In this special episode, we revisit Bunni Pounds’ powerful remarks on America Reads the Bible—a national movement calling believers back to Scripture as the foundation of gratitude, renewal, and hope for our nation.

Originally shared at the Pray Vote Stand Summit, hosted by Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, Bunni casts a compelling vision for America Reads the Bible 2026—a once-in-a-generation effort to unite believers in every state to read the entire Bible aloud, from Genesis to Revelation, in Washington, D.C. and across the nation as we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

This holiday season, as we pause to give thanks, Bunni reminds us that true gratitude flows from God’s Word—and that returning to Scripture is essential to rebuilding the spiritual foundations of America.

She also highlights how God is weaving together ministries and leaders—Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, Candace Cameron Bure, members of Congress, and over 100 national ministries—to declare with one voice: God’s Word still speaks, and truth still matters.

Learn more & get involved: https://americareadsthebible.com
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SUMMARY:

-Faith roots: Grew up in a large Romanian Christian family (with Syrian Christian heritage); accepted Christ at 7; faith deepened after her aunt’s death from cancer.

-Calling to law: Loved advocacy and public speaking; passed the bar after intense study; landed her dream role as a federal prosecutor in San Francisco.

-Health crisis: Fell acutely ill in week two on the job with a rare, under-researched neurological vertigo disorder; tried ~30–150 therapies and ~38 medications (often worsened symptoms); bedridden for three years on a bedpan; ultimately resigned her post.

-Ongoing illness: Continues to experience constant spinning sensations; multiple tentative diagnoses, no definitive cure; learned to walk again despite worsening symptoms when upright.

-Spiritual wrestle: Initial confusion turned to seasons of bitterness and anger (more than depression); felt misunderstood by some believers when she sensed God calling her to accept ongoing suffering.

-Acceptance and surrender: Believes God spoke that she would not be fully healed on this side of eternity; fasting exposed idols of health, marriage, and career; moved toward surrender and trust.

-Meeting Matt: Church acquaintance (youth leader) who reached out during her bedridden years; he had suffered childhood cancer and was later diagnosed with terminal cancer; they formed a deep bond through shared suffering.

-Marriage and loss: Married despite her illness and his terminal diagnosis; experienced “joy in grief” through ministry and creativity; Matt died a year later; Lara testifies to God’s peace and preparation through the loss.

-Joy amid grief: Practiced finding “sprinkles of joy” (comedy clips, music, niece’s smile, devotionals); launched The Silverman Show (YouTube: comedy, music, theology); organized jazz fundraisers, including $13K raised for Haiti.

-Theology of suffering:

-Identity transformation: Early identity tied to achievement and “gold stars”; illness stripped these; learned identity in Christ, not performance; challenged by Matt’s loving rebukes about pride and usefulness.

-Honest struggles: Jealousy when others receive “basic blessings” (marriage, children, health); wrestled with God’s statement “I know what’s best for you”; learning to believe God’s wisdom without having micro-level reasons.

-Church’s role: Encourage sound theology of suffering, eternal perspective, and the call to “joy in grief”; avoid equating God’s love solely with earthly blessings.

-Memoir: Wrote her memoir from bed over eight months, capturing God’s “receipts” (journaled answers, provisions, and lessons); aims to comfort sufferers with biblical reasons for suffering and stories of God’s nearness.

-Hope redefined: Realistic hope is anchored in eternity (John 11:25); freedom from fear of death empowers purposeful living now.

-Key scriptures referenced:

-Core takeaway: God provides “streams in the desert.” Open your heart to receive and choose joy in the midst of grief; joy and sorrow can coexist, and God will redeem suff

Have you or your children ever struggled to trust God with your feelings?

In this heartfelt episode, host Tina Yeager sits down with author, editor, and mother Abigail Gehring Lawrence to dive into what it truly means to trust God with our feelings—especially during life's toughest moments. Drawing from her own experience with devastating loss and grief after the stillbirth of her daughter Hazel, Abigail Gehring Lawrence shares how her journey through suffering has shaped her understanding of trusting God, even when life feels unfair and hopeless.

Together, Tina Yeager and Abigail Gehring Lawrence explore the importance of validating and naming emotions, encouraging both children and adults to bring their messiest, most difficult feelings to God. They discuss how storytelling—and specifically Abigail Gehring Lawrence's new children's book, "God's Very Good Plan," co-authored with her son William—can be a powerful vehicle for healing, resilience, and connection. Whether your family is navigating grief, disappointment, or simply everyday struggles, this episode offers practical wisdom and compassionate insight for helping kids and parents trust God with their feelings and find hope, even in the midst of pain.

Highlights from the Episode:

• Abigail Gehring Lawrence beautifully explains why naming emotions and validating them for children can help them feel seen—and how this equips them for life.

• Discover why stories, especially those with imaginative elements, are powerful vehicles for helping children process their feelings and connect with faith.

• Learn practical ways parents can use storytelling and resources (like feelings charts) to help children navigate loss, disappointment, and even trauma in a safe and honest context.

• The conversation explores how God meets us in our deepest pain, and how—even when we can't feel His presence—He surrounds us through beauty, community, and empathy, just as Jesus did when He wept with others in their suffering.

• Tina Yeager reminds us that all feelings are valid and provides important insights for parents to distinguish between emotions and behaviors—and how to help children process both in a faith-filled way, without shame.

Whether you are a parent, caregiver, or someone seeking hope and healing, this episode offers practical tips, compassionate wisdom, and tangible ways to walk through messy feelings—trusting God in the process. If you know a family struggling with grief or disappointment, Abigail's children's book makes a meaningful gift and conversation starter.

Get Your Copy of God's Very Good Plan: Available wherever books are sold—Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBooks.com, Scholastic, or at your favorite local bookstore.

Connect with Abigail: Find Abigail Gehring Lawrence on Facebook for updates and more resources.

We hope this episode inspires you—whether for your family or someone you love—to embrace honest feelings, lean on loving community, and discover deeper trust in God.

We're thrilled to accompany you on this journey of faith, growth, and transformation. As always, we appreciate your support! Please subscribe and share this episode. We can't wait for you to join us for future episodes of Flourish-Meant.

To book Tina as a speaker, connect with her life coaching services, and more, visit her website: https://tinayeager.com/

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This episode is part of our series with our parent ministry, Family Policy Alliance — Building a Movement for America (FPA), highlighting leaders who are shaping the landscape of faith, freedom, and family across the nation.

This week on Conversations with Christians Engaged, host Ben Quine sits down with Victoria Cobb, President of the Family Foundation of Virginia, for a timely and sobering conversation about free speech, religious liberty, and the growing cost of standing for biblical truth in America.

As a speaker invitation at a public high school sparks legal threats, public backlash, and accusations before a word is even spoken, Victoria shares what this moment reveals about:

• The increasing pressure on Christians in the public square
• ⚖️ Lawfare, intimidation, and threats to free speech
• Why public policy matters for keeping the doors open for the Gospel
• ️ The urgent need to raise up trained, courageous Christian leaders
• How prayer, Scripture, and grassroots engagement fuel lasting change

Learn more about Victoria's work: https://www.familyfoundation.org
Connect with Family Policy Alliance: https://familypolicyalliance.com

Join Christians Engaged as we equip believers to pray, vote, and engage for the glory of God and the good of our nation.

Learn more, support, and get involved:
▪️ christiansengaged.org
▪️ christiansengaged.org/donate
▪️ christiansengaged.org/pledge