Fighting For Joy: Recent Episodes
Jodi Blick
This summer I am trying something new by re-releasing a few of my older Fighting for Joy Podcast episodes. While I'm taking a break from creating new content I wanted to pull out a few conversations that may have gotten buried in your feed in hopes that they will provide you with fresh encouragement. Our podcast community has also grown quite a bit over the years so if you're a new listener, these may be episodes you haven't had a chance to listen to yet. The next one I will be highlighting is Episode 5: "Empty Spaces", originally released on December 28, 2018. Here is some of what I wrote then (you'll hear a few Christmas references because of it's orginal airing date): God loves to fill empty spaces. I find that especially helpful during this time of year when many of us can more deeply feel the emptiness in our lives. Did you feel some emptiness this Christmas? Maybe you haven’t lost a loved one, but your heart feels empty. Or you’re experiencing some sort of brokenness in your family, or with your health, or in a relationship? Or maybe you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or sad? Well, whether this really IS the “most wonderful time of the year” for you or if its just been downright lonely and sad (or even a messy, complicated mix of everything!), I wanted to record this mini-episode to remind you that God REALLY IS enough to fill our empty spaces.
This summer I'm going to try something new by re-releasing a few of my older Fighting for Joy Podcast episodes. While I'm taking a break from creating new content I wanted to pull out a few conversations that may have gotten buried in your feed in hopes that they will provide you with fresh encouragement. Our podcast community has also grown quite a bit over the years so if you're a new listener, these may be episodes you haven't had a chance to listen to yet. The first one I will be highlighting is "Episode 1 - Our Story", originally released on November 19, 2018. Here's what I wrote then: Today my husband, Eric Blick, joins me on the podcast as we share a little bit about why this fight for joy is personal for us. As I mentioned in the preview episode, this podcast will be full of stories, and I thought it was appropriate to “go first” with our story. Eric and I met at Wheaton College and have been married for 24 years. We have four children and live in Nebraska. Our firstborn son, Jackson, died at the age of 16 in 2013. Our goal in this first episode is not to fully or perfectly tell our story. In fact, there are a few details that we almost edited out because we remembered them differently. But, that is part of trauma...and part of going through grief together, but separately. So we didn't make any edits. With this podcast, I've decided that "done is better than perfect". Grief is messy...and this podcast will be messy at times as well. I'm thankful that Eric agreed to be my first guest. He has believed in this project from the start and I seriously couldn't have gotten it started without him. So I'm excited for you to get to know him a little bit as we share our hearts and help you better understand the “why” behind this podcast.
Little did I know when I started this podcast that one of the most commented on topics would be perfectionism. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the episodes I’ve done on this topic you’ll have to check out Episode #35 (with my cousin Sara) and Episodes #57 and #58 (with my husband Eric). Each time we have talked about perfectionism I’ve gotten so much feedback about how helpful these conversations are, so these last few months I’ve been thinking about doing a follow up and decided that recording a listener Q & A episode with Eric might be the best path. So I asked my Fighting for Joy community (via Instagram) for some questions to have him address. Once again I’m grateful for his vulnerability and willingness to share about his fight for joy in this area of his life. I hope you find this conversation helpful! Also, this episode will wrap up Season 5 for me. What an amazing season it has been! Although I’m hoping to re-release a couple of episodes throughout the summer, I’ll be taking the next few months off and will be back this fall with new episodes for Season 6!!
Today I get to introduce you to a new friend of mine. She’s a grief sister, which is a phrase I sometimes use for other women who have also experienced a painful loss. Very often there is a quick connection that happens when I meet other people who are walking a similar path - and this held true with my guest today, Angie Hanson. She has a very hard story. Not only did she also lose a son, but within the next two years, her husband and her brother also died. Three huge losses in just a couple of years. I appreciate Angie's ability to keep leaning into her continued grief AND fight for joy AND work to encourage and help others in their own difficulties and struggles. Angie is my first podcast guest who has walked through the death of her husband so I’m thankful for her willingness to share about widowhood and remarriage and how she has learned to embrace the "both/and" of grief coexisting with joy! We cover a lot in this conversation and Angie has so many good insights to share, so I’m glad you found this episode and hope you are encouraged as you hear from someone 17 years into the grief journey. She talks about this towards the end of our chat but after you listen today I hope you will check out her blog. She’s a wonderful writer and covers so many different topics related to grief. She also has a grief-specific greeting card line that has really helped her to find some purpose in her pain by helping others walk with friends in grief. You can find out more about Angie's blog and grief cards at https://butterfliesandhalos.com. She is also on Facebook and Instagram @butterfliesandhalos. **Today's episode is brought to you by Faithful Counseling, an amazing online Christian counseling service. I'm excited to offer my listeners 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
“What a wonderful God we have—He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the One who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? SO THAT when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we undergo sufferings for Christ, the more He will shower us with His comfort and encouragement!” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 TLB “God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in our troubles SO THAT we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT On this episode, my husband Eric joins me to talk about God’s Comfort, specifically in the context of the verses above. “Sharing God’s Comfort with Others” was the focus of my last Fighting For Joy Live event (Episode #53) - and as we were preparing for that evening, and in the weeks following it, this topic stayed on the forefront of our minds. It has been such a key part of our help and healing in grief…both experiencing it AND sharing it with others. So listen in today as we share some of the things we’ve been thinking through, dig a little deeper into the passage, and talk about some of the ways that God has brought comfort to our broken hearts. I end the episode by encouraging each one of YOU to run to the God of all comfort in your hurt as well - and remind you that once you’ve experienced it, YOU TOO are then equipped to share the hope of God’s comfort with others who are struggling! God has used the most broken parts of our story to help so many others. He will do the same for you and through you! Use this reminder to keep fighting for joy in your brokenness with the comfort of God! And THEN, seek to help others in their fight for joy, in their brokenness, by sharing the comfort you’ve received with them. **I'm excited to tell you about a new (unpaid) sponsor of the podcast: Access Period. Access Period is a nonprofit organization in Omaha that provides free menstrual products to anyone that needs them. Period Poverty, or the lack of access to menstrual products, affects one in four women. When people don't have access to the products they need, they either stay home from work and school, perpetuating the cycle of poverty, or they use unsafe and uncomfortable alternatives like toilet paper, socks, or cardboard. Too often, period poverty is invisible, which makes it hard to connect with our neighbors who most need help. By supporting Access Period, you'll help to place menstrual products into the hands of the people who need them most, both through the organizations that already serve them, and through free pick-up locations throughout Nebraska. If you're interested in learning more about Access Period, getting involved with fighting period poverty in your own community, or if you are someone who needs menstrual products, please visit www.accessperiod.com, or find them on Instagram @accessperiod.
Remember last fall when I hosted a LIVE podcast event in my backyard (Episode #43 if you missed it)?!?! Well, I’m excited to share that I was able to host one again this fall...Fighting for Joy Live #2! I look at an evening like this as an extension of the podcast and a part of what I'm building within the Fighting for Joy Ministry as a whole. For years I had been dreaming about gathering a big group of friends with the purpose of encouraging, connecting, and sharing, but it wasn’t until we moved 2 years ago that I felt like God had brought enough healing and progress in my grief to begin doing it. Somehow our move brought renewed hope and a desire to invite people in again. Our previous home held so many precious memories and sacred moments of grief that I became pretty protective of it, causing me to pull inward. Hospitality felt too exhausting and hard. But when we moved, parts of the pre-grief Jodi bubbled back up to the surface and as God began to fill my heart with a new kind of hope and joy, I courageously began to dream again. And these live events are a beautiful reflection of His restoring and redeeming work! On this episode you'll get to hear my husband Eric and I have a live conversation with our dear friend Scott Jensen in our backyard with 6 tables full of friends from various seasons/parts of my life (30 different guests than the women who joined me last fall). It’s one thing to listen to a podcast episode by yourself, which I would guess is how most of us usually listen, I certainly do. Driving in the car, out on a walk, cooking dinner…usually alone and usually multitasking. But a night like this brought a group of women together to listen to the conversation WITH each other, in person, in real time. This allowed for some special interactions and discussions and the ability to soak things in a little more. I know you will love hearing from Scott. He serves as the chaplain at our local hospital and we got to experience first-hand the important work that he does in our community when he was called in to comfort all four of the affected families in the emergency room on the night of the accident. We share some memories of that horrific night as well as how powerful it is when God brings comfort to his people THROUGH his people. **Thank you for listening. Today's episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an amazing online Christian counseling service. I'm excited to offer my listeners 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Well, I can hardly believe it, but today I am kicking off Season 5! Thank you for listening. I hear over and over that the podcast continues to help people fight for joy in all kinds of difficult circumstances. I never dreamed the podcast would reach as many people as it has - and yet, I know that people are desperate for hope. I'M desperate for hope!! The brokenness of this world can bring such discouragement and we need each other to help fight for joy. I feel very privileged to use this podcast as a conveyor of HOPE. When you convey something, you carry it...transport it. And I think that is powerfully done through storytelling. Through giving testimony of the ways that God keeps hope and joy alive, EVEN in the storm. Even walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Until I’m with Jesus, I will keep telling others about how to find real and lasting peace, comfort, help, rest, hope and joy! But I don’t just want you to hear it from me, I also want you to see how He is at work in a variety of situations.To help you see how BIG our God is, how faithful He is, and that He is always at work. So this season I am planning to return to more of a guest format. I want you to keep hearing the message of hope from as many people as possible. God teaches us so much through story. And as we share our stories with one another, we get to see more of God and learn more about His ways. It's amazing to know that God is writing OUR stories into HIS big story. That makes me excited to bring more stories to you this season…more stories that are a part of HIS story. To have more people give testimony that even if the story is hard and messy, the fight for joy is worth it…and there is REAL hope to be found. As you listen this season and hear these stories of hope, take time to reflect on God’s work in YOUR life. How have you seen him help you? Provide for you? Give you hope? Reflect on this - because even if you are never a guest on a podcast or never get the opportunity to share your story in a public way like this, I want you to realize that YOU TOO can STILL be a powerful conveyor of hope! Acknowledge and recount the ways that God has been at work in YOUR life (probably through your most broken parts) and THEN, go spread that HOPE to others. Be a hope spreader with me! Transport it. Carry it. Bring the message of hope to those around you - the message that no matter what we may face in life, we can fight for joy. And find it!! And live with hope springing up in our hearts, and in our homes, and in our families…even while we face difficult things. The "both/and", right?!? The both/and of living in a broken world AND, at the same time, living in hope and with great joy! I’m so glad you found this podcast. I’m praying that Season 5 will convey hope. I want to transport and carry the message of God’s hope to you so that you can then grab the baton and pass it along to someone else. Let’s spread hope as we fight for joy together!
This is such a special episode! It's a conversation with my daughter Justine about her difficult health journey and how hard she has had to fight for joy. After many years of struggling with confusing and painful symptoms, she was eventually diagnosed with celiac disease. This diagnosis was hard AND freeing...both! Listen in as she shares about the ways that she has begun to CELEBRATE celiac by turning to blogging, baking, and helping others. Even if you can't relate to a health condition like celiac, I know this episode will still encourage you! We all face challenges and deal with things that can make us feel isolated, scared, discouraged or lonely. Different circumstances, but similar feelings of being "set apart". The only one. Not fitting in. Suffering quietly and alone. Justine's fight for joy will inspire you to keep persevering through your own difficulties and unique struggles. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
On the last episode, Eric and I talked through some tender and candid reflections on what would’ve been our son Jackson’s 25th birthday. Every April 12th without him here is painful (we have endured 9 of them now), but as we shared on that episode, his 25th birthday felt especially hard for me. So as the date on the calendar was approaching, I began working on a social media post to share, not just to express my own thoughts, sorrow, and grief, but truly in hopes of helping others who may be facing difficulties of their own. On today's episode, I thought that it might be helpful to just read the post that I wrote, providing a sort of resource for you. Something that can help you when you face "your April 12th", whatever that may be. So, I invite you to listen today and soak in these truths, but I also encourage you to come back and listen again and again...whenever you need hope. When you feel alone. When God feels distant. When you are discouraged. And when you just need to be reminded of God’s promises! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Last month Jackson would’ve turned 25. Every April 12th without our boy here is painful (we’ve endured 9 of them now) but his 25th birthday felt especially tender. On this episode, Eric and I candidly talk through some of the ways we processed this milestone birthday. Often these “set apart” days bring unique challenges and extra heartache for those in grief. This one certainly did for us. Here is a link to the article that Eric mentioned he wrote about processing his lament: https://blicksblog.org/2022/05/01/the-apostle-john-gives-us-two-concrete-reasons-we-can-experience-and-believe-the-love-god-has-for-us-now-his-spirit-and-his-revelation-of-himself/ *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
On the episode today, Eric and I have a conversation about one of the tools that we use almost every day in our fight for joy: staying active with physical activity. Although it was a consistent part of our lives before Jackson died, it has become even more important and helpful these past 8 1/2 years. Listen in as share some of the ways that it has helped us to process our sadness and keep moving forward as we grieve. Because God created us as wholistic beings (body, soul, mind, and spirit), moving and training our bodies goes beyond physical wellness into stronger mental health - and even, for us, deeper spiritual growth and some powerful healing and progress in grief. We hope this episode encourages you to get into a regular routine with exercise and reminds you of its potential to greatly accelerate your fight for joy! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God….for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11 What are your thoughts as you read these verses? Have you learned to integrate a day of rest into the rhythm of your week? Even though this is one of the Ten Commandments, what if you began to also think of this Sabbath day as a GIFT…a gracious gift that God has given to us. More than a “day off”. Something He knew we would desperately need. Something that is designed to help us thrive! Something that points us to HIM! Something to sustain us in this broken world. Sabbath = “to stop”; “to cease”. Listen in as Eric and I talk about the ways this weekly practice has helped our family. Helped us as individuals. Helped us to delight in the Lord. To be still. To quiet our souls. To rest from work. And the “work under the work” (to quote Eric, who quotes Pastor Tim Keller). To remember that He is better. Better than the hustle and bustle of life. To remember that He is enough. A “rhythm of rest” has been transformative for us and we believe that it can seriously change your life as well! Practicing a day, or at least part of a day, of Sabbath rest, changes not only that 1 day of the week, but the other 6 days as well!! We hope this episode gives you some things to think about and that it further helps you, as Psalm 37 says, to delight yourself in the Lord. There is much delight to be found in our good God, and taking some time every week to slow down, quiet yourself, and focus on that could be what you are missing in your fight for joy. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Last week I shared a social media post about friendship in grief. We had just been out for dinner with our friends, Jay and Jodi Nemec, and I was reflecting on the thoughtful (and costly) ways they have walked by our side since Jackson died. I sat down to write a quick sentence or two, and 20 minutes later, a few paragraphs had poured out!! My first thought was to just send it to them and stick with putting out a simpler social media post, but I ended up sharing the whole thing because I wondered if it might be helpful for others to get a glimpse into some of the specific ways that two of our friends came alongside of us, specifically the bold questions they asked in an effort to learn how to best walk with us. The ways they pulled close when it would’ve been totally understandable for them to pull away. People continually reach out to me about how to help others, not just grief, but in a variety of difficult situations. They often desire to help but worry that they will somehow add to the hurt by saying or doing something wrong. And to be truthful, that CAN happen, but usually it won’t. Usually any genuine act of kindness or thoughtful words will help because often it’s not the words that you say, or the specific thing that you did - it’s your presence. Your tender care. Your compassion. Your willingness to face the discomfort. Being brave enough to say something. Do something. To "sit on the mourning bench". To sit in the hospital room. To sit on the couch and cry with them. To show up, knowing that it may be terribly awkward and hard. It takes courage to walk into these kinds of unknowns. Because the post seemed to resonate with so many people, I thought it might be worth sharing it here, on the podcast as well. So on this episode, I will read it, with a little commentary on the side. My desire in sharing something like this is never to diminish other friendships or other meaningful ways that people have rallied around us in grief. It’s just to give a specific example of how to come alongside of a hurting friend. I hope this helps just one person pull close to a friend when things get sad and uncomfortable.
Today Eric and I talk through one of our FAVORITE topics…parenting!! The joys and struggles of raising our 4 children is something that we have spent countless hours talking through together and praying over, many times through tears. Although we haven't fully transitioned out of full-time parenting (we still have a senior at home), we are at a stage where we can hopefully offer some helpful thoughts and insights about some of the things that God has taught us these past 25 years. Parenting brings so much happiness and excitement AND it can easily steal our joy and feel thankless, discouraging, and even hopeless at times. For those of you who are parents, I think you'd agree that there aren't too many areas in life that can bring ALLLLL of the feelings/emotions/experiences together so similtaneously! We hope this episode will encourage and help you in your own fight for joy as parents.
Today I am adding a bonus episode to go along with the FFJL (Fighting for Joy Live) episode that I released last week. Most podcast listening is done individually - but creating and hosting a live event this fall brought people together to listen to the conversation at the same time and connect with one another around the theme of fighting for joy! On this episode you’ll get to hear a little bit from another part of that evening - the conversation that I had with my husband, Eric. Again, we recorded this a few months ago when we were just preparing to kick off Season 4, so we were sharing our vision for this season and why we felt God was directing us to keep going with the podcast. I hope you enjoy hearing from the two of us as we anticipated and prepared for this current season! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today I’m excited to bring you a really fun episode! A different kind of episode that stemmed from a dream that God has been planting in my heart for years…a vision of gathering women in our home to build relationships, connect friends with other friends, and be encouraged around the truths of God’s Word as we share about His faithful work in our lives. After our big move last year, everything came together in my mind and a couple of months ago, I hosted my first “Fighting for Joy Live Event” in our backyard. I actually recorded a podcast out on our patio with a live audience! It’s something that I had seen other podcasters do - and, after hosting my first one, I know why. It was so much fun and life-giving for me. On this episode, you’ll hear me have a live follow up interview with my friend, Cathy DelSenno. Cathy was my guest on Episode 32 and she quickly became a listener favorite. She is a busy single mom of teenagers & young adults, a nursing student, the Educational Coordinator for 2 hospitals, AND the Lactation Consultant on the mother/baby floor at our local women’s hospital. Her "Fighting for Joy As We Wait" episode is still being downloaded, replayed, and shared - so, as I was thinking about who I wanted to have a conversation with at this special gathering, I thought that having Cathy give a life update and share how she continues to wait on the Lord and continues to fight for joy (especially through loneliness, comparison, and feeling overwhelmed) would be perfect. And it really was. She left my guests that night so encouraged, inspired, and full of hope - and I know she will do the same for you as you listen today.
I believed from the start of our grief journey that our faith would allow us to fight for joy in the midst of our sorrow. But happiness? Laughter? It sure didn't seem possible, or even appropriate, for a long time. But today we share a little bit about how laughter HAS returned, even though our grief continues. And, because of all of the tears and darker days, our laughter feels especially sweet now. Richer. More meaningful. More hope-filled. If you are in the midst of difficult circumstances and feel like genuine laughter is unattainable, we understand - and we want this episode to bring you hope. We have a big God who restores, helps, heals, comforts, and redeems. Wait upon Him. In the meantime, let the tears flow. Keep pressing forward. Take one day at a time. Work to fight bitterness and despondency. And keep fighting for joy, asking God to eventually bring some laughter along with it. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today's episode is unique. It's something that I wanted to provide in response to the many questions we get about helping friends as they grieve. Our loss certainly hasn't made us experts in grief, but we have learned a lot through our experience. And now, as hard as it is, we have become a family that others often come to for advice and guidance when they hear of another tragedy or loss. People want to know what to do and say...and what not to do, and not to say. So, on this bonus episode, my husband Eric and I quickly run through some ideas and practical things to do when you hear about someone losing a loved one. We hope this is an easily accessible (and shareable) resource that better enables you to help a hurting friend.
I'm excited to be back for Season 4 of the podcast! Listen in today as I share a few thoughts about what is ahead. And, if you haven’t subscribed to the podcast yet, it’s a great time to do that. Subscribing (or "Following", depending on the app you use) allows episodes to automatically show up in your feed as soon as they are released. This way you don’t have to go searching for the podcast to see if there is anything new. I'm so glad that you're joining me for another season. Let's keep fighting for joy together! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today my husband Eric and I finish up our series on marriage by answering some listener questions. Join us as we talk through topics like communciaton, conflict, grief, and parenting. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today in Part 2 of our marriage series, my husband Eric and I continue talking through our "Top 10" list - practical and theological truths that have helped us, instructed us, and given us hope through the ups and downs of marriage in this broken world. Fighting for joy in marriage can be really hard work, but it is important and meaningful work. We hope these conversations encourage and inspire you to keep going. The best news is that we have a big God who is always at work and He promises to help, sustain, comfort and provide for us every step of the way! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today I am excited to release the first episode of a three-part series that I recorded with my husband Eric on the topic of marriage and ways that we can fight for joy IN marriage. Over the past 3 years I have asked numerous times about topic suggestions for the podcast - and over and over again, marriage is the #1 thing that you bring up. It’s a favorite topic for us, too, but its a huge topic! There is just so much to cover. Ultimately, we decided to narrow it down to 10 key things that we have learned through our 27 years of marriage (and 5 years of dating before that!). These are practical and theological truths that have helped us, instructed us, and given us hope through the ups and downs of marriage in this broken world. If you are married, your relationship with your spouse is a huge part of your life…for better or worse. It has the potential to bless and bring great encouragement. It also has the potential to hurt and discourage your soul. This is why we need to talk about the challenges of marriage more, share the things we are learning, give each other hope, and encourage one another to keep fighting for joy within our marriages. Eric and I are far from experts and hope to keep learning and growing - but it has been really special thinking through these things and we loved preparing this series for you. Fighting for joy in marriage can be really hard work, but it is important and meaningful work. We hope these conversations encourage and inspire you to keep going. The best news is that we have a big God who is always at work and He promises to help, sustain, comfort and provide for us every step of the way! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
I’m so happy to introduce you to a special woman in our community who is known as “Mama Lu”. Her nickname points to the role that she plays in the lives of so many - mentoring, teaching, mothering, and encouraging. Her actual name is LuAnn Ruwe. She has been married to her husband Chris for 44 years. They have 7 children (plus 6 of them have brought spouses to the family) and 13 grandchildren. LuAnn is a retired nurse and is now in the catering business. So she brings a lot of experience, wisdom, and insight to the table and I was so grateful for the opportunity to sit and learn from her - and now I'm thrilled to share our conversation with you! Even though LuAnn has experienced firsthand the brokenness of this world, she exudes an unbelievable amount of joy! LuAnn has one of the most beautiful and genuine smiles, her laugh is contagious, and she always seems to have a song in her heart. As we talk together on this episode today, you’ll quickly find out where her abundant joy comes from (spoiler alert: it comes from her deep love for Jesus!). God's work in her life has produced such beautiful fruit. Through many years of walking closely with Him, she has developed a sweet dependence on Him, she treasures His Word, trusts His promises, believes in the importance of staying in close community with other believers, and regarding our topic today, she has learned about the necessity, comfort, joy, and power of prayer. I hope as you listen you are spurred on in your own prayer life. Or maybe it will prompt you to start praying for the very first time. I love how practical LuAnn got and I think her insight will help and encourage you, as it did for me. And really, as we continue to talk through these many ways to fight for joy, I can’t think of many that top prayer! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Perfectionism. What comes to mind when you hear that word? For many people, trying to attain “perfection” here in this broken world leads to despair, extreme frustration, debilitating doubt, never feeling good enough, and constant comparison with others which leads to a deep discontentment that permeates the soul. It can feel almost maddening. Like carrying a weight around that is absolutely crushing. Yet, our culture can tend to glamorize it - think of the Lexus car commercial promoting the “pursuit of perfection”. Sometimes we wonder if our life would be better if we had MORE perfectionist tendencies. And to be honest, many perfectionists DO accomplish a lot…but at what cost?!? That’s the question that my guest today ended up asking herself after years of trying to accept nothing less than “perfection” in her life. Today I’m joined by Sara Waddel, my cousin and dear friend. On this episode we talk about how harmful and damaging these tendencies can be when they take over. How quickly perfectionism can rob us of peace, freedom, contentment, and JOY. As Sara shares her story, you’ll be encouraged by her fight for joy in the struggle. God has been teaching her a lot and I’m grateful for her willingness to share so openly and honestly. I think you’ll especially be helped by some of the practical things that she implements into her daily life to fight against perfectionism. There is so much joy to be found when we rest in Christ’s work, not our own…knowing that we are not accepted and loved by God because we do everything “perfectly” and never fail, but because as believers, Christ’s righteousness counts for us! And, we know that the Holy Spirit is producing good fruit in us that delights God. We don’t have to earn his love or our salvation. We don’t have to seek the love and approval of others - or find our value in doing things “better” than those around us. This is freeing and joy-producing! *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Lament. Is that a word that you are familiar with? Before Jackson died, it wasn't a word that I thought much about. But in grief, the examples in Scripture of Biblical lament have really resonated with me. Lament IS releasing our emotions as we cry out to the Lord, but it goes further - it also includes asking for God's help to respond in trust and worship. Lament helps us focus on God’s character and promises while still acknowledging the pain and struggle. My guest today, Molly Huffman, has experienced deep lament. And, by God's grace, she would say that it has been a key tool in her fight for JOY. This fight has been brutal and hard fought for Molly because she has suffered some terrible losses, one after another. But, although her story is heartbreaking, it is similtaneously encouraging. As Molly shares her story, she gives powerful and beautiful testimony of just how worthy God is to be trusted EVEN IN the midst of horrific circumstances. Even when your life and your dreams fall apart. I'm grateful for this conversation with my friend Molly and I hope it leaves you hopeful and encouraged. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Name the top 10 people who have had a transformative influence on your life! One of those people for me is my guest today, Pastor Don Solin. Don currently pastors a church in Ohio and is a certified life coach, but many years ago he was my high school youth pastor. In the midst of such tender years of growth and struggle, he and his wife Marcie loved on us crazy teenagers in such meaningful ways. Don was one of the first people who really pushed me and challenged me to make my faith my own and to wholeheartedly follow the Lord. And, its not an exaggeration to say that his encouragement to go to Wheaton College affected the whole trajectory of my life. He also knows how to make me laugh, which you'll hear...and I've always admired his love for people and his desire to be a good question-asker and thoughtful listener. I am so grateful for the ways that Don’s mentoring and friendship grew my faith and set the foundation in some key ways for the person that I am today. Now, all this being said, Don’s own journey of faith, and seeking to be loved and accepted by God instead of people, has been a tough, messy one…one that has included alcoholism, performance religion, and depression. When I asked him about a title for this episode, he somewhat jokingly suggested "Fighting for Joy With a Whole Lot of Issues". :) Oh how thankful we can be for a God that is big enough to carry us through what ever struggles we face, and meet us with sufficient grace and mercy. I can’t wait for you to hear Don's story today! It is so hopeful and I know you will be encouraged by the ways that God has taught him to live by faith - not by performing, keeping up an image, or striving to meet other people’s standards. Living honestly and authentically has helped him to experience true joy and he is passionate about helping others experience this freedom and joy as well. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Are you in the midst of a "waiting season"? Maybe your life doesn't look like you thought it would. Or you find yourself in the middle of really difficult circumstances that won't be changing anytime soon...or ever. You long for a different job. A different health journey. A spouse. A family. A different ending. A different story. Is there joy to be found in these longings? Can we experience hope and peace while we wait for God's plans to unfold? When we don't understand what He is doing? My guest today, Cathy DelSenno, speaks directly to these questions (spoiler alert, the answer is YES!) and shares her story of fighting for joy through some really hard things like miscarriage, major surgeries, divorce, loneliness, and anxiety. In many ways Cathy is still in the thick of things, still waiting, still fighting hard for contentment and joy, but I know you will be so blessed by the beautiful things that she is learning in the middle of it all...rich things about God's love and care, about the comfort of His Word, the power of prayer, the need for community, the process of forgiveness, and how transforming gratitude can be! Cathy lives in Omaha, has 4 amazing kids, works at a local hospital, and has headed back to school. She is spinning a lot of plates in life right now but does it with grace and wisdom, aiming to just do "the next right thing". Over the past couple of years, she has grown to become a dear friend to me and I always walk away from our time together feeling encouraged, spurred on, and blessed. I'm sure you're going to feel the same way after hearing her insight today!
Let’s face it, life in this world of ours is such a “both/and"! It can be beautiful and exciting…AND...it can be hard, painful, and disappointing - sometimes all at the same time! Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for our struggles to end or our circumstances to change before we can experience joy. And hope. And peace. It is possible to find these things right in the messy middle! We can experience pain AND peace. Chaos AND comfort. Grief AND hope. Sadness AND joy. Isn't this hopeful?!?! Even in the hard, we can experience abounding JOY! My guest today is a great example of this. I’m so excited to welcome my friend Shelly Waltz to the podcast. Shelly and I got connected through Instagram and her voice on social media is one of light, beauty, and joy. Shelly calls herself "Little Ms. Magnolia" and says that she fights for joy by embracing ordinary goodness. She is a self-proclaimed "steel magnolia" who is "living out her Plan B with her 4 beautiful babes"! On today's episode we talk about things like gratitude, contentment, creating a home that is a refuge, turning 50, and looking for beauty in the ordinary things that are all around us! I’m grateful for Shelly's willingness to share a little bit of her story and how she has learned to fight for joy after her life took an unexpected and hard turn. I know you will be blessed by her wisdom and beautiful perspective. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy . Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
On this episode my husband Eric and I answer some of your listener questions! Questions like: "What does your grief look like in year 7?" "How do you recharge?" "How are you able to be so open and vulnerable with your story?" We recorded our first Q & A episode last season and you loved it so much that we wanted to do another one for you. Thank you for submitting questions. It was a joy to share and we hope that you are encouraged. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy . Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today we are kicking off Season 3! I’m grateful to get back to sharing stories of fighting for joy and can't wait to tell you about the exciting things that I have planned for the podcast over the next few months. On this episode, my favorite podcast guest, my husband Eric, is joining me to recap a few things from Season 2 as well as help me to introduce what is coming up in Season 3. *The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!
Today I am wrapping up Season 2 of the podcast with a special episode that is dedicated to my mom, Virginia Nelson. She went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 7th, 2020. Her life was a shining example of what it looks like to fight for joy in the midst of this broken world. Her persevering faith carried her through each trial that she faced and her long relationship with Jesus allowed her to sing and smile through suffering. The joy of the Lord truly was her strength and Romans 12:12 is how she lived - “Joyful in hope. Patient in trials. Constant in prayer.” May her story encourage you to keep fighting for joy yourself - to keep running to the Lord and trusting His promises no matter what you have to face in life.
Today we are wrapping up this special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. I hope that it has inspired you and given you practical ways to keep pressing on through these weird and uncertain days. As you listen to this episode, may you be reminded that our ultimate hope and joy needs to be found in something, actually Someone, who is much greater than merely having our lives go back to “normal”. A relationship with the Lord is truly better than anything else this world has to offer, even a post-pandemic world. It is in Him that we can experience real joy, even in the midst of hard circumstances. So, its fitting that we conclude this covid series today with Part 3: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with God. Whether it be more time in prayer, in the Bible, or in reflection and stillness, many of you have been quieting your soul and mind to focus on God’s character; His sovereignty, goodness, and consistency - focusing in on Who is in control when everything feels so out of control! When things feel different than what we are used to and plans, regulations, and even the understanding of this virus is constantly changing, there is great peace to be found in remembering that HE is unchanging. We can rejoice that God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. When we don’t know what, or even who to believe, we can experience real comfort and hope knowing that He can be counted on and fully trusted. Again, thanks for participating! I absolutely loved doing this project together as a community. There is certainly not one way to persevere in joy through this crisis. As I’ve said throughout this series, my hope is that as we share various ideas and tools, we will all become better equipped to keep fighting, even with our different wirings and unique situations. I love how we can spur each other on and keep pressing through this season together with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another.
We are in the middle of a three part series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. Most of us have never lived with such uncertainty. We aren’t used to this much time at home…without going to school, without going into work, without malls, restaurants, sports, and activities. And sadly, for many families, it’s not merely the uncertainty and inconvenience that makes this a difficult time, but there is enormous stress with lack of income, job loss, sickness, or turmoil in the home. As I’ve connected with people these past few months, I’ve heard over and over that the fight for joy is real. Many of you are asking, “How do we keep going? How can we find joy in the midst of all of this?” I’m hoping that these three episodes give you some practical ideas - simple ways to keep pressing on through daily life during this pandemic; not just enduring it, but actually experiencing joy through the many good things God has given in His common grace. Today you will hear Part 2: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with Self. Now, “self” does not merely mean self-care or time alone. It IS that, but not ONLY that. Connecting with self, for the purposes of this episode, will include everything from exercise, to finding routine, to cooking more, to gratitude, to crafts and projects around the house, and everything in between. My hope is that as we share the various things that are helping us during this time and the creative ways that we are fighting for joy, we will spur one another on. That as a community, we will keep fighting together, pressing on through these strange and often unsettling days with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another.
Today I am launching a special series focused on fighting for joy in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic. This is definitely a time in our country and in our world when the fight for joy is so important. We have been pushed out of our comfortable and privileged lives into so many unknowns - into shutdowns, loss, unwanted change, and even fear and worry. So, how do we find joy in the midst of all of this? Thankfully our Creator God knows just how broken this world is and He lovingly gives good things to this earth, and to us while we live here. There is real joy to be found through this common grace. There are practical tools to help us press on through daily life in the midst of hard circumstances. And that is what this special series will be all about! There will be 3 episodes released this week: Part 1: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with Others Part 2: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with Self Part 3: Fighting for Joy by Connecting with God Today’s episode is Part 1. Whether it be through FaceTime, zoom calls, a slower pace at home with family, more dinners together around the table, praying for people, or finding ways to serve and help those in need, so many of you are finding joy in community and through connection with others. My hope is that as we share the various ways that we each are fighting for joy, we will spur one another on. There is certainly not one way to persevere in joy through this crisis. So as we share and encourage one another, we will all become better equipped to keep fighting, even with our different wirings and unique situations. It was fun to do this together and I’m thankful that we can keep pressing on through this strange season with hope, with peace, with joy, and with one another!
Today’s topic is close to my heart as I truly believe that living in tight community with others is a crucial component in our fight for joy. God created us to be relational beings. It’s rooted in the fact that we are created in the image of God, who is triune and relational Himself. We aren’t meant to walk alone. As we live life together and share in each other's joys and sorrows, the fellowship and encouragement that we experience brings such help, comfort, and joy. Living in tight community with others through the ups and downs of life is something that we really value as a family. We have worked hard to create it and find our "tribe" wherever we have lived. But I have to say, when Jackson died, we understood it and experienced it on a whole new level. We were so blessed and helped by the amount of comfort, support, and encouragement that our community surrounded us with when we were absolutely overwhelmed with sorrow and pain. And, our strong community continues to be here for us in such meaningful and helpful ways as we continue to keep pressing forward in grief. This brings me to my guest today, Jodi Nemec. Jodi is one of my best friends and her family is an important part of this strong community...an important part of our family's personal community. They are some of the people that we most closely live life with here in town. They value living in community with others just as deeply as we do, so its a blessing to have this conversation with her. I think you’ll love hearing her story of how their family changed some major aspects of their life in order to live more closely and more intentionally with others. We also try to give you a glimpse into what living in community together has looked like for our two families (both before and during our grief journey) as well as some practical ways that we hope you can further expand your circle, or deepen the one that you already have. As you listen, I hope you are reminded that you aren’t meant to walk through life alone - that building a sense of community wherever you are is worth the hard work, the challenging times, and the long-term commitment. Don’t be discouraged if you don't feel like you are a part of a tight knit community yet…it’s not too late. You can start now! Even in the midst of social distancing there are ways to connect and create community. We even share a little bit about that towards the end of our conversation. I hope this episode reminds you, or begins to help you see, that BOTH in good times and bad, living in tight community, and being purposeful about being known and knowing others is such an important, practical, and life-giving tool in the fight for joy.
I'm doing something different on the podcast today and it's pretty special! I'm sitting by the fireplace in our living room on a Friday night with our kids to talk about grief, family, and fighting for joy together. We’ve been spending a lot of time together these past couple of weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and while we were brainstorming things to do here at home, the kids suggested recording a group podcast episode. Yes, THEY suggested it!! As you can imagine, I was thrilled and jumped on the opportunity. You'll hear plenty of laughter and light-hearted moments, but you'll also hear courage, strength, and vulnerability as they bravely share from their hearts. It’s not easy for teenagers and young adults to process and talk about grief - to open up about the hardest and most painful parts of their lives. But all three of them know that the Fighting for Joy Podcast is helping and encouraging so many people. From the beginning I have involved them in this ministry...talking through guest ideas, topics, and explaining the metrics so that they know who is listening and where they are listening from. I also love sharing your feedback with them and the ways that the podcast has helped you to experience more hope and joy. As a result, these three have become some of my biggest cheerleaders. I'm so grateful they believe in this ministry and very proud of them for wanting to be a part of it. I hope you are encouraged as you hear them give testimony to God’s sufficient and healing grace.
I am extremely excited about releasing this episode today! When I began to think of people that I wanted to have on the podcast this season to encourage you in your fight for joy, Becky Novecek was at the top of the list. Becky is one of the most beautiful, interesting, and purposeful people I know. I learn so much from her. I’m inspired by her. She helps me see beauty in all kinds of places. And I’m grateful for the ways that she makes me want to love God and others more. Although I've known Becky for a long time, we became intentional last year about spending more time together and deepening our friendship, and it ended up being one of the greatest blessings of 2019 for both of us. Becky is well-known for her amazing photography, but in our community, she is also known and admired for her strong faith, her creativity, her care for other women, her style, and the beautiful ways that she serves and loves people well. And, while she really does invest in our town and love this place, she’s also become quite an influencer on social media, inspiring women of all ages in all parts of the country with the wise perspective and beautiful insights that she shares. On the episode today, Becky talks about transforming her thought life and how keeping a healthy mindset has been crucial in her personal fight for joy. She shares how she has learned to break negative thought patterns and cling to specific truths in God's Word when fear, worry, or negative thinking fill her mind. Along with mindset and perspective, we touch on a number of other interesting topics like simplifying, the mind/body connection, overworking, the blessings of Instagram, and the importance of daily practices. I know you will love hearing her heart today and I hope you are encouraged by our conversation.
Life in this world of ours is such a “both/and". It can be beautiful and wonderful AND it can be so disappointing, confusing, and hard. Sometimes all at the same time! Pretty much everyone will, at some point, experience a difficult season and find themselves struggling through a time of discouragement, loneliness, betrayal, anxiety, sadness, grief, and the list goes on…sometimes it just isn’t easy to persevere through. So, I started this podcast to remind us all that even in the midst of of the mess, there IS hope to be found. We can help each other fight for joy and encourage one another to keep pressing forward in hope. Season 2 is all about how to do that… Most of the tools that I have been having my guests highlight are tools that I implement in my own fight for joy as well, and this episode is no exception. My guest today is Chris Heuertz, and among the many other hats that he wears (author, speaker, non-profit consultant, and activist to name a few), Chris is an Enneagram teacher and coach. I wanted to highlight this tool because of how helpful it has been to me in grief. I realize that for some of you, this may be the very first time that you have ever heard the word Enneagram. It’s still fairly new to me too. But as I’ve learned about it and therefore learned more about myself and others, its been a helpful tool in my life, especially in relationship to my grief. Three main things come to mind in regards to WHY and HOW it has been beneficial for me. First, it’s pushed me to have more compassion towards myself - especially in recognizing my tendencies in stressful times and what I am prone to when life is hard. Oftentimes we can wonder, “Why am I responding like this? Why did I react that way? Why is this bothering me and it doesn’t seem to be bothering her?” Learning about my specific dominant type has caused me to better discern how I become discouraged and the lies that I am tempted to believe when I’m struggling. It's also helped me to grow in appreciation for my strengths and the things that I contribute to the world and to my relationships, both in happy times and in difficult times. I’ve just been kinder to myself and more grateful to God for the ways that He has uniquely designed me - and also more motivated to mature, develop, and transform in more Christ-like ways. Secondly, I’ve grown tremendously in understanding and in compassion towards others. I’ve been especially grateful for the insight the Enneagram has provided into the various ways that each of us living here in the Blick house might tend to process and deal with heartache and pain. All 5 of us lost Jackson, but each of us have had a markedly different journey in grief these last 6 years. I’ve also found myself better able to extend grace and patience to the people around us who have wanted to walk with us in our sorrow (and honestly, towards those who haven’t). As I better understand why different people are responding in different ways, I can better appreciate what they ARE bringing to the table and look to them for help and friendship in the natural ways that they are wired, appreciating their strengths and perspective, and letting go of expectations that might be unrealistic for the way that God has uniquely created them. And lastly, the Enneagram has given me such a bigger picture of God…his creation, his glory, and his holiness. His greatness is powerfully reflected in the special and unique ways that He has created and wired each one of us and the personal ways that He meets us and loves us. I really think you will enjoy hearing from Chris today. He is such a thoughtful voice in this world. I was so honored to have this time with him and excited to share another practical tool that may help you fight for joy!
Today is an important episode because as a Christian, nothing brings us as much help in our fight for joy as the Bible does. In this episode, my husband Eric returns as a guest to share about the ways that he implements the truths of God's Word into his daily life, and how knowing and trusting in God’s promises has provided him with things that nothing else in this world can! God's Word is so powerful and we can look to it for help, comfort, peace, hope, and joy. I do want to acknowledge that quite a few of you who listen to my podcast are not Christians. Or your faith looks very different than mine. And it is such a blessing to get feedback that, even so, you are gaining encouragement from listening, despite our differences! But I'm wondering how some of you will react to the title of this episode. Maybe you struggle with believing that the Bible is true...doubting if it can be of any help for your particular situation. Maybe you have tried to read the Bible or have gone to church but it just left you confused or frustrated. Maybe the Christians in your life have let you down, or really caused you hurt. My encouragement to you is to listen anyway. Let us share the personal ways that God has met us with His Word. Christians and non-Christians alike continue to ask us how we can have joy in the midst of great loss, and how we are finding laughter and dancing again, even as other difficult things continue to present themselves and burden us down. Friends, this is one of the main ways! So pray that as you listen, God meets you and draws you into the hope and help of His Word as you keep fighting for joy in the midst of whatever you may be facing in this broken world.
My guest today is Naomi Adjei, a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Omaha. I met Naomi through a mutual friend and we’ve enjoyed using Instagram to develop an encouraging new friendship. She has been such a blessing to me these past few months and its been fun to cheer each other on in our various callings. Naomi is passionate about wholistic care. She works to help people thrive with a healthy body, a healthy soul, and a healthy spirit. We are created as whole beings, so what is going on in our mind affects our body, and what is going on in our body affects our soul, and so on. Pursuing health in all of these areas better equips us to deal with the blessings and difficulties in life. Living wholistically is also a key tool in growing in our love for God and our love for others, and of course, helps our fight for joy. The work that Naomi does through wholistic care is so special and unique and I’ve loved learning more about it. I’m thrilled to introduce her to you today and share another tool that can help you fight for joy!
Today we continue on with Season 2 after a nice long break over the holidays! Whether you are a new listener or someone who has been listening since the beginning, my sincere hope is that you are encouraged and helped in your own fight for joy. I started this podcast to remind us all that there IS hope to be found in the midst of this broken world. We CAN experience joy, even in the middle of difficult circumstances. We don’t have to wait until things get better, or our circumstances change…we can fight for joy, and find it, right in the middle of the mess. My guest on this episode is Jenny Estudillo. Jenny is my neighbor, a very dear friend, and someone that I live a lot of daily life with here in Fremont. I’m so excited that she is my first guest in 2020 because the topic that we cover today is something that a lot of people tend focus on at the start of a new year - and that is exercise. After enjoying the holidays, it's typical for people to make new year’s resolutions around physical activity...and that’s great! We do need to be moving our bodies and finding ways to fit exercise into our lives on a regular basis - but what is special today is that Jenny and I are going to focus in on how working out and training our bodies can actually be one of the most practical and helpful tools in our fight for joy. We are whole beings and taking care of our physical bodies can also tremendously help our emotional and spiritual well being! Physical activity is a practical tool that almost everyone can implement into their life in some way. I hope you find this episode really helpful as you continue to explore the various topics that I’m highlighting during this season, and I know you are just going to love getting to know Jenny! Thanks for listening.
Today I am thrilled to have a new friend of mine, Jen Stutzman, on the podcast. Jen and her family are fellow Nebraskans and we met online through our mutual love for podcasting, being purposeful with social media, and looking for God in all things (many thanks to Laura Ruwe, my guest on episodes 8 and 14, for connecting us)! If you follow me on Instagram, you already know about the Stutzman's ministry, Heart of the Bison, because when I am encouraged by the wisdom and insight that Jen shares online I often share it with my followers. But if you aren't on Instagram, or you haven't learned about Heart of the Bison yet, I am so excited for you to listen in to our conversation. Jen shares about how her fight for joy began through struggles in marriage, parenting, loneliness, adoption, and the battle to stay healthy (physically, mentally, and spiritually). I think each of us can relate to at least one of these topics, can't we?!? With openness and tears, Jen shares about how she got to a place where she broke down, weary from leaning on her own strength, and realized that she didn't understand or know the love of God. She was asking lesser things in this world to bring her the joy and peace that her soul longed for - and she found herself deeply unsatisfied and lacking joy. You will be so blessed to hear about the tender ways that God drew her to Himself and taught her about His deep, and personal love, and how this led to Jen finding restored joy and a peace that only our heavenly Father's love can bring. She also shares a number of other practical tools that she implements into her life, and I'm confident that you'll find something that can be used in your own fight for joy. I don’t think there is anyone who would argue that this world is not broken. There are so many hard things to deal with in this life…both big and small. But, I started this podcast to remind us all that there IS still hope to be found. Yes, the fight for joy can be hard-fought, but we can help one another keep fighting! Through our stories, we can point each other to the comfort, help, and peace of Christ, and encourage one another to keep pressing forward and keep moving towards God and His love - and today Jen does exactly that! I hope you are helped and encouraged by our special conversation.
I hope you guys are enjoying Season 2! We’ve gotten off to a great start and I am thankful you are listening and sharing the podcast with others who you think may be encouraged. More importantly, I hope you are continuing to fight for joy in whatever you are facing today, and that this season of The Fighting For Joy Podcast is giving you fresh perspectives as you listen to my friends share about various tools that are helping them fight for joy in the midst of their difficulties as well as in their normal day to day experiences. Today you get to hear from my friend Kelle Carnes. On this episode she shares about how something as practical as writing has helped her press on through the midst of a hard season in her life - moving their family of 6 away from the comfort and familiarity of Nebraska to New York!! She has started a wonderful blog (www.tryingtolivesimply.com) as a result and you definitely need to become a subscriber! Listen in as Kelle so honestly shares about how she experienced new levels of sadness, fear, and regret after the move, and how she has had to let herself grieve the loss of many things that she held dear. You will be inspired by hearing about the new ways that Kelle turned to prayer, writing, and gratitude. These practical tools began to help her see this huge life change as an invitation to trust God more deeply. I hope you are encouraged by her words (and her writing)...she has such a beautiful and tender story of fighting for joy to share!
Today I have two very special people on the podcast to talk about Fighting for Joy with Friendship! They are my dearest friends Cathy Brown (my guest on Episode #2) and Kathy Craig. They came to Nebraska for a girls weekend in September and I just knew that we needed to record an episode together on this theme while they were here. We talk about everything from prayer, to the Voxer app, to raising girls, to leaning on each other's faith during dark seasons of life. We even chat about the importance of encouraging one another to foster deep friendships with other women. So listen in as we share about various aspects of our 30 year friendship and how it has been a great help for all three of us as we continue to fight for joy. I hope it encourages you in your own friendships as this is such a practical tool to implement.
Laura Ruwe was one of your favorites on Season 1, so I am thrilled to have her return as a guest on the podcast for Season 2! Laura has made some beautiful progress in her continued fight for joy this year and I'm grateful for her willingness to come back on to share about two practical tools that have brought her tremendous help. I think a lot of you will resonate with what she shares today as depression impacts so many people and families. This discussion is a perfect follow up to episode 13, my conversation with our counselor, Claire Cunningham. Laura's story reiterates many of the points that Claire conveyed and wonderfully illustrates how tools like therapy and medication can bring hope, help, and restored joy.
My guest today on the Fighting for Joy Podcast is our counselor, Claire Cunningham. Going to counseling has been a huge help in my personal fight for joy these past 6 years - in fact when people want to know what has helped me keep progressing in grief, my appointments with Claire and the things that I have learned through counseling are always at the top on my list. Not only does Claire help us help us navigate the things that we are in the middle of and dealing with now, but for our particular situation in grief, which is continually changing and shifting as the years go on, she helps us prepare for what lies ahead…what’s coming as we continue on in grief! Our sessions with Claire have been tremendously helpful and such a key component in our healing and progress as we continue to grieve. So whatever difficulties YOU are dealing with in life, big or small, I hope that today’s episode gives you a glimpse into how counseling can be a helpful tool to navigate the hard things in life and help you fight for joy!
Welcome back to the Fighting for Joy Podcast. Season 2 is here!! I’m grateful that my husband Eric was willing to be on the podcast again and record this first episode with me. Today we officially wrap up and reflect on Season 1, we address some of the most frequently asked questions about grief and our fight for joy, and of course, we introduce this second season and give you an idea of what is to come in the next few months. Thanks for listening!
Today my friend Paige Peterson joins me. I’ve known Paige for almost 20 years but it really was Jackson’s death that brought our friendship to a deeper level, and I share a little bit about this at the beginning of our conversation. Paige has been a huge help to me in grief. Sadly, that’s because she is well acquainted with grief herself. She has dealt with many losses over the years, including her younger brother taking his own life. This is a tough topic to talk about, but I know that Paige’s willingness to share this part of her story will be helpful for many of you listening. We need to get better at talking about death, and grief, and yes, even suicide…its a part of living in this broken world. So I’m thankful for Paige’s courage and openness and I know you’ll just love hearing her wise and beautiful heart.
Today you get to meet our sweet friend, Addie Schiemann. At 16 years old, she is the youngest guest I’ve had on the podcast so far, but it won’t take long for you to pick up on her maturity, poise, and steady strength. In 2017, Addie was involved in a UTV accident and had to have her right arm amputated. Every day presents Addie with challenges, but her fight for joy is an inspiring picture of hope as she continues to press on through very difficult circumstances. The timing of our conversation is special because April is Limb Loss Awareness Month. Listen in as she shares the realities of living with limb loss and what God has been teaching her through this hard journey!
I am so excited about this episode because I have the special privilege of introducing you to my youngest brother, Dwight Nelson! When I first starting thinking about creating a podcast, he was one of the guests that I knew I wanted to, and needed to, have on. Dwight has a hard, but really important story to share, and I'm deeply grateful for his willingness to record this episode with me. Listen in as Dwight talks about addiction, grief, living in community, and of course, fighting for joy in all aspects of life. Almost everyone is affected by addiction in some way, so I hope that this open and honest conversation provides help and hope to many of you!
In this episode I am excited to introduce you to a local friend of mine, Laura Ruwe. Laura and her husband Andrew are the adoptive parents of two young boys. Eric and I have been friends with the Ruwes for many years, but as Laura and I have watched one another walk through difficult days these past 5 years, our hearts have been uniquely connected. Laura is in a tougher season right now, but I'm so grateful that she came on the podcast during this time. We need examples of people who are willing to share what the battle looks like in the MIDST of the storm. It’s brave to say, “We are still trying to figure that out." Or, "I’m not quite sure how this is going to play out for us yet”. Laura is tender and honest as she shares about what grief looks like in adoption, feelings of isolation, prayer, seasons of waiting, social media, and of course, fighting for joy! I hope you are helped and encouraged by this conversation. I know you will see beauty in the brokenness of Laura's story. God is doing some amazing things in her heart and life, and her love and gratitude for her sweet family is evident and inspiring!
Here is the second part of my conversation with my friend and mentor, Nancy Guthrie. I introduced her in Part 1, so if you haven't had a chance to listen to that yet, I encourage you to go back and do that first as it will be easier to jump in to the second half of our time together. In this episode, we talk about some practical aspects of grief, like fighting bitterness instead of tears, and learning how to temporarily "put grief on the shelf”, a tool to stay engaged with those around you as you keep moving forward in your journey. We also talk a little bit about Nancy's podcast and who inpires her. These two episodes were really special for me to do! I've learned so much from Nancy over the years, not just about grief, but also about friendship, marriage, serving others, and how to study the Bible and treasure God’s Word in ways that provide comfort, help, strength, and hope.
I am honored to have my friend and mentor, Nancy Guthrie, on the podcast today! Nancy is a writer, Bible teacher, conference speaker, a contributor for The Gospel Coalition, and host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast. Nancy and her husband, David, live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their son, Matt, living close by. They have two other children, a daughter, Hope, and a son, Gabriel, who were both born with a rare genetic disorder and both died within their first year of life. Having experienced the brokenness of this world in heartbreaking ways, Nancy has fought for joy by finding comfort and hope in God’s Word, trusting in His sovereignty, and helping others see the trustworthiness and beauty of Scripture, and the help that it provides. For many years, Nancy has served as a mentor and influential teacher in my life. Her books and studies have equipped and helped me as I have studied the Bible, and her ministry has greatly encouraged my walk with the Lord! After Jackson died, she embraced me as a friend and fellow grieving mom and has tenderly walked with me these past 5 years. It is such a blessing to learn from a friend who is a number of years ahead of me on this grief journey. As I have mentioned in previous episodes, the Guthries host weekend retreats for couples who have lost a child, and attending one of the those retreats shortly after Jackson died has been one of the most helpful things for us in grief. Nancy is a gracious friend and a wise teacher - I’m so grateful for her willingness to record this episode with me. Today you will hear Part 1 of our conversation.
This past week I have been reflecting on Leanne’s sweet reminder that God loves to fill empty spaces (Episode 4). I found it especially helpful during this time of year when many of us can more deeply feel the emptiness in our lives. Did you feel some emptiness this Christmas? Maybe you haven’t lost a loved one, but your heart feels empty. Or you’re experiencing some sort of brokenness in your family, or with your health, or in a relationship? Or maybe you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or sad? Well, whether this really IS the “most wonderful time of the year” for you or if its just been downright lonely and sad (or even a messy, complicated mix of everything!), I wanted to record this mini-episode to remind you that God REALLY IS enough to fill our empty spaces.
It is such a privilege to introduce you to my special friend, Leanne Ballinger. Eric and I met Mike and Leanne in 2014 when we attended David and Nancy Guthrie’s grief retreat in Nashville together. My friendship with Leanne began with a long hug and tears, and God immediately began knitting our hearts together in powerful ways. Mike and Leanne's second son, Andrew, was born with complications and he was given a 25% chance of survival. After enduring 7 and 1/2 months of traumatic ups and downs, sweet Drew went to be with the Lord in July of 2013. With Jackson dying in June of that same year, our grief journey has been on a very similar timeframe. Our stories are different and our sons died at different ages and through different circumstances, but God has given us such likemindedness in one another. It has been such a help to have a kindred spirit like Leanne to walk through grief with. In the midst of such heartbreaking circumstances, we have seen our friendship as a kindness of the Lord. I think you will be touched by this tender conversation between two grieving moms who have become friends and confidants through great loss and great hope. https://uploads.fireside.fm/images/5/5cf71699-e9ec-4dd2-8499-7d99717f8523/7q14KzMj.jpg
Today you will hear from my friend, Melissa Sasse. In 2007, her life changed forever when she suffered an aneurysm in her neck that caused three strokes. Because of the limitations that this left her with, she was in need of someone to drive her and her children to run errands and get groceries once a week when they moved back to Nebraska a number of years ago. I volunteered...and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Melissa's own suffering has made her keenly aware of mine and she has been such a help to me in grief. She was one of the first people to show up at our door when Jackson died and she hasn't stopped showing up for me since. No matter where you land on the political spectrum, please know that this podcast is not about politics...it's about friendship, and faith, and pressing on. Melissa leads by example in this fight for joy. She has a strong and deep faith that has provided such hope and gratefulness, but her story reminds us once again that faith doesn't make the consequences of this broken world hurt any less. I hope you are encouraged and inspired in your OWN fight for joy as you listen.
Today I’m going to introduce you to one of my oldest and dearest friends, Cathy Brown. We were roommates in college and our almost 30 year friendship is one of the biggest blessings in my life. I’m excited for you to get to know her just because she’s a phenomenal woman and friend, but she’s also an ideal guest for this podcast because Cathy fights for joy in beautiful and inspiring ways. Shortly after we graduated from college, Cathy experienced the sudden and traumatic loss of her mom. Listen in as she shares some of her story of loss and how it has shaped her life and faith. Cathy is such an encouragement to me, and I know she will be for you too! https://uploads.fireside.fm/images/5/5cf71699-e9ec-4dd2-8499-7d99717f8523/bQHd9jPz.jpg
Today my husband, Eric Blick, joins me on the podcast as we share a little bit about why this fight for joy is personal for us. As I mentioned in the preview episode, this podcast will be full of stories, and I thought it was appropriate to “go first” with our story. Eric and I met at Wheaton College and have been married for 24 years. We have four children and live in Nebraska. Our firstborn son, Jackson, died at the age of 16 in 2013. Our goal in this first episode is not to fully or perfectly tell our story. In fact, there are a few details that we almost edited out because we remembered them differently. But, that is part of trauma...and part of going through grief together, but separately. So we didn't make any edits. With this podcast, I've decided that "done is better than perfect". Grief is messy...and this podcast will be messy at times as well. I'm thankful that Eric agreed to be my first guest. He has believed in this project from the start and I seriously couldn't have gotten it started without him. So I'm excited for you to get to know him a little bit as we share our hearts and help you better understand the “why” behind this podcast.
Welcome to my new podcast, Fighting for Joy. Life in this broken world is hard, but there IS joy and hope to be found. In this preview episode, I will share my vision for this podcast and begin to share why this flight for joy is personal to me.