Why I Believe

Michelle Von Ruden
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

Why I Believe is a faith-centered podcast sharing real stories of transformation, modern miracles, and lived encounters with God. Through a blend of solo reflections and honest conversations with others whose lives have been changed, host Michelle Von Ruden creates a safe, welcoming space for curiosity, questions, and faith rediscovery. This podcast exists to bring people closer to God, whether you're just beginning your journey, rebuilding after distance, or seeking to strengthen your relationship with Him. Rooted in Matthew 5:16, Why I Believe shines light through authentic stories so God may be glorified, and hearts may be drawn closer to Him.

  1. 2d ago

    Faithful Friday S2E8: What Worry Do You Need to Surrender?

    What are you carrying today that God never asked you to carry alone? In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our lives or about tomorrow. Look at the birds. Consider the lilies. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need. Yet how often do we find ourselves worrying about what might happen tomorrow, next week, or months from now? Jesus gives us another way: Seek first His Kingdom. In this week's Faithful Friday, spend a few moments in Scripture, reflection, and prayer as you consider: What worry do you need to surrender to God today? Name it. Give it to Him. Ask what He wants you to understand, where He is calling you to grow, and what step He wants you to take next. Then trust Him with tomorrow. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 6:25–34 🎙️ Faithful Friday is available as part of the Why I Believe podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  2. 4d ago

    Cathy Kahl: I Found God in AA

    Cathy Kahl was searching for God. She didn't expect to find Him in an AA meeting. In the third of four special Why I Believe conversations recorded LIVE at OneFest, Cathy joins me to share her story of addiction, recovery, identity, and discovering a relationship with Jesus. Cathy started drinking at 13. As an adult, she built a successful career and spent more than three decades in real estate property management. From the outside, her life looked put together. Inside, it was a different story. Cathy says she had become emotionally dead. She was searching for God while continuing to use alcohol to escape the parts of her life she didn't want to face. Then she walked into an AA recovery room. She saw the steps on the wall. She saw signs saying things like, "Let go and let God." And Cathy realized something she hadn't expected: God was there too. That became part of a journey that has now included 28 years of sobriety—and a completely different understanding of who she is. Cathy's identity is no longer found in her career, her achievements, her broken relationships, or even her addiction. She knows she is a daughter of the One True King. Today, Cathy and her husband pray together, read the Bible, share their testimonies, and look for opportunities to give other people the same hope and encouragement they have received. Her story is a reminder that no matter how put together someone's life may look from the outside, there may be a very different battle happening underneath. And no matter how deep the struggle becomes, there is help. There is healing. There is hope. And there is Jesus. 🎙️ Listen to Cathy Kahl: I Found God in AA, the third of four special episodes recorded live at OneFest, on the Why I Believe podcast. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. You can reach Cathy Kahl at Facebook Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  3. Nov 6

    Faithful Friday S2E7: Where Is Your Heart Investing Its Treasure?

    What are you investing your heart in? In Matthew 6:19–24, Jesus challenges us not to store up treasures on earth, but to focus on treasures in heaven. Because where our treasure is, our heart will follow. Our time. Our attention. Our energy. Our money. The things we pursue and prioritize can reveal a lot about what has captured our hearts. And Jesus gives us a clear reminder: we cannot serve two masters. In this week's Faithful Friday, spend a few moments in Scripture, reflection, and prayer as you consider: Where is my heart investing its treasure? Ask God what He wants you to understand, where He is calling you to grow, and what step He wants you to take next. Then listen. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 6:19–24 🎙️ Faithful Friday is available as part of the Why I Believe podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  4. Nov 4

    Wayne Price: Stop Talking at God

    Are you talking to God—or are you talking at Him? For years, Wayne Price wanted to hear God's voice. After watching his wife experience a profound change in her faith, Wayne wanted something deeper too. So he got serious. He set up a small space in his home with a carpet, a homemade cross, his Bible, and a notepad. Then he got on his knees and asked God to speak. And he kept asking. Days became months. Months became years. Eventually, Wayne realized something: He was doing a lot of talking. But he wasn't getting quiet enough to listen. That shift changed everything. In this episode of Why I Believe, 82-year-old author Wayne Price shares how he learned to recognize God's voice, how listening led him to become a devotional writer, and why hearing God is only part of the equation. Because once God speaks, there's another question: Will you obey? Today, Wayne is homebound and uses a wheelchair, but he continues to write and talk with God. He says writing is his joy and gives him the assurance that he is exactly where God wants him to be. His story is a reminder that God is real, God listens, God speaks—and following Him requires us to stop, get quiet, listen, and then be willing to act. Maybe the question isn't simply: "God, will You speak to me?" Maybe it's: "Am I quiet enough to hear You—and willing to do what You say?" 🎙️ Listen to Wayne Price: Stop Talking at God on the Why I Believe podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. You can reach Wayne Price at Wayne Price | LinkedIn Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  5. Oct 30

    Faithful Friday S2E6: Are You Living the Prayer You Pray?

    We know the words. But are we living them? In Matthew 6:8–13, Jesus gives us the words of the Lord's Prayer. Your will be done. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us as we forgive others. Lead us away from temptation. They're words many of us have prayed hundreds—or even thousands—of times. But today, instead of simply reciting them, we're going to slow down and consider what they're asking of us. Which part of the Lord's Prayer do you need to live out today? Spend a few moments in Scripture, reflection, and prayer. Ask God what He wants you to understand, where He is calling you to grow, and what step He wants you to take next. Then listen. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 6:8–13 🎙️ Faithful Friday is available as part of the Why I Believe podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  6. Oct 28

    Lisa Andreas: I Chose to Heal

    You can believe in God your entire life and still reach a point when you have to choose what that relationship is really going to look like. Recorded LIVE at OneFest, my friend Lisa joins me to share a vulnerable story of faith, marriage, divorce, healing, and learning what it meant to truly lean into her relationship with Christ. Lisa grew up in the church. She went to youth group. She prayed. She believed. But when her marriage became difficult, she found herself asking a much deeper question: Was I really all in? As Lisa navigated the end of a nearly 20-year marriage, she wrestled with what divorce meant for her faith, her identity, and her relationship with God. And then she heard a message she desperately needed: God does not hate the divorced. Healing didn't happen overnight. Lisa had to decide whether she would live in fear, anger and blame—or take ownership, lean into God and heal. She chose to heal. Today, Lisa has remarried, and prayer has become one of the strongest parts of her new marriage. She and her husband pray together, pray for their children, pray for friends and even talk about how they can grow God's Kingdom together. In this conversation, Lisa also shares why Christian community mattered during her healing and why she needed people who wouldn't simply validate how she felt, but would continually point her back to Christ. Sometimes the question we need from a friend is simply: "Did you pray about that yet?" 🎙️ Listen to Lisa: I Chose to Heal, recorded live at OneFest, on the Why I Believe podcast. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact.

  7. Oct 23

    Faithful Friday S2E5: God's Approval or People's Applause?

    Who are you trying to impress? In Matthew 6:1–4, Jesus challenges us to look beyond what we do and examine why we do it. Are we giving, serving, and doing good because we want to honor God? Or are we hoping someone notices? Jesus reminds us that our faith isn't meant to be performed for recognition. God sees what happens when no one else is watching. In this week's Faithful Friday, spend a few moments in Scripture, reflection, and prayer as you sit with this question: Am I seeking God's approval or people's applause? Ask God what He wants you to understand, where He is calling you to grow, and what step He wants you to take next. Then listen. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 6:1–4 🎙️ Faithful Friday is available as part of the Why I Believe podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

  8. Oct 21

    Dr. Michael Baglino: When God Has to Shout

    Sometimes God speaks quietly. And sometimes He has to get our attention. Dr. Michael Baglino calls those moments "spiritual lightning." Michael grew up Catholic but, like many people, found himself drifting away from fully living his faith. Then, at 75 years old, everything changed. A stroke revealed that his carotid artery was 98% blocked. He needed immediate surgery. Then came another stroke. A heart valve replacement. And another warning that eventually led to a pacemaker. Three strikes of what Michael calls spiritual lightning. Each one brought him closer to God. Today, at 82, Michael says he doesn't simply go to church—his Catholic faith has become his lifestyle. Mass, Communion, Confession, the Rosary, prayer, community, and praying for others have become part of how he lives every day. But Michael's story doesn't stop there. Years earlier, while visiting Vatican City, Michael found himself in St. Peter's Square on the day Pope John Paul II was shot—and actually began running after the man he believed was responsible before realizing the danger he was putting himself in. He also shares about seeing the Pope the year before, visiting Our Lady of Guadalupe, spending quiet mornings alone inside the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and the experiences that continued shaping his faith throughout his life. Through it all, Michael has one message: Don't wait until God has to shout. Listen now. Know Him. Love Him. Serve Him. And follow Jesus as closely as you can. 🎙️ Listen to Dr. Michael Baglino: When God Has to Shout on the Why I Believe podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Real Stories. Real Faith. Real Impact. You can reach Dr. Michael Baglino at Dr.Michael J. Baglino | LinkedIn Want to share your story? Michelle is currently accepting guest applications for Why I Believe. 👉 Apply here: https://www.michellevonruden.com/whyibelieve-apply Ready to take the next step? If you're feeling called to grow deeper in your faith, identity, or purpose, Michelle would be honored to walk alongside you. 👉 Book a conversation: Book Your Discovery Call with Michelle Von Ruden 👉 Learn more about coaching: Von Ruden Coaching and Consulting LLC- INDIVIDUALS Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be called. You don't have to have it all figured out to say yes. God will meet you right where you are.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Why I Believe is a faith-centered podcast sharing real stories of transformation, modern miracles, and lived encounters with God. Through a blend of solo reflections and honest conversations with others whose lives have been changed, host Michelle Von Ruden creates a safe, welcoming space for curiosity, questions, and faith rediscovery. This podcast exists to bring people closer to God, whether you're just beginning your journey, rebuilding after distance, or seeking to strengthen your relationship with Him. Rooted in Matthew 5:16, Why I Believe shines light through authentic stories so God may be glorified, and hearts may be drawn closer to Him.

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Von Ruden
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Why I Believe