In this episode, Jonathan interviews Ginger Gilbert Ravella,  a military wife and widow, mother of five, stepmother of two, writer and international speaker.  At 36 years old, she faced the sudden tragic loss of her college-sweetheart husband in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the horrors that quickly followed. Ginger shares her story, sudden loss, and the overwhelming nature of the life she found herself living.

Ginger answers the question, “How has God rescued you?” sharing the depth and darkness of her anxiety and depression and shares how it has built a heart of compassion in her for those going through similar pain. 

Scriptures

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16 NIV

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 37:4

Ginger Ravella’s Book, Hope Found: https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Found-When-hoped-would/dp/1512777870/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ginger+ravella&qid=1619799302&sr=8-1

Troy Gilbert Article

http://today.ttu.edu/posts/2016/11/troy-gilbert

In this season wrap up, Jonathan talks about what it means for him to move on from his tragedy of losing his wife Wynter. He shares how moving on doesn’t mean forgetting and the importance of remembrance. Join him as he verbalizes his process, some of it for the very first time. 

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Jonathan sits down with one of his spiritual fathers, Pastor and Author Scott Wilson, as they recall the moments where Jonathan needed a father the most. They remember Scott showing up for Jonathan and the girls as Wynter took her last breaths and leading them through her funeral and into today. They discuss what it means to have a spiritual father and what it means to be a spiritual father. 

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Jonathan catches up with his friends, singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and his equally talented wife and vocalist, Adrienne Camp. The couple came into his life in a special way through events surrounding Wynter’s death.  Like Jonathan, Jeremy experienced the loss of his wife and Jeremy and Adie join the podcast to share God’s goodness through their friendship and the faith developed through loss and grief. They discuss their new film I Still Believe and how God has worked in their family and marriage and even changed their ministry through this COVID season.

Jonathan sits down with one of his spiritual and vocational mentors, Bill Collins. Bill, a faithful husband, father to 7 children and more than 20 grandchildren is  a retired corporate executive who is still leveraging his life for the Kingdom in his 70s. He is precisely the man Jonathan aspires to be one day.  Jonathan and Bill have a conversation about what it looks like to be a wholehearted follower of Jesus and the characteristics of such a person as a parent, leader and ambassador for Christ.

Jonathan interviews his oldest daughter, actress and vocalist, Alena Pitts.  In their conversation they define what it means to engage in “soul talk,” meaningful conversations between God and yourself and oftentimes yourself and others. Jonathan shares a story that marked his life that involved Alena after the passing of her mother, Wynter Pitts, and Alena shares her heart, pain and learnings since losing her best friend and mentor.

Jonathan interviews his good friend and pediatric counselor, Sissy Goff.  Sissy is the Director of Child & Adolescent Counseling at DayStar Counseling Ministries and has walked with the Pitts family through their season of loss, grief, anxiety, co-dependency and more.  Sissy shares her experience in helping parents lead their kids through the challenges that life has to offer and offers practical tools for dealing with worry and anxiety.

Jonathan discusses the reality and beauty of disruptive moments, those unanticipated events in life that mark you. He interviews two of his sisters, Leigh-Anna Rubio and Carmen Pitts, both of whom stepped in to support him in the most disruptive moment of his life in the loss of his wife and the mother of his girls, Wynter Pitts.  They share their own disruptive moments from the perspective of motherhood, surrogate motherhood and loss and how God has changed them in those moments.

Jonathan interviews the most famous couple he knows who you’ve never met, his parents Garry and Miriam Pitts. As they talk about walking with Jonathan through his grief journey with perseverance they also share their story of persevering for more than 40 years in marriage. Garry and Miriam began an interracial marriage in the 1970’s and share their story of love, learning and leaning on God.