Hey, friend!

Thrilled that you're joining us today.

In this deeply moving episode, I interview Jill Garner, founder of Manners of the Heart, a nonprofit that helps us transform how we teach children respect and character. Jill's ministry wasn't born from success. It emerged from her "wonderfully difficult" season when her college sweetheart walked out after 20 years of marriage, leaving her with 12-year-old twin sons entering middle school.

For two years, Jill prayed Scripture, consulted Christian counselors, and believed with unwavering faith that God would restore her marriage. She had a circle of friends who prayed with her. She knew God hated divorce. She was doing everything right. But the day came when her husband married someone else, and Jill faced a crisis of faith that overshadowed even losing her marriage.

That night, crying in bed after her sons tucked her in, Jill realized something profound: she was more afraid of losing her faith than of losing her husband. Through tears, she told God, "I accept your no—not because I'm okay with this, but because I can't lose you. You are my everything."

The next morning—Mother's Day—Jill woke up and ran down the hall singing the "wake-up song" she hadn't been able to sing in two years: "Oh, it's a bright and beautiful day, God made it special that way." Her sons' eyes flew open: "Mom! God put the song back in your heart!"

Four years later, standing in an Albertsons grocery line (while giving God the silent treatment), Jill saw a magazine article about the disappearance of manners and had her epiphany—this was her calling.

This episode offers hope for anyone walking through divorce, struggling with unanswered prayers, or wondering how God could possibly use their broken past. Jill's story proves that what feels like devastating loss is often God repositioning us for greater purpose.

May God touch your heart today, my friend.

Always, Anna

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