Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

One of the greatest markers of our adult life is when we fully come to realize that we were designed with intention, created for a specific purpose and mission. Nothing God has ever done has been an accident, and He knows every part of you, even the talents you might not have realized yet. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” No matter where life takes you, you can trust that He knows where you’re headed, and is guiding you through every step.  Our guests this week each have beautiful abilities that they consider to be gifts from God. Aaron Tippin is a country music star who enjoyed great popularity in the 90’s, but before that, grew up on a family farm, where he learned to fly planes with his father and absolutely fell in love with being in the air, and being “closer to heaven” as he likes to describe. Eleven year-old Jude Kofie, who experiences autism, surprised his family—especially his father Isaiah, who worried about his future—when he walked in to hear Jude playing their portable keyboard like a seasoned pianist, though he’d never played before in his life. When piano tuner Bill Magnusson heard their story on the news, he was compelled to help this family and gave a gift that would allow Jude to realize his potential in a bigger way, and a beautiful relationship was born that has been a gift to them all.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Jodi Stuber Upcoming interview: Walker Zimmerman Proverbs 19:21 NIV   Aaron Tippin 4H Future Farmers of America Elvis Presley Loretta Lynn Clint Black "You've Got to Stand for Something" Bob Hope Show Christmas in 1990 "Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly" Tennessee Flying Machines www.aarontippin.com   Jude Kofie Isaiah Kofie emergency C-section G tube Autism Local news segment on Jude and Isaiah The Kelly Clarkson Show CeCe Winans Interview Quotes: “From four years old, I first put my hands on the controls in an airplane. And when I looked out the window and I saw those cars on the ground looking like Hot Wheels toys, I said, ‘This is it. There's nothing greater.’” - Aaron Tippin “Getting close to Christ during those [early days in Nashville], was very, very comforting. You find out you're not as alone as you think you are.” - Aaron Tippin “I don't know where my next blessing is going to be. I'm not sure I want to know or need to know. I believe that He does have a plan. God's not through me yet.” - Aaron Tippin “I know how important it is to have a good instrument to practice on and how lovely it is to have a wonderful piano to play on to make beautiful music.” - Bill Magnusson “That wonderful gift [of a piano], that selfless act, is what secured Jude's future. It was taking all our worries away.” - Isaiah Kofie “We seem to live in a world where people are utterly desperate for a little bit of good news and to feel a little better than they feel right now.” - Bill Magnusson  “I just bought a piano and that was all I did. All the rest of this stuff is God, it's not me.” - Bill Magnusson ________________________ 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   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There’s an element to having a relationship with God where you feel compelled to tell others about His love. Because when we’re in a loving relationship, we thrive. It brings us joy, and it gives us stamina to face whatever’s in front of us. Our guests this week had circumstances in their lives that could have made their lives go in directions that might not have been optimal. Having God’s love as a foundation for how they saw themselves in the world was key to giving them that “push” they needed to believe they were made for something more.  Akbar Gbajabiamila is a former NFL player turned television host who almost didn’t take the leap of faith that led him to the career he has today, but it was advice from his father to finish what he started and to be an ambassador for God that motivated him to keep going. Kristian Stanfill is a worship leader of the Passion movement who vulnerably sought sobriety in order to overcome the tough emotions that he was burying and hiding from others.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: The Power of Love Upcoming interview: Aaron Tippin   Akbar Gbajabiamila American Ninja Warrior  CBS The Talk Los Angeles Lakers Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar San Diego State Oprah Winfrey NFL Network Fight to Survive Everyone Can Be a Ninja   Kristian Stanfill Passion movement  Louie Giglio www.kristianstanfill.com Make It Out Alive Passion’s new album I’ve Witnessed It   Interview Quotes: “I felt like an outcast. I felt like an outsider. But I had to learn how to persevere. I remember something that my father told me, and I never forgot this: ‘Make them say your name.’ Whenever they say your name, it should be in a favorable light. You're doing things that people are going to remember you by.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “What's the story here? The story is sometimes you have no idea. You have your mind set on something else, and sometimes others see something special in you that you can't see in yourself.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “The better you understand the playbook, the more comfortable you are on the football field. And this is how God was starting to work in my life. As I started to become taught, I started seeing the Lord ordering my step in a certain way. And that right there was the beginning of my journey as a Christian.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila  “The point of that story is that sometimes you do have to create your own opportunities. Sometimes you have to step in faith, and sometimes it looks scary. My father used to say, ‘You're an ambassador for the family, and you're an ambassador for God.’ And I never, ever, ever forgot that.” - Akbar Gbajabiamila “I thought, Man, if I could be a part of helping people see Jesus and encounter the presence of God with my life, that would be pretty cool.” - Kristian Stanfill “Alcohol became something that I used to numb these feelings of inadequacy or failure or I'm not good enough or I'm not measuring up. And I think we all feel similar emotions and similar things, and we all live in the same world and feel a lot of the same pressure. I just wasn't dealing with it in a healthy way.” - Kristian Stanfill “The first step that everybody took was toward me and not away from me.” - Kristian Stanfill “God started to help me understand things about who He is and His love for me. I started to understand my community's love for me, and it was just transformative.” - Kristian Stanfill “I've grown up hearing about grace and God's love. But you have to understand that it's real for yourself and that God's grace flows down into the deep, dark place that you're at and meets you there, but it doesn't leave you there. It changes you. It transforms you.” - Kristian Stanfill “God uses these things in our life, even these broken things, these struggles that we go through, to refine us and make us more like Himself.” - Kristian Stanfill “If you want a resurrection, then a dying has to happen. But this death is not the end. It's where your life begins.”- Kristian Stanfill ________________________ 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   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As human beings, we’re all on an individual journey, a walk that is all our own. Perhaps you grew up in a family of faith that laid the groundwork for the beliefs you have today, or perhaps you discovered your faith later and can mark the moments where God made Himself present on your journey. No matter how we got to our faith, or where we’re headed, the faith that lives inside us will guide us on a beautiful journey that will take us to the place we’re meant to be.  Andrea Bocelli, the world’s most beloved tenor singer, joins us this week to talk about his faith journey, along with his wife Veronica, who closes the interview with a prayer from Jesus Listens. Speaking in his native Italian, which has been translated to English for this podcast, Andrea recounts how his love for his family and his faith have kept him centered during all the years his career had him jet-setting across the globe to perform on the world’s most iconic stages. Licensed counselor and national speaker Debra Fileta specializes in relationships and mental and emotional health. In her new book, Reset, Debra walks readers through a journey to transform their old habits and bring about lasting change in their lives.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Kristin Smedley Upcoming interview: Akbar Gbajabiamila   Andrea Bocelli The Journey   Debra Fileta  Reset Mark 12:30 NIV Romans 7:15 NIV John 8:31-32 NIV www.debrafileta.com   Interview Quotes: “I realized that there can't be a clock without a clockmaker…this convinced me right away that between the idea of God and fate, I was going towards the first one, and from that moment everything I had done so far—going to the mass, all these things—wasn't something abstract anymore, instead it was extremely serious, tangible, and important.” - Andrea Bocelli “I must say that faith has always been very important to me to keep myself down to earth, to remember that everything I've done wasn't my merit, but a gift from God.” - Andrea Bocelli “The problem is when we approach change from the outside in, it doesn't lead to lasting change.“ - Debra Fileta “Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're healthy. We have to take a journey of healing with Jesus by our side." - Debra Fileta “There is no trauma that is more powerful than the power of Jesus at work in me.” - Debra Fileta “Your thoughts ultimately affect how you feel, which then affect how you behave and what you choose to do and how you act.” - Debra Fileta “Many times, the Lord needs to take us on a journey of going backward in order to heal some of those hurts and insecurities and fears from the past, in order to replace them with God's truth so that we can begin getting unstuck in our present.” - Debra Fileta “When God reveals a struggle, when God reveals something in your life that's a weakness or a sin, and He's bringing it to the surface of your life, it's not to shame you. It's to invite you into a deeper level of healing.” - Debra Fileta “It is hard to heal, but it's also hard to stay the same. It's also hard to live with struggle and sin and addiction and bondage.” - Debra Fileta ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this special monthly episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, hosted by Susie McEntire, we’re talking with YouTuber Rob Kenney, the man behind the “Dad, How Do I?” Channel that provides encouragement, practical advice, and tips to anyone who might not have a key parental figure in their lives. Rob’s made all kinds of knowledge accessible as the “Internet Dad,” In this episode, he shares the story of how he started this channel, why it’s important to him to provide a place that people can go for advice and encouragement, and a few tips on how to strengthen your relationship to God through prayer.  Guest’s Links Facebook: @dadhowdoi Instagram: @dadhowdoi ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Are you one of those people who finds it hard to ask others for help? Though we might find ourselves facing things alone or maybe we just want to tough it out and not burden anyone else with our problems, we should remember when we ask for help—including help from God—we honor those in whom we place our trust—giving them a chance to joyfully give of themselves to support us in whatever we’re facing.  Our guests this week each had moments in their life where they had to face that they couldn’t rely only on their own strength, they needed help to overcome the problems in front of them. Nazareth is a Christian comedian who actively looks to bring laughter to places all over the world that need it most. Michele Cushatt is an author and speaker who knows the lonely places of suffering and is passionate about sharing ways to find joy on the other side.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Tammy Bullock Upcoming interview: Andrea Bocelli   Nazareth Subway Muhammad Ali Comedy Store The Improv www.nazarethusa.com   Michele Cushatt  ENT doctor squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue A Faith That Will Not Fail: 10 Practices to Build up Your Faith when Your World is Falling Apart   Interview Quotes: “I'm going, Wow, I didn't know I can push myself to do that. And I asked myself the question, What do I want to do in life that if I never get paid for it, I will still do it to the best of my ability? I loved seeing people laugh. So I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’” - Nazareth  “I sat there [in church] and I don't know what the message was about, but I heard that God loves me. I can come as I am. I don't have to fix myself. And that He has a plan for my life.” - Nazareth “The Holy Spirit gave me the go-ahead to become an evangelist, to bring people to Christ through comedy, to encourage believers.” - Nazareth “I started going to places where it's going to be a tough audience. Prison would be a tough audience. How about IRS agents? How about homeless shelters? I want to go where laughter is needed.” - Nazareth “The doctors told me clearly, ‘We threw everything but the kitchen sink at you in the hopes of maybe saving your life.’ But in the process, I almost died.“ - Michele Cushatt “Honestly I didn't know a human being could endure that much physical suffering and still survive.” - Michele Cushatt “What do you do with your faith in a God who doesn't always behave the way that you expect Him to?” - Michele Cushatt “He takes the things that look like our biggest devastation and somehow, by some miracle of grace, He goes, ‘I know you think this is going to destroy you. I'm actually going to use it to save you.’” - Michele Cushatt “I cannot deny how many sweet moments and sweet conversations and sweet experiences and relationships have come not in spite of my suffering, but as a direct result of it.” - Michele Cushatt “Lament is as much a part of worship as praise is.” - Michele Cushatt “Even if you have nothing to give, God still has everything to give you. He didn't come and save you because you were so strong and faithful. He came and saved you because He loves you, and that's enough.“ - Michele Cushatt ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As we figure out how to navigate the various things that life puts in front of us, we may question whether we’re always doing the right thing. When we don’t know what to do, it’s good to remember what Jesus says that can help put us on the right path: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” [John 13:34] “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” [John 15:13] Some people do literally lay down their lives on a daily basis for others. But the rest of us can choose to lay down our lives and love extravagantly in smaller, every-day living type ways. Those moments when we go out of our way to help someone in need are always something we can know is the right way to go.  James Patterson is considered the world’s bestselling author, and he’s the creator of beloved, enduring fictional characters like Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and is also known for his critically-acclaimed narrative nonfiction, including works like Walk In My Combat Boots, and E.R. Nurses. When James started writing his new book, Walk the Blue Line, he was astounded, despite recent events that reflect poor choices by police officers, by the good so many other police officers are doing out there, and the challenges they face each time they put on their uniform. Luke Sherman, a former police officer, has experienced thirty years of some of the scariest situations imaginable. Now, he’s taken a new role at the nonprofit organization Folds of Honor, founded by Dan Rooney, and has helped expand their scholarship program from military families to also include the families of America’s first responders. Rachel Faulkner Brown is a gold star wife whose children were scholarship recipients from Folds of Honor, and now as one of the organization’s speakers, Rachel shares how she is passionate to help the families of first responders move from tragedy to hope for the future.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Gary Sinise Upcoming interview: Nazareth John 13:34 NIV John 15:13 NIV   James Patterson  Walk In My Combat Boots E.R. Nurses Dolly Parton Along Came a Spider Kiss the Girls Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN Edgar® Award Matt Eversmann Black Hawk Down Walk the Blue Line St. Patrick's Cathedral www.jamespatterson.com   Luke Sherman Rachel Faulkner Brown Folds of Honor Dan Rooney Be Still Ministries Never Alone Widows World War II Naval Air Station New Orleans Genesis 50:20 NIV Revelation 12:11 NIV Tulsa Police Department www.foldsofhonor.org   Interview Quotes: “I don't expect things to come to me, and I'm grateful when they do.” - James Patterson “What can we do that's the most valuable to everybody else and to ourselves and to our own family?” - James Patterson “These policemen and women, they really need your prayers too. They need them every day.” - James Patterson “Now, more than ever in my lifetime, people just need to go somewhere where they can be at peace and believe that somehow it's all going to turn out in a good way, you know? And the crazy thing [is] the truth will set you free. I think it does.” - James Patterson “Education can never be taken away from us. There are very few things in this world that can't be taken away, and that is definitely one of them, which is why I'm so passionate about having a good education for my children and any other child, because I do think it is the gift that never stops giving.“ - Rachel Faulkner Brown “I look back and I'm like, Oh, my gosh, what You have done with something the enemy meant to take me out, honestly, to take out me and my children. Look what God has done and flipped it on its head and said, ‘Don't worry, Rachel, I've got people that are going to take care of you and your little children, just like Joseph told his own brothers.’” - Rachel Faulkner Brown “The work that you do sometimes you don't see the results of. But if it's done with good intentions and the foundation of our faith behind it, it'll change lives. It'll bring mountains down.” - Luke Sherman “Everybody has fear. But what are we going to do? Because there's something more important. And from every crisis and tragedy, I think there's an opportunity.” - Luke Sherman  ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Maybe one of the most beautiful and affirming passages in the Bible are words written by David in Psalm 139: “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all are written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:15-16). Whenever we wonder what we’re doing with our lives or when we’re wading through a new difficulty, we can know that we were lovingly created on purpose by God to live out a purpose that it could take us our whole lives to discover. Even when our lives seem to be in shambles, we can live in the truth that we’re made by Him for so much more, and He is constantly pointing us toward our ultimate destiny. GRAMMY winning gospel artist Erica Campbell had success from an early age as a singer, but still struggled with whether or not she was enough to carry out God’s purpose. Writer and mother of six Crystal Paine shares how a difficult period of her life influenced how she guides others to make order of their similarly messy lives.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Emily Chang Upcoming interview: James Patterson Psalm 139:15-16 NIV   Erica Campbell Evangelistic Church of God in Christ  Columbia Records “A Little More Jesus” “Positive”   Crystal Paine  MoneySavingMom.com IVF foster parents DCS [Department of Children’s Services]  reunification The Time-Saving Mom   Interview Quotes: “A lot of times when God gives you something amazing, the work is the tough part, but the work is where you learn who you are. The work is where you learn who God is, your ability to endure.” - Erica Campbell “Once I learned to accept who I am and make the best of who I am and what I am, He gave me everything I need to be everything I need.” - Erica Campbell “There is no error in His creation. And then also there's no error in you. If He didn't make a mistake, then I can't be a mistake. If He knows what He's doing and He's an intentional God, then there's not something I'm missing. I don't have to take something away to be what He wants me to be. It's all inside.” - Erica Campbell “God was allowing me to learn how to stand on my own two feet.” - Erica Campbell “When I am worrying, when I am feeling stressed, when I am feeling frustrated, it's usually an indication that I'm not resting in the Lord, that I'm trying to micromanage and control my life on my own instead of recognizing how much I have been given in Jesus.” - Crystal Paine “I want to live from a posture of prayer, of understanding that all I have and all I am is because of Jesus and leaning on Him and relying upon Him and looking to Him and recognizing that I cannot do this life well in my own strength.” - Crystal Paine ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Change is constant in life. Sometimes the wave of change runs its course over your life slowly, and sometimes change creates a 180-degree turn in a moment’s notice. Whatever the circumstances, learning to be adaptable and trusting that God is in the middle with us during those changes is key to us navigating life’s turnarounds. Sister Jean Schmidt was ready to retire from her role as an educator at Loyola University when she was 75 years old. But God had different plans—and Jean was called to stay on in a role to help student athletes keep their grades up. This evolved into a position as team chaplain for the men’s basketball team, which led to her renown as the “basketball nun” who accompanied the team on their improbable road to the Final Four. Now at 103 years of age, Sister Jean shares her story and her great purpose in life which is to serve God, be faithful to Him and to help people, no matter how much that impacts where she “thought” she would be at this stage in life. Tara Sun had a plan for her life—med school, marriage, and then ministering to her community. At a very young age, though, Tara’s life took a major turn with an unusual medical diagnosis. She had to reframe her entire life as she dealt with her illness. What she discovered at this time became the focus of her writing and the message she wants to share with others.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Meg Apperson Upcoming interview: Erica Campbell   Sister Jean Schmidt  Loyola University Final Four Great Depression Bob Hope Linda and Tony Hope USC Kezar Stadium  Notre Dame NCAA  Title IX March Madness Donte Ingram  Clayton Custer Wake Up with Purpose: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years   Tara Sun Fibromyalgia Matthew 11 NIV Surrender Your Story   Interview Quotes: “Having a sense of humor is part of life. I think one has to enjoy life, and I do. I have a lot of fun.” - Sister Jean “In my early days of teaching there was no connection [for girls] with sports because boys had most of the attention at that time. But then as things grew and women were getting their place in sports, it showed that these women can do many things that men can do." - Sister Jean “Don't let anybody ever spoil your dream. Do whatever you can to fulfill that dream and take the steps necessary to do that. If the dream is not for you, you'll find out.” - Sister Jean “That's my great purpose in life, is to serve God and to be faithful to Him and to help people, to do my very best in that and to just know that I enjoyed life and I continue to do that. I've had a good life so far, 103 years.“ - Sister Jean “It's really cool how I used that because looking back, I just didn't think much of it. But now I can see how God used that love for writing. It is really awesome to see it now because I would have not told you this is how things would have played out.” - Tara Sun “There were so many times that I dwelled on my circumstances in self-pity, and I even got bitter and frustrated with God because things weren't going my way. This wasn't a part of the plan.” - Tara Sun “When that diagnosis came and the rest of my life started unfolding, I realized I'm not in control. And that's actually okay, God had something better for me. He just took me completely off of path and completely on a different blueprint than I could have ever come up with on my own. So that's when I had to learn to surrender my story and instead trust where God was leading.” - Tara Sun “God is still good even when your circumstances are not…your weakness is a beautiful testimony for His strength. Just imagine what God may have you do and the lives He may have you change through sharing your stories of illness and weakness.” - Tara Sun “We burden ourselves when we try to grasp control instead of surrender.” - Tara Sun ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Faith, we’re talking with creator, entrepreneur, and father of nine Stephen Miller about the joys and challenges that come with raising children, and what Stephen’s prayers looked like during a particularly hard season.   Guest’s Links Facebook: @themillerfam Twitter: @TheMillerFam2 Instagram: @THEMILLERFAM ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life throws a lot of stuff our way, both good and bad. But have you ever found yourself at that wall when you know that if one more thing comes your way you’re going to explode? We don’t fully understand why God allows us to reach those breaking point moments, but we can know that He loves us and we can trust that He is a refuge from the worst of storms in our life.  Luke Weaver is a newly-signed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, after recently playing for the Kansas City Royals. Luke got attention beyond his athletic talents in the league for the special glove he wears designed to look like an old-school Bible. It reminds him of God’s promise to stand by him in any situation. Talaat and Tai McNeely are a married couple who faced a fork in the road when Talaat came clean about his less-than-ideal financial situation just before they were married—and how they had to rebuild trust with each other in their understanding and communication, and now, how they help others facing the same mountain.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Janine Urbaniak Reid Upcoming interview: Sister Jean Schmidt   Luke Weaver  Florida State University Major League Baseball Adam Wainwright Tommy John injury subscap capsule Bible Glove   Talaat and Tai McNeely His and Her Money   Interview Quotes: “Every ballpark came with new feelings and new moments and taking pictures and just really soaking it up, along with facing guys that you've watched on TV for so long. And you just kind of add all that in together and then you're just like, Man, this is really cool.” - Luke Weaver “There’s these moments where it's like I'm being challenged, but God won't let me get to the breaking point.” - Luke Weaver “God's really doing a lot in my life right now.” - Luke Weaver “I'm proud of the words that were able to flow through me. I'm proud of the way I can handle these situations because I know the long term effect is much more impactful, not only for me, but hopefully for the person across the room and how they handle things going forward with other players or with other moments.” - Luke Weaver “It got to the point where the mess that I was trying to clean up on my own silently, the plan wasn't working because God wasn't going to allow it to work because we couldn't build the foundation that we were about to embark on with the lie. And so really, I was backed into a corner.” - Talaat McNeely “It took a lot of prayer and a whole lot of conversation for us to come back together and walk down that aisle and continue to move forward with our lives together after the truth of the situation came out.” - Talaat McNeely “I went to God in prayer. I involved the Lord in our decision making. “Lord, what should I do? How should I walk this out?” And then once God began to deal with my heart, I was able to embrace the journey.” - Tai McNeely “We began to dream really, really big and ambitiously, as though the God of the universe that we serve could do anything.” - Talaat McNeely “If you take the time to dream and give yourself concrete goals and benchmarks that you're trying to hit, the hard work becomes less hard because you know that the progress that you're making is actually leading you somewhere.” - Talaat McNeely “If He allowed me to overcome this mountain, there are some other mountains that He can help me with as well.” - Talaat McNeely “With God, all things are possible. So it starts with your level of faith, not in yourself, not in your talent, skills, or ability, but your level of faith and the faithfulness of the God that you serve. He doesn't want you to be bound. He doesn't want you to be shackled. He doesn't want you to be full of anxiety about your finances. He wants you to be free. But there is work that you have to do.” - Talaat McNeely ________________________ 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 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.