Today is a good day to note that the Believe & Speak podcast was inspired by my book, Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance. I can’t help but point that out because I just released my book yesterday. The verses that I read during today’s episode from Psalm 37 kept me awake late…
Last weekend Americans like me celebrated our independence. My family lit a few small fireworks in the large gravel driveway at my house. We also had sparklers in various primary colors. I have loved sparklers since I was a child. They don’t make loud pops or piercing whistling sounds. They’re not scary because you can…
With today’s episode, I hope to remind you that you don’t have to work at perfection. God perfected you when he purified you with the blood of Jesus. Jesus died not only so that you could live, but so that you could live free of guilt and shame. Free of striving to be good enough…
This week’s episode has been brewing in my heart and mind for more than two weeks. I actually knew what the Scripture and declaration would be well in advance of this date. I was simply waiting for the right time. I’ve been dealing as best as I could with the onslaught of emotions I’ve felt…
My pastor made a point last weekend about how those of us who are in Christ shun shame and shaming. In other words, I am who God says I am. I am who God created me to be. And so are you. You and I have no reason to feel shame in our identity, for…
Mary’s prayer: We choose thoughtful in-person discussions around dinner tables to hollering our opinions to masses on the Internet. Yesterday, Mary DeMuth shared a prayer of repentance from racial injustice on her podcast, Pray Every Day. She based her prayer on a few different scriptures, and one of the passages was Nehemiah 1:6-7. In today’s…
My heart is broken with grief over the tragic death of George Floyd. My spirit is heavy with the weight of the pain, unrest, and anger that has boiled over in response to the injustice. I ache at the condition of the human heart—that it could harbor such hatred. In times like these, I turn…
This week’s episode is once again inspired by my reactions to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on life as we once knew it. I crafted the Believe & Speak Podcast to prompt and encourage us to believe and speak truth. That’s why I give a declaration each week that I repeat and encourage you…
Today’s episode is the final installment in our four-week series on worry. The Scripture reading you’ll hear today is the one I go to more than any other passage in the Bible when I’m worried. Probably because one of these verses specifically addresses fixing our thoughts on God. The New International Version uses the word…
Worry is not healthy. Jesus cares about our mental health and well-being, and he told us not to worry. (Tune into Episode 18 for more on that.) During this season of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have struggled to keep my mind from wandering into unhealthy, worrisome thoughts. Today’s episode looks at another one…
