When I go to bed my next day is planned trusting the sun will rise, as it does every morning. Without conscious thought I believe in it's faithful presence.

Because of this rhythm of life (and others like it) I wrongly assume each day will continue to be the same. I can take relationships and moments for granted.

Then when a tragedy comes my way, a spirit of fear follows close behind. The "what if" enters the picture and I struggle to shake a fear of what could happen.

In Lisa Appelo's case, in June of 2011 she went to bed with her husband of 26 years and was awakened by the sounds of him having a fatal heart attack.

With one of her worst fears realized, Lisa learned to lean on her faithful God. By fighting fear with God's promises, she moved forward in the life He has called her--a life of loving and training her seven beautiful children (and daughter-in-law). 

In this episode Lisa shares her story, but more importantly she shares her faith. Then she disciples us in taking thoughts captive, holding them up to the truth of Christ. At the end of the episode I beg Lisa to share some mommy wisdom with me.

But this is the main deal, y'all...

We have put our trust in a God who declares himself to be faithful. It's not that He chooses to be faithful to us. It is His very character. . . He is faithful. He can be nothing else to us. -Lisa Appelo

AND. . .

If you're looking for a great resource to study the Bible and walk through the life of Jesus, click here to get a FREE copy of Lisa's Bible Reading Guide: "100 Days with Christ".

What we chat about:

* How Lisa's world changed the Summer of 2011

* What the end of a marriage covenant looks like

* How God blesses us when we obey His simple promptings

* What encouragement Lisa would give to a young woman in a hard marriage season

* How to fight fear considering Proverbs 31 & 2 Corinthians 10:5

* How do you know God is faithful when your husband passes away

* What's one thing Lisa's learned boys need

* What regular family Bible reading routine helped Lisa in her parenting

* Lisa's awesome idea for dividing up home responsibilities

* How the body of Christ comes together to help care for widows & single moms

GCM Podcast Club Discussion Questions:

Lisa shares that there will be hard times in our marriages-- peaks and valleys. What are some ways you can make time to build your relationship up especially when life gets busy?

Take a moment to wait on the Lord for your marriage. Ask God how you can put your husband at the center and listen for ways to serve him.

We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Are there any lies you are believing about your future? Are there obstacles in your life you aren’t surrendering to God?

We all want to build God’s word into our kids’ hearts. Lisa shares about having a daily Bible time with her kids. Are you doing something to consistently pour God’s word into your kids?

This episode may have brought up fears about losing your husband. Take a moment to pray for your marriage and thank God for your spouse (if you are married). Thanksgiving pushes out fear!

Links Mentioned:

* Lisa's Story

* Say Fare...