My guest today doesn’t get a break from physical pain. And because she’s living with pain that never ends, she stopped waiting to find joy on the other side of her suffering. 

K.J. Ramsey is a therapist and author inviting people into the lifelong process of acknowledging and recovering from trauma of all kinds. She joined me to talk about loving the bodies that feel like they’re failing us, resisting the deeply human urge to rush past our pain, and exercising agency in uncontrollable circumstances.

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

The Place Between Our Pains: A Memoir of What Joy Can Survive by K.J. Ramsey

Say Yes Scott Erickson - https://youtu.be/DkOP2K1ohTQ?si=P8rNfxmrGo4Tcwha

This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers by K.J. Ramsey

Where to find K.J. online:

Website: kjramsey.com

Instagram: @kjramseywrites

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/

There’s a lie circling around out there that we have to fall into a binary. Life can either be good or hard. We can choose grace or truth. Our politics can be either progressive or conservative. And if you know me, you know I don’t really buy into the “either/or” thing.

My guest today is Justin Giboney,  an ordained minister, attorney, author, and political strategist who is breaking out of the binary by inviting Christians to be faithful in the public square WITHOUT joining the culture war. For the last decade, Justin has led the AND Campaign, a non-partisan Biblical framework for civic engagement. He believes it’s possible for Christians to live with both compassion and conviction—and, my goodness, is it refreshing. 

If you feel like you don’t quite fit into a single party or you’re fighting the temptation to become politically apathetic, spend an hour with Justin and me. You’ll leave motivated, educated, and equipped to steward your public witness well.

What we mentioned:

“We All Have a Seat at the Table” - https://mendcoffee.shop/products/mend-mug

Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around: How the Black Church's Public Witness Leads Us out of the Culture War by Justin Giboney 

Ep. 74 with Sho Baraka - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/NzNiOWM1ZjAtZDEyNS00NzdiLWI0YmYtMDcxODFjMzEzNDAx

Amy Julia Becker’s interview with Justin Giboney - https://amyjuliabecker.com/culture-war-faith-justin-giboney/

Church Politics Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-politics-podcast/id1289898626

Justin’s recommendations for spiritual and political influences:

• Gardner C. Taylor
• G.K. Chesterton
• Ross Douthat
• Damon Linker
• Esau McCaulley 
• Alan Noble
• Lisa Fields
• Charlie Dates
• Unherd (TV Show)
• Breaking Points (TV Show)

Scriptures we mentioned:

Luke 18

Where to find Justin online:

Instagram: @justinegiboney

The And Campaign - https://www.andcampaign.org/

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/

Today I’m sitting down with a woman who is living out the message of this podcast: Suffering is not the end of your story. It’s the beginning of a new story.

My friend Courtney Pray Duke became a widow when she was just 29 years old. She was left to raise three small children all on her own. Courtney has experienced the deepest kind of loss, yet she never misses an opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God. 

If you’re navigating a situation that feels hopeless, let Courtney be a voice of authority in your grief and disappointment. Her life is proof that God has the power to redeem even the most broken stories.

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

And She Got Up: Shattered by Loss, Restored by Jesus by Courtney Pray Duke

Louie Giglio’s message from Passion 2013 - https://passionequip.com/talks/raised-to-life-by-the-breath-of-a-living-god

Never Alone Widows - https://www.neveralonewidows.com/

Scriptures we referenced:

Ezekiel 37

Psalm 68:5

Isaiah 43:19

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Where to find more from Courtney:

@courtneyprayduke

courtneyprayduke.com

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/

J.S. Park has spent over a decade at the bedsides of the sick and dying as a hospital chaplain. He passes his days in the valley of the shadow of death, and he hasn’t left empty-handed. He was generous enough to share what he’s learned about the utility of grief, the ministry of presence, and faith shaped by experience.

Show Notes
What we mentioned:

As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve by J.S. Park - https://a.co/d/04AUzjhF

The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O'Connor - https://a.co/d/03pTkAz7

We Are Made of Us: Uncovering Our Hidden Family Dynamics, Rewriting Our Stories, and Returning to Ourselves by J.S. Park - https://a.co/d/06lrj9A3

Where to find J.S. Park:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000/

Website: https://jspark3000.com/

Scriptures we referenced:

John 16:33

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/

My guest today is Sissy Goff, a licensed professional counselor for kids whose wisdom goes far beyond the boundaries of children and parenting. Her insights into anxiety, resilience, mental health, and spiritual wellbeing have served me as a mom and also as a person with worries and hurts of my own. She’s become a dear friend of mine and one of my most trusted voices as I navigate raising my two sons.

I asked Sissy for all the tips on raising kids that can do hard things…and how we can be adults who do hard things, too. We covered the anxiety epidemic, the capability crisis, the Enneagram in parenting. Whether you’re a parent or simply a person navigating a “John 16:33” world, there’s something for you in this conversation.

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

Daystar Counseling Ministries - https://www.daystarcounseling.com/

Are My Kids on Track?: The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach - https://a.co/d/03N6Oesv

Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World - https://a.co/d/0aCcqVSn

The Just Life Podcast with Benjamin Watson - Ruth Malhotra: The Woman Who Told The Truth About Ravi Zacharias - https://pod.link/1836971545/episode/MjQ3MTBkNDQtZmFkNi0xMWYwLWE0OWMtZTMzNGVmMGI2OTVi

Scriptures we referenced:

John 16:33

Where to find Sissy Goff:

Raising Girls and Boys - https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/

Instagram - @raisingboysandgirls and @sissygoff

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/

My friend Kim is a writer, speaker, and podcaster who has the gift of finding the arc of a story, even in the messiest moments. Lately she’s been searching for the storyline of grace throughout her life and what she found has changed everything.

Kim is witty, winsome, and oh-so-wise. In our hour together, she was as generous with her tears as she was with her laughter as we discussed the places where God’s grace meets our grief. 

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the Hurting - https://a.co/d/0bTx1bcW

Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit): Rediscovering the Grace that Sets Us Free by Kimberly Stewart - https://a.co/d/0eW6qxG4

The GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 114 with Adam Young - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/ZWZlMTg1NjUtNzhkZC00Mjg3LTg5YmEtZDRhMDQxMTQxYzA4

Scriptures we referenced:

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Psalm 4:1

Where to find Kim:

Website: https://www.kimberlystuart.com/

Instagram: @kimberly.stuart.writes

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/

Today I’m introducing you to a friend who has decided to make his life into a “joy lab.” His circumstances are anything but easy - tune in to see why - but he’s learned how to thrive within them.

Will Acuff is a disability dad, husband, author, and founder of a non-profit that helps underestimated entrepreneurs launch their own businesses. He has become an expert at building a life that can handle the hard stuff and today he’s sharing his hard-won method with us. It starts with self-awareness and it ends with joy.

What we mentioned:

Corner to Corner - https://cornertocorner.org/

No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness - https://a.co/d/04Tq0wFF

Henry Nouwen - author and theologian

“You’ve never met a mere mortal.” - C.S. Lewis

Amy Julia Becker’s Take the Next Step Podcast - https://amyjuliabecker.com/take-the-next-step-podcast/

Praxis - https://www.praxis.co/Goldman Sachs (female business training program) 

Scriptures we referenced:

• John 14

• Ephesians 3:20

• John 10:10

• Luke 15

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 stumbled into a place of leadership, almost by accident, after surviving an out-of-the-blue stroke and becoming a beacon of hope for a lot of people. I wanted to rise to the occasion of encouraging those people and pointing them to Jesus, but I quickly learned that leadership isn’t automatic. It’s a skill to develop. I wish I’d had a guide like Jo Saxton…which is exactly why I’m sharing her genius with you!

Jo is a speaker, author, podcast, and leadership coach who has given her life to helping women find their God-given places of leadership so they can thrive in their families, communities, and workplaces. Whether you’re a woman or not…whether you see yourself as a leader or not…this conversation has something for you.

What we mentioned:

Ezer Collective

The Dream of You: Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For by Jo Saxton

Scriptures we referenced:

• Genesis 1:27

• Genesis 2:18

• Psalm 121:1–2

• Psalm 46:1

• Judges 4–5

• 2 Kings 22:14–20

• 1 Chronicles 4:9–10

• Acts 16:14–15

• Romans 16

• Psalm 139:1–6, 13–14

• Joel 2:25

• Matthew 5:13–16 

• Jeremiah 29:7

Where to find more on Jo Saxton:

www.josaxton.com

Instagram: @josaxton

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/

Benjamin Wills is a man who has given every part of his life to the good/hard work of seeing people and communities restored to their God-given fullness. He’s worked and lived in marginalized communities, welcomed children into his family through adoption, shepherded a congregation in the Anglican church, and pastored my own Hope Heals Camp community for over five years!

Benjamin is gentle and humble of heart, while being an absolute force for God’s goodness in the city of Atlanta. I cannot wait for you to get to know this one-of-a-kind friend and soak up his wisdom on raising kids who know they’re beloved by God, the gift of spiritual direction, and the unexpected spiritual rhythms that have formed his soul most deeply.

Show Notes

What we mentioned:

Adam Young - https://adamyoungcounseling.com/

Curt Thompson - https://curtthompsonmd.com/

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

The Daily Examen - https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

Scriptures we referenced:

Romans 12:2

John 6:68

Where to find more from Benjamin Wills:

www.sozojustice.com 

Sozo Instagram: @sozojusticecollective

Personal Instagram: @mrwills23

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/

Parenting dynamics are complicated, to say the very least. Every mother and father will leave wounds on their children, no matter how carefully (or carelessly) they parent. Today I’m sitting down with Melanie Shankle, who was generous enough to share about the wounds left by her mother as well as the healing she’s found in raising a daughter of her own. 

Through her bestselling books and hilarious podcast, Melanie has shared her life with us for nearly two decades—from the frivolous and fun stuff to the hard and the heavy stuff. Her most recent book, Here Be Dragons, was one of the best books I’ve read in the last year. In true Melanie fashion, this conversation about aging well, relating to young adult kids, and breaking generational cycles is as heavy as it is light. I think you’ll enjoy every minute.

Show Notes:

What we mentioned:

Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle - https://a.co/d/0giagu3

Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle - https://a.co/d/0TMFnLl

Songs for the Anxious Heart - https://open.spotify.com/album/6mA22vsD5MvgUPCEPKgjBg?si=vHtRb743RuGHJQKLvAkK0w

Scriptures we referenced:

James 1:4

Isaiah 61:3

2 Corinthians 1:4

Where to find Melanie Shankle:

The Big Boo Cast - https://pod.link/262921699

@melanieshankle on Instagram

About 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/