Halfway There

By Eric NevinsSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Christianity Spirituality Personal Journals

Halfway There episodes

May 10, 2020192: Betty Lou Long and Raising Family in Faith
Betty Lou Long is affectionately known as “Grandma Great” in our house. I have so many fond memories of family gatherings and food at her house. Today, she shares about growing up in small town Iowa, how she met her husband in a hardware store, and the profound sense of gratitude she felt witnessing a New England autumn. Grandma also shares why family is so important to her and how she tried to instill faith in hers. This is a special episode that I hope you enjoy!
Listen to Grandma’s story now!
Stories Grandma Great shared:
Growing up in small town Iowa
Going to college in Des Moines, Iowa
Learning to drive after asking her dad if she could
Dealing with life during WWII
Meeting a boy who would become his her husband
How having children changed her faith
How playing the hymns comforts her
The Christmas routine they had
How the New England autumn impressed her
Why family is so important to her
Great quotes from Grandma Great:
I realized they needed to be well grounded and we needed to set an example for them as my parents had done for me.
I found sitting down and playing the hymns was very comforting to me.
Family is so important. When I see my family together, I’m so thankful for them.
Related episodes:
Harriett Miller and a Fierce Faith
Edith Leland and Intimate Friendship with God
Dell McDonald Says God Can Use You
The post Betty Lou Long and Raising Family in Faith appeared first on Eric Nevins.
46 min
May 10, 2020191: Harriett Miller and a Fierce Faith
Harriett Miller is a strong woman who just so happens to be my grandmother. She was a little hesitant to come on the show and share her story but I’m so glad she did! Today, Grandma shares about growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, becoming a widow with five small boys, how that event led her to faith in Christ. The Lord has often spoken to her through Scripture and gave her a discernment gift that she had to learn to use well. These are stories I’ve heard bits of my entire life but today, we get to hear all the details. Grandma’s story reminds us that God uses even the hardest moments of our lives to draw us to himself.
Give Grandma’s story a listen!
Stories Grandma shared:
Growing up in Des Moines, IA in a poor family
Going to a Salvation Army church
Graduating high school to spite her Jr. High teacher
Meeting and marrying her husband Don and starting a family
The medical issue she suffered while starting a family
Losing her husband to cancer with 5 boys
What the Lord spoke to her in the middle of the night
The Scripture passage 1 John 2:20-27 (KJV) that taught her she has the gift of discernment
How discernment works for her
The moment when God spoke to her about breaking an engagement
Meeting Bill Miller and marrying him
How the Lord continues to use Scripture
Wrestling with God through anger
Great quotes from Grandma:
I don’t think I would have ever come to know the Lord as my savior if he hadn’t gotten taken out of the way.
I was his from the beginning.
If the Lord’s in it, any program can work. But if he’s not, no program will work.
Related episodes:
Betty Lou Long
Jay Holland and the Goodness of God
Tricia Lott Williford and How God Works in the Waiting
The post Harriett Miller and a Fierce Faith appeared first on Eric Nevins.
1 hr 2 min
May 04, 2020190: Jason Elam and the Devastating Love of God
Jason Elam is the host of the Messy Spirituality podcast. Today, Jason shares the moments he was completely overwhelmed by the love of God. Jason shares his experience of God when he died on the operating table, how professional ministry damaged him, and how the love of God became his mission. Jason’s journey takes us through the rocky ground of legalism and try harder but ultimately lands in the the meadow of God’s love. Whatever your journey has brought you, Jason’s story reminds us that it’s ultimately about sharing the love of God.
Listen to Jason’s story now!
Stories Jason shared:
Growing up in the Nazarene church
Hearing about hell and being afraid of going there
Being raised in a culture of fear and how that influenced his faith
Dying on the operating table while getting his tonsils taken out at 12 years old
Serving as a missionary in Romania
Embracing a child who was throwing rocks at him because he was an American
Attending a meeting of the Brownsville revival in Birmingham, Alabama
Preaching a message of trying harder
Self-destructing when an elder opposed him
Divorcing his wife after a 10 year abusive relationship
Starting a church for people who love Jesus but not church
Experiencing the love of God at the gym again
Starting the Hope Center that served families in need
Starting his podcast, the Messy Spirituality podcast
Great quotes from Jason:
I saw the love of God as my mission.
God was in the friends who would still take my call.
The love of God is all there is.
Resource we mentioned:
Jason’s website and my appearance on his show
God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People by Mike Yaconelli
The Shack by William Paul Young
Messy Spirituality: God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People by Mike Yaconelli
Related episodes:
Michael Woodward and Living a Significant Story
Michelle Shaeffer and One Answered Prayer
Keith Giles and Separating Church From State
The post Jason Elam and the Devastating Love of God appeared first on Eric Nevins.
51 min
April 27, 2020189: Tom Hale and Living an Authentic Life
Tom Hale is the author of Authentic Lives, a 2nd year PhD student in intercultural studies at Fuller School of Intercultural Studies. Today, he shares about growing up in Nepal, working for nearly two decades in the former Soviet Union, and why he is passionate about living authentically. Tom’s story helps us think more deeply about how we represent ourselves.
Listen to Tom’s story now!
Stories Tom shared:
Growing up in Nepal as the son of American doctors at a village hospital
When his mom dropped him off at boarding school
Finding his niche in high school
Sharing conversation with friends from different backgrounds
How the Navigators helped him grow in faith
A time in the Navy
Eventually moving to the former Soviet Union
Problems with labels: when the way people describe you isn’t how you think of yourself
Great quotes from Tom:
Sometimes when we say something is spiritually dark, what we’re reflecting is modernity vs. premodernity.
It is possible to come up with a life mission that you can share with anyone.
Resources we mentioned:
Authentic Lives: Overcoming the Problem of Hidden Identity in Outreach to Restrictive Nations by Thomas Hale III
Transcending Mission: The Eclipse of a Modern Tradition by Michael W. Stroope
Related episodes:
Michael Cooper and the International Call
VJ and Small Beginnings
Idella Kercher and God’s Abundant Provision
The post Tom Hale and Living an Authentic Life appeared first on Eric Nevins.
48 min
April 20, 2020188: Gregory Gillam and the Road of Healing
Gregory Gillam is an author, speaker, and former fundraiser. Today, Gregory shares the life he was satisfied with, the cancer diagnosis that rocked his world, and how his life turned from raising money to ministry. Gregory was healed from pancreatic cancer but still struggled with anxiety and depression at a time when his son was experiencing the same. So Gregory set out to learn what God says through Scripture about depression and wrote a book about it. Gregory’s story reminds us that Jesus is always working and sometimes completely changes the course of our lives.
Listen to Gregory’s story now!
Stories Gregory shared:
Living in an RV doing ministry
Growing up in a Christian home in Southern California
Dealing with anxiety and disconnection as a teenager
Receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Realizing there is nothing he could do to change the situation except pray
The miracle of healing from cancer
Being satisfied with his life as a professional fundraiser
People not believing he was healed
The dreams he had that led him to the road
Suffering depression after he was healed
Connecting with his son through depression and anxiety
Great quotes from Gregory:
It’s been a slow and steady discovery of him in my life.
There’s a fine line between loving money and loving having money.
God uses us in ways we can’t understand.
Resources we mentioned:
Gregory’s website
30 Days: Emails from a father to a son battling depression by Gregory Gillam
Related episodes:
Sarah Geringer and Transforming Your Thought Life
Wesley Ross Harris and Growing Faith and Mental Illness
Matthew Rennels and Overcoming Fear
The post Gregory Gillam and The Road of Healing appeared first on Eric Nevins.
45 min
April 13, 2020187: Mark Scandrette and Unconventional Christianity
Mark Scandrette is an author and globally recognized expert on practical spiritual formation. Today, Mark shares the story of his traditional Evangelical upbringing by sincere parents, his multifaceted and many conversions, and pursuing the way of Jesus. Mark has a very grounded approach to following Jesus that speaks loudly. He opens up about wrestling his life in Christ away from “shame and should” into the freedom that Christ offers. These days, he writes and travels to speak around the world while his obvious love for the Lord spills out everywhere. His story shows us what happens when you stay on the journey. If it’s possible for him, it’s possible for you, too.
Listen to Mark’s story now!
Stories Mark shared:
Growing up as a military kid moving all over
His family’s healthy spirituality and vitality
Praying “the prayer” as a young boy to avoid hell
Being the “God kid” at school who always had his Bible
Multiple “conversions” he experienced as he grew in faith
Committing to voluntary poverty and moving to the city
Finding that he was still motivated by shame
Discovering silent retreats during seminary
Moving to San Francisco to plant a church
Being confronted by the realities of church history
Discovering Dallas Willard and his writing
The practices he found that helped him
Founding an organization to practice the teachings of Jesus
Great quotes from Mark:
Christianity as it’s practiced in America is not that attractive to me but I couldn’t walk away from the vitality I saw in my family.
I might not be a conventional Christian anymore but I really want to follow Jesus.
Shame and should can only get you so far; eventually you have to find a different motivation.
Resources we mentioned:
Ninefold Path
Mark’s website
Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love by Mark Scandrette
Belonging and Becoming: Creating a Thriving Family Culture by Mark Scandrette
Thin Places: Six Postures for Creating and Practicing Missional Community by Mark Scandrette
Related episodes:
Phileena Heuertz and Christian Contemplation
Matt Rhodes Blends Spiritual Formation and Creativity
Cari Jenkins and Who You Really Are
The post Mark A. Scandrette and Unconventional Christianity appeared first on Eric Nevins.
51 min
April 06, 2020186: Curtis Sergeant and the Catalyst of Movements
Curtis Sergeant is a disciple making movement catalyst and author of The Only One. Today, Curtis shares the story when he experienced a call to unreached people groups, how his work there led millions to Christ, and how suffering multiplied his effectiveness. Curtis has trained people in every country in the world to bring the Gospel to their people. It’s a unique gifting that God is using for his glory around the globe.
Listen to his story now!
Stories Curtis shared:
Running a missions and disciple making training center in Alabama
Growing up as missionary kid
Experiencing a clear call to preach the Gospel to unreached people
Preparing to be tentmaker and working in Olympic development
What a disciple-making movement is and why it’s relevant to us
How he discovered obedience in Scripture
How he learned to live with a constant awareness of God
The season of suffering that helped him depend on the Lord
Why he wrote The Only One
Great quotes from Curtis:
The big idea in movements is that every disciple is called to be a disciple maker.
God used those horrible circumstances to achieve something in me…and, for his glory, in that people group something that never would have happened.
It has been a remarkable privilege to know people in so many places that are laying down their lives for the Kingdom.
Resources we mentioned:
The Only One: Living Fully In, By, and For God by Curtis Sergeant
Zume Project
2414now
Metacamp
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Related episodes:
Michael T. Cooper and the International Call
Os Guinness and Carpe Diem Redeemed
Sarah Geringer and Transforming Your Thought Life
The post Curtis Sergeant and the Catalyst of Movements appeared first on Eric Nevins.
48 min
March 30, 2020185: Jay Holland and the Goodness of God
Jay Holland is a pastor, author, and podcaster. His podcast is called Let’s Parent on Purpose. As a youth pastor, he realized that more spiritual formation happens in the home than during time at church gatherings. So he started his podcast to empower families to make better disciples. Today, Jay shares the story of stepping out in faith when the Lord asked him to, questioning God when his wife died, and struggling through his cancer with his son. Through it all, Jay points to the goodness of God’s grace in his life. He’s learned to trust as he traveled through the darkest parts of the journey.
Listen to Jay’s story now!
Stories Jay shared:
Starting his podcast, Let’s Parent on Purpose to help families
Growing up in a Christian family in West Virginia
Praying for salvation as a young child
Going to AWANA as a child
Meeting his future wife on the first day of his senior year of high school
Getting involved in Bible Study in college
When the Lord asked him to leave the Air Force Academy
Struggling with pregnancy and how that challenged his faith
Finally having a baby girl
The “spiritual meat grinder” while his wife’s health deteriorated
The night his wife Christy died
Nurturing healing for sometime and moving to Nashville
Meeting Emily and finding love again
Moving to South Florida
Thinking his child had pneumonia and receiving a leukemia diagnosis instead
How people rallied around them during treatment
Great quotes from Jay:
When you’ve got a good father, it’s natural that you’ll want to go to God.
I always had a tenderness toward Jesus.
I know where God is in the darkness.
At bottom, Jesus was the rock.
When the bomb goes off, it’s too late too find the people you need in your life.
In the midst of darkness and sadness, Jesus is doing a work.
Resources we mentioned:
Jay’s website and podcast, Let’s Parent on Purpose
Related episodes:
Tricia Lott Williford and How God Works in the Waiting
Markus Watson and How Suffering Transforms
Jim Barnard Finds Hope in Suffering in Community
The post Jay Holland and the Goodness of God appeared first on Eric Nevins.
1 hr 1 min
March 23, 2020184: April Diaz and Power and Justice in the Kingdom
April Diaz is the founder and lead warrior of Ezer + Co. She is also a wife, mom, advocate, and disruptor all of which we get a small glimpse of in this conversation. Today, April shares her story of starting full time ministry early in life, learning to take care of herself so she can lead better, and the clarity brought by a difficult season. Her ministry, Ezer + Co, is helping women “lead with wholeness” and bringing out the best in them to create a better world. April’s heart for the oppressed shines through in this conversation and reminds us of God’s heart for them, too.
Listen to April’s story now!
Stories April shared:
Starting Ezer + Co., speaking, and telling her story
Growing up in the Midwest in a farming family while her dad pursued ministry
Leading as a high schooler and how that opened up her ideas
The people who invested in her well
Hearing God say “go to the land I will show you” and where that led their family
Wrestling with panic attacks
The good advice she received from a spiritual director
Moving to California to take a middle school pastor position
How a monthly practice of silence and solitude keeps her grounded
Moving back to the Midwest and feeling out of place
The clarity that the difficult season brought
Recognizing the privilege of being a white girl
Started Ezer + Co. and the ways that challenged her theology
Great quotes from April:
I love challenging things. I’m all about burning down all the stuff that hurts people. And I want to rebuild things that are for all of us not just those with the power.
God is powerful and desires for there to be justice for us all.
Self-leadership is what makes or breaks our ability to stay leading.
Resources we shared:
The Global Fringe Podcast
Ezer & Co’s website
Male and Female (Intimate Marriage Series) by Tremper Longman
Related episodes:
Meg Calvin and Permission for Ambition
Engel Jones and the Power of Connection
Penni Zelinkof and Releasing Not Good Enough
The post April Diaz and Power and Justice in the Kingdom appeared first on Eric Nevins.
51 min
March 16, 2020183: Terry Wardle and the Healing Journey
Terry Wardle is a pastor, speaker, and author or Some Kind of Crazy:An Unforgettable Story of Profound Brokenness and Breathtaking Grace. Today, Terry shares his story of growing up in a rough family, surrendering to Christ after a wild night, and eventually breaking down under the weight of expectations. Terry eventually found healing in a psychiatric hospital and learned the process of healing prayer. Terry is still a miner but now, he mines gold in people’s souls not coal. I know his story will encourage you.
Listen to Terry’s story now!
Stories Terry shared:
Leading a healing ministry
Growing up in coal mining country in Pennsylvania
Experiencing trauma as a child at the hands of his family who didn’t process trauma
Developing a false self in his youth
The revival that began to change his family
Attending a crusade and experiencing Jesus
Checking into a psychiatric facility
Why emotions lead our experience
How Jesus changed his understanding of his intellect
Discovering Jesus’ suffering in Gethsemane as an example
Beginning to share his story
What keeps us from entering into healing
Great quotes from Terry:
I grew up in a world that communicated that “as you are you’re not enough.”
Christ doesn’t want just part of our story. He wants our whole story.
Jesus does some of his best work in the ditch.
The Church has to become an unconditionally loving, confidential, non-condemning, non-judgemental community where we all admit that we’re wounded, where we’re meeting Christ in the wounded, where we welcome the wounded.
Resources we mentioned:
Terry’s website
Some Kind of Crazy: An Unforgettable Story of Profound Brokenness and Breathtaking Grace by Terry Wardle
Terry’s podcast Slingstones
Related episodes:
Marc Schelske and Wisdom of Your Heart
Patrick Meyers and the Kind Initiator
Brandy Goebel and Running Back to You
The post Terry Wardle and the Healing Journey appeared first on Eric Nevins.
48 min

About Halfway There

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Each episode of Halfway There features an ordinary Christian sharing their story of spiritual formation on the journey of life with God. Go beyond the classic Christian testimony into the ups and…

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