The Love Offering

Life is just . . . a lot. Relationships are hard. Responsibilities are piled high. And it seems like all the things are distracting you from the very best things of all. There's little time left for yourself--or for connecting with Jesus. No wonder you feel anxious in your mind and hurried in your heart. You desperately long for calm amidst your clamoring duties, stacked schedule, and life's unexpected circumstances. But where do you begin? More than anything else, your heart needs a refreshing encounter with God each day. Ruth Schwenk is on the show offering us a way forward so we can experience the confident calm we crave. Join us to face life with God's peace and renewed strength. Discover the calming reassurance of God, who is the only One who can truly be trusted in all the things.To be a love offering: “In our pain we can offer comfort to others. Walk toward someone else’s pain instead of away from it. Pray for others and pray with others. Keep showing up.”Reference:Better by Jen Wilken Connect with Ruth:https://www.thebettermom.comhttps://forthefamily.orghttps://instagram.com/ruthschwenkRootlike Faith podcastSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you long to go to bed at night knowing you've done the best you could with what you have as a mom and made a difference in your child's life--even if you can't see it yet? It's easy to compare yourself to other moms and set unrealistic expectations that make you doubt you're doing enough. You need hope and encouragement to help you find a new place to start on the days you're tempted to quit!Renee Swope is on the show helping us find purpose and meaning in the challenges and adventures of motherhood. By unpacking powerful truths of grace and love God used to rescue her from discouragement and guilt that buried her in the dirt of defeat, Renee shares hope, wisdom, and practical help every mom needs.Join us as Renee talks about simple ways to give your child what they need most through the power of heart-centered parenting that is character-focused and relationship-driven. This episode will transform not only the way you parent but also the way you see yourself as a mom and as a child of God.“My love offering is to give my children back to Him. Then to offer God‘s love to my children in the way that He has loved me.”Connect with Renee:ReneeSwope.comSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You know her. Maybe you are her. The woman who feels like she must always be "on." The one who is always performing. She walks into every room relentlessly hard on herself, always attempting to deliver an A+ performance, because she believes this is the bare minimum standard she has to achieve just to be invited to most tables. You would never know by looking at her the hard things she's had to overcome. She succeeds, almost compulsively, in this urgent attempt to outrun her own muddy story. But she is walking around now, reduced to this burned-out, brittle, fragile, ashes-to-ashes version of herself. She is, at last . . .exhausted.When gold stars, highlight reels, and seeking approval from strangers on the internet are not enough, Mary Marantz is on the show giving us permission to stop running. Join us as she shares how to move from achieving, striving, and performing for your worth to the grace, freedom, and purpose that come from knowing your identity and calling are determined by God.You are not in a race with anyone. Good things take time. REAL things take time. And slow growth equals strong roots.“We can be a love offering by getting over ourselves. Instead of thinking what if it fails, consider who could it help?”Connect:https://marymarantz.comhttps://instagram.com/marymarantzSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

From energy and injury to surviving middle school, moms are asking questions. They want to know about training, role models, overcoming fear, dealing with ADD, how to talk to their teenagers and how to get them to have a conversation. Moms want to know if they have permission to take care of themselves, how to not act shocked, and how to experience God’s grace and joy in being a mom. Amy Bloye is on the show today sharing her wisdom she has learned through motherhood in her book titled Between Ball Games. Join us to feel more equipped to raise the boys in your life into strong men and the girls in your life into strong women. Eph 3:19 We have to let ourselves be loved by God and then let that love overflow.”Connect with Amy:Cultivate_women in ministrySupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The fruit of the Spirit isn’ t just something we display. It’s the way God loves us! Every Christian cherishes the famous passage in Galatians 5:22–23 that lists the fruit of the Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control. These are the marks of godly character that we strive to display. But has it ever occurred to you that these are also the characteristics of God? Can it be that God loves us with the fruit of the Spirit? And only when we are secure in that love can we display it to others? Jessica Thompson is on the show today talking about the deeper love that your Heavenly Father has for you. Focusing on the majority of the fruit of the Spirit, she shows how God Himself has these attributes and lavishes them on us. Join us as we behold who He is and the nature of His love. Then prayerfully, by the work of the Spirit, we will become like Him. “To be a love offering, remember that you are loved.”Connect with Jessica:https://www.jessicathompson.co@thejesslouSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Growing up as a Chinese American daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy working in San Francisco Chinatown, Bonnie Gray had never truly felt beautiful or beloved. She had built her life to look pleasant and ordinary, with a wonderful husband, two amazing boys, and a thriving career. But despite these blessings, she still felt the tugging emptiness of a missing piece.At 39, a long-forgotten birth certificate in an old file cabinet sparked a curiosity Bonnie couldn’t ignore. Determined to uncover family secrets and understand the home she was born into, Bonnie embarked on a journey that would leave her forever changed. Returning to the culture, places, and stories that shaped her, her search led her to soul-shaking discoveries about her identity, human kindness, and what it truly means to be loved.Bonnie is on the show today sharing her memoir titled Sweet Like Jasmine. It is a profoundly moving account of how God uses our unique and broken stories to create a beautiful mosaic of His love, one life at a time.Feel seen and valued, because you are worthy of loving, resting in God’s love for you.See the grace woven in each chapter of your life and embrace the wholeness of who you are.Learn to listen deeply to your life and feel empowered in your true worth.Find freedom, hope, and healing in rewriting your stories with faith.Through powerful truths and insightful reflection prompts, find beauty out of brokenness and belonging out of loneliness.Be love offerings by sharing with others what brings us joy and peace. But you first have to receive it yourself. Connect with Bonnie:https://thebonniegray.comSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is it just me? Am I the only one who’s lonely? Am I the only one without friends?If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston, founders of the widely popular “Sister, I Am with You,” are raising their hands to say, “Yeah, us too.” And they want to encourage, equip, and reassure you that you have what it takes to build the kind of friendships you want.I’ll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants) provides you with the how of cultivating deep relationships in this messy, chaotic, beautiful life. Through this episode, you’ll learn how to:▫️admit you need friends—then go out and find them,▫️dismantle the lies you’ve believed about friendship,▫️love yourself so you can find people who will love you for you,▫️be a good friend even though you can’t be a perfect one, and▫️heal from a friend breakup—and find the courage to try again.It’s time you felt completely accepted as you are—from the top of your messy bun to the tips of your unpedicured toes. Let’s start making friendships a priority—together.“To be a love offering view every connection as a gift from God.”“Instead of working for love, come from a place where you’re working from love.”Audio Book sample: https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us/ill-be-there-but-ill-be-wearing-sweatpants-by-amy-weatherly-jess-johnston-chapter-1?si=d0a7aa1b3d79484c9506ede89c5cf36e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharingConnect with Amy and Jess:https://www.sisteriamwithyou.comSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

All of us live with some sort of longing in our hearts—a gap between the life we want and the life we actually have. As we try to navigate this sense of longing and the circumstances we desperately wish would change, we try to hang on to the belief that God will fulfill our desires, while waiting to see the answers to our prayers realized. For some, those prayers are answered. Yet for others, the longing persists, making us weary at best and debilitated at worst. Living this way leaves us asking the same questions: “How do I find God’s joy in this life when it isn’t the life I hoped for?” or “How do I deal with the gap between the life I want and the life I’ve been given?”Elizabeth Woodson is on today’s episode equipping us for joyful living in that gap. You’ll learn to:▫️Realize joy is possible▫️Avoid emotional escapism and naïve blindness to reality▫️Have your eyes opened to what “biblical contentment” really means▫️Enjoy God’s unfailing presence▫️Understand your divine calling Elizabeth shares life-changing truth that has the heart-healing power you’ve been searching for, and helps you walk through your current life situations from a new perspective—one that embraces actual, real, deep joy in the midst of the inevitable longings of life.“This week’s love offering is to see other people. No one is as strong as we think they are.”Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missjazzyliz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/missjazzyliz Website: https://www.elizabethwoodson.org/Support the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our life journeys can be filled with steps of faith and adventure, but also difficulty and challenges. Ricky and Krista Ortiz are certainly familiar with both. After meeting in Bible college they married and then started Meta Church in NYC. In today’s episode Ricky and Krista are honest about their personal and marital struggles. At the brink of divorce, they stood before their own Red Sea wondering how they would ever get across. Join us as we discuss:▫️Grief, loss, addiction, and depression▫️How Jesus changed their lives ▫️Serving as pastors in NYC▫️How they serve their community in tangible ways▫️Living open-handedly with generosity ▫️Staying faithful despite difficulties▫️Making an impact on our world Ricky and Krista share their story in hopes that all who hear it will know God can work in the midst of theirs too. If you are standing in front of your own Red Sea today, do not be afraid. Stand still. The Lord will fight for you (Exodus 14:13-14). And when God helps you make it to the other side, we pray you stand in awe of Him. Just as Ricky and Krista continue to do. “Be a funnel and be open handed. It’s our love offering back to God.” “Be a love offering by telling your God story.” Connect with Ricky and Krista:Meta Church - @metanyc - https://meta.churchKrista - @krista_ortiz - kristaortiz.com Ricky - @rico6886Faithbox - @getfaithboxSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if my hope only leads to disappointment? What if I embrace joy only to have it ripped from my hands? What if my celebration is the cause of others' sadness? What if my joy takes me away from the God I knew so well in my pain?Author and marriage and family therapist Nicole Zasowski knows what it's like to take a blow that makes it difficult to look to the future with expectation and ask herself these questions. Yet, as she found the courage to celebrate, she discovered God is as present in our joy as He is in our pain.Yes, God's purpose for us is worked out in our struggles. But what if it is also worked out in our dreams and our delighted joy? In What If It's Wonderful? Nicole helps you:▫️overcome the fears that keep you from looking toward the future with joy;▫️let go of the lies you've believed about happiness and embrace celebration as a part of spiritual growth;▫️approach life with an expectant heart and courage to trust God's good gifts. With a psychological and spiritual case for celebrating, Nicole challenges you to let go of the habit of practicing disappointment and fully embrace joy, beckoning you to ask yourself a new question: What if it's wonderful?“This week’s love offering is to give affirmation. Express your thanksgiving and gratitude for others in your life.”Connect with Nicole:https://www.nicolezasowski.comSupport the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.