Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

This week, we’ll hear from Annie Bosko, a country artist whose career was gaining momentum when, in the middle of a live performance, her voice suddenly gave out. What followed was a vocal cord injury that required surgery and months of recovery where she couldn’t speak at all. Annie shares what that season of silence revealed, the people who stepped in to help her rebuild, and how she slowly returned to doing what she loves. Later, we’ll hear from chef and author Danielle Kartes. After her family lost everything when their restaurant closed, Danielle struggled to rebuild her life and marriage. Though she vowed never to cook again, she was drawn back to the kitchen. Her attempt to reconcile her deep faith with her practical, food-centric work asking, “How does hope relate to pot roast?” became the foundation for her company, Rustic Joyful Food. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Jordan Smith Upcoming interview: Tim Hawkins Annie Bosko MusiCares God Winks - Song by Annie Bosko California Cowgirl - Album by Annie Bosko Danielle Kartes Rustic Joyful Food. The Best Kids Cookbook: 60 Fun and Simple Recipes to Get Kids Cooking - Book by Danielle Kartes Interview Quotes: “That’s really when your faith is tested the most—when you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you still have to believe that it’s there.” - Annie Bosko “I was forced—because I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t open my mouth and talk to anyone—to get really quiet, to quiet the outside noise, and forced to really dig deep into what I wanted to do next and what I was feeling called to do to next, which I think is really important because the world will pull you a thousand different ways if you don’t have the internal strength, fortitude, direction in here.” - Annie Bosko “I think when everything’s going really well, it’s easy to forget about consulting with God. But when nothing’s going for you, or when you feel like you’re at your wit’s end and you feel really down on all hope, I think that’s when people have to turn to faith the most.” - Annie Bosko “You have to be on the bigger spiritual plan, path, [or] course for your life that doesn’t look like anyone else’s. That’s really important to sort of tune out sometimes even like your own voices of fear, because I really believe that anytime you’re making decisions out of fear, that’s not in love.” - Annie Bosko “I can carry out God’s plan for me, [and] I think at the end of the day, it’s only you and God [that] know how far you can actually go.” - Annie Bosko “God is still good, and He can still use your story even if it’s broken. God still wants wonderful things from you.” - Danielle Kartes “When I stopped wanting Him to show up in the way that I thought I needed and allowed God to show up in the way that He needed for my life, everything changed as far as my peace and trusting His provision.” - Danielle Kartes “I think that you can strengthen your family bond and your bond with your children by allowing them into your day. I think that it’s really important to just involve your kids in what you’re doing.” - Danielle Kartes “The more time you spend with the Lord, the more time you make for Jesus, the better you feel, even if your life circumstances aren’t changing.” - Danielle Kartes “God didn’t promise us that it would be easy, but He did promise, “I’m going to be with you every step of the way.” - Danielle Kartes ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’re honored to welcome back a dear friend of the show—the iconic artist, singer, and GRAMMY winner Amy Grant. Amy joins us to share her heart about her first album of original material in thirteen years, the deeply personal project titled “The Me That Remains.” In this moving interview, Amy opens up about the profound life events that inspired her new music—navigating the tender journey of aging and caring for her parents at the end of their lives, her ongoing recovery from a serious bike accident, and the enduring joy of creating music that she feels grateful to share with the world. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Andrew Osenga, a Nashville-based musician, writer, and podcaster. Andrew spent years trapped in the tension between his private doubts and the crushing expectation of performing as a Christian artist. Growing up, image was everything, and he struggled under the pressure to appear “put-together”—even when he felt broken inside. It took devastating loss—including his home flooding, displacing his family, and his wife’s grueling cancer journey—for him to finally break free from performance-driven faith. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Diane Chew Upcoming interview: Annie Bosko Amy Grant The Me That Remains - Album by Amy Grant The Book of Forgiving - Book by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu The 6th Of January (Yasgur's Farm) - Song by Amy Grant Andrew Osenga How to Remember: Forgotten Pathways to an Authentic Faith - Book by Andrew Osenga Caedmon’s Call Young Life Interview Quotes: “Don't ever be afraid to speak the truth of what is right now.” - Amy Grant “Life is happening to all of us all the time, and we have to be gentle with ourselves and gentle with each other.” - Amy Grant “I feel like the arts are good medicine for everybody.” - Amy Grant “We are all part of humanity and we all experience good, hard and unresolved unrest; how do we sit in it and find our way forward?” - Amy Grant “When [accidents or illnesses] come, you need people in your life to remind you what matters: you are loved by God, and if you’re still breathing, the adventure continues.” - Amy Grant “Jesus doesn’t want us to pretend. He wants us to be the people He created. He doesn’t love a fake image of me. He loves me.” - Andrew Osenga “There have been a number of experiences in my life that have helped redirect me towards a more quiet and grounded way of being with God, moving from performance towards presence.” - Andrew Osenga “The wonderful thing is Jesus doesn’t meet us in our perfection, He meets us in our suffering. Jesus is introduced to us in the Bible as a man of sorrows. And so, it’s not that we have to stay there all the time, knowing that is a part of our story. Being able to be honest about that allows us this freedom to be people of joy rather than having to sort of put on a happy face.” - Andrew Osenga “We can say that we can hold suffering and joy in both hands at the same time, and I think those are the people that we’re drawn to. And that’s when we can start to speak with an authentic voice. That takes time to learn how to do that, and that takes, honestly, walking through seasons of both suffering and joy to be able to learn how to do that.” - Andrew Osenga “We live in a culture that prizes things like novelty, speed, and constant reinvention. I think these practices like lament, confession, shared prayer, and silence can be a form of resistance, pushing back against this speed, the hectic life, against the doom scroll.” - Andrew Osenga ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Author and poet Tanner Olson joins us to share his family’s journey through unexplained infertility and the heartache it brought. Out of that season of grief came unexpected joy—the gift of adoption and the arrival of his son. Tanner reflects on the role of prayer in holding both sorrow and hope, and the childlike wonder he’s learning from his little boy. Guest’s Links YouTube: @tannerJolsonFacebook: @writtentospeak Instagram: @writtentospeak Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4p3cPZC ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from Caroline Beidler, a speaker and recovery advocate who began using alcohol at just eleven years old to numb the pain of a deep sense of loneliness and not belonging. This led to years of addiction, but even after getting sober, Caroline found she was still wrestling with shame, unhealthy patterns, and wounds that hadn’t healed. Jonathan Tepper is a founder, author, and strategic thinker whose journey began as the son of missionaries in regions of deep cultural and economic contrast. From his upbringing in Spain by missionaries who sought to help those addicted to heroin, all the way to Taiwan and the high-stakes world of global finance, he has found himself on a search for truth and fairness. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Ryan Scheckler. Upcoming interview: Amy Grant Caroline Beidler When You Love Someone in Recovery, A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction - Book by Caroline Beidler Jonathan Tepper Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction - Book by Jonathan Tepper Mere Christianity - Book by C.S. Lewis Interview Quotes: “I had no name for who God was, but at the same time, I just remember knowing that He was there. I just feel like from even an early age, I was seeking that relationship, and I was seeking a connection with God.” - Caroline Beidler “It wasn’t until I started walking in longer-term recovery that I saw how me showing up as a sober, healthy, growing person impacted people in my life, in my family, who struggled with substance use—just my presence showed people there’s another way to live.” - Caroline Beidler “Recovery is a deep experience that we can go through, of not just physical healing and emotional healing, but spiritual healing and formation.” - Caroline Beidler “When our loved ones have hope for us, have hope that we will heal and find addiction recovery, we are more likely to. That is a powerful statement, and that is a powerful way that I think God reveals [that] hope isn’t just some feeling.” - Caroline Beidler “We know from the research and our own experience that the number one way to help people struggling with addiction is to connect them with people with a similar life experience.” - Caroline Beidler “Those two pieces—hope and belonging, hope and connection—are so important when we’re talking about how people can heal from addiction, not just themselves as individuals, but as families.” - Caroline Beidler Addiction kind of breeds and increases and gets stronger and more destructive in isolation. When we can shine some light on what’s going on, that’s where God can come in and that healing can happen.” - Caroline Beidler “The best thing that families can do when their loved one is struggling is lead with love and lead with compassion.” - Caroline Beidler “Addiction is a crisis of loneliness, and the way to address it isn’t just through treatment. It’s making sure our loved ones are connected in community.” - Caroline Beidler “One thing I’ve taken away is that you can be a miserable, greedy person and poor or you can be a miserable, greedy person and rich.” - Jonathan Tepper “You have to decide every day whether you want to be loving and compassionate. And it doesn’t really matter where you are to do that, as long as you’re doing your best with what you have.” - Jonathan Tepper “I don’t think heroism is one single great act of courage. I think it’s showing up day to day and trying to show love and compassion to others.” - Jonathan Tepper “My parents never planned on starting an international drug rehab center, they set out to show love and compassion to one addict at a time. And I think that taking one step at a time is a way that you can change the world, even if you don’t set out to do it.” - Jonathan Tepper ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’re talking with astronaut Butch Wilmore who has spent 465 days off-planet, giving him a literally out-of-this-world perspective on God’s creation. From fighter jet pilot to Space Shuttle commander, Wilmore’s career was a testament to preparation and discipline. However, his faith was truly tested when a spacecraft Wilmore was manning began losing thrusters—and he was just a prayer away from spiraling toward potential disaster. Next up, we speak with Brooke Envick, a veteran dean in higher education, who recounts how achieving every professional milestone left her feeling empty. She discusses combining lessons from neuroscience with practices like gratitude and prayer, revealing how a sudden, debilitating health crisis forced her into a necessary stillness that ultimately paved the way for profound, lasting internal change. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Nikki DeLoach Upcoming interview: Caroline Beidler Jesus Calling for Moms Butch Wilmore Boeing Starliner Stuck in Space: An Astronaut's Hope Through the Unexpected - Book by Butch Wilmore Brooke Envick True Ascension: Unlocking Greatness Through Faith, Fortitude, and Foresight - Book by Brooke Envick Interview Quotes: “You can see the vibrancy, you can see life in the colors. Understanding and knowing that the atmosphere protects the planet and enables us to have the air to breathe that we need, and all of that, and it’s all supplied by our Lord and Savior, our God, the Creator of all things, that is a special thing to view from that vantage point.” - Butch Wilmore “In all types of strenuous situations that we come through in life—to where realizing the Lord’s in control, He is sovereign, working providentially for His Glory and our ultimate good, if we believe. And that is the mainstay of who I am, what I understand, what I know God’s Word to say. And again, even in those moments, it brings intense comfort and intense hope. There’s always, always, eternal hope, regardless of what takes place.” - Butch Wilmore “You’ve got to be completely committed, all in, and that commitment breeds the preparation that is required for whatever the tasks are that you’re undertaking, because the responsibility is great, sometimes greater in certain areas than others.” - Butch Wilmore “I have to come at whatever the task is with a complete mindset of being prepared, disciplined in that preparation, because that’s what it takes—and in those extremist situations, maintaining the focus that’s required to do the task, whatever that might be.” - Butch Wilmore “Anything that we have, everything that we are capable of doing, everything that we are tasked with doing, He’s given us the ability, and to Him be the glory.” - Butch Wilmore “Life is tough, and in every situation, everything in life, you have to want whatever it is that’s going forward. You have to want it, you’ve got to be committed, you’ve got to prepare, because the responsibility is great that God requires of us, in all aspects of our lives.” - Butch Wilmore “God was still shaping me in that moment and it taught me that real change doesn’t always come from moving faster or starting over. Sometimes it actually happens from stopping and listening and allowing God to align your inner life before sending you forward again.” - Brooke Envick “I found that scripture gave me a lot of insight into broader wisdom and lessons from the Bible, prayer gave me a connection and ongoing conversation with God, and meditation brought alignment to my life. It helped me slow down and focus my thoughts and become more intentional about how I was responding to life, instead of simply reacting to it.” - Brooke Envick “What we return to consistently is what begins to shape our thought patterns, emotional responses, and also our sense of peace. So when we connect with God daily, we reinforce those neural pathways associated with calm, trust, and meaning. Devotionals like Jesus Calling help us create space for that daily attunement and moments when we need to pause and listen and realign our thoughts with truth and with trust. What I’ve seen in my own life is that daily connection doesn’t remove challenges, but it changes how we move through them.” - Brooke Envick “Faith isn’t meant to be passive. God gives us direction, purpose, and trust, but He expects us to use the tools He gives us to make progress.” - Brooke Envick “Faith shapes the why, which is our meaning, our purpose, and our trust in God, and neuroscience reveals the how.” - Brooke Envick ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to a special scripture-focused bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, in which we hone in on the character of Abigail in the Bible with singer/songwriter, author and Dove Award-winning artist Nicole C. Mullen. Nicole shows us how we can apply Abigail’s courageous principles to our own lives in order to stand up for what’s right, even when we’re surrounded by wrongs, and what it looks like to raise our voices in a way that’s full of grace and freedom. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Nicole C. Mullen Corrie ten Boom Mother Teresa It’s Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing by Nicole C. Mullen Interview Quotes: “I love studying the lives of biblical women because they remind me of myself. When I see in Scripture how God dealt with them, I know He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever, and what He did is what He still does. Their stories give me hope in my now and in my future.” - Nicole C. Mullen “[The story of Abigail] is one of those stories that’s encouraged me throughout the years to make wise decisions. Sometimes I, too, will have to run interference for the safety of my home.” - Nicole C. Mullen “Abigail’s story teaches us spiritual discernment in the realm of if there is a situation where we are faced with the decision between right and wrong, good and evil, I believe we are called to act on behalf of the good.” - Nicole C. Mullen “I was abused physically for a few years, and I had to make a decision as to, Do I continue to stay and remain silent and allow fear to make me voiceless? Or do I borrow the courage of other sheroes that have come before me?” - Nicole C. Mullen “I’m very passionate about encouraging other women and letting them know they have a voice, and that Scripture allows them to beautifully turn up the volume.” - Nicole C. Mullen “I see the Abigail spirit all the time in women who may never gain notoriety. Their names may never become famous. They may never wear a cape or have an S on their chest. But on the inside, they are sheroes, because they have courageously stood against evil, and so I applaud them.” - Nicole C. Mullen “We’re not called to be quiet when it comes to righteousness and justice and things that are promoted as biblical values. We’re called to raise our voices in a way that’s full of wisdom, full of intelligence, full of beauty, full of grace, and full of freedom.” - Nicole C. Mullen ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What happens when the question “Am I enough?” follows you into every part of your life? For mental health therapist Trey Tucker, that question isn’t just theoretical—it’s something he’s seen affect the lives of countless men and one he’s wrestled with himself. Then, writer and mother Kit Willis Rutherford invites us into a quiet, sacred moment from her own life. As her grandmother faced her final days, a tiny cross appeared in the screen of a bedroom window—unchanged through storms and still visible decades later. What began as a mystery became a lasting symbol of comfort for her family. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past Interview: Brandi Rhodes Upcoming Interview: Butch Wilmore Jesus Calling for Moms Trey Tucker’s Rugged Counseling Taken (Movie starring Liam Neeson) 2008 Destiny Rescue Tough Enough: Hone Your Habits, Cultivate Purpose, and Forge Genuine Strength - Book by Trey Tucker Kit Willis Rutherford Interview Quotes: “In my experience, every guy that I’ve talked to has some sort of question, Am I enough? It’s the word that haunts him, and you can fill in the blank with whatever word you want before that.” - Trey Tucker “So being enough or being not enough is the thing that haunts the guys the most. It can drive you to make some really amazingly terrible decisions, but it can also be deceptively helpful in driving you to some great successes.” - Trey Tucker “Looking back at all the experiences that I’ve had, I finally got it into my body or my heart that God is going to come through. And since He’s going to come through, that means I’m going to be okay….I think it’s helped me to purposely put myself in uncomfortable situations—in situations that scare me—because I just know the more I do that, the more I’m going to really feel and experience God coming through for me, and then I can help other people do the same thing in their own walk as well.“ - Trey Tucker “[My grandmother] was always such a pillar of the community for people that were in need, quietly meeting needs without ever being prompted to do so.” - Kit Willis Rutherford “Just because we are filled with faith or we are filled with joy or any other wonderful attribute, we’re not immune from the world. The bad things in the world sort of creep in.” - Kit Willis Rutherford “The veil between heaven and earth is so thin and we really can, from time to time, glimpse little bits of heaven-sent love and heaven-sent information.” - Kit Willis Rutherford “I feel like hardship has shaped my faith and been truly the balm against the agony of such a broken world where there is so much sickness and so much grief and so much hardship.” - Kit Willis Rutherford ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What starts as a single “yes” can influence a lifetime. In this episode, we speak with Tennessee’s First Lady Maria Lee, who shares how a short summer of ministry in Nashville turned the trajectory of her life—from teaching in a classroom to serving alongside her husband in public life—and taught her that true impact often comes from simply showing up and seeing others. Speaker and radio personality Brooke Taylor’s story takes a different turn when a sudden stroke changes everything, forcing her to relearn how to live and let go of perfection, only to discover that God could use her brokenness to reach people in a deeper, more meaningful way. Together, their stories reveal a powerful truth—that even in the most unplanned moments, God is guiding us with compassion toward connection. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Anita Renfroe Upcoming interview: Trey Tucker Jesus Listens for Moms Maria Lee Bill Lee Christ Presbyterian Academy My Utmost for His Highest COVID Covenant school shooting Tennessee Serves Project Brooke Taylor Joy99 Interview Quotes: “The hardest part I think with being in the public eye is the criticism that comes along with that. But the thing that has grounded me and [helped with] being able to handle being in that public eye is staying in God’s Word and knowing what He’s called me to do and being able to walk that purposefully and intentionally. Being in His Word reminds me of who I am and who He is, what He values and what He wants me to value.” - First Lady Maria Lee “I think there’s a lot of bright, shiny things in the world that draw our attention away from what the Lord has called us to, and if we’re not grounded in daily communion with Him and daily relationship with Him, you can easily be distracted.” - First Lady Maria Lee “I think if we are going to emulate the character of Christ, He came not to be served, but to serve. And if we’re going to follow in His footsteps, I feel like each one of us who is a believer and confesses Christ should be finding a place to serve.” - First Lady Maria Lee “There are so many ways to serve, and it doesn’t have to be big, it can be little. I think one of the greatest ways to serve somebody is just to be present with them, to show up and let them know that you see them.” - First Lady Maria Lee “When I heard how the [radio] listeners were praying for me and how they were sending cards and how they were sending messages that they were praying for me, I knew that was God’s way of surrounding me with His love.” - Brooke Taylor “As a radio personality, you’re pouring out and pouring out and pouring out. You say things, but you don’t know if anybody’s listening. You don’t know if it’s reaching anybody, or if you made any sense with that sentence. And then to have that all come back to me—the listeners pouring out to me—it was very humbling.” - Brooke Taylor “[After my stroke] I felt like God was with me, and it was as if He was saying, ‘I don’t need the perfect you. It’s actually more effective for Me if I use the broken you. Because the broken you is going to be able to reach people that are also broken.’” - Brooke Taylor ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Author and artist Ruth Chou Simons joins Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer to share her journey of faith, from immigrating to the U.S. as a young girl to raising six boys while writing and creating art that points others to Christ. Ruth opens up about the struggles of striving for approval and how she discovered freedom in God’s grace. Guest’s Links YouTube: @RuthChouSimonsFacebook: @ruthchousimons Instagram: @ruthchousimons Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4ohxdVK ________________________ Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from Rebecca St. James, a Grammy and Dove award-winning contemporary Christian music artist. When Rebecca’s family moved from Australia to the U.S. when Rebecca was a teen, they faced serious financial struggles—the kind that forced them to rely completely on each other and outside support for basic survival like food, transportation, and medical bills. This intense period of “making it work” became the bedrock of her career and is the focus of the film Unsung Hero. Next, we meet Zahriya Zachary, an artist and worship leader with Bethel Music who experienced a major pivot in her early twenties. She shares how she shifted from the pursuit of a traditional career to an unexpected music career. Her story explores the struggle of unlearning the need for perfection and performance, and the profound freedom found in simply showing up as yourself. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Darlene Zschech Upcoming interview: Maria Lee Jesus Listens for Moms Rebecca St. James Unsung Hero “You Make Everything Beautiful” My Utmost for His Highest www.rebeccastjames.com Zahriya Zachary “Stay” www.bethelmusic.com/roster/zahriya-zachar Rediscovery Interview Quotes: “[Hardship] really did encourage us to turn to God as a family, because we needed Him in a way that we had never needed Him so desperately before.” - Rebecca St. James “My parents were definitely the kind that encouraged us to flourish in our own gifts. I think that they were very attentive to specialized giftings within the family and encouraged us to be unique.” - Rebecca St. James “I remember my parents being very available for just talking things through, and that’s something that I’m also trying to do with our kids, [is to be] available and present.” - Rebecca St. James “I think God’s design for the family is so beautiful, and I think when we can live that out privately in our lives, but then also if God allows us to to live that out in the public space too, there’s an undeniable loveliness to it.” - Rebecca St. James “I think something that I am currently unlearning is my performance being the thing that makes God stay, and even that makes other people stay. I’m really unlearning that because it can tend to be this driving force of, If I do good enough at this, if I can just be perfect at this, then God will just stay. The Lord is revealing to me, ‘I love you because I love because I love you.’” - Zahriya Zachary “I’ve had these moments throughout my life with God in the moments where I felt the most lost. He actually reveals to me a highlight reel of every place where I thought I was alone and every place where I thought He wasn’t. It’s actually given me strength to stay when it’s hard, because He enables me to remember.” - Zahriya Zachary “It was never up to us to reach for God’s presence or earn it, because He’s already done it all.” - Zahriya Zachary ________________________ 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 Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.