E851 | Thanksgiving Bumps...and Joy

We’re back with more of your questions as Allen asks John his thoughts on the following: Does God allow ongoing suffering to build our character? How do you deal with a narcissistic spouse? Should we avoid praying out loud to prevent the enemy from hearing what we say to God? How do parents help young children understand evil without shattering their sense of safety? Will we see our beloved dogs again in the coming Kingdom?Show Notes: The three movies mentioned are On a Clear Day, Life is Beautiful, and Moana. The two books referenced are Walking with God by John Eldredge and Bold Love by Dan Allender. The podcast featuring Susie Larson is “How Can You Survive Without...? - Part 3” (October 27, 2025). Keep the questions coming! Send them to [email protected]._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? For many, this American holiday is filled with warm memories of food, family, and gratitude. But for others, it’s filled with challenges of fractured family relationships, missed desires, and time alone. In this hopeful podcast, John, Stasi, Allen, and Kellye swap stories about lessons learned from past gatherings as well as how to enter this Thanksgiving being fully present to God, others, and your own heart.Show Notes:The book Every Moment Holy is available wherever books are sold._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

We’re receiving such good questions from viewers and listeners of the podcast...and doing our best to answer as many as possible! This week, Allen asks John his thoughts on a wide range of topics, including these: How do we pray for unbelieving adult children? When does a daily routine become an idol? What is stolen grief? When things change or look like they’re coming to an end, how do we know whether to fight for them or let them go?Show Notes: The podcast referenced with Mary Ellen Owen is “How Can You Survive Without...? - Part 2” (October 20, 2025). Keep the questions coming! Send them to us at: [email protected]._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

In the series conclusion, Jon Tyson joins John Eldredge to respond to the statement: “I don’t understand how people can survive without...” His simple yet profound answer leads to a wide-ranging conversation on the hopeful and alarming developments regarding the body of Christ, how to restructure our lives around the priorities of God, and what will sustain us during the increasing global chaos.Show Notes: The books referenced are 1) Great by Choice by Jim Collins, and 2) The Inner Chamber and the Inner Life by Andrew Murray. Jon Tyson’s weekly podcast—Church of the City Podcast—is available wherever you get your podcasts._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

How do we interpret the crisis, resistance, and chaos in our lives? Find out as Blaine joins John and Allen for Part 4 of this series on “I just don’t understand how people can survive without...” In this conversation, Blaine provides a helpful tool kit for processing the questions, pushback, and struggles that keep us stuck.Show Notes: Access Blaine’s hand-written diagram with the four categories here._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

As this series continues, Susie Larson joins John to give her answer to the statement: “I just don’t understand how people can survive without...” Susie is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the popular radio show Susie Larson Live. She states, “The storms reveal the lies we believe and the truths we need.” It’s a profound insight gleaned from a life filled with unbelievable tragedy, powerful triumph, and God’s unwavering love woven through it all. You won’t want to miss her story...or her response to what she can’t live without.Show Notes: Discover more about Susie Larson at susielarson.com. Access Wild at Heart’s “Life” Prayer at wildatheart.org/prayer/life-prayer and the Wild at Heart Daily Prayer at https://wildatheart.org/prayer/daily-prayer-john._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

What would be the most difficult thing for you to live without? In this second installment of the series, John invites respected therapist Mary Ellen Owen into the studio to respond to the following statement: “I just don’t understand how people can survive without...” Her thought-provoking answer leads to a tender invitation into unexpected tears and deep healing.Show Notes: The books referenced are All Things New, by John Eldredge, and Whistling in the Dark, by Fredrick Buechner._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

For this new series, John and Allen invite five guests over five weeks to complete the following statement: “I just don’t understand how people can survive without...” Sam Eldredge kicks off the opening episode with a surprising response. Sam is a licensed therapist, the director of Noble Workshops, and John’s oldest son. You’ll be intrigued by his insights into the human condition and the one thing he believes we most need to make it through the day.Show Notes: To find out more about Noble Workshops and upcoming events, visit nobleworkshops.com. The movie John references is Sing Sing. Sam’s media recommendations include Gustav Holst’s The Planets, “Jupiter”; Jensen McRae’s song “My Ego Dies at the End”; William Shakespeare’s The Tempest; the movie Arrival; the book The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt; the quote from Simone Weil (“There are only two things that pierce the human heart. One is beauty. The other is affliction.“); and the poem “The Peace of Wild Things,” by Wendell Berry._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

In this series conclusion, John and Blaine Eldredge share a three-part process for gaining clarity on what God wants to draw our attention to in this moment. The goal isn’t to focus on everything all at once—or even to get answers—but to grow in intimacy with God in the places he desires to work in our lives.Show Notes: The 3 Categories discussed are 1) Contemplation2) Conversation3) Action. The book referenced is Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation, by M. Robert Mulholland Jr. Find out more about the Pause App here.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App_______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App

Imagine having a spiritual GPS to help you navigate the bafflement and fog of your days. John and Blaine Eldredge provide such a tool in this second installment of the series—including six categories and an Emotions Wheel—to help draw you closer to God and provide clarity on his work in your life. Show Notes: The Emotions Wheel Blaine references is available here. The “6 Categories for Discerning God’s Work in Your Life” are 1) the Facts of Life 2) Preoccupations of the Mind3) Feelings / Emotions4) Body / Physical Sensations5) Recurring or Dominating Questions6) Longings and Desires._______________________________________________There is more.Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Ask us at [email protected] the mission or find more on our website: WildAtHeart.org  or on our app.Apple: Wild At Heart AppAndroid: Wild At Heart AppWatch on YouTubeThe stock music used in the Wild at Heart podcast is titled “When Laid to Rest” by Patrick Rundblad and available here.More pauses available in the One Minute Pause app for Apple iOS and Android.Apple: One Minute Pause AppAndroid: One Minute Pause App