Life is Hard, God is Good

I’m so excited for you to hear Mami’s story of how she encountered Jesus.

In Japan, only 1% of the population is Christian, so Mami had the rare & miraculous experience of growing up in the church. 
She knew about God, but it wasn’t until later that she actually felt God’s nearness and knew His love in her heart.
With having Jesus in her life, God guides her life and she knows that He is with her.

Many Japanese people are seeking happiness - so they work hard and try to build meaningful relationships, but there is still an emptiness... there are not many places in Japan to hear about God, but it is good to have an open heart to Jesus.

Check out the episode to hear more!

Thank you to Mami for sharing her story and thank you to Drew for translating!

If you like listening to the podcast, please rate, write reviews, and share with your friends!
You can follow us on instagram @lifeishardgodisgoodpodcast or join our Facebook group!

Have a great week! May the LORD bless you and keep you!

I'm so excited to share Julie's story with you! The Lord has been so faithful to her from a young age. Originally, Julie was not interested in going to Japan at all, but God worked in her heart, and she ended up becoming a missionary in Japan! 

Through being a missionary in Japan, Julie shares some amazing stories of loss & forgiveness, falling in love & getting married, and trusting God's guidance through it all.

Julie has known Jesus most of her life, and because of knowing Jesus:

You will not want to miss this episode!

Hello friends! This week, our Bible study leader, Andrew, shares his story of how he encountered Jesus.

Although he grew up in a family that attended church, Andrew tried to seek faith on his own and as a teenager, he ended up turning his back on God.

He called himself an atheist and really wrestled with some tough questions:

Through some “coincidences,” Andrew was able to wrestle with answers to those questions with a Christian friend. 

Not only did he find truth in God, but he discovered that “the God of the universe loves me, a broken sinner.”  

After giving his life to Jesus, Jesus changed (& is still changing) Andrew over time…

Looking at his life now, Andrew realizes that life is so much more than what he used to think: “it’s not fate, it’s not accidental, there’s a beautiful story being written with my life - all the broken pieces are being put into this beautiful water and it’s making something extremely beautiful, interesting out of something that was such a mess, out of such a messy person.” 

Without God, nothing makes sense. “We can’t make sense of anything as humans on earth without God.”

And the gospel is not just that Jesus died for our sins, but we have the hope of an eternal future with God for those who believe. “Christianity without the resurrection, is not Christianity… Jesus has made a way for us to live with Him for eternity.” 

Do you know Jesus personally? Not sure where to start? Feel free to send us a message on Facebook or Instagram @lifeishardGodisgoodpodcast

Thanks for listening to the Life is Hard, God is Good Podcast! Be sure to rate, write reviews, and share with your friends to help others find this encouragement!

Have a great week!

Zoe is one of the most joyful people you will ever meet, but she wasn't always that way.

Zoe first heard about God when her mom was bedridden with a spinal disease, and some Christians came to pray for her and she was healed.

She discovered God's power and attended church & Christian activities, but she did not know God's love until she met some very loving Christians.

Her relationship with God developed over time - learning how to pray, starting to enjoy reading God's word, hearing God's voice...

She also noticed a difference in her relationships. Family that she once hated, Zoe now had empathy for them and she wanted to show them love.

From a young age, Zoe believed that she was negative and gloomy, but a Christian lady spoke to her that her gift is JOY and that people would come to know Jesus through her JOY. Zoe believes the truth that she has JOY and shares that with everyone she meets.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Taylor grew up knowing about God, but she felt like she had to be a good Christian girl because she was afraid of God and afraid of messing up.

When she heard the story of the prodigal son in a new way, God worked in her heart and changed her life. For the first time, she met Jesus. Taylor realized how much Jesus loves her and wants not religious acts, but He wants a relationship with her. 

Even when going through some dark times, God provided for her in the form of supportive friendships and encouragement from reading God’s word everyday.

The beautiful thing is that He is always with us and we can talk to Him. Any questions or doubts, we can bring to Him. So if you aren't sure, just talk to Him.

Jesus is pursuing you and wants a relationship with you. 

Bible Passages:

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

Ola found God because she heard His voice. He spoke to her, and her life has never been the same.

Through Him, she found freedom, forgiveness, and joy. 

God has worked through Ola in incredible ways all around the world. 

The same as He has done for Ola, He does for us: God opens doors and leads us in unexpected ways.

It doesn’t matter where you are or what circumstances you face, you can serve the Lord.

If you’re not sure about Jesus, just try talking to Him.

Resources to check out:

Trigger warning: s*xual assault, su*cide
My friend, no matter what you are going through right now, please know that you are not alone and that you are so loved.
Even in the face of hardship, God is good. It seems that in the most dark, difficult times, God met Rosie. God protected his life, God gave him friends to encourage him at just the right time, and God helped him find a new home church.
Rosie has the biggest heart for people. He invests himself in helping students grow. Because of what he has experienced, he makes a huge impact in the lives of those around him. I hope you will have a positive impact from listening to Rosie's story too.

Happy Easter! If you are in darkness, if you are stuck, if you feel hopeless - listen to this episode to hear 3 key encouragements for YOU! Spoiler alert: you cannot do it on your own, but you are not alone!
We also go through the ABCs of God's attributes, which is a tool we can use to keep our eyes on Jesus.
Have a great week! May the LORD bless you and keep you.

Hey all! Just wanted to share some updates from living in Japan for nearly 6 months now! Check out this episode to hear what I’ve been up to, brief updates from Drew, the hard parts of living in a foreign country, and some encouragement for you!

I’ve been asked a lot what I’m doing in Japan. At first I felt like I had to explain or prove myself; it took a while for me to learn that my value is not in working. Thankfully, I've been reminded that my value is in being loved by God and loving others. Now I’d like to share some things I enjoy getting to do here in Japan:

So very thankful for this season of not having to work a regular job, but getting to learn & serve in other ways. 

Check out this episode to hear more!

Church hurts. Cancer. Family health crisis. Loss of parents. Loss of a friend. How can you find God in the midst of such hardships?
Gené wrestled with the logic of Christianity until her world came crumbling with the decline of her mom's health. She gained faith in God and He miraculously healed her mom. With having God by her side, Gené knew she was not alone even when she later lost her dad, her mom, and her friend in a short amount of time.
Gené shares: "I realized that God is God and I am human. And I cannot expect to understand everything about Him. And moreover, faith isn't about understanding Him. If I could understand and explain everything about God, there would be no need for any faith. Faith requires that you to step out without evidence, that you step out without proof. [It's like saying] 'I don't understand, I don't have answers, but I trust You anyway.'"

Check out this episode to hear how Jesus changed Isabelle's life. She grew up in a home with different religious views and was not sure what she believed for herself until a new friend offered to do a Bible study with her... After learning more about Jesus and how He truly died for our sins and rose to life again, Isabelle has been given new life and a fresh perspective through Him.

Dustin once lived a very different life. But then he encountered Jesus. After walking with the Lord and learning about His love & His word, he is now one of the most servant-hearted people you'll ever meet.
Listen to hear how God transformed Dustin's life! Now it is hard to imagine what he was like before knowing Jesus.
Thanks for listening!

Hey friends! Jesus has the power to change lives. Before knowing Him, we were once dead in our sins, but now because of Him, we are alive in Christ. The purpose of this podcast series is sharing stories of people who have been marked and changed by Jesus. They once lived one way, and now they have new life.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Taking some time to reflect on the 2022 year (my word for the year was "peace"), and trusting God with the new 2023 year - step by step.

"Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79).

"Step by step You lead me, and I will follow You all of my days" (Sometimes by Step, Rich Mullins).

Thanks for listening!

Often we do not want Jesus to be Lord of our lives because:

But when we see His heart, we see:

Who is lord of your life? Jesus is the holy, worthy, compassionate, sovereign Lord - will you make Him Lord of your life?

A tale of three atheists who argued against God and instead found evidence for Jesus:
1. C.S. Lewis | atheist turned Christian theologian who wrote many books:

2. Dr. Jay L Wile | atheist nuclear chemistry PhD turned Christian who shares science as evidence for creation:

3. Lee Strobel - atheist journalist turned Christian author:

Jesus claimed to be God & man, claimed to die & raise to life again, and said some other really strange things... how do we know He's not a lunatic?
Join us as we find answers in His word and in who He is is.

A lot of people think Jesus was a liar because of the things that He claimed while He was on earth. In this episode, we find what scripture says about His claims:
1. He claimed to be God and man
2. He claimed to fulfill scripture
3. He claimed to die on the cross and raise to life
4. He claimed that He is coming back
Thanks for joining us! 

With Christmas approaching, it's important to remember why we are celebrating and why we believe what we believe. Especially as conversations arise with your family over holiday meals, when co-workers ask about your faith, or your friends share their different beliefs. 

In this Advent series, we are exploring C.S. Lewis' argument that Jesus claiming to be both God and man either makes Him a Liar, a Lunatic, a Legend, or Lord. In addition to the 4 Ls, we are exploring how Jesus and Santa Claus are not the same. 

If both are always watching your behavior and reward by your behavior, how are Jesus and Santa Claus different? Check out this episode to find out!

Thanks for listening! Stay tuned for upcoming episodes and feel free to join us on Instagram & Facebook! May the LORD bless you and keep you.

Let us give thanks! In this episode we explore the importance of thanksgiving and the impact it has on changing our lives!
Also listen to the end of the episode to hear about the Christmas series starting next week!
Thanks for joining and have a great week!

Should Christianity be categorized as a religion? What sets Christians apart from the rest of the world and other religions?
Thanks for listening! Please join us on Instagram and Facebook; rate, write reviews, and share with your friends! We love to hear how God is speaking to you!
Much love!

Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. Hebrews 11 is the “great faith” chapter that goes through examples in the Bible of people who had faith in our faithful God despite their seen circumstances.

Faith is awesome - It’s trusting in the invisible even when the visible circumstances don’t make sense.

However, we as believers also need ENDURANCE as we walk this life with Jesus or as we run this race.

In light of those who have endured before us - fellow God-followers such as Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses - we know that we can endure.

In light of what Jesus Himself endured - living a sinless human life and dying on the cross and coming to life on the third day - we know that we can endure.

Even when life is hard, we know He has endured - so we can endure.

What do we endure though? As Christians, unfortunately sometimes we think having faith makes life easy. 

That is so far from the truth. 

We have Him as our Prince of Peace and the Almighty God can deliver us from slavery to sin, but we know that in this life we will face hardships. That’s a promise.

However, how often do we actually struggle against sin?

Do we more often struggle with His discipline, forgetting that He is a good Father who loves us?

Thanks for listening! You can find us on Instagram @lifeishardgodisgoodpodcast and join our Facebook group! Please share, rate, and write reviews - we love hearing how God is speaking to you! May the LORD bless you and keep you.

Hello friends! Join my husband and me as we talk about sharing the gospel!

Thanks for listening!

Do you believe that Jesus can really heal you? That He can forgive you?

If you have been healed & forgiven, do you ever feel stuck? Or feel the urge to go back to your struggle?

Check out this week's episode about healing & continuing!
Thanks for listening!

Scripture: Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭11, ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬-‭9, ‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭21, ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭35‬-‭43, Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭26‬, ‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭30‬-‭32‬, Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬-‭5, ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭14, ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭17-4:18.

P.S. The blog is coming soon - so excited for you to see it!

Change can be hard - change in work, relationships, life circumstances, moving, loss… but we have hope!

1. Jesus knows change. He went from heaven to earth - so He can empathize with our changes.
2. Jesus does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever - so we can rely on Him when our circumstances change.
3.  Jesus changes us. He heals and forgives - so we can let Him change our heats & minds to be more like Him.

Stay tuned for part 2!

When Jesus was visiting Martha & Mary, Martha was all in a hustle - worried about serving well. She was controlling the food, distracted by what she was doing, and trying to be a good host.

Here’s what the passage says:

“While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried about and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42

Martha was doing all the right things - she invited Jesus into her home, was probably preparing food and working hard to serve the Lord, but it wasn’t enough??

Quite the contrary, she was doing too much. She was focused on all the little things and missing out on the one big important thing.

“One thing is necessary.”

Mary was chilling. Not helping, not serving, not striving to please. She was just sitting there. 

That has to be frustrating coming from Martha’s perspective, but what does Jesus say?

“Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What Mary was doing is very countercultural to the fast-paced, efficiency-focused, Western U.S. world - “Mary… sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said.”

She sat & listened.

When was the last time you did that?

Not sat and watched a show, not sat and scrolled through social media, not sat and listened to music.

When was the last time you sat and earnestly listened for the sound of His voice?

Martha was too preoccupied to enjoy His presence.

Mary was at peace in His presence.

Are you preoccupied with everything around you?

Or are you at peace in His presence?

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

When we hear His voice, all the other voices - the news, TikTok, your own negative thoughts - get drowned out.

As my favorite hymn goes “and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

We must turn our focus away from all the little distracting tasks and remember the one most important thing: Him.

John 10 tells us that Jesus is our shepherd and His sheep hear His voice. “He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out… The sheep follow Him because they know His voice” (John 10:3-4).

Matthew 6:25-34 is a great passage that I continually turn to when I am worried. We do not need to worry about our bodies, clothes, food, the future. God is in control. He’s a good God. He is faithful. We do not need to worry about these other things.

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“One thing is necessary.” What have you chosen?

Why are we moving to Japan? What are we doing there? How have we seen God providing in the midst of preparation? My husband Drew & I talk about our move in this episode - so listen & find out!

I had an idol of marriage.

Engagement is so special because it’s this idea of “already, but not yet.”

You have your chosen person and you get to celebrate & plan your lives together.

Engagement is where we are as believers - we have accepted His proposal of dying for us and rising up from the grave so that we can be with Him.

If you have said YES to His proposal, we are just waiting on the wedding celebration when He returns and then we get to spend eternity with Him!

We are the Bride of Christ.

Weddings on earth are a reflection of how Christ loves the Church.

Marriage on earth is a reflection of spending eternity in heaven with God.

So I saw how engagement and marriage reflects God, and I wanted it so badly. I put engagement and marriage above God. 

After having two broken engagements, I was disappointed because my god of engagement & marriage failed.

I was putting all my value, my life plans, my identity into my marital status.

Marriage can glorify God, but it is not the end goal.

The end goal is God, not that which glorifies Him.

God healed my mind and soul.

Not that I was given a replacement but I was reminded of my purpose.

I was reminded of Who God is, and that He is always good.

That He is my ultimate Good.

That nothing else truly matters in this life.

For the first time in my life, through lots of healing,

I came to a place where I was okay if I never got married.

Because God is my source of joy

God is my source of purpose

God is Who I am made for.

Faith is a word that is thrown around a lot in the Christian world, but what even is faith?

Here's what Hebrews 11 tells us about FAITH:

Today we are diving into specifically

Faith in the unseen | 2 Cor 4:16-18Faith & action | James 2:14-26Faith in He Who is Greater | Hebrews 11, Matthew 8:23-27, Daniel 3

Hey there friends! Let me remind you how loved you are. Sometimes it is hard for us to accept, but I hope you can listen and let these words wash over you.

Reasons you might think you are not loved:

Bad things happen People hurt you

The most important question that God would ask you (according to Brennan Manning): Did you believe that I loved you? That I desired you? That I waited for you day after day? That I longed to hear the sound of your voice?

The real Christians will answer "yes."

Others will answer "no" (unfortunately many nominal Christians who sit in pews each Sunday).

Important truth to remind you that God loves you:

Even when life is hard, we can remember that:

God is good

You are loved

More resources:

Sermon: Loved by Father | Brennan Manning 

Song: Good & Loved | Travis Greene & Steffany Gretzinger

We are diving into Psalm 73 today!

Psalm 81:11-12
"But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel did not obey me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own plans."

Psalm 37:4
"Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires."

Psalm 34:10
"Young lions lack food and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing."

Hey guys! It was so fun having my husband Drew on the podcast this week! We have a few fun things we are sharing this week:
1. The story of how God brought us together

2. Our moving plans

3. Q&A Session (questions from you guys!!!)

Thanks for joining us! Much love!

Hey friends! Life has been crazy busy & so good, and I'm thrilled to share a snapshot of the big things God's been doing in my life and what's coming up!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @lifeishardGodisgoodpodcast and join our Facebook group for more updates!
Much love!

Let's abide in Him. The Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches. We can bear fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) only by remaining in Him. 

John 15:1-17
Acts 17:24-28
Colossians 1:16-17
Galatians 5:22-23
John 13:35

Hello my friends! The more we learn about creation, the more we can see Who our Creator & Lover is. 
Just as the rain comes from heaven to water the earth and does not return empty, God's Word always accomplishes what He desires. Let's dive into scripture to hear more about why rain is important and what it reveals about God's nature.
He reveals His invisible qualities to us through the visible creation so we are without excuse. 

Some say they know the ocean

But they’ve only seen pictures

Some say they have seen the ocean but have only driven past a beach

Some say they have been to the ocean but have but merely dipped their toes in the foam of the waves

Some say they know the ocean but have barely touched it

The ocean is vast, how can anyone know it?

The same with His love

It is so vast, how can we know it?

Some say they know His love but have merely heard it in church on Sundays

They have not dived in and been truly immersed and covered by His powerful waves

We cannot fully understand the depths of the mysteries of His love

But may we dive in and seek as much as we can

Why are we talking about grass? The Bible shows us more about God and ourselves through what His Word says about grass!

We are His. We pass away like the grass. Here today and gone tomorrow. He is sovereign and everlasting. We can trust Him with our lives. He provides our every need. He gives us rest. We need not worry about tomorrow. He clothes the grass of the field, He will take care of us. Let us humble ourselves for we are but grass, and He is glorious and full of splendor. He is ours.

What do you fear? It will pass away. His love will never pass away, and we cannot be separated from His love; we cannot be snatched out of His hand.

Who do you fear? We are all but grass, what can mere mortals do to you? Fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Fear of man will prove to be a snare but those who trust in the Lord are kept safe.

What are you worried about? He clothes the grass of the field, but when He made man in His image He said it was very good. He made us for Him and He gave Himself for us. He is all-powerful and sovereign. He’s got you.

Scripture references: Deuteronomy 32:2, 2 Samuel 23:2-4, 2 Kings 19:26, Isaiah 15:6, Isaiah 35:7, Mark 6:39-44, Matthew 6:30-34, Isaiah 40:6-8, Psalm 23:2, Isaiah 51:12-16

“Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace”” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭1:78-79).

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else." - CS Lewis

God is greater than the sun

What does the sun reveal about God?

HOLY | all-consuming fire

MERCY | Sun shines on the righteous and the wicked

FAITHFUL | sunrise & sunset

SPLENDOR | radiant & shining glory

What does that mean for us?

Why are we doing nature sessions?

Romans 1:18-20 | "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

Psalm 8, Romans 11:36

Clouds & Glory

CLOUDS | My favorite sunset I have ever seen was at my grandparents lakehouse. I was taking pictures to capture the beauty and my grandpa said, “Isn't it funny how you don't notice the clouds until the sun hits them?” 

Scientifically, clouds are visible water vapor. They are not fluffy chairs that we will lounge in when we’re in heaven (at least I haven't found bible verses that say that, but who knows? There’s a lot of mysteries about heaven).

Let’s look at scripture to see what His word says about clouds.

What do clouds reveal about God?

What does that mean for us?

Happy 2022 my friends! Check out this episode to hear God's graciousness even when I messed up my family's Christmas and get a sneak peak at our upcoming series! Have a great week(:

What’s the worst thing that can happen? When I get really stressed, I start thinking about worst case scenarios and how things could happen and how they could get resolved.

Hope in Hardship

What’s the worst that can happen?

Has someone ever left your life? Someone who in theory should be in your life, but they are no longer here - whether by choice, by death, by circumstance. You are separated from them. They are not in your life. Your heart aches for them.

We are not meant to be alone, but that does not take away that people do leave. That’s not something we can control - circumstances and others choices. So it’s important that we do not put so much weight in the presence of others.

Instead, we want to rely on Him who never leaves. The real "never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and hurt you."

He Stays / Never Leaves

WE CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM HIM

1 John 4:10 "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us."

His love comes first. We respond.

We could not make it to heaven,

So He came to us

to make a way for us to be with Him.

His love is not demanding, but rather compelling.

He invites us, welcomes us into His arms.

Love is:
Not us initiating

Not us achieving

Not us impressing 

Love is:

Him initiating

Him achieving

Him impressing us

May our hearts be filled to the measure with His love.

May our minds comprehend how vast His love is.

May our spirits rejoice in His perfect love.

He came to us who could not reach Him by our own actions.

He is coming again, are you waiting with anticipation?

You were not made to go through this life alone.

"There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." Deuteronomy 1:31

Footprints in the Sand (Author Unknown):
 Last night I had a dream.  I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.  For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

    After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.  I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

   This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.  "Lord, you said  once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way.  But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.  I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

   The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

God carries us, and we have each other to support and encourage.

Resources: Matthew 11:28-20, Footprints in the Sand Poem, Deuteronomy 1:26-33, Numbers 11:10-17, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Psalm 34:18.

Winter has arrived in northwest Indiana.

We had beautiful fall colors of vibrant yellow, rust orange, deep scarlet reds.

Everyone seems to love fall - the pumpkin spice and sweaters, the football and bonfires. It’s a beautiful time of gathering.

Honestly, fall is not my favorite season. The weather in the midwest is all over the place - 30 degrees in the morning, maybe 80 degrees in the afternoon. It could rain tomorrow and be sunny at night. Sometimes we have all four seasons in the same week. It’s unpredictable.

But really in the fall - everything outside is in transition to death. The trees are losing their leaves and we lose the amount sunlight in a day.

Recently though, we woke up to a blanket of snow.

The dead red, brown, orange, and yellow leaves were covered in white.

I knew that the leaves were there, but all I could see was pure snowflakes that fell from the sky to give us a fresh morning and the ground a fresh start.

It was no longer a dead, messy ground, but a clean slate. A new beginning.

The leaves could easily get swept up, tossed around. The snow laid firm on the ground.

If you had not sent the ground before this morning, you would have not known there were dead leaves everywhere.

My friends. Just as the fall is full of dead autumn leaves, we are dead on our own. Dead in sin. We lose. We fall into sin. 

Isaiah 64:6

"All of us have become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

    and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

We are dead in our sins.

What will we do?

We cannot do anything on our own - Isaiah 64:6 says our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

We cannot cover ourselves.

He is our covering: Isaiah 1:18

"'Come now, let us settle the matter,'

    says the Lord.

'Though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

    they shall be like wool.'"

He purifies us.

He makes us white as snow.

There is nothing like waking up in the morning and seeing all that is dead be covered in a blanket of fresh white.

That’s what He does for us.

Just as the snow comes from the sky to cover the earth,

Jesus came down from heaven and covered our dead and fallen selves.

We may know that we were dead and messy, but the new reality is that we are covered by His righteousness, His perfect life, and flawless sacrifice.

Wide to cover it all. Sometimes snow is really deep too.

He covers our dead, so that He sees us as purified.

Covered

Dead in sin, fallen:

He clothes us in white:

Revelation 19:6-8

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

'Hallelujah!

    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad

    and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

    and his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean,

    was given her to wear.'"

He clothes us in white for the Great Wedding of the Lamb and the Body of Christ - all for His glory.

If you are in Christ, you are a new creation! The old is gone, the new is here.

It is not easy to rid of the old ways; it is a process. To strip off what is comfortable is not pretty. However, the glory to come far surpasses the discomfort.

Jesus too was stripped (on the cross) and now is seated at the right hand of God. The glory to come is greater than the temporary comfort of our earthly desires.

We are first and foremost covered by Jesus' blood.

Because of His sacrifice and forgiveness, we are set free from sin and can live for Him.

We are called to take off our old ways. We were once hell-bound, so let's get rid of what belongs to our earthly nature.

Instead, we are called to clothe ourselves with "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

These clothings are signs of an inward change of heart. They are not to earn salvation and they are not for show (for approval of others).

Because of Christ, we can be transformed from the inside out and glorify God with our lives!

Resources: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:5-15, Exodus 28, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Matthew 12:43-45, 1 Kings 21:27-29, Joel 2:12-13, Matthew 23:25-28, 1 John 4:18, Revelation 1:12-16

Why do I keep falling?

Falling into sin

Falling in love with things that are not God

Falling short of the glory of God

When instead I should be

Falling on my knees in adoration of Him who is Holy Holy Holy

Falling on my knees to confess and turn from my sinful desires

Falling on my knees humbly before the King of the heavens and earth

Main passages: Matthew 18:21-35, Psalm 103:8-12, and Colossians 3:13.

1. We need forgiveness

2.  We must forgive others

3.  Rest in His forgiveness

TheBible Project videoillustrates God's Holiness like the Sun, we get disintegrated when we get too close - not because it’s bad, but because it’s so good.

Holy meaning:

Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God Almighty

Israelites set apart nation, had to be made holy before entering His presence

Become holy and clean in order to enter God’s presence in the Old Testament

Jesus brought holiness to us in the New Testament

We are not holy on our own

Called to live a holy life | 1 Peter 1:16

May we be in awe of His Holiness

What then?

The Bible talks a lot about sacrifice. Join me as we take a look at some examples of sacrifice, and what that means for us today!
Everything we have is His, and He is the example of the perfect Sacrifice for us, so why should we hold anything back from Him?

My friends, God always does what He says He is going to do.

We can trust that His word is true.

Hopefully, we can become better promise keepers too.

Are you really free?

We think we just want freedom from mental illness, depression, hard situations, sickness, toxic relationships, oppression, etc. 

But that's not our real enemy.

The real problem is sin.

We need freedom from sin and that freedom only comes from Jesus.

How can we know for sure if we are free?

We can tell we are free by the fruit in our lives. 

If you are not free, fruit of the flesh will be evident in your life.

If you are free, the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in your life. 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. True freedom.

Just as with fire, when we come in contact with God, we do not change Him, but He changes us. Fire destroys, delivers, and purifies. Through the fire we can see what is meant to pass away and what is meant to last for eternity.

Scripture: Psalm 104:4, Psalm 105:37-39, Exodus 3, Exodus 13:21-22, Hebrews 12:28-29, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Poem: Fire Regime by Veronica Bryant

Have you ever put all your eggs in one basket and that basket came crumbling down? Maybe it was a really good basket that was God-glorifying and helped you love & serve others. Why would the basket fail then?

In Joel, the Israelites experience great loss when the locusts destroy their fields. These fields provided their offerings to the LORD, why did He allow this destruction? 

God calls for them to turn to Him with all their hearts, not just outwardly but inwardly.

Sometimes our God-glorifying baskets need to be shaken to remind us that only He will not fail us.

In Hebrews, we are reminded to put our faith not in temporary created things, but in the Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

God shakes, uproots, and fades the temporary things. He calls us to turn to Him with all our hearts. He desires mercy.

Joel 2, Hebrews 12:18-29, Matthew 15:13, Isaiah 40:6-8

Hey guys - we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony, so here's the story of how God redeemed my life before I was even born! 

We as followers of Jesus all have a story of how God redeemed our lives. We are adopted in His family. 

Sometimes we get caught up in the lies of who we used to be, so we have to hold onto the truth that He says: We are not an accident. He has chosen us and loves us. We do not have to earn His love. Nothing can separate us from His love. 

May my story encourage you!

Have you ever wondered how some of the Bible characters made it in the great faith chapter (Hebrew 11) - like Samson and Rahab? While they did not live a perfect life, they put their confidence in our faithful God. We also do not live perfect lives, but we can put our faith in Him who is faithful. 

Our stories are not always what we want our stories to be. You may have imagined your story looking very different than how it has turned out. But the good news: GOD DEFINES OUR STORIES.

From the very beginning, from before the world began, He knew what your story would be.

He knows that He is not done with you, He is still working in your life.

The evil one will try to remind you of who you once were and how you once lived, but the reality is that you are chosen, made new, and are clean in Jesus. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Only the Author & Perfecter can define you & your story. Look to Him and put your confidence in Him who is faithful.

Hebrews 11, Colossians 3,  2 Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 12:11, Hebrews 12:1-2

We all get scars in life. If the perfect Son of God suffered, why wouldn't we? We can choose what to do with the pain though. We can either use the pain to hurt others - unhealed wounders. Or we can walk through the hardships with Him and follow His example - wounded healers. 
He is with us as we go THROUGH the fire and waters. He comforts us and gives us peace in Him.
Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 2, John 20, Daniel 3, Psalm 23

Do you feel dead? Death is separation - feeling disconnected, not walking and living in your purpose. The good news is that we find life in Him who conquered death and through the Spirit who gives us life & peace. Through Him we no longer need to fear separation, but we can be connected with Him for all eternity - and that starts now! We can live life to the fullest here on earth when we keep in step with the Spirit.

We know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - but guess what? There are more ways that He is the Way. We can see in the example of Moses' life and how God delivered the Israelites that He makes ways through people and circumstances that seem impossible. Even when we break the law that He gives us in order to help us walk in His Ways, He made ways for us to come back to Him. Jesus is the only Way to the Father because His blood is sufficient to cover our sins. He still makes ways today through our circumstances and flawed people to draw us closer to Him. Do you trust that His way is the best way?

God blesses us and works in ways beyond what we can ask, think, or imagine.

Scripture used: Numbers 6:24-26, Ephesians 3:20-21, 2 Kings 5:1-15

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where they just talk about themselves the whole time but never ask about you? Sometimes we treat God in the same way - we pray to share our thoughts, dreams, and wishlist, but we don't get to know Him. Or conversely, we learn everything that we can about Who He is, but we are not willing to open our hearts to Him. Our relationship with Him is a two-way street. He has given us access to Him, allowing us to learn more about Him, but we also need to tear the veil over our hearts.
We want to have an intimate relationship with God, unveiling ourselves so that we are seen, known, and loved by choice. I don't know about you, but I definitely want to be invited to the Wedding Banquet someday, and not just as a guest, but as part of the Body of Christ, His Bride, seeing Him face-to-face. 
Let's not take for granted the access that we have to our God, and also grant Him access to our own hearts.

We all want to know - what is our purpose? We think we know best because it's our bodies and hearts. However, doesn't it make sense to find the answer from the Designer, Maker, Purchaser, and Dweller of our souls? We focus on 1 Corinthians 6 today as we discuss sex, our purpose, and our bodies. 

Hello there friends! Today we are focusing on the wisdom of God. Wisdom is humility to realize that we are dust and that God has everything woven together in His plan. In the Bible, there are three wisdom books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. Each of these books shines a different light on wisdom that we can only gain by trusting that God's ways are higher than ours. 

Hi I'm Rachel Miller, thanks for joining us on the "Life is Hard, God is Good" podcast - where we are real about the hardships we face in life and find God’s goodness in the midst of it all. This is the second part of beauty & glory. In last week’s episode we focused on beauty and today we are focusing on glory.

Do you feel the weight of it? The weight of your sin? The weight of being an imperfect human? The weight of transitions going on in life? The weight of broken relationships? The weight of the brokenness that happens all around us - the violence, the conflict - you feel all of it? And you want this weight to be off your shoulders, right?

You want to escape through things that take away the feeling for a temporary time. We all have ways of coping with this weight, whether good or bad. Maybe you try to do things to offset the weight of the brokenness. If there’s a tipping scale, and on one end of the scale is the weight of what you’re feeling - the guilt & shame, then on the other end is things that you’ve done - I served my family well, I loved people, I try to be a good human and recycle, and I volunteer in the community. It helps you offset that weight of what you’re feeling… at least for a time.

If you’re a Christian, you’ve probably heard that our purpose is to glorify God. what does that mean? 

Glorify, similar to magnify, is to make bigger. Not that God is small and we have to make Him big - He is already infinitely beyond our comprehension. But it’s that our perception of Him gets bigger. And our perspective of everything else - this world and all that’s in it and our own lives become smaller. That’s glorifying Him.

And He transforms us glory to glory. 2 Corinthians 3. There’s this veil; in the times of the Old Testament, God dwelled behind the veil in the holies of holies where only the high priest could go once a year. But when Jesus came and died on the cross, the veil was torn in two, giving us access to God. 

However, there’s also a veil over our hearts. Just because there’s access to God, doesn’t mean that we have allowed Him into our hearts. Even though He is your Maker and knows everything about you (Psalm 139), when we remove the veil of our hearts, we allow our hearts to become moldable and for Him to work in our lives. He’s a gentleman. He gives us the choice. He stands at the door and knocks, but He does not force the door open. He’s not going to change your heart and your mind without you asking Him to or inviting Him in. 

He gave us access to Him, but He’s waiting for us to give Him the green light before He does His crazy amazing transformative work. When we open the veil of our hearts, then He transforms us glory to glory. 

CS Lewis describes glory in a couple of ways. Glory is fame and glory is luminosity. 

The fame part seems a bit odd. It seems selfish to want fame. But I’m not talking about fame among our fellow creatures, other humans made in the image of God. I’m talking about fame with God. And again, He already knows everything about us, but it’s allowing Him in and inviting Him to change our hearts and our minds to transform us from the inside out. When we tear that veil and He has that access to us, we become radiant. Those who look on Him are radiant. Moses was on Mt Sinai and would come down with so much radiance that he had to wear a veil to hide his face from the Israelites. But now, it is not so. We don’t have to wear a veil. When Jesus was here on earth, there’s a passage about the transfiguration in the gospels, His face was radiant. In the same way, when we are glorifying the LORD, it changes the way that we look. When we glorify the LORD and make Him bigger (and ourselves and our problems smaller) in our eyes and invite Him into our hearts - He transforms us glory to glory. 

Part 1 of exploring how God is beautiful and glorious. This episode focuses on God's beauty and how important beauty is. 

Are you worthy? Let's find out what God's Word says.

Passages: Isaiah 6, John 1, Revelation 4-5, Romans 3:23, 1 John 4:19

I'm honored to have Jolie as a guest today! Here's just a little taste of our conversation:
- what it's like being a Christian in the Middle East
- how to live on mission in the US or overseas
- how to use your talents for God's Kingdom
- how to partner with other believers as a goer or sender
- visions of the Man in White / the Man with holes in His hands

You can contact Jolie at: jolie.kingman@mapsglobal.org
You can find out more about MAPS Global here: www.mapsglobal.org

Even though our dads here on earth are not perfect, our Heavenly Father is. Relationships on earth reflect our relationship with God. He chose us, adopted us, and disciplines us (yes, that's a good thing!). But what about our earthly dads - How can we honor our fathers and mothers? Can we forgive fathers that have hurt us?

Even if you do not love science, you will love this episode! Special guest Josh Woodard shares valuable information about the science behind creation and evolution, and why it's important for us to understand.

Resources to check out:
- Thousands not Billions: Challenging the Icon of Evolution, Questioning the Age of the Earth by Donald DeYoung
- The Genesis Account: A theological, historical, and scientific commentary on Genesis 1-11 by Jonathan Sarfati
- Refuting Evolution 1 and Refuting Evolution 2 by Jonathan Sarfati
- From Creation to Salvation, What Jesus and the New Testament authors believed about Genesis by Lita Cosner
- Creation.com - hundreds of articles.
- Answers in Genesis - hundreds of articles and books.

This is a really hard truth for some people to accept: God created the heavens and the earth.  Through His truth, we can see that He is the Source, He sustains us, and He always succeeds. What does that mean for us today? We can trust Him.

Hello my friends! Do you ever wish you could hear God audibly tell you what to do? Or wish that He would come down and encourage you?
He speaks more than we realize, so how do we make sure that we don't miss it?
How do we know if it's His voice or our own?

This world is frustrating and disappointing, but we are never without hope because God is our only Hope and He is always with us. The issue is when we lose hope or misplace hope in things that can pass away. 
Since the beginning, He has given His people Hope to look forward to and hold onto. He provided prophecies to look forward to the coming Messiah, but when Jesus came, some people missed it! My friends, we do not want to miss the hope we have in Jesus.
When you are frustrated with God's timing and His ways, remember to wait on the LORD. 

Join us as we talk about God our Shepherd as we meditate on the beautiful, profound words of Psalm 23.

My friends - the hard truth is that we are not self-sufficient. However, we can rely on God's self-sufficiency! He created the heavens and the earth. He sustains us & provides for our every need. What does that mean for us? We need to 1. have humility regarding our own abilities and 2. have confidence in God being sufficient for us.

Hello there friends! Our special guest today is my Grandma, Pat Miller, as we discuss the theme of God's faithfulness. 
Pat also shares with us some wisdom for the younger generations about dating and what she would have done differently.
You definitely don't want to miss this, and I hope you are encouraged!

The Great Author knows how to create the perfect story. The Bible may be from long ago, but the words are still true today. What do you find when you study God's Word? The Bible tells us that we are loved, valued, and redeemed - but the main plot of the Bible is not our identity. The Bible is about Who God is and what He has done. The storyline continues today through His people filled with the Holy Spirit. He uses us in His story not because we are great, but because of His great love.

Do you think God has a sense of humor? Listen to this story from Judges 3 and I'll let you be the judge (:

Hello there friends! It's so important for us to realize the significance of Easter in our lives today. Do you know for sure that you are saved? Unfortunately, there are many good people and nominal Christians who attend church on Sundays that might not be going to heaven. God made a way for us to have love, hope, truth, peace, and life in Him! We never ever have to be alone.

If God is good, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people? Isn't that unfair? Job is a great example of a blameless man who experienced great suffering - let's see what we can learn from him!

Why is it so easy for us to trust people who fail us, and so hard to trust God who never fails us? I'm so thankful for Sydnie sharing her experiences with the words TRUST and JOY - both are deeply connected in our relationship with the Lord. When we trust God and His plans for our lives, we can have joy in our relationship with Him and find joy in each blessing He gives us instead of grasping for control. (Job 1:21, Isaiah 55:9)

I'm so excited and honored to welcome our very first guest on the podcast: Caitlyn! This incredible human shares her word that she has been focusing on the last couple of years and what God has been showing her. Though many of us want to be independent, dependency on God is a beautiful thing! It's definitely counter-cultural to depend on God rather than our own ability, but through Him we can flourish and apart from Him we can do nothing.
Thanks for joining us!

What does God desire from you? We look at the tale of two kings - King Jehu and King Jehoshaphat - for the answer.
We also talk about idols and how we can recognize them in today's world. We want to get rid of idols so that we can devote ourselves fully to the Lord.

Do you feel stuck? Sometimes we can feel like the Israelites when they were wandering in the wilderness for FORTY YEARS. 
Even though they were in a different time period and culture, we have a lot we can learn from God's chosen people. 
God always does what He says He is going to do. He is faithful to His word. 
The time in the desert humbles us and tests us to reveal the desires of our hearts. God gives. us over to the desires of our hearts. Are we desiring Him or lesser things?

Hello my friends! For National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, I'm sharing some things I wish that I had listened to much sooner. We talk about what it looks like to have an eating disorder, what God says about our bodies & food, and how to gain freedom. Much love to you all!

Most of us feel that awful sinking feeling - "I'm not good enough." How do we know what good enough looks like? Is there anyone who is good enough? How do we deal with that feeling of inadequacy?
In this episode, we talk about why you are not good enough (what a hard truth), and how we handle that. 

How do you "love your neighbor as yourself" when people are hard to love? When we can see ourselves and others through God's perspective, we can love fully and freely.

Resources used:
Mark 12:29-30, Matthew 22:39, Matthew 5:43-47, Romans 12:3, 1 Corinthians 15:33

We dive into how God is good even when we need healing. God heals you not in the way that you want to be healed, but in the way that you need to be healed.

Resources used:
Isaiah 43, Mark 5:25-34, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Luke 22:42, John 4:24, Psalm 23:3

Short and sweet 3 minute reminder that you are loved, valuable, and here on purpose for a purpose - God's not done with you!

In this episode we dive into the hardship of heartbreak and find God's goodness and truth to stand on in the midst of it.

Heartbreak is hard because your heart is so important. You actually go through the grieving process when you experience a breakup.
A breakup says nothing about your value nor your worth. Give yourself grace with the healing process.
We are called to love, not hate, even when we are hurt. Love can be painful because we are flawed humans - Only God loves perfectly.
We can break God's heart; He is our first love and He deserves the firstfruits of our love.

Resources Used:
Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 61:1; Proverbs 4:23; Brennan Manning’s sermon “The Love of the Father;” Lamentations 3; CS Lewis,The Weight of Glory; Ephesians 4:26; 1 John 2:9-11; 1 John 4:19; CS Lewis,The Four Loves; 1 Corinthians 13; Ezekiel 36:26; Revelation 2:1-4; Deuteronomy 26.

Do you ever feel ashamed of what you've done or what's been done to you? Shame makes us want to run and hide.

You don't need to hide. God sees you and covers you with His love. God has used many broken people in the Bible, and He still does today.

No matter what has happened in your past, God can still use your story. He alone can truly define who we are.

Resources used:
The Lion King, Exodus 3-4, Hebrews 11, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Genesis 3:7-10, Genesis 1:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Psalm 139:1-16, Ephesians 1:4-9.

We all experience plans failing, but how do we deal with that?

It's hard when we hold on to things that don't last or are not guaranteed. Our finite perspectives can keep us from seeing the big picture.

God's ways are higher than our ways, and even when we don't understand, He uses all things for our good and His glory.

Resources used: Isaiah 55:9-10; James 4:13-16; Proverbs 16:9; C.S. Lewis,The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses;2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Colossians 3:23-24; Ephesians 3:20-21; Randy AlcornHeaven; Hebrews 10:23; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28.

We dive into the difficult question: If life is hard, how can God be good?

In this introductory episode, I talk about the purpose of this podcast, introduce myself, and we address how life is hard AND God is good.

Just because life is hard does not mean God is bad. Humans choose sin which leads to death, but God offers us a way out. He understands what it is like to be human and He offers us life, peace, truth, and love through Him.

God does not promise a pain-free life, but He does promise us that He will never leave us.

Resources used: Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 6:23, John 14:6, 1 John 1:9, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 4, https://www.cslewis.com/a-tale-of-two-temptations/, Romans 8:34, Isaiah 43

Instagram: @lifeishardGodisgoodpodcast
Facebook group: Life is Hard, God is Good