The Unfolding

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Holly Schell thought she knew God. She and her husband were raising four children, going to church, praying together, and enjoying a happy, busy family life. But everything changed on October 4, 2020, when their 15-year-old daughter, Grace, died in a tragic accident.

In the days that followed, Holly wrestled with overwhelming grief, guilt, and anger. Had she done something wrong? Was God punishing her? How could she ever find hope after losing her daughter?

Then, in one of her darkest moments, Holly experienced God's presence in a way she never had before. It didn't take away her grief or answer all her questions, but it began a transformation that would change her relationship with God and the way she loved others.

In this deeply personal conversation, Holly shares what it looks like to trust God through devastating loss, find hope in the midst of unanswered questions, and discover that even in our hardest seasons, God is still at work.

Learn more about Grace Schell's story and the #BeLikeGrace movement at BeLikeGrace.com.

Show Notes:

Website: https://www.belikegrace.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belikegrace_1/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belikegrace

Pastor Stan Parris recalls the day his son Briggs's arm suddenly doubled in size from a blood clot, raising fears of cancer and leading to emergency surgery. In desperation his wife prayed, and believes God gave her a verse - Jeremiah 33:3. A hospital water failure then canceled all surgeries, opening the door to specialized care at Johns Hopkins, and the verse, as well as their son Briggs' story, later appeared in a medical textbook. Drawing from thirty years of ministry and this crisis, Stan shares the lessons in his book Pivotal Decisions: 10 Decisions That Will Transform Your Destiny.

He was an alcoholic atheist and a country artist whose life was falling apart. Walker Hayes had written off faith and was running out of hope. Then came Craig, a friend whose relentless love, years of kindness, generosity, and one unforgettable gift made Walker start asking a question he'd avoided his whole life: What if Jesus really is who He says He is? In this episode of The Unfolding, Walker shares his journey from brokenness to belief, and how his heart of stone began to soften in the most unexpected ways.

You probably know Walker for his hit song Fancy Like, which went seven-times platinum. His latest album is 17 Problems. Behind the success is a deeper story of friendship, unexpected grace, and a transformation he never saw coming.

Show Notes:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkerhayes/?hl=en

Website: https://www.walkerhayes.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Glad-Youre-Here-Unlikely-Breaking/dp/0802424716

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkerhayes/

Missionary Stephen Price and his family were preparing to move to Guadalajara, but they didn't have a place to live. Then a conversation at his home church in Illinois led them to a house in Mexico. On the way to see it, Stephen sensed God telling him what the owners would offer to sell it for. He shares what happened next, along with other moments of God's faithfulness during his family's years of ministry in Mexico.

We'd love to hear what God has done in your life. Share your story.

When you've prayed for someone for years, how do you keep believing their life can change?

Juan Morales joined a gang at fourteen, finding belonging in a world that would lead him through years of prison. His mother never stopped praying. But after his release, a broken marriage stirred an anger that threatened to pull him back into the life he'd left behind. With plans for revenge already in motion, Juan dropped to his knees: "God, if you're real, create change in me. But I need it now."

Two weeks later, a stranger approached him at the gym with words Juan couldn't explain, and an invitation he never expected. In this episode of The Unfolding, Juan shares a story of persistent prayer, an unexpected encounter with Jesus, and the possibility of a different future. If you're waiting for God to reach someone you love, or wondering whether He can change you, this story offers hope.

Show Notes:

Redemption Wear https://redemptionwearbrand.com/

Juan's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juan.morales.589568

Hope Center Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopecenterurbana

Alpha https://alphausa.org/

"And so one day I stopped praying." Laura Wifler had believed in God since childhood, but after a season of suffering, she began questioning whether he existed at all. When she finally told her friend and husband, their response surprised her and helped her face the questions she'd been carrying alone. Laura shares how her trust in God slowly returned, even as some doubts remain.

Listen to last week's Unfolding Short Stories for another part of Laura's story, about facing an uncertain future for her family.

Learn more about Laura's new book, This Side of the Sky.

Faith Podcasts are made possible by your support. You can click here to give.

We'd love to hear what God has done in your life. Share your story.

After moving through twelve foster homes and experiencing abuse and neglect, Tori Hope Petersen believed she was unwanted. She questioned how a loving God could allow children to suffer. But a woman who offered meals, a hidden key, and a safe place to land helped her begin to see God, and herself, differently.

In this episode of The Unfolding, Tori shares her journey from rejection to belonging, how she came to faith in Jesus, and how God's love shaped her life as a mother and foster parent. For Tori, hospitality became a way to offer others the welcome that had changed her own life, sometimes around a kitchen table, sometimes by opening her home to a family in crisis.

Her story invites you to recognize God's love in ordinary acts of kindness, trust what He says about your worth, and consider how He might use what you already have to love someone else. This is an encouraging conversation about healing, identity in Christ, and hospitality. Tori Hope Petersen is the author of Fostered and Safe House.

Show Notes:

Link to purchase Safe House: Amazon

Author Website: torihopepetersen.com

Facebook: Tori Hope Petersen

Instagram: @torihopepetersen

"It doesn't feel like I know how to see a bright future." Laura Wifler's husband needed major surgery when doctors told them their newborn daughter would probably never walk or talk. Laura shares how God gave her peace amid uncertainty and helped her see that her daughter's worth never depended on what she could achieve. Her new book, This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick, explores seeing God's goodness in everyday life, even in hard seasons.

Do you feel responsible for keeping everyone happy, or like you have to prove your worth whenever you walk into a room?

Bestselling author and Bible teacher Angie Smith, known for Seamless and Matchless, learned early to put others' needs and emotions ahead of her own. Through painful experiences and honest conversations with God, she began recognizing how those patterns shaped her relationships, her faith, and the way she saw herself.

With humor and vulnerability, Angie shares her ongoing struggle with approval, control, and changing seasons, and how she's learning to live in the identity God has given her. Her newest book, Into the Deep, offers a practical path toward recognizing those patterns, working through them with God, and growing in freedom.

Show Notes:

Website: https://angiesmithministries.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angiesmithministries

Book: https://angiesmithministries.com/books/into-the-deep/

Pastor Allen Ratta was teaching on the Lord's Prayer when bullets began striking his church, with children at the other end of campus. Everyone survived, but a different crisis later left Alan a single father of four, stepping away from ministry to care for his family. Through both experiences, that familiar prayer became deeply personal. Alan shares how God protected his congregation and why "Give us this day our daily bread" became an invitation to reconnect with God.