Picture this; You're a military family in a new town, once again, and the holiday season is quickly approaching. The emotional toll is heavy, but as Beth Runkle has experienced firsthand, there's a glimmer of hope that can be found in faith and community. Join us, as our special guest, Beth Runkle of Cru Military, gives insight, wisdom, and practical steps to embrace the military around you all year but especially during the Christmas season. Beth’s Book, Another Move, God? 30 Encourage...
How can we be a ray of hope, light and joy to others this Christmas? By pointing them to Jesus- through gifts of service, prayer, words, and the gift of our presence. And if you are giving a tangible gift, consider a spiritually sensitive present that points to the meaning of Christmas. We retrace the steps of the first Christmas, looking at Zachariah and Elizabeth and their calling to parent, John—the herald and forerunner of Jesus. We, too, can be forerunners and take inspiration from the s...
Join us on the journey back to the first Christmas, where we saw in Episode 7, Savoring The Savior Christmas Part 1 that it was all about a baby that was worthy to be worshipped. In this episode we will see that it was also about a family, and not just any family, it could have been today’s dysfunctional family— an unwed teenager who finds out she is pregnant, a betrothed man, considering divorce, or adoption. Mary and Joseph, all had great faith when they said YES to God’s ...
Feeling overwhelmed or weary by the holiday season? What if we told you that there is a way to find simplicity and truly savor the Savior amidst the Christmas chaos? When we went back to the first Christmas, we saw that it centered around three things: a family, a message, and a Savior. What if we embrace those things this Christmas to make our season simple, meaningful and memorable? In Part 1 we look at how to savor Jesus all through the season and not just aim at celebrat...
Do you remember the juice cups, that you stick the straw in? What happens every time you poke that straw through the plastic? Juice spills out! In life, the same holds true: what is inside of you will come out once poked. What would spill out of you: sourness or sweetness, grumbling or gratitude, light or death? Today we are delighted to have Jessica Gilbert with us again as we talk about how to Light up with Gratitude as we go through the Thanksgiving Season. Not only do we want t...
In our solar system, The Milky Way, there are 1000’s of star clusters. A cluster makes an impact because alone each star may not stand out but together they make a powerful light image. Clusters are powerful because there is synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts: synergistic symphony— where synergistic parts work together they accomplish more than they could ever accomplish alone. The rare Globular star clusters are held together by mutual gravitational attra...
Have you experienced one of those dark nights when you can’t see anything around you, but you look up and see one star that sparkles and gives light? It shines brighter surrounded by the darkest night. During hard seasons, sometimes we need help to navigate the future, a life preserver thrown to us to survive, or maybe a friend to sit with us as we process. And then other times we get to throw the life preserver to others— which might look like a shining star—where you shine the li...
Are you ready to light up your neighborhood with the love of Jesus this fall season? We promise you this episode is the perfect guide to embrace this time of the year as an opportunity to shower God's love and mercy on those around us. From using the occasion of Halloween to exhibit generosity, even if it scares you, to finding creative ways to foster community by welcoming new neighbors with gifts and notes. We delve into the joy of resetting, venturing out, and connecting with the people ar...
Debbie McGoldrick, our incredible guest, takes us on a journey of luminosity and faith in this inspiring episode. From the moment she opened her bedroom window, at age 9, to invite her neighbors to hear stories about Jesus, to now serving full-time with Cru City and founding NBS2GO, her dedication to shining the light of Christ is truly remarkable. We explore the concept of luminosity as not just a measure of energy radiated by a star, but as a metaphor for how we can impact the lives o...
What does it mean to be called to shine? Just as Paul challenged the Philippians to shine like stars in the universe — we love the powerful visual to shine and the heritage it comes from. Light is talked about in 200+ passages in the Bible. It begins early in Genesis and continues through Revelation. In the book of John, we see light all through hitting a peak and crescendo when Jesus said: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but wil...
Welcome to the community where we know Jesus is our light, and we are here to spur each other on to love God and others right where we live. We are called to shine.The Called to Shine Podcast will launch Season One on October 17th with two episodes and then continue weekly through December 5th. Meet Jesslyn and Pam, your co-hosts, as they explore how we can shine like stars in the universe in the midst of walking through everyday life. Follow and subscribe to Called to Shine as we...