Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
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Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith

Jesus Calling
Millions have been encouraged and inspired by the words of the #1 best-selling 365-day devotional "Jesus Calling." Listen to real-life stories of faith as told by those who have experienced the power of living in His presence.
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Freedom and Forgiveness After Tragedy: Casey, C.J., & Tucker Beathard
October 8, 2020 - 30 min
Losing someone you love is one of the most devastating, heart-breaking things we can go through—and the pain feels especially sharp when that person is taken from us by the hands of another. Even though we’ll always carry grief from losing our loved one, God offers us a chance to find life again as we reach for Him and remember He’s still there, leading us toward a hope and a future. Award-winning country music songwriter Casey Beathard, along with his sons—San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard and country music artist Tucker Beathard—share stories of a close-knit, loving family of seven surrounded by football and music. But tragedy struck the family in December 2019, when their son and brother Clay was the victim of a fatal stabbing in Nashville. In the days that followed, the Beathards dug deep into faith, finding hope in God and encouragement in the memories of Clay’s strong conviction and light. As they healed together, the Beathards found there’s freedom in forgiveness, and they take heart in knowing that one day, they’ll see Clay again.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith television show on Circle TV jesuscalling.com/TV  Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Past interview: Eddie Montgomery Upcoming interview: Kathie Lee Gifford   Casey Beathard Kansas City Chiefs Miami Dolphins Don Shula Redskins San Diego Chargers   C.J. Beathard Junior Seau Rodney Harrison   Tucker Beathard   Interview Quotes: “If he didn't believe in something, if he didn't didn't agree with something, he was not going to get peer pressured into doing something he didn't think was right.” - C.J. Beathard on his brother, Clay “He wanted to do what was right and fight for the people that were oppressed.” - Casey Beathard, on his son Clay “The only thing that possibly got us through this is at the end of the day: our core foundation. We were all at least rooted with the mindset of knowing that the only way to get through this was diving in and asking Jesus and and relying on the Lord to handle it.” - Tucker Beathard “We dug hard looking for hope...We were just feeding off each other about who God is and what He really has for you. And all sudden, the despair turned into a gigantic hope.” - Casey Beathard “I literally used to pray, like, “God, please let me be the first one to go in my family, because I can't—I wouldn't be able to handle it.” But I'd totally underestimated the power of Jesus Christ. I mean, that's just the bottom line. That's all that really matters. And it's like with Him, this world can't faze you.” - Tucker Beathard “I truly believe—I know [my brother Clay is in heaven]. And we'll be there someday, and I know I'm gonna get to see him again." - C.J. Beathard   ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________    Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube <a href="https://www.
Tuning Out the Chaos, Listening to God: Ally Brooke & Jamie Ivey
October 1, 2020 - 26 min
The world is a noisy, chaotic place. At any given moment, there are countless voices shouting at us, trying to command our attention. But we can find peace when we train ourselves to mute those voices and listen to the only One who matters: God. Pop singer Ally Brooke rode a rollercoaster of highs and lows during her stint in the iconic girl group Fifth Harmony, and over time she felt her voice was drowned out by the demands of the music industry on the group. After branching out as a solo artist, Ally began to uncover her authentic self, thanks in part to the strong foundation of faith her tight-knit Mexican American family helped her build, which she talks about in her brand-new book Finding Your Harmony. Podcaster and author Jamie Ivey knows all about comparison culture, and how it always seems the grass is greener on the other side. But she’s learned a new phrase that’s set her free: You Be You. Now she shares how to utilize the gifts God has given you, and that it’s how you use your influence—not how large it is—that really makes a difference.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith television show on Circle TV jesuscalling.com/TV Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Note-taking edition of Jesus Calling Jesus Always Past guests: Morgan Harper Nichols, Kel Mitchell Upcoming guests: Casey Beathard, CJ Beathard, Tucker Beathard TV show host: Lauren Alaina   Ally Brooke Fifth Harmony Finding Your Harmony The X Factor   Jamie Ivey You Be You   Interview Quotes: “Number one in our house is God and Jesus. And having that type of foundation in my life has completely changed everything for me.” - Ally Brooke “When I took a beating from the music industry, being in Fifth Harmony and the real challenges that came my way afterwards too, God was right there to say, ‘Trust me. I have a plan for you and I'm here with you. You're not alone. We're going to get through this together.’” - Ally Brooke “I'll have my days where maybe I'm going through something or I'm sad or I have a ton of anxiety or I have a ton of worry or doubt. And Jesus Calling, through that devotion, I'm able to silence those thoughts and those worries and to help put them at ease.” - Ally Brooke "It takes a lot of spiritual maturity to say, 'I'm very thankful for the people I'm having lunch with. And I'm going to spend my life doing whatever God wants for me right where I am, and not constantly look at the other table wondering what they're doing.'" - Jamie Ivey “I started recognizing so many moments of people wishing that they had a different life, a “better” life, her life. And I noticed that they were missing the moments that God had created for them.” - Jamie Ivey “There's this idea that you begin to matter and what you have to say begins to matter when a lot of people are listening. And I just want to encourage people that believing that lie keeps people paralyzed and not doing the things God's asked them to do.” - Jamie Ivey “Every one that God's put in front of you matters. And we don't need to put our eyes on what we hope to happen five, ten years down the road, because we will waste a lot of time wishing for something we don't have.” - Jamie Ivey “If the only thing I was looking at and noticing was other people's lives, then I would stru
Mercy for Your Mistakes: Jana Kramer & Mike Caussin and Margaret Feinberg
September 24, 2020 - 28 min
We are human, which means we will make mistakes and never reach a standard of perfection. But we live in a world that constantly whispers, You can never come back from this mistake, or, You’ll never be good enough—but God’s grace and mercy say otherwise. Actor and singer Jana Kramer and her husband, NFL alum Mike Caussin, faced their own share of uphill battles in their young marriage. Facing her husband’s infidelity and addiction publicly, Jana had a choice to make: walk away, or work through it together. Jana and Mike chose to fight for their marriage, and now they’ve filled their toolbox with skills that they put into practice every single day, reminding us in their new book The Good Fight that while relationships are hard work, they’re worth it. Author Margaret Feinberg felt herself begin to believe lies that whispered, You’re a has-been, and, You’re a failure. Her overthinking began a negative thought spiral, so she began a practice of declaring God’s truths over her life daily, leading her to see her worth through His eyes and writing a book to encourage others called More Power to You. We serve a God of mercy, love, and healing. And though we may not live the picture-perfect life we want, He can redeem any mistakes we make so we can show the power He gives broken people.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith television show Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling app  Cyntoia Brown-Long   Jana Kramer  Mike Caussin The Good Fight book Dancing with the Stars Whine Down podcast   Margaret Feinberg More Power to You book   Interview Quotes: “I'm constantly praying for our family. I want us to stay together. I'm praying for his recovery. I'm praying for our recovery. I just hope that we always choose to stay in it. And so I just pray that we're always strong enough to continue to grow.” - Jana Kramer “When we finally started praying out loud together, I'm doing my stuff spiritually, she's doing her stuff spiritually, then we started to see where we allowed Him in and we could feel that vulnerability in the room.” - Mike Caussin  “Owning your side of the street, it's controlling what you can control. And as much as we find us trying to convince each other to see things our way, to convince each other to have our opinion or our outlook or believe our truth, we can't control someone else's thoughts or feelings. Control what you can control.” - Mike Caussin “Where we're at now is just remembering all the things that we've learned and how to continue to keep using our tools and to continue to grow. We have the tool box filled with stuff, we continue to go to therapy. We continue to learn. And so I just pray that we're always strong enough to continue to grow.” - Jana Kramer ”We have a lifetime full of tools in our tool box. And we just need to use them, because we've learned them for a reason. They have helped us. They've helped us get this far. And so for the next five years and so on, we need to continue to implement them because that'll help us avoid some of these moments of disconnect.” - Mike Caussin “God ultimately has control over the situation and we need to give Him more power.” - Mike Caussin “What's incredible is God has given us the ability to literally renew our mind through the power of the Holy Spirit and scripture, and we can begin doing it today.” - Margaret Feinberg “I began just carving out ninety seconds a day or so, just to begin declaring these and to declare them out loud. And they’re declarations like this: ‘Jesus is
Love Conquers Fear: Lauren Akins & Nik Wallenda
September 17, 2020 - 36 min
Join us in celebrating 5 Million Downloads of the Jesus Calling Podcast!  Knowing that we have God on our side enables us to find the courage to overcome any fear. Lauren Akins—philanthropist, author, mom, and wife to country music superstar Thomas Rhett—longed to find her purpose. When she turned to God for help, He opened doors that led to a life of service and loving the ones in front of her, expanding her life to reach more than she ever hoped for. Now as a mom to three little girls, Lauren reflects back on her life, thankful for the many types of love she’s experienced, and recognizes “God-winks” woven into the fabric of who she is. Guinness World Record-holding tightrope walker Nik Wallenda comes from seven generations of performers. Through all the daring feats and dazzling challenges that he’s faced in his lifetime, he’s always kept his eye on the One who could get him through. But when one terrifying moment happened right in front of his eyes—when his family members fell off the wire—he faced a fear that almost crippled his career. After coming to terms with that fear and realizing God still needed to use him to inspire others, Nik found the courage to get back on the wire, and show the world the power of God.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Life in His Presence Bear Grylls and Rhonda Vincent   Upcoming Guests One Tree Hill star Jana Kramer NFL player Mike Caussin   Lauren Akins Live in Love book by Lauren Akins Thomas Rhett University of Tennessee Suzanne Mayernick Love One International www.laurenakins.com   Nik Wallenda Facing Fear book by Nik Wallenda Guinness World record setting “King of the High Wire” Funambulist SeaWorld San Diego Niagara Falls Discovery Channel PTSD   Interview Quotes: “It felt like I was just kind of tagging along wherever Thomas Rhett went. I love being his cheerleader and supporting him, and I love watching him do what he loves. But I felt like I had more of a purpose.” - Lauren Akins “I can see, looking back, where the Lord has shut doors and open doors, and I tried to have the motto of, ‘Where He opens the door, I'll walk through it, regardless of what I can see on the other side.’” - Lauren Akins “There were times where I felt like I just couldn't pray another prayer, or when I felt the weakest in those moments, that is where I could just feel Jesus was carrying me on the backs of my friends spiritually and on His back.” - Lauren Akins “Loving one at a time and doing what you can right just for the one, and then moving on to another one, and then another one—that's how Jesus works. Those are His hands and feet.” - Lauren Akins “The Lord puts people in front of us to love.” - Lauren Akins “That is the most important thing, inviting Him into your world so that you're able to see the world through His eyes and you're able to love the way that He loves.” - Lauren Akins “To think that we still can't grasp just quite how much He loves and how good His love is something that is so hard for my mind to try to wrap around.” - L
Pain Doesn’t Have to Be a Life Sentence: Beth Nimmo & TJ Stevens
September 10, 2020 - 18 min
Sometimes before we know it, darkness can wrap itself around our hearts and minds. But when we feel ourselves lost and without hope, God is always there to lead us toward a new way of living, where we can find forgiveness for others—and ourselves. Beth Nimmo is the mother of Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Beth didn’t know she’d ever see light again after the loss of her precious daughter, but God used Rachel’s strong faith and spirit of joy to guide Beth to help troubled teens. TJ Stevens was one such teen—after an abusive childhood and several suicide attempts, TJ walked into his Virginia high school with a gun, filled with a darkness driving him to do things he’d have never thought possible. But when TJ was on his knees in desperation, he felt God moving him toward a different outcome. As TJ says, “It’s never too late to turn around and do the right thing.” Beth and TJ’s paths crossed along parallel lines, and together, they share how God has met them in their lowest points, and how pain doesn’t have to be a life sentence.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Thomas Rhett Lauren Akins National Suicide Prevention line   I Am Second   Beth Nimmo Rachel Joy Scott Columbine School shootings in 1999   TJ Stevens   Interview Quotes: “What we give focus to, we give strength to--I gave focus to nothing but darkness, and darkness filled me to a point where there was an abyss of nowhere to turn.” - TJ Stevens “When the heart isn't changed, even if you have modified behavior and there's a certain amount of control there, eventually what's in the heart will manifest itself on the surface.” - Beth Nimmo “It's never too late to turn around and do the right thing.” - TJ Stevens “One of the things that we have a responsibility for to the next generation coming up is; we have to show them what you're in right now doesn't have to be your life sentence and it doesn't have to define the rest of your life.” - Beth Nimmo ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________    Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Born to Fly, Not to Fear: Sara Evans & Caitlin Crosby
September 3, 2020 - 24 min
Fear and anxiety often worm their way into our lives, and it is easy to give into them. But we have a mighty God on our side, who replaces fear with a beautiful peace that reminds us everything will turn out exactly the way He intends it. Country music artist Sara Evans knew as a young girl that she was “Born to Fly,” because God had called her to a music career. And as Sara looks back on defining moments of her career and her journeys with family and faith, she can trace the moments when fear would try to take over but God gave her the resilience to push through. Growing up in Los Angeles with a passion for helping others, actor and singer Caitlin Crosby learned early on that real beauty and character are found in our flaws. As she prayed for God to show her how to give to others, Caitlin met a talented couple who helped turn her heart for helping into a real-life mission: a jewelry-for-good business called The Giving Keys, which helps people transition out of homelessness. Caitlin believes that embracing the things that scare us can help us uncover our purpose. And as she shares in her new book You are the Key, she’s seen that paying forward a word of encouragement, whether you sleep in a mansion or a cardboard box, can go a long way in helping others—and ourselves—keep reaching for faith and courage. Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Bible study Jesus Calling, from July 27th interview with heroic Southwest Airlines pilot Tammie Jo Shults and Vietnam POW Carlyle “Smitty” Harris TJ Stevens  Beth Nimmo Rachel Scott   Sara Evans Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Gideon's Bible Grand Ole Opry Born to Fly memoir   Caitlin Crosby The Giving Keys You are the Key book LoveYourFlawz Lifehouse Flawz album Invisible Children documentary   Interview Quotes: “We just have so many people to love and so many people to take care of. That is such a blessing.” - Sara Evans, on her blended family “I really, really, really believe in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I believe that God understands our hearts and He knows where we are.” - Sara Evans “God is the potter and I'm the clay, so I just need to trust Him every day, and really just have no fear.” - Sara Evans “There's nothing more comforting than having a relationship with Jesus.” - Sara Evans “The whole premise [of The Giving Keys] is you get a word that you need in your life, you embrace it, you own it, but then you're supposed to pass it on to somebody you feel needs it more than you.” - Caitlin Crosby “Our model [at The Giving Keys] is the more products we sell, the more jobs we can create, and the more people we can try and get off the streets.” - Caitlin Crosby “Everyone needs help. Everyone needs love. Everyone needs strength.” - Caitlin Crosby “The things that they feel kind of secretive or shameful about, those are the things that really can bring your purpose alive and bring it to another level.” - Caitlin Crosby ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel:
Embracing God-Given Second Chances: Lori Allen & Raleigh Keegan
August 27, 2020 - 19 min
With each new day, God is blessing us with another chance—a chance to say yes to the things we might’ve said no to before, and a chance to embrace the people we love. Lori Allen, star of the TLC reality show Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta and owner of Bridals by Lori, is adamant that the best days of her life are still ahead of her. From conquering challenges to keep her store open, to battling breast cancer and being the best working mom and grandma she can be, Lori has consistently said yes to savoring every moment, and grounding her life in her faith. Country music artist Raleigh Keegan was given a poignant second chance—a chance at life itself—when his mom gave birth to him while she was in prison, and then allowing him to be adopted into a loving family. Now, Raleigh seeks to demonstrate the love of God daily, thanking Him for the life he was given then, and the one he has now—which included eventually meeting and thanking his birth mom, too.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling website Life in His Presence: A Jesus Calling Guided Journal Jesus Calling book Jesus Calling Podcast episode with author and activist Cyntoia Brown-Long and designer Liz Marie Galvan Sara Evans Lori Allen TLC reality show Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta  Bridals by Lori Say Yes to What's Next book COVID-19 Raleigh Keegan Boy Scouts Eagle Scout Psalms Romans 8:1 University of Cincinnati   Interview Quotes: “I've always had my faith, and I've always had a very strong will and conviction that I would succeed.” - Lori Allen “What for women after age forty-five motivates us? We are very smart women that have a lot of life ahead of us . . . I plan to savor every last crumb, and I want to motivate other women to do the same.“ - Lori Allen “I think that God wants us to live ‘till our very last day with meaning and hope.” - Lori Allen “Life's never easy, but with your attitude and showing your faith and your fortitude, you can make it a wonderful life.” - Lori Allen “I don't think the fact that I was adopted and came from a really hard start ever made me question God's love for me, that specific thing, because I always viewed it as, I had a chance.” - Raleigh Keegan “On my worst day and on my best day, because of what Jesus did for me, I'm viewed the same. That just changed me.” - Raleigh Keegan “My life's mission is just to be a Christian in whatever I'm doing.” - Raleigh Keegan ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ ________________________    Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website Discover more Christian podcasts at <a href="https
Leaving Footsteps Worth Following: Trent Shelton & Peggy Rowe
August 20, 2020 - 31 min
It’s a great privilege to make an impact on others by leading a life worth emulating—and having mentors in our lives who once gave us the same gift. Motivational speaker Trent Shelton grew up in a family of faith who supported his dreams of becoming a professional athlete. After Trent worked his way to the NFL, he realized he was sacrificing his future by chasing temporary fulfillment. When he hit rock bottom, Trent decided to make God the rock of his life, and after his son Tristan was born, Trent worked hard to become a father his son would be proud of. And now, as he shares in his new book Straight Up, Trent tries every day to become the best version of himself so that he can impact his family and show them how to live well. Author Peggy Rowe—mom to Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs—was raised by loving parents who sacrificed time, money, and energy so Peggy could explore who she wanted to be. Now, Peggy seeks to impact others the way her parents inspired her through writing and sharing stories with millions of readers.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling book Jesus Calling Podcast episode ft. The Bachelorette’s Luke Pell and pastor Jack Deere Lori Allen, founder of the shop Bridals by Lori TLC reality show Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta   Trent Shelton Straight Up Rehab Time Saints player Gene Atkins Bengals player Geno Atkins imposter syndrome Peggy Rowe Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs The Discovery Channel "About My Mother" by Peggy Rowe 'About Your Father" by Peggy Rowe The Baltimore Sun Misty of Chincoteague Interview Quotes: “What I realized, once I hit rock bottom, was I never really built a solid relationship with God for myself.” - Trent Shelton “Oftentimes I feel like we place blame on God for situations we put ourselves in.” - Trent Shelton “If my son follows my footsteps, where is my life leading him? What's the path that I've created? What's the mindset? What's the faith? And I wasn't happy with the answers that I told myself.” - Trent Shelton “My prayers used to be asking God for things, and now my prayers are, ‘God, what do you need from me?’ And that has brought more clarity in my life.” - Trent Shelton “I feel like God leaves a void in each and every one of us that can only be filled by Him. And until He fills that void, you will never feel that overwhelming internal peace in your life.” - Trent Shelton “The most important work that you ever will do is the work that you do on yourself.” - Trent Shelton “Maybe that light that comes from my life, because I did the work on myself, could be the light that they need to light up their dark world or their dark times.” - Trent Shelton “We can't change the world if we don't change our households. We can't change our households if we don't change the way we think, if we don't renew our mind, if we don't renew our heart. And so it all starts with you. So, be the reflection of the change that you wish to see.” - Trent Shelton “I think probably the greatest gift my mother gave me was an ability to treat people the way that I would like to be treated.” - Peggy Rowe “[
Surviving and Thriving to Help God’s Children: Victoria Damone & Catherine Wood
August 13, 2020 - 29 min
God puts people in our lives for a reason: to teach us, to inspire us, to allow us to be a blessing to them. There are no accidental encounters, only ones that shape us into who we were created to be. Victoria Damone grew up in a family of entertainment royalty, as the daughter of ‘50s crooner Vic Damone and actress Judy Rawlins. But show business wasn’t always kind to Victoria and her sisters, and they had to learn to survive by relying on each other through their parents’ absence and their mother’s struggle with addiction. As she grew older, Victoria forged her own path by working for a faith-based organization, OneShare Health, as a way to combine her love of people and God. Catherine Wood has always kept faith at the heart of her life, but that faith has been tested through the financial ups and downs she’s faced throughout her investing career. After Cathie tried to navigate the financial peculiarities leading up to the 2008 economic crash, a member of her church introduced her to Jesus Calling, which Cathie’s read every day since. In 2014, Cathie founded her own company called ARK Invest, to find and fund transformative technologies that could change lives and make the world a better place.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling App Jesus Calling on YouTube Interview with country music artist Josh Turner and NASCAR driver Michael McDowell Apple Podcasts Stitcher Jesus Calling Facebook Jesus Calling Instagram Victoria Damone Vic Damone actress Judy Rawlins OneShare Health   Catherine Wood ARK Invest Art Laffer Jennison Associates Reuters and Telerate Ark of the Covenant   Upcoming guest: Trent Shelton   Interview Quotes: “I know that God was watching over me in my younger years.” - Victoria Damone “Even though we all fail miserably, we can aspire to do the best we can. But I think that's when God walks in.” - Victoria Damone “I love what I do, but I also love the thought that we're part of something that can really help people emotionally with their health care needs, but also that we can help other organizations and we can make a difference.” - Victoria Damone, on working at OneShare Health “When I think of Jesus, I think of Him sitting at the table and ministering and teaching people that were perhaps the unsavory characters, the people that were abandoned. And yet those are the individuals that need the most love and understanding.” - Victoria Damone “I never felt that God was leaving me or deserting me. I felt like I had to hold on a little tighter.” -Catherine Wood “I would kneel down and say, ‘Okay, God, You're in control. Even if this company fails, I know I've done the right thing. This is a walk of faith for me. Your will be done.’” - Catherine Wood  “I believe that in starting ARK Invest, I was fulfilling His will for me here on Earth and that if I had not done it, that I would have died an unhappy woman not having not fulfilled my promise here.” - Catherine Wood   ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel: Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ _______
Finding “Tidbits of Joy” in Seasons of Pain: Mattie Jackson Selecman & Deborah Evans Price
August 6, 2020 - 32 min
Our stories are a combination of pain and beauty, of grief and love, of despair and wonder. In the moments when pain and isolation threaten to engulf us, God is there to lift us up and, as our guest Mattie Jackson Selecman says, sprinkle “tidbits of joy” along our darkest paths. Growing up, Mattie watched her dad, country music superstar Alan Jackson, sing songs that connected with people across the country, and she knew she was born to tell stories just like him. But Mattie never could’ve imagined one of the stories she’d tell would be a tragic story of her own: losing her newlywed husband Ben in an accident. With God’s help, and with her Jesus Calling devotional by her side, Mattie began to put the pieces of her life back together and found healing in the very ministry that she co-founded to heal others, NaSHEville. Music journalist Deborah Evans Price passionately chased her dream to tell stories behind some of country and Christian music’s biggest stars, becoming a full-time journalist at Billboard Magazine. But Deborah learned firsthand that just because part of your dream works out doesn’t mean your whole life will fall into place. As Deborah tackled an unexpected cancer diagnosis, she learned there’s true joy in allowing others to come alongside us and care for us when we’re at our lowest.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Sarah Young Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling books Jesus Calling devotional Jesus Calling Peace for Everyday Life video series Jesus Calling Magazine [FREE!] Jesus Calling Podcast Episode with Dawn Barton: Joy: God’s Antidote to Pain Mattie Jackson Selecman Alan Jackson UT [University of Tennessee] NaSHEville Human trafficking   Deborah Evans Price Billboard Magazine Billboard.com First for Women Magazine Redbook  Woman's World  Sounds Like Nashville LSU [Louisiana State University]   Victoria Damone 1950’s Big Band crooner Vic Damone   Interview Quotes: “Jesus is the only hope, not because He's the only thing left to turn to, but because He's the only thing that will bring light in the dark.” - Mattie Jackson Selecman “You kind of take [faith] for granted until you have real reason to buckle down and understand and evaluate, Why is this my faith, and why is this not just what I've been told and taught?” - Mattie Jackson Selecman “Don't feel like it's your job to plan out every step of your life—go live it. And what happens to you will be the story that you'll end up telling.” - Mattie Jackson Selecman “He walked the way Jesus walked. He saw people for who they were, and not for what they did, or for something that he expected or wanted from them.” - Mattie Jackson Selecman, on her husband Ben “On paper, we did all the things we were supposed to do, you know, to “get the miracle.” But we didn't. And part of understanding and processing and finding joy amidst the pain doesn't come from having that question answered.” - Mattie Jackson Selecman “Wherever you are in your faith, He'll find you.” - Mattie Jackson S
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Millions have been encouraged and inspired by the words of the #1 bestselling 365-day devotional “Jesus Calling.” Listen to real-life stories of faith as told by those who have experienced the power of living in His presence.

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