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Why do some romance authors build decades-long careers while others vanish after one breakout book? What really separates a throwaway pen name and rapid release strategy from a legacy brand and a body of work you're proud of? How can you diversify with trad, indie, non-fiction, and Kickstarter without burning out—or selling out your creative freedom? With Jennifer Probst. In the intro, digital ebook signing [BookFunnel]; how to check terms and conditions; Business for Authors 2026 webinars; Music industry and AI music [BBC; The New Publishing Standard]; The Golden Age of Weird. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How Jennifer started writing at age 12, fell in love with romance, and persisted through decades of rejection A breakout success — and what happened when it moved to a traditional publisher Traditional vs indie publishing, diversification, and building a long-term, legacy-focused writing career Rapid-release pen names vs slow-burn author brands, and why Jennifer chooses quality and longevity Inspirational non-fiction for writers (Write Naked, Write True, Write Free) Using Kickstarter for special editions, re-releases, courses, and what she's learned from both successes and mistakes – plus what “writing free” really means in practice How can you ‘write free'? You can find Jennifer at JenniferProbst.com. Transcript of interview with Jennifer Probst Jo: Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. So welcome, Jennifer. Jennifer: Thanks so much, Joanna. I am kind of fangirling. I'm really excited to be on The Creative Penn podcast. It's kind of a bucket list. Jo: Aw, that's exciting. I reached out to you after your recent Kickstarter, and we are going to come back to that in a minute. First up, take us back in time. Tell us a bit more about how you got into writing and publishing. Jennifer: This one is easy for me. I am one of those rarities. I think that I knew when I was seven that I was going to write. I just didn't know what I was going to write. At 12 years old, and now this will kind of date me in dinosaur era here, there was no internet, no information on how to be a writer, no connections out there. The only game in town was Writer's Digest. I would go to my library and pore over Writer's Digest to learn how to be a writer. At 12 years old, all I knew was, “Oh, if I want to be a famous writer, I have to write a book.” So I literally sat down at 12 and wrote my first young adult romance. Of course, I was the star, as we all are when we're young, and I have not stopped since. I always knew, since my dad came home from a library with a box of romance novels and got in trouble with my mum and said, basically, “She's reading everything anyway, just let her read these,” I was gone. From that moment on, I knew that my entire life was going to be about that. So for me, it wasn't the writing. I have written non-stop since I was 12 years old. For me, it was more about making this a career where I can make money, because I think there was a good 30 years where I wrote without a penny to my name. So it was more of a different journey for me. It was more about trying to find my way in the writing world, where everybody said it should be just a hobby, and I believed that it should be something more. Jo: I was literally just going back in my head there to the library I used to go to on my way home from school. Similar, probably early teens, maybe age 14. Going to that section and… I think it was Shirley Conran. Was that Lace? Yes, Lace books. That's literally how we all learned about sex back in the day. Jennifer: All from books. You didn't need parents, you didn't need friends. Amazing. Jo: Oh, those were the days. That must have been the eighties, right? Jennifer: It was the eighties. Yes. Seventies, eighties, but mostly right around in the eighties. Oh, it was so… Jo: I got lost about then because I was reminiscing. I was also the same one in the library, and people didn't really see what you were reading in the corner of the library. So I think that's quite funny. Tell us how you got into being an indie. Jennifer: What had happened is I had this manuscript and it had been shopped around New York for agents and for a bunch of publishers. I kept getting the same exact thing: “I love your voice.” I mean, Joanna, when you talk about papering your wall with rejections, I lived that. The only thing I can say is that when I got my first rejection, I looked at it as a rite of passage that created me as a writer, rather than taking the perspective that it meant I failed. To me, perspective is a really big thing in this career, how you look at things. So that really helped me. But after you get like 75 of them, you're like, “I don't know how much longer I can take of this.” What happened is, it was an interesting story, because I had gone to an RWA conference and I had shopped this everywhere, this book that I just kept coming back to. I kept saying, “I feel like this book could be big.” There was an indie publisher there. They had just started out, it was an indie publisher called Entangled. A lot of my friends were like, “What about Entangled? Why don't you try more digital things or more indie publishers coming up rather than the big traditional ones?” Lo and behold, I sent it out. They loved the book. They decided, in February of 2012, to launch it. It was their big debut. They were kind of competing with Harlequin, but it was going to be a new digital line. It was this new cutting-edge thing. The book went crazy. It went viral. The book was called The Marriage Bargain, and it put me on the map. All of a sudden I was inundated with agents, and the traditional publishers came knocking and they wanted to buy the series. It was everywhere. Then it hit USA Today, and then it spent 26 weeks on The New York Times. Everybody was like, “Wow, you're this overnight sensation.” And I'm like, “Not really!” That was kind of my leeway into everything. We ended up selling that series to Simon & Schuster because that was the smart move for then, because it kind of blew up and an indie publisher at that time knew it was a lot to take on. From then on, my goal was always to do both: to have a traditional contract, to work with indie publishers, and to do my own self-pub. I felt, even back then, the more diversified I am, the more control I have. If one bucket goes bad, I have two other buckets. Jo: Yes, I mean, I always say multiple streams of income. It's so surprising to me that people think that whatever it is that hits big is going to continue. So you obviously experienced there a massive high point, but it doesn't continue. You had all those weeks that were amazing, but then it drops off, right? Jennifer: Oh my goodness, yes. Great story about what happened. So 26 weeks on The New York Times, and it was selling like hotcakes. Then Simon & Schuster took it over and they bumped the price to their usual ebook price, which was, what, $12.99 or something? So it's going from $2.99. The day that they did it, I slid off all the bestseller lists. They were gone, and I lost a lot of control too. With indies, you have a little bit more control. But again, that kind of funnels me into a completely different kind of setup. Traditional is very different from indie. What you touched on, I think, is the biggest thing in the industry right now. When things are hot, it feels like forever. I learned a valuable lesson: it doesn't continue. It just doesn't. Maybe someone like Danielle Steel or some of the other big ones never had to pivot, but I feel like in romance it's very fluid. You have genres hitting big, you have niches hitting big, authors hitting big. Yes, I see some of them stay. I see Emily Henry still staying—maybe that will never pause—but I think for the majority, they find themselves saying, “Okay, that's done now. What's next?” It can either hit or not hit. Does that make sense to you? Do you feel the same? Jo: Yes, and I guess it's not just about the book. It's more about the tactic. You mentioned genres, and they do switch a lot in romance, a lot faster than other genres. In terms of how we do marketing… Now, as we record this, TikTok is still a thing, and we can see maybe generative AI search coming on the horizon and agentic buying. A decade ago it might have been different, more Facebook ads or whatever. Then before that it might have been something else. So there's always things changing along the way. Jennifer: Yes, there definitely is. It is a very oversaturated market. They talk about, I don't know, 2010 to 2016 maybe, as the gold rush, because that was where you could make a lot of money as an indie. Then we saw the total fallout of so many different things. I feel like I've gone through so many ups and downs in the industry. I do love it because the longer you're around, the more you learn how to pivot. If you want this career, you learn how to write differently or do whatever you need to do to keep going, in different aspects, with the changes. To me, that makes the industry exciting. Again, perspective is a big thing. But I have had to take a year to kind of rebuild when I was out of contract with a lot of things. I've had to say, “Okay, what do you see on the horizon now? Where is the new foundation? Where do you wanna restart?” Sometimes it takes a year or two of, “Maybe I won't be making big income and I cut back,” but then you're back in it, because it takes a while to write a few new books, or write under a pen name, or however you want to pivot your way back into the industry. Or, like you were saying, diversifying. I did a lot of non-fiction stuff because that's a big calling for me, so I put that into the primary for a while. I think it's important for authors to maybe not just have one thing. When that one thing goes away, you're scrambling. It's good to have a couple of different things like, “Well, okay, this genre is dead or this thing is dead or this isn't making money. Let me go to this for a little while until I see new things on the horizon.” Jo: Yes. There's a couple of things I want to come back to. You mentioned a pen name there, and one of the things I'm seeing a lot right now—I mean, it's always gone on, but it seems to be on overdrive—is people doing rapid-release, throwaway pen names. So there's a new sub-genre, they write the books really fast, they put them up under whatever pen name, and then when that goes away, they ditch that pen name altogether. Versus growing a name brand more slowly, like I think you and I have done. Under my J.F. Penn fiction brand, I put lots of different sub-genres. What are your thoughts on this throwaway pen name versus growing a name brand more slowly? Jennifer: Well, okay, the first thing I'm goign to say is: if that lights people up, if you love the idea of rapid release and just kind of shedding your skin and going on to the next one, I say go for it. As long as you're not pumping it out with AI so it's a complete AI book, but that's a different topic. I'm not saying using AI tools; I mean a completely AI-written book. That's the difference. If we're talking about an author going in and, every four weeks, writing a book and stuff like that, I do eventually think that anything in life that disturbs you, you're going to burn out eventually. That is a limited-time kind of thing, I believe. I don't know how long you can keep doing that and create decent enough books or make a living on it. But again, I really try not to judge, because I am very open to: if that gives you joy and that's working and it brings your family money, go for it. I have always wanted to be a writer for the long term. I want my work to be my legacy. I don't just pump out books. Every single book is my history. It's a marking of what I thought, what I put out in the world, what my beliefs are, what my story is. It marks different things, and I'm very proud of that. So I want a legacy of quality. As I got older, in my twenties and thirties, I was able to write books a lot faster. Then I had a family with two kids and I had to slow down a little bit. I also think life sometimes drives your career, and that's okay. If you're taking care of a sick parent or there's illness or whatever, maybe you need to slow down. I like the idea of a long-term backlist supporting me when I need to take a back seat and not do frontlist things. So that's how I feel. I will always say: choose a long, organic-growth type of career that will be there for you, where your backlist can support you. I also don't want to trash people who do it differently. If that is how you can do it, if you can write a book in a month and keep doing it and keep it quality, go for it. Jo: I do have the word “legacy” on my board next to me, but I also have “create a body of work I'm proud of.” I have that next to me, and I have “Have you made art today?” So I think about these things too. As you say, people feel differently about work, and I will do other work to make faster cash rather than do that with books. But as we said, that's all good. Interestingly, you mentioned non-fiction there. Write Free is your latest one, but you've got some other writing books. So maybe— Talk about the difference between non-fiction book income and marketing compared to fiction, and why you added that in. Jennifer: Yes, it's completely different. I mean, it's two new dinosaurs. I came to writing non-fiction in a very strange way. Literally, I woke up on New Year's Day and I was on a romance book deadline. I could not do it. I'll tell you, my brain was filled with passages of teaching writing, of things I wanted to share in my writing career. Because again, I've been writing since I was 12, I've been a non-stop writer for over 30 years. I got to my computer and I wrote like three chapters of Write Naked (which was the first book). It was just pouring out of me. So I contacted my agent and I said, “Look, I don't know, this is what I want to do. I want to write this non-fiction book.” She's like, “What are you talking about? You're a romance author. You're on a romance deadline. What do you want me to do with this?” She was so confused. I said, “Yes, how do you write a non-fiction book proposal?” And she was just like, “This is not good, Jen. What are you doing?” Anyway, the funny story was, she said, “Just send me chapters.” I mean, God bless her, she's this wonderful agent, but I know she didn't get it. So I sent her like four chapters of what I was writing and she called me. I'll never forget it. She called me on the phone and she goes, “This is some of the best stuff I have ever read in my life. It's raw and it's truthful, and we've got to find a publisher for this.” And I was like, “Yay.” What happened was, I believe this was one of the most beautiful full circles in my life: Writer's Digest actually made me an offer. It was not about the money. I found that non-fiction for me had a much lower advance and a different type of sales. For me, when I was a kid, that is exactly what I was reading in the library, Writer's Digest. I would save my allowance to get the magazine. I would say to myself, “One day, maybe I will have a book with Writer's Digest.” So for me, it was one of the biggest full-circle moments. I will never forget it. Being published by them was amazing. Then I thought I was one-and-done, but the book just completely touched so many writers. I have never gotten so many emails: “Thank you for saying the truth,” or “Thank you for being vulnerable.” Right before it published, I had a panic attack. I told my husband, “Now everybody's going to know that I am a mess and I'm not fabulous and the world is going to know my craziness.” By being vulnerable about the career, and also that it was specifically for romance authors, it caused a bond. I think it caused some trust. I had been writing about writing for years. After that, I thought it was one-and-done. Then two or three years later I was like, “No, I have more to say.” So I leaned into my non-fiction. It also gives my fiction brain a rest, because when you're doing non-fiction, you're using a different part of your brain. It's a way for me to cleanse my palate. I gather more experiences about what I want to share, and then that goes into the next book. Jo: Yes, I also use the phrase “palate cleanser” for non-fiction versus fiction. I feel like you write one and then you feel like, “Oh, I really need to write the other now.” Jennifer: Yes! Isn't it wonderful? I love that. I love having the two brains and just giving one a break and totally leaning into it. Again, it's another way of income. It's another way. I also believe that this industry has given me so much that it is automatic that I want to give back. I just want to give as much as possible back because I'm so passionate about writing and the industry field. Jo: Well, interestingly though, Writer's Digest—the publisher who published that magazine and other things—went bankrupt in 2019. You've been in publishing a long time. It is not uncommon for publishers to go out of business or to get bought. Things happen with publishers, right? Jennifer: Yes. Jo: So what then happened? Jennifer: So Penguin Random House bought it. All the Writer's Digest authors did not know what they were going to do. Then Penguin Random House bought it and kept Writer's Digest completely separate, as an imprint under the umbrella. So Writer's Digest really hasn't changed. They still have the magazine, they still have books. So it ended up being okay. But what I did do is—because I sold Write Naked and I have no regrets about that, it was the best thing for me to do, to go that route—the second and the third books were self-published. I decided I'm going to self-publish. That way I have the rights for audio, I have the rights for myself, I can do a whole bunch of different things. So Write True, the second one, was self-published. Writers Inspiring Writers I paired up with somebody, so we self-published that. And Write Free, my newest one, is self-published. So I've decided to go that route now with my non-fiction. Jo: Well, as I said, I noticed your Kickstarter. I don't write romance, so I'm not really in that community. I had kind of heard your name before, but then I bought the book and joined the Kickstarter. Then I discovered that you've been doing so much and I was like, “Oh, how, why haven't we connected before?” It's very cool. So tell us about the Kickstarters you've done and what you know, because you've done, I think, a fiction one as well. What are your thoughts and tips around Kickstarter? Jennifer: Yes. When I was taking that year, I found myself kind of… let's just say fired from a lot of different publishers at the time. That was okay because I had contracts that ran out, and when I looked to see, “Okay, do we want to go back?” it just wasn't looking good. I was like, “Well, I don't want to spend a year if I'm not gonna be making the money anyway.” So I looked at the landscape and I said, “It's time to really pull in and do a lot more things on my own, but I've got to build foundations.” Kickstarter was one of them. I took a course with Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle. They did a big course for Kickstarter, and they were really the ones going around to all the conferences and basically saying, “Hey guys, you're missing out on a lot of publishing opportunities here,” because Kickstarter publishing was getting good. I took the course because I like to dive into things, but I also want to know the foundation of it. I want to know what I'm doing. I'm not one to just wing it when it comes to tech. So what happened is, the first one, I had rights coming back from a book. After 10 years, my rights came back. It was an older book and I said, “You know what? I am going to dip my foot in and see what kind of base I can grow there. What can I do?” I was going to get a new cover, add new scenes, re-release it anyway, right? So I said, “Let's do a Kickstarter for it, because then I can get paid for all of that work.” It worked out so fantastically. It made just enough for my goal. I knew I didn't want to make a killing; I knew I wanted to make a fund. I made my $5,000, which I thought was wonderful, and I was able to re-release it with a new cover, a large print hardback, and I added some scenes. I did a 10-year anniversary re-release for my fans. So I made it very fan-friendly, grew my audience, and I was like, “This was great.” The next year, I did something completely different. I was doing Kindle Vella back in the day. That was where you dropped a chapter at a time. I said, “I want to do this completely different kind of thing.” It was very not my brand at all. It was very reality TV-ish: young college students living in the city, very sexy, very angsty, love triangles, messy—everything I was not known for. Again, I was like, “I'm not doing a pen name because this is just me,” and I funnelled my audience. I said, “What I'm going to do is I'm going to start doing a chapter a week through Kindle Vella and make money there. Then when it's done, I'm going to bundle it all up and make a book out of it.” So I did a year of Kindle Vella. It was the best decision I made because I just did two chapters a week, which I was able to do. By one year I had like 180,000 words. I had two to three books in there. I did it as a hardback deluxe—the only place you could get it in print. Then Vella closed, or at least it went way down. So I was like, “Great, I'm going to do this Kickstarter for this entire new thing.” I partnered with a company that helps with special editions, because that was a whole other… oh Joanna, that was a whole other thing you have to go into. Getting the books, getting the art, getting the swag. I felt like I needed some help for that. Again, I went in, I funded. I did not make a killing on that, but that was okay. I learned some things that I would have changed with my Kickstarter and I also built a new audience for that. I had a lot of extra books that I then sold in my store, and it was another place to make money. The third Kickstarter I used specifically because I had always wanted to do a writing course. I go all over the world, I do keynotes, I do workshops, I've done books, and I wanted to reach new writers, but I don't travel a lot anymore. So I came up with the concept that I was going to do my very first course, and it was going to be very personal, kind of like me talking to them almost like in a keynote, like you're in a room with me. I gathered a whole bunch of stuff and I used Kickstarter to help me A) fund it and B) make myself do it, because it was two years in the making and I always had, “Oh, I've got this other thing to do,” you know how we do that, right? We have big projects. So I used Kickstarter as a deadline and I decided to launch it in the summer. In addition to that, I took years of my posts from all over. I copied and pasted, did new posts, and I created Write Free, which was a very personal, essay-driven book. I took it all together. I took a couple of months to do this, filmed the course, and the Kickstarter did better than I had ever imagined. I got quadruple what I wanted, and it literally financed all the video editing, the books, everything that I needed, plus extra. I feel like I'm growing in Kickstarter. I hope I'm not ranting. I'm trying to go over things that can help people. Jo: Oh no, that is super useful. Jennifer: So you don't have to go all in and say, “If it doesn't fund it's over,” or “I need to make $20,000.” There are people making so much money, and there are people that will do a project a year or two projects a year and just get enough to fund a new thing that they want to do. So that's how I've done it. Jo: I've done quite a few now, and my non-fiction ones have been a lot bigger—I have a big audience there—and my fiction have been all over the place. What I like about Kickstarter is that you can do these different things. We can do these special editions. I've just done a sprayed-edge short story collection. Short story collections are not the biggest genre. Jennifer: Yes. I love short stories too. I've always wanted to do an anthology of all my short stories. Jo: There you go. Jennifer: Yes, I love that for your Kickstarter. Love it. Jo: When I turned 50 earlier this year, I realised the thing that isn't in print is my short stories. They are out there digitally, and that's why I wanted to do it. I feel like Kickstarter is a really good way to do these creative projects. As you say, you don't have to make a ton of money, but at the end of the day, the definition of success for us, I think for both of us, is just being able to continue doing this, right? Jennifer: Absolutely. This is funding a creative full-time career, and every single thing that you do with your content is like a funnel. The more funnels that you have, the bigger your base. Especially if you love it. It would be different if I was struggling and thinking, “Do I get an editor job?” I would hate being an editor. But if you look at something else like, “Oh yes, I could do this and that would light me up, like doing a course—wow, that sounds amazing,” then that's different. It's kind of finding your alternates that also light you up. Jo: Hmm. So were there any mistakes in your Kickstarters that you think are worth sharing? In case people are thinking about it. Jennifer: Oh my God, yes. So many. One big thing was that I felt like I was a failure if I didn't make a certain amount of money because my name is pretty well known. It's not like I'm brand new and looking. One of the big things was that I could not understand and I felt like I was banging my head against the wall about why my newsletter subscribers wouldn't support the Kickstarter. I'm like, “Why aren't you doing this? I'm supposed to have thousands of people that just back.” Your expectations can really mess with you. Then I started to learn, “Oh my God, my newsletter audience wants nothing to do with my Kickstarter.” Maybe I had a handful. So then I learned that I needed longer tails, like putting it up for pre-order way ahead of time, and also that you can't just announce it in your newsletter and feel like everybody's going to go there. You need to find your streams, your Kickstarter audience, which includes ads. I had never done ads either and I didn't know how to do that, so I did that all wrong. I joined the Facebook group for Kickstarter authors. I didn't do that for the first one and then I learned about it. You share backer updates, so every time you go into your audience with a backer update, there's this whole community where you can share with like-minded people with their projects, and you post it under your updates. It does cross-networking and sharing with a lot of authors in their newsletters. For the Write Free one, I leaned into my networking a lot, using my connections. I used other authors' newsletters and people in the industry to share my Kickstarter. That was better for me than just relying on my own fanbase. So definitely more networking, more sharing, getting it out on different platforms rather than just doing your own narrow channel. Because a lot of the time, you think your audience will follow you into certain things and they don't, and that needs to be okay. The other thing was the time and the backend. I think a lot of authors can get super excited about swag. I love that, but I learned that I could have pulled back a little bit and been smarter with my financials. I did things I was passionate about, but I probably spent much more money on swag than I needed to. So looking at different aspects to make it more efficient. I think each time you do one, you learn what works best. As usual, I try to be patient with myself. I don't get mad at myself for trying things and failing. I think failing is spectacular because I learn something. I know: do I want to do this again? Do I want to do it differently? If we weren't so afraid of failingqu “in public”, I think we would do more things. I'm not saying I never think, “Oh my God, that was so embarrassing, I barely funded and this person is getting a hundred thousand.” We're human. We compare. I have my own reset that I do, but I really try to say, “But no, for me, maybe I'll do this, and if it doesn't work, that's okay.” Jo: I really like that you shared about the email list there because I feel like too many people have spent years driving people to Kindle or KU, and they have built an email list of readers who like a particular format at a particular price. Then we are saying, “Oh, now come over here and buy a beautiful hardback that's like ten times the price.” And we're surprised when nobody does it. Is that what happened? Jennifer: Exactly. Also, that list was for a non-fiction project. So I had to funnel where my writers were in my newsletter, and I have mostly readers. So I was like, “Okay…” But I think you're exactly right. First of all, it's the platform. When you ask anybody to go off a platform, whether it's buy direct at your Shopify store or go to Kickstarter, you are going to lose the majority right there. People are like, “No, I want to click a button from your newsletter and go to a site that I know.” So you've got that, and you've got to train them. That can take some time. Then you've got this project where people are like, “I don't understand.” Even my mum was like, “I would love to support you, honey, but what the heck is this? Where's the buy button and where's my book?” My women's fiction books tend to have some older readers who are like, “Hell no, I don't know what this is.” So you have to know your audience. If it's not translating, train them. I did a couple of videos where I said, “Look, I want to show you how easy this is,” and I showed them directly how to go in and how to back. I did that with Kindle Vella too. I did a video from my newsletter and on social: “Hey, do you not know how to read this chapter? Here's how.” Sometimes there's a barrier. Like you said, Joanna, if I have a majority that just want sexy contemporary, and I'm dropping angsty, cheating, forbidden love, they're like, “Oh no, that's not for me.” So you have to know whether there's a crossover. I go into my business with that already baked into my expectations. I don't go in thinking I'm going to make a killing. Then I'm more surprised when it does well, and then I can build it. Jo: Yes, exactly. Also if you are, like both of us, writing across genres, then you are always going to split your audience. People do not necessarily buy everything because they have their preferences. So I think that's great. Now we are almost out of time, but this latest book is Write Free. I wondered if you would maybe say— What does Write Free mean to you, and what might it help the listeners with? Jennifer: Write Free is an extremely personal book for me, and the title was really important because it goes with Write Naked, Write True, and Write Free. These are the ways that I believe a writer should always show up to the page. Freedom is being able to write your truth in whatever day that is. You're going to be a different writer when you're young and maybe hormonal and passionate and having love affairs. You're going to write differently when you're a mum with kids in nappies. You're going to write differently when you are maybe in your forties and you're killing your career. Your perspective changes, your life changes. Write Free is literally a collection of essays all through my 30 years of life. It's very personal. There are essays like, “I'm writing my 53rd book right now,” and essays like, “My kids are in front of SpongeBob and I'm trying to write right now,” and “I got another rejection letter and I don't know how to survive.” It is literally an imprint of essays that you can dip in and dip out of. It's easy, short, inspirational, and it's just me showing up for my writing life. That's what I wish for everybody: that they can show up for their writing life in the best way that they can at the time, because that changes all the time. Jo: We can say “write free” because we've got a lot of experience at writing. I feel like when I started writing—I was an IT consultant—I literally couldn't write anything creative. I didn't believe I could. There'll be people listening who are just like, “Well, Jennifer, I can't write free. I'm not free. My mind is shackled by all these expectations and everything.” How can they release that and aim for more freedom? Jennifer: I love that question so much. The thing is, I've spent so many years working on that part. That doesn't come overnight. I think sometimes when you have more clarification of, “Okay, this is really limiting me,” then when you can see where something is limiting you, at least you can look for answers. My answers came in the form of meditation. Meditation is a very big thing in my life. Changing my perspective. Learning life mottos to help me deal with those kinds of limitations. Learning that when I write a sex scene, I can't care about my elderly aunt who tells my mother, “Dear God, she ruined the family name.” It is your responsibility to figure out where these limitations are, and then slowly see how you can remove them. I've been in therapy. I have read hundreds of self-help books. I take meditation courses. I take workshop courses. I've done CliftonStrengths with Becca Syme. I don't even know if that's therapy, but it feels like therapy to me as a writer. Knowing my personality traits. I've done Enneagram work with Claire Taylor, which has been huge. The more you know yourself and how your brain is showing up for yourself, the more you can grab tools to use. I wish I could say, “Yes, if everybody meditates 30 minutes a day, you're going to have all blocks removed,” but it's so personal that it's a trick question. If everybody started today and said, “Where is my biggest limitation?” and be real with yourself, there are answers out there. You just have to go slowly and find them, and then the writing more free will come. I hope that wasn't one of those woo-woo answers, but I really do believe it. Jo: I agree. It just takes time. Like our writing career, it just takes time. Keep working on it, keep writing. Jennifer: Yes. And bravery, right? A lot of bravery. Just show up for yourself however you can. If “write free” feels too big, journal for yourself and put it in a locked drawer. Any kind of writing, I think, is therapeutic too. Jo: Brilliant. So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Jennifer: The best place to go is my website. I treat it like my home. It's www.JenniferProbst.com. There is so much on it. Not just books, not just free content and free stories. There's an entire section just for writers. There are videos on there. There are a lot of resources. I keep it up to date and it is the place where you can find me. Of course I'm everywhere on social media as Author Jennifer Probst. You can find me anywhere. I always tell everybody: I answer my messages, I answer my emails. That is really important to me. So if you heard this podcast and you want to reach out on anything, please do. I will answer. Jo: Fantastic. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jennifer. That was great. Jennifer: Thanks for having me, Joanna.The post Writing Free: Romance Author Jennifer Probst On A Long-Term Author Career first appeared on The Creative Penn.

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “Time To Get The Fire Back.” We discuss the feeling of spiritual disconnection and highlight the importance of rekindling one's passion for God. We also intercede together for a renewed relationship with the Lord. #JesusLovesYou #Fire #MinistryMinuteTime To Get The Fire Back | Ministry Minute EP291Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and transgressions. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

David wasn't even a grown up, but one day he found himself in the middle of a war. And suddenly there was a giant! A real one! What would you do? What did David do? Find out now!David And GoliathHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David and Goliath, with your child after they've listened to the show!What was your favorite part of the story?Was David afraid of Goliath? Why did he feel this way?David wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was bigger and stronger. He was confident in God!Why was David confident in God?David remembered the times that God had taken care of him before – like when he rescued David from lions and bears. He knew that God was bigger and stronger than all things – even Goliath. David didn't need to be afraid because he knew that God would still do great things.What are some great things God has done?Spend some time thinking with your child about the good things God has done in the Bible and some good things God has done for you and your family!Pray with your child. You might say something like this:Dear God, thank you for the great things you have done for me. Help me to remember those great things, and to always know that you will do great things again because you are a good God, and you love me. I love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood CraftYour child will create their own pouch filled with stones like the pouch David used to hold his stones. Each stone will represent a part of the Bible story and remind them they can be confident like David.DownloadEarly Childhood Coloring Page and Activity SheetEach week we have a new coloring page and activity sheet for your child to remember the Bible story for the week and learn more about our Big Idea.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about building our kids' confidence – not only in themselves but as children of God, too.Download

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “He Means What He Says.” We discuss the unwavering nature of God's promises, encouraging believers to stay faithful and trust that what God has spoken will come to pass, regardless of current challenges or obstacles. #JesusLovesYou #Faith #MinistryMinuteHe Means What He Says | Ministry Minute EP290Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and transgressions. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

#trauma #TraumaRecovery #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #selflove #acceptance #selfcare #glowupjourney #enlightenment #samadhi #awakeningsouls #wakeup #moksha #nirvana #hindu #woke

Dear God, they were right. The Epstein files really ARE much worse than the MAGATS dared fear. And it's funny and disgusting, made the moreso by your 'umble 'ostess's radio portrayal of that magic moment. 

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “The Door Is Open.” We delve into the profound message that God's love for us remains unwavering, regardless of our mistakes or shortcomings. This incredible love is demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son, who died in our place, allowing us to be forgiven for our sins. Salvation is a gift awaiting those who are willing to surrender. #JesusLovesYou #Salvation #MinistryMinuteThe Door Is Open | Ministry Minute EP289Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

Released in 1986, Skylarking stands as one of XTC's most celebrated and cohesive works—a shimmering, pastoral pop masterpiece that marries the band's sharp songwriting with lush, orchestral production. Produced by Todd Rundgren, the album was conceived as a conceptual song cycle tracing the arc of an English summer's day, paralleling the stages of life from youthful innocence to adult disillusionment and beyond.The music is a sun-dappled blend of baroque pop, psychedelia, and classic British songwriting, evoking the melodic sophistication of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Kinks while remaining distinctly XTC in tone and wit. Songs like “Grass” and “Season Cycle” celebrate nature's rhythms and sensuality, while “Dear God” (originally a B-side, later a U.S. hit) offers biting social commentary and existential questioning.Lyrically, frontman Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding explore themes of love, faith, time, and the bittersweet beauty of everyday life. Rundgren's layered arrangements give the album a continuous, almost cinematic flow—each track melting into the next like scenes in a pastoral dream.Over time, Skylarking has been reappraised as one of the finest British albums of the 1980s, and many fans regard it as XTC's crowning achievement—a radiant and wistful meditation on life, nature, and the passage of time.What did you think of this album? Send us a text!Support the showWebsite Contact

Let us pray:    “Dear God, You are Worthy of it all. God, please help us be people whose cup is filled and overflowing, and we are drinking from the saucer.   Jesus, we welcome You to speak in a powerful way this day. Change our minds, hearts, and souls so that we will be people who are overflowing with […]

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled “It's Not Impossible.” We discuss how no dream or goal is impossible with God, emphasizing that regardless of your current circumstance, God can provide healing, deliverance, breakthrough, and divine intervention in your life. #JesusLovesYou #Faith #MinistryMinuteIt's Not Impossible | Ministry Minute EP288Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled “Don't Take It For Granted.” We discuss the importance of not taking God's grace for granted, reflecting on the freedoms we have to worship, pray, and read the Bible compared to persecuted Christians worldwide. We emphasize the need to appreciate our spiritual blessings and actively share the message of Jesus Christ's salvation. #JesusLovesYou #Grace #MinistryMinuteDon't Take It For Granted | Ministry Minute EP287Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

This week, I'm continuing the series This Ends With Me: The War Against Anxiety. In part two, I share what it was like returning to therapy after almost two years and how I prayed my way through the process of finding a new counselor.After trying therapy and medication in the past without lasting success, I reached a point where I knew I had to do things differently. I asked God to lead me to the right person, someone who would challenge me, not just listen and send me home with breathing exercises. I prayed for her before I even met her, and when I finally walked into that first session, I could feel that God had gone before me.In this episode, I talk about how I recognized the signs that this new therapist might be the one God chose for me, what I learned from her analogy about anxiety, and how prayer has become part of my therapy journey. I also share the homework she gave me and how I used ChatGPT to help me think through my anxiety triggers.This episode is a reminder that healing is both spiritual and practical. We can pray, fast, and still show up for therapy. Faith and mental health are not separate journeys; they work together.Scripture References:Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."If you are searching for a therapist, pray about it. Ask God to lead you to the right person, and believe that healing is possible for you.If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who might be struggling with anxiety or thinking about therapy. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people find Dear God, Unscripted.Connect with Me:Follow Dear God, Unscripted on Instagram and YouTube for honest conversations about faith.

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled “Victory Is Your Portion.” We discuss finding hope and victory through faith in Jesus Christ, emphasizing that no matter what challenges or difficulties we're facing - whether it's illness, financial struggles, or personal hardships - victory is possible when you are rooted in Christ. #JesusLovesYou #Victory #MinistryMinuteVictory Is Your Portion | Ministry Minute EP286Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “God Wants The Heart.” We discuss the importance of having a genuine heart for God, beyond just performing religious routines. We explore how merely going through the motions of worship without true passion is not enough, and we need to honestly examine our motivations and seek a sincere relationship with God. #JesusLovesYou #Heart #MinistryMinuteGod Wants The Heart | Ministry Minute EP285Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

We are in a bad way at 1-5. This is a time to vent.

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “The Works Won't Cut It.” We delve into the profound truth that human efforts alone cannot secure salvation. Instead, we emphasize that Jesus Christ offers the sole path to forgiveness through His sacrificial death on the cross. We explain that salvation is a free gift of grace, beyond our reach through our own endeavors. #JesusLovesYou #Forgiveness #MinistryMinuteThe Works Won't Cut It | Ministry Minute EP284Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

In light of my recent inclusion in a Christian Music Museum, This prayer you won't hear from decades ago seem appropriate. Doesn't equal God's grace to us.    

Have you ever gotten into a disagreement with your brothers or sisters? So did Joseph. But even with trouble at home, Joseph still dreamed big!JOSEPH FORGIVESHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's Bible story called Joseph Forgives with your child after they've listened to this week's story. Remember the Big Idea: God has an important job for me.What was your favorite part of the story we just heard?Who was mean to Joseph and threw him into a pit?His brothers. They were jealous of Joseph because their dad loved Joseph the most.What happened when people thought Joseph did something wrong?They put him in jail.Who was always with Joseph, even when bad things kept happening?God!Is God always with you?Yes! We know God is always with us when we believe in him because he tells us in the Bible, and he helps us through the Holy Spirit. He helps us be brave and gives us what we need.Take some time to pray with your child. You might pray something like this:Dear God, thank you for always being with me. Help me remember you are with me when I am scared or when bad things happen. We love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood Craft – Joseph Story OrderColor the Joseph story cards and help your child test their memory of the Bible story as they put them in the right order. Remind them that God was with Joseph in every part of his story, and God is always with us.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity – God is With Me Pretend PlayYour child is learning that they can believe God is with them. As they play pretend, they will act out different things as a reminder that God is with them no matter what.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity Sheets Each week we have activity pages for your child to remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets for your child to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out http://saddlebackparents.com/ for resources to help guide you as you do the challenging and worthy work of raising brave, loving, kind kids who love God and others!Download

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled “God's Calling.” We explore how God is inviting us to wholeheartedly surrender our lives to Him. Despite our mistakes, God's love for us remains unwavering. He sent His only Son to die for our sins, making it possible for us to be forgiven. Jesus has bridged the gap between us and God, and all we need to do is confess our sins, repent, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. The time is now to answer His call. #JesusLovesYou #Reconciliation #MinistryMinuteGod's Calling | Ministry Minute EP283Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

Your Nightly Prayer

Remember the last time you couldn't get cell phone service? LOL I was above the arctic circle in this picture.. hadn't seen a pay phone for decades

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled, “Restoration Is Your Portion.” We delve into the profound message that God yearns to restore and revive us, even when we feel like our lives are in ruins. We've all made mistakes, but if we sincerely repent and turn to God, He will graciously forgive us and orchestrate all things for our ultimate good. God's desire is to restore and rebuild us, so all we need to do is surrender to His will. #JesusLovesYou #Restoration #MinistryMinuteRestoration Is Your Portion | Ministry Minute EP282Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. . . . — Acts 16:10 Looking back on my life's journey, I see a series of doors that God opened and closed to bring me where I am today. Along the way, I experienced not only disappointments but also some great surprises. Though I didn't always see it at the time, I can see more clearly now how God was guiding me. As you reflect on your life, I wonder if you can see God's direction in similar ways? We can see God's direction at work in the episode that Paul and his companions experienced in our reading for today. Paul and his team were on a significant intercultural missionary journey, bringing the gospel to strategic countries and regions in the Roman Empire. He and his companions had tried to go to the province of Asia (part of present-day Turkey), but the Holy Spirit stopped them, and they changed course. Then, at the border leading into Bithynia, the same thing happened. That night, Paul had a vision in which he saw a man begging him to come to Macedonia. So the missionaries went there, and God opened a remarkable door for them in Philippi. I find myself challenged by this passage to pay close attention to God's leading. What neighbor or coworker or friend is God calling me to love more intentionally? Can I sense that the Spirit is beckoning me to cross the street or a cultural boundary or an ocean to follow and trust his leading? Dear God, I long to have the clarity that you gave to Paul in this episode. Help me to trust that you are urging me to follow you into places and relationships where I can bring your love. Amen.

Autumn reflections, Christian faith, and spiritual patience come together in Getting Ready for Autumn by Vivian Bricker, offering guidance for navigating the changing seasons of life. Drawing on James 5:7-8, this episode explores how God’s presence, patience, and comfort help believers process grief, embrace beauty, and remain steadfast in faith. Perfect for listeners seeking Christian encouragement, spiritual growth, seasonal reflection, and coping with loss during fall. ✨ Highlights Embracing the beauty and pain of the Autumn season through a Christ-centered perspective Learning patience from the farmer’s example in James 5:7-8 Recognizing God’s constant presence through all seasons of life, including grief and hardship Practical encouragement for coping with memories, loss, and emotional challenges in fall Reflecting on personal spiritual growth and trust in God during times of waiting

Your Daily Prayer

This week on Ministry Minute, we explore the message entitled “Commitment Is The Key.” We emphasize the significance of being fully committed and surrendering oneself to Jesus Christ. We compare the necessity of true commitment in our relationship with God to that of any other relationship. We urge the viewer to make the choice between aligning with God or opposing Him, and to wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to Christ. #JesusLovesYou #Commitment #MinistryMinuteCommitment Is The Key | Ministry Minute EP281Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. — 2 Corinthians 5:18 My wife and I stood silently together, staring up at a small window in the top corner of a large and ominous residential school building. For 140 years this building housed about 150 Indigenous children from a nearby reserve. We had just heard some of the heart-wrenching stories of the children who were forced to live in that school. When they arrived, their hair was cut, and their clothes were taken away and replaced with uniforms. Names were replaced with numbers. Many children suffered abuse and neglect. One man told us that this small window was where he would regularly escape from when he was a boy living at the school. Sadly, for most of its history this was a church-run school. As you can imagine, many of the children who lived at the school have a very complicated and hostile view of the Christian faith today. Thankfully, some churches and Christians in Canada are beginning to reckon with this shameful past and have taken steps toward reconciliation. This work is a part of our holistic mission. As Christians, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. And we are called to the ongoing ministry of reconciliation, bringing the hope and healing of Christ into the deeply broken places of our world. It begins by listening and, where necessary, repenting. Dear God, we confess that your church has at times been a poor reflection of your heart. Forgive us and help us to live as agents of reconciliation in this broken world. Amen.

David wasn't even a grown up, but one day he found himself in the middle of a war. And suddenly there was a giant! A real one! What would you do? What did David do? Find out now!David And GoliathHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David and Goliath, with your child after they've listened to the show!What was your favorite part of the story?Was David afraid of Goliath? Why did he feel this way?David wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was bigger and stronger. He was confident in God!Why was David confident in God?David remembered the times that God had taken care of him before – like when he rescued David from lions and bears. He knew that God was bigger and stronger than all things – even Goliath. David didn't need to be afraid because he knew that God would still do great things.What are some great things God has done?Spend some time thinking with your child about the good things God has done in the Bible and some good things God has done for you and your family!Pray with your child. You might say something like this:Dear God, thank you for the great things you have done for me. Help me to remember those great things, and to always know that you will do great things again because you are a good God, and you love me. I love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood CraftYour child will create their own pouch filled with stones like the pouch David used to hold his stones. Each stone will represent a part of the Bible story and remind them they can be confident like David.DownloadEarly Childhood Coloring Page and Activity SheetEach week we have a new coloring page and activity sheet for your child to remember the Bible story for the week and learn more about our Big Idea.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about building our kids' confidence – not only in themselves but as children of God, too.Download

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled “Just Come.” We acknowledge the world's brokenness and tragedies, emphasizing that the only solution lies in turning to Jesus Christ. We encourage viewers to embrace Jesus despite their circumstances, fully surrendering their lives to Him and receiving His free gift of salvation. #JesusLovesYou #Salvation #MinistryMinuteJust Come | Ministry Minute EP280Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

Miriam collapsed to the ground. Her skin… was white. Snow white. It was like watching life being drained from her. Leprosy. Her hands were cracked, her face pale and covered in white blotches. She gasped. “What's happening to me?!” Aaron's face turned ghostly. “Miriam…” he choked, falling to his knees. “Dear God, no.” He turned to Moses, who had just come running. “Please, brother! Don't hold our foolishness against us! We were wrong—we sinned! Please, pray for her!”   This week we dive into the story of Miriam and her leprosy - you can find it in your Bibles in Numbers 12: 1-16.                                    ___________________________________ READ STORY ON THE BLOG Contact us to sign up Visit our website Artist of the month: Morgan Harper Nichols Keep in the loop by signing to our GIGI Notes HERE DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE  Hosts: Esther & Steph Mix & effects: Stephanie Giselle Purple Planet Music https://www.purple-planet.com/ email us: writegigi5@gmail.com Write by post GIGI Teen Radio PO BOX 6505 Upper Mt Gravatt QLD 4122 music credit: Purple planet music All music played on the podcast radio is covered under the APRA AMCOS Online Mini Licence.

…when it comes to explanations of a bigger picture

Hey GIGI kids, Today we have an amazing Bible story for you called “Elisha and the Invisible Army.” You can find this story in your Bible in 2 Kings 6:8-23.   Night passed without a sound. But very early in the morning, Elisha's servant got up and went outside—and got the fright of his life. There were soldiers and horses and chariots everywhere!  “Elisha!” gasped the servant, running back inside. “Come, look!” Elisha calmly went to look at the troops surrounding the city. He didn't seem upset at all! “Oh, Master, what will we do now?” the young servant cried. Elisha turned to his servant. “Don't be afraid,” he told his servant. “There are many more on our side than on the side of the Arameans.” Then Elisha prayed. Dear God, open the eyes of my servant and let him see. And God opened the eyes of the servant—can you guess what he saw?   What happened next? To find out, find a comfortable spot and listen to the episode. _____________________________________________________ Story by: Maritza Brunt READ STORY ON THE BLOG VISIT OUR WEBSITE SHOP OUR BOOKS   Shop our audiobooks Special effect editing: James Wagner  Music credit: http://www.purple-planet.com/  Email us: stories4gigi@gmail.com Write to us: GIGI KIDS STORIES PO BOX 6505 Upper Mt Gravatt Queensland Australia 4122

This week on Ministry Minute, we discuss the message entitled, “Just Pray.” We explore how we should turn to God in prayer for help, healing, and restoration during difficult times, knowing that He works all things together for our good. #JesusLovesYou #Prayer #MinistryMinuteJust Pray | Ministry Minute EP279Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

Your Nightly Prayer

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. — 1 John 4:10 My wife, Jacquie, is a teacher in a Christian elementary school. One day she asked her students to complete this sentence: “Jesus loves me because . . .” Almost every student answered with phrases like “Because I am sometimes kind to my sister” or “Because I try to do my best in school.” It was interesting to hear that almost all of the students connected Jesus' love with their efforts to earn it. Where did that idea come from? It is not the message of the Bible, and it is not the gospel. The true heart of the gospel is captured in the powerful words of 1 John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” The gospel message is that there is nothing we can do to make Jesus love us. Our salvation is offered as a completely free, undeserved gift: we simply receive it. Our passage sums it all up in one word: love. Receive the good news for you today: This is love: not that you loved God (or did anything else to earn God's favor), but that he loves you and sent his Son as a saving sacrifice for your sins. You are loved—just because you are you and God is love. Dear God, as I am reminded that your love is the starting point of everything, help me to embrace Jesus as your greatest gift of love to me. Help me to love you in return. Amen.

Lets face it men are never quite prepared for what a woman brings

Your Nightly Prayer

This week on Ministry Minute, we delve into the message entitled, “God Is With You.” We want to assure viewers that they shouldn't fear or be disheartened, as God is always present in their lives. We encourage you to surrender your worries to God and seek His guidance, knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you. #JesusLovesYou #Encouragement #MinistryMinuteGod Is With You | Ministry Minute EP278Romans 10:9:That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.We all have sinned, we all have made mistakes, but in spite of our imperfections, a perfect God sent His Perfect Son to die for those very imperfect sins, so we can have eternal life. THAT'S REAL LOVE. THAT'S JESUS' LOVE. In order to receive this forgiveness you must confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart which you can do by saying this prayer wholeheartedly:Dear God,I confess and admit that I am a sinner, and I ask that You please forgive me and save me. I renounce and repent of all my sins, iniquities, and wrongdoings. I confess that Jesus, You are LORD, and I believe with all my heart that You died and rose again. I put my complete faith in Your finished works on the cross and I believe because of Your Blood that was shed, my sins can be forgiven. I ask that You be the Head of my life and the LORD of my life from this day forward, and I ask that You please help me to live for You all the days of my life.In Jesus Name I Pray,Amen.I'm Saved, What's Next:- Be Baptized In Jesus Name- Be Filled With The Holy Ghost- Live A Holy LifeJesus Is Soon To Return— BE READY!!#Christianity #Christian #Jesus #Bible #God #Faith #JesusChrist #Church #love #Bibleverse #Gospel #prayer #HolySpirit #Godisgood #pray #biblestudy #Scripture #hope #truth #religion #JesusLovesYou #worship #grace #JesusSaves #amen #blessed #Christianlivinghttps://www.joshuahopkinsstudios.com/ministryminute

 yer feeling disoriented in your heart n mind… so you start cleaning the garage.

Between Baxter and my kid, it's getting nuts in here! Hey, watch Ultraman Omega on the OFFICIAL Tsuburaya Channels! https://www.youtube.com/@ULTRAMAN_OFFICIAL [https://www.youtube.com/@ultraman_english_official ](https://www.youtube.com/@ultraman_english_official) Thank you, everyone, for listening to the show! Spread the word! We have a Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ultramanpodcast Help us reach our NEW EQUIPMENT GOAL of $500 by buying us some coffee ko-fi.com/ultramanpodcast  We are also on Instagram @ultramanpodcast Now on BluSky at ultramanpodcast.bsky.social We couldn't do this podcast without the fine contributors at the Fandom Ultraman Wiki. Thank you for all that you do! https://ultra.fandom.com/wiki/Ultraman_Wiki Your Hosts- Rich Conroy and Pat Rooney Announcer- Gretchen Brooks Producer and audio wizard- Casey Kittel caseykittel.com Opening theme "Once More, While Seething" and all music for this podcast is provided by Terminal Sunburn- www.terminalsunburn.bandcamp.com This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-5cfc6e for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Science Patrol.

 Diana continues her conversation with Beatty Carmichael about his book, 'The Prayer of Freedom.' Beatty shares his unique prayer approach that has reportedly yielded 87% success in healing various ailments. This episode includes a live demonstration of the prayer method, focusing on healing physical pain through guided repentance and forgiveness. Both Diana and Beatty discuss the spiritual and physical impact of unresolved issues and the power of structured prayer. Additionally, Beatty shares real-life stories of remarkable healings and offers a practical guide to his prayer method. Listeners are encouraged to test the prayer for themselves and share their outcomes. Relevant links and contact information are provided in the show notes. 00:48 Welcome to Wounds of the Faithful Podcast 01:27 Introduction to Beatty Carmichael and His Book 02:52 The Power of Prayer: A Demonstration 12:52 Real-Life Testimonies of Healing 19:55 The Importance of Forgiveness in Healing 24:45 Beatty Carmichael's Book: The Prayer of Freedom 27:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Bio: Beatty Carmichael is a leading expert in spiritual laws and how they affect our health, emotions, and behaviors. After 25 years in business, he uncovered a radical truth: most pain, mental illness, sickness, and trauma aren't rooted in physical or emotional causes, but in the spiritual realm. By identifying and removing the specific spiritual roots behind these struggles, he's helped over1,000 people find freedom from things like chronic pain, anxiety, addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts, and even bipolar disorder—issues that medical science often can't resolve. Once the root is gone, the problem typically disappears in less than 24 hours—with a documented 90% success rate. Beatty outlines this simple, step-by-step method in his book, The Prayer of Freedom, available at www.ThePrayerOfFreedomBook.com. Today, he'll expose why so many people stay stuck—and how anyone can experience real, lasting healing by targeting the root issue most others overlook. http://ThePrayerOfFreedomBook.com  “To get freedom in your life, get a copy of The Prayer of Freedom today. It's available at every bookstore, but the best place to go is book's website at www.ThePrayerOfFreedomBook.com where you'll find additional information, discounts, and a free gift.” Beatty Carmichael Part 2 [00:00:00] I do have a sponsor 7 5 3 Academy. Our martial art program specialized in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. Colli. We take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Our fitness community is friendly and supportive without the over the top muscle gym atmosphere. Our coaching staff are professionally trained with over 30 years of experience. Get started by claiming your free class voucher. So go to the link in the show notes. This is in the Phoenix Metro area, so reach out to Coach David and coach Eric over at 7 5 3 Academy. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic [00:01:00] violence advocate, Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. Last time we were talking with my guest, Beatty Carmichael. He has his book that we are talking about. We were talking about his book, the Prayer of Freedom, and he's developed a way of praying for healing where God answers. Those prayers 87% of the time. So if you were here last time, you know that he is a dynamic speaker. He has, shown us a lot of things so far and I want to give him as much time as [00:02:00] possible to, to continue to share with us how we can incorporate this into. Healing again, I'm gonna mention for the second time, this is, not a replacement for medical treatment. Please, incorporate this in with your physician, your psychiatrist, your pharmacist. Do not discontinue any medications or stop any treatments without the advice of your medical team. I'm not gonna go into Beatty's bio once again for time's sake. But if you did not listen to part one, please go back and listen to the previous episode so you get a full picture. There's a lot of information that you don't wanna miss, and so we're gonna jump right in here to. Part two of my conversation with Beatie Carmichael. Enjoy. So let's assume that we have some atheists on your com, on your podcast as well. You don't have to believe it to try it, [00:03:00] right. That's the key. Um, I don't believe putting gas in my car is gonna make it run, but I'll try it and it runs. Or the doctor gives me, uh, some medicine. I've been having this chronic issue for years and he said, try this. It'll take it away in two days. I don't believe it, but it doesn't matter if I believe it, if it's based on science. If I take the medicine, it's going to clear that issue up in two days, whether I believe it or not. And so that's the way. So I would challenge any atheist on this one, right on this prayer approach. Tell God, God, I don't believe you. I don't even believe you exist. You're gonna have to prove it. I'm gonna follow this process, but know that I don't even believe you exist. So these are just words coming outta my mouth and see what happens. I am definitely gonna send my atheist friends this conversation. Good. You know, I'll let you know what [00:04:00] happens. Well then if you're gonna send your atheist friends this conversation, can I role play with you the prayer that I would have them pray so now they can follow this conversation and actually do it on their own and see if there's a Absolutely. Okay. Perfect. So let me ask you a couple of questions. Diana, do you have right now. Any pain, any uh, anything going on that you can feel and measure, like de depression or anxiety, migraine, anything that doesn't work, like your right arm doesn't work, or you have glaucoma in your left eye or anything like that? Uh, yeah, my feet hurt today. Okay. And, uh, right now, do they hurt when you're sitting like you are, or do you have to stand up for them to hurt more? No, they're when I'm up moving around and doing things. Okay. But you can feel them right now with pain, right? Yes. Okay. On a scale of zero to 10, 10 being worse, what pain level [00:05:00] would you give it? Mm, right now it's a three. Okay, perfect. So what I wanna do is I wanna lead you into a short prayer. You just repeat after me. I'm gonna use the word God only. We're not gonna use any other deity names. Uh. For the sake of anyone else that may be listening, that may not be a Christian, but they may be a Buddhist or whatever. Okay? And while this works, I will state that I believe it works because of the God of the Bible and there's some very clear reasons why, but he doesn't care what you call him because he is still the God of the Bible. So we're gonna take that premise. And what I'm gonna do, Diane, is I'm gonna lead you in this prayer. For your atheist friends and also for the audience that's listening to this, I want you to assess, do you have any pain, any anxiety, any depression, anything going on that you would like God to heal if God really existed? And if yes, go on and label it on a zero to 10 [00:06:00] scale with 10 being worse, what number it is, and then just repeat after me as I go through this. Now, Diana, what I'm gonna do with you. Is there's gonna be a part where you're going to repeat out whatever the Lord's putting on your mind of sins to confess. I'm gonna have you mute your microphone so that we're not airing dirty laundry, okay? Uh, that way there's no restriction for whatever the Lord's putting on your heart. So this is what I call a four step prayer. This is just the beginning of the full thing of the prayer freedom. So it goes like this. A repeat after me. Uh, Diana, uh, dear God. Dear God, if you exist, I want you to prove it to me. If you exist, I want you to prove it to me. I have this issue I want you to get rid of. I have this issue I want you to get rid of, and then you would name it for you would be the pain in my foot, right? Yes. The pain in my foot. Okay. [00:07:00] I ask that you would remind me and put in my mind. I ask that you would remind me and put in my mind any sin I need to repent of against you, any sin that I would need to repent against you or any person I need to forgive or any person I need to forgive and I commit that I will repent or forgive them and I commit that I'll repent and forgive them. Perfect. Now put your, uh, go on mute so that no one can hear anything. So now what you want to do, anything that the Lord may be putting on your mind. If it was a sin, and for people who don't know, all that means is you know you did something wrong. Okay, so the words are I repent of blank. I repent of stealing the money. If you stole the money with someone, I repent of stealing the money with Tom. Always put the person's name. If you don't remember the person's name, [00:08:00] I repent of stealing the money with the guy in the blue hat. Just whatever the description was. If God is putting in your mind someone to forgive. You're going to say, I forgive Tom for what he said. I forgive. Blank for blank. Okay. So go on and do that, Diana. And then when you finish, unmute yourself. That's right. But that's where the mouth readers good. Good job for the audio listener. She's got her hand over her mouth so we can't read her lips. And for the audio listeners, y'all would be going through the same prayer yourself, repenting and forgiving. Okay. My list is short, so Perfect. Good. Alright. Now I'm assuming it probably included someone's name somewhere along the way. Right. Okay, perfect. So now we'll continue and I break all unholy soul ties with, I Break All Unholy Soul ties with. I release all judgements [00:09:00] against, I release all judgements against and break any unholy blood contracts. I'll guide, I'll you what these are in a moment and break any unholy blood contracts, blood contracts with with those names. I have called out with those names. I've called out and now God and now God. I ask that you take all my, for you pain in my feet away. I ask that you take, um, the pain in my feet away, take it from a three to a zero, take it from a three to a zero, and now I speak to the pain that's in my feet. Now I speak to the pain that's in my feet and in the name of Almighty God. In the name of Almighty God, I command you to leave. I command you to leave. Get out now. Get out now. Now test it out and see if it's still a three [00:10:00] or is it changed? I would not say it's a three anymore. Can you feel it at all? I would say it's a one. Perfect. It's not a three. Alright. So definitely, definitely an improvement. So it dropped by two thirds simply by saying that one prayer, which is repenting. So now we're gonna push it all the way up. 'cause I find you have to do it about three times. We don't do the whole prayer again. All we do is the last part. So let me guide you, God, I ask that you take this all the way out right now. Ask you to take this all the way out right now, and I speak to the pain and I command you all the way out right now, and I speak to the pain and I command you all the way out right now in the name of Almighty God, in the name of Almighty God. Go from a one to a zero. Go from a one to a zero. All right, now check it out and see if it's still there. Well, [00:11:00] it's, um, zero in the left foot, but I still feel a little bit in the right foot. Yeah, so now we're going to do, do it one more time, but on now, if only for the right foot. God, I ask that you take it all the way out of my right foot. Now, God, I ask you to take this out of my right foot right now. And in Almighty God's name, in Almighty God's name. I speak to the pain in my right foot. I speak to the pain in my right foot, and I command you out right now. And I command you out right now. Be gone. Be gone now. Check it out again. Well, I'm just gonna be honest. Here. Um, please do I hate someone to lie to me. No, I've never that way. I know. I'm just seizing. I I know. I'm just seizing you that it's still in the one on the right foot. Okay. But I still think that's an [00:12:00] improvement over three. Yeah, for sure. It'll probably by the time we finish on our call, I'll probably be gone. But what happens now is demonstrably all you did was a structured prayer. You got a consistent response that I always see. So what that means is there is a, some spiritual law that this is plugging into and that spiritual law always works. Uh, no, excuse me. I found that for me about nine outta 10 times, it works okay. There's some things that it doesn't, um, that I can't figure out on a, on a few things. Now, if you have something like multiple sclerosis or stage four cancer. It probably isn't as likely to work as if you just have anxiety or a chronic pain somewhere. Um mm-hmm. You probably won't believe it, but I'll show you the testimony if you wanna watch it. So this was about four, four or five weeks ago. I was over at the Addiction Recovery Center and one of the ladies, uh, had just come out of, shoulder [00:13:00] surgery. And the story is. Three years ago, she had a car accident. She broke her AC and her collarbone, but because she didn't have any insurance, they just gave her a sling, and so she held it in the sling and it sat like that. So she's in excruciating pain with no movement for three years. When she came to the Addiction Recovery Center, they have insurance, so they went to see an orthopedic surgeon. He says, I can fix it, but it's gonna be really invasive. It's gonna hurt. And so he had to drill through the bones, break them apart, reset them and wire them together. And then that's where she was now four weeks post-surgery. So she's in a lot of pain. Arm in the sling. I guided her through the very same prayer. I guided you, God, remind me of things I need to repent of. And then I said, test it out. And she said, well, it doesn't feel as bad. She starts moving it around. I said, see what the range of motion is? So she starts to move it. The whole [00:14:00] range of motion, as she does all the pain, is now gone. She can do the full range of motion with her shoulder on both sides. She stops wearing the sling. And then two weeks later, which is her six week checkup, she goes back to the doctor. He's blown away because she has no pain and not only no pain, she has the full range of motion that she had since before the accident, and he was saying before the surgery it'll take 12 weeks to recover and then a lot of physical therapy to fully get it back in use. Yep. Yet it all happened like that. Why? Because there's spiritual laws that this karma concept, you know, the same concept that we see that people call karma. It's a real concept because there really are consequences to being doing bad things. But what we don't understand sometimes is how those consequences affect us because this was a car accident. So we say it was just a natural cause and effect, but the fact that she [00:15:00] repented of things that God put in her mind, that he said these were bad things that you should not have done, and when she repented the shoulder got healed, tells me. The root of even what happened with the, the car accident and the breaking the shoulder at the car accident was a spiritual root. So once you get rid of the root, you can get rid of the problem. And that's what I'm finding throughout all of this. And it's revolutionizing people from like, just last night I was, uh, doing a podcast with, another lady and I demonstrated this. I said, do you have anything that you can measure? She says, yeah, depression and anxiety. It was like an eight. We went through that very same thing and it all went to zero. She started to cry and then she said, I asked her, how long has she, has she had it? She said, well, you know, I grew up in an abusive family and I've had this since early childhood, and she has adult children now, so all of these years, and it's gone in an instant, [00:16:00] and she starts to cry both with the relief. Also like a friend of mine that I led through the same thing, uh, his dad committed suicide when he was like 11. And then, you know, the whole family dynamic is just full of trauma and all kinds of issues and he's been under this heavy clout. And it wasn't until he went through this process. Now for him it wasn't instantaneous. There was a more gradual over maybe a couple weeks or so for everything to just kind of free up in his life. But he was lamenting saying. I wish I'd known this 34 years ago. You know, how many years of Lost Life has he gone through when he could have gotten free of it had he just known how this worked? So it's really powerful. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I actually work in the orthopedics department. Oh, wow. So this really makes sense to you. Uh, yeah. I was watching the video about the guy he needed a hip replacement. Yeah. And so I thought, oh, [00:17:00] wow, that's, that hits home for sure. I'm always, ripping my rotator cuff. I've, I ripped it three times and had to do all the physical therapy and stuff, so I totally relate to that example that you gave. So can I share something all day? Mm-hmm. Sure. Anytime you see a pattern that keeps repeating itself, like you've ripped your rotator cuff three times, that tells me there's gonna be more than likely, I've got a 90% likelihood that there is a spiritual route. And if you were to go through the full process, so the full process with a prayer freedom is a worksheet in the back that you fill out and it's a memory jogger so that you can cover everything that is potentially possible. If you were to do that, I believe that whatever's going on with that, you'll not tear your rotator cuff again, just that point. Is it? I see the part, yeah. Most [00:18:00] of the time I get it. When I'm doing terrible form on my pushups or I, open the sliding glass door with a bad technique. Yeah, I, so if you're in orthopedics, you know about when you pull a ligament in your thumb, right? Mm-hmm. So I pulled a ligament in my thumb. I'm exercising all the time, so I use dumbbells and, free weights. Mm-hmm. And you have to grip. So as soon as that happened, I can't do any exercise. I can't even grip a five pound dumbbell, and it's going on for a week now. How long does do ligaments normally take to heal? Do you remember? Uh, six weeks at least. Yeah, at least six weeks. And I'm thinking I'm gonna be out of exercise for six weeks. Yeah. And then I said, you know, doctors are usually the last ones to try to apply their own approach to themselves. And I said. I wonder, Lord, if this has a spiritual root, it has a physical cause, right? I was carrying a chair and it twisted [00:19:00] in my arm. That was the physics of it. But is there a spiritual root behind it? So I said, Lord, remind me of any sin I need to repent of that could be tied to this. And he started reminding me of some things from a while back. Um, and I just repented that and, and it still hurt. I said, okay, that must not have been it. I wake up the next morning. It's all gone. So I start testing, I'm lifting heavy weights, and I'm pulling on and trying to pull the, you know, Ooh. And it's totally healed. I'm back to full exercise after only one week, so it even works for me. Wow. Yeah. So it you, the, the chair twisted and pulled it, but it was instantly healed or within a few hours by the next day simply by going through the same process. I'll definitely have to keep that in mind. Next time. Now people are listening and they're probably [00:20:00] wondering when you talk about repenting from, from things you did wrong, do you get any pushback with that? People that they don't want to, deal with what they've done wrong or they're offended that you brought it up or, yeah. Whatever. So, um. Lemme tell you a story to answer your question. There's this lady named Susan, and she had unforgiveness for her sister from about 20 years earlier. Mm-hmm. And for all 20 years, she knew she should forgive, but she was unable and unwilling to because whatever the sister did was just that painful to her. Right. So then she asked me if I would pray for her rheumatoid arthritis because she's had the arthritis for about 15 or 20 years, and that day was flaring up and I asked her, because God prompted me on this one, and I asked her, do you have unforgiveness for anyone? She said, yes, my sister. And I said, would you be willing to forgive her? Now watch this. [00:21:00] She wants to be healed. And so she said, yes. There was no question once there's the potential likelihood that she would be healed if she did it. So I just said, repeat this, God, I repent. I forgive my sister from whatever she did 20 years ago. And then I asked God to take away the pain of her arthritis. So I said, walk up and down the stairs and see if it helps. So she did. And she said, it feels a lot better. I said, okay, great. So I think you'll be good now. She caught it with me five weeks later and said, I wanna tell you the rest of the story. She said, ever since I prayed for her, she'd had no arthritis pain the week before, uh, that she talked with me. So this is now four weeks after I prayed with her. She said, I went back to the doctor and he retested me and says that my body, I have no arthritis in my body. Now. This is rheumatoid arthritis that she'd been diagnosed with 15 years earlier. Mm-hmm. And then she said. The [00:22:00] doctor said that my body shows no signs of ever having had arthritis to begin with. It's almost as if Wow, when, she did what God said to do, which is to forgive, that's a sin. If you don't forgive, then it's almost like God reversed everything. Put it back to normal. That's the same thing that happened with the lady with the shoulder issue. Mm-hmm. She said, my shoulder has a full range of motion as it did before the accident. It's as if it was ma. In fact, I can't show you, but she had a bone protruding right here that the Okay. Orthopedic surgeon couldn't put back in place. And after doing the prayer, the bone doesn't protrude anymore. She showed me a picture, here's what it looked like, and now here's what it is. And I go, wow. So all kinds of things can happen that we have no explanation for, but what I've learned is most people believe there's probably a God and that that God can probably do a miracle anytime he wants. What I find [00:23:00] is he simply does what we can call a miracle quite frequently when we. Go through this process and repent, say, I'm sorry, those things that he tells us to. So I do get pushback except for the people who want to be free of whatever it is they're struggling with. And then I get no pushback. Does that make sense? Well, oh yeah. And it is very much, Bible about the forgiveness. If you have bitterness against somebody and you hold that in your body. Your body feels that, and it, it does and it affects your entire body. It affects your mind when you are just, and you're not willing to move forward and forgive even if the person has asked for forgiveness. I'm sorry. That is, Bible right there that, and it's also if you be willing to forgive, then your body will heal. Yeah, and I was doing some research and science and other [00:24:00] studies, research studies find that between 40 and 60% of all chronic pain has a commonality of unforgiveness and bitterness that those people also carry, and mm-hmm. What I'm finding is if you get rid of that unforgiveness and bitterness, a lot of times that pain disappears. Yeah. Which is a direct cause and effect, right? Mm-hmm. It's a, it's a scientific empirical data. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. It, it work, it happens. And medical science and research is finding that out. Mm, yes. I'm glad that we're on the same page about that. We've talked about a lot of things today and heard some great stories. And, was there anything that, we didn't talk about that you wanted to cover? Without being too unabashedly promoting. I would like to talk about my book. Yes. That has all of the instructions. This is a how to book. It's not a novel, it's a how to book even has, video [00:25:00] excerpts that you can go watch training videos on specific areas if you want more, understanding, but it's called the Prayer of Freedom. Now if you type in the prayer freedom at Amazon, you can get all kinds of any book on prayer and freedom. You'll never find it. So the best way to get it is add the word book at the end of the title, the prayer freedom book.com. That's the website, the prayer freedom book.com. They'll take, give you a link to go straight to Amazon, straight to the book, but you'll also be able to get some discounts on the book if you want. Uh, you'll see a video with some test, with some real life stories and testimonies about it. If you like and some free stuff as well. So let me encourage you, if you or your loved one you're suffering with any sort of mental illness, all the garbage from trauma from years back and you got chronic pain and even just the ability to manage life with the trauma in your head. 'cause a lot of times you're just like, you know, you just, you can't get outta your head. As I worked with these people at the [00:26:00] Addiction Recovery Center. That stuff just starts to disappear and now they can function more normally. So I really encourage you to do that. The great thing about Amazon and most booksellers, you can send it back in 30 days if you don't like it. So I'll give you, I'll give you my money back guarantee, right? Buy it, try it. If it doesn't work, just send it back. You'll get your money back and it'll cost you nothing. So there's no risk to trying it. And it says there's a free gift for the listeners. Yeah. So I have what's called a power prayer, which is, just a real simple portion of this prayer that has really great, impact in people's lives. And it's just like a little free gift. If you request that, then you can, uh, get that as well. It's all in the book, but if you just wanna get an advanced copy of it, then you can get it there. Wow. And we definitely believe here that. Jesus is the great physician. We definitely [00:27:00] believe in prayer here and this has been a great conversation to discover the power of prayer in practical ways, and, add that to our treatment plan of healing from all kinds of stuff. I'm so glad that you came on this show. I appreciate it. You're welcome to come back anytime if you have some new books that you write. I would love that. And thank you, Diana, for the opportunity to be here and share hopefully a little bit of hope and freedom for your listeners. God bless you. So Beatty and I, we talked. Offline. After our conversation, he prayed for me about some things going on in my life, which it was such a blessing just to talk with him. We have a lot of other things in common, but I [00:28:00] did wanna let you know while we were talking and before we hung up, I realized that my right foot did go to a zero. So, um, so just wanted to be honest in that that did happen and that might encourage you to try the prayer. Uh, if you would like and let me know what happens. Let Beatty know what happens. Reach out to him. All of his, information is going to be on the show notes. For you, the website and where to purchase his book and his email to contact him with questions or maybe some victories. Okay, folks, we will see you next on the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. Thank you for listening. Bye for now. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You [00:29:00] could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.    

Dying to Ourselves How would you answer this question if God asked you… “If I should hand you a silver platter with one item, what would you like?” Perhaps the best answer: “Give me your will for my life, O God, with this, there is nothing more.” S.D. Gordon relates a similar experience, “I sometimes thought, what if God were to say to me: ‘I want to give you something as special as a love-gift; an extra because I love you: what would you like to have?' Do you know what I thought I would say? ‘Dear God, you choose. I choose what You choose.' An example of me asking Shelley where she would like to eat. Sometimes she responds, “You choose, I have decision fatigue.”

Candace and Lisa dive into a raw confession: "Dear God, I don't like my body." This episode of Body & Soul explores what happens when our physical reality feels like a burden—whether due to chronic pain, mental health struggles, or just the quiet disappointment we carry. Candace shares the personal toll of living with migraines and the resentment it has sometimes stirred. Lisa opens up about hormonal changes, perimenopause, and the grief of realizing her body will never be what it once was. Together, they reflect on how body grief, trauma, and identity are deeply intertwined—and how Scripture offers a redemptive path forward. If you've ever looked in the mirror and felt more frustration than freedom, this conversation will meet you there. It's for every woman who has whispered to God, "Why this body?" SPONSORS -WeShare: https://www.weshare.org/candace -Mr. Pen: http://candacepens.com/ -Cozy Earth cozyearth.com/candace ; Use Code CANDACE for 40% off -Grand Canyon University: https://www.gcu.edu/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we never happy with our looks?

Sometimes prayer is the only place to be honest with yourself and God

I've been looking for the fine print in Gods Word about when we might retaliate

“O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 NLT) A Sunday school teacher gave the kids in her class an assignment to write down any questions they had for God. Here are some of the questions, comments, and suggestions they came up with: Dear God, did You mean for the giraffe to look like that, or was it an accident? Dear God, I like the Lord’s Prayer best of all. Did You have to write it a lot, or did You get it right the first time? I have to write everything over and over again. Dear God, thank You for my baby brother You gave to us, but what I prayed for was a puppy. Dear God, how come You haven’t invented any new animals lately? We still have just the old ones. Dear God, I bet it is very hard for You to love everybody in the whole world. There are only four people in my family, and I just can’t do it. Dear God, in school we read that Thomas Edison made light, but in Sunday school, they said that You made it. I bet he stole Your idea. If you’re new to the Christian faith, you may have your own questions, comments, or suggestions for God. (And if you’ve been a Christian for most of your life, you probably still have questions, comments, or suggestions for God.) The questions may be tough. They may seem impolite. They may suggest a lack of faith on your part. Ask them anyway. That’s what the psalmists did. Look at Psalm 10:1 above. Those pointed questions are heartfelt cries. And God responds to our heartfelt cries—not with anger or punishment for questioning Him, but with compassion and understanding. He gives us wisdom and peace. He opens our eyes to spiritual truths we can’t see on our own. Few people in Scripture were closer to God than David, the shepherd who killed Goliath and later became king of Israel. First Samuel 13:14 describes David as “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet look what he wrote in Psalm 13:1–2: “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?” (NLT). He poured out his soul to God because he knew God would see his questions for what they were: genuine attempts to understand God and His will. The apostle James offered this advice: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5–6 NLT). God welcomes your questions because the more answers you receive, the stronger your faith will grow. Reflection question: What questions would you like to ask God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chronic pain affects not only the body but the mind and soul as well. In today’s heartfelt devotional, Vivian Bricker shares from her personal journey with autoimmune illness and the emotional toll that chronic suffering can bring—loneliness, isolation, and the temptation to give up. But amidst the pain, Vivian reminds us of the hope found in God’s unchanging presence and faithful love. Through Psalm 73:26, we’re encouraged to trust that God is our portion and strength, even when our bodies and hearts fail. Vivian’s honest reflection and vulnerable prayer offer comfort to anyone battling pain, reminding us that we are seen, we are not alone, and that God’s grace sustains us day by day. ✨ Key Takeaway: Pain may be part of our story, but it doesn’t define us—Jesus does. God sees every tear and every moment of struggle. His strength carries us, and His promises give us hope beyond the pain.