[Ep 163] Letting God Use Our Wounds: A Conversation with Russell Joyce

(There are a few technical glitches in here. I apologize in advance!) What wounds do you carry around with you? I have scars on my arm from a childhood disease, places where the skin is darker than the rest. For you, it might be a physical scar from an experience that left you scraped and bleeding.  Or it might be something deeper: a fear of close relationships, the ever-present sting of betrayal, the feeling like you don't belong. On today's episode I speak with Russell Joyce about how God can use these wounds in our lives to bring both freedom and healing. Russell is the national director of church planting for The Foursquare Church and senior pastor of Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon. He's also the co-host of the Same Jesus podcast. But today I chat with him as the author of his book, His Face Like Mine.  The foundational story of the book has to do with the fact that Russell was born with a rare craniofacial disorder where the left side of his face was not formed. And as he works through the scars from that—physical, emotional, and spiritual—he discovers how God meets us in our wounds and sets us free.  Russell and I talk about the gift of repentance, how journaling has played a role for him and how it can play a role in your own healing journey, and at the end, he shares some words to those who are walking alongside people who are healing. This is a sacred conversation, my friends. So settle in and ask God what He has to say to you through this episode today.  Kari   RELATED RESOURCES: ·       Russell's book, His Face Like Mine (Amazon affiliate link) ·       Russell's website (access his monthly meditation) ·       Russell's Instagram ______ >> Free Journaling Workshop: 3 ways to encounter God on the pages of your journal http://lovedoesthat.org/journalingworkshop >> Journal Gently: An 8-week program designed to help you process grief and trauma with God http://lovedoesthat.org/journalgently >> Grab your copy of my Courageous Care book http://lovedoesthat.org/care   Music by DappyTKeys