139: How to Break Free From Hopelessness and Find Hope in Times of Despair with Julie Sanford

How can we find hope when times are difficult?  We may have hope when times are easy, but what happens when that hope turns to despair and we’re plagued with negative thoughts of hopelessness? Even if we have faith in God, when there is something so terrible, so difficult, so unimaginable happening in front of us, hope can feel really far away. Today we are talking about how to break free from hopelessness and rise above hard times to find bravery and courage and to believe that God is going to come through.Today’s podcast guest is my friend Julie Sanford, and Julie is sharing her story about a period when her family was walking through addiction.  A deep sense of hopelessness began to invade her heart, and she will share what she learned from that experience as well as how she helps other women walking through a season of addiction with a loved one.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:[1:29] About Julie Sanford[2:32] Julie’s family’s journey through addiction[5:03] How feelings of despair made it difficult to find hope[7:00] The impact of hopelessness on Julie’s relationship with God[9:09] The turning point: putting faith in God in order to find hope[11:46] Julie’s advice for someone struggling with a desire to control or fix a difficult situation[15:47] What not to say to someone going through a season of despair or hopelessness[23:03] How to encourage someone to find hope during a time of despair[25:36] Knowing God and His character can help with finding hope and building trust[26:57] Scripture that helped Julie to find hope during her family’s difficult season[32:58] TODAY’S LISTENER SUBMITTED QUESTION: How can I get past the fear of even looking at some of these negative thoughts I have?  What is the first step to take?CONNECT WITH JULIE:WebsiteInstagramFacebookGET YOUR FREE MINDSET TRAINING:I created a free mindset training that will teach you scientific and biblical tools to show you how to manage your thoughts and take back control of your emotions. This is my gift to you so that you can take the first steps to find freedom, to find peace in your thoughts, and to truly believe in the good promises that God has for you.Go HERE to access this free mindset training.NEXT STEP RESOURCES:This episode mentions the Christian Mindset Makeover™ Boot Camp, and I highly recommend this as a next step.The Christian Mindset Makeover™ is a 9-week boot camp for Christian women to overcome negative thoughts using proven scientific and biblical mindset tools for more joy, clarity and confidence.If you are tired of being stuck in perfectionism, not feeling “enough,” shame, overfunctioning, and/or fear/worry (and you’re ready for real change), then this is the course you need!Go HERE to register or to get on the wait list for the Christian Mindset Makeover™ Boot Camp.Send us Fan Mail