Joyful Purpose - a Faith Journey Podcast for Christian women and moms | Identity in Christ

Nobody talks about the gap.

The gap between the marriage you

imagined and the one you actually have.

The distance between what you promised

and what you are living right now.

The exhaustion of two people who love

each other — and still manage to hurt

each other. Who started as partners

and somehow became strangers.

If you are in that gap today —

this episode is for you.

Sheila gets honest about what Scripture

actually says marriage was designed to

be — not from a place of arrival,

but from the valley, right alongside you.

This is a personal faith story about

a Christ centered life that includes

the hardest parts of covenant —

and a God who does not give up on

what He designed.

Because here is what nobody says

out loud:

Christian burnout does not just happen

at work. It happens in marriage too.

When you are giving everything and

the gap between the ideal and the real

feels impossible to close.

God is not absent in that gap.

He is in the covenant.

He witnessed it.

He holds it.

In this episode:

- Why our culture treats marriage

as a contract — and why that

always fails

- The profound difference between

"I will if you will" and

"I will. Period."

- What covenant love actually looks

like — and what it does NOT mean

- The gap between ideal and real —

and why every marriage has one

- What God does in the hard seasons

that you cannot see yet

- How to pray for your spouse

when it is the last thing

you feel like doing

- 3 practical shifts this week

📖 Scripture: Genesis 2:24,

Ephesians 5:25-33

📚 Faith books:

hopelightwonder.com/books

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#ChristianMarriage #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianBurnout #ChristianWomenPodcast

#CovenantMarriage #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus

#PersonalFaithStory #BiblicalMarriage

#WalkingWithGod #IdentityInChrist

She was in her early twenties.

All her friends were getting married.

And she was already getting divorced.

She didn't believe in divorce.

So she did two years of counseling —

alone and together — trying to save it.

It didn't work.

And she thought her dream of having

a family was gone forever.

Then God started writing a different

story. One she never would have

chosen. More beautiful than anything

she could have planned.

Today April Farlow sits down with

Sheila to talk about what it looks

like to move forward in faith —

through divorce, miscarriage,

blended family, and the moment a

girl from Nigeria showed up at

Disney World with nothing —

and became her daughter.

This is a personal faith story

about a Christ centered life that

looks nothing like the plan —

and everything like God.

April is a speaker coach, corporate

trainer, founder of Lydia's Place

(a nonprofit for foster youth), and

author of Pieces of You.

In this episode:

- Walking through divorce in your

early 20s — and what faith looked

like in that season

- "God loves you more than He loves

your marriage" — the pastor's words

that healed her wounds

- Two years of post-marriage counseling

before saying yes to marriage again

- Miscarriage, medical challenges,

and trusting God through the waiting

- The $20 Disney World moment that

changed everything

- Maria — how a girl from Nigeria

became her fourth daughter

- "I showed up for my people.

It was my faith that pushed me

to do so." — her legacy statement

- Her nonprofit Lydia's Place

for foster youth

- Her book — Pieces of You

📖 Scripture: Romans 8:28,

Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 34:18

✨ Connect with April:

📚 Pieces of You:

https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-You-Knowing-Light-Whose-ebook/dp/B0DFK79ZJH

🌐 aprilfarlow.com

❤️ Lydia's Place: lydias-place.com

📱 Instagram: @fragmentsoffaith_

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🌐 Member Library:

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#ForwardInFaith #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus

#PersonalFaithStory #ChristianDivorce

#BlendedFamily #ChristianMotherhood

#FaithAfterLoss #WalkingWithGod

The painting looks messy

before it is beautiful.

That is what Chelsea Fain finally

understood about her own life —

the divorce, the co-parenting, the

blended family, the new marriage,

the years of transition she did not

choose and could not control.

God was not absent in those seasons.

He was painting.

Chelsea Fain is a writer, worship

leader, choir director, and educator

whose debut book walks readers through

what it means to count it all joy

in the middle of the hard things.

In this episode:

- How Joseph and David's transitions

shaped their destiny — and what

that means for yours

- Ephesians 2:10 — you are God's

masterpiece — even in the messy middle

- The Gethsemane prayer she prays

over co-parenting with someone

who hurt her

- Surrendering her daughter to God's

hands when she cannot be there

- What it means to partner with God

in transition instead of being

dragged through it kicking and screaming

- Her debut book — what it is,

who it is for, and where to find it

- Rapid fire — Psalm 23, Battle Belongs,

and the best advice she has ever heard

Chelsea's best piece of advice:

"God's goodness and faithfulness

is not determined by your

present circumstances."

🌐 Chelsea's website: chelseafain.com

📚 Her book — available for pre-order

at chelseafain.com (signed copies +

study guide bundle)

📖 Scripture: Ephesians 2:10,

Philippians 4:6-7, James 1:2-4,

Romans 8:28, Luke 22:42

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#YouAreHisMasterpiece #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #TrustingGodInTransition

#ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory

#GlorifyJesus #ChristianDivorce

#WrittenOnPurpose #BiblicalSelfWorth

She almost died from a miscarriage

complication.

She was 3 weeks postpartum when we

recorded this.

And she sat down and talked about

grief, loss, and the healing journey

God walked her through — with more

honesty and grace than most people

bring to their best days.

Chelsea Fain is a writer, worship

leader, choir director, and educator

who has learned — the hard way —

that God's faithfulness is not

determined by your present

circumstances.

In Part 1 of this two-part

conversation, Chelsea opens up about:

- A miscarriage that almost killed her

— and what God did in the healing

- How she speaks truth over herself

when grief hits unexpectedly

- Anchor scriptures that keep her

sane in the storm

- What it looks like to grieve a baby

while holding a newborn

- Parenting as the most humbling mirror

God ever gave us — and why that's

actually beautiful

- Why the Holy Spirit corrects behavior

— but never attacks your identity

Part 2 drops next week — divorce,

new seasons, co-parenting, and her book.

📖 Scripture: Romans 8:28, Psalm 34:18,

Lamentations 3:22-23

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🌐 Member Library:

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#WrittenOnPurpose #ChristianGriefPodcast

#FaithAfterLoss #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #ChristianWomenPodcast

#JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder

#PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus

Someone told me I was dark. Not pretty.

I was a little girl.

And I believed them for a very long time.

Then I walked into a different room.

Everything people said about me changed.

But I hadn't changed. Not one thing.

The room changed. The words changed.

And I realized — words are not just

opinions. They are either cages or wings.

This is the personal faith journey behind

Episode 12 of Joyful Purpose — and the

truth that changed everything about how

Sheila speaks over her children, herself,

and the women in her life.

A Christ centered life means living with

purpose in what we say — online, at home,

and in the quiet of our own minds.

In this episode:

- The story of a word spoken over Sheila

as a child that shaped her for years

- What James 3 says about the tongue

and the whole course of a life

- Why Proverbs 18:21 is more serious

than most christian women realize

- The specific challenge of faith and

the comment section — social media

and the tongue

- Words we speak over ourselves —

and why they matter just as much

- How to speak life over your children

intentionally every day

- 3 practical shifts this week

📖 Scripture: James 3, Proverbs 18:21,

Psalm 19:14, Deuteronomy 6

📚 Faith books:

hopelightwonder.com/books

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🌐 Member Library:

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Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube —

hopelightwonder.com/podcast

#WatchYourWords #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus

#PersonalFaithStory #SpeakLife

#IdentityInChrist #ChristianMom

Today's guest is someone more important

than any podcast coach, film actress,

or faith leader Sheila has ever

interviewed.

Her daughter Lily.

In one of the most joyful, tender, and

surprisingly profound episodes of

Season 3, Sheila sits down with her

young daughter for an honest

conversation about God, faith, prayer,

heaven, and what it means to grow up

believing.

Jesus said — "Unless you change and

become like little children, you will

never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This episode is what that verse looks

like in real life.

Lily talks about who God is, whether

He talks back when she prays, what she

would ask Him if she had one question,

what heaven looks like, and what she

wants to say to every grown-up woman

listening today.

Her answers will stop you in your

tracks.

This is the most personal faith journey

episode of Season 3. A Christ centered

life — lived simply, with wonder —

through the eyes of a child.

In this episode:

- What a child's faith sounds like

— unfiltered and extraordinary

- The one question Lily would ask God

- What heaven looks like according to

an under-10 theologian 😂

- Her message to every woman listening

- One thing she knows for sure about God

Bring tissues. 🤍

📖 Scripture: Matthew 18:3,

Psalm 8:2, Mark 10:15

📚 Hope Light Wonder Chronicles —

faith adventures for kids:

hopelightwonder.com/books

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hopelightwonder.com/podcast

#FaithThroughLittleEyes #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianMom #ChristianParenting

#JoyfulPurpose #HopeLightWonder

#PersonalFaithStory #GlorifyJesus

#ChildlikeFaith #MomAndDaughter

What does it look like to live from a

secure identity in Christ — not just

know it theologically, but actually

live it out in your marriage, your

motherhood, and your everyday life?

In this episode Sheila sits down with

Shayla Huber — a rodeo wife, boy mom,

and woman of deep faith living on their

family farm in Iowa.

There is something about the rhythm of

farm life — the seasons, the soil, the

slow and steady pace — that mirrors

exactly what God calls us to. Rooted.

Not rushed.

This is a faith journey toward a Christ

centered life — living with purpose

from who God says you are, not what

the world says you should be.

In this episode:

- Living from your identity in Christ

— not toward it

- How a secure identity transforms

marriage from the inside out

- What farm life teaches us about

faithfulness and God's timing

- Raising boys to love Jesus in the

everyday ordinary moments

- What rooted unhurried faith looks

like in a rushed noisy world

📖 Scripture: Colossians 3:3,

Galatians 2:20, Psalm 46:10

🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz:

hopelightwonder.com/identity

📚 Faith books:

hopelightwonder.com/books

🎧 Try Audible FREE:

https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k

🌐 Member Library:

hopelightwonder.com/member-site

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube —

hopelightwonder.com/podcast

#RootedNotRushed #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#IdentityInChrist #ChristianMarriage

#ChristianMom #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory

#GlorifyJesus #FarmLifeFaith

She went to help on a film set.

She had never acted a day in her life.

The director said — "I'd like you to

read for the lead female role."

She thought he meant narrator.

He did not. 😂

In Part 2 of this conversation with

Jenilee Samuel — podcast coach and

founder of Java with Jen — we get to

the story that will make your jaw drop.

The accidental actress. The brown bear

prophecy from 18 months before. A

Christian film alongside Dean Cain and

Eric Roberts. And a sister who had

already auditioned for the same part.

This is the faith journey of a woman

who gave God her yes — and watched Him

prove it over and over again. A Christ

centered life means living with purpose

even when the door makes no sense.

In this episode:

- The full accidental actress story

- The brown bear prophecy

- Why God qualifies the called

- Your scars carry oil for someone

else's healing

- 3 barriers keeping Christian women

from starting their podcast

- How to treat every day like THE day

✨ Connect with Jenilee:

🎙️ Free 7-Step Podcast Checklist:

startyourpodcastchecklist.subscribepage.io

🌐 jenileesamuel.com

📧 [email protected]

🎬 facebook.com/share/19avBvLMBE

📖 Scripture: Revelation 12:11,

2 Corinthians 1:4, Esther 4:14

🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz:

hopelightwonder.com/identity

🎙️ Podcast Studio:

hopelightwonder.com/podcast-studio

🎧 Try Audible FREE:

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🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube —

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#CalledToShowUp #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianWomenPodcast #AccidentalActress

#HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory

#GlorifyJesus #HowToStartAPodcast

What if the exhaustion you feel isn't

from working too hard — but from

measuring yourself against someone

who doesn't even exist?

In this episode Sheila gets honest about

what happened in her own heart after

hearing Jenilee Samuel's calling story.

For thirty seconds she was inspired.

Then the comparison crept in.

Using a powerful analogy from her

corporate career — the Frankenstein

competitor — Sheila unpacks exactly

what we do on social media. We take

her calling, her marriage, her platform,

her highlight reel, stitch it together

into one imaginary woman — and compare

our whole real self to someone who

doesn't exist.

This is your faith journey back to your

own lane. A Christ centered life means

living with purpose in YOUR calling —

not someone else's highlight reel.

In this episode:

- The Frankenstein competitor analogy

from corporate life

- What TikTok culture has done to

Christian women and comparison

- Why viral is not the same as anointed

- How to turn comparison into prayer

- 3 practical shifts this week

📖 Scripture: Galatians 6:4,

2 Corinthians 10:12, Hebrews 12:1

🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz:

hopelightwonder.com/identity

Podcast Studio:

hopelightwonder.com/podcast-studio

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#ComparisonTrap #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #PersonalFaithStory

#GlorifyJesus #IdentityInChrist

What do you do when God has placed a

calling on your life — but nothing

visible is happening?

Sheila sits down with Jenilee Samuel —

podcast coach, show host, and the woman

who personally coached Sheila into

launching Joyful Purpose.

Jenilee spent 10 years privately crying,

feeling like her gifts were wasting away.

Then the Holy Spirit said:

"You be faithful with today. I can

create a platform for you in a day."

This is the personal faith journey of a

woman who believed that. A Christ

centered life means living with purpose

even in the silent seasons. To glorify

Jesus in the waiting is the highest

obedience.

In this episode:

- What faithfulness looks like in the

silent years of a christian woman

- Why your season of quiet obedience

is never wasted by God

- How David's years of shepherding

prepared him for Goliath

- Navigating naysayers while walking

in God's calling

- How to hear God's voice clearly

across different seasons of faith

🎬 PART 2 drops Sep 11 — the accidental

actress story and the brown bear

prophecy. Subscribe now!

✨ Connect with Jenilee:

startyourpodcastchecklist.subscribepage.io

🌐 jenileesamuel.com

📖 Scripture: Proverbs 16:9,

2 Corinthians 1:4, 1 Samuel 17

🎯 Kingdom Identity Quiz:

hopelightwonder.com/identity

🎙️ Podcast Studio:

hopelightwonder.com/podcast-studio

🎧 Try Audible FREE:

https://amzn.to/4x9mq5k

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Amazon Music, YouTube Music & YouTube —

hopelightwonder.com/podcast

#FaithfulInTheWaiting #FaithJourney

#ChristCenteredLife #LivingWithPurpose

#WaitingOnGod #SilentSeasonFaith

#ChristianWomenPodcast #JoyfulPurpose

#HopeLightWonder #GlorifyJesus

#PersonalFaithStory #FaithAndCalling