Surrendering Like Sarah

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A big welcome to Natalie DeKryger, our guest for this week's podcast! Natalie is an oncology nurse, new mom, and wife to a fourth year medical student who just matched into general surgery. This conversation was recorded just before the birth of her son and match day, so hearing Natalie's trust in the Lord prior to these big life changes was so encouraging to us!

She shares...

• rhythms her and her husband established to intentionally cultivate their marriage.
• their pregnancy journey while navigating residency interviews and an upcoming match day.
• what trusting the Lord looks like as her husband approaches a surgical specialty and unknown match results.

We're grateful for Natalie's reflection and testimony, and pray it is exhorting to you!

Scriptures referenced: Philippians 1:6, Proverbs 16:9

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Join us for an early Match Day podcast release, featuring our friend, Katie Portolese! Katie is wife to a PGY5 general surgery resident who just completed the match process for a colorectal fellowship. Join us as Katie reflects on and compares her family's residency match experience to their recent fellowship match. 

She shares...

• how God has grown her faith in the seven years between both Match Days,
• the rich blessings God revealed after a disappointing residency match,
• practical advice on how to prepare for an upcoming Match.

If you are looking for Gospel hope as you're processing an upcoming (or recent) Match Day, then this episode is for you!

Scriptures referenced: John 15:4, Romans 1:19-20, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Proverbs 16:9.

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What a treat to kick off Season 3 with our friend, Karyssa Davidson! Karyssa is wife to a PGY5 Orthopedic Surgery resident and a mom to now (as of January 2026) four beautiful children! As she reflects on the past five years of training prior to a move for fellowship, her words speak to the heart of wives in the throes of challenging training years. 

Karyssa exhorts us to give grace to our husbands during long and difficult seasons of training, reminding us to look to Jesus as the perfect example of steadfast endurance as He endured the cross. She shares ways God has spoken to and encouraged her through long seasons of waiting to get married, have children, finish a season of long-distance while married, and completing surgical residency. We pray God uses her words as balm to your soul if you also are walking through a long and difficult season as a medical wife!

Scriptures Referenced: Proverbs 3:6, 2 Corinthians 12:9

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Robin Morgenthaler, wife to a pulmonologist and founder of Side By Side joins us in our Season 2 Finale! She shares about the numerous times she has surrendered to God's calling, from moving all over the country, to adoption, to founding Side By Side! 

We are so excited for you to hear the wisdom she shares with us! 

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We are honored to have Side By Side's Executive Director, Rebecca Lehman, join us for this episode! We've packed a lot of her story into this one - starting with her early life when the Lord laid a foundation of faith and ministry, and leading to how that foundation prepared her for her current leadership of Side By Side! 

Rebecca traces her experience with Side By Side, from first joining after having twins, to co-starting a chapter during residency, to joining the executive team, and finally to how she came to her current role as Executive Director. She gives the best practical advice: like when to say "yes" and "no" to ministry opportunities, and how to reassure your husband in his identity in Christ. Her wisdom is timeless and has been inspiring to us - we're thrilled to share this conversation with you!

Scriptures referenced: Philippians 1:27, Ecclesiastes 5:6, Romans 8:28, and Romans 5:2

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April Richards, wife to a child psychiatrist and mom of four kids, has packed this episode with such rich and practical wisdom! She shares what it was like when her husband resigned from residency, and how the Lord brought them to complete medical training even still. Her family is so beautifully redeeming family time now that training is complete, and the scriptures she shares are rich truth for us all.

Through humor and honest stories, April also gives many practical ways to deepen our faiths and marriages. We can't wait to share this episode with you!

Scriptures referenced: Psalm 10:28, Psalm 112:6-8, Psalm 51, Psalm 116:7

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We got to chat with Katie Cross this week and she has so much wisdom to share! Katie is a wife to a current orthopedics resident and a mom to her sweet little girl, River. She shares how she came to have a personal relationship with Jesus while her husband was in medical school, transitioning from one community to another, and how she and her husband have learned to protect their peace during the craziness of residency. She shares the practical ways they do this and how God has continued to sustain them through medical training. We can't wait for you to hear some of Katie's story!

Scriptures referenced: Isaiah 64:8 & Isaiah 40:28-31

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Allison Ivan joins us this episode and she has such a beautiful reflection to share on their training journey! Allison is a wife to a reconstructive urology fellow, a mom, and a physician assistant. She has such wisdom to impart as she and her family near the end of their medical training journey! 

This episode is incredibly timely, as she shares about God's faithfulness with a very unexpected residency match, followed by God's provision beyond what Allison and her husband could have imagined during residency. She also gives us all of the best practical tips to build intentional community where God plants us - because where He plants us is right where He wants us to be.

Scriptures Referenced: Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9

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We're so excited to be back with you for Season 2! After much time away, we've packed this episode with all the things we need to catch up on - what life looks like for Brooke & Megan, a new partnership for our ministry, a new team member for the podcast, and unpacking her story!

Nicole Hull has graciously joined the SLS team and joins us to share what surrender has looked like for her and her husband over the last few years. From experiencing engagement living across the country from one another, to trying for two years to get pregnant - Nicole exemplifies what trusting God looks like. Even if it means living out our greatest fears - and experiencing His goodness along the way.

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What better way to end Season 1 of SLS than with part 2 of Jackie Nave’s miraculous story?! Jackie is back to share the rest of her story - how a mass on her placenta during her third pregnancy turned into a placental abruption, and resulted in the most incredible outcome with her miracle baby girl. The gift of having a husband in residency gives us an insight into what it means to arrive at the hospital during shift change, the impeccable medical team caring for her, and the gift of personal relationships with her care team. A NICU stay with a resident husband also poses unique challenges - Jackie shares how God transformed her focus during this time with her daughter. We’re so honored to encourage you with the rest of Jackie’s story!

Scriptures Referenced: Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-8, Psalm 46:1-2

Songs Referenced: Heaven’s All Around by Life Church Worship

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