Hope Unyielding Hope Johnson

Today, I’m sharing a message I gave at a women’s retreat at Christ the King Center in Greenwich, New York back in April of 2022. I share from 1 Samuel about the life of Hannah, a woman who wrestled with God year after year through unanswered prayer, but who never lost her awe of God and love for Him. Hannah stands as a beautiful example to me in my own wrestling with God, bidding me not to look around at my circumstances to determine my joy, but to look upward to my Creator. I pray that God will speak to you through Hannah’s story, just as He did to me. 

Katie Freitas-Elysee shares her powerful story of God's faithfulness as she journeys through Bipolar Depression.

Katie is a singer, songwriter, and content creator and is releasing her first album soon. She makes her home in Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Instagram at @kfecreates. 

Jonathan Walker shares his powerful testimony of how Jesus saved him from a life of isolation and despair and gave him a hope that isn't dependent on circumstances. We ask some hard questions about suffering, depression and living in a fallen world, and we answer them with stories of how Jesus has been our Hope in our darkest times. If you're struggling to reconcile the existence of suffering and the goodness of God, then this is the episode for you. 

Jonathan Walker is a customer service supervisor.  He is completing an apprenticeship for pastoral ministry and has been involved in mission work in Eastern Europe for the past several years.  He makes his home in the Pacific Northwest.

Today my good friend Rachel Opare-Sem is sharing her story of God’s faithfulness to her and her family as her mother battled, and eventually passed away from breast cancer. Although her family didn’t receive the answer they had hoped for, God showed up in amazing, specific ways that comforted Rachel and assured her of His presence and love. She also shares about her struggle with fearing death after her mother’s passing and how God has transformed that fear into hope. 

Rachel Opare-Sem is a Ghanaian-American who lives in Troy NY. She works as an architectural designer at architecture+. She’s lived in upstate New York for the past 6 years where she has met a wealth of inspirational people and found a community that keeps her encouraged and challenged. She continues to learn more about God and His goodness as she seeks to know and follow Him. She enjoys spending time  with her friends and family, arts and crafts, helping out in the community and a good nap on weekends!

When Alyssa Marshall found a large lump on her five year old daughter Amelie's arm, she knew her life was about to change drastically. Soon after, Amelie was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. Today, Alyssa tells her story of walking through every parent's worst nightmare, and how in the midst of the questions, pain, and uncertainty, God showed her and her family His faithfulness.

Alyssa Marshall currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her three daughters and husband. When she isn’t homeschooling, having tea parties and folding the fifth princess dress that day she is found running her small e-commerce business Honeydew Goods, or writing on her and her husband's shared blog, HelpGallery. There are few things that bring her joy like that of a long intentional conversation over a good cup of (black) coffee with a friend. 

C.S. Lewis said it best: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

Join me for Part 3 of this 3 part series on myths I've believed about satisfaction in Christ. Today, I’m sharing some very personal stories as I tackle the final myth I believed about satisfaction in Christ, the myth that we can be fully satisfied with Christ during this life.

This series is an adaptation of my free eBook, Unsatisfied, which you can download here.

If you liked this episode, make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 in this series.

Also, make sure to check out Dr. Matthew Tan's article "The Abyss of Desire," and his other thought-provoking work at https://www.awkwardasiantheologian.com/.