Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith Sarah Young

Old habits can be hard to break, whether it’s the foods we eat, the media we consume, or any pattern that may not serve us in the way that gets us where we want to be. Our guests this week took a look at their lives and found that doing the hard work of change was key to breaking unhealthy patterns and through faith and prayer, they kept at it, which ultimately produced lasting and rewarding results. 
Our first guest, Erin Loechner, discusses how we can reverse engineer some of the ways that social media and technology hold our undivided attention and how she personally applied these principles to her own life and to the lives of her children, resulting in more connectivity with each other and the world around them. Later, we'll hear from Dusty and Erin Stanczyk, of www.EatMoveRest.com, who discuss what it means to be more intentional in our approach to the foods that we eat, and how they overcame troubling health issues and found physical and spiritual healing.
 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Natalie Grant
Upcoming interview: Ricky Dickson
 
Erin Loechner
Opt-Out Family
www.HGTV.com show
Waldorf elements
www.optoutfamily.com
The Opt-Out Family
 
Dusty and Erin Stanczyk
www.EatMoveRest.com
Jesus Calling App

 
Interview Quotes:
“We kind of made this very intentional decision that we as a family were going to be more engaging than the algorithm, and we were going to not only say no to devices, but we were going to say yes to something better. And if we were going to do that, we were going to need to model that for our kids.” - Erin Loechner
“Something we started really early on with our children was looking around and looking in our community and finding those natural influencers in our lives, and recognizing that they offer and hold deep experience that we might never encounter otherwise.” - Erin Loechner 
“Everyone holds a story. Everyone holds so much knowledge and wisdom at their fingertips just through lived experience, and we are constantly pointing our kids to people in real life, rather than Google or Siri or Alexa.” - Erin Loechner 
“Let's learn from the best. Let's grow from the best. Let's find those people in our lives that have things to share that will add value in a way that screens really can't.” - Erin Loechner 
“Rather than filling our medicine cabinet with orange vials, we started stocking up on new superfoods every time we'd come home from the grocery store and figuring out how we could implement them. And realizing every colored food has a different benefit. It was just really exciting for us.” - Erin Stanczyk
“We only have one body. And God created us in His image, in His likeness. So why would we not do everything within our power to nurture it and nourish it? So eat, move, rest your best, essentially.“ - Erin Stanczyk
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
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On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’ll hear from comedian Chonda Pierce. Chonda’s ability to bring laughter to others is renowned, but as we know, life’s circumstances can threaten to steal our joy. The loss of Chonda’s sisters and then her husband were crushing blows, but through prayer, therapy and the support of others, she shares how she was able to find light again after facing the worst kind of darkness. 
 
Guest’s Links
Chonda’s Facebook: @chondapierce
Chonda’s Twitter: @chondapierce
Chonda’s Instagram: @chondapierce
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*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

When kindness is shown to us—whether it’s as small as a smile from a stranger, or as big as someone meeting a need at a desperate time in our lives—we see and feel goodness that is often unexplainable. If we look for them, we can find these divine kindnesses each day, those big and little nods from God that bring us hope and comfort, even in the darkest of hours. These moments are powerful reminders of the sustaining force of divine kindness and the enduring faith it nurtures. 
Founders of the ministry Bottle of Tears Chris and Lindsey Wheeler share the challenges they faced after adopting their daughter, Eliana, from Guatemala, all while navigating Lindsey's development of a rare autoimmune disease, and how the kindness of God kept them from despairing. 
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Bryan Crum, a hospice chaplain, who shares what he has learned from spending time with people in their final days and how God shows up in their last moments to demonstrate His sustaining kindness.

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Linda Davis and Lang Scott
Upcoming interview: Erin Loechner
Jesus Listens Notetaking Edition
 
Chris Wheeler
Lindsey Wheeler
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Lyme Disease
Jennie Allen
Psalm 56 NIV
Bottle of Tears
www.bottleoftears.com
Kit and The Missing Notebook
 
Bryan Crum
www.bryancrum.com
Neighbor, Love Yourself

 
Interview Quotes:
“I remember at the beginning of my diagnosis, just really fighting with the Lord, honestly, and going, God, why? Why is this my story? Why have you chosen us to be Eliana’s parents? We are not capable of this. Why did you choose me to have a disease at the same time? It just felt so unfair.” - Lindsey Wheeler 
“I laid on my bed crying and asking God, ‘How do I do this? How do I run this race when I am homebound?’” - Lindsey Wheeler
“God was so cool that I got a front row seat to watch people comfort their friends and family, and I was able to read their letters of encouragement and hope to their friends and family, and it gave me encouragement. It helped me to push forward.” - Lindsey Wheeler
“My body continues to fail me, but God hasn't. He has not failed me. And I feel just more confident and more alive than I have in a long time, knowing that He is using me still in the midst of my pain.” - Lindsey Wheeler 
“My prayer in those moments is, ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.’ Because sometimes that's all you got.” - Chris Wheeler 
“It's humbling just to be invited into people's homes, into their lives at a time when each moment, each minute is just more valuable because you know they're the final ones.” - Bryan Crum
“We let unsaid words hold us in place. And it's almost like this ancient, heavy anchor that ties us down. I've learned that we often need a little nudge to remind us we can untie our boats from that anchor and float away at any time.” - Bryan Crum
“We don't have to wait to see what our lives will be like at the end of our stories. Imagine now what you think that final scene of your life is going to be like. And if you don't like what it looks like, make course corrections today. Make the changes now. There's a welcoming home waiting for us.” - Bryan Crum  
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
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When we face self-doubt, we may find ourselves not believing in our own innate abilities, or we might even decide to turn away from our aspirations in the belief that we’re not “good enough” to get where we want to be. When we willfully stop listening to the voices that tell us we can’t do it, and replace our fears with faith, a transformative effect takes place that allows us to believe in ourselves again and realize that our dreams are worth chasing. 
Our first guest is the multi-talented Taraji P. Henson. Taraji is not only a renowned actress but also a dedicated mother, philanthropist, author, director, and producer. Though Taraji had dreams of becoming an actress, early rejection caused her to question herself, and move in a different direction. It took the words of her trusted father to remind her what she was made for, and to find the courage to chase her dreams. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from actress and filmmaker Sope Aluko. For over two decades, Sope built a successful corporate career. However, the passion for acting never left her. After the loss of her parents, and a time of personal reassessment, she awakened the dream in her heart and decided to pursue her first love of acting.
 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Brett Young
Upcoming interview: Chris and Lindsey Wheeler
Jesus Listens Notetaking Edition
 
Taraji P. Henson
Duke Ellington High School of the Performing Arts
North Carolina A&T
The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
You Can Be A Good Friend
 
Sope Aluko
Black Panther
Parkinson's Disease
Chadwick Boseman

 
Interview Quotes:
“I could go anywhere and make friends with anyone, because I came from a great foundation of love. And when you have that foundation, you can turn negatives into positives.” - Taraji P. Henson
“God did an amazing thing by putting us on this earth. We're all humans and we all look different. And it is our charge, as humans on this earth, to learn how to get along.” - Taraji P. Henson 
“I keep God close to me at all times, and I'm constantly in communication with God at all times. I'm nothing without God, like, the fact that I'm here? I'm blessed and I know why.” - Taraji P. Henson 
“These roles that I booked, every single time I would pray to God, I said, ‘Lord, let it be a role that really speaks to me, that resonates with me.’” - Sope Aluko
“It's amazing how God works because He is a planner and He planned every single detail ahead of me.” - Sope Aluko
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
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The most valuable life lessons often emerge from our most difficult circumstances. While these experiences give us insight into our own lives, they also provide meaningful stories to share with others and point them towards God, who can ultimately give them comfort through their darkest moments. 
This week, we’ll hear from Jesse Hutch, a Canadian-born American film and television actor, who recalls how a near-death experience taught him the peace that comes from fully trusting in God’s control and the importance of using scripture and prayer to ground your beliefs. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Randy Frazee, author of The Story, which arranges the Bible chronologically so that readers can experience it as one, whole narrative. He shares how his journey through depression deepened his empathy and reliance on God, and how he now uses this experience to support others facing similar struggles.

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Jeff Allen
Upcoming interview: Taraji P. Henson
 
Jesse Hutch
Hebrews 4:12 NIV

 
Randy Frazee
The Story
Philippians 1:3-6 NIV
www.randyfrazee.com
The Joy Challenge



Interview Quotes:
“It really is a miracle that I'm alive, and I owe all that to God.” - Jesse Hutch
“You still have an option. If you're still breathing, if you're still above ground, you have an option, and that option is to completely give it all over to God, because that honestly is the most peaceful place you can be.” - Jesse Hutch 
“I'm very interested in the human heart. I think God made it very unique and it's awesome and it's amazing and special. And so I can go play a character that I've never done in real life, and yet I can understand hurt and pain and sadness, joy, jealousy, and all these different emotions that we all go through at times, and you bring that to the table.” - Jesse Hutch 
“God has this beautiful way of never taking you back on the same trail you walked on. He always brings you back to Him in a new, fresh way.” - Jesse Hutch  
“I really am mindful to stop and to speak into the life of somebody, whether it's a kid or an adult, a person who is discouraged, because that speaking vision into them, what you see, could really change the outcome of their life.” - Randy Frazee 
“I think it's important for people to realize that the feelings of anxiety or depression are not sinful. These are emotions that God has given us to alert us and to allow us to go through seasons of difficulty.” - Randy Frazee 
“He is going to carry us along. He's going to encourage us. He's going to walk us through it. And He factors in our weakness in selecting us.” - Randy Frazee 
“God offers us in our relationship with Jesus, a joy that's despite our circumstances, despite other people, despite our past, and a level of joy that can actually defeat worry in our lives.” - Randy Frazee 
“God is writing a story. And you are a character in that story, He deeply loves you and He wants you to look up. And if you look up, He promises that everything is going to turn out just all right for you, it’s going to turn out great for you, and He wants to give you His joy.” - Randy Frazee
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 
Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 
Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 
What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 
Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 
________________________ 
Connect with Jesus Calling
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There is an intricate dance between the difficulty of making changes in our lives and a profound trust in God to guide us through. When we have to make the decision to leave something behind and start anew, there is an emotional toll and a fear of the unknown. However, there is much to be learned from endings and new beginnings, and how sometimes we end up finding peace in the midst of our turmoil. 
Emily P. Freeman is a spiritual director and author who hosts The Next Right Thing Podcast. Emily shares practical thoughts on how to navigate change, taken from her new book, How to Walk Into A Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away. Stephanie May Wilson is a Tedx speaker, author, and podcaster who speaks to young adults who are facing crucial years where they will make some of their biggest life’s decisions, and advises them on how they can faithfully move forward by trusting God with their questions and their fears. 

 
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling Podcast
Jesus Calling
Jesus Always
Jesus Listens
Past interview: Reba McEntire
Upcoming interview: Jesse Hutch
 
Emily P. Freeman 
The Next Right Thing Podcast
How to Walk Into A Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away
 
Stephanie May Wilson
Tedx speaker
Create A Life You Love



Interview Quotes:
“I have a lot of compassion for anyone who is standing in the threshold of a room that they have been in for a really long time, and maybe feel a really deep sense of belonging, to walk out of that room into something that could be amazing and beautiful, but something that also might come with some risk.” - Emily P. Freeman 
“In reality, there is both beautiful and terrible in probably every space that we're in. And so if we decide to walk away, I think it's so good to do it with our eyes wide open, not just at the hesitations, but also to the gifts, so that we're having a truer experience of not only the room, but also our leaving of it.” - Emily P. Freeman
“I truly believe God is always aware of us, that God is fully love and fully attentive and and God will not let us miss our own future. Which means that as I make my decisions, I'm not making them in a room by myself.” - Emily P. Freeman
“Even if I make a move in a direction that turns out terrible and I learn something from it, God was still with me. And in that move, I am becoming someone. Because what is infinitely more important than the decision that I make, ultimately, is the person who I am becoming as I make my decisions.” - Emily P. Freeman 
“True peace is not the absence of discomfort or conflict, but it is an inner brokenness and an inner wholeness and an inner knowing that even though chaos may be all around me, I can still be aligned with what I know and who I am, I can live in congruence with my own core values, with my true identity, with the common good, with my life and God.” - Emily P. Freeman
“The ‘everything era’ really is this super tricky period of time where a bunch of different forces are pushing and pulling us in different directions, and where I think it leaves us constantly feeling like we're falling short and falling behind.” - Stephanie May Wilson
“I don’t know that I knew that I got to participate in my life. I felt like there was one exact right way to do it, and I had to figure it out. And if I couldn't figure it out, then I was going to mess it all up. And I think that that's a really big lie that I had to combat.” - Stephanie May Wilson 
“I started to learn that a beautiful life isn't one size fits all, and that there are a whole bunch of different ways that life can be lived, that are all right and beautiful and good and God-approved.” - Stephanie May Wilson 
________________________
Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 
Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 
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