If you’re overwhelmed and running on empty, this episode is for you. In our 100th episode, Jill and Cassian Bellino share biblical boundaries and practical ways to create margin so you can protect your peace and keep saying yes to God without burning out. 

➡️ Watch next: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)

🎧Listen on
Apple

Spotify

🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon)

💌 Questions/Guest Requests

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⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Milestone Celebration

01:39 Reflecting on the Podcast Journey

03:04 The Impact of Sharing Stories

05:17 Evolving Through Podcasting

12:44 The Importance of Boundaries and Margin

19:29 Therapy and Trusting the Process

19:46 Building Strength Through Struggles

21:04 The Butterfly Story: Strength in Struggle

22:52 Embracing Failure and Moving Forward

23:57 Isaiah 43: A Message of Hope

25:16 Trusting God's Plan

31:41 Spiritual Warfare and Declaring Scripture

33:28 The Power of Fasting

34:06 Celebrating Milestones and Looking Ahead

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✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In Episode 100 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill celebrates the 100th episode milestone with her friend Cassian Bellino from the Biblically Speaking podcast. Together they talk honestly about what it looks like to keep saying yes to God without burning out. They discuss the importance of boundaries and margin and how life can get painful and overwhelming when we don’t protect what matters, and how growth often comes through the hard “process” seasons. Jill and Cassian also highlight spiritual practices that strengthen and protect us, including Scripture, prayer, and fasting and creating space to be sustained by the Lord instead of striving in our own strength. This episode is part celebration, part encouragement, and part practical reset for anyone who feels stretched thin but wants to walk in deeper freedom and faithfulness.

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🩵 ABOUT US

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.

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🔗 LINKS

Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram

Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok

Follow Jill on Instagram

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📖 BIBLE RESOURCES

Scriptures Referenced:
Romans 8 (Message paraphrase) — “we weren’t made for a grave-tending life…”

Isaiah 43

Psalm 91

Ruth 1 (Naomi/Ruth story referenced)

Joshua (entering the promised land referenced)

Deuteronomy (paraphrased “fruit you did not plant”) — commonly aligns with Deut. 6:10–11 wording

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

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📣 GUEST

Cassian Bellino, host of The Biblically Speaking Podcast

Cassian’s Website

Follow Cassian on Instagram

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🎙️ Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

In Episode 99 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Chaz Becker, founder of Storied, to explore why many believers know God loves them but still struggle to feel it. They talk about the gap between head knowledge and heart knowledge, and how spiritual formation can engage the emotional “right brain,” not just information and theology. Chaz shares how attachment patterns and nervous system responses affect our ability to receive love, and why imagination and guided practices can help move faith from concepts to lived experience. They also discuss why therapy can be a wise and important support when love has felt unsafe or wounds run deep. This episode offers language, compassion, and practical next steps for anyone who wants faith that’s not only true but deeply felt.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Storyed Website
Follow Storyed on Instagram

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

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Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

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Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

In Episode 98 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Kathleen Johnson, author and founder of Scripture Girl, to talk about breaking free from fear and learning to live from God-reliance instead of self-reliance. Kathleen shares how painful seasons pushed her into deeper Scripture memory, meditation, and intimacy with God and how moving truth from “head knowledge” to something that actually transforms daily life. Together they discuss what it looks like to abide on the vine, why we “wither” when we’re frantic or overwhelmed, and how to discern God’s voice through the constant “static” of modern life. Jill and Kathleen also highlight the promise of Isaiah 26:3: perfect peace is connected to a mind stayed on God. This episode is practical, hope-filled, and a powerful reminder that you don’t have to stay stuck.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Kathleen’s Website
Follow Kathleen on Instagram
Get Kathleen’s Book!

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

Romans 12:2 — “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (core theme)
John 8:32 — “know the truth… truth will set you free” (deep “know”) 
Romans 8:1 — “no condemnation” 
Matthew 4 (temptation of Jesus; Jesus responds with Scripture) 
Romans 10:17 — “faith comes from hearing…” 
James 1:25 — “the perfect law that gives freedom” 
John 17:17 — “your word is truth” 
Numbers 13 — contend/possess the land analogy 
John 14–16 — abundant life / abiding context (referenced) 
John 10:10 — abundant life (referenced by concept) 
John 15 — vine/branches, abiding (major theme) 
Colossians 1:27 — “Christ in you, the hope of glory” 
John 4:13–14 — living water (woman at the well) 
Psalm 46:2 — “though the earth give way…” (referenced) 
Isaiah 26:3 — perfect peace / mind stayed on God (quoted) 
Colossians 3:15 — “let the peace of Christ rule” (referenced) 
Proverbs 3:6 — “acknowledge Him… direct your paths” 
Proverbs 4:18 — “path… shining brighter”
 

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

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Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

Bible teacher and prison-ministry leader James Early joins Jill to unpack a shame-free path back to Jesus. James shares how the cross and resurrection secure real freedom, why your identity as God’s child matters more than your worst mistakes, and how total surrender becomes a daily mindset. He tells a powerful prison-ministry story of a woman who finally got to ask hard questions and how she found hope, restored relationships, and new life. Together, they shift from debates to discipleship: try one step from Matthew 5–7 this week and watch what God does. If you’ve wondered whether you’re truly forgiven, or you’re tired of carrying what Jesus already carried, this episode offers language, practices, and courage to start fresh in Him.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

James' Website (and Halfway to Sunday listener resources!)
Follow James on Instagram

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

1 John 4:20 (loving God vs. hating your brother).

 Mark 12:30–31 (Great Commandment).

Matthew 5–7 (Sermon on the Mount; “do one step”).

1 Corinthians 15:17 (resurrection and forgiveness)

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

In this episode Jill welcomes two friends and scholars who unite theology and psychology to help us actually love our neighbors. From Seattle Pacific University to a new season at Baylor, Katherine and Brittany unpack how situational obstacles (hurry, overload), emotions (avoidance, fear), and cognition (scarcity, labels) quietly distract us from empathy. Brittany and Katie offer shame-free, practical shifts: leave early so you can notice people, choose proximity over assumptions, and treat discomfort as spiritual formation, not failure. You’ll hear stories about students engaging in a local encampment, a 40-day “loving better” challenge, and how art, lament, and everyday practices shape faith. If loving like Jesus feels too complicated, this conversation gives you language, tools, and hope to start small and stay faithful.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Follow Loving Better on Substack
Brittany and Katie’s  Website
Brittany and Katie on Instagram

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

Psalm 88 – honest lament in suffering (children’s message reference)

“Love your neighbor” – Jesus’ command framing the episode’s call to action (Mark 12:31)


 

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

Deacon and mental-health counselor Constance Hastings joins Jill to talk candidly about doubt, grief, and learning to trust Jesus when life is not neat. Constance shares why she wrote The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away, naming tensions like Jesus choosing “losers,” elevating women, talking often about money, and refusing to be our instant “divine fixer.” Together they explore the Lazarus story and the prayer, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,” offering listeners permission to wrestle without leaving. You’ll hear pastoral, practical counsel: listen first, ask the question behind the question, and create safe spaces in churches and friendships for honest faith. If you’ve ever wondered where God is in the unplanned turns, this episode offers language, Scripture, and hope for staying with Jesus when answers are slow.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Follow Constance’s on Substack
Constance’s Website

 

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

John 11:21–27 “I am the resurrection and the life…Do you believe this?” (Mary/Martha & Lazarus).

Mark 9:24 “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” 

Ephesians 3:20 “Exceedingly abundantly…beyond what we ask or imagine.” 

Matthew 11:2–5 / Luke 7:19–23 John the Baptist’s doubt in prison; Jesus cites Isaiah. 

John 4 Samaritan woman—the first to tell the town. 

John 20 / Mark 16 Women at the tomb, first witnesses.

 

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

        Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:                              

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

Author–artist Sharon Collins shares how God led her from a Santa Fe spark to art classes, a website, and published devotional books, each painting paired with Scripture. Along the way she learned that the Christian life isn’t radical independence but living in-dependence on Jesus, cultivating silence, and letting Him author the ideas. Sharon unpacks practical rhythms: pool-side quiet with God, texting friends “How can I pray for you today?”, and the cadence “fill, pour, repeat.” She reminds us it’s never too late (her first art class at 67, first book contract at 69) and that small yeses add up. We talk discernment, listening prayer, and re-defining “success” as simple obedience while God handles the results. If you feel behind, if life feels noisy, or if you’re unsure what’s next, this gentle, faith-filled conversation will help you hear Him and begin again - especially as we step into the new year.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Follow Sharon on Instagram
Sharon’s Website

 

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

Matthew 7:7 — “Ask, seek, knock.” (persistence in prayer/listening)

Luke 10:38–42 — Mary & Martha: being filled before serving.

Matthew 6:11 — “Give us this day our daily bread.” (daily filling)

1 Kings 19:12 — God’s “still small voice.” (listening in silence)

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

Learning to Let God Love Me (Jill’s Story)

In this Christmas-Eve special, Jill shares a vulnerable chapter: a teenage pregnancy, losing her faith community, and decades of running from a God she assumed could never love her. Through her daughters’ invitation, and a deep dive into Mary’s story, Jill began to see the first Christmas differently…and to see her own story through Jesus’ love. She realized God had been present all along, even in a far-from-home hospital room and the messy middle of becoming a family. This episode is an invitation to release perfectionism, receive grace, and believe Emmanuel (God with us) for you. A closing benediction prays for soft hearts, discernment, and everyday generosity. If you’ve ever felt unlovable or beyond repair, let this story remind you: God never left, never stopped loving, and never will.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Follow Jill on Instagram

 

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world…” 

Matthew 1:23 — “Emmanuel… God with us.” 

Luke 2:1–20 — Nativity narrative 

Deuteronomy 31:6 / Hebrews 13:5 — He will never leave nor forsake

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

Video producer Craig Dehut shares how Appian Media set out to solve a problem: the world needed well-made, bias-free, biblically accurate Bible films shot in the lands of the Bible and offered free. Craig walks us through Gethsemane (why Jesus likely watched the arresting party approach across the valley), the Sea of Galilee (a large lake you can see across), and Bethlehem (why a cave manger fits first-century reality better than our wooden nativity scenes). We talk “holy imagination” vs. speculation, using media with discernment, and why visuals help modern readers grasp geography, culture, and the grit of the text. Plus: their trips to Israel, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Jordan; the Seven Churches of Revelation; and a long-term plan to film Genesis → Revelation. Watch their films and behind-the-scenes on YouTube or appianmedia.org.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Ways you can connect with Craig Dehut:


Follow Craig on Instagram 
Appian Media website
Appian Media Videos

 

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

• Scripture References:

John 18:1–3 (Gethsemane; arrest party crossing the valley) 
Luke 2:7–20 (manger; shepherds near Bethlehem) 
Luke 1:39–45 (Mary travels to Elizabeth) 
Mark 4:35–41 / Matt. 8:23–27 (storm on the Sea of Galilee) 
1 John 4:1 (“test the spirits”) • 1 Peter 3:15 (“give a defense”) 
John 20:24–31 (Thomas; “these are written so you may believe”)

• Other Mentions:

Appian Media (appianmedia.org)

Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.

At the height of a dream legal career, Lara Silverman collapsed into a rare neurological condition that left her largely bedridden. In the confusion, she began keeping “evidence” of God’s presence - moments of Scripture and comfort He sent right when anger and despair peaked. Then came an unexpected love story with Matt, a Christ-like friend facing terminal cancer; they married, ministered with “joy in suffering,” and Matt later passed away. Lara shares a hard-won theology of suffering, permission to lament, and the daily practices that tethered her to Jesus when healing didn’t come. We talk grief, marriage, singleness, and the church’s call to abide with those in pain. Plus: her memoir Singing Through Fire, and practical ways to walk with friends in chronic illness and loss.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Ways you can connect with Lara Silverman:


Follow Lara on Instagram 
Lara’s website
Her book Singing Through the Fire

 

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Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES:

• Scripture References:

Psalm 34 (near to the brokenhearted)
2 Corinthians 12:9 (“My grace is sufficient for you…”)
Lamentations (learning to lament)
Isaiah 43:20 (streams in the desert — their wedding verse)
Genesis 41:52 (“fruitful in the land of my affliction”)
2 Corinthians 4:17 (light and momentary troubles… eternal glory)
Ephesians 2:10 (good works prepared in advance)
Jeremiah 29:11 (wrestled with its meaning in suffering)

• Other Mentions:

Devotional: Streams in the Desert (daily app she referenced)

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Bible Resources:

Patreon

The Bible Project

 

The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links

Other Episodes That May Be Helpful:

Episode #75 You’ve Heard it Said…But What Does Jesus Say? w/ Thomas West

Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester

Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek

Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso

Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon

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Want more Halfway to Sunday? Join our Patreon community!

If you want to connect more than just once a week, join us over on

Instagram

Tiktok

YouTube

******

Follow Jill on Instagram

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends.

We're so glad you're here.