I was surprised by doubt in the middle of my college years. Thankfully, God didn't give up on me and invited me 4 times back to himself. Some of us need 4 times. A favorite professor helped me out. Listen in.

Back story:

Around age ten I fell in love with the Christian education pastor at our church. He was happily married—which was a good thing. I didn’t tell anyone about my crush—which was also a good thing.

But when I went off to college, I thought I might major in being a pastor’s wife. I was surprised to find out they didn’t have that major—nor did any aspiring pastor ask me. At least not anyone I wanted to say yes to.

I was even more surprised to discover sometime in the middle of my second year that I’d lost my faith. More than a surprise, it was a shock. I awoke one morning and thought: Is Christianity actually true? Close to panic, I wondered, Does God even exist? Have I been duped?

In school, no one spoke about doubt, not in daily chapel, never in class. Surrounded by godly professors, my friends and I took Bible courses alongside our majors and enjoyed the scholarship as well as the spiritual stimulation. But not one person asked: “So how much do you believe in God today, Sue?” (I wish they had—I would’ve been honest. I may have cried.)

No one ever preached in chapel: “You May Doubt Your Faith One Day and You Will Be Okay.” (I wish they had. I would’ve taken notes.)

One ordinary morning, doubts slipped in unnoticed and unwanted and rattled my cage of comfort and certainty. The fact remained: I no longer believed. I had lost my faith. I felt like I was living on the edge of crazy.

Do you have a friend who needs to hear they are not alone in their doubts? Share this podcast episode with them today. You can help bring them back from the edge of crazy.

Read more from Never Alone: Stories of Invitation and Connection 

~~~

Do you prefer watching while listening?  We are on YouTube:

Homeschool mom, writer and speaker, Adriana Gomez knows she doesn't have to "arrive" spiritually to obey God, surrender to his call and engage in mentoring relationships. Her passion is  to "serve God and others radically" and sometimes that takes more courage than you think you have. She loves apologetics and is working on a kids apologetics course and book to help us teach our children well in the truths of God. Enjoy our conversation today and ask God, "What are you calling me to do? Help me surrender all."

Gems from our conversation:

Adri and her husband got interested in apologetics from listening to these two podcasts:Podcasts that Orlando listened to

MOST DAYS, LIFE ISN’T PERFECT

I wrote this book for everyone who has felt the pain of being alone because I have felt its sting even surrounded by wonderful people. We’re created for relationship, with God and with one another—not because life becomes perfect when we have both God and community. That’s not the point. No, it’s because most days, life isn’t perfect. And remembering we are loved and not alone is what gets us through those days. READ MORE HERE 

Do you have a spiritual giant? Someone who has gone before you and been that example of faithfulness until the end? Today we talk with Lori G. Melton about her book Journey With a Giant—Choose Your Guide, Pursue Your Purpose and Grow in your Walk with God

What a fun conversation about what could be your next step in growing closer to God. Go HERE to receive a free peek at her book. 

We are led on a year-long journey alongside a "giant" of faith, inspired by the author’s year of studying the life of Mister Fred Rogers, America's favorite neighbor. The practice of walking with a spiritual giant is not a new concept. Since the origin of the Church, believers have studied the Bible and pored over Christian biographies to learn and grow in their faith. In the same way that athletes can improve their game by studying the tactics of seasoned players, we can get unstuck in our spiritual lives, cultivate a deeper connection with God, and explore how to fulfill our purpose by learning from and journeying with a spiritual mentor who has traveled the path before us.

Some gems from our conversation:

Lori G. Melton is an author, spiritual director, retreat leader, and a member of Hope*Writers. She and her husband, Bryan, are the creators of the Sanctuary Stirrings Podcast and the founders and directors of The Sanctuary at BearCreek Retreat Center, which serves hundreds of people a year. When she's not writing, speaking, or welcoming guests, she enjoys spending time with her six

Follow Lori here:

lorigmelton.com

thesanctuaryatbearcreek.com

Social Media: 

FB

Lori G. Melton

Do you ever wonder if you can really trust the God of the Bible when things feel and are dark and discouraging? How do you synthesize with honesty Jesus loves me & The Lord is my Shepherd when your prayers are not answered, not only for yourself, but for those you love so very much?

Today we welcome for the second time, author and disability advocate, Jillian Benfield, and we get to talk about her latest book, Overwhelmed and Grateful—the Key to Finding God’s Goodness in All Life’s Ups & Downs

Benfield can speak to our suffering & call us to remember God's goodness all at the same time. We first met Jillian on Living a Legacy Life, Ep 183, and you will be so encouraged today as we talk about what it means to endure life's challenges and trials & practice honesty, gratitude and awe.

She's hosting a book giveaway so be sure to comment below or on social media to be entered to win her beautiful and faith-encouraging book, Overwhelmed and Grateful—the Key to Finding God’s Goodness in All Life’s Ups & Downs.

Some gems from our conversation

After years in clinical social work and the sacred chaos of raising five children, God radically redirected Liz's path. She stepped into ministry as a writer and speaker, trusting Him to do what only He can. Raised by a faithfilled single mom, Liz felt called to love God and teach his Word in her late teen's and she's never stopped. 

We met at two different writing conferences. Here we are last year at Mt Hermon:

Some gems from our conversation:

Liz House is a Christian author, Bible teacher, and speaker passionate about helping believers grow in their faith with boldness and grace. She creates faith-based content such as books, Bible study tools, podcasts, and messages designed to help believers encounter Jesus and deepen their spiritual walk.  She speaks and writes with conviction, humor, and vulnerability because she knows what it's like to wrestle with doubt and still choose faith. She lives in the U.S. with her husband and her kids, joyfully serving the local church and global body of Christ--one gospel-centered word at a time.

Book 1: Drowning in the Shallow End: A Guide for Deepening Faith

https://www.amazon.com/Drowning-Shallow-End-Guide-Deepening/dp/B0BCRTGVZH

Book 2: 10 Tips for Deeper Bible Study

https://tinyurl.com/3rpwv37r

Follow Liz and sign up for her newsletter at lizhouse.net

Social media links: 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorlizhouse/

Blog:

https://www.lizhouse.net/blog/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/authorlizhouse

Threads:

https://www.threads.com/@authorlizhouse

Youtube Shorts:

https://www.youtube.com/@authorlizhouse/shorts

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@authorlizhouse?_t=ZT-8yhvT1dzQZj&_r=1

X:

https://x.com/authorlizhouse

Does the Bible make sense to you? Do you think it ever will or ever could? And what is God’s best intention for you as a child of his?

Today we welcome my friend and fellow podcaster, Tim Winders of Seek, Go, Create Podcast for the second time to Living a Legacy Life - and we get to talk about some of these thorny but enlightening questions that Tim’s been noodling about these past couple of years.

What if some things you learned were truth in Scripture were taken out of context and maybe out of order? Tim's spent the last couple years studying and figuring some of these things out. Whether or not you come to the same conclusions, you'll appreciate the opportunity to think and evaluate and maybe study a little bit harder on your own.

Some gems from our conversation:

We look forward to Tim's 90 Day Reading Plan when completed. 

Find more of Tim's work at timwinders.com.

Are you feeling at peace today? After all, it’s the Christmas season and does "Peace on Earth" mean peace in your home and in your car? Do we have good will toward men but not toward our family members or extended family members?

December is here and maybe you’re in the midst of holiday chaos. Today Ginger Harrington and I are going to be talking about peace and hope.

Ginger Harrington is the voice behind the Habits of Hope podcast, a long-time blogger, and the author of Holy in the Moment. She has plans for launching a gorgeous Etsy shop in the new year featuring printable resources and tools to help women grow in faith, peace, and purpose.

Listen to how Ginger gifts her children with each Christmas. Now her Bible is a family legacy!

Some gems from our conversation:

For those interested in ministry to the military, check out Tun Tavern Fellowship

Follow Ginger at gingerharrington.com and be sure to check out her new Etsy shop in 2026 for gifts for yourself and others. Her creativity is a way to live a legacy life.

Bask in the light of Christ this Christmas with a selection of devotions to inspire light and hope in your heart. Light up your life with this free gift from Ginger. See gift HERE.

______

Get a copy of my Five Prayers for the Holidays HERE

If you or someone you know finds herself in a relationship crisis, how do you navigate the pain—a pain of lost dreams and expectations for yourself but also for your children? You need courage that’s for sure, and hope in a God who will never let your down even when you feel like all hope is lost. Jody Allen writes: “Jesus doesn’t care about our track records or our reputations – he’s all about redemption.”

Today we welcome, Jody Allen, mom to young adult twins, Director of Women's Ministry at her church, and author of Hidden Heartache: Finding Courage When Your Husband Struggles with Pornography

Some gems from our conversation:

You can find Jody and all her free resources at jodyallenwrites.com

And the feelings wheel she mentioned can be found HERE.

Leave a comment to be entered in a giveaway. 

One way to please God and show his heart for all people is to invite. To ask a simple question: “Would you like to come for coffee?” can negate a lifetime of rejections.

To think, "they aren't like me" can make us hesitate to invite. The biblical definition of hospitality means to invite the stranger and some may be a little strange! At least different from how we live, that's for sure. Jesus told us what love is when he told the story of the good Samaritan. I love that story and I'm always a little convicted!

How about you? Is it a risk to invite someone you don't know? God will give you the courage if he  is leading the way. 

Some thoughts from today's podcast

We miss you, Doug!

From Never Alone: Stories of Invitation and Connection

Fellow writer and mother of adult children, Michele Morin, talks about modeling who God is for our children as our greatest legacy. Mother of four grown boys-now-men with families of their own, I love how Michele trusts God for each new season of her life, even a season with a chronic illness included. You will be blessed with tons of practical wisdom today as we talk about how we deal with unanswered prayers and questions and try not to catastrophize every little thought that comes into our brains. 

Some gems from our convo:

Michele is the author of over 8 YouVersion Bible Reading devotionals which you can find HERE.

She's a regular contributor at DesiringGod.com.

Because “the way we live our days will be, after all, the way we live our lives,” you are invited to peruse Michele’s writing on her website here at your leisure.

michelemorin.net

Michele Morin is a reader, writer, speaker, and gardener who does life with her family on a country hill in Maine. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and five adorable grandchildren. 

Active in educational ministries with her local church, Michele delights in sitting at a table surrounded by women with open Bibles. She loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family.  She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.”