The GoodHard Story Podcast

Where is the line between caring deeply and trying to control?Lysa TerKeurst joined me to share what God has been teaching her about learning to make peace with what she can’t control. Even though I don’t consider myself a controlling person, I learned so much from this conversation and I think you might, too—like the motivations beneath the tendency to control other people, the difference between healthy responsibility and control-seeking, and how control harms the people around us. Friends, this episode is a must-listen. It’s packed with takeaways that will help you flourish in your inner life and your relationships.Show NotesMentioned in this conversationMaking Peace with What I Can’t Control: Find Relief from the Exhaustion of Overthinking, Trying to Fix Others, and Wanting to Figure It All Out by Lysa TerKeurstJames 1:4Joel MuddamalleHope Heals Camp & Retreat - https://hopeheals.com/campMore from LysaProverbs 31 Ministries - https://proverbs31.org/Therapy and Theology - https://therapyandtheology.transistor.fm/@lysaterkeurst on Instagramhttps://lysaterkeurst.com/More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

Where do we go when the trappings of Christianity don’t align with the Jesus we know and love?My friend Mike is making a home for who he calls the “spiritually homeless,” the people who feel wounded by church culture but aren’t ready to walk away from Jesus. During our time together, he shared the parts of Christianity he’s unraveling from culture, how raising a son with Down Syndrome has reshaped his understanding of healing, and why he’s leading his church toward true belonging rather than just inclusion.Show NotesMentioned in this conversationVoxology Podcast - https://www.voxologypodcast.com/Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf - https://hopeheals.com/books“Which is the real world?” by Amy Julia Becker on Substack - https://substack.com/profile/141020498/note/p-208837720?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=92rp4aHope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/campPrince Caspian by C.S. LewisMore from MikeVoxology Podcast - https://www.voxologypodcast.com/Journey Church in Brentwood, TNMore from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

What if you can’t be brave until you’re scared?Based on the confident way Jess Connolly lives her life, it’s hard to believe she’s ever felt scared. But she has. In fact, she decided to become an expert on fear. Jess joined me for a conversation about what’s happening in our bodies when we feel scared, the three words that finally helped her understand what “the fear of the Lord” actually means, and how we can live if our worst fears have already come true.Show Notes:Mentioned in this conversation:You Can't Be Brave Until You're Scared by Jess ConnollyGo and Tell Gals - https://goandtellgals.com/More from [email protected] from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

What if the only way to bear our grief is to share it?My friend Mayer Buisson is living with the “invisible wheelchair” of Huntington’s Disease. The shame she felt around her diagnosis caused her to keep it a secret. Eventually, carrying it alone became unbearable. Today, Mayer lives with a radical acceptance of her story, and she’s inviting us into the “collateral gifts” of her grief. In this special conversation, you’ll get to sit down in a version of one of my beloved S.O.S. group gatherings to witness that it’s possible to move from shame to surrender, just like Mayer.Show NotesMentioned in this conversationTreasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the HurtingHope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/campMore from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

What do we do with the stuff that’s not good and hard, but just hard?Toni Collier is no stranger to pain. She’s navigated a childhood of tragedy and two marriages marked by abuse and infidelity. According to her, the pain hasn’t been worth it…but it hasn’t been wasted either. In our conversation, Toni shared how she’s surviving those seasons of “ashes from ashes,” and why she’s not trying to do it alone.Show NotesMentioned in this conversation:Broken Crayons Still Color by Toni Collier2 Corinthians 12:9Don't Try This Alone: How to Build Deep Community When You Want to Hide from Your Pain by Toni CollierBrave Enough to Be Broken: How to Embrace Your Pain and Discover Hope and Healing by Toni CollierUnshakable Moxie - https://www.odbm.org/en/moxieStill Color Podcast - How Healing Became an Idol: Why We're More Obsessed with Healing than Becoming HolyLove Your Life (Even When You Don’t Like It All the Time): A Realistic Guide to Unlocking Joy in Life’s Messy, Mundane, and Magnificent Moments by Rachel AwtreyIsaiah 45:3More from Toni:Follow @tonijcollier on InstagramWatch on YouTube @tonijcollierMore from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

How are we expected to live well on this side of the sky?Sometimes we need wisdom for the deep, hard, dark suffering. But most of the time, we just need encouragement for the normal lives we’re living on this side of heaven. Laura Wifler is a mother and poet who finds endless inspiration in the mundanity and mess of her everyday life. In our conversation, Laura shares what’s changed in her theology of the body, why she’s relying on the grace of the present, and how a crisis of faith invited her to doubt “toward God.”Show NotesMentioned in this conversation:This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick by Laura WiflerSword Drill - https://www.sworddrilltrivia.com/waitlistThe GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 51 with Laura Wifler - https://hopeheals.com/podcast/not-the-mom-with-the-chickens-stewarding-the-story-you-have-with-laura-wifler/1 John 4:4Like Me: A Story About Disability and God’s Image by Laura WiflerAll My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth MooreThe GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 104 with Beth Moore - https://hopeheals.com/podcast/beth-moore-on-walking-with-god/More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

What is the first step of moving forward from the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?Join me today for a solo episode as I process some recent thoughts I’ve been having about how healing actually begins with heartbreak. I share some of the painful (and downright bizarre!) early memories of “waking up” from my stroke and being in total denial about my situation. That season taught me just how critical it is to confront the reality of our stories if we ever hope to move forward. In this episode, we’ll process through some insights about how Jesus named his pain, what true lament looks like, and a simple exercise you can borrow to confront reality for yourself.Show NotesMentioned in this episode:Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/campEcclesiastes 7:22 Corinthians 4:8Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the HurtingIsaiah 45:3Mike ErreHope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming LoveHabakkuk 3:17-19More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

Episode 126 - Martin Deacon on the “Weird and Wonderful” Gift of DisabilityWhat if our disabilities might give us as much—or more—as they take from us?Disability gives us the gift of dependence. That’s the mantra of Martin Deacon, the CEO of Teach Every Nation, who began to lose his vision when he was just twelve years old. In our conversation, Martin shows how his disability transformed an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.Mentioned in this episode:Hippo Lakes - https://visit.hippolakes.com/hopehealsTeach Every Nation - https://teacheverynation.org/Unreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraHope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/campMEND Coffee & Goods - https://www.mendcoffee.com/More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteAbout Hippo Lakes:Hippo Lakes is a luxury safari resort nestled in South Africa’s malaria-free Waterberg region. Guests enjoy five nights in a private game reserve surrounded by incredible wildlife, beautiful landscapes and thoughtfully designed accommodations. From daily game drives and curated experiences to meals, transportation and more, the Hippo Lakes team is committed to making every part of your stay seamless and unforgettable. Best of all, the Travel Concierge team handles the details so guests can arrive, slow down and experience the beauty of the African bush.Through January 1, 2027, 15% of all booking payments made through Hope Heals' special Hippo Lakes booking link will go toward helping fund families to attend Hope Heals Camp in 2027.If you’re interested in planning a stay at Hippo Lakes, you can use the link below to get started. The Hippo Lakes team takes care of the details, from transportation and accommodations to experiences during your stay. You’ll work directly with one of their amazing Travel Concierges, who will help plan an experience that feels personal to you and your family.Learn more and begin planning your stay: https://visit.hippolakes.com/hopehealsShow Notes

What if your suffering is not a curse on your children, but instead an inheritance of breathtaking value?In this deeply personal conversation, I sat down with my son James the day before he left for college. James opened up about the reality of growing up with a mom who has disabilities and how the experience has formed him into a person who shows up helpful and grateful. I reflected on one of the heaviest questions of my life: has my suffering been a burden to the people I love, especially my children? I also got to offer James the truths I wish someone had given me at his age—about God, about pain, and about the story he gets to write with his own life.Mentioned in this episode:Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/campMEND Coffee & Goods - https://www.mendcoffee.com/Samford University Micah Fellows Program - https://www.samford.edu/programs/undergraduate/micah-fellows/Micah 6:8More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube

What good and beautiful thing can we be sure of, no matter what happens?That’s the question guiding author, professor, and theologian Kate Bowler. Her academic research and her lived experience of suffering have confirmed for her that it’s possible to be joyful and sad at the very same time. In our conversation, Kate shared how she’s committed to being surprised by joy and embracing uncertainty as an antidote to anxiety.Mentioned in this conversationBlessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel by Kate BowlerJoyful Anyway by Kate BowlerEverything Happens Podcast with Kate Bowler - https://katebowler.com/podcasts/Psalm 4:1The GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 26 with Kate Bowler - https://hopeheals.com/podcast/the-joyful-rebellion-with-kate-bowler/More from Katherine:Follow @hopeheals on InstagramReceive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenoteWatch this conversation on YouTube