Today I am wrapping up Season 2 of the podcast with a special episode that is dedicated to my mom, Virginia Nelson. She went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 7th, 2020. Her life was a shining example of what it looks like to fight for joy in the midst of this broken world. Her persevering faith carried her through each trial that she faced and her long relationship with Jesus allowed her to sing and smile through suffering. The joy of the Lord truly was her strength and Romans 12:12 is how she lived - “Joyful in hope. Patient in trials. Constant in prayer.” May her story encourage you to keep fighting for joy yourself - to keep running to the Lord and trusting His promises no matter what you have to face in life.

Today we are wrapping up this special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. I hope that it has inspired you and given you practical ways to keep pressing on through these weird and uncertain days. As you listen to this episode, may you be reminded that our ultimate hope and joy needs to be found in something, actually Someone, who is much greater than merely having our lives go back to “normal”. A relationship with the Lord is truly better than anything else this world has to offer, even a post-pandemic world. It is in Him that we can experience real joy, even in the midst of hard circumstances. So, its fitting that we conclude this covid series today with Part 3: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with God.

Whether it be more time in prayer, in the Bible, or in reflection and stillness, many of you have been quieting your soul and mind to focus on God’s character; His sovereignty, goodness, and consistency - focusing in on Who is in control when everything feels so out of control! When things feel different than what we are used to and plans, regulations, and even the understanding of this virus is constantly changing, there is great peace to be found in remembering that HE is unchanging. We can rejoice that God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. When we don’t know what, or even who to believe, we can experience real comfort and hope knowing that He can be counted on and fully trusted.

Again, thanks for participating! I absolutely loved doing this project together as a community. There is certainly not one way to persevere in joy through this crisis. As I’ve said throughout this series, my hope is that as we share various ideas and tools, we will all become better equipped to keep fighting, even with our different wirings and unique situations. I love how we can spur each other on and keep pressing through this season together with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another.

We are in the middle of a three part series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have never lived with such uncertainty. We aren’t used to this much time at home…without going to school, without going into work, without malls, restaurants, sports, and activities. And sadly, for many families, it’s not merely the uncertainty and inconvenience that makes this a difficult time, but there is enormous stress with lack of income, job loss, sickness, or turmoil in the home. As I’ve connected with people these past few months, I’ve heard over and over that the fight for joy is real. Many of you are asking, “How do we keep going? How can we find joy in the midst of all of this?” I’m hoping that these three episodes give you some practical ideas - simple ways to keep pressing on through daily life during this pandemic; not just enduring it, but actually experiencing joy through the many good things God has given in His common grace.

Today you will hear Part 2: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with Self. Now, “self” does not merely mean self-care or time alone. It IS that, but not ONLY that. Connecting with self, for the purposes of this episode, will include everything from exercise, to finding routine, to cooking more, to gratitude, to crafts and projects around the house, and everything in between. My hope is that as we share the various things that are helping us during this time and the creative ways that we are fighting for joy, we will spur one another on. That as a community, we will keep fighting together, pressing on through these strange and often unsettling days with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another.

Today I am launching a special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. This is definitely a time in our country and in our world when the fight for joy is so important. We have been pushed out of our comfortable and privileged lives into so many unknowns - into shutdowns, loss, unwanted change, and even fear and worry. So, how do we find joy in the midst of all of this?

Thankfully our Creator God knows just how broken this world is and He lovingly gives good things to this earth, and to us while we live here. There is real joy to be found through this common grace. There are practical tools to help us press on through daily life in the midst of hard circumstances. And that is what this special series will be all about!

There will be 3 episodes released this week:

Today’s episode is Part 1. Whether it be through FaceTime, zoom calls, a slower pace at home with family, more dinners together around the table, praying for people, or finding ways to serve and help those in need, so many of you are finding joy in community and through connection with others.

My hope is that as we share the various ways that we each are fighting for joy, we will spur one another on. There is certainly not one way to persevere in joy through this crisis. So as we share and encourage one another, we will all become better equipped to keep fighting, even with our different wirings and unique situations. It was fun to do this together and I’m thankful that we can keep pressing on through this strange season with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another!

Today’s topic is close to my heart as I truly believe that living in tight community with others is a crucial component in our fight for joy. God created us to be relational beings. It’s rooted in the fact that we are created in the image of God, who is triune and relational Himself. We aren’t meant to walk alone. As we live life together and share in each other's joys and sorrows, the fellowship and encouragement that we experience brings such help, comfort, and joy.

Living in tight community with others through the ups and downs of life is something that we really value as a family. We have worked hard to create it and find our "tribe" wherever we have lived. But I have to say, when Jackson died, we understood it and experienced it on a whole new level. We were so blessed and helped by the amount of comfort, support, and encouragement that our community surrounded us with when we were absolutely overwhelmed with sorrow and pain. And, our strong community continues to be here for us in such meaningful and helpful ways as we continue to keep pressing forward in grief.

This brings me to my guest today, Jodi Nemec. Jodi is one of my best friends and her family is an important part of this strong community...an important part of our family's personal community. They are some of the people that we most closely live life with here in town. They value living in community with others just as deeply as we do, so its a blessing to have this conversation with her. I think you’ll love hearing her story of how their family changed some major aspects of their life in order to live more closely and more intentionally with others. We also try to give you a glimpse into what living in community together has looked like for our two families (both before and during our grief journey) as well as some practical ways that we hope you can further expand your circle, or deepen the one that you already have.

As you listen, I hope you are reminded that you aren’t meant to walk through life alone - that building a sense of community wherever you are is worth the hard work, the challenging times, and the long-term commitment. Don’t be discouraged if you don't feel like you are a part of a tight knit community yet…it’s not too late. You can start now! Even in the midst of social distancing there are ways to connect and create community. We even share a little bit about that towards the end of our conversation. I hope this episode reminds you, or begins to help you see, that BOTH in good times and bad, living in tight community, and being purposeful about being known and knowing others is such an important, practical, and life-giving tool in the fight for joy.

I'm doing something different on the podcast today and it's pretty special! I'm sitting by the fireplace in our living room on a Friday night with our kids to talk about grief, family, and fighting for joy together. We’ve been spending a lot of time together these past couple of weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and while we were brainstorming things to do here at home, the kids suggested recording a group podcast episode. Yes, THEY suggested it!! As you can imagine, I was thrilled and jumped on the opportunity.

You'll hear plenty of laughter and light-hearted moments, but you'll also hear courage, strength, and vulnerability as they bravely share from their hearts. It’s not easy for teenagers and young adults to process and talk about grief - to open up about the hardest and most painful parts of their lives. But all three of them know that the Fighting for Joy Podcast is helping and encouraging so many people. From the beginning I have involved them in this ministry...talking through guest ideas, topics, and explaining the metrics so that they know who is listening and where they are listening from. I also love sharing your feedback with them and the ways that the podcast has helped you to experience more hope and joy. As a result, these three have become some of my biggest cheerleaders. I'm so grateful they believe in this ministry and very proud of them for wanting to be a part of it. I hope you are encouraged as you hear them give testimony to God’s sufficient and healing grace.

I am extremely excited about releasing this episode today! When I began to think of people that I wanted to have on the podcast this season to encourage you in your fight for joy, Becky Novecek was at the top of the list. Becky is one of the most beautiful, interesting, and purposeful people I know. I learn so much from her. I’m inspired by her. She helps me see beauty in all kinds of places. And I’m grateful for the ways that she makes me want to love God and others more. Although I've known Becky for a long time, we became intentional last year about spending more time together and deepening our friendship, and it ended up being one of the greatest blessings of 2019 for both of us.

Becky is well-known for her amazing photography, but in our community, she is also known and admired for her strong faith, her creativity, her care for other women, her style, and the beautiful ways that she serves and loves people well. And, while she really does invest in our town and love this place, she’s also become quite an influencer on social media, inspiring women of all ages in all parts of the country with the wise perspective and beautiful insights that she shares.

On the episode today, Becky talks about transforming her thought life and how keeping a healthy mindset has been crucial in her personal fight for joy. She shares how she has learned to break negative thought patterns and cling to specific truths in God's Word when fear, worry, or negative thinking fill her mind. Along with mindset and perspective, we touch on a number of other interesting topics like simplifying, the mind/body connection, overworking, the blessings of Instagram, and the importance of daily practices. I know you will love hearing her heart today and I hope you are encouraged by our conversation.

Life in this world of ours is such a “both/and". It can be beautiful and wonderful AND it can be so disappointing, confusing, and hard. Sometimes all at the same time! Pretty much everyone will, at some point, experience a difficult season and find themselves struggling through a time of discouragement, loneliness, betrayal, anxiety, sadness, grief, and the list goes on…sometimes it just isn’t easy to persevere through. So, I started this podcast to remind us all that even in the midst of of the mess, there IS hope to be found. We can help each other fight for joy and encourage one another to keep pressing forward in hope. Season 2 is all about how to do that…

Most of the tools that I have been having my guests highlight are tools that I implement in my own fight for joy as well, and this episode is no exception. My guest today is Chris Heuertz, and among the many other hats that he wears (author, speaker, non-profit consultant, and activist to name a few), Chris is an Enneagram teacher and coach. I wanted to highlight this tool because of how helpful it has been to me in grief. I realize that for some of you, this may be the very first time that you have ever heard the word Enneagram. It’s still fairly new to me too. But as I’ve learned about it and therefore learned more about myself and others, its been a helpful tool in my life, especially in relationship to my grief. Three main things come to mind in regards to WHY and HOW it has been beneficial for me.

First, it’s pushed me to have more compassion towards myself - especially in recognizing my tendencies in stressful times and what I am prone to when life is hard. Oftentimes we can wonder, “Why am I responding like this? Why did I react that way? Why is this bothering me and it doesn’t seem to be bothering her?” Learning about my specific dominant type has caused me to better discern how I become discouraged and the lies that I am tempted to believe when I’m struggling. It's also helped me to grow in appreciation for my strengths and the things that I contribute to the world and to my relationships, both in happy times and in difficult times. I’ve just been kinder to myself and more grateful to God for the ways that He has uniquely designed me - and also more motivated to mature, develop, and transform in more Christ-like ways.

Secondly, I’ve grown tremendously in understanding and in compassion towards others. I’ve been especially grateful for the insight the Enneagram has provided into the various ways that each of us living here in the Blick house might tend to process and deal with heartache and pain. All 5 of us lost Jackson, but each of us have had a markedly different journey in grief these last 6 years. I’ve also found myself better able to extend grace and patience to the people around us who have wanted to walk with us in our sorrow (and honestly, towards those who haven’t). As I better understand why different people are responding in different ways, I can better appreciate what they ARE bringing to the table and look to them for help and friendship in the natural ways that they are wired, appreciating their strengths and perspective, and letting go of expectations that might be unrealistic for the way that God has uniquely created them.

And lastly, the Enneagram has given me such a bigger picture of God…his creation, his glory, and his holiness. His greatness is powerfully reflected in the special and unique ways that He has created and wired each one of us and the personal ways that He meets us and loves us.

I really think you will enjoy hearing from Chris today. He is such a thoughtful voice in this world. I was so honored to have this time with him and excited to share another practical tool that may help you fight for joy!

Today is an important episode because as a Christian, nothing brings us as much help in our fight for joy as the Bible does. In this episode, my husband Eric returns as a guest to share about the ways that he implements the truths of God's Word into his daily life, and how knowing and trusting in God’s promises has provided him with things that nothing else in this world can! God's Word is so powerful and we can look to it for help, comfort, peace, hope, and joy.

I do want to acknowledge that quite a few of you who listen to my podcast are not Christians. Or your faith looks very different than mine. And it is such a blessing to get feedback that, even so, you are gaining encouragement from listening, despite our differences! But I'm wondering how some of you will react to the title of this episode. Maybe you struggle with believing that the Bible is true...doubting if it can be of any help for your particular situation. Maybe you have tried to read the Bible or have gone to church but it just left you confused or frustrated. Maybe the Christians in your life have let you down, or really caused you hurt. My encouragement to you is to listen anyway. Let us share the personal ways that God has met us with His Word. Christians and non-Christians alike continue to ask us how we can have joy in the midst of great loss, and how we are finding laughter and dancing again, even as other difficult things continue to present themselves and burden us down. Friends, this is one of the main ways! So pray that as you listen, God meets you and draws you into the hope and help of His Word as you keep fighting for joy in the midst of whatever you may be facing in this broken world.

My guest today is Naomi Adjei, a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Omaha. I met Naomi through a mutual friend and we’ve enjoyed using Instagram to develop an encouraging new friendship. She has been such a blessing to me these past few months and its been fun to cheer each other on in our various callings.

Naomi is passionate about wholistic care. She works to help people thrive with a healthy body, a healthy soul, and a healthy spirit. We are created as whole beings, so what is going on in our mind affects our body, and what is going on in our body affects our soul, and so on. Pursuing health in all of these areas better equips us to deal with the blessings and difficulties in life. Living wholistically is also a key tool in growing in our love for God and our love for others, and of course, helps our fight for joy.

The work that Naomi does through wholistic care is so special and unique and I’ve loved learning more about it. I’m thrilled to introduce her to you today and share another tool that can help you fight for joy!