Episode 300 - God Never Gives Up On You with Max Lucado
What if the perpetrator of your pain isn't something on the outside, but your own sinful choices that have led to your suffering? How do we navigate the self-inflicted hurt caused by our own destructive decisions?
Author and Pastor Max Lucado knows the feelings that can come from sinful decisions. In his own life as a young man, he began to see the dangerous trajectory of his choices if he didn't surrender to God's leading. Later as a well-known pastor and author, he would experience a similar reckoning when the weight of leadership became overwhelming and he turned to alcohol to ease the pain. It was through those experiences that Max's heart grew for those who have felt like Jacob in the Bible, wrestling with God and wondering if God had given up on them. In his latest book, God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob's Story Teaches Us About Grace, Mercy, and God's Relentless Love, Max explores Jacob's story and how it relates to each of ours.
In this honest conversation, Davey talks with Max about how we can truly believe that God doesn't give up on us, how to approach our self-induced pain, and the importance of authenticity in leadership.
If you've ever wondered if God has given up on you after the mess you've made in your life, this episode will serve to remind you that no matter how far you've gone or how long you've wrestled, God's grace, mercy, and love never runs out.
Episode 262-Surrendering Your Plans For God's Plans with Marcy Gregg
Imagine waking up in a hospital room and finding out that you no longer remembered the last thirteen years of your life. Think about the fear, the confusion and the uncertainty that would set in when you realized you had just been in a coma and parts of your life were no longer in your memory.
Most of us have never experienced something as traumatic as that and can hardly imagine such a scene playing out in real life. But for artist Marcy Gregg, this was her story. After complications from giving birth led to her being in a coma, she awoke to a life she didn't know. Thirteen years of her memories were gone and she didn't recognize her husband or her kids. In order to be released from the hospital, she pretended that her memory was coming back. But once home, the weight of such a big secret began to overwhelm her and she turned to alcohol to cope with her anxiety and pain. Pretty soon, she found herself struggling with alcohol addiction, but through a divine intervention, the Lord spoke to her and she walked away from numbing her pain with alcohol. Her life has been met with more challenges, but through it all, she has chosen to trust God with her life and her story. Like a painting in progress, she has seen God as the ultimate artist who is not done yet with the canvas of her life.
In this episode, Davey talks with Marcy about how to surrender in the face of uncertainty, choosing to live differently when life takes us on an unexpected path, and why trust requires us to lean in.
Marcy's story is unique, but through it, you'll find a reminder in your own to trust God with the plan He has for your life, even when you can't see the whole picture quite yet.
Episode 238 - Healing Childhood Trauma through Horses with Kim Tschirret
According to current statistics, we are facing a crisis when it comes to mental health and our kids. With an increase in suicide rates, depression and anxiety, many kids and teens are facing so much more than they can begin to know how to handle. What can we do as adults to be a safe place for a young person? How can we help a child heal from trauma and crisis?
Kim Tschirret knew from her own personal story as a child with an abusive and alcoholic father that healing was possible through Christ and the help of a seemingly unlikely source: horses. Kim found solace in spending time with a horse as a young girl and knew that others could find healing too by engaging with these magnificent animals. It is what led her to start Hope Reins, a non-profit organization in Raleigh, NC, that "pairs kids in crisis with rescued horses to find hope and healing." What has transpired is a beautiful story of redemption as horses and children, both facing painful emotional wounds, have found healing through the power of their connection with one another. Since its' inception in 2010, Hope Reins has helped over 2,600 kids in crisis at no-cost to the families it serves.
Davey sits down with Kim to talk about how our past pain can lead us into an incredible redemption story for others, what kids need to feel safe, and how any adult can be a trusted source of hope in a hurting child's life.
Resiliency after trauma is possible and Kim's story shows us what a powerful salve love can be for both discarded animals and wounded hearts in the quest for restoration.