Are you walking through grief this Holiday Season? With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, I want to ask you, “Have you lost a loved one?”  Maybe it is a family member- your mom, your dad, or your sibling. Maybe it is your spouse or your child. Maybe it is a friend or a co-worker. I know loss is hard and I know around the Holidays, it is even harder. So if you are walking through grief this Holiday season, this episode is for you. I am highlighting a book on the podcast called *Now That She’s Gone. Chelsea Ohlemiller wrote this book about the loss of her mother. It’s honest, raw and vulnerable and has so much truth in it. My favorite section is when she talks about her faith and some of the doubts and questions that came up, and how she wrestled with God through all of it. Friend, if this is you and you are struggling with that too, I cannot wait for you to hear the wisdom on this episode. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Chelsea’s book: *Now That She’s Gone. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/1ggk6z1/now-that-shes-gone-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *The Beauty of What Remains by Steve Leder *The Last Love Note by Emma Grey *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength by Jodi Snowdon *When God Doesn't Fix It by Laura Story Chelsea Ohlemiller is a wife, mother and educator who has Indiana roots and a passionate spirit. Chelsea is a sappy romantic, coffee junkie, book collector, and person who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s sarcastic, full of jokes, full of tears, and enjoys writing most when life gets messy or complicated. In 2017, Chelsea's mother passed away. Through her grief journey, she decided to take her mother’s advice and share her writing with the world. One day she gained the courage to honor her mother's wishes and write. It turned out to be one of the best decisions she's ever made. You can connect with her on her blog, Happiness, Hope & Harsh Realities. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you ever wanted to send a letter to the military saying thank you for all they do for us here in America to provide us with our freedom? I am so excited to share with you on the podcast this week about the non-profit, A Million Thanks. My guest is Shauna Parisi, the founder of this non-profit and her story is amazing. She began this when she was 14 years old, and I think you will be captivated by her story as well as encouraged and maybe even challenged to see what you can do to make a difference in the world. With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, I am so excited to do an episode about showing gratitude to our military.  I cannot wait for you to hear Shauna’s powerful story. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Shauna's book: *A Million Thanks. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/3lp8p6m/a-million-thanks-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *You Are the One You've Been Waiting For by Richard Schwartz *Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley Shauna (Fleming) Parisi is an author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker with a passion for helping others elevate their wellness and wealth. As a high school student, Shauna founded A Million Thanks, a national non-profit organization that supports military and their families. She has done more than 300 media interviews and helped start a national youth volunteer program under the Bush administration. Throughout her youth, Shauna focused on speaking to youth around the country on "The Power of One". Today, Shauna is a mom focused on the ministry of motherhood, helping other moms start and grow businesses while being present at home. When they aren't traveling the world, Shauna and her husband Matt live in Newport Beach with their two girls. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcas

How do you view yourself? If you could see life as a metaphor, what would it be? I am so excited to highlight on the podcast this week, Joy Clarkson’s book, *You Are A Tree: Other Metaphors To Nourish Life, Thought, and Prayer. We are going to dive deeper into Psalms 1:3. “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither -- whatsoever they do prospers.” I love that the Bible describes us as trees. You know how much I love to talk about deep roots, so I cannot wait for you to hear the truth Joy shares about trees! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Joy’s book: *You Are A Tree. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/1jz4vq3/you-are-a-tree-book-giveaway For more on growing your roots deeper, check out Jodi’s book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. What if your greatest heartbreak catapults you to your greatest growth? This is what happened in Jodi's life. Book Recommendation: *Daniel Deronda by George Eliot Joy Marie Clarkson (JoyClarkson.com) is the author of *Aggressively Happy and host of the Speaking with Joy podcast. She is a research associate in theology and literature at King’s College London and the books editor for Plough Quarterly. She holds a PhD in theology from the University of St Andrews. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you been walking through hard circumstances and you felt like you just needed to voice those feelings and frustrations to God and maybe even wrestle with him about why you are in these circumstances? Oh friend, I don’t know if you realize it, but that is one of the steps of lament. I am so excited to Mark Vroegop on the podcast this week as we focus on what it means to lament. I think sometimes people are confused about this word, so I cannot wait to talk about his book, *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament. He truly has so much wisdom on this—you don’t want to miss this episode. Also, Oct 15th is pregnancy and infant loss Remembrance Day and I know this is part of both Mark’s story as well as mine, so he will be sharing his story that birthed this book and then we will dive deeper into lament. Whether this is part of your story or not, I know there is so much truth in this episode especially his definition of lament and the 4 key elements. If you are walking through grief, you do not want to miss what he has to say. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Mark's book: *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy. All the details of the book giveaway are on my websithttps://amzn.to/3ZQG0FFe at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/1v94kdm/dark-clouds-deep-mercy-book-giveaway If you prefer watching the interview, here is a link on youtube to our episode: https://youtu.be/8bIA2CoerFg Book Recommendations: *Knowing God by JI Packer *Desiring God by John Piper *Waiting on God by Andrew Murray *Disciplines of a Godly Man by R Kent Hughes *Pilgrim Progress by John Bunyan For those walking through grief- I highly recommend Episodes 188-196 where I do one episode for each letter in my STRENGTH Acrostic in my book! See details below: Seek God and Invite Him into the Pain -- Depth Podcast Episode 188 Tearfully Allow Yourself Time to Grieve and Process the Emotions -- Depth Podcast Episode 189 Replace your Finite View with God's Infinite Perspective -- Depth Podcast Episode 190 Embrace God's Character Development in the Midst of the Chaos -- Depth Podcast Episode 191 Never Lose Sight of God's Grace -- Depth Podcast Episode 193 Give Praise to God Even as Your Heart Breaks -- Depth Podcast Episode 194 Trust God is Good When Your Mind is Doubting and You Don't Understand -- Depth Podcast Episode 195 Honestly Share Your Story and Help Another Hurting Heart -- Depth Podcast Episode 196 Mark Vroegop has been Lead Pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis since 2008. He previously served as Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Holland, Michigan, from 1996-2008. He’s a graduate of Cedarville University (B.A.) and Cornerstone Theological Seminary (M.Div). Mark and his wife, Sarah, have three married sons, a daughter, and two grandkids. He’s an award-winning author of multiple books, including *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, the 2020 ECPA Christian Book of the Year. His newest book, *Waiting Isn't a Waste released in June 2024 through Crossway. Mark is a frequent conference speaker, and he serves on the board of The Gospel Coalition. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you feel stressed? Would you say you are overwhelmed by all you have on your plate? Do you wish you had more peace? I am so excited for you to listen to this episode today with Barb Roose about her new book: Stronger than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm. I have been feeling overwhelmed in my life, so when I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it. It was so packed with practical tools and I cannot wait for you to hear the nuggets of truth from Barb. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Barb’s book: *Stronger than Stress. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/199olv1/stronger-than-stress-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster *Soul-Keeping by John Ortberg *The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. Barb speaks in the US and abroad at women’s conferences and events, including national platforms like the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute. Barb is a Bible teacher who loves following God more than anything else in life. Rather than teaching audiences to follow God to get what they want, Barb inspires audiences to discover that God is all that they truly need! She is the author of six Bible studies such as *Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and *Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb has written five books including *Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm. Audiences love Barb’s authenticity, humor, spiritual depth and game-changing practical tools that apply God’s Truth to their everyday life. Barb writes a weekly Happy Monday devotional and she is the host of the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast. She lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult children. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first. You can connect with Barb at her website or on Instagram. She has a Free e-book Gift: Taking Care of You: 101 Self Care Tips for Tough Times. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

How are you at balancing your responsibilities and your relationships? Do you tend to lean towards projects over people? Or people over projects? I feel like we tend to put one over the other, so I am so excited to introduce you to a new book: *The Love Your Life Project by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk. The subtitle is 40 Days to Prioritize Your Passions, Cultivate Productive Habits, and Refuel with Times of Rest. I am excited to have Karen Ehman back on the podcast as we talk about our priorities and when to say no and when to be interruptible for divine appointments. Karen gives so many practical tools; I am so excited for you to hear this episode. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Karen’s book: *The Love Your Life Project. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link:  https://kingsumo.com/g/1y9ezdm/the-love-your-life-project It is fun to have Karen back on the Podcast! If you missed my first conversation with Karen back in 2020 about her book, *Listen, Love, Repeat, please check out Episode 28 on the Depth podcast. I love when she shares about the heart drop. Also, both Karen and Ruth wrote another book together called *Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace In Your Every Day. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruth Schwenk in 2021. If you missed this episode, please check out Episode 129 on the Depth Podcast.  I love how we dive deeper into what it looks like to trust God, not only in the good times, but also the storms of life. Book Recommendation: *Why Am I Like This by Kobe Campbell Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author, a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and a contributing writer for Encouragement for Today online devotions and a teacher in the First 5 Bible study app which has over 2 million daily users. She has written 19 books and Bible studies including Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All and the 2020 ECPA devotional book of the year Settle My Soul: 100 Quiet Moments to Meet with Jesus. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Spring Arbor University with a major in Social Science. Karen has been featured on TODAY Parenting, Redbook.com, Foxnews.com, Crosswalk.com, YouVersion.com, and is a monthly columnist for HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. She is married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and is the mother of six children—three biological and three in-laws by marriage—although she forgets which ones are which. Karen enjoys collecting vintage Pyrex kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and spending her days feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table to process life and enjoy her county fair blue-ribbon winning cooking. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Has God ever asked you to take a pause? How did you respond? Sometimes these pauses can be really challenging, especially if it is not what we hoped or planned for our lives. So I am so excited to have my husband, David Snowdon, back on the podcast. We will share some of the pauses we experienced this last year. Hope this encourages you! Also, the end of August is a big time for me-- I am celebrating the 5 year birthday of the Depth Podcast as well as the 2 year birthday of the Depth Book! Depth Podcast Episode links: Depth Podcast Episode 200 with David Snowdon on God's Faithfulness in my Life and Ministry Depth Podcast Episode 203 on Embracing Your Roles Depth Podcast Episode 210 with Angie Baughman on the 5 Step Bible Study Method. For those walking through grief- I highly recommend Episodes 188-196 where I do one episode for each letter in my STRENGTH Acrostic in my book! See details below: Seek God and Invite Him into the Pain -- Depth Podcast Episode 188 Tearfully Allow Yourself Time to Grieve and Process the Emotions -- Depth Podcast Episode 189 Replace your Finite View with God's Infinite Perspective -- Depth Podcast Episode 190 Embrace God's Character Development in the Midst of the Chaos -- Depth Podcast Episode 191 Never Lose Sight of God's Grace -- Depth Podcast Episode 193 Give Praise to God Even as Your Heart Breaks -- Depth Podcast Episode 194 Trust God is Good When Your Mind is Doubting and You Don't Understand -- Depth Podcast Episode 195 Honestly Share Your Story and Help Another Hurting Heart -- Depth Podcast Episode 196 Special Anniversary/ Birthday Episodes of the Podcast and Book: Episode 1 (Welcome and Introduction to the podcast-- 2019) Episode 47 (1 year Podcast Anniversary- Special Behind the Scenes Episode-- 2020) Episode 100 and 101 (Celebrating 100 episodes Part 1 & Part 2 with clips from my most favorite moments- 2021) Episode 146 (Behind the Scenes of the book & 3 year anniversary of the podcast- 2022) Episode 147 (Reading Chapter 1 of the Depth Book) Episode 148 (Going in Depth About Depth) Episode 192 (Happy 1st birthday of the book, Depth) Episode 200 (A special episode about God's Faithfulness in my life-- Meet David- 2023) *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you ever read a book and said, “Oh my goodness, I need to share this with everyone I know” because it is that good? I am so excited to end this summer series of book recommendations with the newest book I started reading just this year. I got it for my birthday in May and it has been life-changing to me.  It is called *Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker. The sub title is Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind and Renew Your Soul. I have been using it every morning in my quiet time, and I am loving it! Other links: Depth Podcast Episode 106 with Jodie Berndt on her book, *Praying the Scriptures for Your Life. Depth Podcast Episode 158 with Suzie Eller on her book, *Prayer Starters. Depth Podcast Episode 210 with Angie Baughman on the 5 Step Bible Study Method. Depth Podcast Episode 176 with Jessica Young where she shares the lyrics to the Blessing Song. Depth Podcast Episode 115 with Jodi (me) where I share about growing deeper in your faith and the First 5 App. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!  

Are you a “One Day-er?”  One day, I will go after my dream.  One day, I will go on a mission’s trip.  One day, I will make an impact. What if we could change our thinking from one day to this is the day? In this episode, I am excited to share with you some books that I have read over the years that will help you live intentionally! *Ripple Effects by Pam Tebow *This is the Day by Tim Tebow *Shaken by Tim Tebow *Mission Possible by Tim Tebow In the episode, I refer to my book, so I wanted to share a link for it too! *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you like to read fiction books? It is interesting-- I did a survey maybe the second year of my podcast and asked what people want to hear about. One lady wrote, “I want to hear more fiction book recommendations.” At the time, I responded that I really did not read that genre; I mostly read nonfiction books. Well that all changed when I was introduced to Francine Rivers and her books. If you have not read one of her books, then I am so glad you tuned in today for this episode because I am sharing with you my favorite books written by Francine Rivers. I have so many favorites to tell you about. *Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers *Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers *The Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers *Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers *The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers At the end of the episode, I refer to my book so I wanted to share a link for it too! *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you have a desire to grow? In five years, do you want to look different than you do now? In one year, do you want to look different? I am so excited for my book recommendation this week. It is a book I read back in 2019 called *Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life by Lara Casey. If you struggle with waiting well or living with contentment, then you do not way to miss the truth that I share from this book. My hope is that you have depth and grow deep roots in your faith and your relationships. This book, *Cultivate, will definitely help you on that journey! Other links: Depth Podcast Episode 80 with Jennifer Dukes Lee on her book, *Growing Slow. It has a similar message on growing through the seasons. Depth Podcast Episode 147 on Reading Chapter 1 from my book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. This book has a similar message—what if your greatest heartbreak catapults you to your greatest growth? Depth Podcast Episode 63 with Wendy Pope on her book, *Wait and See. Again, a similar message on waiting well. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Are you raising emotionally strong kids? Are you helping them learn how to develop their emotional literacy? This is an important part of parenting and sadly, this is one area I was lacking for many years. It took me walking through my divorce for me to see the importance of emotional literacy. So I am excited this summer, I am going to be recommending some books to you and to start it off since Father’s Day was just yesterday, I want to do a parenting book. This is such an amazing book; I wish I had it when my kids were younger. It just came out a couple of years ago, and it is called *Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas. The subtitle is Tools Your Son Can Build On For Life. Now let me say, all of these things can be shared with your daughter too, but David points out that so many times we are not teaching our boys this and honestly, it is so important.  I would like to highlight some of my favorite parts of the book as well as share some personal stories too! I believe this parenting book is life-changing for your kids! Depth Podcast Links: Link to Depth Podcast Episode 26 with my kids called Family and Feelings Link to Depth Podcast Episode 180 with Michelle Nietert on her book, *Managing Your Emojis Link to Depth Podcast Episode 143 with my counselor on how to process your emotions in a healthy way. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Are you tired of running at the speed of the world? Would you like to find a slower pace? The pace of rest and the place of peace! Then I think you are going to love this episode. I am speaking this week with my good friend, Angie Baughman, and we are going to be diving deep into the verse, “Be Still and Know That I am God.” We use her amazing 5 Step Bible Study Method and I know you are going to love learning more on how to study the Bible. Hopefully this will allow you to have a more consistent quiet time and a lot of Depth in your study with God as well. You know how much I love for us to have Depth! This is one of my favorite episodes this year, and I cannot wait for you to hear the wisdom from Angie. Link for Book Giveaway:  I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Angie’s Bible Study: Be Still. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/d7fymz/be-still-bible-study Link for one free month in Steady On University: Thank you Angie for graciously offering all my listeners a free month on your Steady On University! (Be Still study begins 6/13; use code DEPTH to activate free month) Here is the direct link: https://steady-on-university.circle.so/checkout/sou-membership Link to Step By Step Masterclass: Angie refers to a video in the podcast that will help you identify the correct apps to download. (2 videos; 20 minutes total viewing time https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/pJZJhCW/masterclass Other important Links: Link to Angie’s Heartbreak to Strength Story on my blog Link to Angie’s Podcast episode when I was a guest back in April 2023 Link to Blog Post where I share about her 5 Step Bible Study Method Link to Angie’s Podcast episode when she highlighted my life verse: 2 Cor 1:3-4 Link to Becky Beresford’s Episode on the Depth Podcast Book Recommendations: *Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore *Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers Angie Baughman is a pastor, Bible teacher, author, podcaster, founder of Steady On ministries, and creator of the Step By Step Bible study method. At sixteen, she was groomed into a romantic relationship with a high school teacher and faced community rejection when she went public with her story. Knowing and living by the promises of God helped free her from layers of shame, and she now creates resources that help people cultivate consistent Bible study habits. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Has God ever answered, "No" to one of your prayer requests? Did you have a hard time accepting when God's answer was "No." I don't know about you, but I think that is a really hard one when we pray fervently, and God does not answer with the way we want him to. I remember that with my friend, we were praying for a miracle for her to be healed, but sadly she wasn't. It was really hard to accept that "No". I am excited to have Hadassah Treu on the podcast this week because she is going to share her story of a time when she had to accept when God answered, "No." I think it is a very powerful episode. Her book is called *Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings. You do not want to miss the truth Hadassah shares; there is so much goodness! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Hadassah’s new book: *Draw Near. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/lz5vie/draw-near-book-giveaway I am uploading all my interviews to YouTube now, so you can listen with close captioning. Here is a direct link to Hadassah's episode. Episode Links: Depth Podcast Episode 81 with Holley Gerth sharing her infertility journey. Hadassah's Heartbreak to Strength Story: How To Remain Strong When God Doesn't Answer Our Prayers. Depth Podcast Episode 127 with Lisa Appelo sharing about her book, *Life Can Be Good Again. You Tube Link to Jodi's channel. Book Recommendations: *Boundaries by Townsend and Cloud *Uprooting Anger by Robert Jones *Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo Winner of the Encouraging Blogger Award of 2020, Hadassah Treu is an international Christian author, blogger, poet, speaker, contributor to several faith-based platforms like Koinonia and Devotable, and a dozen award-winning devotionals and poetry anthologies. She is passionate about encouraging people to draw near to God in the dark valleys of life. Hadassah is a COMPEL Provers 31 Blog writer and Freelancing Community Group leader. Her writing is featured on (In)Courage, The Upper Room, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Her View From Home, Living by Design Ministries, Thoughts About God, Today's Christian Living, and other popular sites. Hadassah is the author of *Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings. Connect with Hadassah on her blog https://onthewaybg.com and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with what you have to do in your life and what you feel like God is calling you do to? You think, I just don’t have the time to do it all. I can so relate. This is why I am excited for you to hear from Jessica Hurlbut. She is back on the podcast, and we are talking about her new book, *Unlimited Motherhood. I think sometimes the demands of being a mom can be exhausting and at the same time, you are trying to live out this purpose you feel God has called you for. And sometimes you are like, I just don’t know how to do it all, and you feel limited.  That is why I am so excited for the truth Jessica shares. Oh, I love the last part of the podcast where she talks about John the Baptist-- it is my favorite! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Jessica’s new book: *Unlimited Motherhood. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/dpobzx/unlimited-motherhood-book-givewaway It is fun to have Jessica back on the Podcast! If you missed my first conversation with Jessica, she was one of my special mom stories in 2022, please check out Episode 137 on the Depth Podcast.  I love what she shares about adoption and autism. We also refer to the book she recommended her first time on the podcast: *Anonymous by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole. I had the joy of interviewing her on the Depth Podcast Episode 154 . It was one of my favorite episodes and I highly recommend you checking it out. Lastly, we talk about comparison, and I share about a blog post I wrote called: A Challenge to Look Deeper, Not Just at the Surface. Book Recommendation: *Woven in the Womb by Rachelle Keng Jessica Hurlbut is a wife, pastor, writer, podcaster, and mom of five--two autistic, two adopted, and one typical teen boy. She and her husband, Greg, are lead pastors of New Testament Church in upstate New York and oversee a network of churches in the north country. Jessica and her husband also host a weekly podcast, the Full Spectrum Parent Podcast, the only faith-based Autism parenting podcast in existence. She also blogs weekly at www.jessicahurlbut.com *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

to know God’s will for your life? Do you wish He would just spell it out clearly to you or say it loudly, so you knew that was the voice of God? If we are honest, I think a lot of us struggle to hear the voice of God, so I am excited for this podcast episode. I am talking with Jody Gras. She is going to share her story and give us wisdom on how to hear the voice of God—how to discern if God is speaking to us. There are some real practical tools on this episode, and I think you are really going to love it. We also talk about surrender on this episode, and I shared how I throw rocks at the beach as a physical act of surrender. For more details, check out the blog post I wrote called Rock Therapy. Book Recommendations: *Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby *Experiencing God Devotional and Journal by Henry Blackaby *Whisper by Mark Batterson (see December 2017 book recommendation) Note: Mark Batterson's Circle Maker is companion book for Whisper- check out more about Circle Maker on my Depth Podcast Episode 164. The Journey Bible Study by Vantage Point 3 Jody Gras has been on staff at Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, California since 2005, where she is the Director of Adult Discipleship and Leadership Development. Jody attended Sioux Falls Seminary where she received her Master of Arts in Christian Leadership. She has a podcast called "Real Sisters, Real Talk" with her sister, where they talk about what they are learning in their walk with God. Jody loves studying and teaching the word of God. It is her deep desire to help people lean into a more intimate relationship with Him. She has been married since 1990 and she and her husband have two adult children.  *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

How do you define strength? I am so excited for you to hear how my guest this week talks about strength. Jay Hewitt will share about his new book, *I am Weak, I am Strong. Could it be that in our weakness we can actually be stronger as we depend on God and His strength? This episode has so many nuggets of truth- cannot wait for you to hear about vulnerability and the two questions he asks, two of my favorite parts! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Jay’s new book: *I am Weak, I am Strong. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/49xry1/i-am-weak-i-am-strong-book-giveaway You can now watch my podcast interviews on YouTube! Here is a direct link to my conversation with Jay! Book Recommendations: *Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby *Experiencing God Devotional and Journal by Henry Blackaby BIO: Jay Hewitt is a pastor, author, and motivational speaker whose life journey is an awe-inspiring testimony of courage and faith. Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at thirty-seven, he found strength through God, embracing his purpose as a storyteller. In his memoir, I AM WEAK, I AM STRONG, Jay shares his extraordinary quest to become an IRONMAN while battling cancer. Residing in Orange County, California, he cherishes his wife and daughter and continues to inspire others with his resilience, unwavering faith, and empowering messages, reminding us all of the boundless strength within. You can connect with him at his website or on Instagram. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you ever had to journey from sorrow to joy? Have you ever walked through some really hard circumstances, and you said, “God this is not what I wanted for my life.” But then as you walked through the journey with God, you found on the other side, purpose to your pain and a joy you never had before. I am so excited for you to hear from my guest this week, Wendy Wallace. I met her through the Radiant Resilience Summit just last year and she has a phenomenal, inspiring story and I cannot wait for you to hear it. We are going to call it: One Exceptional Journey from Sorrow to Joy. You do not want to miss her powerful testimony as well as her sharing about her bible study: From Sorrow to Joy: Walking With God Through Sadness. I know you are going to learn so much from Wendy! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Wendy’s Bible study: From Sorrow to Joy: Walking With God Through Sadness. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodisnowdon.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/ookfva/from-sorrow-to-joy-bible-study Book Recommendation: Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength by Jodi Rosser Wendy Wallace is a wife, mom, Memaw, Christian Living and Positivity coach, Inspirational blogger, and author. She is also a quadruple amputee. She loves spending time with her family, talking to her flowers, and eating lots of ice cream.  A flesh-eating bacterial infection resulted in a coma, a 3-month hospital stay, and amputations of both hands and both feet.  What you might consider the worst thing that could've happened, actually was for her good and God's glory.  By God's wonderful grace, she is living "One Exceptional Life" where, in true form with 2 Corinthians 1:4, God comforted her in all her tribulations so that she can comfort, encourage, and lead other women in theirs.  Her mission is to help women rediscover God’s joy and peace amid the trials of life by living a balanced virtuous life.  You can find her at One Exceptional Life, where she writes about overcoming challenges, spiritual growth, joy, peace, gratitude, and positivity. You can also connect with her on Instagram.

Can you believe it has been two months since I have been on the podcast? It was a wonderful sabbatical as I spent the first two months of my marriage being intentional as my new role as wife as well as helping our family’s transition. But I have to say that I have missed doing my ministry, so I am so happy to be back and I am excited for this first guest! It is a good friend of mine, Becky Beresford and we are going to talk about her new book, *She Believed He Could So She Did. I cannot wait for you to hear the story behind the title. Also, I know you are going to learn so much from her as we look at some of culture’s lies and combat them with Biblical truth. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Becky’s new book: *She Believed He Could So She Did. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/bh1lwx/she-believed-he-could-so-she-did-book-giveaway It is fun to have Becky back on the Podcast! If you missed my first conversation with Becky,  please check out Episode 30 on the Depth podcast.  I love what she shares about our identity in Christ and her Brave women series. Book Recommendation: *I Will Be Found By You by Francis Frangipane BECKY BERESFORD lives in North Carolina and is happily outnumbered by her husband and three wonderful boys. She is an author, speaker and coach with a Master's Certificate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship from Moody Theological Seminary. Becky loves encouraging God’s Daughters to embrace Christ-centered empowerment through the truth found in the gospel. Her work has been featured in large online communities including Crosswalk, (in)courage, iBelieve, HuffPost, DaySpring, and she recently became a writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 writing team. Becky’s book with Moody Publishers, She Believed He Could So She Did releases in March. Connect with Becky at BeckyBeresford.com or follow her on Instagram and Facebook. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Happy New Year! I am so excited you are joining me in 2024. Have you ever stopped and evaluated the roles you have in your life? The ones that God has given you? Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about the roles we have in life and how we can embrace these roles. I love that my mentor models this so well. She recently said to me, “Sometimes you need to step back in one role, so you can step up in another.” I love this quote, and so today, I want to encourage you to make a list of your roles, pray and ask God what roles He may be asking you to add to your list and what roles He may be encouraging you to let go. I recently did this and I share on the podcast what I felt God was asking me to do! You don’t want to miss my big announcement! I also encourage you to do this too- the beginning of a New Year is an excellent time to ponder how you want to spend your 2024 and in what capacity!

ve you ever said the words, “I didn’t sign up for this” or “God, this isn’t what I planned or expected for my life”? If you have, then I am really excited for you to hear today from Sarah Frazer. Her new book is titled those very words, *I Didn’t Sign Up For This. I love the hope she brings from her book about finding God’s goodness even when your story shifts. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Sarah’s book: *I Didn’t Sign Up For This. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/ieifgw/i-didnt-sign-up-for-this-book-giveaway Book Recommendations:  *Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund *Surprised by Jesus by Dane Orlund   *Upon Waking by Jackie Hill Perry   Sarah E. Frazer is a writer, Bible study mentor, wife of Jason, and mother of five. With a background in missionary work and Bible teaching, her passion is to encourage women to start today with a Bible reading and prayer habit. She shares tools and encouragement for Bible study and prayer study on her website and on Instagram at @sarah_e_frazer.  *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Are you passing a legacy of faith on to your children? I know this is so important, so I am so excited to have Casey Hilty on the podcast this week as we talk about her new book, *Her Children Arise: Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation. I am so excited because we are going to look at some of the women in the Bible and their examples. We are going to dive deep and even put ourselves in the shoes of these women in the Bible. I just love it. Also, I know you are going to learn so much from Casey. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Casey's book, *Her Children Arise: Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation as well as her Nativity Garland. All the details of this giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/seqmsq/her-children-arise-and-nativity-garland-giveaway Link to Depth Podcast Episode 128: Lessons from Biblical Mothers -- Rachael Adams Book Recommendations: *Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers *Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard *Psalms of Ascent by Beth Moore *Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar Casey Hilty is a Christian speaker, artist, worship leader, and author of *Her Children Arise: Passing a Legacy of Faith to the Next Generation. Using both storytelling and visual art, she is passionate about taking mothers on a journey from apathy to awe to fall in love—or back in love—with God and His Word. Casey recently jumped back into the world of teaching after being a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. She and her husband, Bo, have three school-aged kids, a gaggle of pets, and call South Louisiana home. You can find her on Instagram @caseyhilty and Facebook @caseyhilty1 and at www.caseyhilty.com. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

So I have a really special guest today!!  I think you are going to be really excited to hear from him because I have some news to share—I am engaged! Yes, I am getting remarried!!! It is very exciting! Just recently I met this amazing man of God and I have been praying for a man who loves Jesus just as much as me for a long time. I am really excited that God answered this prayer in His perfect timing!  I have been praying for a while, but He knew when the right time was to bring David into my life. So, I am very excited for you to hear David and I talk about God’s faithfulness in our relationship!

Are you preoccupied? Do you find yourself physical present but your mind is everywhere else? Maybe emotionally and mentally—you are distracted! I think this is a struggle for many women. I know it is for me. So, I am excited to have Julie Lefebure on the podcast. She has a new book called *Right Now Matters: Empowering “Right Now” Women in a Culture of Distraction. She has some great practical tools on how to live undistracted.  And I cannot wait for you to hear how she talks about replacing busy for full. It is my favorite part of the episode. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Julie’s book: *Right Now Matters: Empowering “Right Now” Women in a Culture of Distraction. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/wqjxyt/right-now-matters-book-giveaway Recommended Podcast Episodes: Link to Julie’s first episode on the Depth Podcast Episode 93 Link to my guest appearance on the Encouragement for Real Life Podcast: Heartbreak is Not the End of Your Story Book Recommendations *Undistracted by Bob Goff *It’s Not Supposed to Be this Way by Lysa TerKeurst *The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst Julie Lefebure (pronounced Lef-a-bure) is a Christian encourager who personally coaches, writes, and speaks to help women live encouraged and undistracted so we can live abundant, joy-filled lives and make a difference in this world. Julie is the author of Right Now Matters: Empowering Right-Now Women in a Culture of Distraction, and hosts the Encouragement for Real Life Podcast. She also writes regularly at julielefebure.com, where you can receive access to her free Resources (julielefebure.com/resources/) which are designed to encourage your heart and lift your spirit. She is also the founder of Real Encouragement LIVE!, a local, quarterly evening of encouragement for women. She resides in rural Iowa and is married to Bill. They are avid tandem bicyclists and have a goal to bike in each of the 50 states! They have two amazing adult children, a wonderful son-in-law, and two precious grandsons. Julie loves hanging out with her family and watching sunrises and sunsets. You can find Julie on all social media outlets. Her favorite is Instagram @julielefebure. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Are you familiar with the verse Romans 8:28? Sometimes this verse can be misconstrued so let me read it to you: The NIV version says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I am excited today that we are going to talk more about this verse on the podcast. Also, I cannot wait for you to meet Karen Hacker. We met through Saddleback Church, and she runs the Empty Arms Ministry — that is the ministry I attended after the loss of my baby. She is going to share a little bit about her story. October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. For so many of us, this is part of our story, so I like to do an episode each year and highlight God’s faithfulness in the middle of this unexpected storm. I am excited for this episode. You are going to learn so much from Karen about grief, what to say, what not to say, and we are going to dive deeper into that verse Romans 8:28. Depth Podcast Episode Recommendations: Episode 5: Episode with Yvonne Buck where I share about my miscarriage. Episode 6: Episode with Dr Shari Bridgman who wrote the Empty Arms Curriculum Episode 196:  Episode with Clarissa and how I shared my story with her and helped her through her miscarriage. Book Recommendations: *When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner *Grace Disguised by Jerry Sitzer *Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat At Your Table by Lou Giglio Karen Badal Hacker’s story is one of love, loss, faith, healing and hope. Karen has been married to her husband, Rick, for 38 years and their bond has been both tested and strengthened by profound personal losses. Karen is a native Californian, a wife and mother of four—two babies in heaven and two adult children here on earth. For 28 years, Karen and Rick Hacker have led "Empty Arms," a grief support group through Saddleback Church in Southern California. This ministry helps couples who have lost babies to miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death. Karen is the author of 8:28 Hope in the Darkness, which is set to be published and released by the end of 2023.  In her book, Karen seamlessly blends her personal journey with the timeless truths from Romans 8:28, offering readers a lifeline of hope and resilience during the most trying times. You can connect more with Karen on her website. Karen and Rick are in the process of establishing a non-profit 501C3, 8:28 Hope in the Darkness. An educational and charitable organization dedicated to providing care, counsel, support and encouragement to grieving people who have suffered loss. Karen is passionate about helping the hurting navigate the difficult times of life by using life experiences, practical applications, understanding and acknowledgment of emotions, a firm foundation of faith, and trusting in God's promise of Romans 8:28. "And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans." *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you see time as a gift? Do you see it as the valuable resource that it is? I would have to say that I did not see time as a gift until my divorce. Let me explain- I always thought time was important, but I never saw it as priceless. Like something that needed to be guarded, it was a gift. So I am excited to read with you a chapter from my book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Chapter 13 is called the Bless in the Mess. I share a little bit about my friend, Jeannie’s story, and how she also saw time as a gift. And I also have an announcement that I want to share with you at the end of the episode, and it is all about time.   Check out my Depth Podcast Episode 150: Last year, I shared My Best Yes and it is similar to this week's episode. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Has someone else’s story ever encouraged you? Maybe the hard thing you walked through is similar to what you have walked through, and their story of God’s faithfulness has ignited hope in you. Hope that God can do the same thing in your story. This is such an important part of the grief journey. And the last letter of my STRENGTH acrostic from my book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength is the letter H: Honestly share your story and help another hurting heart. I love that God never wastes any of our pain. He doesn’t waste one tear or one hurt and instead He uses it. And this is how I think He uses it as we come alongside and help another hurting heart. I really believe it makes our healing come full circle as well. This is what my life verse is all about: 2 Cor 1:3-4. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” I am so excited to have Clarissa Paz on the podcast this week. This is so exciting because Clarissa is in my book. I am actually sharing a story where I honestly shared my personal story and helped another hurting heart and that was Clarissa. This is in the “Me Too” Chapter and the last part of the book and we are going to talk about our story. I walked through a miscarriage and a year or two later, she walked through a miscarriage and how I can alongside and helped her. We are going to show you practically how it looks, and we both get a little choked up at times because it is amazing how it brought us together. It connected us in such a beautiful way, and it did bring my healing full circle as well as help her in the middle of her unexpected storm. We are also going to talk about how she has gone on since then and helped others. It is a really heartfelt episode! Recommended Depth Podcast Episodes: Episode 53 with Kathe Wunnenberg- Grieving the Child I Never Knew & Hopelifter Episode 5 with Yvonne Buck- Loss of Pregnancy Episode 6 with Dr. Shari Bridgman- In Heavenly Arms Episode 145 with Kathe Wunnenberg- God's Connections are Powerful, His Timing Perfect Book Recommendations: *Purpose Drive Life by Pastor Rick Warren *Grieving the Child I Never Knew by Kathe Wunnenberg *Depth by Jodi Rosser *Note: If you are interested in purchasing the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Do you find it hard to trust God when you don’t fully understand what he is doing in your life? Like it is easy to trust Him when life is going well. But when things are hard and you are walking through grief or heartbreak or when the rug is pulled out from under you, it is always a little harder to trust that God has a plan. Oh friend, that is why I am so excited for the second T in my STRENGTH acrostic from my book, Depth: Growing through Heartbreak to Strength. The second T stands for Trust God is good when your mind is doubting, and you don’t understand. This one is hard. So I am really excited to have Sonia Abraham on the podcast this week. She is a fellow friend of mine and she also walked through a divorce and today we are going to dive deep on how that looks to trust God when you have doubts and don’t understand why the circumstances of your life did not go as you hoped or planned. We are going to talk about some different Bible characters too. There is lots of truth and wisdom on this episode! Book Recommendations: *Living Unbroken by Tracie Miles *It's Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop Sonia Abraham writes about faith and loss on her website. She’s passionate about leading Restored & Renewed, a local ministry at her church in Texas that encourages and supports women walking through separation and divorce. She works as an editor and has three teenaged children. You can also connect with her on Instagram or Facebook.  *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

When you are walking through a hard season, do you struggle to be grateful? I know I do. I think it is very common to focus on the things we have lost and focus on the hard circumstances. If we are really honest, it is hard to see the little gifts God is providing in the middle of the big storm. But this is exactly what I want to talk with you about today. We are going to be highlighting the G in my STRENGTH acrostic from my book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. The G stands for Give Praise to God even as your heart breaks. Oh friend, this is so difficult, but I think this is so important. I am so excited to have Angie Green on the podcast with me. We met back in January, and I have to say this woman is so full of hope and joy. She reminds me of a grandma that loves to pour out truth and wisdom and I cannot wait for you to hear her story. Book Recommendations: *Depth by Jodi Rosser *A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser by John Mason *In Light of Eternity and *Heaven by Randy Alcorn *Grieving the Child I Never Knew by Kathe Wunnenberg With the advantage of a long and close walk with God, Angie’s life has been undergirded with a strong faith and desire to proclaim the love, faithfulness and goodness of God in the storms of life; the good, bad and ugly times and seasons. A servant leader, Angie is an experienced vocalist, songwriter, Bible study leader, small group facilitator, speaker and spiritual mentor. She has been mentoring, teaching, writing, blogging and speaking about the existence, presence and loving movements and actions of God for decades.   Angie’s journey through grief after the sudden cardiac death of her youngest son, Kevin, in 2002 ripped out a piece of her heart leaving her feeling broken. Ultimately her journey of grief moved her from the edge of the grave to the edge of Eternity, and she would say she is living her best life with her husband, Bob, in Northern Colorado living with a renewed eternal perspective after surviving the fires of unexpected sorrow. In March 2006, Angie co-founded “Mothers Like Me Grief Care and Comfort Ministry” with Cynthia Roth-Weightman for grieving moms in Southern California. When Angie and her husband, Bob, relocated to Northern Colorado in 2008, the ministry continued as Angie envisioned “helping more moms in more places.” *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you been following this series with my STRENGTH acrostic from my Depth Book? We have already covered S,T,R, & E and then we took a break for the one year birthday of the book. Now we are back to the acrostic and today we are going to cover N- Never Lose Sight of God’s Grace. It is interesting because when God dropped that STRENGTH acrostic in my mind on that bus ride, there were a couple letters that were harder to identify than others and the N was one of them. I remember meeting my friend for lunch. She also had walked through a divorce, and we were talking about how some heartbreaks have a shame or a stigma attached to them and others don’t. And she said, “I think it is really important that you do something about God’s grace.” And that day at lunch together, we came up with Never Lose Sight of God’s Grace! It is a very important part of the book; we talk about forgiveness and being vulnerable. So I am really excited to have Faith Griffin Sims on the podcast this week. She is going to share about her heartbreak. Sadly, she lost her son to suicide. This week is suicide prevention week and suicide awareness week. So I want this episode to also help us become more aware. Faith is going to share so much truth and wisdom. Faith wrote a post for my Heartbreak to Strength Story Blog Series back in 2021. The title of her post was Held By His Strength and I cannot wait for you to read her powerful article. Other Resources: -Link to Depth Podcast Episode 149: *Hope Always by Dr. Matthew Sleeth -Link to Depth Podcast Episode 99: *I Love Jesus, But I Want To Die by Sarah J. Robinson -Link to Depth Podcast Episode 49: *Fear Gone Wild: A Story of Mental Illness, Suicide, and Hope Through Loss By Kayla Stoecklein Book Recommendations: *Depth by Jodi Rosser *The Gospel According to Job by John Mason *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop *A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser Faith Griffin Sims is a wife, a mom of six, and “Mia” to 17 grandchildren. She writes about grief, suicide loss, and living life with hope. Faith believes in offering comfort in the way she has been comforted (2 Corinthians 1:4). In that vein; she began a local chapter of Survivors of Suicide (SOS) for others navigating the loss of a loved one by suicide. Faith recently earned a certificate in grief education. She is honored to be a contributing author on several books and websites and is currently writing a book. She would love to connect with you on her website and Instagram. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Did you know that one year ago I released my first book? This is so exciting! *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength entered the world August 30, 2022. This week on the podcast I am doing a special birthday episode for the book. I am sharing everything that has happened in the last year in my ministry from my speaking engagements I got because of my book to my podcast. It is a lot of fun! My friend, Karyce who I went to Rwanda with two different times is going to be interviewing me. I think it is special to go back and see the God stories in the ministry especially around the book. I am super excited for you to hear this behind the scenes episode. To hear more about behind the scenes about the Depth Podcast and *Depth Book, check out the episodes below: Depth Podcast Episode 47: Special Behind the Scenes Episode for the one year birthday of the podcast. Depth Podcast Episode 97: The Depth Podcast is Two Years Old! Cannot wait for you to hear more behind the scene stories about the last two years. Depth Podcast Episode 146: The Depth Podcast is Three Years Old and my first book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength releases August 30, 2022. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of my book: *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/scoocw/depth-birthday-book-giveaway I shared on the podcast episode about a shipping delay that crushed my spirit on book launch day. That morning, I had to surrender it all to God. I remember pouring out my heart in a blog post called Trusting God When You Don't Understand the Plan. I recommend reading it if you are struggling at all in understanding God’s timing. Here is a link to another blog post called Learning Patience When Plans Change when the Amazon link to preorder was delayed too. Book Recommendations *The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers *Try Softer by Aundi Kolber *Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you ever seen God use difficult circumstances in your life to grow your character? Maybe he is making you more patient. I know that is a big one for me that I struggle with. Maybe is helping you become more compassionate and empathetic towards others. I think one of the main ways God grows our character is through the storms in our life. So today, that is what I want to talk about on the podcast, the E in my STRENGTH acrostic from my book, *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Again, its one year birthday is at the end of this month. Now if you missed my episodes on the S, T, and R in STRENGTH, then I definitely recommend going back and listening to those episodes, especially the S and T. I think those are very foundational as we are walking through grief. Today, I want to focus on the E. It stands for Embrace God’s Character Development in the midst of the Chaos. If I am being completely honest, I don’t always like to Embrace the Character Development. But I do think it is an important way God chisels us and makes us more like Jesus. So today on the podcast I have Jen Roland. She is going to be sharing her story and how God used chronic pain to grow her and her character. I cannot wait for you to hear the truth she has to share. Jen wrote a post for My Heartbreak to Strength Story Blog Series back in 2021. The title of her post was Finding Victory Over Defeat and I cannot wait for you to read her powerful article. Click Here to get God's Truth to Combat Your Not Enough Statements- a free resource on my website! Book Recommendations: *Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster *The Deeper Journey by Robert Mulholland *Boundaries by Townsend and Cloud *Boundaries For Your Soul by Allison Cook and Kimberly Miller *Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk *What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry Jen Roland is a writer, speaker, board-certified Christian mental health coach, and women's ministry leader with a passion for walking alongside others toward healing and wholeness. She helps others implement positive lifestyle practices for their mind, body, and soul while developing a deeper relationship with God. Since her neuropathy diagnosis, Jen has focused her ministry on serving those with chronic pain and illness. On her website www.jenroland.com, she provides resources to restore hope, reduce pain, overcome fear and anxiety, and strengthen their faith. Jen lives in Woodbine, MD with her husband and three children. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help su

Have you heard the saying, “Hindsight is 20-20.” It is when we look back at our lives and we see a clearer picture. For some reason during the middle of it, we couldn’t see what was really happening. Well, I think this has a lot do to with perspective and today that is our topic on the podcast. We are going to be highlighting the letter R in the strength acrostic in my book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Again, its one year birthday is coming up at the end of this month. The R stands for Replace Your Finite View With God’s Infinite Perspective. Friend, I think this is one of the hardest things when we are going through grief and heartbreak: Trying to see it in a new light and a new perspective.  Now let me say first, if you haven’t listened to the S and T episodes in the acrostic, I recommend listening to those first. I think they are important steps before this letter R. Depth Podcast Episode 188: Seek God and Invite Him into Your Pain Depth Podcast Episode 189: Tearfully Allow Yourself Time to Grieve and Process the Emotions I am excited to have my friend, Alycia Betz as a guest on my podcast this week. She walked through two losses back-to-back, so she is going to share her story. Together we are going to talk about how do we replace our finite view with God’s infinite perspective. I have to tell you that I prayed more over this episode than any other in the acrostic because this one can be challenging. So, hope these words encourage you! Alycia Betz is a writer, speaker, songwriter, homeschooling mom, and wife for over 20 years. She loves to use words and songs to bring hope, healing, and freedom to other women who are on their own journey through darkness. She’d love to journey together! You can connect with her on her website or check out her youtube channel  

When you are in the middle of a hard season, do you allow yourself time to grieve? Do you know how to name your emotions and process them with someone you trust. Maybe a friend, a counselor or a support group? Honestly, I think this is a struggle for many people. So today on the podcast, I am so excited to highlight the letter T in my acrostic Strength in my book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength which is celebrating its one-year birthday at the end of August. The letter T stands for Tearfully Allow Yourself Time to Grieve and Process the Emotions. My friend, Heather Jeffery, is my guest this week. Both of us have walked through a divorce and this week on the podcast, we are going to share how we process those hard emotions and what did that practically look like. Now let me just say that you don’t have to have walked through the same heartbreak that we did in order to learn about how to process your emotions in your heartbreak. Again, everyone grieves differently, but we just wanted to give you some real life practical tools to add to your emotional tool box on how to walk through hard emotions. If you missed last week’s episode, we covered the S in Strength- how to seek God and invite Him into the pain. I think each episode builds on each other, so I highly recommend listening to this first episode as well. Lastly, I recorded an episode with my counselor last year called How to Process Emotions in a Healthy Way. Debbie shares so many pearls of wisdom; I hope this episode encourages you too! If you want to hear more about naming your feelings, you can listen to an episode on my Depth Podcast where my sons and I talk about Family and Feelings. Click on Depth Podcast Episode 26. Heather wrote the first guest post for my Heartbreak to Strength Story Blog Series back in 2021. The title of her post was Finding Strength in Brokenness and I cannot wait for you to read her powerful article. Heather Jeffery is a Christian writer, mentor, and certified abuse and recovery mental health coach. She is passionate about empowering women with Biblical truth as they link arms to seek clarity specializing in emotional abuse and divorce recovery. Heather believes our stories have purpose and are meant to be shared to encourage others just as we are encouraged by those in the Bible. She lives in Maryland with her two teenage daughters where she also works as a physical therapist and enjoys spending time outdoors anywhere there's water. You can receive truth filled encouragement by subscribing at heatherjeffery.com and follow her writing on Instagram @straightenyourcrown.1.

Have you ever felt the presence of God? Have you ever felt Him close to you? I know for me, I felt the presence of God the most in the middle of my hard seasons: my divorce, the loss of my friend, and my miscarriage. Maybe you can relate. This week on the podcast, I am so excited to have Evelyn Sherwood. She is a friend of mine who sadly has walked through many hardships. One of the things we talk about today is just how much she felt the presence of God in the middle of this hard season. She actually says this amazing quote (I am going to give you a little sneak peek because it is so good). She says, “The sweetness of His presence far surpassed the pain of my suffering.” Evelyn has so much wisdom to share with you. But before we head over to the conversation, I have something exciting to share. My book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength is actually celebrating its one-year birthday at the end of August! So for the next 8 weeks, I am doing a special series based on the acrostic in the book. As I was writing the book, I prayed to God for wisdom on how to write a book with three storylines. He gave me this acrostic for the word, STRENGTH! So, we are going to be going through the acrostic starting with the S today with Evelyn to Seek God and Invite Him Into the pain. Then we will move through the acrostic over the next 8 weeks on the podcast. I so excited for you to hear the wisdom from Evelyn of how she was able to seek God and invite Him into the middle of her pain. She went through an intense 18 month season where there was one storm after another, so you do not want to miss the truth she shares! Evelyn wrote a post for my Heartbreak to Strength Story Blog Series back in 2021. The title of her post was Finding Strength in the Middle of the Storm, and I cannot wait for you to read her powerful article. Book Recommendations: *Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vreogop *Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker Evelyn Sherwood is a trusted soul-care guide, speaker, and blogger who has served in pastoral ministry for thirty-five years.  Sherwood serves an active and growing audience through her blog, evelynsherwood.com, and her bi-weekly subscription devotional Hope for the Journey, encouraging her readers to grab hold of hope in the trials by helping them recall God’s work in their past. Nothing puts a smile on her face more than sharing about the faithfulness of God with a friend over a steaming cup of cappuccino or iced peach tea. On a summer evening, you might spot Evelyn and her husband, Steve, driving through Indiana farmlands in a canary yellow ’47 Ford pickup or enjoying an outdoor movie night in their backyard with their eight grandkids.  You can connect with Evelyn on her website, on Instagram, and you can sign up for her weekly devotional. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended

Did you hear my episode with Karen Ehman that I recorded back in 2020? It is one of my favorite books of hers; it is called *Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World.  Her book encourages us to be more intentional and live alert. Taking our eyes off ourselves and placing them on others, we can “become a noticer” and scatter love and kindness.  I cannot wait for you to hear her share about a heartdrop; honestly, it is my favorite part.  Book Recommendation: *Soul Keeping by John Ortberg Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author, a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, and a writer for Encouragement For Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million users daily. She has written 14 books and Bible studies including *Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It; When to Say Nothing at All, *Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40 Day Challenge and *Keep Showing Up: How to Stay Crazy in Love You’re your Love Drives You Crazy. Karen has been featured on numerous media outlets including TODAY Parents, FoxNews.com, Redbook.com, Crosswalk.com, and HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women to live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and the mother of three, she enjoys collecting vintage kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many people who gather around her kitchen island for a taste of Mama Karen's cooking. Connect with her at karenehman.com. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you listened to my episode with Rebekah Lyons back in 2019? It was the very first year of the podcast and we talked about her book, *Rhythms of Renewal. This book is life changing for anyone that struggles with stress, worry, or anxiety. Rebekah shares in detail about her 4 rhythms as well as practical examples for each one.  She even shares which rhythm comes most naturally to her as well as which one is most challenging.  I promise you do not want to miss her insight and wisdom. Please comment below and share which rhythm comes most naturally to you as well as which one is most challenging and involves you being intentional. For more information about Rebekah’s book, go to her website: https://rebekahlyons.com/ *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you heard my first episode with Nicki Koziarz back in 2020. We talk about her book,  *Why Her. The subtitle is 6 Truths We Need to Hear When Measuring Up Leaves Us Falling Behind. This book is all about comparison and I think this is such a real struggle in our lives especially with social media. We are going to address that today, and I am so excited to share some of my favorite truths from her book. Going back and listening to this, reminded me of the importance of helping our kids navigate this comparison struggle. Cannot wait for you to hear the truths from Nicki’s book. Note: Nicki has been a guest three times on my podcast! The first time is this repeat episode we are listening to today about her book, *Why Her? Her second time on the podcast we talked about her book, *Flooded, where she vulnerably shares how doubt flooded her soul and began to impact her faith. You can check out our conversation on Episode 74. I cannot wait for you to hear Nicki share about the life of Noah in the Bible and the 5 Best Decisions to Make When Life is Hard and Doubt is Rising (the subtitle of her book). Finally, she came back for a 3rd time on the podcast to talk about her latest book, *Your New Now: Finding Strength and Wisdom When You Feel Stuck Where You Are. This book is all about transitions. You definitely want to check out Depth Podcast Episode 169. Book Recommendations: *Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller Nicki Koziarz is an ECPA bestselling author and a speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She speaks nationally at conferences, retreats, and meetings and hosts her own podcast, Lessons from the Farm. An evangelist at heart, Nicki inspires others to become the best version of who God created them to be. Nicki, her husband, and their family run a small farm just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, which they affectionately call The Fixer Upper Farm. Learn more at nickikoziarz.com. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Did you hear my first episode with Michele Cushatt? It was back in 2020, and we talked about her book, *Relentless. The subtitle is The Unshakable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves. It is such a powerful episode and in it, she shares about her pain and suffering that she has walked through. She started to doubt, question, and wonder if the presence of pain meant the absence of God. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you are wondering where God is in the middle of your hard time. You have doubts and questions. Some of the questions Michele had: God, when are you going to intervene? God, why haven’t you put a stop to this pain and suffering? Maybe you have those same questions. There is so much truth in this episode and Michele’s books have depth to them. I know you are going to learn so much for her. Note: Michele came back for a 2nd time on the podcast to talk about her latest book, *A Faith That Will Not Fail. You definitely want to check out Depth Podcast Episode 171. As an experienced communicator, Michele Cushatt speaks internationally to a wide variety of audiences and has published three previous books, including *Undone, *I Am. Her fourth book, *A Faith That Will Not Fail, publishes March 2023. A three-time head and neck cancer survivor and parent of "children from hard places, " Michele is a (reluctant) expert of trauma, pain, and the deep human need for authentic connection and enduring faith. She and her husband, Troy, share a blended family of six children, including biological children, stepchildren, and foster-adopt children. They live on eight acres outside of Denver, Colorado. Visit www.michelecushatt.com *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you heard my first episode with Jennifer Dukes Lee with her book, *It's All Under Control? We recorded it back in 2019. Honestly, she was my second interview ever on the podcast (Episode 3). It was really fun to talk with her since I was on her book launch team for that very book. This episode has so many practical tools to help you especially if you struggle with control and surrender. My word this year is surrender so it was so fun to go back and listen to this episode in light of that. One of my favorite quotes in this book as well as on this episode is “We surrender outcomes, but we don’t surrender effort.” I loved that reminder, so I think you are going to learn so much from Jennifer. Note: Jennifer has been a guest three times on my podcast! The first time is this repeat episode we are listening to today about her book, *It's All Under Control Her second time on the podcast we talked about her book, *Growing Slow. You can check out our conversation on the Depth Podcast Episode 80. I cannot wait for you to hear about the four seasons: Spring Planting, Summer Growth, Autumn Harvest and Winter Rest Finally, she came back for a 3rd time on the podcast to talk about her latest book, *Stuff I’d Only Tell God: A Guided Journal of Courageous Honesty, Obsessive Truth-Telling, and Beautifully Ruthless Self-Discovery. You definitely want to check out Depth Podcast Episode 173. Book Recommendations: *The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel *Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller *One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp Jennifer Dukes Lee is a bestselling author, thinker, and question asker from Iowa. Her friends say they are scared to sit alone in a room with her because they end up telling her things they never intended to say. She is both proud of this fact and also a little annoyed at how nosy she can be. She put a bunch of her favorite questions into a journal called *Stuff I’d Only Tell God. It’s like your own little confession booth. She’s also the author of *Growing Slow and *It's All Under Control. Learn more at jenniferdukeslee.com. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you heard my episode with Suzie Eller that I recorded back in 2019? It is about the book, *The Mended Heart. If you have ever heard me speak or share about my broken clay pot, this is the book that inspired it. I am so excited for you to hear this episode that I recorded the very first year of the podcast.  I went back and listened to it today and loved hearing some of the truths in it that have really become foundational truths I share in my speaking and my book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength. Also, it was a joy to see God’s faithfulness with my book and this podcast over the last four years. Friend, this episode is definitely one of my favorites and I cannot wait for you to hear it. Also, we talked about her podcast, More Than Small Talk and it was such an honor to be a guest on it earlier this year. Here is a link to listen to my conservation with Holley Gerth, Jennifer Watson, and Suzie Eller. Note: Suzie was my first guest to be on my podcast twice so I would love for you to check out my conversation with Suzie about her book, *JoyKeeper.  Please check out Episode 46 on the Depth podcast. I love what she shares about joy! Finally, she came back for a 3rd time on the podcast to talk about her latest book, *Prayer Starters: Talking with God About Hard Times. You definitely want to check out Depth Podcast Episode 158. Book Recommendations: *Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis *Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis *Undone by Michele Cushatt *It's All Under Control by Jennifer Dukes Lee *Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith Suzanne Eller (Suzie) is a bestselling author. She is co-host of the More Than Small Talk podcast with KLRC Podcast Network, which debuted in the top 25 Christian podcasts. Suzie has appeared on media such as Focus on the Family, Aspiring Women, The Harvest Show, KLOVE and many others. She served with Proverbs 31 Ministries for 14 years. She believes that healed women scoop up other women and run toward the cross. When she's not writing, you'll find her kayaking, hanging out with her "littles," finding the best foodie food truck, or hiking. Connect with Suzie at www.tsuzanneeller.com *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Father’s Day is just around the corner, how are you feeling? For some of us, we have a great relationship with our dad. For others, we don’t. For some of us, we have a spouse. For others, we don’t.  For a single parent, it can be really hard. Today, I want to have an honest conversation about loss and single parenting. I am excited to have Matthew Ronan on the podcast this week. He is going to vulnerably share about losing his wife and being a single dad for his daughter. But more than that, we dive deeper into grief and loss and how to deal with the hard emotions. Before his wife passed away, together they wrote a children’s book called The Girl With Five Hearts. The question on the back of the book says, “What do you do with a broken heart.” So, we are going to talk about that today as well. It is an honest conversation full of vulnerability, wisdom, and even some Father’s Day advice for our solo parents. It was great advice for me as a mom too. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Matthew’s new book: The Girl With Five Hearts. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/j8izmo/childrens-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *The Soul of Shame by Dr. Kurt Thompson *I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp *Beyond the Darkness by Clarissa Moll *Grief Share Workbook Link to Depth Podcast Episode 160: Beyond the Darkness – Clarissa Moll Matthew Ronan is an artist and writer who’s worked in film, television, and radio. His credits include projects for Disney/Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and the Michael Jackson estate. He recently published The Girl With 5 Hearts, a children’s book he illustrated and co-authored with his late wife Chastidy. He lives in San Francisco with his daughter Catica. You can connect with him on his website or on Facebook and Instagram. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

How are you at managing your emotions? Do you have tools in your emotional tool belt on how to handle sadness, anger, and worry? I would say for most people, this is a hard struggle. I am so excited to tell you about this new book that my friends Lynn Cowell and Michelle Nietert wrote. It is called *Managing Your Emojis, and I wish I had this book when I was younger. Today I have the privilege of talking to Michelle about this amazing devotional for kids, and there is so much wisdom in this episode. Michelle is a counselor, so she gives some many practical tools for us parents and for our kids too! You do not want to miss our conversation. Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Michelle and Lynn’s book: *Managing Your Emojis. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/0n9mkx/managing-your-emojis-book-giveaway  It is fun to have Michele back on the Podcast! If you missed my first conversation with Michele and Lynn about their book, *Loved & Cherished, please check out Episode 51 on the Depth podcast. Love this devotional they wrote for girls. Book Recommendations: *Search for Significance by Robert McGee *Boundaries by Townsend and Cloud *Try Softer by Aundi Kolber *Strong Like Water by Aundi Kolber *On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble Licensed Professional Counselor of 25 years, Michelle Nietert is the coauthor of the *Managing Your Emojis, *God I Feel Sad: Bringing Big Emotions to a Bigger God series, best selling book *Loved & Cherished, and the award-winning book for adults *Make Up Your Mind.  She leads a team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in the Dallas, TX area. A popular speaker on topics regarding mental health, faith, and parenting, she is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, and hosts the Raising Mentally Healthy KidsTM podcast. She and her husband Drew have been married 20 years with two school aged children. Connect with Michelle at YourMentalHealthCoach.com.  *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affi

Have you cinched your trust to the promises of God? When life’s unexpected storms come blowing through, do you have an unwavering trust in a God that will not fail?  For most of us, I think we can say that we know we need to trust God, we can quote Bible verses about trusting God, but actually living it out is much harder to do. This is why I love the wisdom from today’s guest. I have Kristine Brown on the podcast, and we are going to be talking about her book, *Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God. We are going to dive deep into the life of Rahab today.  I am so excited that this episode is like a Bible Shoes Episode! So instead of doing it solo, I am excited to have Kristine and I together talk about Rahab’s life, the promises of God, and how we can better trust Him as we walk out our faith. There is so much goodness in this episode! Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Kristine’s book: *Cinched. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/fs1s5p/cinched-book-giveaway Book Recommendations: *All Things New by John Eldridge *It's All Under Control by Jennifer Dukes Lee Kristine Brown is a ministry wife, mom, stepmom, and Mimi who shares a message of “becoming more than ourselves through God’s Word” at her website, morethanyourself.com. She is the author of *Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God. Any given day you can find Kristine texting her young adult kids, adding another book to the growing stack on her bookshelf, or searching for a new way to cook broccoli. Kristine and her husband live in East Texas. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Has God placed a dream on your heart? Maybe it is to write a book, start a ministry, or help others in need. Perhaps it is a retreat center or starting your own business. I believe God places a dream into each of our hearts. I am excited today to talk about Pastor Rick Warren’s new book, *Created to Dream. The subtitle is The 6 phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith. I love talking about growing deeper in our faith, and I believe God does that through our dreams. I am so grateful to Zondervan Books for access to these amazing words of wisdom from Pastor Rick. I cannot wait for you to hear as he talks about the 6 phases of faith. So grab a notebook to take notes, because it is so good. Also, I am so excited we are giving away 2 copies of Pastor Rick Warren’s new book: *Created to Dream. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/5pnjay/2-copies-of-pastor-rick-warrens-new-book-giveaway In July 2018, I had the opportunity to speak at Saddleback Church with Pastor Rick Warren during all four weekend services. Sitting on his panel, together we discussed how to raise a remarkable child in the Purpose Driven Family Series. Saddleback Church Service Link A Time magazine cover article named Rick Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America, and one of the hundred most influential people in the world. Tens of millions of copies of Pastor Rick’s books have been published in 200 languages. His best notebooks, *The Purpose Driven Life and *The Purpose Driven Church were named three times in national service of pastors as the two most helpful books in print. Rick and his wife, Kay, founded Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He is the cofounder of Celebrate Recovery with John Baker.  Taken from Created to Dream by Rick Warren. Copyright © 2023 by Zondervan Book by permission of Zondervan, www.zondervan.com. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!

Have you ever been in awe of God’s timing and God’s fingerprints all over the details of a story? I am excited to tell you about one that recently happened. I don’t know if you heard last week’s episode, but I talked with Jessica Young, and she was one of my special mom stories. Her daughter, Adlie, has a rare genetic disorder and on that episode, we talked about how Adlie had a bone marrow transplant. If you missed our conversation, I highly recommend listening to it first and this one second. I promise the truths that Jessica shares are powerful. This week, I am super excited to be talking with Adlie, Jessica’s daughter. She is going to share the story from her perspective, and I am just in awe of her maturity and wisdom at the young age of ten years old. I promise you do not want to miss one word she shares. She is so inspiring and making such an impact on others.  So, we will start by listening to our conversation—one of my favorites. And then I have a special God story to share with you that happened after my interviews with Jessica and Adlie. It is a “God-Incident”. Link to the Be the Match, Bone Marrow Registry Link to Red Cross Blood Donations

Have you ever thought about God is for you? He is not just with you, but He is for you! If you are walking through a difficult season right now, sometimes it doesn’t always feel like God is for you or that God is with you. I so love the encouragement from today’s episode. It is one of my special mom stories, and I talk with Jessica Young. I knew Jessica when she was Jessica Vanlandingham. I was her babysitter through my teenage years and watched her grow up. She is now a mother herself, and she is going to share about her daughter who has a rare genetic disorder. What I love about today’s episode is the perspective she gives us when life is hard, and you are walking through something that you don’t understand. Also, at the very end, she reads us these song lyrics that helped her in the middle of her difficult time. She talks about how God Is For You! It is so powerful, and I had goosebumps all over when she shared it. If you are in a hard season right now, you do not want to miss the truth that Jessica shared. Christian Song Recommendations: "The Blessing" by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns "Blessings" by Laura Story “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns “Into Dust” by Mack Brock “Soar” by Meredith Andrews Link to the Be the Match, Bone Marrow Registry Link to Red Cross Blood Donatio

Did you know that Mother’s Day is a really hard day for many women? For some, they lost their mom, and Mother’s Day is super difficult. For others, they have lost a child and there is a deep hole in their heart each Mother’s day. And for others, they desire to be a mom and that dream has not happened yet. Each month as the pregnancy test is negative, they have to wait for that dream to happen. And so on the podcast for the month of May, I like to highlight special mom stories. I want to remind women, they are not alone in these hard seasons that they are walking through. For some, it is stories of infertility and miscarriage. Other stories are adoption or a child with special needs or a rare disease. My hope for this series is to encourage other women and help give us tools on how we can come alongside and support these women that are walking these hard roads. So today, I am so excited to have Erin Greneaux on the podcast. She is going to share her story of infertility and miscarriage from her book, *Inconceivable Redemption. I pray her words will help encourage another hurting heart. In 2020, Saddleback Church hosted a gathering for grieving women a couple nights before Mother’s Day called the Bella Donne, which means beautiful women in Italian. I have attached the link so you can listen. I pray this encourages you especially if your heart is hurting this Mother’s Day. https://saddleback.com/watch/webcast/belle-donne/belle-donne-2020 Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Erin’s book: *Inconceivable Redemption. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/urecyy/infertility-and-miscarriage-book-giveaway Other Special Mom Stories that could be helpful: Kaley Olson shared her two-year struggle with infertility as well as her miscarriage last year. To listen to her special mom story, click the link to Episode 130. Holley Gerth shared her infertility story of 10 years as well as how she met her daughter. To listen to her special mom story, click the link to Episode 81. Allyn Ann shared her infertility story and her emotional journey to having 2 miraculous IVF babies. To listen to her powerful story, click the link to Episode 31. Link to Erin’s blog post: What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting Link to Jodi's blog post: Encouragement for your Hurting Heart on Mother's Day Book Recommendations: *A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis *The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom *Loved Baby by Sarah Philpott Erin Greneaux is an award-winning author and mom to three girls who make every day an adventure. She loves working in the garden and finds her best inspiration while digging in the dirt. Erin is passionate about exploring the practical application of faith in everyday life. She uses writing to take Biblical ideas and present them in a way that is clear, creative, and captivating. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!