Challenges Won't Stop Me

Author, speaker, and ministry leader Carole Lewis shares her story of overcoming multiple devastating losses in today's episode.

Carole admits she gave her life to Jesus as a child, but she didn't live for Him until her life began falling apart. 

Financial loss, her mother's passing, her husband's stage 4 cancer diagnosis and his passing, her daughter being killed by a drunk driver, and Hurricane Ike destroying her home - all devastating losses that could have caused her to turn her back on God.

Instead, Carole declares, "God has been with me every step of the way and taught me to persevere."

Carole's husband, Johnny, persevered for seventeen years after his stage 4 cancer diagnosis, allowing them to enjoy fifty-five years of marriage.

Notable quotes from Carole:

* "God is a perfect gentleman. He will never come in and work on your stubborn will without your permission."

* "His [Jesus] ultimate goal is to get glory from my life and your life ... He gets glory from a life that is full of joy even though they've gone through some terrible things. And then people say, 'I don't know what she's got, but I want it.'"

* "Let Him [God] use you to the fullest."

Bible verses:

* Psalm 139:13

* Psalm 50:9-10

* 1 Corinthians 9:27 (Carole's fight verse)

* Romans 15:13

* Romans 8:28

* James 1:2-4

* James 1:27

Connect with Carole:

* on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolelewis

* her blog: https://carolelewis.com

* her books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=carole+lewis+books&crid=2FYQLY8FWGJQ5&sprefix=carole+lewis+books%2Caps%2C101&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

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Julie Seals is a speaker and a prison minister. Her memoir is titled All My Hope: A Prisoner No More.

Julie returns to discuss a strategic mindset that helped her while serving time in federal prison and continues to help her no matter what challenge she faces.

Her strategic mindset is based off Matthew 11:12, which reads, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” This verse is also Julie’s fight verse.

I admit I was a bit confused when Julie told me this was her fight verse, and she wanted to discuss it as her strategic mindset. 

After Julie shares the Greek words and their definitions for ‘suffers violence’ and ‘the violent,’ I can see why Matthew 11:12 is indeed a powerful fight verse and strategic mindset.

 Notable quotes by Julie Seals:

·       “I know that because there is a war going on for my soul that I must seek the calling of God on my life with the most ardent zeal and the most intensest exertion.”

·       “It’s not just about the destination. It’s about who we become on the journey.”

·       “I press on and eagerly seize what the promises of God are by speaking the Word.”

Bible verses:

·       Jeremiah 29:11

·       John 10:10

·       Hebrews 4:16

·       Romans 8:1

·       Jerremiah 31:16-17

·       Isaiah 49:25

·       Isaiah 54:13

·       Isaiah 61:7

Connect with Julie: 

·       on her website at julieseals.com

·       on Facebook at facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093057408356

·       on Instagram at instagram.com/julie_seals

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Today’s guest is Julie Seals. She is a speaker and a prison minister. Her memoir, All My Hope: A Prisoner No More, tells of her dysfunctional childhood, her lifelong health challenges, getting hooked on meth as a teen, hanging out with the Mafia, and serving time in prison for carrying meth across the border. God followed her every step of the way, wooing her to choose Him. After she accepted Christ in prison, Julie dove into His Word, learning everything she could about her identity and life in Him.

Julie truly is a HOPE DEALER who is on a mission to offer the hope found in the gospel to all who don’t know Jesus.

Notable quotes by Julie Seals:

·       “I felt the Holy Sprit descend into my living room while I was there on my knees at my lowest point.”

·       “We serve a big God who will take us up on our big words of surrender.”

·       “Federal prison was one of the best things to ever happen to me.”

Bible verses:

·       Revelation 12:11

·       Matthew 11:12 (Julie’s fight verse)

Connect with Julie: 

·       on her website at julieseals.com

·       on Facebook at facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093057408356

·       on Instagram at instagram.com/julie_seals

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Today's episode is a video solocast, so watching it here on YouTube allows you to hear it and see it! 

For the last year or so, God has been teaching me about the importance of a believer's posture. 

We know good posture is part of good physical health. Good posture is
also part of good spiritual health.

It looks like standing firm on God's foundation, which I shared about in episode 117. 

Today's episode is about the posture of leaning on God. I discuss what it
looks like to lean on the world's ways to navigate challenges versus navigating
them God's ways. 

The Greek word for lean is shaan. It's used in these verses in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: 
* Psalm 22:4-5 
*Psalm 28:7 
* Psalm 37:5 and 7 
* Psalm 56:3-4 
* Psalm 62:8 
* Psalm 143:8 
* Isaiah 26:3-4 
* Colossians 1:4 
* 2 Timothy 1:5 
* Hebrews 6:11-12 

A fight verse to remind you to lean on God is Psalm 112:7, which reads, "I shall not be afraid of evil tidings; my heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord." 

When challenges intersect your path,
check your posture. Are you standing firm? Are you leaning on God?

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My guest, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Chandler, is a chaplain in the Georgia National Guard. She returns to share her way of life interview, focusing on what God imparted during her husband’s fight with COVID-19 and after he passed away.

Having the love of her life pass away from COVID was devastating. God brought Psalm 23 to mind again and again. Apart from grieving her loss, God taught her more about Himself and more about her through each verse of Psalm 23. 

Listen to the end of this episode to hear Leslie’s challenge. Hop over to the YouTube version of this episode to participate at https://www.youtube.com/@melonybrown/videos.

Memorable quotes from Leslie Chandler:
• “What I realized is a verse that often leads us to sadness is also a verse that helps us find joy.”
• “That’s God saying, ‘I’m filling you and making you strong so that you can glorify Me by caring for other people.”
• “Our cup will always run over when God is involved.”

Bible verses:
• Psalm 23
• Hebrews 13:5

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Every person alive in 2020 was impacted by COVID-19 in some form or fashion.

My guest, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Chandler, was no exception. She serves as a chaplain in the Georgia National Guard.

Married twenty years and then having to navigate a divorce during a deployment to Afghanistan prior to COVID was a difficult challenge.

Leslie found joy again when she reconnected with the love of her life, Greg. They enjoyed almost four years of marriage before COVID impacted her husband. Two weeks of a health roller coaster nightmare. Good days followed by bad days. 

Leslie shared, “I knew the second he [Greg] died. I could feel life leave him. And I could literally feel life leave me.”

She already knew God’s presence, but He poured it into her in a way she hadn’t experienced before. She was an empty vessel, and God poured in His love.

Memorable quotes from Leslie Chandler:

·         “The chaplain can’t be going through trauma in the war zone because all of the trauma came to me.”

·         “One of the things that chaplains sometimes struggle with is they can’t relate to soldiers on a very personal level because not many chaplains are divorced. Not many chaplains have endured rejection.”

·         “I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody, but the revelation of God that I’ve experienced in the last four years I would wish on everyone.”

Bible verses:

·         Psalm 125:2

·         Isaiah 6:1

·         Isaiah 6:8

·         Leslie’s fight verse is Philippians 4:6-7

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Fellow stroke survivor, Lori Vober, joins me again to chat about God’s miracles.

 While she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke when she was twenty-nine years old, Lori believes surviving it is a miracle. She is grateful for all the miracles she experienced during her recovery and all the years since then.

Being grateful is a huge part of Lori’s mindset.

Notable quotes from Lori Vober:

·         “It’s a mindset of when we lose control and we are in the depths of despair because of our challenges, but God is good, and our faith is strong.”

·         “God’s always there for us, but it’s the seeking and the finding Him and being in His Word and surrounding ourselves with a good community of believers that remind us of Him and Ghis plans for us that create the whole package.”

·         “If I had complete physical healing, my testimony to others would not be the same.”

Bible verses:

·         Jeremiah 29:11-13

·         Jeremiah 1:5

Connect with Lori Vober at https://lorivober.com/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.vober

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorilonghorn99/

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May is Stroke Awareness Month. 

Strokes can happen to anyone at any age. When I had a stroke in 1972 at age 2, that wasn’t the case. Back then, strokes happened to people 65 years and older who were unhealthy: obese, smoker, drinker, and rarely exercised.

My guest, Lori Vober, is also a stroke survivor. Her hemorrhagic stroke happened when she was twenty-nine years old. Thankfully, people were at the church at that day and got Lori help quickly. 

Lori shares her story in her book: Choices: When You Are Faced with a Challenge, What Choice Will You Make? 

When we face challenges that significantly impact our lives, Lori believes we must trust that God has a bigger and better plan.

Notable quotes by Lori Vober:

·         “We can get stuck in bitter, or we can grow better through our experiences.”

·         “I am thankful I have the mindset and perseverance to be able to do all I can do.”

·         “Although I can’t control my circumstances, I can control my attitude and my faith.”

Lori’s fight verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which reads, “Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Connect with Lori Vober at https://lorivober.com/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.vober

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorilonghorn99/

Stroke awareness facts: 

·         Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US and a leading cause of severe disability. 

·         The two major types of strokes are hemorrhagic, which occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures, and ischemic, which occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel and cuts off blood flow. 

·         Nearly two million brain cells die each minute a stroke is untreated. 

·         About 55,000 more women than men have a stroke each year.

·         In the US, 1 in 5 women will have a stroke.

·         Stroke kills twice as many African Americans as Caucasians.

·         80% of strokes are preventable. 

·         Know the anacronym FAST: F = droopy face, A = arm or leg numb, S = slurred speech, T = time.  Call 9-1-1 fast! Time is of the essence if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. 

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Amanda Schaefer joins me again to discuss a strategy she relies on when challenges intersect her path.

She believes peace and listening to God's voice are intricately interwoven.

Amanda shares how we must know the identity of each of the voices we hear: our own voice, God's voice, the voice of the world, and the voice of the enemy.

She gives an overview of her newest book, Holy Plot Twists: God Is Still Writing Your Story. It's available on Amazon!


Notable quotes:
* "These circumstances are temporary, but your identity as My child is eternal."
* "There comes this part of it where we have to know His voice, and we have to trust His character, and then we have to obey."
* "My life according to Romans is supposed to be a living sacriice."


Bible verses:
* Romans 12:1
* Hebrews 11:1
* Revelation 12:11
* Habakkuk 3:17-18
* 2 Chronicles 16:9
* 2 Corinthians 2:14


Connect with Amanda: 

Her website: a cupofgratitude.org

Her Facebook: facebook.com/amanda.f.schaefer

Her Instagram: instagram.com/acupof_gratitude

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Today's guest is Amanda Schaefer. 

She is the host of A Cup of Gratitude podcast and a speaker. She's also the author of several books, including her newest release titled "Holy Plot Twists: God Is Still Writing Your Story."

Amanda's fought to overcome numerous challenges throughout her life. She knows that Jesus is always the dorrway of hope. She wants you to know it too.

Notable quotes:

* "I wasn't even wrestling it out with God. I didn't think about God. I didn't think about Jesus. They were just kind of characters in a book that I didn't read."

* "I had all of these new traumas to deal with and that's when Jesus encountered me."

* He's an Ephesians 3:20 God."

Bible verses:

*Ephesians 3:20

* Hosea 2:15

Connect with Amanda Schaeffer:

Her website: a cupofgratitude.org

Her Facebook: facebook.com/amanda.f.schaefer

Her Instagram: instagram.com/acupof_gratitude

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