What if happiness isn’t what the world tells us it is?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Lisa Harper to talk about what true happiness really looks like and where to find it. She shares about her bold journey of adopting her daughter, her perspective on issues of injustice and racism, and how joy and contentment can be rooted in something deeper than circumstances. Whether you’re searching for purpose, longing for joy, or trying to make sense of life’s complexities, this episode will remind you that happiness is possible when we root our lives in God’s love.

Lisa Harper is a preacher, author, and theological scholar who has spent decades inspiring women with her honest, authentic, and profound teaching. She is passionate about making the Bible accessible and real while encouraging others to live with courage, compassion, and faith. Lisa’s story is a powerful example of living boldly and joyfully, no matter the challenges.

• How Lisa’s adoption journey shaped her understanding of love and happiness
• Why conversations about injustice and racism matter deeply to faith and community
• What happiness is—and isn’t—when viewed through a biblical lens
• How to cultivate authentic joy in the midst of life’s ups and downs

If you’ve ever chased after happiness and still felt empty, this episode will give you a fresh perspective. You’ll be reminded that happiness isn’t about perfection or external success, but about rooting your life in God’s presence and love.

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In this episode of the podcast, we had the joy of chatting with Jennifer from the Darling I Love It blog, which is a platform that features Jennifer’s incredible interior styling skills, her heart for adoption, and her inspirational encouragement. In this conversation we talked about the importance of a peaceful space, the beauty of adoption, the meaning of family, and practical style. To find out more about Jennifer and to see her drool-worthy lifestyle shots, you can visit her website at http://www.darlingiloveit.com/.

What do you do when you're facing an impossible situation and all you can do is pray for a miracle?

When Abbie Wentzel went into labor with her third child, she never imagined that what began as a long-awaited birth story would quickly become a desperate fight for her daughter's life. After a remarkably fast delivery, Lily was born without a detectable heart rate, was not breathing, and had suffered severe oxygen deprivation. She was later diagnosed with HIE, was fighting a serious infection and septic shock, and faced a long list of life-threatening complications.

But Abbie and her husband, Brandon, refused to stop praying.

As Lily's condition became critical, friends, family, churches, and even people around the world began praying for a miracle. Abbie shares what it was like to trust God while being told that her daughter might not survive, how she learned to hope even when she feared the worst, and what happened as Lily slowly began to overcome one impossible obstacle after another.

This conversation is for the woman who is exhausted from fighting, afraid to hope, or wondering where God is in the middle of an impossible situation. Abbie's story will encourage you to bring your honest pain to God, keep praying when you cannot see the outcome, and remember that you do not have to fight alone. Even in the darkest valley, God is present, faithful, and able to do more than we can imagine.

Abbie Wentzel is a wife, mom, and storyteller who shares the powerful story of her daughter Lily's miraculous recovery after a life-threatening birth and devastating medical complications. Abbie studied English creative writing at Western Washington University and later earned a master's degree in business with an emphasis in social entrepreneurship. In this conversation, she opens up about one of the hardest experiences her family has ever faced—and the faith, prayer, community, and hope that carried them through it.

Her story offers an honest look at what it means to trust God when the future feels frightening and uncertain, while reminding us that God can meet us in the places where we feel most desperate and powerless.

• When you're afraid to hope because you could be disappointed: Learn how to bring your worst fears honestly to God while still believing that He is good.
• When you're facing an impossible situation: Remember that you don't have to see the whole path ahead to take the next step of faith.
• When prayer feels like the only thing you can do: Be encouraged by the power of unified prayer and the difference it can make when people come together to seek God.
• When you're exhausted from fighting: Discover what it means to trust that God can fight for you when you have nothing left.
• When you feel alone in your pain: Remember Abbie's encouragement that God is present with you in the "well," not waiting for you to climb out by yourself.

If you're fighting a battle you never asked for, you don't have to figure out the future today. God is with you in this moment, and He will give you what you need for the next step. Keep bringing Him your honest pain, keep praying, and don't give up.

If this episode gives you hope, would you take a moment to subscribe to the Collide Podcast, leave a review, or share it with a woman who may need the reminder that she is not alone? Your support helps more women find conversations about faith, healing, and hope.

You can watch a video about Abbie and her family’s story at: facebook.com/whitewaterchurch/videos/2007332382892806/

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📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Have you ever wondered who you are apart from your roles, accomplishments, or the expectations of others?

Whether you're navigating an empty nest, grieving a life transition, or simply feeling exhausted from trying to prove your worth, this conversation is an invitation to pause. Spiritual director and author Marilyn Vancil shares how God meets us in our deepest questions of identity and gently invites us to lay down the false stories we've believed so we can discover the freedom of becoming who He created us to be.

Who are you when the titles you've carried begin to disappear?

After decades serving in ministry and raising four children, Marilyn Vancil entered a season where she no longer recognized herself outside of the roles she'd faithfully embraced. That painful season became the beginning of a deeper journey with Jesus—one that led her to spiritual direction, the Enneagram, and ultimately a richer understanding of what it means to find your identity in Christ.

In this honest conversation, Marilyn joins Willow to explore why self-awareness is such an essential part of spiritual growth. Together they discuss why our strongest emotional reactions often point toward deeper wounds, how our protective patterns can keep us from experiencing true freedom, and why Jesus' invitation to "lose your life to find it" isn't about becoming less yourself—it's about becoming the truest version of yourself in Him.

If you've ever felt lost after a major life transition, struggled to know who you are apart from what you do, or longed for lasting freedom from old beliefs and unhealthy patterns, this episode offers practical wisdom and deep hope. You'll be reminded that God isn't finished with your story. He's continually inviting you into greater freedom, healing, and transformation.

Marilyn is a spiritual director, life coach, trained Enneagram teacher, and the author of Beyond the Enneagram and Self to Lose, Self to Find. For more than three decades, she's helped people discover their God-given identity through spiritual formation, biblical teaching, and self-awareness. Rather than using the Enneagram simply as a personality assessment, Marilyn approaches it as a discipleship tool that helps uncover false beliefs, unhealthy patterns, and the places where Jesus invites deeper healing. Her passion is helping people experience lasting transformation by living more fully into the person God created them to be.

• How do you find your identity in Christ instead of your roles? Learn why seasons of transition often reveal where we've placed our identity—and how God meets us there.
• Why do emotional triggers matter? Discover how your strongest reactions can reveal deeper wounds that Jesus wants to heal.
• What keeps us stuck in unhealthy patterns? Marilyn explains how our protective "false self" once kept us safe but can eventually keep us from flourishing.
• What does Jesus really mean when He says to lose your life? A fresh biblical perspective on surrender that leads to freedom instead of fear.
• How can self-awareness deepen your relationship with God? Practical ways to pause, listen, and recognize God's invitations toward transformation.

If you've been feeling lost, overlooked, or unsure who you are anymore, you're not behind and you're not forgotten. God is still writing your story, and He's inviting you into greater freedom than you've ever imagined.

If today's conversation encouraged you, subscribe to the Collide Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who may need the reminder that her identity has never been found in what she does—but in whose she is.

Marilyn Vancil

• Website: marilynvancil.com
• Instagram: @marilynvancil

Book

• Self to Lose, Self to Find
• Beyond the Enneagram

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

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Christie is the Founder of Purpose Boutique, which is a business that combines her gift for style with a greater Purpose, which is loving, serving, and giving generously to set people free from human trafficking. Christie and her husband have watched Purpose Boutique grow faster than anyone thought possible. In this episode, we chat with Christie about how she found her calling, what obstacles were in the way, and ultimately, what it looks like to use your passion for a purpose.

Today’s guest is spicy, sassy, passionate and hilarious. Anh Johnson is a woman who takes God’s call on her life seriously and she believes without a shadow of a doubt that God can use women in the world to do amazing things. In short, she embodies so much of what Collide encourages women to believe. Anh’s story is unique and we were blessed to have her share her heart and her own experience with racism as we continue on in our Race Conversations series.

Today on the podcast we’re hearing from Sherae Tillis, who has an MA in International Community Development, and who works for a non-profit that shares the love of Jesus with children around the world by providing for their basic needs. This woman is gentle, wise, and SO much fun to chat with (we get the pleasure of having her on the Collide Ministry Team), so you’re not going to want to miss out on her conversation with Collide’s Founder and Director, Willow Weston, as we continue on in our Race Conversations series.

In this episode, we continue on with our Race Conversations with an interview with Dee Dee Davis. This amazing woman recently received a Bachelor’s  degree in Human Services, with the goal to work with at-risk youth in the Juvenile Justice system. She has spent a great deal of time growing in this passion through her volunteer work with homeless youth in addition to spending 30 years as a caregiver for the elderly. As a Black woman, Dee Dee has personally experienced injustice and has spent many years being a bridge builder in the hopes of serving those who also experience it.

We’re kicking off a series, Race Conversations, with Pastor Jonita Johnson (affectionately known as Mama Jay). This incredible woman is a preacher, mother, grandmother, author, and so much more - she even owned a company called Mama Jay's Lip Smackin’ GOOD Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce and Rubs. What doesn’t this woman do?! Collide Founder and Director Willow Weston got the privilege of interviewing Pastor Jay about her experience as a Black woman in different parts of the country, how we can tangibly love one another better, and what it means to reconcile under the name of Christ.

You can find Jonita’s books at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jay_cobid or on Amazon.

This episode’s guest is a coach of coaches and he has so much wisdom to share. Corey Schlosser-Hall teaches and consults locally and nationwide on wholehearted discipleship, innovative leadership, and helping Christ’s church flourish in the 21st century. We chatted with Corey about helping people find their calling, how to heal after being wounded by the church, and thinking outside of the box about what church could look like. Listen in on this motivating episode!