Have you ever seen God use difficult circumstances in your life to grow your character? Maybe he is making you more patient. I know that is a big one for me that I struggle with. Maybe is helping you become more compassionate and empathetic towards others. I think one of the main ways God grows our character is through the storms in our life. So today, that is what I want to talk about on the podcast, the E in my STRENGTH acrostic from my book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Again, its one year birthday is at the end of this month. Now if you missed my episodes on the S, T, and R in STRENGTH, then I definitely recommend going back and listening to those episodes, especially the S and T. I think those are very foundational as we are walking through grief.

Today, I want to focus on the E. It stands for Embrace God's Character Development in the midst of the Chaos. If I am being completely honest, I don't always like to Embrace the Character Development. But I do think it is an important way God chisels us and makes us more like Jesus. So today on the podcast I have Jen Roland. She is going to be sharing her story and how God used chronic pain to grow her and her character. I cannot wait for you to hear the truth she has to share.

Jen wrote a post for My Heartbreak to Strength Story Blog Series back in 2021. The title of her post was Finding Victory Over Defeat and I cannot wait for you to read her powerful article.

Click Here to get God's Truth to Combat Your Not Enough Statements- a free resource on my website!

Book Recommendations:

• *Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
• *The Deeper Journey by Robert Mulholland
• *Boundaries by Townsend and Cloud
• *Boundaries For Your Soul by Allison Cook and Kimberly Miller
• *Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
• *What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry

Jen Roland is a writer, speaker, board-certified Christian mental health coach, and women's ministry leader with a passion for walking alongside others toward healing and wholeness. She helps others implement positive lifestyle practices for their mind, body, and soul while developing a deeper relationship with God. Since her neuropathy diagnosis, Jen has focused her ministry on serving those with chronic pain and illness. On her website www.jenroland.com, she provides resources to restore hope, reduce pain, overcome fear and anxiety, and strengthen their faith. Jen lives in Woodbine, MD with her husband and three children.

*Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help su