lots of therapy, she has recovered many of her abilities. Her story is one of surrender, grief and hope and one that constantly points to Christ. Her faith has played a critical role in her healing, as has her belief that God is good even when our lives are not.  This episode was recorded in the beautiful chapel at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, AL in late July. (Beautiful, but so hot!) In the interview, Kristi mentions that her middle son would be going to the doctor in August for a follow-up due to an episode of A-fib. I reached out to ask how that went and her response was, "His appointment was great. PTL They slowly weaned him off the medication they had him on and he has not had anymore issues and no ablation was needed!!" Such a wonderful praise to tie a bow on her story. God is so good! Verses referenced by Kristi:  Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."  Psalm 46:10 (corrected from her citation of Isaiah 41:10) "Be still and know that I am God"  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Kristi has now spent 2 summers volunteering as a Compassionate Companion at Hope Heals Camp in Alabama where my daughter, Sarah, and I have been coming as campers since 2017. If you are interested in coming to camp as a volunteer or a camper family (families impacted by disability), check out their website. To learn more about Jay and Katherine Wolf's books, Hope Heals and Suffer Strong, go here. It really is the most wonderful place on earth! You can find Kristi on Facebook here. If you would like to tell your God-story on the podcast, I would love to hear from you! You can reach me through the Hoping Forward Podcast page on Facebook, through a voice message on Anchor, or through email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. I hope this story helps you notice things God is doing in your life. Don't forget to follow Hoping Forward: God Stories in Everyday so you don't miss an episode! 

Welcome back to Hoping Forward: God Stories in Everyday! I hope everyone had a great summer, blessed with time with family and friends. I hope you also had many experiences that were true "God moments". He was working, whether you noticed or not; my prayer is that these episodes help you to notice Him at work in your life! Today's episode details an experience I had just before my summer break from podcasting. It is a short one, but I hope you can see some parallels in your own life. When we are sitting in a tough situation, we have choices in our reactions. We can choose to worry about it and try to make our own way out, or we can trust God to help and thank Him even in advance. I admit to often doing more of the former, but I'm slowly learning that the latter is much more effective. This episode tells of a recent experience I had with the latter. I hope you enjoy it! Interested in sharing a God story of your own? Please reach out and let's talk! You can reach me at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com or on Facebook at Hoping Forward Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, I would love for you to rate and/or review it. This can be done on Spotify or Apple Podcast, though we are also on many other platforms. If you are interested in starting your own podcast, check out Anchor.fm. They are easy to use and free!

Hadley Stephens is an advocate working towards the goal of a more inclusive world for people with disabilities. Hadley is a senior at Murray State University studying Nonprofit Leadership and a minor in Special Education. When in high school, Stephens started a blog called Rolling in Faith discussing disability & Christianity & her personal experiences as a disabled person in the faith community. Soon after starting the blog, Hadley realized that the lack of access that people had to churches that understood disabilities on a Biblical and functional level was staggering. Seeing this issue Hadley started Rolling in Faith a faith-based Nonprofit that is dedicated to providing fellowship & enrichment skills to people living with disabilities through events, camps, & other training all done in a faith-based setting. Rolling in Faith has started a summer skills program teaching life skills to adults & teens with disabilities. Taking participants into their community and teaching them skills necessary to succeed in life. After graduation, Hadley hopes to pursue her efforts with Rolling in Faith full time. If you want to learn more about Rolling in Faith or Hadley Stephens, here are some ways to do that: Facebook Instagram Linkedin Website: https://www.rollinginfaith.com Email: rollinginfaith@gmail.com If you want to learn more about Hope Heals Camp, you can do that here. It is a life-changing experience for both volunteers and families affected by disability. I strongly encourage you to check them out! As I said in this episode, I'm going to be taking a little break from publishing the podcast for the summer. I hope you will follow the podcast so that you know when the next new episode comes out. I would love for you to take the summer to check out all 15 episodes if you missed any and it would be great if you could leave me some feedback on the FB page Hoping Forward Podcast, through the Anchor app voice message feature, or through email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com. If you are able to rate and/or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast, that would help us spread the word to get people thinking about the way God works in our lives! Have a blessed and happy summer!

In this episode, I talk about how God had me start a program for adults with disabilities (Hoping Forward). I modeled the program after one I had visited pre-pandemic. This was Adults in Action in Fayetteville, GA. The director there was very helpful and encouraging and showed me that it would not be too difficult to start my own program. Hoping Forward came about in response to a need for community and social interaction for adults with disabilities. During COVID, while others were getting stimulus checks, many with disabilities were getting their state and federal funds cut drastically and therefore losing their ability to attend day programs or do other activities. Though I do charge for participating in my program, I try my best to work with families to enable their person to attend. Hoping Forward is hosted by Sonrise Baptist Church in Newnan, GA. We have fun while serving our community as much as we can. If you know anyone in our area that has an intellectual/developmental disability and wants to serve and find their purpose, please send me an email at lori.r.whitney@gmail.com.

In this episode, I get to chat with my friend, Barbara Swanson, about some things she has experienced God doing in her life. Barbara is a mother of 3 adult children, one of which has some disabilities and is still living at home with her parents in Newnan, Georgia. Barbara is currently working on a book that will include some more of her God stories. I will be sure to let listeners know when it is completed. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Be sure to follow Hoping Forward: God Stories in Everyday so that you know when we release new episodes (usually every other Saturday). If you have a minute. please rate and review the podcast to help others to find it. As always, my prayer is that this podcast will help listeners more readily notice and take note of what God is doing in their own lives.

Have you ever felt alone or unloved? In this episode, I tell about a time I felt that way and what God did to remind me I'm never alone and He will love me forever. Have you experienced your own God-hug? If so, I'd love to hear about it! You can send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor. Please reach out and let me know how this podcast has impacted you! Got some extra time on your hands and want to volunteer? I highly recommend Meals on Wheels of Coweta County. They are awesome and you will be blessed as least as much as the clients if you volunteer there.

Happy Mother's Day!  My mom passed away in 2019, which makes Mother's Day and other holidays difficult. One thing that helps is remembering Mom's God stories. I decided to use this episode to share one of those God stories with you. I hope you enjoy it! I also encourage you, if you are a parent, to share your God stories with your children. They will be treasured and may even change a life. If you are fortunate enough to still have your parents, ask them if they have any God stories. I promise that you will be blessed by hearing them! If you enjoy this episode, please share it with someone else. I'd also love for you to rate and review. If you'd like to share a God story with me and other listeners, please reach out by leaving a voice message on Anchor or message me on the Hoping Forward Podcast Facebook page. Make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss any new episodes!

If you know me in real life, you know I am a planner - I thrive in structure and control, and living outside of that is hard for me. In 2019, God decided He wanted me to work on that and come to a place where I could give Him total control and trust. This episode is about that time and the incredible things I saw God do during it. God had already used a friend to give me the verse Exodus 14:14 to let me know that I was in a time of waiting. He used a couple of friends in my small group to give me the verses Ephesians 3:20 and Isaiah 43:18-19. These have become verses I cling to as much as I do my favorite, Jeremiah 29:11 (and 13). In this episode, I reference Gideon's story from Judges 6. The whole story is Judges 6:11-40; the part about the fleece that I read was Judges 6:36-40. It is very cool that God doesn't get angry when we ask for a sign. He is more than happy to prove to us that He really does have a plan for us if we will just follow it. Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow us so you don't miss any of the stories about what our amazing God can do. What has He done in your life? Has He asked you to do something that seems completely out of your comfort zone? Tell me about it! Test Him and see that He is completely trustworthy. He will be faithful to walk with you and give you everything you need to accomplish His purposes. Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor.

For this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Jason Tuttle. Jason is a self-proclaimed stay at home dad. He is married to Jennifer and has two children with special needs, Zachary and Samantha. Jason talks to me about ways he has been able to see God work in the lives of himself and his family. Unfortunately, Jason is also a father in the midst of terrible grief as his son, Zach, passed away unexpectedly in January. Jason is open about his grief and has chosen to write about it in journal form on his Facebook. He would love to connect with others that are going through similar circumstances. As always, keep looking for ways God is at work in your life. Notice the big ways and the little ways that He is weaving Himself throughout your story. I really want to hear from you! You can share your God stories with me on Anchor by leaving a voice message or by posting on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast. I would love to share your story in a future episode if you are willing!

In this episode, I tell about how God worked in the woman that was Sarah's nanny for the first 5 years she was with me. She loved Sarah so well and it wasn't until the end of that 5 years that I found out how much of redemptive work God had done in her to make that possible! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow us so you don't miss any of the stories about what our amazing God can do. What has He done in your life? Want to tell me your God story? I'd love to hear it! You can send me a message on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast, or leave me a voice message on Anchor.

This is a bonus episode that came from a discussion with my daughter about obedience. It occurred to me during our talk how much our obedience to do what God leads us to impacts others and can change the lives of people we don't even know. We are often scared to do the new thing, the obedient thing, but if it is what God has for us, it can be life changing for someone else. In my case, when God called me to go to China, I was scared and fought against going at first. When He called me to adopt Sarah, I also said no at first out of fear. Both of these situations impacted my life, but my obedience impacted Sarah even more; if I had continued in my disobedience, she would not have been adopted and her life would have turned out very differently. I hope you enjoy this episode and would love for you to tell me your stories of obedience to God and the impact it has had. You can do that best on the Facebook page Hoping Forward Podcast.

In episode 5, I told how God convinced me to go serve Him in China as a teacher in an international school. In this episode, I tell about God telling me to adopt my daughter and making a way for that to happen. For a video version of our story, check out our Krispie King video here. I'd love to hear from you and hear your God stories! You can leave voice messages on the podcast app here. You can also message or comment on our Facebook page, Hoping Forward Podcast. Do you have a God story to share, know someone else that does, or do you have questions about anything I've shared? Send me a message and I'd love to hear it! Bible verses/passages mentioned: 2 Corinthians 5:7 1 Kings 13 (the whole chapter is a great story!)

In this episode, I talk about how I experienced God's calling to serve overseas as a teacher. It took some convincing and some miraculous situations for God to convince me to go to China, but in the end He proved Himself incredibly faithful and trustworthy. Verses mentioned in the episode were Jeremiah 29:11 and Ephesians 3:20-21. Links mentioned: Wycliffe Bible Translators Allens Creek Baptist Church International Mission Board International Schools Consortium I would love to hear how you have seen God working in your life! You can leave a voice message here. Or you can send me a message on our Facebook page Hoping Forward Podcast. As always, thanks for listening and if you enjoy what you hear, I hope you will subscribe, rate, and review. Please share this episode or the whole podcast with someone who needs this encouragement!

Thanks so much for listening! I hope this episode encourages you to look back at your life to notice times when God provided for you. In this episode, I share ways I have seen God provide for me financially at different times of my life. This topic was inspired by a sermon in my pastor's Unshackled series. The sermon, The Journey to Becoming Financially Free, was presented on 2/6/22 at Sonrise Baptist Church. You can listen to the entire message here. If you are in the Newnan, GA area and looking for a vibrant, Bible-teaching church, I hope you will come check us out! See the website for more information at sonrisebaptist.org. You can also learn more about Pastor Tim here. Verses mentioned in the sermon and in the podcast: Psalm 24:1, Psalm 23:1, Matthew 6:26, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 25:20-21, John 3:16 I would love to hear from you with questions or comments about the podcast. You can leave a voice message here or you can comment or send a message at our Facebook page. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe/follow, rate, review, and/or share it with a friend or two!

In this episode, I share how God showed up for me during one of the darkest times in my life- my divorce. He brought peace that I can't describe, a Bible that had been lost for years reappeared (God hug!), and an invitation to DivorceCare. If you or someone you know is going through separation or divorce, I encourage you to find a DivorceCare ministry near you. Check out DivorceCare to find out more and find a group near you. If you are in or close to Newnan, Georgia, you are welcome to join the group there on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. For more information, visit the website here. Some of the life verses for me that came from my journey through Divorce Care are: Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 41:10, 13; Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 58:8-9, 11; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 56:3; Psalm 139:5; Matt 6:25; Romans 12:21; Ephesians 3:20-21; Hebrews 13:5-6 I hope that, after listening to this episode, you will think back on times in your life when God showed up and brought you through. If you would like to tell your God story on the podcast or just want to chat, message me through our Facebook page. I would love to hear from you! Please share this episode with anyone you know that would benefit from hearing it. Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please rate and/or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This makes it easier for others to find it. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, you will hear about my favorite week of the year - Hope Heals Camp! God used our first week of camp to begin speaking to me about a new vision/mission for me. He later used a friend to share the verse Exodus 14:14 with me to let me know that this was God's battle to fight and not mine! I hope you enjoy this God story and share it with someone else that needs the encouragement! Thanks for listening! Links mentioned: hopeheals.com hopeheals.com/camp passioncitychurch.com bittyandbeauscoffee.com campmcdowell.org

Thanks for listening! In this episode, I introduce myself a bit and tell the story of God pursuing me. He sought a relationship with me and, through that relationship, changed my life. Referenced in this episode are: The Krispie King video Another podcast I was on is here