“Living awake” sounds great when it comes to the beautiful stuff, but it’s much harder to live fully awake when the losses and disappointments and heartbreaks won’t stop coming. If that sounds like your life, then you need to hear every minute of this conversation with my friend Jess Connolly—pastor, writer, and parent. We talked about how to begin the healing process, recovering from church hurt, parenting teenagers with trust, and finding your place in the kingdom of God. I left refreshed and you will too.

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

Episode 85: Sex, Conflict, and Covenant with Nick Connolly - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-85-sex-conflict-and-covenant-with-nick-connolly/id1437912225?i=1000712379382

All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore - https://a.co/d/5ignBRQ

The GoodHard Podcast Episode 105: Beth Moore on Walking with God - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-105-beth-moore-on-walking-with-god/id1496882479?i=1000724538891

The Fully Awake Women’s Club - https://jessconnolly.substack.com/

Jess on Instagram - @jessaconnolly

Jess’s website -https://www.jessconnolly.com/

Scriptures we referenced:

Psalm 40

Romans 5:3

For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me: https://hopeheals.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, a monthly digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content: http://eepurl.com/gGUnlf

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/spaces

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

This is the very first episode of Take the Next Step and I’m sharing it here because I refuse to let you miss the launch! You might just recognize the guest...

Be sure to follow Take the Next Step with Amy Julia Becker wherever you listen so you don’t miss any future episodes. amyjuliabecker.com/step/

__

Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of disability? Katherine Wolf, author, advocate, and co-founder of Hope Heals, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore how families can reimagine disability, build connection, and celebrate life. 

From the dinner table to the slow work of recovery, learn how to find delight in the story you have. Discover:

• How to experience joy in the process, not just the outcome

• Daily habits to cultivate gratitude and delight

• How to build a supportive, connected community

• Why purpose and contribution matter for every family

_

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Katherine’s books, resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities: hopeheals.com. 

• Luke 14

_

WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

_

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Katherine Wolf is an author, advocate, and co-founder of Hope Heals. After she survived a near-fatal brainstem stroke at age 26, her family’s journey through disability has become a public witness that good and hard can co-exist in the same story. Through caregiving, storytelling, and lived theology, Katherine is inviting others into a vision of hope, interdependence, and embodied resilience. She and her husband Jay live in Atlanta with their two sons.

Website: www.hopeheals.com 

Instagram: @hopeheals

_

Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals.

When I became physically disabled in my mid-twenties, much of the world became inaccessible to me—including faith spaces. I’ve now spent nearly two decades making a seat at the world’s table for people living with disabilities, which is why I feel such deep kinship with my guest today. His life is about making space at the table, too.

Jemar Tisby is a best-selling author, historian, and professor who is leading the church in the pursuit of racial justice. We’re talking all accessing your God-given purpose, creating inclusive communities, seeking the kingdom of God, and raising resilient kids. This conversation is rich with wisdom and I hope you’ll join us at the table for it.

What we mentioned:

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby - https://a.co/d/5nb0fpp

How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby - https://a.co/d/58D4cY7

The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar Tisby - https://a.co/d/aXphkaP

The Witness - https://thewitnessinc.com/

Footnotes by Jemar Tisby (Substack) - https://jemartisby.substack.com/

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - https://a.co/d/5iS6rVG

Stories of the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby - https://a.co/d/58D4cY7

Jemar on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jemartisby

Scriptures we referenced:

Galatians 3:28

Ephesians 4:1-16

Joshua 1:1-9

Matthew 22:37

More about Katherine & Hope Heals

For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me: https://hopeheals.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, a monthly digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content: http://eepurl.com/gGUnlf

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/spaces

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

I’m so excited to share the trailer for something new with you—Take the Next Step! Hope Heals is partnering with Amy Julia Becker on a podcast especially for families experiencing disability. This new show is filled with real talk, real tools, and real hope. Tune in over at Take the Next Step each week for conversations with parents, therapists, and advocates about how we can cultivate belonging and build a flourishing future for the entire family. (And spoiler, I'm her guest on the first episode, airing September 17th!)

You can find the new podcast by searching "Take the Next Step with Amy Julia Becker" on your podcast app, or find all the links at amyjuliabecker.com/step

Look out for new episodes every week starting September 17.

WATCH the conversations every week on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/step/

Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals.

There will be moments in our lives that change us forever—terrible moments, epic moments, and maybe even ordinary moments. My second-chance story and my life’s calling spun out of the worst moment of my life. And, somehow, God made it into something really, really good.

My guest today is Zach Meerkreebs. He was at the center of the Asbury outpouring, an historical spiritual movement that changed lives around the world. That moment marked Zach, but it’s not the only moment that has drawn him into deeper wonder, surrender, and humility. During our time together, he shared about how the loss of his daughter and being let go from his first job in ministry have been as important as any revival to his spiritual formation and friendship with Jesus.

What we mentioned:

Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility by Zach Meerkreebs - https://a.co/d/fBFvr7I

About Staughn Coleman - https://www.commonerscommunion.com/about

The Daily Examen - https://www.jesuits.org/spirituality/the-ignatian-examen/

Barnabas Collective - https://www.barnabascollective.org/

Zach on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zachmeerkreebs/

Scriptures we referenced:

Philippians 2:6

Matthew 7:6

John 15:15-16

Esther 9:1

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Psalm 139:1-24

About Katherine & Hope Heals

For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me: https://hopeheals.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, a monthly digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content: http://eepurl.com/gGUnlf

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/spaces

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals

In our debut episode of an all-new season, I sat down with my spiritual hero and dear friend Beth Moore to talk about all the creative ways we can walk—or roll!—with God. Beth and I dug into how she’s kept a tender heart when life got tough, loving her husband through the valleys of mental illness, and navigating closed doors when pursuing her calling. I will remember this conversation forever. I’m praying our time with Beth encourages you, comforts you, and challenges you to run (or roll) your race well to the very end.

What we mentioned:

All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore - https://a.co/d/5ignBRQ

Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman Bible Study by Beth Moore - https://store.lproof.org/products/esther-member-book

Letter to My Brothers - https://blog.lproof.org/2018/05/a-letter-to-my-brothers.html

Walking with God: A Five Week Journey In Step with the Savior by Beth Moore - https://www.tyndale.com/p/walking-with-god/9798400510175

Scriptures we referenced:

Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Corinthians 11:1

Hebrews 13:7-8

Hebrews 6:10

Psalm 62:8

Acts 14:22

John 15:8

2 Corinthians 6:8

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

More information:

For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me: https://hopeheals.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, a monthly digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content: http://eepurl.com/gGUnlf

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/spaces

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

This season of The GoodHard Story Podcast has been rich beyond belief. Every episode was inspired by a question or suggestion YOU sent to me, so thank you! Because of your thoughtful contributions and vulnerability, we’ve had dozens of life-giving and heart-changing conversations with people who are living their good/hard lives with clarity, intention, courage, faith, and (of course) transcendent hope.

I am so grateful that you shared so many hours of the past year with me, friends.

So many of these episodes have been a balm to my own soul, and I don’t want to forget all the goodness I’ve found here. So to celebrate the final episode of this season, I’m rounding up my ten favorite takeaways. (And they were SO hard to choose!) I plan to preach these truths to myself when I need them most and I hope you can do the same!

The GoodHard Story Podcast team will be taking a much needed summer break, but we’re already planning the most glorious lineup for Season 5. We’ll be back with all-new conversations in September! Remember, our catalog of over 100 episodes is always available in your favorite podcast app for you to savor (or binge!) in the meantime.

Show Notes:

Ep. 68 with Debra Fileta - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/88d861cf62c5b4da4d75c7785fc488bc

Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, Discover Unspeakable Joy by Debra Fileta - https://a.co/d/8SV3xKC

Ep. 71 with Adam Young - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/127f135d0f8f4b67fd2d4b5de256ad7c

Ep. 76 - 5 Reasons You Are Worthy of Receiving Care - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/cd2cbb41bb24b4579194d998830fb778

Ep. 78 with Ken and Joni Tada - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/137f31e9a3346ad15652b286b65cc0cc

Ep. 81 with Dan Allender - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/52f3e1bcc8767db0cb460dc734ba528b

Story Work Conference - https://theallendercenter.org/event/storyworkconference/

Ep. 82 with Lysa TerKeurst - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/e37e33f2946bef380ca85f60b7b0f792

Ep. 85 with Brook Hensley - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/73c154ab9a616c9219a36816624e92f1

Ep. 93 with Mary Austin Hall - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/9ef2f04fc5f02e71b20fa5b7aa2a6014

Ep. 94 with Dr. John Swinton - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/565eb21c7e2a0b580d942c64560f312f

Ep. 98 with Philip Yancey - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/7ff1ca2eb98b273f3d5479dc5504d9f3

Where the Light Fell: A Memoir by Philip Yancey - https://a.co/d/47InSUW

Learn more about Hope Heals: https://hopeheals.com/

Learn more about MEND Coffee and Goods: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Make a donation: https://hopeheals-bloom.kindful.com/

Hope Heals Hangouts: https://hopeheals.com/hangouts

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

Genesis 50:20

Galatians 6:5

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

What story do you believe you’re living in? Friend, your answer to that question could not be more important.

Learning to tell the truest version of my story to empathetic listeners has healed my heart after so much breaking. A decade and a half of this work has helped me integrate the hurt with the hope, and God’s goodness with his mystery. Today I’m sitting down with the person who taught me how to start telling that story years and years ago—Dr. Curt Thompson.

Dr. Thompson is a renowned psychiatrist, author, and speaker who brings together the wisdom of neuroscience and spiritual formation to help people (like me!) understand and re-narrate their lives. In this episode we’ll cover:

• Discovering your suffering in the context of community
• Allowing Jesus to access our entire selves
• Suffering can be redefined even when it isn’t resolved
• Transforming your anger into something useful
• Becoming the empathetic listener that other people need

If you want to be transformed by your suffering but need some support in making that happen, this conversation is for you.

Show Notes:

The GoodHard Podcast Episode 71 with Dan Allender - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/127f135d0f8f4b67fd2d4b5de256ad7c

Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything - https://a.co/d/6XHzUiJ

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

John 16:33

Mark 5:25-34

2 Corinthians 4:16

Deuteronomy 8

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

Seasons of suffering can take so much from us—our health, a loved one, our sense of security. There’s a more expansive loss that runs through all those other kinds of loss: we lose our ability to imagine a good future. We only remember pain and hurt, which means we anticipate a future filled with more pain and hurt. 

I don’t think it has to be this way. Even when the worst things happen, it’s possible to dream new dreams. And it’s possible to imagine a good future for ourselves and for the people we love.

Today we’re talking to a woman on the leading edge of imagining—and creating—good futures. Amy Julia Becker is an author, speaker, and one of my very favorite thought leaders in the faith and disability space. Hours after giving birth to her first daughter, Princeton grad Amy Julia received the unexpected news that her little girl had an intellectual disability. Amy Julia’s lived experience paired with her brilliant mind and love of Jesus make her an invaluable guide as you and I take the next step toward a future filled with hope.

Here’s what you’ll take away from this conversation:

• A refreshing redefinition of “the good life”
• One thing you can do when life takes a totally unexpected turn
• Proof that the life you didn’t expect can still be a life you love
• Tons of practical resources and recommendations for taking your next step

If you need inspiration to begin imagining a good future, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

The GoodHard Story Ep. 94 with Dr. John Swinton - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/565eb21c7e2a0b580d942c64560f312f

A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker - https://a.co/d/hHW7Xfs

Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp/

The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy Crouch - https://a.co/d/hpkQxOO

The GoodHard Story Ep. 98 with Philip Yancey - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/7ff1ca2eb98b273f3d5479dc5504d9f3

Where the Light Fell: A Memoir by Philip Yancey - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/7ff1ca2eb98b273f3d5479dc5504d9f3

Re-Imagining Family Life with Disabilities Workshop - https://amyjuliabecker.com/workshop/

The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnick - https://a.co/d/70JXPiS

Amy Julia’s Substack - https://amyjuliabecker.substack.com/

Amy Julia’s podcast - https://amyjuliabecker.com/podcast/

Amy Julia on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amyjuliabecker/

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

Blessed are those who mourn. Most of us have heard it over and over…but I know I’m not the only one wondering how this could be true in God’s kingdom.

Megan Fate Marshman will give you imagination for how the mourning and meek and poor in spirit might be called blessed…and might actually believe they’re blessed. This friend of mine has navigated the deepest kind of loss after her husband’s death in 2021. Since then, Megan has become a survival guide for grieving and healing with hope. She is navigating her “new normal” with incomparable grace, gratitude, and a steady trust in God’s good plan. Today she’s sharing how she’s managing to do that, and how you can too.

Here’s just a bit of the riches waiting for you if you listen:

• The surprising blessing of being needy
• Why we’ve got to be honest with God about our anger and anxiety
• Building your dream team of friends
• What “good” actually means, by God’s definition
• The role of spiritual rhythms in our soul formation

If you need a fresh vision for flourishing in the most difficult seasons, this episode is for you.

“The good things of God are chiefly peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost in this life; fruition of God’s presence, and vision of his blessed face in the next, and these good things God never bestows upon the wicked, never withholds from the godly.” - Sir Richard Baker

“Settled Into Place” by Oh Sparrow - https://youtu.be/oa7zaK_lP-k?feature=shared

Megan Fate Marshman on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meganfate/

Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing by Megan Fate Marshman - https://a.co/d/4m4JNv2

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

• Matthew 5
• Revelation 21
• Psalm 139
• Romans 8:28
• Psalm 84:11

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/