Finding Something Real Podcast

By Janell WoodReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education Self-Improvement

Finding Something Real Podcast episodes

November 29, 2023 For the Girl in the Proverbial Back Pew: An Invitation to FSR Listeners
Today, Janell hops on the podcast to share her heart. She shares the story of how Finding Something REAL came to be and her experience going from blogger to podcaster.
Lastly, she shares an invitation to you, the listener. She shares reasons why you may consider becoming a Finding Something REAL Co-Host. In the show notes below, you can find more information.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.
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To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
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FSR November 2023 - Nora’s Intro
FSR October 2023 - Rachel’s Intro
FSR September 2023 - Alice’s Intro
FSR August 2023 -S Signe’s Intro
FSR May 2023 - Ljuca’s Intro
FSR April 2023 - Gaia’s Intro
FSR March 2023 -Grayce’s Intro
28 min
November 22, 2023 Rethinking the Christmas Story: Hope for the One Who Is Weary with De. Amy Orr-Ewing
Happy Wednesday and Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!
Today, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing! Dr. Amy shares a her faith journey and a bit about her works as an apologist. She also shares about her new book, Mary’s Voice, and why she started researching Mary. She and Janell discuss the significance of Mary in the Christmas story and the significance of women in the Christmas story.
They also discuss a few of Nora’s questions about suffering and how different worldviews view suffering and speak about the Bible as truth and the inspired word of God.
We hope you enjoy!
About Dr. Amy
Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is an international author, speaker and theologian who addresses the deep questions of our day with meaningful answers found in the Christian Faith. She is the author of multiple books including ‘Where is God in All the Suffering?’ and bestselling, ‘Why Trust the Bible?’ Over the last twenty years, Amy has given talks and answered questions on university campuses around the world. She has also addressed Parliamentarians in the Speakers Rooms and Chapel at the UK Parliament and staffers on Capitol Hill, and at the West Wing of The White House. She regularly responds to invitations to speak in banks, businesses, and consultancy firms as well as churches and conferences. Amy is interested in the intersection of questions of meaning and faith with the marketplace, education and policymaking. Amy holds a doctorate in Theology from the University of Oxford. She enjoys broadcasting in the media and giving public lectures. Amy is also the co-founder of REBOOT, an innovative youth initiative aimed at helping teenagers think deeply about faith, which now runs in countries all over the world. Amy lives in Oxford with her husband ‘Frog’. They have three boys, JJ, Zach and Benji.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.

To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
FSR November 2023 - Nora’s Intro
FSR November 2023 with Jon
FSR November 2023 with Dr. Ioana
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Dr. Amy’s website
Dr. Amy’s YouTube
Dr. Amy’s Instagram
Mary's Voice - Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing
Where is God in All the Suffering? - Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing
Why Trust the Bible? - Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing
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YWAM
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Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart
Romans 8

1 hr 5 min
November 15, 2023 Shifting Our Awareness- Fixing Eyes on Jesus with Dr. Ioana Popa
It’s Wednesday!
Today on the podcast, we welcome Dr. Ioana Popa to address Nora’s question about how mental health disorders fit inside the Christian worldview. Dr. Ioana shares about growing up in Romania, her experience considering herself atheist, and how she was still skeptical after the resurgence of Christianity after the fall of communism. She shares how her prayers as a curious nonbeliever were answered by God.
Dr. Ioana shares about Christ, sin, and epigenetics (what is pass on via genetics and generations). She also discusses the importance of taking the stigma out of mental health issues, how our bodies and our souls are intricately designed to work together, and the biopsychosocial approach to our mental health. Dr. Ioana shares about how we can hold onto truth, letting the gray things pass, and how we should view our identity. There is also talk about how our thoughts and feelings are intertwined, how and why contemplation and mindfulness can keep us from overthinking, how our different experiences do not define us, and so much more.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
Disclaimer from Dr. Ioana:
All information provided in this conversation is strictly for educational purposes and does not represent medical advice, nor form a physician-patient or coach/consultant-client relationship. All information is provided as is, and is used at your own risk. Please speak to your medical provider or providers before about any information you hear in this show/episode.
About Dr. Ioana
As a Christian Spiritual Formation Life Coach & Trainer, Dr. Ioana coaches Professional Christian Women to regenerate on-the-go, move from burnout to joy, from grief to hope and to grow psychologically & spiritually in Christ, so that they can use and multiplying all their God given gifts to impact the world for the glory of God, and she does that through online courses, one to one coaching and her unique community program for Christian Women.
She is trained as a physician-psychiatrist, therapist, educator, nationally board certified life coach, spiritual care provider and theologian, and brings a unique, holistic and integrated perspective of science, psychology, spiritual care and Christian Faith. Her parish is St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cambridge MA.
On a personal note, Dr. Ioana loves to spend time with her husband and their 4 children, family and friends, and to read, garden, pray, exercise and practice contemplation.You can find her on Youtube, website and FB - search for Team For The Soul, Dr Ioana Popa
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.

To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
FSR November 2023 - Nora’s Intro
FSR November 2023 with Jon
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Team For The Soul
Dr. Ioana Popa's Youtube
Biopsychosocial model
The Genius Zone - Gay Hendricks
Tony Robbins
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Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
2 Cirinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2-3
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 hr 7 min
November 08, 2023 Suicide, God, & Knowing You’re Not Alone with Jon Noyes
Happy Wednesday!
Note: This episode speaks about mental health struggles and suicide
Happy Wednesday All! Today, we welcome back Jon Noyes. He speaks about the current lack of talk about mental health and suicide in churches, why he thinks churches shy away from the topic, and why they desperately need to speak about mental health.
Jon also shares some statistics about suicide and the prevalence of hopelessness in our culture. Later, Jon reminds us that there is hope in Christ. He shares the Gospel, Biblical accounts where people in the Bible continued through trials, the meaning of life, and what can be helpful to those who are considering suicide.
We hope you are edified by this episode.

About Jonathan
Jonathan has worked as a speaker with Stand to Reason since 2019. A former atheist, Jonathan used to think belief in God was unwarranted and irresponsible. Then, after examining the evidence for Christianity he was faced with the fact that Jesus is who He says He is and the Christian worldview tells the true story of reality. Since then Jon has been passionate about engaging the culture with honest, well thought-out reasons why people should trust the Christian worldview. Jon has developed a series of passionate talks to do just that.
In 2013 Jonathan earned a master’s degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, graduating with honors. Jon brings a unique perspective to his audiences and the Stand to Reason team, having more than ten years' experience in the legal field and serving more than five as a pastor in his local church. Jon also serves on the board of directors for Life Without Limbs and at Beacon Hill Classical Academy, where he teaches discipleship.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.

To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
Suicide prevention hotline: 988
Crisis Text Line: Text “Home” to 741741
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FSR November 2023 - Nora’s Intro
FSR November 2023 with Jon
FSR June 2023 with Abdu
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STR.org
Jon Noyes + STR
To The Point LIVE with Jon Noyes: Suicide
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Foxe’s Book of Martyrs - John Foxe
Reality Student Conference
Summit Ministries
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13 Reasons Why
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Augustine
John Stonestreet
Bonhoeffer
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Exodus 20:3
“You shall not murder.”
Psalm 103:12
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.
Romans 3:23
”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 8:38-39
”For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
2 Corinthians 4:17
”For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
1 hr 18 min
November 01, 2023How does God’s love reach into mental suffering, anxiety, and depression?
Hello! Happy Wednesday!
Today, we are delighted to introduce Nora from Sweden. Nora shares about her upbringing in Sweden, her love for creative outlets, and what she experienced growing up. Nora shares her faith journey, her experience coming to Christ in a secularized country, and talks a bit about her experiences with hopelessness and anxiety. She also shares about a few of her faith questions including:
Why does God allow suffering? How does it fit into his plan?
How can a God who accepts everyone and forgives sin send some people to hell?
If our end goal is heaven, what’s the purpose of life?
We hope this episode is thought provoking and edifying.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.

To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
Finding Something REAL on Instagram
FSR: Dec 2020 Christmas episode
FSR: Aug 2020 with Esther Littlefield
FSR: April 2023 with Zach Verrett
Where is God in all the Suffering? - Amy Orr-Ewing
The Hiding Place - Corrie Ten Boom
Tim Keller sermon on grace (2011)
58 min
October 25, 2023Can anyone be more loving than God? with Alexis Zanias
Happy Wednesday!
This week, we are releasing an episode with Rachel and today’s guest— Alexis Zanias. Alexis shares about her faith journey, her love for educating students, and her love of questions and research. She talks about embracing the unknown, the importance of truth, and the importance of definitions. They chat about the five things that defined Christians in ancient Rome, the importance of biblical authority, and common criticisms against Biblical authority. They also chat about deciphering what may be the voice of God wand what may be our own voice.
We hope you enjoy!

About Alexis
Alexis Zanias grew up near Allentown PA. She attended Grove City College, where she received a degree in Biology/Secondary Education. Lexi has her Masters in Environmental Science Education from Montreat College in NC. For the past 14 years, she has been a secondary high school science and Bible/apologetics teacher in Asheville NC. Before that she taught in Fort Lauderdale, FL and worked at Black Forest Academy, a boarding school for missionary kids in Germany.
When she has a break from teaching during the school year, Lexi loves to fill up her summers. She worked with Summit Ministries for 9 summers at Student Conferences in TN, CA, PA and GA. Lexi currently works in the summers for MAVEN as a field guide on their Immersive Experiences. She loves spending time with Jesus, good discussions, Ultimate Frisbee, Lady Grey Tea, deep laughter and digging into good books.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! If you are interested in supporting the Finding Something REAL fundraising campaign, you can head to the webpage and click on the orange donate button.

To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
FSR October 2023 - Rachel’s Intro
FSR October 2023 - with Paul Copan
Maventruth.org
Rosaria Butterfield
Jesus Revolution Movie
Midnight Mass - Netflix miniseries
Romans 5:8
”…But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9
”…If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Ephesians 2:10
”For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
1 hr 36 min
October 18, 2023Spiritual Stuff You Don’t Want To Mess Around With with Douglas Groothuis
Happy Wednesday! We have a jam packed episode for you today!
We are pleased to welcome Douglas Groothuis! Doug shares about his faith journey and how he became interested in philosophy and Christian apologetics. He also shares about his personal experiences with suffering and how it fits with the Christian worldview.
He and Janell then start chatting about the New Age. They define and discuss divination, the reality of spiritual things, and the deception of the devil. He also defines New Age and speaks about Richard Rohr’s New Age worldview. They also talk about personal spiritual experiences and testing spiritual experiences. Lastly, they chat about the person of Jesus Christ, the importance of a historical belief in Jesus, and more!
We hope you enjoy!

About Douglas
Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary since 1993, author of 19 books, Dr. Douglas Groothuis has fire in his bones for the Christian message and many irons in the fire to explain, defend, and apply it. He has been explaining the world to the church and explaining the church to the world for nearly fifty years through his teaching, preaching, writing, mentoring, and general witness. His passion is to take to the streets the truth and significance of the Christian worldview for all of life. To that end, he publishes both academic and popular works, preaches in churches, gives public lectures, engages in debates, and has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and podcasts since 1983. He is known as a knowledgeable, sharp, forceful, but gentle communicator of the Christian message.

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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
If you would like to receive Janell’s 7 Deep Faith Questions resource click here!
FSR October 2023 - Rachel’s Intro
FSR October 2023 - with Paul Copan
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Douglas’s Website
Truth Tribe with Douglas Groothuis
Randal Rauser & Doug Groothuis - Is Progressive Christianity a false Gospel?
Douglas’ critique of Richard Rohr's book, "The Universal Christ"
Christian Apologetics - Doug Groothuis
World Religions in 7 Sentences - Douglas Groothuis
Unmasking the New Age - Douglas Groothuis
Confronting the New Age - Douglas Groothuis
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Exorcisms: The World's Leading Psychiatric Authority Speaks Out - Sean McDowell Podcast
The Christian Podcaster - The Official Christian Podcaster’s Association podcast
I have decided to follow Jesus - Elevation Worship-
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Walking with God through Pain & Suffering - Tim Keller
Evidence that Demands a Verdict - Josh & Sean McDowell
Encyclopedia of Biblical Difficulties - Gleason Archer
Kingdom of the Cults - Walter Martin
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Sharon Beekman
Here's Why Christians Should Avoid the Teachings of Richard Rohr
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Psalm 39
Psalm 88
Matthew 7:13 -14
Matthew 28
John 1:1-18
John 8:31 - 32
John 14:6
Romans 8
2 Corinthians 11:13 - 14
1 Peter 3:15
1 John 1
1 John 4
1 hr 14 min
October 11, 2023 Is God Severe Because He Is Love? with Paul Copan
Happy Wednesday!
Today, Paul Copan joins us for the podcast! Paul shares about his faith journey, what he does for a living, and how became the go-to voice for questions about the Old Testament. In this episode, Janel and Paul discuss the different components of progressive Christianity and they seek to answer Rachel’s questions about God’s character. They talk about the importance of reading scripture in context, how to know which passages to take literally and which passages to question, the moral vision of the Bible, diversity among Christian followers, and more!
Paul also talks about why he is concerned about the teachings of Richard Rohr and similar thinkers. He upfront about Rohr’s incorrect beliefs about Jesus, his embracing of pantheism, and the abandonment of many core tenants of the Christian faith. Paul also speaks about the deity of Jesus, and loving others when we don’t agree with their beliefs of lifestyles.
We hope you are edified by today’s episode!
About Paul
Paul Copan (Ph.D., Philosophy, Marquette University) is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University (Florida) and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics.
He is author or editor of over 40 books, including works such as Is God a Moral Monster?, Is God a Vindictive Bully?, The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion, The Naturalness of Theistic Belief, Creation out of Nothing, Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues, A Little Book for New Philosophers, and The Kalām Cosmological Argument (a two-volume anthology). He has also contributed essays to over 50 books, both scholarly and popular, and he has authored a number of articles in professional journals.

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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Paul’s Website
Is God a Moral Monster? - Paul Copan
Did God Really Command Genocide? - Paul Copan
Is God A Vindictive Bully? - Paul Copan
Paul Copan & Randall Rouser on Unbelievable?
Progressive Christianity on the Road - Paul Copan
A Heretic’s Christ, A False Salvation - Douglas Groothuis
What is a Woman? - DailyWire Documentary
Francis Beckwith
Greg Boyd
Roger Olson
Frank Turek
Miroslav Volf
Randall Rouser
John Calvin
Greg Beale
Rachel Held Evans
John Mark Comer
Craig Blomberg
Richard Rohr
1 hr 21 min
October 04, 2023Was Jesus the Son of God or has He been created into an allegory by time?
Happy Wednesday!
Today we welcome Rachel from Washington on the podcast. Rachel shares about her background of being raised in Bellingham and experiencing both a Christian home with her dad and stepmom and an agnostic home with her mother. She shares why she decided not to call herself a Christian while in college and how she embraced a more liberal leaning lifestyle. Rachel chats about her experiences in the New Age, how people-pleasing played a huge rule in her life, and her personal experiences with paganism.
Rachel shares her struggles with certain Christian doctrines such as the deity of Jesus and her beliefs about forgiveness. They also chat about what Rachel hopes to get out of the conversations this month.
We hope you enjoy!

Rachel’s Questions:
Was Jesus the Son of God or has He been like created into an allegory by time?
Are forgiveness, self-forgiveness, and repentance important?
Are New Age beliefs all bad? Is there anything Christians can keep from those practices?
Do all roads/religions ultimately lead to Jesus?
How can Christians be present in social change and justice issues? How can Christians believe what the Bible says while loving those in the LGBTQ+ community?
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Finding Something REAL on Instagram
FSR November 2021 with Janel Davis
Gloria Hotel in Jerusalem
1 hr 27 min
September 27, 2023 Reasons to Look Into Christianity with Alycia Wood
Happy Wednesday!
Today on the podcast, we welcome back Alycia Wood! Alycia shares about her faith journey and the various doubts she experienced as a young woman. She explains why she stepped out of atheism and how she eventually came to know Christ. She also chats about historical facts about Jesus, how Christianity explains the world we live in, and more. Alycia and Janell also chat about why there’s so much suffering in the world, the hope for Christians, finding our identity in Christ, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this episode!

About Alycia
As a child growing up in the church, Alycia always had questions. She wanted to dig deeper into the Christian faith beyond the Sunday morning sermon. That fueled an independent search which led to her digging into the larger questions of life. While studying for a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology at Robert Wesleyan College, Alycia discovered Apologetics. It changed the course of her life. Her quest for a deeper understanding of her Christianity had a name.
She went on to get her Master’s in Social Justice from Marygrove College to further her passion for serving those in need in the developing world. This led to various volunteering opportunities at orphanages, prisons, and shelters for the homeless in various countries including Haiti, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. A few years after her travels were completed, she was able to spend a year studying Apologetics in England.
Alycia spent many years as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher for multiple grade levels. Following, she has spent over nine years doing full-time apologetics ministry where she travels and speaks on various topics relevant to our culture. She is currently with the C. S. Lewis Society in Tampa.
In her spare time, she is an avid sports fan, musician and grower of all things edible in her garden.

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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR September 2023 - Alice’s Intro
FSR September 2023 with Justin
FSR September 2023 with Eric
FSR June 2021 with Alycia
FSR August 2022 - Leonie’s Intro
FSR August 2022 with Frank Turek
Alycia Wood on Facebook and Twitter
Apologetics, Inc.
J Warner Wallace
Tim Keller
Brennan Manning
55 min

About Finding Something Real Podcast

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