Episode 076: An Untroubled Heart: Anxiety, Grief, and God’s Timing with Kara Stout

In this tender and hope-filled episode, Justin and Trish sit down with Kara Stout—writer, wife, and new adoptive mom living in Los Angeles—to talk about what it looks like to pursue an untroubled heart in a world that feels anything but calm. Kara shares honestly about walking through an artery dissection, financial struggle, infertility, the loss of both parents (including her mom’s cancer journey), and an adoption that fell through—before God brought their daughter Nora into their family. Out of that deep well of suffering and God’s faithfulness came her new devotional, The Untroubled Heart: Calming Anxiety and Finding God’s Purpose. If you’re overwhelmed by the news cycle, carrying quiet grief, or waiting on God to move in a situation that feels stuck, this conversation will remind you that you can bring all of it to Him—and that waiting on God is not passive. In This Episode, We Talk About Why our souls feel so overwhelmed in the age of constant news and notifications—and how to set healthy boundaries around what we consume The tension of “both/and”: holding real grief and real faith at the same time without canceling either one out How Kara watched her mom model joy and trust in Jesus in the middle of suffering—and how that shaped Kara’s view of eternity Walking through seven years of infertility, a failed adoption, and the surprising ways God’s timing later made sense The beauty and complexity of open adoption and the story of meeting Nora’s birth mom on Kara and her husband’s wedding anniversary Why waiting on God is not passive—and how to actively seek His heart instead of just His answers The heart behind 30 days of morning and evening devotionals, and why “bookending” your day with God matters How nature, beauty, and creation have become one of the primary ways Kara experiences God’s presence Resources Mentioned Kara's Book: The Untroubled Heart: Calming Anxiety and Finding God’s Purpose by Kara Stout