Unshakable Hope Podcast

Lori Armstrong describes God’s faithfulness and countless answers to prayer following her baby’s diagnosis with retinoblastoma. Lori describes how God miraculously intervenes providing treasures in darkness in this season and following the loss of her husband and both her parents. Her journey helps us trust the constant love of God who holds us in His steadfast love and redeems our hard stories.

Lara Silverman, a Stanford Law graduate and former U.S. Attorney’s Office hire, shares how a sudden, rare neurological illness left her mostly bedridden for eight years, forcing her to resign and endure years of misdiagnoses, failed treatments, and isolation while God repeatedly comforted her through Scripture and community. After a surprise love story and the loss of her husband, Laura found renewed joy through comedy, wrote the memoir Singing Through Fire from her bed, and emphasizes trusting God’s higher ways and eternal purpose in suffering.

Cara Shine grew up as the only Jewish child in her area where antisemitic bullying left her feeling rejected not only by peers, but also by Jesus. Her perspective shifted years later during the terrifying Beltway sniper attacks when she encountered Jesus' love in a profound way.

Jodi Allen shares her story of a marriage impacted by her husband’s long-term pornography struggle, culminating in a two-year attempt at healing through and eventual divorce. She emphasizes God’s presence, kindness, and gentle healing in suffering.

Cheryl Scanlan shares powerful and practical examples of how we can live a life of rest and how we can access all of Christ's spiritual blessings in our everyday. We'll discover how to intentionally open our hearts and receive God's peace, comfort, and guiding voice rather than rush past these divine invitations.

Amber Smith—wife of former country music artist Granger Smith and author of The Girl on the Bathroom Floor—shares the heartbreaking and hope-filled story of losing their three-year-old son, River, to a drowning in 2019.

Rosann Coulon, in an unguarded moment, admitted she was struggling to trust God with the devastation of her pastor dad's addiction to medication. This loss was piled on top of debilitating chronic illness, the loss of her career, and the realization she could not have children. Rosann shares the tender ways the Lord met her with the power of His healing love.

Angela Donadio, an anointed ministry leader, author, and podcaster, shares profound lessons of dependency and surrender that help us cultivate fierce faith when life doesn’t make sense. Out of her near-death experience, she shares two questions that reframe our suffering as well as deep insights from the faith-in-action stories of Rahab and the bleeding woman.

Dr. Michelle Bengtson, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and bestselling author, discusses how to navigate pain, suffering, and emotional scars through faith and resilience. She shares her personal journey of overcoming physical and emotional challenges, including childhood illness, miscarriage, depression, and cancer.

Lisa Saruga, counselor and trauma therapist, shares her formidable journey from surviving a violent assault in the 1980s to having her attacker identified 35 years later. Lisa discusses how her faith in God and His goodness anchored her through her healing journey.

How do we experience the peace of God when we’re worried, fearful, or overwhelmed? Rachel Wojo, author, speaker, and host of the Untangling Prayer podcast, shares her journey, including caring for her terminally ill daughter, financial struggles, and embracing God's word for daily sustenance.

Darlene Larson, a certified Grief, Loss, and Life Purpose Coach, encourages us with the hope she found through significant hardships, including emotional abuse, divorces, and family losses. Darlene shares her journey through deep valleys of grief, her struggles with faith, and how God's unwavering presence led her into fresh strength and healing.

Jackie recounts her experiences as a caregiver for her husband who battled stage four glioblastoma and how she discovered the strength and presence of the Lord during the hardest times. She also shares the transition from feeling responsible for fixing everything in life to learning to trust God fully.

How does trusting God rescue our hearts from cynicism and apathy? Kelly Hall and Jennifer Slattery delve into God’s love and timely interventions during crises of faith. In this second portion of Kelly’s story, they emphasize practical ways to navigate hard stories with faith and cultivate tenderness with the Lord when disappointments pile.

In this 100th episode, I share powerful stories of God’s faithfulness and miraculous provisions from our family’s journey. We discover the tenderness of our Lord who draws near in our heartache, speaks words of hope over our grief, rescues our wounded hearts from “mom guilt,” and creatively cultivates joy and intimacy in our long waiting seasons.

Sarah Griffiths Hu shares vulnerably about her journey from crippling anxiety to courageous faith, including her experiences with childhood assault, a miscarriage, financial difficulties, and her son's battle with addiction.

Rachel LeMaster is a remarkable young woman whose story of survival and faith has been featured on national platforms including the Today Show. Rachel, born with Turner’s Syndrome, shares her journey of surviving a catastrophic car accident that left her with severe injuries.

Christine Hoy, shares her transformative journey of breaking free from the exhausting cycle of perfectionism and embracing a life anchored in grace. We’ll enjoy God’s purposeful creativity in revealing strongholds of control and guiding her into deeper surrender.

Amanda Scarborough, shares her harrowing experience with severe postpartum depression that threatened both her life and her son’s. She describes the beautiful war she fought and rescuing power of Jesus’ love.

What happens when tragedy meets the unshakable love of Jesus? Sheila Preston Fitzgerald shares how her near-death motorcycle accident became the backdrop for an extraordinary testimony of faith, resilience, and God’s miraculous care. From the night she was cradled in the arms of Jesus on the pavement, to years of painful recovery, multiple surgeries, and learning to walk again with a prosthetic, Sheila’s journey is a living testimony that hope and healing are possible in Christ.

Carol McCracken recounts her extraordinary journey through a myriad of challenging circumstances. From happily married to a divorced single mom to happily remarried to the same man a decade later. Her journey includes parenting a son with multiple special needs, alcohol addiction, and healing in a grace-filled community of believers.

Do you ever feel like you’re fighting for a seat at the table—striving for approval or battling comparison? Dr. Heather Holleman shares how one verb from Scripture transformed her perspective and set her free from jealousy, insecurity, and shame.

How do we learn to celebrate joy when pain has convinced us it's too risky? Nicole Zasowski encourages us: “Don’t miss out on your beautiful, God-given life because you’re busy preparing for the worst.” Drawing from her experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist and her own personal struggles to hold onto joy, she delves into practical ways to practice joy and live in the enduring joy Jesus promises.

In this touching episode, Janell Neumann, shares her family’s extraordinary journey through intense loss, miraculous moments, and hard faith questions. She unfolds her tumultuous experiences of near-death encounters, multiple miscarriages, and spiritual lessons learned through times of desperate prayers.

Donna Jones shares her personal journey of navigating through a devastating conflict that not only shook her faith but also led her to profound insights about handling conflict in healthy, holy, and God-honoring ways.

Virginia Grounds shares how the Lord spoke and guided her through the loss of her husband then faithfully led her to write, launch a ministry, and wait for His perfect timing to move back to her home in Texas. Virginia highlights the power of God's voice and presence through our grief and the importance of embracing new growth seasons beyond widowhood.

Dawn Ward's entire story has been shaped by addictions of loved ones, beginning in her childhood and later affecting two of her children as well as her husband. God not only miraculously healed her husband but also rescued her from overwhelming guilt and shame and an obsessive tendency to “fix” the people in her family.

Karen Wingate, born legally blind, shares her inspirational story of faith and perseverance. As a young girl, her prayers for miraculous healing became humble prayers of surrender, asking the Lord to help her trust Him with her limited vision. Quite unexpectedly, another prayer and surgery in her fifties resulted in better than ever vision!

Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus illuminate the deep biblical truths the Lord has built into their own lives through suffering. We'll discover how to cling to God when our dreams are shattered and how to persevere when we feel like giving up.

Cheryl Scanlan, Executive Coach and Founder of Promised Land Living, skillfully explains how a life of humility and receiving rescues our hearts from being stuck in the exhaustion of comparison, pretending, and performing.

Kathy Howard, author, Bible-teacher, and self-proclaimed "treasure hunter" of God's Word, helps us see Jesus through fresh eyes as she highlights several "I am" statements from the gospel of John.

How do we trust God's timing when the world is always telling us to hurry up? Rebecca George offers a biblical perspective and powerful personal stories that will help us navigate our unmet longings and live surrendered to the Lord's will in our waiting seasons.

Pam Fields grew up in a missionary family but didn't realize until years later, she was impacted by the trauma of childhood abuse. She is amazed by the powerful ways God pursued her heart and redeemed her story.

Becky Harling, author, speaker, and Bible teacher, explains our longings to connect, the obstacles to deep connections and practical ways we develop more meaningful and satisfying relationships. We highlight the beautiful ways Jesus valued people as we share from her book, Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World.

When Luann Mire’s husband was unjustly indicted and imprisoned on federal charges, her family endured the intense pain of betrayal and injustice. The immense challenges tested their faith in God on every level. Luann and Patti Richter share the powerful ways God revealed His presence, comfort, and faithfulness in the ongoing pain of injustice.

Sara Cormany was blindsided as a young mom by the debilitating effects of chronic illness complicated by a stroke. After the births of four children and almost losing her husband, her battered heart was renewed and rescued through God's love and presence.

In this moving episode, Cheryl Christopher opens up her story of losing two sons and a grandson. She illuminates the unique and tender ways God pursued her heart, walking her deeper into His hope and healing and and even restoring laughter and creativity.

Rachael Adams is a southern mama who lives out her love for Jesus with her family on a Kentucky farm. Her question, How do we authentically love God, others, and ourselves?, fueled a transformative journey which resulted in her latest book, Everyday Prayers for Love.

Stephanie Rousselle, Bible teacher and host of the Gospel Spice Podcast, explores ways to delight in God’s goodness and deepen intimacy with God as we navigate seasons of disappointment and loss. She shares her remarkable journey from atheism to Christianity and emphasizes the unique ways Christ appealed to her intellect.

Author and speaker, Kia Stephens shares her inspiring story of healing from "father wounds" indelibly etched on her soul. With courageous honesty, she explains how she learned to trust God as her heavenly Father and lays out practical tools and biblical insights to help us overcome low self-esteem and unforgiveness.

How do we grieve the loss of someone we never knew? My friend and pastor's wife, Sarah Fox, will share some of the surprising and poignant ways growing up without a dad impacted her life, marriage, and parenting. She'll also describe the ways she wrestled through the long waiting season in their foster adoption process.

Christy Wood shares her fascinating story of growing up in a Christian cult and how she experienced the relentless pursuit of Jesus as He wooed her heart and rescued her from lies.

Crystal Mayo shares her profound story of a massive stroke at the age of 38 and how a dog named Lucy was used by God to provide comfort during her miraculous healing.

Angela Mackey, a registered nurse, had her life planned out perfectly, but her faith and marriage were severely tested when her dreams were shattered. Multiple life-threatening situations left her unable to have children naturally. We highlight biblical stories, explore multiple ways to cultivate hope, and offer comfort to others walking this journey of infertility.

Have the delays in your story diminished your hope? What does it look like to wait on God when dreams and longings are put on hold? Join Kelly in an interview by Hannah Baldwin as they discuss discovering hope in delays, especially in the holiday season when the hardships of life are often exaggerated.

The six weeks leading up to Christmas can be challenging to navigate. Carol Tetzlaff reminds us that even the disciples who saw Jesus in the flesh struggled to trust the comfort of His presence and power. From personal experiences, we share practical ways to wrestle through heartache, unmet expectations, and feelings of isolation in order to experience the reality of God's powerful presence with us.

With refreshing authenticity, Amber Cullum shares how her life was transformed through daily practices of gratitude and a greater awareness of God's abundance.

Can we find practical help and joy as we read the Bible? Janet McHenry shares her personal stories of finding hope and encouragement in God's Word and we discuss her new 365 day devo: Looking Up! Finding Joy as You Read and Pray Through the Bible.

How do you rebuild your life after it falls apart? Dawn Sanders endured a divorce then the sudden death of her second husband. She shares how God met her in profound grief and slowly walked her into a process of rebuilding her life through a powerful encounter with God in Genesis 1.

Beth Runkle was rescued from bitterness, complaining, and discontentment when she came to know Jesus and discovered she had a purpose and calling on her life that involved serving alongside her husband in the military. Through14 moves, adoptions, infertility, living in places she wouldn't have chosen, Beth discovered the faithfulness and goodness of God.