Better Still

Can God turn something as heart-achingly sad as a stillbirth into a beautiful story for His glory? Katie Keck shows us in this episode that He is ever-faithful even in the midst of sorrow.

Addiction can be one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. Addiction to drugs. Addiction to alcohol. Even addiction to people pleasing and acceptance. But God can take the story of an addict and turn it into a story that screams of His glory.

Cults and New Age ideology are much more prevalent than one would have guessed. On this episode of Better Still, we talk with Amber Aldrich about her time in New Age as a Reiki Energy Healer, Kundalini Yoga Instructor, vision quest participant, and more. Listen to learn how God rescued her from this cult and brought her to Himself.

To learn more about Amber’s story, visit her episodes of the Cultish Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2

CW: Infertility, Infant loss, medical diagnosis

How do you grieve the loss of a child? And is God’s grace big enough to cover you when you face unimaginable sorrow? Angel Finch joins us in this episode to share about her sweet baby, Lawson, and how God drew near to her and her family when Lawson passed. She shares about infertility, learning a child has Downs Syndrome, navigating grief, and finding strength and joy in a good God and the community he placed around her family.

Cancer is such a scary word. Hearing that you have a cancer diagnosis immediately changes the course of your life. In this episode, we talked with Alyssa Wentzel, who is a two-time cancer survivor, about her cancer journey and how God used cancer to draw her closer to Himself. You'll hear her story about how God used His Word to truly change Alyssa's life. You won't want to miss this one.

The opioid epidemic is rampant in our society. Drug use and overdose rates are heartbreakingly on the rise and are not slowing down. But how can one person help with such an overwhelming crisis? And how does God call us to love and serve people struggling with addiction? On today’s episode, we will chat with Dr. Andrea “Andi” Clements and Teronya Holmes of Uplift Appalachia about God’s calling and equipping for this important work.

Resource Links:

UpliftAppalachia.org

Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of Evil by John Swinton

Helpful video for understanding the cycle of addiction: Nuggets

An addiction to pornography can really shake a marriage…just ask Evan and Kyler Tyree. For them, divorce seemed like the only option at first. But through God’s amazing gospel of grace and through the care of a community of believers, Kyler and Evan’s marriage is stronger than ever. Check out this week’s episode to learn more about how God can beautifully redeem a pornography addiction.

Alright BSBC fans! We are BACK with Carolsue Billingsley! We thought it would be fun to start off the season with another installation of Better Still Book Club. So that you can watch or read any of the stories discussed, here's a list (because there are definitely spoilers):

Carolsue's Book Choice: The Art of Neighboring by Dave Runyon and Jay Pathak

Tori's Book Choice: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Carolsue's Film Choice: Sully

Tori's Film Choice: Avenger's End Game

Carolsue's Bible Character Choice: Ruth

Tori's Bible Character Choice: Peter

In August of 2021, as the United States was withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban took over the city of Kabul. With thousands of people trying to safely evacuate, people across the globe stepped in to assist with safe transitions to new countries for those fleeing. The friend we are interviewing today is just one of countless people involved in this effort and has come on the show to tell us about her transition from her work as a journalist to her work as an evacuation facilitator. She is also sharing about how God is at work in these efforts.

Check out this episode to learn more about how you can help Afghan refugees moving to your area as well as how you can pray for our friend and the refugees she is assisting.

Places to give toward Afghanistan work:

https://www.teamthemis.org - Team Themis

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sharing/ - Afghan Circus/Mobile Mini Circus for Children

Samaritan's Purse Afghan Resettlement Program: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/welcome-afghans/

#betterstillpodcast #betterstill #afghanistan #refugeecrisis #afghanrefugees #talibantakeover #kabul

Many of us know a lot about the War in Ukraine from watching the news, reading articles, or even scrolling Instagram. Today we are chatting with Anna, who was born in Russia and now lives in the European country of Georgia and is working alongside a network of churches to care for the people of Ukraine who are blessing and rescuing their neighbors in the midst of danger and economic upheaval. Through raising funds, connecting with contacts, and sending encouragements, Anna shares with us what God is doing through His church inside and outside of Ukraine. 

If you who are listening would like to hear more about what is happening through the churches that Anna is connected to who are working alongside those in Ukraine, or if you would like to give financially or send an encouragement, you can reach out to me @BetterStillPodcast on Instagram and I will be able to connect you with Anna.