Whit's End: Real People, Hard Questions Whitney Scarborough

Today I get to sit down with my dear friend, Alisha Keating. She’s a wife to Nate and mom to Corban and Simon. She works as pediatric nurse practitioner and has a deep, beautiful soul.  We talk about everything from why it's worth it to travel with kids to the importance of getting involved in the local church. We dive into the grief of losing children by miscarriage and thoughts post-pandemic from her medical perspective.



The friendship I have with Alisha is one of those that was forged in a really painful season for both of us. This is both a teary, heavy conversation and one in which we laugh and reminisce about the awkward way we met. 



IG: @nateandalisha, @ajkeating, @natekeating



Memorable Quotes:


“I think it’s ok to let people sit in their pain for a time and sit in it with them instead of just encouraging them there’s an end to the pain, because God is with us in the pain.”


“How in the midst of the pain and sin and just the curse of the earth, how do I still acknowledge that God is still on His throne and still has a plan despite the fact that we sorta screwed that up in the garden?”


“I think sometimes loss or pain can actually give us that eternal perspective that wow, we are here for just this temporary time and how am I being a good steward of my love for my children, my love for my community? And it gives almost that healthy urgency that I don’t number the days of my children, God does. I don’t number the days of my own life, God does.”


“The reality is only you get to be their parent, and only you have a voice in their life as their mom or as their dad and how are you using your voice in their life.”


“Grieving is not a lack of faith or gratitude but it’s merely a recognition that what we have lost is precious.”


“If Jesus himself says that he is going to defeat sin and death, he’s going - ‘this is an enemy only I can take on.’”


“My dad sat with me and cried and said, ‘It’s good to grieve.’”


“Humans are not made for isolation.”


“I don’t think the pandemic necessarily created new problems as much as it revealed the underlying issues.”


“It is actually good for me, for Nate, for our marriage, for me to say - ‘these are the things that I need!’”







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Vivian Mabuni is an author, speaker, and fellow podcaster who lives in southern California. As an Asian American woman, Vivian is passionate about leading and discipling and does this as she shares her authentic faith. She has written several books, including one we dive into in this episode, Open Hands, Willing Heart.

She and her husband Darin have been married for 32 years. They have 3 grown children and are very much enjoying this stage of spending time with adult kids! She works with a ministry called Cru and speaks with Family Life, as well as serves on the Board of Trustees for Denver Seminary.

I am so eager to share this conversation with you on a life of surrender, living with fresh faith, and what discipleship looks like. We talk about everything from surviving cancer to valuing ethnic heritage to building a thriving marriage. Let’s dive in!

Show Notes:


Open Hands, Willing Heart by Vivian Mabuni


John 15:4-11 - “Abide in me, and I in you…”


Vivian’s Discipleship message at If:Gathering - https://youtu.be/QhexfN4d8Q8?si=iTz-3cD8MG_YOAj-


Website: https://www.vivianmabuni.com/


Podcast Someday is Here: https://www.vivianmabuni.com/someday-is-here


Family Life Marriage conferences: https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember/


IG: @vivmabuni






“Would we live a life of surrender. When we have open hands, God is free to put things in our lives, remove things from our lives. We don’t have control over those things. We can grip our hands or we can open our hands.”


“God is released to move in our lives when we have a willing heart. And that’s one that says, ‘I’m ALL IN.’”


“As hard as cancer was, there was still an underlying confidence…I knew the Lord’s got me.”


“I think that’s what fresh faith looks like - that we are continually having to step out and trust Him in ways where we can’t figure it out.”


“Our ethnic heritage does affect how we do life.”


“The way that Jesus wanted us to reach the world was impacting people who would impact people who would impact people.” 


“Ministry is not life. My kids are not my life. Jesus is life.”


“There’s a difference between impression and impact.”


“Anything that’s worthwhile requires work.”






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As we close out Season 3 of Whit's End, we look toward the disciplines we want to put into practice this fall. At Woven, we are big on Bible study and think it's important to always know the WHY behind our WHAT. So today we take a closer look at some scriptures that give meaning to what we practice. What are spiritual disciplines? Why does Bible study matter? What is our responsibility in being transformed?

Verses:

Hebrews 12:11 - “For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Romans 12:1-2 - “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Quotes:

"Spiritual disciplines are an opportunity to partner with God for change, to consistently make room for the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out."

"If we only live a surface type of faith where God’s Word figuratively hangs on our walls or sits on pillows in our home but isn’t integrated into the deepest parts of ourselves then we cheat ourselves out of some of the richest blessings God has in store for us. Consistently partnering with the Holy Spirit for change is hard work and also deeply fulfilling work."The phrase 'be transformed by the renewal of your minds' tells us it is both something that happens to us and something that we are actively engaged in."

Closing Prayer:

God I want to respond to you in worship by making my whole self available to you, and I’m trusting that as I engage with spiritual disciplines of Bible study, of prayer, of time alone with you, of slowing down my pace, you will produce fruit in my life. You will change me in the way I can’t change myself. You will grow me in the ways I’m powerless to create or bring about. 




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Lindsey Hicks joins us from Houston, Texas to share the miraculous story of watching God revive her 4-month old son. She talks about the abiding presence of God through the darkest moments, growing in patience and grace in the grieving process, and allowing gratitude to push against the bitterness and cynicism that threatens to harden our hearts. She lives in the tension between having seen God work in mighty ways and the reality that her son’s life is forever altered. 

Show Notes

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

James 1:1

Proverbs 3:5-7

Jeremiah 17:9

2 Corinthians 12:9

Quotes

“We know there’s a plan beyond our plan and our little life. God gave us a reassurance of His presence consistently.”

“I knew how deceitful my heart was being and I had to pray for compassion.”

“What God ultimately promises is His presence.”

“I knew my only source of help and strength was the Lord.” 

“I could not get over my bitterness, my sadness, my self-righteousness without Him.”

“I don’t have to be hard on myself for my weaknesses because of who He is and who I am in Him.”








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Tim and I reflect on our past 12 years of parenting and share mortifying moments, hilarious travel stories, and wisdom we've picked up from those further on in the parenting journey. We talk about faith formation over behavior modification, our strengths and weaknesses as parents, and pushing against the constant temptation to find our worth in our children's performance. What's the best way to discipline? How can we cut through conflict between siblings and get to the heart of the matter? How do we practice serving and living out our faith with little humans watching? How can we bring our kids into the adventure of life without making them the center of our universe?

Quotes

“I remember feeling, ‘Am I cut out for this’?”

“I thought, 'I must be terrible because I don’t really enjoy being around my kids right now.'”

“We saw the importance of it taking a village and having people come around us to stand in the gap for our kids. It wasn’t just that we needed people to bring us meals, it was that we needed people to love on our children when we were not at our parenting best.”

“I think one of the best things we can do is take interest in the things that interest our kids.”

“Our kids are not the center of our universe, we are bringing them into our family and our life and we are on an adventure together but they are not our life, not the center of our universe or the source of our joy.” 

“Our marriage is the relationship that takes priority.”

“What’s more important? This thing, or your sibling?”

“Spiritual formation should trump behavior modification every time.”

“Our kids are capable of understanding a lot more than we give them credit for.”




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Note: This podcast contains graphic content including domestic violence and the persecution of Christians. 

We pray this episode moves you to respond in prayer as well as support the ministry of Lumens of Truth that Samir has started! 

We encourage you to consider giving financially to support this ongoing work. You can donate through Servants International by clicking here. Under Designation, choose Lumens of Truth (not Afghan Support). All tax receipts will be processed by Servants International.

My hope and prayer is that you're moved to respond after listening to Samir's powerful testimony. As he mentioned, would we first be moved to pray for those experiencing intense persecution in Afghanistan, to pray for the laborers who are working to share the light of the gospel with those in darkness, and pray that the hope of Christ would continue to reach those who don't know him. Would we also ask God to turn our hearts from our desire to seek comfort above all and move us to care deeply for the global church, the body of Christ around the world. Lumens of Truth is in the process of raising $1500/month. They are hoping to have 10 supporters at $100/monthly and 10 supporters at $50/monthly. Use the link above to join Samir's team and set up a regular donation. Folks, this is one of those times I believe God is calling us to use our resources for something so big and meaningful and eternal!

If you'd like to reach out directly to Samir, contact him at samir@lumensoftruth.org. He would love to talk further about his work in Afghanistan or visit your church to share further about partnering with this ministry!

Quotes and verses:

“The gospel is precisely this invitation to pick up your cross.”

“Faith becomes alive through persecution.”

“The bride of Christ is in pain in many parts of the world.”

“We are giving hope to the people who have no hope.”

“My prayer is that we won’t carry this pain by ourselves.”

“I pray that the mission to the unreached people of Afghanistan and those who are most persecuted would not just be my mission but the church’s mission, and we would take this mantel for the sake of His name being praised among those who call themselves Taliban today, that they would become followers of Jesus tomorrow.”

“Where you see persecution, there you see the hand of God.”

“The gospel is not about words only, it’s about the power of God.”

“Let’s be a people that go before their Lord and confess that we have been a people that seek their comfort above all things.”

Romans 5:3-5 - suffering produces endurance

Colossians 1:24 - “Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s affliction for the sake of his body, the church.” 

Matthew 16:24-25 - take up your cross

Philippians 1:29 - suffering for his sake






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