Welcome to The Resilient Heart Podcast where we dive deep into the difficult topics of unexpected loss, suicide, and post traumatic stress. Trauma and loss can make you feel like you are in a deep dark pit of impossibility. It takes courage to step into
Heather Shore is the CEO and co-founder of Women of HERstory, and co-host of Women of HERstory: A Podcast. As a performing artist, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through NYC, she knew she had to embark on a new adventure- entrepreneurial- as there was no guarantee of when live theatre would be making its' way back to our stages. Heather has always had a passion for history, and the discrepancies in representation of women in the archives. Women of HERstory is dedicated to celebrating women who have made, or are making, their mark on society. The juxtaposition of women of the past with interviews with women of today helps us to realize how far we've come, how far we still have to go, and brings recognition to women who have otherwise been edited down to a sentence in a textbook chapter. She hopes to be able to expand the business and podcast to reach as many people as possible! Throughout her life, Heather has pursued the arts in all forms, with a primary focus on the performing arts. She has performed all over the world, including Kagoshima, Japan, and Florence, Italy. After completing ballet education at North Central School of Ballet under the direction of Les Jordan III in Keller, TX, Heather went to the University of North Texas to study dance. It was during this time that she fell in love with Musical Theatre and everything it has to offer. Heather sang throughout her life, and MT offered a combination of her two greatest loves, dancing and singing! That doesn't mean she isn't interested in everything under the sun, from baseball and knitting to cooking and a particular obsession with parkour, Heather strives to learn as much as she can about anything that comes across her path. After a dear friend's life was tragically and suddenly cut short just before entry into University, Heather decided that life was too short to not take risks to make your dreams come true. After a few years at UNT, and scrimping as many pennies as possible, Heather packed up four suitcases and moved to New York City. She hit the ground running and booked numerous concerts, tours, and shows across the United States and the globe.
For over twenty-five years Pamela Christian has compassionately helped people discover and live in, life-giving truth. Teaching, keynote, radio/television talk-show, podcaster, multi-award-winning author and blogger, apologetics enthusiast (Biola University), and an ordained International Itinerant Minister, as a charismatic apologist Pamela uniquely helps people balance rational thought with spiritual realities. Her podcast can be heard on: www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/show/faithtoliveby and more can be learned at www.PamelaChristianMinistries.com Pamela believes now is the time to prepare for the harvest. She has written several books on how we as the body of Christ need to be more equipped and strengthen our faith to navigate the times we are in. Christians, people who have been mature Christians for quite a while if we focus on the wrong things, we can end up in fear and doubt, anxiety, and a number of other things that will actually impair our ability to experience Christ's victory. What has really deepened my relationship with God, is hardships, going through a number of very serious hardships after becoming a Christian and resolutely determining, to rely on God is who He says He is. And he will do what he says he will do, to pour over Scriptures to see the promises that he has provided us. I'm so grateful. God has provided us the Bible, His written Word, it gives us such a beautiful place of reference to make sure everything that we are standing on and believing in aligns with truth. The church has been relegated to the background and considered irrelevant. The reputation of the church has been very poor. These are the days we must be bold because if we don't share the truth, we will stand before God and he will ask us, what did we do with the Great Commission? To enter for a free book contact me at beverly@theresilientheartpodcast.com visit our website @ www.theresilientheartpodcast.com
In September of this year, the Texas Heartbeat bill went into effect. The battle for life is on a fast track to the supreme court. This week I had the opportunity to interview a man very involved in fighting for the value of life, Joel Patchen. Joel is the author of five books including the “ Who Am I” bible study, a comprehensive overview of the value and dignity of life from the biblical perspective. Joel's life was radically changed after 40 days spent with his daughter, Brooke, in a neonatal intensive care unit. His daughter challenged everything he thought he knew about life, abortion, and the value of the human person. As an educator and the son of a Christian minister, Joel thought he had a pretty good handle on life. But he was wrong! Life was so much more than he knew. During the winter of 2002/2003, life took on a new dimension for Joel. His daughter Brooke was born at 29 weeks gestation, almost three months before her due date, on December 13, 2002. Her arrival changed Joel's life—He would never be the same! During the next 39 days that she lived on earth, he witnessed firsthand her development. He had the privilege of watching Brooke and the other babies ranging from 24 to 38 weeks gestation grow and mature in plain sight. This was the first time in his life that he faced the concrete reality of fetal development and life in the womb. His experience with these children, who should still have been in the womb, completely refuted the lies in our culture concerning preborn babies. As he watched the medical staff care for these little ones, it gripped him that several other children at this stage of development are aborted in our country every day. It was after this revelation and experience with Brooke that he began my journey to actively defend the preborn and fight against abortion. For a free book contact me beverly@theresilientheartpodcast.com For more information on Joel and his ministry, Annas Choice visit www.annaschoice.org
Melissa Bright is the host and creator of the Bright Side of Life Podcast. She was ranked number seven out of 50 and top moms in podcasting and podcast magazine this year. On her podcast, She talks to people that have been through struggles and pains in their life and how they found their path back to the bright side, (whatever that means to them) She believes that happiness and looking on the bright side is all about mindset, and these stories navigate and discuss people's successful journeys to happiness. Some of her topics have included: divorce, cancer survivor, trauma, suicide prevention, abandonment, addiction, finding God, therapy, and many more. Last year before Covid, I was a travel agent and had to make a major change. During this time she did a lot of self-reflecting and asked herself what made her heart hurt. In doing this, She realized that she hates people feeling alone in their own struggles. So that's how and why the podcast came to be. "And I was kind of like, felt my worth was helping contribute to the family. And I just felt alone in my struggles, like I felt a lot of people probably did, even though we were all going through something globally, we all kind of felt alone in this also. And so I kind of had this heart-to-heart conversation with myself and said If travel isn't going to be the thing that I'm doing right now because traveling is nonexistent. I need to figure out what it is that I want to do. And I had listened to a podcast and a lady was talking about how she found her purpose in her life. And she kind of explained it and said, when you look out into the world, and you see something, and it hurts your heart, and you want to know how you can change that and how you can make a world a better place, then you know, you found your purpose." Melissa shares about the loss of her mother, grandmother, and father in a short span of time. She found herself without anyone close for support. Enter in and hear how Melissa found her hope once again. Connect with Melissa at www.thebrightsideoflife.com
Married for 18 years, Brooke and Adam Fish have 2 boys and live in Dallas, Texas. The running joke is that they do everything together - from their podcast ministry, The Unseen Story, to working together in their individual creative professions and raising their boys to serving in marriage ministry - God has made it abundantly clear that they are a team! They have a passion and mission to share the love, power, and hope of Christ through the personal testimonies of His children They came to faith later in life and didn't grow up in church. In 2001 they came to faith and started attending church. They became involved and their faith grew. During that time the Holy Spirit wasn't part of that discussion. Nine years ago, that was kind of your introduction, the unseen story is really, what is the Holy Spirit? Jesus said better that I go that he may come. So he's talking to the disciples. So the Holy Spirit's a person in the Holy Spirit's our promise, and it's better than Jesus in person. And I think we really do that a disservice, at least in our, in our church, where we grew up for, where we were really built up in our faith for 12 years that really wasn't discussed, really, the Holy Spirit really wasn't part of the conversation. And I think our last eight years and moving into this podcast and sharing these stories, meaning people who have experienced, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, heard him speak, had miraculous healings. We have had stories of a dead boy raised back to life. He was literally dead on the respirator, came back to life. So those stories will radically shift your faith when we start meeting and interacting with those kinds of people. And that's been our journey over the last eight years. "I believe that we were called to do this. I believe the church is headed in a direction where it's, Spirit and truth. That we're raising up an army to engage the enemy, to push back darkness. And I think that it's not just an army that is intellectual in nature. I think there's got to be power. Paul talks about that, that He didn't come just in words, but He came in power. That's just my hope for this podcast; to cast a vision through the power of a good story on what it looks like to move in power." -Adam You can connect with Adam and Brook @ the unseen story Do you have a story you would like to share contact me @ www.theresilientheartpodcast.com
VONA JOHNSON is Living Her More. After a successful 30-year career in affordable housing, she found her soul was longing for more peace and fulfillment. She courageously stepped into her second career and true calling, inspiring others to live and share their faith. Through her writing, coaching, and speaking, she helps Christians to discover what is missing in their life, find order in the chaos, redefine their priorities and create a deeper connection with their eternal purpose. Last year she paused her podcast, Longing for More, so she could write her book, A DIFFERENT VIEW: Start Living the Life Your Soul Longs For, which releases in November. To connect with Vona, visit VonaJohnson.com FaceBook: @vonajohnsoncoaching Instagram: @vonajohnsoncoaching LinkedIn: @vonajohnson Be sure to take the short quiz, “Are you living your MORE?” found at vonajohnson.com or https://bit.ly/liveyourmorequiz
Nancy Hicks is a speaker, teacher, podcaster and author who works at the intersection of head, heart and soul to help women live fully alive in their faith. For over a decade Nancy engaged millions of viewers as an on-air spokesperson for QVC—she understands what it's like to try and balance work, marriage and motherhood. In every season, she has learned the power of intimacy with Christ —she's found true aliveness from within. Now she helps other women find it too and unleash the power and passion they're created for and called to. The author of Meant to Live, Nancy has been featured on Hallmark's Home & Family, The Jesus Calling Podcast, as well as in Publishers Weekly, The Christian Post, For Every Mom and more. Through it all, she encourages women in every stage of their faith, including doubt, grief, and unbelief, equipping them to take their place in God's Kingdom. For more information, visit NancyHicksLive.com. Nancy shares what's on her heart today? She is in the beginning stages of grief. Her precious firstborn son,David died on May 1 2021. She has two sons and a daughter in law. David was in the middle of doing a dual degree at Harvard, in public policy and law. He had studied at Oxford, he had done a triple major in his undergrad at a small Christian college on the East Coast, just outside of Boston. He loved God, he loved people across the boundary lines that we have erected. And I mean, in all sorts of ways. He was brilliant and humble. He worked and lived in China in Shanghai for two and a half years before he went to graduate school. And he spoke fluent Mandarin. He was a gatherer of people. When it came to David, all types of people across boundary lines, geographical theological, you know, spiritual, all kinds of boundary lines. And he could gather them easily because he connected with people beautifully. Why? Because he loved them, genuinely loved them. As she walks through her grief journey with us she shares how losing David has impacted her relationship with God. She leaves us with the following advice: "the extent to which you enter into into pain is the extent to which genuine life will be released in you." ᐧ
After the death of their oldest daughter, Laura Diehl, along with her husband, Dave, founded Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) and travel full time in their Hope Mobile (a 38-foot motor home) providing support and resources to grieving parents on their difficult journey, including local weekend retreats. Laura hosts the weekly Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast and is also a singer and national speaker. She has written several books, including the multiple award-winning When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child (Morgan James Publishing, New York). Dave and Laura's home base is in Southern Wisconsin and are the parents of 5 adult children (including Becca who has already received her promotion to heaven) and are blessed with six grandchildren. She and her husband Dave are here to walk with grieving parents through the suffocating darkness of child loss guiding them to a place of hope, light, and purpose. Our desire is to end isolation, judgment, and shame in the grieving. Laura has walked through the loss of her youngest daughter Becca. When Becca was three years old, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She had her leg amputated at three years old, and then she went through nine months of chemotherapy. She survived that. But they found out several years later that one of the chemo drugs they were giving children at the time, caused long-term effects. The long-term effect was causing heart damage. So she was tested. And she did have moderate heart damage, it did begin to get a little bit more severe as she got older. She got married and was pregnant with her first child, her condition began to worsen. "Becca was having this baby, might not live through it, when they were taking her away. I remember crying in my husband's arms. And I said I don't know why I'm crying because, at that point, I knew that I knew I knew that I trusted God. And he just nailed it. He said, Well, we don't know which direction we're gonna have to trust him for." Laura and her husband Dave, travel in their motor home ministering to many parents across the country. Contact Laura through her website www.gpshope.org Contact me through my website www.theresilientheartpodcast.com. Please leave us a review
Sherry Smith, LMFT, CDC is a psychotherapist, Certified Divorce Coach, coparent coach, author, speaker, and podcast host. Combining her expertise in family therapy, her training as a divorce coach, and her own life experience, Sherry has made the commitment to promote a non-adversarial divorce environment that is sensitive to the family system. She believes the children of divorce can become traumatized based on how the divorce is handled versus the divorce itself. Sherry also enjoys helping people build resiliency from their divorce experience and build the life of their dreams post-divorce. In her spare time, she can be found spending time in nature, hiking a mountain, trying out a new restaurant, listening to live music, or spending time with friends and family. She says “if a client comes to me soon enough, we can help them do it in a way that keeps the relationship amicable. So they can preserve some co-parenting, relationship” Some of the topics we discussed today: What is codependency and trauma bonding? Toxic relationships Cycles in toxic relationships Helping to find new identities Your role in the dysfunction Breaking patterns of recurring codependent relationships Substance abuse Getting healthy Sherry offers support groups and masterclasses to help navigate divorce To learn more about Sherry, visit www.divorceresiliency.com or check out her podcast “Stories of Divorce Resiliency”, available anywhere you get your podcasts If you haven't subscribed hit subscribe today. Please leave us a review. Contact me at www.theresilientheartpodcast.com email: beverly@theresilientheartpodcast.com
Pastor Brian Anderson Eastland Life Church Metropolis IL. Brian shares his thoughts on the state of the church today. The church has gone through a lot of different changes in the last 30 years. I've been a pastor for 30 years. And we had a lot of different movements, something started probably in the 80s or 90s, the church growth movement, which in this statement is okay, church growth, that's a great idea. Yes, God wants his church to grow. And God wants us to reach people. But what happened was, we got so focused on that, that the church itself kind of became a business. And we started using business models. And we used things even in missions organizations, we would do all of the research and see where the location was going to be, and what kind of person was going to lead it and what our demographic was going to be in all of these things. This reminded me of when I was in business, I used to run businesses. And so it didn't really look like it was all that bad. But now we're seeing the end result of it. Because right now, it's just not great to be in business. For the kingdom right now, because we're on the other side of what everybody else is doing. Pretty much what I've seen is that some of the most successful business people in the church have gone silent, since COVID started. One man who has a huge following in his church said we're just not going to meet this year. And I'm like, I don't know how you do that. And what I think is happening is we've gotten so used to marketing our product, instead of being the body of Christ, and going after the Great Commission that we just lost our way. And look around, you see it. We're enthralled with entertainment, we have to have the best musicians, we have to have the best speakers, even the speakers get trained on how to not offend. We studied spiritual warfare last year, we praised it, probably last winter. The idea of spiritual warfare is that the enemy comes after us. But we have tools to use. None of those tools is a mask, there is a helmet, there's a shield, there's a sword, there's the shoes of the gospel. And all these things have something to do. And the way that we learned to put on the full armor of God is through prayer. You see, that's another thing that's happened in the church. Prayer has become completely about me. The kingdom of God is first. It isn't the US government, or the state, or anything else that is under the kingdom of God. And so when we get that upside down, what is the result? I think the truth is that the human government of the US thinks we're going to solve this medical problem. And they almost think they are to be worshipped for doing it. But I say God won't share His glory with anybody. God can heal Jehovah Rafa, he can heal me, you, anybody else. The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So you don't find fear in any of that. Right? So when someone's living in fear, they're not surrendering to the King. And so, that's what I try to do in every case, the scripture tells me to pray for the sick. Scripture tells me to do that. I do that. I believe that. And I think in large measure, the church has lost its power because we kind of trust the world more than we trust God. What about the persecution of the church? Where do you think we are headed? What is the difference between “calling” vs occupation? Find Pastor Brian at: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandlife https://eastlandlife.com/ Follow us on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/heartsofresilience Visit our website www.theresilientheartpodcast.com
Pastor Bruce Stewart is originally from Australia. He likes to say "Deep South Texas." Bruce is a pastor, he was the lead pastor and founder of a Church in Spring, Texas. He left there to become the first Director of the Stronger Alliance. He is the pastor for reflective life Ministries, and he serves on the advisory board for Care Force, an organization that provides crisis training, response, and organizational development for the community and first responder organizations. He has quite a few hats that he has to wear. He used to work at HPD, and now he works also with a precinct of three constables. He is a chaplain there, and then he also helps veterans with PTSD, teen suicide, and then helping with veterans for child rescue and just a bunch of things. Things He loves, all-volunteer, so he loves it. He is part of the We are Stronger film that's just really grown and taken off. Yeah, that's been fantastic, he says. “You know, you've obviously seen the film and, and we had such an amazing response to them. So for those listeners who haven't seen it, it's basically a movie about a veteran coming home, who has PTSD and finds healing through Christ. And with the film, we realized that this is going to open a lot of wounds for a lot of people, not just for veterans, but for their families and how that will affect them. And so we wanted to provide services that would allow them to get help after seeing the movie. And so that's what the stronger alliance is and we provide Christ-centered organizations to hopefully, give them hope and give them joy and find a new way forward through difficult times, and most of us know the needs of that during COVID and, and everything that's going on in the world the desire need for hope. And, and obviously, we find that in Christ also” It just breaks your heart and to see that people that have signed on the line to serve our country feel that they have reached a point of darkness that that's their only option out. Yeah, and unfortunately that's a lie. Veterans. It's also a lot of first responders. You know, as I started working in the first responder community, particularly in law enforcement, I've come to realize, in fact, something that a lot of people may not know, we actually have more first responders die, by suicide than we do in the line of duty. . And so that in itself should be enough to be a wake-up call to our community. And so, I saw the need, I saw that just a real hunger for, for hope, as I said, just a desire for something more, you know, you train these men, you train these first responders to be warriors to go out onto the frontlines and to do the things that most of us can't do, or unwilling to do. And then they come back, and of course, you know, they're looking for that purpose again. We have to learn to be that person we would want at our darkest time. What can we do as Pastors? More than 90% of Pastors have not been trained in suicide prevention. Where do Pastors go when we need help. For more information or to connect with Pastor Bruce, contact him at: bruce@strongeralliance.com For more on the resilient heart podcast, www.theresilientheartpodcast.com Follow us on FB https://www.facebook.com/heartsofresilience
Shelley Craig is the Director of Programming and Communications for the Faith and Grief Organization. Faith and grief's mission is in providing opportunities for comfort and hope for those who've experienced the death of a loved one. Our philosophy is that grief is difficult. It is hard, and it needs to be witnessed. And for that to happen we need to be in a community with others who are walking a similar path. And we have three main programs, our monthly gatherings, which is an hour-long program that is sort of structured, like, almost like a worship service to some degree. Grief is so individual, and it can be individual to the specific loss. And for many, the idea of losing a child sounds horrific sounds like the worst thing possible and I would think most people would agree with that. We also find that many times, people's emotions and grief experience can be so varied depending on the loss that it's hard to say one is, is harder than another. And they can be experienced so specifically and so differently, but I think for many people who are parents that probably would feel like the worst loss. Traumatic grief. It is so powerful but it also adds in the case of, y, death by suicide, or maybe an accidental overdose. Unfortunately, there are so many added burdens to the Griever around that. We as humans, really want an answer right now. It's one of the reasons. The Bible is so big. We really want answers and so many times because a traumatic death, or a surprising instant like that accident, doesn't have a good answer. It just complicates grief, and it complicates the whole situation. To find out more about what the Faith and Grief organization offers and upcoming workshops and retreats click here: www.faithandgrief.org
Karen Bejjani along with her husband Renod are the founders of I Hope Ministries. She is the host of two podcasts, I Hope Empowers and The Blue Chord Women's Initiative. Her words: "I'm a farm girl, turned corporate executive. On September 11, 2001, I was in a high-rise when the Twin Towers came down. Until then, I'd lived my whole life without meeting a Muslim, and I began to fear them. I was like Jonah in Ninevah. I had no desire to share the gospel with Muslims. But God confronted my fears. And I knew I needed to take action. So, I consumed countless books and seminars. Yet all the “book knowledge” left me feeling overwhelmed and intimidated. It seemed the more I learned, the more ineffective I became. My husband, Renod, began interviewing hundreds of former Muslims locally and globally to discern what drew them to Christ. He discovered several common elements among Muslims who converted to Christianity. With that insight, Renod began practicing what he'd learned with nearly 1,200 Muslims, 550 whom accepted Christ. She shares what she has witnessed in the persecuted church. Inspired, I started practicing the simple steps Renod discovered. And soon, I started sharing the gospel with Muslims myself. Now, I take other women by the hand to teach them what I've learned." They set out to change the way everyday Christians think and feel about sharing their faith with people of other faiths and cultures, and so at that time, we had a blended family, we had five sons, and I was fully entrenched in corporate America, living the American dream. Pursuing the American Dream doing all those things, checking all the good church girl boxes. Her husband was actually born and raised in the Middle East, as a Christian amongst Muslims. And so throughout his lifetime, he spent time at war with Muslims. Imagine, for those for a listener who has a son maybe imagine you have a 13-year-old son that has his machine gun fighting a war. When I was a kid, you know, we would read this verse in Matthew, called the Great Commission, when Jesus said, Go be My witnesses amongst the nations and make disciples of many nations. I thought that meant that you gave money to missionaries who went overseas and they're the ones who share Jesus. Not, not everyday normal people like me. But God has a way of changing things. And so he, he did a mighty work within me. I think about the threats that we are facing in our culture here today, there are more insidious. There are threats about this whole post-Christian godless culture, threats that say to us that Christians are, naive or, or just kind of bashing a faith in a biblical worldview, in fact, 6% of Americans right now say they have a biblical worldview. So we're seeing the impact of all of that in our culture right now a godless Society of post-Christian society. And so it's easy for us to kind of slink back and conform to the world because that feels safe. And yet, that's not what we're called to do. We're called to declare God's glory, and, and it's not that we're doing this in our own way or in our own power. We know that nothing's impossible with God There are five simple things we can do: 1. Love through our words, action, and needs. 2. Look for someone God is wooing to himself. A person of peace. 3. Look for clues 4. Identify yourself as a follower of Jesus 5. Offer to pray with them....in the name of Jesus. Contact Karen through: https://ihopeministries.org/
Sarah grew up in the UK and eventually landed in Australia. She is the founder of Christian Women in Business. CWIB was the first sister branch to be founded after two divine appointed women met over Instagram, shared a cuppa & felt disheartened because there were no communities that mixed Business & Faith together. They wanted to build a business group where women can come & feel safe to grow their businesses & express their faith, where women could find other Christian women to use their services and support them, where we could share awesome stories of inspiring business owners who are doing business the Kingdom way, and where we could hang out together. LIfe didn't start out that way for SJ. At the age of 11. she suffered a sexual abuse encounter for 2 years. This led to her loving herself less than what she was really worth. Her self-worth was zero. As she got into her teen years she got into heavy drinking and lived an unChristian lifestyle. Her amazing story of a radical encounter with Jesus and a life transformed into a successful entrepreneur is one you don't want to miss. Through her obedience and walking out of her faith, God has done some outrageous things in her life. Send a message to SJ through the website https://christianwomen.com/
Meet Heather Shriver Burns, our podcast guest today. She is a wife, mom of three, and a Certified Neuroscience Life Coach. Heather helps Christian entrepreneurs to do business from a place of overflow instead of overwhelm. She is the founder and host of the “Garden of Favor” Podcast. Through her trials, she has seen evidence of goodness all over her life. She shares about building a large business, losing that business, and overcoming an autoimmune disease. She had to lose it all to find “His all,” sending her on a deep journey of finding who God really is. In this journey, she realized she spent a lot of her entrepreneurial journey pointing people to herself instead of God. She often asks her clients how do you define success? Most answer from an earthly perspective, money, power, popularity, the car you drive to the home you live in. Heather has now found true success in following what the Lord is asking her today Now God is her source, everything else is a resource. We talk about fear. Fear is like a flashlight that highlights where we aren't trusting God. Find Heather @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/gardenoffavor https://www.facebook.com/heather.shriver https://www.instagram.com/gardenoffavor/
Bethany Barendregt is the Creative Director of Women Encouraged Podcast. She is a follower of Jesus, wife, and a mother to 5 kids. She helped found the Women Encouraged Conferences with the goal for women to grow in Christ and to be shaped by his word. She had a lot of conversations with women who were looking for more than the fluffy and a pat on the head. She knew the power of the word in her life was real and, that the Holy Spirit works through the word. She has dealt with adversities in her life. One being a TBI with post-concussion syndrome. Being in the word has set her up to handle trials well. "God is not defined by her circumstances." We talk about adversity, how do we love those that are hard to love, envy and comparison, and the wilderness season. Grab your journal and learn "the power of the word." You can find her here https://www.instagram.com/bethanybarendregt/?hl=en https://bethanybarendregt.com/ https://www.womenencouraged.ca/
The hot topic today! Where has the hope gone? What or who has been the cause of our loss of hope. Yesterday I received an article titled "Colorado Children Are In a Mental Health Crisis." Suicide ideations and attempts have gone up 90%. Honestly, my heart is so broken. Why have our youth come to a place where they feel like their lives have no meaning? What is the root cause? I recently began reading a book that gave me insight into how this breakdown began. In reading, I realize I was part of the problem and that indoctrination was happening in my teen years back in the seventies. In this episode, I walk you through my thoughts and encourage all of us to look deeply into making the necessary changes to help our children see how much we need them today.
When we live out our marriages the way God designed our lives become less complicated. Today I am sharing teaching from a recent virtual conference where I spoke. Look us up at www.theresilientheartpodcast.com
Are you willing to battle for your marriage? Today we talk about how David went into the battle against the Philistines. He had the faith to win the battle. What a difference perspective can make. While Saul and the Israelites shrunk back in intimidation and fear, David had the strength and faith to take the battle on. How much are you willing to battle to save your marriage? Today we share some powerful and biblical information to battle for marriage. Men, your wives want you to fight for her and for your marriage.
You are God's treasured vessel and your self-care is necessary. If you consistently neglect yourself, you won't be any good for others in your life. It is not selfish to take care of you and steward what God has given you well. It is okay to ask for help when you need help. When we overextend ourselves it robs us of our joy! This leads to depression, anxiety, poor health and robs us of our relationships with those we love. How is your relationship with God? Are you spending time with God, because the most important thing to God is your relationship with Him? We were created to glorify Him, worship Him and reflect the light, His glory into the world. Enter in as I share some tips on taking care of you and honoring God in the process. Visit our website www.theresilientheartpodcast.com Visit our FB page https://www.facebook.com/heartsofresilience
Passion and purpose are important in life. Setting goals and working hard to achieve them are important. What happens when you go too far and it becomes an addiction and those close to you suffer. Finding that healthy balance is important. Join us on the ride and hear Jerry's personal story both positive and negative and the impact on his life when he found himself in the place of putting his love for cutting horses before everyone else.
Erin McEndree is a Certified Life Coach, with a focus is on helping adoptees navigate their lives after finding out they were adopted. Erin also uses a holistic approach rather than breaking up her system into parts. “It is important to view all the facets of a person as one because they all affect one another. I evaluate the emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and relational health.” Erin's parents made her aware that she was adopted from a young age. Many people struggle with finding out they were adopted. They feel somewhat betrayed. Erin's thought process was that her adoption did not define her. She never used that as an excuse for any behaviors or bad choices in life. She has a FB group titled Adopt X three. Her adoption group is different in that she allows all three in the adoption trifecta here. Grace and kindness are a must. Compassion for all situations is key. www.steepedinpurpose.com https://www.facebook.com/ErinEMcEndree
Today Jerry and I share about commitment. Commitment is a strong word to live up to. Many couples have no idea what this word means. We share our story of climbing a mountain in Ouray. If you like this podcast please leave us a review. Check out my FB page @ https://www.facebook.com/heartsofresilience
Today on the Fit N Faith series I talk about the importance of taking care of our bodies. How exercise can help your mood. Exercise Exercise Doesn't Just Change Your body. It changes your mood, attitude, and mind! I had to schedule in my calendar my exercise every day in order to make me get it done. schedule a time in your calendar for exercise a minimum of 3-5x per week Make yourself walk at least 15minutes I walk to the mailbox and back approx 1 mile. Not enough for me but something. Bike Mow the yard Make yourself go to the gym Get a trainer. Don't' think about Schedule!! A one-hour workout is 4% of your day Romans 12:11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. The best antidepressant is clean food exercise and rest
Today is Memorial Day. Jerry and I wanted to honor all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We are thankful for our freedom. The cost is great, and freedom isn't free for many families.
We are talking about stress today. Many of us are under a great deal of stress. How do we separate the things we can control from the things we can't control? How can we focus on the one win in our day instead of using all of our energy on the things we can control? Are you an emotional lone ranger? What happened with the paralyzed man in scripture? His friends recognized a need and took action to help their friend. The past has no power over your future. If you are feeling like your cup is empty, pour a new future, one you design. Carrying around all the pain and stress requires strength. Your true power lies in letting it go. Give it to God, who gives true strength when we seek and serve him.
Today I am back with Jerry to speak about marriage. Getting in good physical shape takes a lot of work. You can read fitness magazines and try osmosis to get physically fit, but nothing will happen until you put action with it. The same is true in your marriage. You can read all the self-help books on the shelf, but it will be challenging to have a healthy marriage without action and love. Some of the actions necessary are respect and love for each other. We claim to have a loving relationship with Christ. In that same way, we should cultivate a loving relationship with our spouses. Don't let a minor disagreement turn into a major disaster. A good and faithful marriage involves a whole lot of love and commitment to each other. Proverbs 31:10 For her worth is far above rubies.
This week we shared about our garden fiasco last summer. Bev wanted a box garden, Jerry built her a beautiful box garden but the soil/compost was too strong. Too much manure. So the plants burned up and died. This year after allowing the soil to cure and doing some amendment with all God provided; the sun and rain we have a garden that is flourishing. Like the garden, marriage takes a lot of work. We share what that can look like. You can reach us by email @ resilientheart7@gmail.com or on our Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/heartsofresilience Leave us a comment or send us a question
God designed marriage. Ultimately He wants us to experience being joined to and co-glorified with Christ. Romans 8:17 Today we discuss how putting God first in your marriage is the only way to make it through trials and tribulations. Satan's main goal is to destroy marriage, family, and you. He wants to bring you to a place of isolation. Have you been convinced you are not loveable or worthy? God proved His love by giving His greatest treasure, the gift of His son. When you face problems look first at yourself. If you changed your attitude or behavior would the problem be solved? We can now live with confidence that nothing will separate us from God's love
Why do we as Christians know so little about the communication with God we have available to us? God and the Spiritual world are real. Our circumstances don't have to dictate our joy. The enemy loses strength when you choose to engage him. What does it look like to live supernaturally? Read Psalms 23 TPT
It's not how long you live, but how you live, and what you leave behind that matters. Embracing and living life to the fullest, deeply desiring to make a difference here in this world. Those were your dreams. It's been seventeen years since you were taken from us. We miss you: we miss the generations we lost when we lost you. You loved and touched the lives of many. You made a difference in so many ways. Do you think your story can help? That you can help others, somehow? I believe there are people that struggle every day with the challenges Nic's family has faced and conquered. Who benefits when we come to understand and harness the power of forgiveness or when we step out and pour into the lives of others? Marriages, children, Nations...Because you lived I forgave and the world is a better place. Many healthcare workers struggle with compassion fatigue. I was one of them. When you find yourself on the other side of the bed it becomes a completely different story. Compassion fatigue is real in our world today. Taking care of yourself doesn't mean me first. It means me too. May we all learn to embrace the chance encounters in our lives. I share a story of a young girl I met this week. Did God plan the meeting? Only He knows. He stands at the door and knocks. Will you open the door or continue to stay locked in your safe place? Reach out to me at resilientheart7@gmail.com www.beverlyshoemaker.com https://www.facebook.com/Livinginspiredfulfilledempowered
Today we talk about shifting the blame. When facing problems in your marriage do you look at yourself first. If you changed your attitude or behavior would the problem be solved? Malachi 2:14 Didn't the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit, you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. It's important to understand the commitment to marriage is the same as God's commitment to his people. Questions? email us at resilientheart7@gmail.com
Join us today as we share our roles in leading and trusting. When life feels out of control do we complain and target? Do you as a husband provide direction and protection for your wife? Contact us @ bmshoemaker875@gmail.com or www.beverlyshoemaker.com
Jeannine is a Texas Renaissance woman who prefers living on her Texas ranch where men still wear hats and say yes ma'am. She is also the author of "The Overcomers." She draws on her counterintelligence experience in both government and defense when crafting her novels. Her virtual blog at jeanninesrenaissance.com showcases her conservative roots in Texas and her adventurous spirit. She feels the release of her novel is timely due to the world we are living in. She feels many people have retreated into their "safe places." Jeannine spent twenty-five years in counterintelligence as a spy catcher. It is a little bit difficult for her to transfer her life experiences from being a ranch girl doing everything in the natural and then suddenly everything is in the cyber world. A world you can't exactly see. Somewhat of a supernatural world. She always thought if she could tap into God's intelligence she would receive wisdom. She compares the "safe" houses agents would retreat to get rest and relaxation to where we are today in the midst of a pandemic. She feels it is time for people to exit their safe house and live life again. Four years ago, on a Sunday afternoon leaving the church, she was in a head-on collision caused by a drunk driver. It is estimated he was going over 100mph. She spent over a year in rehab learning to walk again. It was devastating. Not only did she have to overcome physical issues, but emotional ones as well. Enter in as she shares how she chose not to stay in the darkness and through her resiliency became an OVERCOMER! This is one story you won't want to miss! She can be found on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/jeanninekuhnelltx
When facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. James 1:4 TPT Trials are difficult and they truly show us what we are made of. They reveal the true condition of our hearts and ultimately what we think about God. It isn't our nature to endure when it comes to tough times. But you can choose to get back up brush yourself off and continue to run a good race. Check out my website here: www.beverlyshoemaker.com Follow the Resilient Heart Podcast here: https://www.facebook.com/Livinginspiredfulfilledempowered IG @bev.shoemaker
I welcome my guest Justina Page as she shares her story of tragedy to triumph. Justina and her husband James had a marriage that was based on having children and a Godly family. She threw her everything into that. Her children were important to her and were her world. Together they had six boys. They were happily situated working in the church. Her husband's career afforded her the opportunity to stay home and home-school her children. One day she remembers looking out her little bay window and thinking Lord everything is well for me, of course, it is easy for me to go to church and praise you. But what if something happens, I wonder if I would still be capable of praising you? Now, she doesn't recommend asking God a question like that as you might get your answer in a very real way. Three weeks later she woke to explosions, complete darkness, and horrific heat. Justina shares the horrors of their home on fire, the loss of one of her twins, and the aftermath and recovery. She brings a picture of hope and how when the hard times come and we are tested how we can learn to trust the Lord again. She has learned through her journey to not ask why, but instead what now? If we know the "what" we can recover. She has come to understand the why doesn't matter to a person who has sold themselves out to Christ.
Crystal is the wife of a "wounded combat veteran," author, and business owner. Her husband was in the first surge in Iraq and was wounded three times. She shares the journey of caring for her husband, at the same time she was a young mother of two young children. Her husband suffered a TBI from his injuries and eventually ended up paralyzed on the left side of his body and in a wheelchair. She remembers saying I didn't sign up for this life. Her husband needed help with feeding clothing and bathing. Things got so bad one day she put him in the corner in his wheelchair went out to the car and was leaving. This became the turning point in their marriage. They came to a place of growing together and having Christ first in their lives. In that growth, she learned what it meant to communicate in grace. Together they started the non-profit, Steel Hope, and purchased property to serve veterans and their families. She founded her own design business Crysteel Creations Crystal can be reached through her websites @ www.steelhope.com www.crysteelcreations.com www.themanofsteel.com
Walking through the aftermath of suicide is hard. Heather and her husband Scott were married for twenty-three years when she woke up one morning to find her husband had taken his life. As heartbreaking as it is to say, it was their young daughter that found him. She did not realize what she found. She thought daddy was sleeping in his truck. This set in place a whirlwind of events, from trying to protect her daughter and taking her to the neighbors to calling her four sons to come home before they found out through someone else. When you as a spouse want to do everything you can for your husband and at the same time deal with the repercussions of not being protected of them and their privacy, it is a very thin line to walk on. She wanted him to have the help he needed to have. Even his closest friends could not see what was going on. As much as you want to pull someone out of the pit, unless they are ready to climb out, there is not a whole lot you can do. God has been so good and incredibly faithful to Heather and her children. He has given her beauty from the ashes. Today she can say, It's LIFE, It's GOD, and it's goodness after ugliness. Recently she has started asking God, "what is my Purpose?" If you want to reach out to Heather, connect via: email hbskipper@gmail.com www.venue920.com
Angela Forker is a Pastors wife, mother, and grandmother. She has a passion for photography. She and her husband were missionaries overseas for fifteen years. She thought she would always be in the missionary field overseas. During that time, their nineteen-year-old daughter became pregnant. This wasn't something that was supposed to happen to the Pastor's family. She thought our ministry was over, our lives were over, and our daughter's life was over. Amazingly the church surrounding their daughter with support and love. Shortly God called them back stateside and started putting it on her and her husband's hearts that He had something else for them to do. They wanted to go back to being missionaries, and someone told her if you go back to being missionaries when God has told you he has something else for you to do that she would be in disobedience. She realized She wanted to be in obedience to God's will. Slowly God called her into photography. She began taking newborn photos. She prayed over each baby. God then asked her to begin the precious baby project, taking pictures of special needs children. Just when she thought she had enough on her plate, the call came in to begin the "After the Abortion" series. She shares how she wrestled with God in tears for several days. In her heart, she wondered, "are they worthy of your compassion God?" As she stepped into this world where she had no experience herself, she began to see the deep regret, pain, and remorse her clients suffered with. They shared their stories of pain that were shocking and real. After suffering in silence for years, they were able to find forgiveness and freedom from a decision they regretted every day of their life. Through this mission, many have walked into a place of peace and healing. Now she finds herself shedding tears right along with these beautiful ladies. She shared with us the beautiful pictures of pain to redemption. You can find these pictures on her Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/After-the-Abortion-Photography-Series-by-Angela-Forker-2336211963321684/ If you wish to get in touch, you can reach out to her at the links below. http://www.aftertheabortion.com/ preciousbabyphotography@outlook.com
When God calls you into the hard places, do you think God looks at us differently than he did the Israelites? In episode 21, I dive into Joshua and crossing the Jordan River. God was finally releasing the Israelites after 40 years in the wilderness. He wanted the people to know, "I am with you." He is with us today. Before they went, he gave Joshua specific instructions for the journey. They had to purify themselves, cross at flood level, the priests carrying the ark had to stop in the middle, and they were to build a memorial. How does that look to you today? What area has God called you to influence. God wants us, his born again believers, to operate in the many areas of influence. Many times he doesn't give us the solution until we TRUST HIM. What are the rivers or obstacles in your life? Focus on him and remember who is guiding you. Doing right is more important than doing well. Trust him and take that first step into your calling and drive out what stands in your way.
Join Bev and her husband Jerry as they talk about understanding Jesus as a warrior. Many times in scripture we read about the Lord of Heaven's armies. Jerry explains how Jesus is a mighty warrior and a man of war. He shares how Caleb, Joshua, and David all found encouragement in the Lord. When we turn to him and really get his message in our heart he is right there to fight our battles with us. Christ didn't come to take away our challenges but to change us on the inside and empower us to deal with our problems from God's vantage point. For more information find us at www.beverlyshoemaker.com or follow us on FB @ https://www.facebook.com/Livinginspiredfulfilledempowered
I have been MIA for a while. The truth is I came to a place where I needed to lay everything down before God. Sometimes we so desperately want to make a difference and we try so hard to make things happen. In this episode, I share how I backed out of everything and dug deeper into my relationship with the Lord. In the middle of this mess, my mother contracted Covid. I was sent on a prayer journey like never before. Our God is a God of miracles today! I then found myself on my own personal journey of an unexpected surgery. What do I want you to takeaway? I want you to know Jesus. I mean really know Him. Are you more in love with the idea of following Jesus than actually knowing him personally? In this time of isolation and our world looks so different in the Christmas season come to a place where you know you were fearfully and wonderfully made.
Join us today with Kristina Risinger as she shares her story of grief and loss. Her story of resilience and finding hope again is one you will not want to miss. We all go through so many fires in our lives. As Christians, we are not promised an easy life. Four years ago, Kristina and her husband were pregnant with their fourth child when they were given the devastating news their unborn daughter was diagnosed with trisomy 18. They were told this diagnosis was incompatible with life. Kristina and her husband chose not to terminate the pregnancy even though they had been given the option. Instead, they chose to deal with it in prayer. God gave them ten months with their daughter Isabella after she was born. She believes God designates our path and purpose here on earth. While it may not be comfortable, and it may be something that brings us to our knees. Ultimately God knows what is best for us. Kristina can be contacted at the following: www.kristinarisinger.com The Faith Breathed Hope Podcast on Apple Podcasts Kristina Risinger on Facebook Krisitinarisinger_ruach on Instagram
In episode 18 I share about creating goals. In episode 17 I made a statement about fail to plan, plan to fail. What do we do to set up a plan? Setting a goal creates a clear idea for what you ultimately want to accomplish. We need to first understand that God created you specifically for a purpose. He put a passion and a purpose in your heart. It's always a good idea to have multiple ranges of goals. Long range, mid-range and short range. Prioritize your goals by importance and passion. After experiencing trauma it's easy to let those passionate goals go by the wayside. God wants to breathe your dry bones back to life. You have to partner with him and put your feet to it, have action and set goals to attain that dream again. In Psalm 37:4-5 it says: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him and he will do it. Ask God to come beside you and help cast that vision. Do you need a mentor to help guide you with your goals? Beverly offers coaching and mentoring. Check it out here.
In today's podcast, I step into WHAT IS YOUR WHY? Your why is directly connected to a deep sense of purpose WHY is your reason for getting up every day. How do you find your deep sense of purpose? Let's take a look at your life. Do you have a dream? If you could do anything career-wise, what would it be? What did you love to do as a child? Your WHY needs to be a part of something bigger than yourself. What are you willing to do even if you fail? Finding Your WHY will require a lot of work and a lot of failures. Failures happen but quitting only happens if you choose it. Learn to be kind to yourself through the process, give yourself grace. Some of the questions I ask: What needs to change in your life? How do you face your fears? Where is your focus? Have you set any goals? Dreams are never so far gone you can't revive them. Get up every day and focus on one accomplishment, one win. What God has planned for you will be far better than the grief you have been living in. Jesus promises us an abundant new life. Your most significant adversity, your loss, can become your greatest reward. One day you will find yourself entering a life you could never imagine. It is time to pull up the binds and open the window to the world God has waiting for you. Let Beverly help you to find your why and your purpose. Join our FB group “The Resilient Heart: Reclaiming Your Life After Trauma” or contact me www.BeverlyShoemaker.com.
Today's Resilient Heart podcast is one to not take lightly. The enemy is out there trying to spread lies that life is not worth living. Suicide is climbing each day and Beverly is in a mission to say enough is enough. Beverly passionately urges those who have lost hope to remember we are all an asset in the kingdom. Even if we have to take one step at a time, one moment at a tim, one day at a time. God will pull you through this. When overwhelming pain was sweeping over Beverly after she lost her son and her husband, she knew she had to make a choice. She had to find a new purpose and new commitment to life. In Psalm 51:1-12, David cries out to God out of desperation and God answers. When we have lost hope, we need to do the same and ask God to bring us out of despair. When you are crawling on the ground and feeling like you don't have a purpose, wake up and make a choice to set your heart towards God! If you have lost your purpose or you think you are of no value, what happened to make you suddenly think those thoughts? Will you believe God can bring healing? Do you believe in a new purpose or new plan? Let Beverly help you to find your why and your purpose. Join our FB group or contact me www.BeverlyShoemaker.com. If you know someone who is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please share the podcast.
Beverly encourages us to take a moment and examine who you are and what you are today. Do you look back at dreams that were locked up in a hidden box? What are the dreams you put on hold because of trauma or loss? God loves your dreams. He put desires and dreams inside our heart; however, the enemy hates dreamers. Beverly reminds us of the story of Joseph and the dreams God put in His heart. The enemy tried to steal Joseph's dream through various difficult trials, yet God carried him through and brought good out of it. Going through these trials all points to our positioning in helping with the Great Harvest. Beverly calls us to action: Seek the Lord with all your heart. Use your mind. Heal your heart. Are you ready for the movement of the Spirit of the Lord? Are you ready to encounter God and lead you to experience dreams He has for you? You HAVE a purpose...EVEN in tragedy. God has His hand outstretched waiting for you. Need help uncovering your dreams? Beverly is offering a new Bible Study series- Helping you to find your purpose and dreams again. Contact Beverly at bmshoemaker875@gmail.com or head to www.BeverlyShoemaker.com or join us over on our FB group: The Resilient Heart + RECLAIMING your Life After Trauma.
On today's episode of The Resilient Heart, Beverly invites her friend and ministry partner, Anna, to join her on the show to discuss her experience as a wife of a husband who suffered from PTSD. Through marital anguish and disconnection, Anna felt at the end of her rope and wanted to walk away from the marriage. Then, God brought Anna a gift of hope: a timely conversation with a fellow married Christian woman. She encouraged Anna to start praying for her hurting husband. Through prayer and speaking Scripture over her marriage, Anna realized there was hope for her relationship with her husband- not because her husband changed but because her own heart softened. Links mentioned in the episode: Www.828foundation.com The mission of 828 Foundation is based off of Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Anna's heart is in Beloved: a ministry for military/veteran's wives who are struggling in their marriage due to PTSD and fighting biblically for their marriages. To contact Anna, email 828foundation@gmail.com For more information about Beverly and her Resilience Mentoring program, click here.
Today's Resilient Heart episode is for the listener who feels overwhelmed by motherhood, health, and other trials which have called for strength and tenacity. Beverly interviews podcast host,for Wholistic Hearts Podcast, a Podcast Coach, and mom of four, Kristin Chadwick. Sometimes the enemy can look like he has knocked you down, but it is the getting back up where we find the strength God gave us all along. For more information about Kristin Chadwick go here. Need a Resilience Mentor? Contact Beverly here. Join Beverly's Resilient Heart Community on FB here.
Losing someone can feel overwhelming and crushing, especially as the loved one's anniversary, holiday, or any other significant day approaches on the calendar. Beverly explains how the body can physically remember and remind us of the grief and fear we may feel. Panic and dread can set in; however, Beverly will give us some tools to help honor our loved ones and begin to heal and bring peace to our body and spirit. If you need to reach out, please contact Beverly today. Interested in Resilient Heart Mentoring and Discipleship, click here. To join Beverly's free FB group, click here.
On today's podcast, our Resilient Host and Coach, Beverly Shoemaker, explains what it looks like to invest in Resilient Mentoring and Coaching. She answers your curious questions including: What is Resilient Mentoring? What is the difference between counseling and coaching? What makes us forge forward through the deep dark water? How long is a coaching program? How much work does Resilient mentoring entail? Why should I invest in coaching? How do you rediscover your purpose after trauma? If you found the podcast helpful, leave a review and share with a friend. If you are interested in Resilient Mentoring, contact Beverly here. To join Beverly's private FB community, click here.