Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and peace, but for many, it is a season when old hurts resurface, reminding us of things that are anything but joyful.

Vona Johnson explores the profound theme of forgiveness in this heartfelt episode of Courageous Retirement. Reflecting on personal stories, Christian teachings, and poignant examples, Vona encourages listeners to release long-held hurts and embrace the true spirit of Christmas—granting and receiving forgiveness.

Using insights from Lora Johnson's book 'The Night I Met Santa,'  she demonstrates how connecting with forgiveness can bring peace and joy into your life.  If you  are looking for ways to make this Christmas more meaningful than ever, you will want to tune into this episode.

Scripture Referenced:
Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)

Quote from Lora Johnson, " Christmas is all about getting the gift that we never deserved and never will."

Listen to the interview with Lora Johnson and hear the story here:
https://bit.ly/Night_I_Met_Santa

Purchase the Book: https://www.thenightimetsanta.com/books/the-night-i-met-santa

00:00 The Season of Forgiveness
00:32 Introducing Courageous Retirement
00:51 The True Meaning of Christmas
02:03 The Importance of Forgiveness
04:07 Practical Steps to Forgiveness
06:09 Reflecting on Personal Hurts
08:41 Finding Joy in Forgiveness
09:01 Looking Forward to the New Year

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message!

Thank you for stopping by today! Remember to Engage Your Faith and Live Your More as you reap the benefits of Courageous Retirement!

To watch the video, check out my YouTube Channel under the Courageous Retirement Podcast.

Welcome back to Longing for More! It's been too long since I've released an episode here and I'm excited to share what's been happening since our last episode.

Host, Vona Johnson, reflects on her faith journey and understanding God's plan in this heartfelt episode. She shares how perceived missteps and years of uncertainty were laying a foundation for her true calling.

Vona reveals the importance of continued faith and trust in God's plan, even when life's path seems unclear. She shares how her podcast Courageous Retirement came to be and introduces the concept of ClubMore, encouraging viewers to find and live their MORE in life, driven by faith and God's purpose for each of us.

Scripture referenced:
Psalm 19: 7-9

Become an official member of ClubMore  at: https://www.clubmore.live.

Subscribe now to receive more valuable insights and tips that can help you navigate your retirement journey with courage and faith!

If you prefer to listen to the audio version of Courageous Retirement, you can find us here.

Learn more about Vona at vonajohnson.com.

#liveyourmore #courageousfaith #retirement #ClubMore

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message!

Thank you for stopping by today! Remember to Engage Your Faith and Live Your More as you reap the benefits of Courageous Retirement!

To watch the video, check out my YouTube Channel!

Learn more about the show, author Vona Johnson, and more at CourageousRetirement.com!

Do you long to make an impact in the world? Do you question whether God can use you? In this episode of Longing for More, special guest Jessica Klassen shares her journey of creating a unique approach to making an impact, and we'll dive deep into how God has guided her to fulfill His purpose. 

We'll also take a closer look at the Ripple Boxes Jessica has created, the challenges she's encountered, and how she has learned to trust God along the way. She explains how each Ripple Box impacts at least four different lives. She gives examples of unexpected ways they have encouraged others through difficult times and brought comfort during times of tragedy. 

Listeners have a unique opportunity to purchase a Ripple Box, with a portion of the proceeds going towards supporting victims of sex trafficking or local shelters. It's a rare chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most, so don't delay! 

So, grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and get ready to be inspired by the incredible stories of how God is transforming lives and using everyday people like you and me to create a lasting impact. 

Get all the details and links in the show notes. 

Join host Vona Johnson and her guest, Dr. Bren Williams, as they explore fulfilling God's purpose in life.

Discover the obstacles that hinder destiny, embrace daily opportunities, and strengthen your faith. Dr. Bren shares insights from her book, Breaking Forth 2 Destiny: Arising from where you are to where God has destined you to be.

In this engaging conversation, you will hear personal stories that will help you understand the power of prayer, the impact of small acts of kindness, and the importance of savoring the present. 

Tune in to find inspiration for relying on God's strength, and living a fulfilled and purposeful life.

In this amazing episode of "Longing for More," we visit with the wonderful Jodi Howe, host of the podcast Air That I Breath, speaker, Worship Leader, and new Author. We talked about in this time when Satan is actively impacting every area of life, it is even more important than ever that we live a life of purpose, trust in God even in the most difficult seasons, and incorporate scripture in our daily lives. 

In this conversation, where we discuss the hard topics of our day, Jodi emphasized the vulnerability of adolescence and how social media can negatively impact young people's fragile minds. We also discussed the attacks that come from Satan as we walk in faith and how it is crucial that people see Jesus through our words and actions when they aren't ready to know Him personally. 

Jodi's fearlessness and passion for spreading God's love are inspiring, and you won't want to miss this episode. 

#longingformore #godisgood #faith #biblestudy #podcastlove #adifferentview #longingformore #liveyourmore #equippedformore #theairthatIbreathe

On this episode of Longing for More, Vona Johnson and guest Elaine Briefman discuss the issue of "identity abuse" and how it can impact people's lives. Elaine shares her personal struggle and how she overcame it with the help of God. The episode covers topics like forgiving those who have hurt us, aligning our identity with Christ, and understanding the laws of nature and free will.

Listeners will learn about the impact of identity abuse and how to recognize lies from the enemy. The episode ends with an invitation to hear more of Elaine's work, learn how to create your own story in her 5 sentence framework, and watch her beautiful story of how God created each of us in a Youtube video. Connect with Elaine at identityabuse.com

In this episode, guest Marty Mitchell shares how to connect more deeply with the Holy Spirit and experience holiness in our lives. He challenges listeners to see past denominational lines and to focus on what unites Christians rather than what divides us. 

The conversations devels into exploring the importance of Scripture, humility, and genuinely listening to understand others. Mitchell discusses his book, The Capillaries of Christ, which helps individuals determine and understand their role in the body of Christ.

Mitchell and Johnson also discuss the joys and challenges of following God's call to leave their corporate careers to write, emphasizing that everyone has unique gifts, talents, and paths to follow. Though everyone has different life goals, the small things done with great love can make all the difference.

Listen to this episode that is rich with godly advice and examples on how to Live Your More and Shine Like a Saint!

Be sure to check out the searchable version of the show at LongingForMore.xyz to revisit your favorite part of the show. 

Just like everyone's DNA is different, everyone's faith journey is different. We have diverse experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds. We get to choose what course we will take, and our choices impact our path. It's an incredible gift that we can all end up in the same place with entirely different experiences as believers. 

In this episode, we explore where there are similarities in our paths and, as a result, how we can encourage and support one another along the way.

Join us as we discuss the typical stages of faith, from feeling there should be more to life, questioning our faith, and avoiding difficult conversations to courageously trusting God's wisdom, peacefully fulfilling our true purpose, and confidently explaining our hope in Christ. 

Where will your faith journey take you? Will you stay in the meadows and take the comfortable route, or will you venture into rocky terrain with exciting challenges? Even more importantly, will you trust God, or will you trust the ways of the world? 

Take the quiz at thefaithquiz.com and search for related material at longingformore.xyz. 

Do you ever get discouraged, feel like your work has little value, and begin to doubt if God can use you in your current circumstances?

You're not alone. We all waver between certainty and doubt at times. We want to walk in God's will, but when things don't turn out, it's easy to think we're on the wrong path and doubt our purpose. 

In this episode, we explore how sometimes God's definition of success differs from ours and how He wants us to continue in His plan, even when we don't see the results we desire. Listen in and learn how to find meaning in your work, whether it looks like you thought it would or not. 

Download the Essential Guide to Finding Meaning in Your Work here. 

The world can be a dark place. Too many focus on our differences and respond to the things we disagree on in unkind ways. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor, including those who aren't easy to love. 

As conservatives, we often hesitate to get involved in stopping the corruption we see around us; when we do, we don't always do so in a kind and loving manner. In this episode, we dig into what it means to be zealous for Christ without being a zealot. We, who want to make a positive change, can do so without responding to hate with hateful behaviors.

It's time we get back to God's truth and shine our light into the dark corners of our world, and this episode will inspire and empower you to do just that.

To gain free access to the Live Your More site to search through this and other episodes of Longing for More, register here and search the shows, videos, and courses by topic.