[JESUS LISTENS MONTHLY SERIES] God, Help Me to “Do” Less and “Be” More: Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

*This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners. This week, we’ll hear from Jenny Marrs, an author, designer, and passionate advocate for community transformation, family preservation, and orphan care worldwide, who hosts the HGTV show Fixer to Fabulous with her husband, Dave. Jenny shares the path that led her to the business she is in today, and the challenges of leaving all that you know to embrace the unknown. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Struggle Jennings, an independent music artist, father of seven, and prison ministry leader. Struggle shares how growing up in a famous musical family didn’t shield him from tragedy and poor choices, but how God used even the hardest seasons, including prison, to rebuild his life.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Patricia Heaton Upcoming interview: Dan and Sam Mathews Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season    Jenny Marrs Fixer to Fabulous  University of Central Florida www.jennymarrs.com Trust God, Love People: Stories of My Openhanded Faith   Struggle Jennings Send Musicians to Prison Waylon Jennings  Jessi Colter www.strugglejennings.com   Interview Quotes: “We’re not meant to do life alone. In [a difficult] season, [my husband and I] needed to lean on each other and on God and get through it, and we realized we actually needed to let people in.” - Jenny Marrs "[God] works through us; He works through our inadequacies, and often when we don't want to do it, He can—even if we think there's no way." - Jenny Marrs "Identifying and spotting God's hand in all of it–the mundane, the hard, the beautiful, the mountain tops—all of those different experiences—we can spot His hand in that." - Jenny Marrs "I want my kids to be able to look back at the faithfulness of God in their lives that they didn't even know about before they were born and have that moving forward." - Jenny Marrs “I was introduced at an early age to both sides of the tracks—seeing Waylon with the security guards and the Cadillac and the Jaguar and the big house and [being a] successful country music icon. And then going back to my dad’s side of the family that lived in West Nashville who worked nine to fives and lived right at that poverty line.” - Struggle Jennings “I was caught up in that world—gangs and drugs and a lot of the beliefs like, Feed your family by any means necessary. It’s okay to do wrong if you’re doing it for the right reason—those types of things that I had to eventually strip myself of.” - Struggle Jennings  “Many times God showed His face and showed His favor, even though I didn’t know why, because I didn’t understand what my purpose was.” - Struggle Jennings “I knew that I finally had to strip down and take full responsibility and accountability and say, ‘This is my fault. I can’t blame the judge. I can’t blame the person that snitched on me. I can’t blame my circumstances or the cards I was dealt. I have the opportunity to turn this around.’” - Struggle Jennings “I just really felt that God had a plan for me, and I wasn’t going to take it for granted.” - Struggle Jennings  “Even the times that I had doubts, it was the responsibility to God and to my fans and to my children [that kept me going]. When you’re purpose-driven and you have a reason for getting up every day and you know you’re living in God’s glory and God’s mercy, you have that strength and that confidence that I’ve made it through a lot of things and I don’t know what’s ahead of me, but I know that if I keep moving in the right direction with love in my heart and God in my heart, it’s going to work out okay. God gives His greatest warriors the toughest battles.” - Struggle Jennings ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from three seasoned leaders from Cedarville University—Dr. Michael Sherr, Dr. Jason Lee, and Dr. Angelia Mickle—who bring together decades of experience in social work, theology, and nursing. United by a shared passion for equipping healthcare professionals, they explore how we can find renewed strength under tremendous pressures by bridging the gap between faith and health.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Drew Dickens, a technologist and storyteller exploring where faith, identity, and innovation meet. As host of the Encountering Peace and AI and Spirituality podcasts, he brings deep insight into how emerging technology is reshaping the way we think, connect, and seek meaning.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Brett Swayn Upcoming interview: Jenny Marrs   Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV Dr. Michael Sherr Dr. Jason Lee Dr. Angelia Mickle Cedarville University Center for Biblical Integration at Cedarville University Colossians 3 NIV Isaiah 40:31 NIV Scripture and Scrubs: A Christian Calling to Healthcare   Dr. Drew Dickens Encountering Peace  AI and Spirituality  Whispers of the Spirit: A 40-Day Guide to Intimate Prayer Interview Quotes: “One of the things that we want to do is make sure that we’re setting our trajectory around what God wants from us, to listen to God regularly through His Word, and to connect with Him daily.” - Dr. Jason Lee  “We all have to live out our call to live the gospel, to be on mission, to live our relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in whatever endeavor we find ourselves in our lives.” - Dr. Michael Sherr “Part of the challenge is to see how we can pull the professional and spiritual journeys together and create a greater impact and a sense of purpose. But also a sense of longevity, because all these things are done not just in the moment and for immediate success or healing or any treatment, but ultimately for the glory of God.” - Dr. Jason Lee  “The purpose of us being here is to comfort people and to help them in their time of vulnerability, or if they’re hurt and suffering, and just love them unconditionally—the way that Jesus would.” - Angelia Mickle “If we have Jesus in our heart, the joy is going to show. Jesus is love, and we’re going to reflect Christ, so we’re going to reflect love.” - Dr. Angelia Mickle   “[AI] is still casually dismissed right now, and that’s concerning to me because we’re dealing with issues of identity, we’re dealing with issues of inspiration.” - Dr. Drew Dickens  “Prayer requires effort, and we need to remember that communicating with the Creator and Sustainer of this vast universe is an amazing privilege.” - Dr. Drew Dickens “We need to have these conversations on the effects of [AI] in the pews, on families and relationships—the effects it’s going to have on community, on communion, on what it means to gather together, or just to re-engage with a physical moment of intimacy with God.” - Dr. Drew Dickens “We’re not to be a people of fear, but of hope. So we can be intentional, we can find ways to engage with AI in a redemptive way, and we can be mindful of these opportunities because there is hope.” - Dr. Drew Dickens ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’ll hear from physician, researcher, author, and speaker Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, who understands the daily pressure many of us feel to “perform” and live up to unrealistic standards of who we think we should be. When we can begin to understand who we are apart from what we do, God can help us remove the pressure to “do” and embrace the freedom to “be.”  Guest’s Links YouTube: @SaundraDaltonSmith Instagram: @drdaltonsmith Facebook:@DrSaundraDaltonSmith Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4mzRd5X  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from Monique Rodriguez—an author, entrepreneur, and founder of the women-led beauty brand Mielle Organics, a hair care and beauty brand. Monique shares how a devastating personal loss became the catalyst for a deepened faith and the birth of a global beauty brand built on bold belief, healing, and hope in God’s promises. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Adam Young, a therapist and podcaster from Fort Collins, Colorado. Adam is the voice behind The Place We Find Ourselves, where he guides listeners through the intersections of personal story, trauma, and healing. In his work, Adam highlights the power of relationships, the wisdom of the body, and the role of faith in helping us find meaning and connection.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Tabitha Brown Upcoming interview: Drs. Michael Sherr, Angelia Mickle, and Jason Lee Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV   Monique Rodriguez Mielle Organics emergency C-section Romans 8:28 NIV Psalm 30:1-5 NIV www.mielleorganics.com The Glory in Your Story   Adam Young The Place We Find Ourselves Make Sense of Your Story www.adamyoungcounseling.com   Interview Quotes: “I just didn’t have the courage and the faith in myself to believe that I could actually achieve what was deemed impossible for someone that looked like me growing up in the household that I grew up in.” - Monique Rodriguez  “I had to lean on His Word and trust Him by faith that He was going to see me through this with an even bigger promise on the other side of this.” - Monique Rodriguez “I decided that I wanted to follow God’s lead, and I wanted to live a purpose-filled life because you only get one shot. When you go through tragic events, it really causes you to have a different perspective.” - Monique Rodriguez “I decided to fulfill [my dream] when I went through that loss, and I am thankful for my son’s life because he caused me to have a relationship with God. He taught me to be fearless and to have courage and to be bold in my faith.” - Monique Rodriguez “Our mission is not only to empower, educate, and to excite women about healthy hair, but I also feel that we are empowering, exciting, and educating about the gospel.” - Monique Rodriguez “I do feel that Mielle—because it was birthed from a place of pain that ultimately was purposeful—is anointed.” - Monique Rodriguez  “If you’re having butterflies in your stomach, if you have a lump in your throat, if you have tightness in your chest because of a certain experience that you’re having or something coming up in your life, that is your body’s way of saying, ‘There is something inside your heart that needs to be addressed that is not well.’” - Adam Young “Part of the healing journey is getting honest, not just about what happened, but about the feelings that you have in your body, and welcoming those, making us a home for those feelings so that they can be felt, processed, and expressed.” - Adam Young  “Whenever you experience trauma, the single most effective way to experience healing of those neural networks is through healthy relationships with other people. Healing is necessarily relational, and it requires looking at the past.” - Adam Young  “We’re created for secure attachment, which means a healthy relationship with God where we have a felt sense that God is there for us, that God will respond to our cries, and that God is pursuing our hearts.” - Adam Young “Practices in general, whether it’s prayer, mindfulness, walking and looking at beauty, whatever practices you have in your life where you bring the fullness of your presence—and that’s the key attribute for a practice to be meaningful—you have to be aware and present.” - Adam Young  “The practice of prayer, the practice of solitude, both are necessary for the development of not just your brain, but for you to come to know who you are, who God created you to be, and how you uniquely reflect God in a way that others don’t.” - Adam Young   ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week on the podcast, we meet Justin Knoop—a husband, father of four, and the heart behind the Blessing Boys. What began as a small lawn care business grew into a mission to serve others, inspire his sons, and transform lives one yard at a time. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Tricia Goyer—an author, speaker, podcaster, and homeschooling mom whose journey has taken her from teen pregnancy to building a family of ten through adoption and foster care. Along the way, Tricia discovered that it’s not about doing more, but about noticing what matters most.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Gary Sinise Upcoming interview: Monique Rodriguez Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV   Justin Knoop Blessing Boys   Tricia Goyer Psalm 22:6 Psalm 40:2  www.triciagoyer.com Faith That Sticks: 5 Real-Life Ways to Disciple Your Preteen Interview Quotes: “There was a search in my heart for purpose, for fulfillment. I spent a lot of my teenage years and even into my twenties just searching to fill that void. I think eventually it led me to where I am today, but it took me a long time to figure out what that purpose was that I was searching for.” - Justin Knoop  “My sons were getting into this phase of life where I needed to start thinking about what it meant to begin to set an example for them. So what I did was I set aside Fridays—one day a week—for me and my sons to actually go out and serve the community.” - Justin Knoop “I think we can get caught up in our own lives and what’s going on in our family and our home and forget that there’s a world out there that needs us. What we teach our kids is that your purpose in life—outside of being in relationship with God—is to bring value to others.” - Justin Knoop  “Yes, we have different hobbies and things that we do, but we want to pour the majority of our time into things that impact people around us. We’re not just about cutting grass and overgrown yards. We’re really after changing lives and impacting people.” - Justin Knoop “I realized through God, through prayer, through sitting before Him crying because I was so overwhelmed, that He already created [my children] as unique human beings with a purpose and I didn’t need to pour everything into them. I just needed to follow the purpose that God had given them.” - Tricia Goyer  “I think it really takes almost becoming students of our kids and seeing what God already put in them—the calling that He has on their lives—and really focusing on who God created each individual to be. And then going before God, sitting quietly before Him, praying for our kids, and asking Him to open the door that we can help them walk through.” - Tricia Goyer  “If we are listening—if we’re sitting around, driving, taking a walk around the block—if we’re there and listening to [our children], that’s when the big things come out, that’s when the questions happen.” - Tricia Goyer  “If we’re waiting for our kids to be adults before we have meaningful conversations with them, it is too late. We need to build that, and pre-teens is the perfect little window where they still think it’s really cool to go get a smoothie and talk, and we can use that time to pour into our kids.” - Tricia Goyer  “So many times we wonder how things are going to work out. Whatever God has called us to, we’re trying to see the end, and all we see is obstacle, obstacle, obstacle. I think that’s just a reminder that if God calls us to something, He is faithful and He’s going to be there.” - Tricia Goyer  ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from two incredible actors—Chrissy Metz, best known for her role on TV’s This Is Us, and Edwina Findley Dickerson, known for her roles on The Wire and Chicago Med. Through their transformative work as actors, they strive not only to compassionately portray their characters, they deeply inhabit them, telling powerful stories with empathy and grace.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Cole Prasse Upcoming interview: Justin Knoop   Chrissy Metz This Is Us Jim Carrey  Jack Black Robin Williams www.chrissymetzmusic.com When I Talk To God, I Talk About Feelings   Edwina Findley Dickerson  The Wire  Chicago Med Psalty’s Christmas Calamity Duke Ellington School of the Arts www.edwinafindley.com The World Is Waiting for You Interview Quotes: “I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to tell stories that I never saw or people like me that I’d never seen on TV or movies that weren’t just the butt of the joke, but had like full-fledged stories and important lessons to impart.” - Chrissy Metz  “I start my day with a gratitude list before I even get out of bed because life is fleeting, life is precious, people are going through so much—but you can always find at least ten things to be grateful for.” - Chrissy Metz  “I just know that what’s meant for me will find me, even if I’m running away from it. It will be God’s time, not mine.” - Chrissy Metz “When people tell you things almost as a fact, you can start to believe it if you don’t have another voice. God told me I was called to entertainment, and I thank God that I leaned into His voice even when other people’s voices seemed louder, because God’s plan is the one that won out.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson “We can end up with what I call the ‘curse of comparison,’ and then we can talk our way out of what God is trying to talk us into.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson  “From Genesis to Revelation, we see people who were not considered the smartest, who were not considered the most powerful, who were not considered the most beautiful, but were called for a purpose. If we lean into some of those scriptural examples of people who were not the likely candidate from other people’s point of view, but were exactly who God chose, then I think we can see ourselves in that lineup, and start leaning into our calling.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson  “I think like most people, there’s a chasm between what you believe that God has promised you in your life and your current circumstances. A lot of times when God’s promise enters your life, it can speak very differently from your current reality.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson “Sometimes the choices that you make aren’t necessarily about what would come naturally to you—sometimes it’s purely surrendering to what God is calling you to do.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson  “If God has called you to do something, do it in obedience, even if you don’t understand how it’s going to end up. You have no idea what kind of blessings are on the other side.” - Edwina Findley Dickerson ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from Bethany Joy Lenz, an actor, singer, director, and now author, who shares a deeply personal story of her time in a spiritually abusive community and the journey of healing and rediscovering faith that followed.  Later in the episode, we’ll hear from speaker and non-profit founder JT Mestdagh. Born with a rare and complex condition that led to over a dozen major surgeries before the age of sixteen, JT’s life has been anything but ordinary. From long hospital stays to reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, he’s faced life’s toughest challenges with an optimism and heart for helping others.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Amy Downs Upcoming interview: Chrissy Metz Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV   Bethany Joy Lenz Dinner for Vampires Richard Barrett Brooklyn College of Opera Guiding Light  One Tree Hill Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV www.bethanyjoylenz.org   JT Mestdagh Mount Kilimanjaro JT Mestdagh Foundation VACTERL syndrome Dyslexia Children’s Hospital Colorado ww.JTMestdagh.com No Bad Days Interview Quotes: “I fundamentally believed—not in my head, but in my body and my heart—that if I did all the right things, if I checked off everything on the Christian girl list, then God would be pleased with me, and I would have a good life.’ - Bethany Joy Lenz “You need your brain in order to have faith. God is so big. He’s not afraid of us thinking. The more you think, the more you understand, the more Christianity makes sense out of everything else in the world.” - Bethany Joy Lenz “When you understand what you believe—when you think about it and you research it and you journal about it, the further you dissect it, the more intricate and fascinating it becomes.” - Bethany Joy Lenz  “God is big enough to not be intimidated or afraid of your questions, your mess, that spaghetti bowl of confusion. God is big enough to untangle it and to guide you.” – Bethany Joy Lenz “I always talk about finding your tribe—the people around you that are going to support you and help you throughout challenges.” - JT Mestdagh “I look back at moments where the Good Lord has worked in my life—where the doors were closed and new doors were opened along the way—and it is totally Him working with me and through me.” - JT Mestdagh “When I look back at my conversations with the Lord, my time with Him and speaking to Him has been some of the most encouraging moments that have gotten me back on track.” - JT Mestdagh “There are no bad days. There’s only hard days, and we get through them with the Good Lord.” - JT Mestdagh ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

*This episode contains mature content. This week, we hear from two remarkable women who dared to pursue their dreams even when faced with disbelief, ultimately dedicating their lives to helping others through their art and work. First, country music star Mickey Guyton shares her journey of breaking barriers and finding her voice in an industry that wasn’t always ready for her. Then, author and speaker Lea Hurley opens up about how her personal health experiences shaped a life and a business she created to help herself but ended up helping others in a way she never dreamed possible.    Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: David and Tamela Mann Upcoming interview: Bethany Joy Lenz   Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV   Mickey Guyton  Joanna Gaines  The Cosbys LeeAnn Rimes Dolly Parton Jessica Bendinger Charlie Pride www.mickeyguyton.com Jesus Calling: Songs for Sundays CD   Lea Hurley  American Dream Nut Butter Neuroendocrine cancer Tunnels to Towers Foundation  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.americandreamnutbutter.com   Interview Quotes: “The challenges were people trying to change who I was or trying to interpret who I was as a black woman. And I understand the cultural differences, but people were trying to make me palatable to a country music audience.” - Mickey Guyton “Country music literally fell into my lap. “It was a God thing. It was a spiritual thing. It chose me.” - Mickey Guyton “I was like, ‘Why do you think country music isn’t working for me?’ And my husband was like, ‘Because you’re running away from everything that makes you different. Country music is three chords and the truth. Why aren’t you leaning into that?’” - Mickey Guyton  “I’m not only pursuing a career for myself, but pursuing a career for people that come after me. How can I help them? This may never happen for me, but how can I help the people that are coming up after me?” – Mickey Guyton  “I would say to anyone out there who is struggling to change either physically or mentally or emotionally that you really need to dig deep and find what your “why” is. You are going to have to rely on that every single day when it’s hard.” - Lea Hurley “I’m a major dessert person, so I figured out that I can make nut butter taste like the desserts that I was missing, but still have all the things that I was allowed to have.” - Lea Hurley “I feel like you just have to be plugged into Him, plugged into the Word all the time, so that you can receive what He’s trying to tell you and to be open to where it might come from.” - Lea Hurley ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On this episode of Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer, we’re joined by certified master naturalist and author Eryn Lynum. Eryn gives us insight into how Jesus used nature in His teaching, and how scripture reflects thoughts of nature as well. As she looks at these connections, Eryn finds that God is beckoning us toward rest, and she shares some practical ways we can weave rest into our day-to-day lives.    Guest’s Links  Facebook: @authorerynlynum Instagram: @erynlynumauthor  YouTube: @erynlynum Watch this interview on our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/4l7Gbn5  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Jesus Calling Website TikTok   *Episode produced by Four Eyes Media* Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In honor of National Dog Day, we’re sharing a heartfelt story about the special bond we share with our pets—and the comfort they bring in life’s hardest moments. Steve Wohlberg, a husband, father, author, and speaker, grew up in Hollywood with a deep love for animals. From Great Danes to turtles to a dog named Jax, animals have always been part of his story. After a painful loss, Steve began to explore what that bond really means—and how it can point to something bigger than ourselves. Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Sy Garte, a retired research biochemist who spent much of his life convinced that science held all the answers. Raised in an atheist household, Sy’s early perspective left little space for questions of faith or meaning beyond the material world. But as his life unfolded, experiences both personal and professional began to challenge that view and a growing curiosity led him to reconsider what he believed about life, purpose, and truth.   Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned: Jesus Calling Podcast Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Listens Past interview: Michael and Zina Goodin Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV   Steve Wohlberg National Dog Day Matthew 26:36-46 NIV White Horse Media Genesis 2:9-19 NIV Exodus 20:11 NIV Proverbs 12:10 NIV book of Jonah  Matthew 10:29 NIV Will My Pet Go to Heaven? *The first ten people who call Steve’s office at White Horse Media will receive a free copy of either “Will My Pet Go to Heaven?” or “Approaching Armageddon.” Call 800-782-4253 for your copy today!    Dr. Sy Garte National Institutes of Health Scientism American Scientific Affiliation   Interview Quotes: “I think the reason why people grieve so greatly over the loss of a pet is because God our Creator is the author of the bond between people and animals. I really believe that God ministers to people through animals.” - Steve Wohlberg “When people are hurting, when they need a touch of love, animals can be a big part of God revealing to us that He cares about us.” - Steve Wohlberg “The last thing [my dog Pooka] did was look full view into the eyes of her master. I thought, That’s the way we need to be with Jesus. When we get into tough times or if we’re about to die, we fix our faith on Him because He loves us and He wants us to have such a relationship with Him.” - Steve Wohlberg “God can use tragedy, and He can bring good things out of it. It really makes me look forward to heaven and to the new earth where we’ll be with not only Jesus but with friendly animals.” - Steve Wohlberg   “There are millions of things that we know to be true that we know not through science. Science can only address a certain number of things because the scientific method is not able to ask and answer questions on things like, Why do I love this or that person? Why am I the way I am?” - Dr. Sy Garte “If you think that God doesn’t love you, you’re wrong, because I know He loves you, because He loves even me. And if He could love me, how could He not love you?” - Dr. Sy Garte “Belief in Jesus Christ, belief in biblical reality, and everything in science are not in conflict, but in fact, completely compatible. I think that if you ask the right questions about all of this—where did this purpose come from, where did this cognition come from, why is life this way—there’s no scientific answer that relates to physics or chemistry, just as there’s no scientific answers to how life began that relates the physics and chemistry.” - Dr. Sy Garte “We have to be quiet if we want to hear the voice of God. You don’t know what form it’s going to take. It could be somebody smiling at you. It could be anything. But pay attention and you will hear it.” - Dr. Sy Garte  ________________________ Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel! Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7  Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw  Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C  Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj  Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u  What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj  Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY  ________________________  Connect with Jesus Calling Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Website TikTok Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.