Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Music holds an incredible spiritual power that can't be easily defined. It serves as a universal language, connecting people across cultures and experiences, and has a mysterious way of mirroring our innermost feelings and thoughts. The gift God gave us through music can heal, uplift, and inspire, providing spiritual nourishment and a deeper sense of connection to the world around us.  Singer/songwriter Kelly Lang found herself in a dark place after an unexpected and frightening breast cancer diagnosis. As she contemplated her mortality, she started to look at the world with different eyes, and was inspired to write songs about her experiences during a season that would greatly test her strength. Chris Brown, a worship leader and songwriter at Elevation Church, has written amazing songs of worship during his life that help people feel closer to God. Chris describes how music got him through some difficult times, including the loss of his mom, and how God shows up for Him in those challenging places.     Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview:  Francesca Battistelli Upcoming interview: Aarti Sequeira Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots  www.ReadRelief.com   Kelly Lang The Oprah Winfrey Show Mammogram Ascension Saint Thomas Hospitals  “I Think It's Jesus” Kelly Lang’s latest album ‘Dragonfly’ features the single “I Think It’s Jesus” as well as “I’m Not Going Anywhere,” “Life Sentence,” and more! Lang’s advocacy for breast cancer awareness came full circle with her Grand Ole Opry debut at Opry Goes Pink, the annual event honoring breast cancer patients.   Chris Brown Elevation Church Pastor Steven Furtick “Here Again” Can You Imagine? Here Again Written by Chris Brown, Amy Corbett and Steven Furtick © 2018 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (BMI) (admin. at EssentialMusicPublishing.com)   Interview Quotes: “I survived with an attitude of gratitude and looking at things positively, like, Okay, I've got breast cancer, but at least I'm here. I was just grasping at every little detail because the people that I surrounded myself with taught me that. You could choose to live in a dark place or you could choose to live in a lighter place.” - Kelly Lang  “It's so important to daily set aside time with [God] so that these truths get rooted deeper into my spirit, into my mind, that whatever I'm worried about or facing right now, God is in it with me.” - Chris Brown “Spending time with Jesus every single day is watering and tending to the garden of my soul.” - Chris Brown  “I need those moments where God can also pull out things in my heart and in my spirit that don't belong there, and He can reveal those things to me.” - Chris Brown ________________________ 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.

It doesn’t matter how much we achieve, or how much we do to show ourselves as worthy, haunting doubts can creep in, making us question our value and undercutting our confidence. Sometimes these feelings stem from an internal comparison with others around us, as we measure our lives against others' highlight reels. However, there is a hope for the dark feelings we have that tell us we’re not enough, or that no one truly cares. The transformative power of God’s love encourages us to shed layers of self-doubt and replace them with an armor of self-acceptance and appreciation. In the face of this love, shame dwindles, losing its power to control our emotions and actions.  This week, actress Kerry Washington plumbs the depths of her family history to vulnerably reveal her own history, and found that she carried shame which made her feel unworthy and unlovable—which manifested into anxiety she would carry into adulthood. Through the help of therapy, prayer, and understanding her story, Kerry began vulnerably sharing her deepest secrets, and learned to love herself by letting go of shame. With a mixture of home design styling, DIY projects, and preaching from God's Word, Anh Lin has created a truly unique space on her YouTube channel, Girl and The Word. Anh recalls one of her darkest moments when she thought to herself, No one truly loves you, when she felt God comforting her and assuring her of her worth. Now, she works to help others transform spaces into healing sanctuaries of peace and reflection.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Carley Summers Upcoming interview: Kelly Lang Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt    Kerry Washington Thicker Than Water   Anh Lin  Girl and The Word YouTube channel www.girlandtheword.com Forever Home   Interview Quotes: “I really have been on a journey to figure out how to take care of myself and provide a sense of safety for myself that helps me stay out of depression and anxiety.” - Kerry Washington  “We are each of us a child of God. We all deserve to be loved unconditionally. We are all worthy. We are no less than or no greater than any other person.” - Kerry Washington  “We don't all have the same journeys, but we do share these common human, unifying experiences of wanting to be loved, wanting to be seen, knowing what it's like to be afraid, knowing what it's like to love, knowing what it's like to have our hearts broken.” - Kerry Washington “My children and my husband are 100% proof of God to me. Each of us is a crazy, brilliant miracle, just a God blessed miracle to be here.” - Kerry Washington “My deepest relationships with God have come in my most challenging times. I think those ebbs and flows in life happen to invite us to get closer to goodness, closer to faith, closer to God.” - Kerry Washington  “I had that experience of [God] coming to me when I was at my darkest stage, when I had wanted nothing to do with Him or anything to do with any religion, He still saw His broken daughter and it broke His heart. And He reached out to me.” - Anh Lin “I generally just look at the things that surround me, such as land or paint or whatever I have within my vicinity, and I really allow the Lord to inspire me in what He wants me to do next, creative wise.” - Anh Lin  “I feel like if we are searching for that next creative project that would really glorify Him, just allow Him to inspire us in unexpected ways, and then open the Bible and see what the scriptures have to say about that.” - Anh Lin ________________________ 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 Prayer, we hear from author and Enneagram coach Jackie Brewster. Jackie shares with us how the Enneagram personality test can help us learn more about ourselves and how we can apply that knowledge to deepen our relationship with God. Guest’s Links Facebook: @enneagramwithjb Twitter: @jb_rewster Instagram: @enneagramwithjb ________________________  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.

Have you ever been told that you are “too emotional?” Perhaps there are times we feel like we’re failing because we’re feeling. But the truth is, God created us to be emotional beings. Jesus Himself experienced an intense spectrum of emotions—He embraced the sadness, the loneliness, and the anger that all of us feel—and by meeting those feelings, He was able to respond to people in ways that demonstrated emotional maturity and love.  News anchor and host of Big Brother Julie Chen Moonves always prioritized her career, and committed herself to every opportunity in her path, until she began to notice a deep sense of loneliness, and realized that in her pursuit of success she had tuned God out of her life. When she started to tune back into Him, she found the peace she’d been so desperately longing for. Dr. Anita Phillips has studied the intersections of mental health, faith, and culture—and made the discovery that Jesus was an intensely emotional being, and through His example, we can know that there’s an incredible amount of good that can come when we learn to embrace our emotions instead of running from them.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Dr. Gary Chapman Upcoming interview: Kerry Washington Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt     Julie Chen Moonves  Big Brother Little House on the Prairie CBS News The Talk But First, God   Dr. Anita Phillips Matthew 13 NIV Hebrews 4:15 NIV Hebrews 4:16 NIV www.anitaphillips.com The Garden Within   Interview Quotes: “There is no such thing as coincidence. God is in control. God either ordains it or He allows it.” - Julie Chen Moonves “If you don't put God first, what do you have? Everything you have is because of Him, and I didn't realize that until I was closing in on fifty, because I spent the first forty-eight years of my life ignoring God and having false idols.” - Julie Chen Moonves “It's easier to be in this world and look at everything just from your lens. Now, I know it's not about my lens, it's about His lens. Everything is about His agenda, not mine. That's what Amen means, it means Thy will be done. Not my will, Thy will.”- Julie Chen Moonves  “God knows how to give you what you need, depending on what you're going through at that moment in your life.” - Julie Chen Moonves “He has changed how I live, what I prioritize, how I think, how I speak, how I act, how I treat other people, whether I know them or not. Tomorrow is expected, but it is not promised. So having God first in my life has made everyone else in my life have a better relationship with me. It's a trickle-down effect.” - Julie Chen Moonves “God created gardens to give us an understanding of how He created us. Eden wasn't just about where we lived, it was about how we function.” - Dr. Anita Phillips “Every time Jesus allowed the full expression of His emotion, power followed, and I never once saw Jesus repent for feeling.” - Dr. Anita Phillips  “We must recognize that emotion is a bodily experience and that we have to allow ourselves to be in its presence, to feel it, and allow it to pass through us just as Jesus did.” - Dr. Anita Phillips  “There is nothing unholy about my emotions, and my emotions matter so much to God.” - Dr. Anita Phillips  “Once we know what we need, then we can get our needs met. But when we refuse to get our needs met, when we refuse to water the soil of our hearts with what it needs, we undermine our entire life.” - Dr. Anita Phillips  ________________________ 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.

Making mistakes is an inherent part of our human nature, and a crucial element of our learning and growth. It is through mistakes that we come to realize our imperfections, reassess our actions, and strive for improvement. However, when we are shown grace from others amidst our shortcomings, it transcends the simple act of forgiveness. Grace is a potent demonstration of understanding and compassion, a silent acknowledgment that we are all fallible and capable of erring. It serves as a gentle reminder that mistakes do not define us, but rather, it’s how we rise from them, empowered by the grace we've been granted.  Madison Prewett Troutt, a former contestant from ABC’s The Bachelor who is now an author, always longed to be in a relationship. After breaking up with a person she thought might be “the one” and being thrown into the whirlwind of a reality TV show, Madison found grace through her struggle with finding love by a deeper understanding of the foundation of God’s love in her life. Dr. Esau McCaulley is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and an assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. After learning of his estranged father’s death, Esau had to dig deep to find the words that he would use for his eulogy, which led him down a path to renewed empathy and believing that every life, no matter the mistakes made, is deserving of grace.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Matthew West Upcoming interview: Julie Chen Moonves Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt    Madison Prewett Troutt The Love Everybody Wants ABC's The Bachelor Matthew 22:35-39 NIV www.madiprew.com   Dr. Esau McCaulley  New York Times  Wheaton College How Far to the Promised Land tenant farming  Jim Crow Interview Quotes: “Rejection doesn't have to be such a bad thing. Rejection can actually be God's redirection to something better, and it can also be God's protection to keep you from something that you just tried to settle for. He's still in the no’s, just like He's in the yeses.” - Madison Prewett Troutt “I see what God has done and is continuing to do through me and how He's using my life to just encourage people. And man, just what God can do with a surrendered heart and a yes is truly amazing.” - Madison Prewett Troutt “It's by the grace of God that I was really able to experience almost all the different versions of relationships in life: the waiting seasons, the heartbreaks, the rejections, the singleness.” - Madison Prewett Troutt “My goal is to show everybody how to look to God and see ourselves and find deep love amid our culture's shallow ideas about love and romance. Because the truth is, finding love isn't as complicated as we've made it.” - Madison Prewett Troutt “My mom always told me when I was a kid that, ‘When you get where you're going, don't forget where you came from’ And that's true, but I think it's more than simply remembering where you came from, it’s bringing where you came from with you, and that you bring them through the door of opportunity.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley  “When I began to see my father as a person with his own narrative and his own struggles, it gave me the courage to tell the truth. But telling the truth about my father, both his sins and his successes, gave me space to tell the truth about my past.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley  “I think that if you're a Christian, a person of faith, and you believe that every single life is sacred, then there are no lives that you can throw away.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley “If God raises the dead, any person's life at any point can change dramatically. Every single life, as long as it's still going on, has a chance to become something beautiful.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley  “I think we owe each other attention. This may seem to be like a relatively small request, but before you can actually help someone, you have to actually get to see them. We need to let what we see change us.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley “God never abandons His people. The good news is that we don't have to get it right, but that God gets it right. And if we trust Him, we'll find a way home in the end.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley  ________________________ 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.

Today, we have a very special episode honoring the life of the writer of Jesus Calling and countless other inspiring books, Sarah Young. Sarah left this world for her heavenly home on August 31, 2023. Sarah’s work has had a profound impact, and we’ve been privileged to tell so many stories of that impact here on this podcast with nearly 400 episodes and 700 guests. Nearly 50 million of her books are in the hands of people all over the world, yet Sarah never sought the spotlight for herself. Her sole concern was leading people to a deeper relationship with Christ through her thoughtful and intimate devotionals, which have met so many people in their deepest moments of need. This episode honors her legacy through the heartfelt words of her friend and publisher, Laura Minchew, SVP and Group Publisher of the Children’s and Gift Book Group at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, as well as some special guests whose lives have been directly impacted by Sarah’s work, including:—Lisa Harper, Ainsley Earhardt, Jim Burns, Morgan Harper Nichols, Amy Grant, Margaret Feinberg, and Kathie Lee Gifford.    Links Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Sarah Young Ryan Sheckler Lisa Harper Ainsley Earhardt Jim Burns Morgan Harper Nichols Amy Grant Margaret Feinberg Kathie Lee Gifford ________________________  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.

We all make mistakes in our lives—big and small—and worry about letting people down, or not living up to who we think we should be. But imagine if someone saw our mistakes, no matter how grave, and instead of chastising us, still believed in us and thought we were amazing? That’s what God’s grace is like. It’s a kind of love that forgives us and gives us a fresh start over and over again, without end.  Author and pastor Max Lucado shares his personal journey from soaring to heights of success to rock bottom moments where he questioned why he was doing what he was doing. Max draws parallels between his experiences and the story of Jacob, and how God’s grace overflows to us, even in our worst moments. Veteran comedian Jeff Allen opens up about the struggles in his life caused by addiction, and the rock bottom moment that led him to seek help, and how he ultimately found his way through a relationship with Christ and the unfailing grace that comes with it.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Michael Jr. Upcoming interview: Madison Prewett Troutt Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt    Max Lucado Oak Hill Church God Never Gives Up On You   Jeff Allen Alcoholics Anonymous  Proverbs 17:22 NIV www.jeffallencomedy.com Are We There Yet?: My Journey From a Messed Up to Meaningful Life   Interview Quotes: “It was a wrestling with God moment, and just like Jacob was brought to his knees, I was brought to mine. And I realized that apart from God, I can't even make it through the day.” - Max Lucado  “God found Jacob in the Badlands and came to him and spoke to him, and God will do the same for us. I believe that God will meet us in those times.” - Max Lucado  “Be obedient. Acknowledge what you've done. Find help, confess it, go to a circle of friends, begin to get your life in order, because the longer you resist Him, the harder it is to accept Him. Make sure you give problems to God before the problems get to you.” - Max Lucado  “We have a huge advantage. We know the pilot. We know what He has guided the church through or people through. We know He's not intimidated. We know we'll be okay. And so the key is not trying to live a life in which we are escaping turbulence or trying to manage the turbulence on our own. The key is making sure we know the pilot.” - Max Lucado “If God is big, then our problems are small. But if our problems are big, then it usually means our perception of God is small. So make a big deal out of God.” - Max Lucado  “As you learn in the Bible, anything apart from God that you think will make you whole usually destroys you.” - Jeff Allen “I loved the whole process of standup comedy, but it really wasn't until I got on my knees and I said to Jesus, ‘I'm yours,’ that it all kind of clicked and made sense to me.” - Jeff Allen  “Unless you're doing it for the glory of God, it becomes a chore. But I consider myself blessed that I had the disease of alcoholism because it got me on a journey that ultimately led to Him.” - Jeff Allen  “God knows the world is broken, and He has charged us with repairing a broken world.” - Jeff Allen   “Pray to Jesus and ask Him to show you what He sees in your heart. ‘What do you see in my heart?’” - Jeff Allen _______________________ 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.

Having friends and being part of a community can give us strength, understanding, and inspiration. When we have friends who share beliefs and/or support us, it’s like having a team that’s there to always lift us up whether it is spiritually, emotionally, or physically. Through friendships, we can actually help deepen and strengthen our faith by reminding ourselves that we are a part of something greater.  This week singer and songwriter Jordan Davis shares his experiences and conversations with friends and family that taught him about his faith, and his music. Psychiatrist Curt Thompson discusses what it’s like when we walk with someone through their pain, and how it makes us grow in spiritual thought and understanding.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Victoria Osteen Upcoming interview: Max Lucado Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt    Jordan Davis “Church in the Chevy” “Buy Dirt”   Curt Thompson The Deepest Place   Interview Quotes: “Church is right now, us talking about it. Church is waking up and having a quiet time. It's all around. So you could be in a Chevy on a back road. You could be in a deer stand. You can be going through some tough things at home. You just grab your Bible and talk about it.” - Jordan Davis  “We're called to pray for everybody. Seeing the loneliness and some of the mental health issues in the world, like, the only way that I know to combat that is to pray about it and to just say, ‘Lord, I know you have this, but still help me show how I can help in any area….Lord, put somebody in my life today that could use a light, somebody that's lonely that I could help out, somebody that needs some guidance. Put them in the crowd tonight. Let one of my messages get through to them.’ I've just prayed that I get a chance to actually make a difference.” - Jordan Davis  “The reality is that if we have a pulse, if we are human, we suffer.” - Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D.  “Faith in its most real form is really an act of trust that I place in a real person. So when I say I have faith in a person, whether it's Jesus or somebody else, it is because I am offering things about my life to them that I am entrusting to them in real ways. It’s easy for us to talk about having faith in God, we just don't trust human beings. The degree to which we actually trust God is measured in terms of the degree to which we trust others.” - Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D. “Suffering is what draws us together in so many ways that shapes, deepens, authenticates the relationship that we have, and so opens our minds and hearts and awareness to what it means for us to share in the sufferings that Jesus experienced.” - Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D.  “Our God's vision was for us to be those who, as His image bearers, steward and create and curate beauty and goodness in the world.” - Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D. ________________________ 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 bonus episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we hear from southern gospel artist Ben Waites, who was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that causes his joints to be locked up. Ben shares what it means to him to share hope through his music, the life changing moment one of his songs went viral, leading to a chance to audition for American Idol, and how he continues to spread the message of redemption through his music and his life.  Guest’s Links Facebook: @BenWaitesMinistries Twitter: @BenWaites Instagram: @bjwaites ________________________  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.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of our lives is the opportunity for connection. We were not designed to live life on our own, but today’s world makes it so easy to be self-focused instead of others-focused. John 13 tells us we should love one another as Christ loved us and “…by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” When we ask God to show us places we can connect to others, we will begin to reap the many benefits of those bonds, and also find ways to bless others as well.  Country music trailblazer Jo Dee Messina is known for her chart-topping hits, but in the process of building her legendary career, she found that everything she’d built was crumbling, mostly because she’d tried to do it on her own. That’s when she found God (or actually, He found her), and she began to see the importance of connection with Him, which in turn led her to see her music as her connection point to the world. Founder of Canines for Christ Larry Randolph and author Jennifer Bleakley found ways to connect with their faith through their animal friends, and they share how help and hope is brought to the world through the gift of therapy dogs.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Walker Zimmerman Upcoming interview: Jordan Davis Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt    Jo Dee Messina  Steve Green “Just To Be Loved”   Larry Randolph Jennifer Bleakley National Dog Day Canines for Christ American Kennel Club  American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizens certification Finding Grace   Interview Quotes: “I think at the very end of myself is where in my spirit, in my soul, I sensed Jesus saying, ‘She's mine.’” - Jo Dee Messina “For me to connect with the fans is more of a humanities thing, being able to have compassion and empathy for someone else's situation, which just happens to be the same as mine.” - Jo Dee Messina “I was a hot mess. I built a kingdom on my own, I watched it crumble, and even at the very end of that—when everyone else was running away—[God] was running towards me.” - Jo Dee Messina  “Looking back, I can see how God planted seeds in my heart that day that would one day sprout into a career of writing books and stories about all the beautiful ways God works through animals to direct people's hearts and minds to Himself.” - Jennifer Bleakley “[God] had planned for me all along to have this dog in my life, this basset hound named Gus, to set up what was going to happen next for me, and that was to create a ministry using therapy dogs.” - Larry Randolph   “[A dog] can just put a little paw up on somebody's hand or in a wheelchair or give somebody a little kiss on the cheek, and wag that tail, and all of a sudden you see the loneliness stop and the sadness just go away. And it's beautiful to see how the dogs can just bring that out. It's just that beautiful way of sharing the powerful love of Christ.”- Larry Randolph “It's so kind of God to provide dogs to step in when people have been hurt by other people. And then here's a beautiful dog that's able to enter into their heart where maybe another person could not, and help them experience the love of God, the tenderness of God, the faithfulness of God.” - Jennifer Bleakley  “If you listen to God and you obey Him, you take one step forward, God will be there with you through the steps and He will guide you through it and amazing things can happen.” - Larry Randolph  “Just that practice of having an animal sit with you as you sit with the Savior, and a tangible reminder that we're never truly alone, that God Almighty, the God of all comfort and hope, is with us. And I think that is just one of the many, many gifts that our animals can give us. It's really an invitation to see ourselves in this story and to ask and to ponder, What might God be asking me to do?” - Jennifer Bleakley ________________________ 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.