Joyful Purpose - a Faith Journey Podcast for Christian women and moms | Identity in Christ

Sheila Hara | Faith Journey and Christ Centered Life
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A faith podcast for Christian women and moms hosted by Sheila Hara. Honest, Scripture-rooted conversations about identity in Christ, biblical self-worth, faith and calling, motherhood, marriage, and walking with God's steady hand through real life. New episodes every Friday. Season 3: Walking Through Life with God's Steady Hand. hopelightwonder.com

  1. 6d ago

    Beauty from Ashes | Erica on Trusting God Through Every Season of Life | S3Ep18

    She has worn a lot of hats. Hairdresser. Special needs educator. Executive administrator. Children's ministry director. And then one day she walked away from all of it. Not because she failed. Not because it wasn't fulfilling. But because God called her to something the world doesn't put on a resume. Homemaker to her husband and their three sons and daughter. And she will tell you — it is the most meaningful, most exciting, most purposeful role she has ever held. But getting here cost her something. Because the path to this quiet, chosen, beautiful life included seasons she never planned for. Seasons that broke her. Seasons where God felt distant and the future felt unclear. This is a personal faith story about a Christ centered life that looks nothing like the plan — and everything like grace. In this episode Erica shares: - Walking through multiple seasons and transitions — and finding God faithful in every single one - Why the roles the world applauds are not always the ones God calls us to - What it looks like to trust God when life looks different than you expected - Her anchor verses — Isaiah 26:3-4 and Jeremiah 17:7 — and how they have carried her through - What she wants every woman in a hard season to know today - Her favourite worship songs and the music that has anchored her faith "Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:7 For every woman who is in a season of transition she did not choose — this episode is for you. God gives beauty for ashes. And He wastes nothing. 📖 Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, Isaiah 26:3-4, Jeremiah 17:7, Romans 8:28 📚 Faith books for Christian women: hopelightwonder.com/books 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz: hopelightwonder.com/identity 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #BeautyFromAshes #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus #PersonalFaithStory #WalkingWithGod #ChristianMotherhood #TrustingGod #ChristianBurnout #IdentityInChrist

    Beauty from Ashes | Erica on Trusting God Through Every Season of Life | S3Ep18

  2. Oct 30

    The Marriage Nobody Talks About | Covenant Over Contract & the Real Design for Christian Marriage

    Nobody talks about the gap. The gap between the marriage you imagined and the one you actually have. The distance between what you promised and what you are living right now. The exhaustion of two people who love each other — and still manage to hurt each other. Who started as partners and somehow became strangers. If you are in that gap today — this episode is for you. Sheila gets honest about what Scripture actually says marriage was designed to be — not from a place of arrival, but from the valley, right alongside you. This is a personal faith story about a Christ centered life that includes the hardest parts of covenant — and a God who does not give up on what He designed. Because here is what nobody says out loud: Christian burnout does not just happen at work. It happens in marriage too. When you are giving everything and the gap between the ideal and the real feels impossible to close. God is not absent in that gap. He is in the covenant. He witnessed it. He holds it. In this episode: - Why our culture treats marriage as a contract — and why that always fails - The profound difference between "I will if you will" and "I will. Period." - What covenant love actually looks like — and what it does NOT mean - The gap between ideal and real — and why every marriage has one - What God does in the hard seasons that you cannot see yet - How to pray for your spouse when it is the last thing you feel like doing - 3 practical shifts this week 📖 Scripture: Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:25-33 📚 Faith books: hopelightwonder.com/books 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz: hopelightwonder.com/identity 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #ChristianMarriage #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #ChristianBurnout #ChristianWomenPodcast #CovenantMarriage #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus #PersonalFaithStory #BiblicalMarriage #WalkingWithGod #IdentityInChrist

    The Marriage Nobody Talks About | Covenant Over Contract & the Real Design for Christian Marriage

  3. Oct 23

    Forward in Faith | April Farlow on Divorce, Blended Family & How God Writes a Better Story | S3Ep16

    She was in her early twenties. All her friends were getting married. And she was already getting divorced. She didn't believe in divorce. So she did two years of counseling — alone and together — trying to save it. It didn't work. And she thought her dream of having a family was gone forever. Then God started writing a different story. One she never would have chosen. More beautiful than anything she could have planned. Today April Farlow sits down with Sheila to talk about what it looks like to move forward in faith — through divorce, miscarriage, blended family, and the moment a girl from Nigeria showed up at Disney World with nothing — and became her daughter. This is a personal faith story about a Christ centered life that looks nothing like the plan — and everything like God. April is a speaker coach, corporate trainer, founder of Lydia's Place (a nonprofit for foster youth), and author of Pieces of You. In this episode: - Walking through divorce in your early 20s — and what faith looked like in that season - "God loves you more than He loves your marriage" — the pastor's words that healed her wounds - Two years of post-marriage counseling before saying yes to marriage again - Miscarriage, medical challenges, and trusting God through the waiting - The $20 Disney World moment that changed everything - Maria — how a girl from Nigeria became her fourth daughter - "I showed up for my people. It was my faith that pushed me to do so." — her legacy statement - Her nonprofit Lydia's Place for foster youth - Her book — Pieces of You 📖 Scripture: Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 34:18 ✨ Connect with April: 📚 Pieces of You: https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-You-Knowing-Light-Whose-ebook/dp/B0DFK79ZJH 🌐 aprilfarlow.com ❤️ Lydia's Place: lydias-place.com 📱 Instagram: @fragmentsoffaith_ 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz: hopelightwonder.com/identity 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #ForwardInFaith #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus #PersonalFaithStory #ChristianDivorce #BlendedFamily #ChristianMotherhood #FaithAfterLoss #WalkingWithGod

    Forward in Faith | April Farlow on Divorce, Blended Family & How God Writes a Better Story | S3Ep16

  4. Oct 16

    You Are His Masterpiece | Chelsea Fain on Divorce, Transition & Trusting God When Life Looks Messy | S3Ep15

    The painting looks messy before it is beautiful. That is what Chelsea Fain finally understood about her own life — the divorce, the co-parenting, the blended family, the new marriage, the years of transition she did not choose and could not control. God was not absent in those seasons. He was painting. Chelsea Fain is a writer, worship leader, choir director, and educator whose debut book walks readers through what it means to count it all joy in the middle of the hard things. In this episode: - How Joseph and David's transitions shaped their destiny — and what that means for yours - Ephesians 2:10 — you are God's masterpiece — even in the messy middle - The Gethsemane prayer she prays over co-parenting with someone who hurt her - Surrendering her daughter to God's hands when she cannot be there - What it means to partner with God in transition instead of being dragged through it kicking and screaming - Her debut book — what it is, who it is for, and where to find it - Rapid fire — Psalm 23, Battle Belongs, and the best advice she has ever heard Chelsea's best piece of advice: "God's goodness and faithfulness is not determined by your present circumstances." 🌐 Chelsea's website: chelseafain.com 📚 Her book — available for pre-order at chelseafain.com (signed copies + study guide bundle) 📖 Scripture: Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 4:6-7, James 1:2-4, Romans 8:28, Luke 22:42 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #YouAreHisMasterpiece #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #TrustingGodInTransition #ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus #ChristianDivorce #WrittenOnPurpose #BiblicalSelfWorth

    You Are His Masterpiece | Chelsea Fain on Divorce, Transition & Trusting God When Life Looks Messy | S3Ep15

  5. Oct 9

    Written on Purpose | Chelsea Fain on Loss, Grief & How God Writes Your Story | S3Ep14

    She almost died from a miscarriage complication. She was 3 weeks postpartum when we recorded this. And she sat down and talked about grief, loss, and the healing journey God walked her through — with more honesty and grace than most people bring to their best days. Chelsea Fain is a writer, worship leader, choir director, and educator who has learned — the hard way — that God's faithfulness is not determined by your present circumstances. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Chelsea opens up about: - A miscarriage that almost killed her — and what God did in the healing - How she speaks truth over herself when grief hits unexpectedly - Anchor scriptures that keep her sane in the storm - What it looks like to grieve a baby while holding a newborn - Parenting as the most humbling mirror God ever gave us — and why that's actually beautiful - Why the Holy Spirit corrects behavior — but never attacks your identity Part 2 drops next week — divorce, new seasons, co-parenting, and her book. 📖 Scripture: Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:18, Lamentations 3:22-23 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #WrittenOnPurpose #ChristianGriefPodcast #FaithAfterLoss #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus

    Written on Purpose | Chelsea Fain on Loss, Grief & How God Writes Your Story | S3Ep14

  6. Oct 2

    Watch Your Words | Cages or Wings — The Power of Speech in Your Faith Journey S3 Ep13

    Someone told me I was dark. Not pretty. I was a little girl. And I believed them for a very long time. Then I walked into a different room. Everything people said about me changed. But I hadn't changed. Not one thing. The room changed. The words changed. And I realized — words are not just opinions. They are either cages or wings. This is the personal faith journey behind Episode 12 of Joyful Purpose — and the truth that changed everything about how Sheila speaks over her children, herself, and the women in her life. A Christ centered life means living with purpose in what we say — online, at home, and in the quiet of our own minds. In this episode: - The story of a word spoken over Sheila as a child that shaped her for years - What James 3 says about the tongue and the whole course of a life - Why Proverbs 18:21 is more serious than most christian women realize - The specific challenge of faith and the comment section — social media and the tongue - Words we speak over ourselves — and why they matter just as much - How to speak life over your children intentionally every day - 3 practical shifts this week 📖 Scripture: James 3, Proverbs 18:21, Psalm 19:14, Deuteronomy 6 📚 Faith books: hopelightwonder.com/books 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #WatchYourWords #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus #PersonalFaithStory #SpeakLife #IdentityInChrist #ChristianMom

    Watch Your Words | Cages or Wings — The Power of Speech in Your Faith Journey S3 Ep13

  7. Sep 25

    Faith Through Little Eyes | A Conversation with My Daughter Lily S3 Ep12

    Today's guest is someone more important than any podcast coach, film actress, or faith leader Sheila has ever interviewed. Her daughter Lily. In one of the most joyful, tender, and surprisingly profound episodes of Season 3, Sheila sits down with her young daughter for an honest conversation about God, faith, prayer, heaven, and what it means to grow up believing. Jesus said — "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." This episode is what that verse looks like in real life. Lily talks about who God is, whether He talks back when she prays, what she would ask Him if she had one question, what heaven looks like, and what she wants to say to every grown-up woman listening today. Her answers will stop you in your tracks. This is the most personal faith journey episode of Season 3. A Christ centered life — lived simply, with wonder — through the eyes of a child. In this episode: - What a child's faith sounds like — unfiltered and extraordinary - The one question Lily would ask God - What heaven looks like according to an under-10 theologian 😂 - Her message to every woman listening - One thing she knows for sure about God Bring tissues. 🤍 📖 Scripture: Matthew 18:3, Psalm 8:2, Mark 10:15 📚 Hope Light Wonder Chronicles — faith adventures for kids: hopelightwonder.com/books 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #FaithThroughLittleEyes #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #ChristianMom #ChristianParenting #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus #ChildlikeFaith #MomAndDaughter

    Faith Through Little Eyes | A Conversation with My Daughter Lily S3 Ep12

  8. Sep 18

    Rooted, Not Rushed | Shayla Huber on Identity in Christ, Marriage & Farm Life S3 Ep11

    What does it look like to live from a secure identity in Christ — not just know it theologically, but actually live it out in your marriage, your motherhood, and your everyday life? In this episode Sheila sits down with Shayla Huber — a rodeo wife, boy mom, and woman of deep faith living on their family farm in Iowa. There is something about the rhythm of farm life — the seasons, the soil, the slow and steady pace — that mirrors exactly what God calls us to. Rooted. Not rushed. This is a faith journey toward a Christ centered life — living with purpose from who God says you are, not what the world says you should be. In this episode: - Living from your identity in Christ — not toward it - How a secure identity transforms marriage from the inside out - What farm life teaches us about faithfulness and God's timing - Raising boys to love Jesus in the everyday ordinary moments - What rooted unhurried faith looks like in a rushed noisy world 📖 Scripture: Colossians 3:3, Galatians 2:20, Psalm 46:10 🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz: hopelightwonder.com/identity 📚 Faith books: hopelightwonder.com/books 🎧 Try Audible FREE: https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k 🌐 Member Library: hopelightwonder.com/member-site 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube — hopelightwonder.com/podcast #RootedNotRushed #FaithJourney #ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose #IdentityInChrist #ChristianMarriage #ChristianMom #JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus #FarmLifeFaith

    Rooted, Not Rushed | Shayla Huber on Identity in Christ, Marriage & Farm Life S3 Ep11
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A faith podcast for Christian women and moms hosted by Sheila Hara. Honest, Scripture-rooted conversations about identity in Christ, biblical self-worth, faith and calling, motherhood, marriage, and walking with God's steady hand through real life. New episodes every Friday. Season 3: Walking Through Life with God's Steady Hand. hopelightwonder.com

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