In this transparent and powerful conversation, author and speaker Stacee Goetzinger speaks candidly about her journey battling an eating disorder that started in her preteen years and eventually led to emergency inpatient treatment, where she had to fight for her life with everything she had. Stacee's story is one of hope, perseverance, and dependence on God, and she shares hard-fought wisdom she has learned over decades of relying on Him to be her strength in the battle. Whether you ar...
How do you respond if your spouse is using pornography? Should you proceed in a dating relationship if one of you has a porn problem? Where’s the line between righteous anger and sinful anger? How do you find freedom from patterns and behaviors rooted in childhood wounds? In today’s episode of the Hope Unyielding Podcast, we cover all these questions and more! My conversation with Amanda Massie, a wife, mom, historian and follower of Jesus, has something for everyone. Join me and Amanda...
In this fun solo episode, I answer your questions about the writing life, what God's been doing in my heart and mind, and what inspired me to write my devotional, 99 Life-Giving Bible Verses for Women. Questions include: When did you start writing? What’s your favorite piece you’ve written so far and why?What was a moment or turning point in your life that deepened your walk with the Lord?What's your verse for this season?What’s your ideal environment for writing?What was the most challenging...
Singleness got you down? If you're a single Christian struggling to survive in a world that idolizes marriage and stigmatizes singleness, this conversation with author Karissa Sovdi is a must-listen! Karissa and I chat about: Lies we've believed about singlenessWhy to stop obsessing over why you're singleHow to tell if marriage is becoming an idolGrieving singleness while pursuing the life God has given youThe best parts of being singleWhy the American dream and the gospel are not one and the...
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Dr. Michelle Bengtson joins us again to share her experiences and insights on the very relevant issue of anxiety, coming at the topic of anxiety with a unique and layered perspective. Not only is she a board-certified, clinical neuropsychologist who has been in private practice for more than 20 years, but she's also a follower of Jesus who has battled anxiety in her own life. Dr. Bengtson is also an international speaker, the host of the podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective and the author of ...
In today's episode, Dr. Michelle Bengtson shares how God has used her scars to deepen her faith, redeem her suffering, and bring hope and healing to others, and how God can do the same for you. Pick up a copy of Dr. Bengtson's new book Sacred Scars here. Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the bestselling, award-winning author of Hope Prevails, the Hope Prevails Bible Study, Today Is Going to Be a Good Day, Br...
Whatever the situation—a chronic illness, a child who isn’t walking with the Lord, financial difficulties, or a difficult marriage—God promises to act on his children's behalf (Isaiah 64:4). Weaving personal story and the amazing account of God's rescue in 2 Chronicles 20, Hope shares a testimony of how God acted on her behalf in a season of deep depression. This message was given at Christ the King Center in Greenwich, New York on May 4, 2024.
A poem for the woman longing for a child on Mother's Day. If you are one of the many women longing for a child on Mother's Day, I pray that this encourages you with the truth that Jesus sees you, loves you, and weeps with you.
If you are struggling with your mental health or love someone who struggles, this is the episode for you! Vulnerably sharing her experience battling anorexia, depression, and self-harm, Stacee Goetzinger offers a message of hope in the darkness grounded in her experience of God's kindness, love, and rescue in her long battle with mental illness. Stacee Goetzinger is a speaker, author, and podcast host. Her book, You Are Worth Saving, Letters of Hope from a Desperate Heart contai...
Diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy as a child, Rob Roozeboom wrestled to understand how God could allow such a terrible disease to attack his body and crush his dreams. But God pursued Rob relentlessly, transforming his life through His love, giving him purpose and hope beyond what he imagined. If you're feeling broken, lonely, or different, this is the episode for you! Be sure to preorder a copy of Rob's new book Broken Still Chosen. It's a powerful read that will encourage your heart and s...
Writer Bethany Peck shares her story of betrayal trauma, divorce, and the healing process God has led her through over the past several years. Whether you’ve been through something similar or are simply struggling with life not unfolding as you had hoped, I know Bethany’s story will offer encouragement and hope rooted in the goodness of God. Check out Bethany's poetry on Instagram @beautiful_purpose_writing and her longer form work at https://bethanypeck.org/ To be notified of new epi...
After a two-year hiatus, Hope Unyielding is back! In today's episode, Samantha Vocarte interviews Hope about how she has grown and changed over the past few years as she faced a personal worst-case scenario and what her vision is for the upcoming season of the podcast.
Today, I’m sharing a message I gave at a women’s retreat at Christ the King Center in Greenwich, New York back in April of 2022. I share from 1 Samuel about the life of Hannah, a woman who wrestled with God year after year through unanswered prayer, but who never lost her awe of God and love for Him. Hannah stands as a beautiful example to me in my own wrestling with God, bidding me not to look around at my circumstances to determine my joy, but to look upward to my Creator. I pray that God w...
Jonathan Walker shares his powerful testimony of how Jesus saved him from a life of isolation and despair and gave him a hope that isn't dependent on circumstances. We ask some hard questions about suffering, depression and living in a fallen world, and we answer them with stories of how Jesus has been our Hope in our darkest times. If you're struggling to reconcile the existence of suffering and the goodness of God, then this is the episode for you. Jonathan Walker is a customer servi...
Today my good friend Rachel Opare-Sem is sharing her story of God’s faithfulness to her and her family as her mother battled, and eventually passed away from breast cancer. Although her family didn’t receive the answer they had hoped for, God showed up in amazing, specific ways that comforted Rachel and assured her of His presence and love. She also shares about her struggle with fearing death after her mother’s passing and how God has transformed that fear into hope. Rachel Opare-Sem ...
When Alyssa Marshall found a large lump on her five year old daughter Amelie's arm, she knew her life was about to change drastically. Soon after, Amelie was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of cancer. Today, Alyssa tells her story of walking through every parent's worst nightmare, and how in the midst of the questions, pain, and uncertainty, God showed her and her family His faithfulness. Alyssa Marshall currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her three daughters...
C.S. Lewis said it best: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Join me for Part 3 of this 3 part series on myths I've believed about satisfaction in Christ. Today, I’m sharing some very personal stories as I tackle the final myth I believed about satisfaction in Christ, the myth that we can be fully satisfied with Christ during this life. This series is an adaptation of my free eBook,...
"A person can never satisfy you; only Jesus can do that!" I've received this response countless times over the years when I've expressed my desire for a spouse. This answer always left me frustrated. I knew that a person couldn’t meet my deepest needs, but after years of following Jesus, I couldn’t say I felt that He was meeting my needs either. This satisfaction in Christ that my well-meaning mentors and friends spoke of seemed mysterious and unattainable, something they had experienc...
“If God put that desire in you for a spouse, He plans to fulfill it. And if it’s not in His will for you to marry, then He will change your desires,” my mentors told me. But as I approached my 30s with no husband in sight, it certainly didn’t seem like God planned to fulfill this desire. So why wasn’t He changing my desires like they told me He would? If Jesus was enough to satisfy, then why did this yearning for human love still persist? I felt ashamed that after years of following Jes...