Acts of Faith

Stephanie Osborn shares how God put it on her heart when she was a teenager to be a part of the foster community. She didn't know exactly what that would look like, but as time went on, God brought clarity into this plan He had for her. Stephanie shares the ups and downs of the fostering journey and how God has been with her the entire way. We are going to release our conversation in two parts because there's so much to share about fostering. Come back next week for part two.

If you are interested in learning more about TFI, here is the link: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/

Sam Scarpa joins us this week and shares her act of faith to find joy in the midst of her grief. Her story is one that at some point in our lives we are all faced with. She shares wisdom into what it looks like to find joy when we are bogged down by the weight of our grief.

Key Verses:

Psalm 23

Romans 5:1-5

Proverbs 3:5-6

Nehemiah 8:10

1 Corinthians 12:9

Ephesians 3:20-21

Proverbs 17:17

Tampa Bay Area Grief Share group: https://gfcflorida.com/group-finder?Keywords=grief

Diane Lucas, joins the podcast this week. She shares with us how God asked her to leave her job and to start her own business. Diane shares her struggles throughout her business journey and how God has been a part of it all from the start. Diane is so honest in her story by sharing how she has felt during different parts of her journey. She is so relatable that it encourages us knowing that someone else has felt the same way as us at times.

If you are interested in finding out more about Diane's work, here is her website: https://sinewavecreative.com

We continue our conversation with Sara Welch from our last episode. We discuss how important it is to do the little things God asks us to do. We also have a prayer request and even a little Bible reading. Please join us in prayer this week.

Bible reading: Psalm 91

Prayer Request: Pray for the kids and staff at school.

Sara Welch shares two stories of God asking her to move in her life. She shares her faithfulness throughout the journeys, how God has moved, and how to has built community in such a beautiful way.

To start off season 2, we are sharing the act of faith that started this podcast. We share how God put the podcast on Stephanie's heart, the challenges we both faced, and God's goodness throughout the process.

Episode Notes:

Bible Study referenced: Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer

Bible Verses: Hebrews 11

Social Media:

Instagram: actsoffaithpodcast

Lauren Boyer joins us on this week's episode. Lauren is a wife, mom of 3, homeschool mom, sports-mom, a strong woman of faith, and an advocate for Down syndrome.

She shares with us how her act of faith was to trust God when the unexpected happened. This happened when she was pregnant with her second child Luke. They were told he might have Down syndrome. She shares with us their experience throughout the pregnancy. She is honest about her feelings during the pregnancy and how God helped her in beautiful ways. She gives encouragement and insight into what life is like with Luke. Her story reminds us that God creates masterpieces and he has a specific purpose.

If you have experienced an unexpected circumstance in your life—regardless of whether it is the exact same as Lauren's—we want to encourage you to listen to this episode. Lauren's story is relatable to all situations.

Alexis Patterson joins us on the podcast this week. Alexis is a wife, mom of 3, and a passionate believer. She is so sweet and encouraging. She loves the Word of God and wants to be sure that the truth of the Word is shared with others.

Alexis shares how she had to be stripped of her comforts in order to grow her faith. Alexis is full of wisdom we would've loved to be able to talk to her all day. We hope you enjoy our conversation with her.

Bible References:

Romans 5:1-5

Hebrews 12:1-2

Faith- Believing in what you have not yet seen. -Hebrews 11:2

Faith- Without faith, its impossible to please God. - Hebrews 11:6

Faith- Trusting God; Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5

Takeaways:

• We boast in our afflictions because it pushes us toward the cross which magnifies Christ.
• Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress, or the capacity to continue a physical or mental effort over a long period of time.
• Faith is what allows us to endure.
• We want to believe God.
• We want to please God. Faith enables our right relationship with God.
• We want to trust God. Trusting God is faith.

Books Referenced:

• Purpose Drive Life by Rick Warren
• Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby

Lianna Coffey joins us on this week's episode of the podcast. Lianna shares with us her recent act of faith being to trust God for provision and protection during some job transitions for her husband. God gives her a beautiful vision that has carried her through these last couple years. Her story helps us see how God is in all the details.

Bible reference: Deuteronomy 8

Katelyn Hall joins us for this week's episode. She shares about a time that she had to trust that God was going to give her time with her daughter. Her daughter received several medical diagnoses after their 20 week anatomy scan that really changed the way the rest of her pregnancy and life would look. No parent wants to go in and hear that their baby isn't developing perfectly. Even though Katelyn experiences a whirlwind of emotions, she chooses to lean in and trust God despite the circumstances. God shows up and shows that He is bigger than any circumstance. If you are going through some challenging diagnoses for your kids or someone you know, give this episode a listen.

Of course we always appreciate you sharing this episode with others so they can feel encouraged by how God is showing up.

Episode Details:

Diagnosis: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Song: Everything Falls by Fee

Foundation: Children's Heart Foundation