The GraceForge Podcast

Karen Dittman
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

When life brings the impossible, God doesn't just show up — he forges exactly what you need to get through it. The GraceForge Podcast is a collection of intimate conversations with people who've faced seasons of struggle that had no human solution — and discovered that God was already crafting the grace they needed. Each guest brings a story of provision that was personal, precise, and powerful. Come hear what he made for them. And be reminded of what he can make for you. Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    I Thought I Killed My Mother: Tom Snow on Guilt, Grace, and a 56-Year Walk with God

    At 14, Tom Snow built an invention to capture asbestos-laden brake dust off car wheels — driven partly by a need to win his engineer father's attention. It won at the state science fair. Then his mother was diagnosed with cancer and died within the year, and 15-year-old Tom became convinced his research had killed her. A month later, he found a hard tumor in his own gut — the same kind his mother had — and decided he deserved to die for what he'd done. He told no one and sought no treatment. Over the following months, Tom had visions of eternity and heard the audible voice of God tell him, "I love you, and someday I'll provide your perfect mate for you." He doubted it was real. When he discovered his father had taken out a multi-million-dollar life insurance policy on him — and only him, not his brothers — the betrayal sent him spiraling: a motorcycle gang, heavy drinking at 16, and a secret plan to blackmail his father and end his life at the Grand Canyon. He could never get his motorcycle running well enough to leave the city — something he now credits to God's intervention. His actual turning point came one night with his biker friends, retelling his story expecting them to mock it, when the presence of God broke through instead. In this conversation, Tom talks about the early charismatic church that shaped his faith in the 1970s, the night his fist-sized tumor dissolved within 24 hours of a conversation with God about healing, and the moment — years later — when God asked him to forgive his father, who never once apologized, and then to forgive himself. Both, he says, were instant and complete once he made the choice, regardless of whether the feeling was there yet. Tom is the author of the Set the Captives Free trilogy, which explores walking daily with God, church hurt, and false spirituality in the modern church. Tom's closing word for listeners: walking with the true and living God is worth everything — not because life will be easy, but because His peace and presence hold in the middle of the hard, the wilderness, and the wait. Connect with Tom: Books: The Daily Stand; Set the Captives Free; Set the Captives Free 2: Evil's Great MasqueradeWebsite:  https://just2beclear.com/set-the-captives-free-too/ Timestamps [00:00] Introduction [00:41] Meeting Tom: A Teenage Invention and a Father's Attention [04:32] When His Mother Got Cancer [06:50] Finding the Same Tumor in Himself [07:44] Four Months of Visions [08:59] The Audible Voice of God [12:50] His Brother Bruce's Salvation on an LSD Trip [14:59] Trying to Get Saved and Feeling Nothing [19:23] The Spiral: Doubt, a Harley, and a Motorcycle Gang [20:58] Discovering His Father's Insurance Policy [23:33] The Blackmail Plan and the Grand Canyon [26:42] Saved Among His Biker Friends [29:31] The Early Charismatic Church, 1971–1977 [34:12] "Would You Like That Healing?" [36:10] The Power of Shame to Block Love [37:18] Forgiving a Father Who Never Apologized [44:10] Forgiving Himself [46:41] The Daily Stand and the Set the Captives Free Trilogy [53:01] Walking With God Is Worth Everything [55:38] Closing Reflection Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  2. 6d ago

    When God Feels Silent: Paul Granger on Grace You Didn't Earn

    Paul Granger has been in formal ministry for over two decades — a Christian all his life, a ministry leader, an author of more than two dozen books. But the last year and a half, he says, has felt like God went silent. In this candid conversation, Paul unpacks a hard truth he's been wrestling with: that after years of sacrifice and service, it's easy to start believing God owes you something in return — and how a passage in Luke 17, about servants who "have only done our duty," exposed that assumption in his own heart. Paul and Karen talk about the difference between hoping things work out and actually finding contentment in any circumstance, the danger — and freedom — of letting go of the "shiny things" we cling to instead of God (illustrated by a story about a raccoon whose fist gets stuck in a knothole because he won't release what he's grabbed), and why an eternal perspective changes how we carry present hardship. Paul also shares about his podcast, Where Did You See God, and his upcoming book Something in the Froth (Morgan James Publishing, August 2026) — a collection of sketches found in random coffee froth, built around the idea that everyone made in God's image carries innate creativity, even when life looks like a mess with nothing good in it. Paul's closing encouragement: consider that the way you understand your current situation might not be the whole story — and take one small step toward the humility that opens you up to see what God sees. Connect with Paul: Podcast: Where Did You See GodBook: Something in the Froth (Morgan James Publishing, August 2026)Website: wheredidyouseegod.com 4. Timestamps [00:00] Introduction [00:43] Meeting Paul: Two Decades in Ministry [01:05] The Servant Parable: Luke 17 and Unmerited Grace [03:56] Eighteen Months of God Feeling Silent [04:59] Do I Think God Owes Me Something? [06:35] He Owes Me Nothing, I Owe Him Everything [09:40] The Danger of Admitting You're Burned Out [12:19] Hitting the Wall: The Dark Night of the Soul [13:13] Misreading Jeremiah 29:11 [14:44] Contentment in Any Circumstance [16:55] In the World, Not of It [18:06] The Raccoon and the Knothole [24:59] When Scripture Suddenly Comes Alive [25:19] "Don't Be a Hired Hand. Be a Sheep." [30:44] Where God Has the Greatest Opportunity [32:01] Where Did You See God and Something in the Froth [35:49] Closing ReflectionWant to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  3. Aug 10

    It's Always Too Soon to Quit: Jay Setchell on Surviving the Impossible, Again and Again

    Jay Setchell has been declared dead and brought back more than once. At 17, he narrowly escaped a feeding auger that could have killed him instantly. At 19, he died in the Marine Corps and spent a year in the naval hospital recovering. Four years later, a drunk driver hit him nearly head-on — the other driver was killed, and Jay had an out-of-body experience as doctors worked to save him. Then, on July 4, 1981, just three weeks into his second marriage, he dove into a swimming pool, broke his neck in four places, and drowned. He was underwater for eight minutes, and doctors told him he'd likely be paralyzed for life. What changed everything wasn't the medicine — it was a stranger in the hospital waiting room who asked to pray for him, and a congregation of thousands who kept praying every week for months. Jay noticed something he couldn't explain: he made more physical progress on Sundays, the one day he wasn't in therapy, than he did all week. He walked out of that hospital against his doctors' advice, and has spent the decades since navigating brain stem surgeries, syringomyelia, Brown-Séquard syndrome, and fifteen back surgeries — moving from cane to leg braces to walker to, for the last eight years, a power wheelchair. In this conversation, Jay talks about the difference between hope and faith, why "count what you have left, not what you've lost" became his anchor phrase, and how he built multiple companies and wrote an Amazon #1 bestseller, The Strength Within You: It's Always Too Soon to Quit, out of a life most people wouldn't have survived once. His closing word for listeners: what lies within you — the strength God has given you to draw on — matters more than what's behind you or ahead of you. Connect with Jay: Book: The Strength Within You: It's Always Too Soon to Quit (Amazon)Website: neverquittrying.comEmail: jay@neverquittrying.com Timestamps [00:00] Introduction  [00:45] Meeting Jay: 73 Surgeries and Counting  [02:46] Three Near-Deaths: The Auger, the Marine Corps, and the Drunk Driver  [06:19] The Pool Dive That Broke His Neck  [07:06] A Stranger's Prayer in the Waiting Room  [08:49] Who Jay Was Before Understanding Grace  [10:35] "You Chose to Jump In": His Mother's Turning-Point Words  [13:29] Getting More Back on Sundays  [15:18] "If It Is to Be, It Is Up to Me"  [16:42] Walking Out of the Hospital  [19:48] Living as a Functioning Quadriplegic  [26:52] The Sailing Cart and the Power of Mindset  [30:22] Would He Have Walked Again Without That Prayer?  [34:06] The Strength Within You: Jay's Book  [39:39] The Reader Turning 95  [45:51] Faith Stronger Than Hope: The Takeaway  [47:10] Closing Reflection Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  4. Aug 6

    From Rock Bottom to Purpose: Mia Godfrey on Grief, Addiction, and Starting Over

    Mia Godfrey grew up in Romania under the communist regime, and grief has shaped nearly every chapter of her life since. She lost her father at 18 and turned to alcohol to cope, hiding her addiction by leaving home rather than shame her mother, known in their community as a prayer warrior. Years of abusive relationships and rock-bottom moments followed — until a wake-up call, and an acceptance letter to a Christian college 800 miles away, sent her packing her bags without telling anyone. She rebuilt her life working three jobs, deliberately staying close to people who could hold her accountable. At 35, Mia lost her first husband. In 2023, she became the full-time caretaker for her sister through an ovarian cancer diagnosis, moving to Montana for eleven months before her sister passed away that November. Her sister's dying request — "write it down, don't carry it alone" — became the seed for Mia's first book, Buried Not Broken: A Memoir of Survival, Sisterhood, and Starting Over, released in March 2026. Her second book, Second Sunrise Together, a couple's guide to trust, remarriage, and blended family, comes out for pre-order at the end of July 2026, drawn from her own remarriage to her husband Kenny and adopting his two children. In this conversation, Mia talks candidly about addiction, grief, abusive relationships, and how she found the fire to turn her hardest seasons into purpose — including the women's retreats she's launching this August. Her closing word for listeners: don't give up, because as long as you have breath in your lungs, God's plan for you isn't over. Connect with Mia: Books: Buried Not Broken (Amazon, Kindle, Audible) — Second Sunrise Together (pre-order late July 2026)Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram: Mia GodfreyWebsite: miagodfrey.comAlso offers Bible counseling and life coaching 4. Timestamps [00:00] Introduction  [00:43] Meeting Mia: Seeing God's Grace in the Little Moments  [01:02] Growing Up in Communist Romania  [02:46] Turning to Alcohol After Her Father's Death  [05:15] A Sister's Unconditional Love  [06:29] The Struggle Inside the Addict  [09:39] The Abusive Relationship and the Last Straw  [11:09] Packing Her Bags for a College 800 Miles Away  [11:40] Three Jobs and Staying Close to a Strong Witness  [14:48] Grieving in Your Own Way  [16:17] Carrying Her Sister's Legacy — and Her Own  [19:15] Eleven Months as Her Sister's Caretaker  [20:49] Buried Not Broken: Writing Through the Grief  [21:14] Second Sunrise Together and a New Family  [21:42] Retreats for Overwhelmed Women  [24:51] Don't Give Up: The Takeaway  [26:11] Closing Reflection Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  5. Aug 3

    When Tragedy Strikes Twice: Deston Rogers on Grief, Community, and the Voice God Gave Him

    Deston Rogers has spent over 40 years in radio, but his story is defined by loss that most people never have to face even once. In 1990, his two-and-a-half-year-old son Cody and Cody's mother were killed in a car accident. Years later, Deston reconnected with a second son, Dakota, after a paternity mix-up had separated them for over three decades — only to lose Dakota in 2024 to alcohol poisoning. In between, he watched his father be found dead and sat with his mother as she took her last breath from cancer. In this conversation, Deston talks about how his faith grew stronger through each loss rather than in spite of it, why he refused to numb the pain with substances or medication, and how leaning into community and honest friendship carried him through grief he couldn't have processed alone. He also shares the origin of his podcast, Eagle Freedom Presents, built around the idea that everyone has a story that can help someone else: rise, inspire, overcome. Deston's closing word for listeners: you too can rise, inspire, and overcome — and there's a community out there willing to help you do it. Connect with Deston: Podcast & blog: eaglefreedompresents.comEmail: eaglefreedompresents@gmail.comSocial media: Eagle Freedom Presents (all platforms) 4Timestamps [00:00] Introduction  [00:47] God's Grace as a Culmination, Not a Single Moment  [03:11] The Accident That Changed Everything: August 25, 1990  [06:28] Reconnecting with a Second Son  [07:16] Losing Dakota, 2024  [08:45] Four Losses in One Lifetime  [09:38] Where Faith Meets Grief  [12:06] The Power of Community Over Numbing the Pain  [13:04] Remembering What He Couldn't Remember  [15:42] What to Say When You Can't Take "One More Thing"  [18:06] Finding Purpose: A Voice for Over 40 Years  [18:35] Eagle Freedom Presents: Rise, Inspire, Overcome  [22:03] Church as a Weekly Reset  [24:55] The Takeaway: Rise, Inspire, Overcome  [25:38] Closing Reflection Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  6. Jul 30

    Why Would God Let This Happen to Me? Tim Malm's Rodeo Accident and the Deeper Faith That Followed

    www.thegraceforge.com Tim Malm was a PRCA steer roper finishing his first year of college when an ordinary Sunday roping practice changed everything. A rope caught his horse's leg, the horse went down, and the sudden jerk caused severe brain bleeding at the brainstem. Two weeks in ICU in Cheyenne, Wyoming and four months at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Englewood, Colorado followed — along with a choice Tim made the moment he regained consciousness: see the injury as something that happened to him, or as something God would use for His glory. In this conversation, Tim shares how his relationship with God moved from distant to immediate through his recovery, how Philippians 4:13 became the verse that carries him through the hardest workouts, and how he learned to turn "why me" into "why not me." He also talks about Stronger 4:13, the coffee company he built to carry his story and his faith to a wider audience, his work speaking at rodeo churches (including to nearly 2,000 people at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Sunday), and the junior rodeo he hosts every July for kids in his community. Tim's closing word for listeners: never give up on God, because He's never given up on you. Connect with Tim: Coffee & story: stronger413.comFacebook and Instagram (public profiles)Junior Rodeo for Kids: held annually the second Saturday in July 4. Timestamps [00:00] Introduction [00:51] Opening Prayer [02:11] The Accident: A Steer Roping Practice Gone Wrong [05:24] Waking Up to a Choice [07:05] A Faith Made Closer Through Suffering [09:39] Philippians 4:13: "I Can Do All Things through Christ" [11:50] The Weight of What's Been Lost [12:41] From "Why Me" to "Why Not Me" [14:14] Gratitude Is the Attitude [15:02] Stronger 4:13: Turning Pain into Purpose [17:32] Speaking at Rodeo Churches [18:39] The Junior Rodeo for Kids [19:31] Never Give Up on God [21:45] Closing Reflection Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  7. Jul 23

    Exhausted from Holding It All Together? Kathleen Johnson on the Fear and Self-Reliance That's Draining You

    What do you do when everything you built your life around gets wiped off the board? For Kathleen Johnson, it was an unwanted divorce — a moment that exposed something she hadn't seen: she had been living in fear. Not occasional worry, but a deep, pervasive fear running the show all along. Paralyzed. Replaying the past. Unable to imagine what came next. What God showed her in that wreckage became the foundation for everything since. In this conversation, Kathleen and Karen dig into the roots of fear, self-reliance, and why so many Christians can't access the peace they know is supposed to be theirs. Kathleen draws from Scripture, neuroscience, and her own miraculous divine healing — when three doctors said she would not recover — to show what becomes possible when we let our experience rise to meet God's Word instead of pulling His Word down to our experience. In this episode you'll hear: Why fear is always connected to disconnection from GodThe difference between surrender and resignation: not giving up, but giving overThe C.S. Lewis quote that reframes what surrender actually costs youHow neuroscience is catching up to what Scripture has said for thousands of yearsWhat blocks God's grace: unforgiveness, unworthiness, and the agreements we make with liesWhy humility is not thinking less of yourself — it's thinking of yourself lessKathleen's miraculous healing and what it taught her about standing on the Word when your experience says otherwiseAbout Kathleen Johnson: Kathleen Johnson is an author, speaker, and podcaster devoted to helping people walk in the fullness of what God has already provided. After her own miraculous recovery — when three doctors said she would not heal — she founded Kathleen Johnson Ministries. Connect with Kathleen: Website: kathleenjohnsonministries.com Referenced in this episode: John 15 — the vine and the branchesRomans 8:11 — the Spirit gives life to your mortal bodyRomans 12:1-2 — be transformed by the renewing of your mindColossians 1:27 — Christ in you, the hope of gloryIsaiah 26:3 — perfect peaceHebrews 4 — the throne of graceC.S. Lewis: "The more we get ourselves out of the way, the more fully ourselves we become." TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Introduction[00:00:50] Meet Kathleen Johnson[00:01:19] A Lifelong Faith, an Unexpected Divorce, and Everything Falling Apart[00:02:31] Discovering Grace at a Level She Never Had Before[00:03:02] Fear as Paralysis: Replaying the Past, Dreading the Future[00:03:32] Fear as a Check Engine Light[00:04:25] The Prayer That Broke Things Open[00:04:47] How We've Normalized Low-Level Fear Without Knowing It[00:05:06] Spiritual Disciplines, the Nervous System, and Finding Rest[00:06:05] What Scripture Knew Before Neuroscience Caught Up[00:06:54] The Root: Self-Reliance[00:07:47] Fear and Self-Reliance — Tracing It Back to Eden[00:08:26] What Surrender Actually Is[00:09:20] God Doesn't Erase the Self — He Redeems It[00:11:27] C.S. Lewis on Getting Out of the Way[00:11:50] Romans 8:11 — The Spirit Brings Life to Every Part of You[00:13:50] The Two Wolves: What You Give Access to Wins[00:14:17] First Step: Awareness[00:15:26] The Gap Between Stimulus and Response[00:15:51] How the Brain Rewires as You Submit to the Spirit[00:16:42] When Old Habits and Fears Simply Dissolve[00:18:10] Kathleen's Books, Podcast, and Passion for Divine Healing[00:18:28] Miraculous Healing: Three Doctors Said She Would Not Recover[00:18:55] Don't Pull God's Word Down to Your Experience[00:19:47] We Have Everything We Need — But We Must Cooperate[00:20:52] What Blocks God's Grace: Unforgiveness and Unworthiness[00:21:43] Humility Is Not Thinking Less of Yourself[00:22:18] Approaching the Throne of Grace With Confidence[00:23:08] How to Connect With Kathleen[00:23:26] One Takeaway: You Are a Branch on the Vine[00:24:27] Closing ReflectionWant to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  8. Jul 16

    Does Saying Yes to God Have to Feel This Scary? Meme Mulugeta on Obedience, Calling, and the Leap That Changed Everything

    Has God ever asked you to do something that made absolutely no sense on paper? Meme Mulugeta grew up in the church, the daughter of two ministers. At 19, she got pregnant — and the church turned its back on her. That single moment of rejection sent her walking away from God for 17 years. She built a life, tried to build a business, went into serious debt, and watched it all fall apart. It was only when she had nothing left to fill the hole that she turned back to God — and what happened next is the kind of story that reminds you He was never surprised. What followed was a series of yes-or-no moments: Write a book. Sacrifice your son. Start a publishing company. Each one felt impossible. Each one came with provision she couldn't have engineered on her own. In this conversation, Meme and Karen talk about what obedience actually costs, why your most painful seasons may be exactly what God was using to get your attention, and how the Holy Spirit shows up as teacher, provider, and guide when you finally stop trying to figure it all out yourself. In this episode you'll hear: How being rejected by the church at 19 sent Meme walking away from God for 17 years — and what finally brought her backThe Holy Spirit encounter at an altar call that released a burden she hadn't even known she was carryingWhat it means when God asks you to "sacrifice your son" — and the moment Meme realized her child had become her godA 10-year business download received in under five minutes — and the pink slip that came five days laterHow giving her son to God meant she could trust Him instead of panic when she lost her jobThe mentor who overheard her at the gym and became her guide for three months — and the Kingdom Business Coach who offered to coach her for freeWhy Meme wrote an entire book in three weeks — and why she never planned to publish itThe one thing Meme says will save you the most time in your walk with GodAbout Meme Mulugeta: Meme Mulugeta is the founder of The One and Only Publishing and creator of the Legacy Project — a ministry that helps individuals record their God stories through documentary-style video and a keepsake book. She is also the author of her own memoir, written in three weeks in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Meme's mission is to help people uncover the goodness of God in their own lives and leave a lasting legacy for those who come after them. Connect with Meme: Website: theoneandonlypublishing.com Referenced in this episode: The sacrifice of Isaac — "God is calling for a sacrifice" (Genesis 22)"Those who are faithful in small things will be given more" — Luke 16:10 / Matthew 25:23 TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Introduction[00:00:49] Meet Meme Mulugeta[00:01:06] Growing Up in Church — and Walking Away at 19[00:02:11] 17 Years Away: A Business Fails and God Gets Her Attention[00:02:58] The Altar Call: "I Got You"[00:03:45] God Said Write a Book. She Said No.[00:05:00] The Women's Conference and the Call for Sacrifice[00:06:03] "I Want You to Sacrifice Your Son"[00:06:57] The Publishing Company Download[00:07:46] Five Days Later: Fired[00:08:09] Why Losing Her Job Didn't Panic Her[00:08:37] The Wilderness Season — How God Provided Step by Step[00:11:44] When Your Child Becomes Your God[00:12:59] The Real Cost of Obedience[00:14:51] Why God Let the First Business Fail[00:16:41] Being Okay With Not Knowing Why[00:17:58] Obedience Never Stops — and Neither Do the Miracles[00:19:38] Helping Others Uncover Their God Story[00:20:41] How Meme Works With Clients[00:21:29] The Legacy Project vs. Traditional Publishing[00:22:32] How to Connect With Meme[00:22:56] One Takeaway: Just Do It[00:25:28] Closing Reflection[00:25:53] Sign-OffWant to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  9. Jul 9

    Pace of Grace: Trading Burnout for God's Rhythm with Kristin Kurtz

    www.thegraceforge.com Are you running so hard for God that you've forgotten how to walk with Him? Christian life coach and podcast host Kristin Kurtz knows that feeling intimately. For years she pushed full speed ahead — full-time corporate career, young children, a business, a marriage — until her body finally said no. Shingles. Grief. A father's last words: "Don't work so hard. You'll end up like me." And a still, small voice that stopped her on a walk around the lake: "Be still and know that I am God. And you're not." In this conversation, Kristin shares the phrase that has become her anchor: the pace of grace. Not passive. Not giving up. But learning to match your stride to God's, release your grip on your own plans, and trust Him with what He builds on the other side. This is a conversation for every driven woman who secretly wonders if the pace she's keeping is something God actually asked for. In this episode you'll hear: Why high-achieving Christian women end up burned out — and what real recovery looks likeWhat it means to "know when the grace has lifted" from something you've been pouring yourself intoThe difference between God's great plans and your good ones — and why you have to let go of yours to get HisThe Noah builders and Nehemiah builders: what it looks like to keep going when nothing makes sense and everyone thinks you're crazyHow the "messy middle" becomes the "middle of a miracle"A simple, powerful way to know your no — and why NO is literally in the middle of KNOWWhat "scrubbing in and scrubbing out" looks like as a daily rhythm with GodAbout Kristin Kurtz: Kristin Kurtz is an author, life coach, and spiritual midwife, and the founder of New Wings Coaching and host of the Hope Unlocked podcast. She works with women leaders, entrepreneurs, and ministry builders at pivotal moments...helping them unlock identity, activate their voice, and make bold, faith-aligned decisions that accelerate clarity, confidence, and impact. Connect with Kristin: Website: newwingscoaching.net Instagram: @renew.wings Podcast: Hope Unlocked — available on all platforms Referenced in this episode: Psalm 46:10 — "Be still and know that I am God"Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding..."The story of Noah and the ark (Genesis 6–9)Nehemiah's builders — including Sanballat and Tobiah (Nehemiah 4)Abraham, Sarah, and the warning about birthing an Ishmael (Genesis 16)The Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:10-31)The Chosen, Season 1 — the miracle of the fish (behind-the-scenes on YouTube, search "Dallas Jenkins miracle of the fish") TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Hook question and introduction[00:00:25] Welcome to The Grace Forge podcast[00:00:37] Karen welcomes Kristin Kurtz[00:00:53] "Pace of grace" — Kristin introduces her journey from racehorse mentality to learning to walk[00:02:03] Discernment: hearing God's voice about what to step into — and what to let go of[00:02:12] Radical acceptance: letting go of control and letting God take the reins[00:02:41] A father's last words: "Don't work so hard. You'll end up like me."[00:03:07] Shingles after grief — when the body reaches its breaking point[00:03:42] The still, small voice: "Be still and know that I am God. And you're not."[00:04:47] Staying fired up vs. burning out — Kristin's burning message about what dims our flame[00:06:18] The Proverbs 31 woman: multi-passionate, but called to her season[00:07:18] Karen's dad and brother are firefighters: a fire needs fuel to keep burning[00:07:49] Karen's own burnout story: adrenal fatigue and a year of rebuilding[00:09:55] Getting "benched" by the Holy Spirit — a fast walker learns to sit on the bench[00:10:46] Childlike wonder and childlike faith: what slowing down makes room for[00:11:27] Letting go of your own plans: Proverbs 3:5-6 and the difference between good and great[00:11:58] Leaving corporate accounting to follow God — riding bareback with no reins[00:13:43] The Noah builders and Nehemiah builders: keeping going when it looks crazy[00:16:01] Don't birth an Ishmael — the cost of going your own way[00:17:21] The Chosen and Peter's empty net: God is in the waiting as much as the miracle[00:18:26] Kristin's work: Christian life coaching since 2017, the Hope Unlocked podcast[00:19:22] Helping women find their voice — from choke hold to roar[00:20:02] Grief, family estrangement, addiction recovery at 25, and the grace of forgiveness[00:23:07] Leaving as the family breadwinner — stepping out like Abraham[00:25:39] Reframing the messy middle: "You're not stuck — you're in the middle of a miracle."[00:28:09] How to connect with Kristin: newwingscoaching.net, Hope Unlocked podcast[00:29:09] Final takeaway: pace of grace, know your no, and scrub in/scrub out[00:30:58] Karen's closing reflection: God has the grace we need for every seasonWant to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  10. Jul 2

    You Are Not Your Worst Moment: How God's Grace Rewrites Your Story with Danielle E. Bernock

    www.thegraceforge.com Have you ever sat in church, heard the word grace, and still walked out feeling like you had to earn God's approval? Author and relationship repair specialist Danielle E. Bernock spent 35 years knowing in her head that God loved her — before she finally believed it in her heart. In this conversation, Karen and Danielle explore what grace really looks like when it unfolds through the hard things: childhood trauma, substance abuse, religious wounds, fear of God, and the confusing push-pull of disorganized attachment. Danielle uses a stunning image to describe it all — the Persian buttercup, a flower with 100 to 130 paper-thin petals that open one by one. That's grace. Not a formula or an acronym. A living, blooming thing. Together they talk about what it means to stand in your worst moment and discover God is not reaching for a stone — He's reaching for you. And why the answer to life, the universe, and everything might just be grace. In this episode you'll hear: Why trauma and religious wounds make it so hard to truly receive God's love — and what healing actually looks likeWhat "disorganized attachment" is and how it shows up in your relationship with GodThe prayer from Zephaniah that Danielle calls out loud every time she hears a sirenA story about a little boy covered in motor oil — and why it's one of the most powerful pictures of grace you'll ever hearWhy grace doesn't give people a "license to sin" — and what really changes when you encounter it face to faceHow God redeems your worst seasons to make you the exact person someone else needsAbout Danielle E. Bernock: Danielle is a multi-published author, speaker, and relationship repair specialist who helps people heal their relationships with themselves, others, and God. She is the author of Emerging With Wings: A True Story of Lies, Pain, and the Love That Heals (celebrating its 12th anniversary) and is currently working on her next book. She also offers a free audiobook, Love's Manifesto, on her website. Connect with Danielle: Website (all socials linked here): daniellebernock.com Free audiobook: Love's Manifesto — available at her website Referenced in this episode: Hebrews 4 — "Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need"Zephaniah — "Grace, grace" (the capstone prayer)The Wonderhunt video Something Stronger (highly recommended — search it on YouTube)The story of the woman caught in adultery — John 8The parable of the prodigal son / the Good Father — Luke 15 TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Hook question and introduction[00:00:25] Welcome to The Grace Forge podcast[00:00:40] Karen welcomes Danielle E. Bernock[00:01:01] The Persian buttercup: Danielle's metaphor for how grace unfolds one petal at a time[00:02:13] A prayer at a wedding that planted the first seed of understanding grace[00:05:23] 46 years of marriage, deciding not to have children — trusting God anyway[00:06:06] Trauma, substance abuse, and the fear of having children[00:06:49] Religious trauma and spiritual abuse: when you're terrified of the God you need[00:08:25] Disorganized attachment explained: the "needy, go away" cycle with God and people[00:10:01] Moving to Arizona: God introduces Danielle to herself[00:10:33] The CDs that changed everything: discovering grace through a guest minister[00:11:17] Sarah and Hagar unpacked: old covenant of works vs. new covenant of grace[00:12:51] What is GraceForge? Karen explains the Hebrews 4 vision[00:13:48] "Grace, grace" — praying the Zephaniah scripture over ambulances and firetrucks[00:15:46] Karen shares her experience as an adoptive mom raising kids from trauma[00:16:35] What it truly means to know — not just understand — that you are loved by God[00:17:09] 35 years to believe the love of God: Danielle's honest testimony[00:18:06] The woman caught in adultery: God doesn't identify us by our worst moments[00:19:10] Something Stronger: the story of a boy covered in motor oil and a father's arms[00:22:31] Does grace give a license to sin? The hyper-grace conversation[00:24:26] How God redeems our worst moments to make us the right person for someone else[00:24:53] What Danielle does now: books, coaching, relationship repair specialist[00:26:48] How to connect with Danielle: daniellebernock.com[00:27:32] Final takeaway: the grace of God is for YOU — because God said so[00:28:22] Karen's closing reflection: what changes when you finally accept you are lovedWant to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

  11. Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

    Welcome to the GraceForge

    Come for the stories. Stay for the Grace God is crafting for your life. Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

Trailer

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out of 5
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About

When life brings the impossible, God doesn't just show up — he forges exactly what you need to get through it. The GraceForge Podcast is a collection of intimate conversations with people who've faced seasons of struggle that had no human solution — and discovered that God was already crafting the grace they needed. Each guest brings a story of provision that was personal, precise, and powerful. Come hear what he made for them. And be reminded of what he can make for you. Want to be a guest on The GraceForge Podcast? Send Karen Dittman a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1733503318442796293a1fecb

Information

  • Creator
    Karen Dittman
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 GraceForge
  • Show Website
    The GraceForge Podcast