Fighting For Joy Podcast

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Fighting For Joy Podcast

Fighting for Joy is a conversational podcast on hope in a broken world.
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30/07/2024

Earlier in the summer I had the opportunity to host another Fighting for Joy Live event in my backyard, and as I’ve done in the past with these gatherings, I wanted to share a little bit of the evening on a podcast episode. This time I had a panel of 4 very special women share about some of the ways they are fighting for joy and what they are learning about God in this season of their life. It was such a rich evening!

A couple of the voices you’re going to hear might sound familiar because both Mama Lu (episode 36) and Becky Novacek (episodes 22 and 61) are back to share. I also get to introduce you to two new podcast guests, my friends Shawn Bridgman and Ann Parmenter. These four women bring such wisdom, experience, and encouragement and I'm excited to have them buoy up your own faith through their honest and vulnerable testimonies of God’s faithful work in their lives as they fight for joy.

This is the final episode of Season 6! We'll see what the Lord has in the coming weeks, but at this point I AM planning on returning in the fall with new episodes for Season 7. Thank you for continuing to listen and support the Fighting for Joy Podcast!

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000663779354

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/52ONKfYcHjUbnf7G9Umc0o?si=vsXeuhQlQHCGq1EfBTxo6A

*Don't forget that as a Fighting for Joy listener you can receive 10% off of your first month of counseling services from BetterHelp, my podcast sponsor. Check out my link below. Christian counseling can be such a huge help in this broken world and a major tool in the fight for joy.

http://betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy

** If this episode was encouraging to you, I’d like to ask you to please consider rating the Fighting for Joy podcast, and even leaving a review. Once you find my show, scroll down to where it says “tap to rate” or “write a review”. Tapping to rate literally takes a second or two, and writing a review can be quick as well. Just sharing that you enjoy listening, or that it’s an encouragement to you is enough. The longer I do this the more I understand how helpful those ratings and reviews really are, so thanks for considering this. It means a lot!

30/07/2024

10/05/2024

There really is nothing better than finding a place of belonging. Finding your people...your place. Being known, accepted, and loved! And, conversely, few things can rob of us joy like loneliness, isolation, feeling left out, and NOT knowing where we belong. I think we can all remember that time we didn’t get the invite, or weren’t included in the group text, or didn’t get asked to go on the trip, or to the party. Today my friend Heidi Deyle and I have a great conversation about how to fight for joy as we search for belonging. We talk through practical ways to build community, how to “go first” in a friendship, and how to fight the temptations of comparison around social media.

When I told a friend about the title of this episode, her comment was, “I feel like I have spent my whole life struggling to figure out where I belong.” And I think that is relatable to so many of us! As Christians, we do have a secure place of belonging with God - sheltered and safe in His love. That’s where our true identity lies! And…also…we are created for community. We need others! And we need to help each other fight for joy through the ups and downs of friendship and belonging. Heidi brings so much to this conversation and I’m excited for you to hear all that she has to share!

🎧Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000655156573

🎧Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xq3FBtAu3n86MRhXfb6YT?si=oWWAnCrDRvmgEDmB_1e5Gg

Also, don’t forget that as a Fighting for Joy listener you can receive 10% off of your first month of counseling with BetterHelp, my podcast sponsor. Check out my link at betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy. Christian counseling can be such a huge help in this broken world and a major tool in the fight for joy.

29/04/2024

If you feel overwhelmed or burdened down by the stuff in your home, or feel like you don’t have time to do the things you really want to do, or feel like the things that matter most to you keep getting pushed to the side, this episode is for you!

My guest today, Noelle Fowler, is a wholistic declutter coach. She runs a business called Room to Breathe and she works with her clients to discover the root causes behind their clutter to help them simplify and DEclutter, which makes room in their lives for the things that matter more! We have a great conversation about the different kinds of clutter and how not only can our homes, our garages, and our closets feel overwhelming and disorganized, but so can our mind, our body, our calendar, and other aspects of our life that result in a lack of contentment and joy!

Listen in as we talk about discovering what really does matter most to you and how creating a life that focuses on that is possible and can help your fight for joy!

*Connect with Noelle here:

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000653897558

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6i4WhnsPTFNRuEPWngJM5S?si=TypWKfVDRImFAlCPgwePuA

*This episode is sponsored by . Check out my show notes for a discount code.

08/04/2024

My guest today is April Bender and wow, did we cover a lot in this episode! April starts by sharing about some childhood trauma that greatly affected her choices and decisions as she got older, especially heading into marriage. This led to confusion, lack of community, and lack of joy. The beauty of her story is that God met her there. She learned about the power of prayer and fasting, the importance of following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and how God’s love can bring freedom from shame and comfort in loneliness. We also talk about church hurt, and persevering with the people of God, even when you have reason to walk away.

I just know you are going to love hearing April’s heart as she shares her story and some of the practical things she has learned along the way, including how she began using systems and routines to get through each day as a single mom. Creating order out of chaos helped her fight for joy!

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000651761041

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yxR53chioncf1AjKUwB1n?si=nyQ9a5WpSuykW7Mpsss3JA

Listen here on my website: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/82

** If this episode was encouraging to you, I’d like to ask you to please consider rating the Fighting for Joy podcast, and even leaving a review. Once you find my show, scroll down to where it says “tap to rate” or “write a review”. Tapping to rate literally takes a second or two, and writing a review can be quick as well. Just sharing that you enjoy listening, or that it’s an encouragement to you is enough. The longer I do this the more I understand how helpful those ratings and reviews really are, so thanks for considering this. It means a lot!

Also, don’t forget that as a Fighting for Joy listener you can receive 10% off of your first month of counseling with Better Help, my podcast sponsor. Check out my link at betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy. Christian counseling can be such a huge help in this broken world and a major tool in the fight for joy. And, as so many of you continue to ask how you can help support my work, signing up for a month of counseling will not only benefit YOU, it also shows Better Help that there is value in sponsoring my show.

30/03/2024

Easter Re-release!!✝️

If there’s ever a time to remember that hope can spring up from death, it’s Easter weekend. When Jackson, Trey, and Tyler died, it was hard to imagine any sort of future that could include hope, much less JOY. But friends, I’m here to tell you that it IS possible. Easter weekend reminds us that death does not have the final say! Yes, the brokenness of this world will cause grief and sorrow, but Christ's suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension brings us peace, comfort, and help WHILE we grieve...while we wait for everything wrong to be made right. As believers, we can find rest in the promise and hope of Easter.

In light of this, the episode that I wanted to bring to you this weekend is our family’s testimony of this exact hope. It’s a glimpse into how we have continued to press forward in life, even though we’ve had to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and even though there will always be a void in our family, in our home, and in our hearts. We will always be missing Jackson, but we are never left without hope.
I originally recorded this episode 4 years ago - Grace and Turner were in high school, Justine was in college, and we were in the height of the pandemic, as you'll hear. Now, Justine has been married to Will for almost 3 years and they are homeowners, working and enjoying life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Turner graduated from college last year and is working, living on his own, and engaged to be married to Mercedes. And Grace is now 20 and is finishing up her sophomore year of college. Obviously, a lot has happened since we had this conversation, but as I re-listened and thought about re-releasing it this Easter weekend, I was encouraged that our family’s testimony of hope still stands. Yes, we’ve had more to process with each of our kids as they have gotten older. They are more deeply feeling the effects of growing up in a household dealing with grief, having some of their most formative years impacted by parents who were in deep grief, and growing up in a community that was shaken and greatly impacted by the accident. And/also, I continue to be so grateful for God’s continued work in their hearts and lives and am so proud of their perseverence and courage to keep pressing forward in hope. They are my favorite joy fighters!

Link to listen in Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000650886419

Link to listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gCFgBobauuyHDos5T0i8l?si=D5LIuEUxTG-wwb5TCxB-iA

*This episode is sponsored by Better Help. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can get 10% off of your first month. You guys, quality Christian counseling is one of the greatest ways to fight for joy. Whatever you’re going through…parenting issues, marriage problems, financial stress, relationship or work issues, or like us, dealing with the loss of a loved one, remember that there is help available - professional help that can help your fight for joy! Visit my link at betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy to sign up and get your discount. You will quickly be matched with a therapist and could have your first session by the end of the week, which is not as common when trying to find an in-person therapist. Again, that’s betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy.

15/03/2024

Today I am introducing you to a new friend of mine, Beth Ottun. Beth shares about her story of sobriety…turning from a life of hiding, shame, and secrets to pursuing a life of freedom, peace, and joy!

Beth progressed from an occasional glass of wine to a level of drinking that began to destroy her life. It took some devastating consequences for Beth to realize she was an alcoholic and that she needed help.

2 1/2 years into her sobriety journey, Beth continues her daily fight but has so much to share about some of the practical things that are helping her persevere and keep going. I’m so thankful that Beth was willing to share her story of hope and joy. I am sure that you’ll be able to take away some practical things to apply to your own life, even if your struggle isn’t with alcohol, because the tools that she has found helpful in her fight for joy can be helpful for all of us!

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000649302942

Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/164f3yWB23ZsZMxs94BsGJ?si=qpE9PH7CQeG3IPrShxBPsQ

*Beth Ottun has processed a lot of her recovery journey through writing. If you would like to hear more of her story, here is the link to her blog, Out of the Darkness: https://outofthedarkness566915776.wordpress.com/

As always, you can connect with Jodi's Fighting for Joy Community on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/fightingforjoypodcast?igshid=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

and with Jodi personally on her Instagram page here: https://instagram.com/jodiblick?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

**This episode is sponsored by Better Help, the world's largest online therapy provider. As I reflect on my grief journey I'm contantly reminded of just how helpful solid, Christian counseling has been for me! If you think that counseling would help YOUR fight for joy, visit my link at Betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy today! I’ve said it many times before and I will continue to say it - quality counseling is a worthy investment in your fight for joy!

01/03/2024

I love introducing you to my local friends and today you get to meet another special one, Andrea Zahourek. I tell the story at the beginning of the episode, but from the very start of our friendship, we’ve shared deep compassion and understanding for each other’s grief. We’ve also found a lot of joy in cheering one another on over the years and supporting each other’s work, ideas, and dreams. It won’t take long for you to understand what a beautiful soul this amazing woman is! But Andrea’s journey from pain to peace has been a really difficult one. She’s faced teenage pregnancy, the death of a child, a very hard marriage that led to a difficult divorce, struggling and overworking to provide for her family as a single mom, and a lot of fear, questioning, and trying to “fake joy”. Today, as she shares her story and tells us about the years and years of work she has put into her fight for finding REAL joy, you’ll get a powerful glimpse into all that she has overcome and the beautiful life that she leads now…one that’s defined by family, faith, and serving others - and, one that is marked by deep peace, abundant gratitude, and true, lasting, authentic JOY! We cover A LOT in this episode and I’m grateful for the vulnerability that Andrea brought to our conversation. I know you’re going to hear so much HOPE in her story and I’m confident that each one of you will take away something that can help and encourage your own fight for joy.

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000647653347

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3GciUBydm8TlYSXurOA6DL?si=wevsVsJFSXqc3gXHQsIRfw

Listen here on the Fighting for Joy Podcast Website: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/79

**This episode is sponsored by Better Help, the world’s largest online therapy provider. As I reflect on my grief journey I’m contantly reminded of just how helpful solid, Christian counseling has been for me! If you think that counseling would help YOUR fight for joy, visit my link at Betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy today! I’ve said it many times before and I will continue to say it - quality counseling is a worthy investment in your fight for joy!

16/02/2024

Today’s guest has seen things that no one should have to see. Maranna Bentley was being a good friend, going to check on a coworker who didn’t return to the office after lunch, and what she found catapulted her into years of grief and learning how to work through and process trauma.

Maranna and I went to high school together but really didn’t develop a friendship until after my son Jackson died. I didn’t know what she had gone through at the time, but I DID know that she made me feel seen in my grief. I share a little bit about the first time we ran into each other as we begin the episode, but I just felt drawn to her…and in those early days of grief, I didn’t feel that too often with people. Now I know its because she, too, understood brokenness and pain.

We decided to call this episode “It’s Never Too Late to Start Fighting for Joy” because for Maranna (and I know it’s the same for others), it took years and years to really process her trauma. So friends, whatever you’ve been through. Whatever you’ve seen. Whatever you’re stuffing down, tamping down, or trying to not think about…it’s not too late to begin the fight for joy around it. You will most likely carry around the effects of grief and trauma for the rest of your life here on earth. And, also...there is hope. There is help. And there is joy to be found and experienced.

Also, please be aware that this episode centers around domestic violence. If you or someone you know is feeling threatened or unsafe, there is help available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. You can call 800-799-7233 to speak to someone now. Or, if you are local to the Fremont area I’d encourage you to reach out to The Bridge. You can call their 24-hour crisis line: 888-721-4340 or visit https://bridgefromviolence.com/contact.

I’m so glad you found this episode. I hope you’re encouraged as you listen to Maranna share her story. I pray that you hear the message that it’s never too late to do the work around trauma and that it is possible to experience a full, beautiful life on the other side.

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-78-its-never-too-late-to-start-fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000645564696

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2D3qiacTpaJzwHDhj8asls?si=G3Uo8VmCTbW1fudb17IKiA

Listen here on my website: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/78

23/01/2024

If you are just starting your grief journey...

If you just received the worst news of your life...

If you just buried your favorite person...

If you are in the darkest days of grief...

This episode is for you.❤️🙏🏼

*And/or if you know someone who is in the early stages of grief...please send this episode to them!❤️‍🩹

Link to listen in profile.🎧

02/01/2024

Today I wanted to share a few personal thoughts on 2023 as well as re-release Episode #5: “Our Empty Spaces”. The days and weeks following the holidays can often feel quiet, lonely, and empty. I pray that my words encourage you and that you hear the HOPE that God’s love, sovereignty, and promises give to us as we remember that He often does His best work in the empty places in our heart, our life, our home, our family…

Let Him fill your empty spaces in 2024. It will help your fight for joy!

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000640307718

Or here on my website: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/76

*This episode is sponsored by . Visit BetterHelp.com/fightingforjoy for a 10% discount.

18/12/2023

I have been looking forward to introducing you to my new friend, . Teresa is a certified trauma recovery coach and also has a big heart for educating the church on trauma and mental health. Teresa and I met through Instagram as we both work and share in the same online space of “Christianity and hard things”. I haven’t known her long but I’ve already learned so much from her and have been encouraged by the things she shares about trauma recovery and mental health.

On this episode you’ll hear her share some of the traumatic parts of her own story as a backdrop to the hope she has to share with you. She speaks from experience when she says that you CAN recover from trauma. She is a beautiful example of this and I know you will be helped by her insight, wisdom, and powerful testimony. It is possible to fight for joy, and find it, even if you have experienced terrible things. There is hope!

*Please note, we do talk about su***de in this episode.

*This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Visit BetterHelp.com/fightingforjoy to sign up for counseling today.

27/11/2023

What comes to mind when you think about hospitality? Making sure your house is clean? Cooking a fancy meal? Throwing a memorable party? In our current culture, true hospitality often gets confused with entertaining. The focus can often be on the host and their "Instagram worthy" decor vs. the guests and the opportunity to serve them. On the episode today, Eric and I have a conversation about the calling we have as Christians to welcome people in, not in order to make much of ourselves, but to make others feel welcomed, seen, and cared for - to provide a safe place for people to land and belong. A definition that we recently heard for hospitality mentioned making "sacrificial accomodations with others in mind". This often happens in relationship - putting people at ease with food, with good conversation, sometimes with humor, and almost always with bold generosity of resources...your home, your money, your stuff, your time, and your energy.
Yes, entertaining can be fun (and there are certainly ways to make entertaining hospitable!) but genuine hospitality is a beautiful way to share the hope, peace, comfort, help, and joy that we as believers have received from the Lord with others and bless them as we welcome them in and seek to meet their needs. Listen in as Eric and I share some ways that we were loved on in grief and how that has helped us to grow in our own desire to be hospitable and to find practical ways to bless and care for hurting people. I hope this episode inspires and encourages you to incorporate more hospitality into the regular rhythm of your life as a way to fight for joy - and help others keep fighting for joy as well!

10/11/2023

Click here to listen🎧:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000634425612

I have had people ask for an episode on forgiveness since I started the podcast. I’ve touched on it with many of my guests and have continually emphasized the importance of it as we fight for joy, but I’m excited to finally bring you an entire episode on the topic - and, I couldn’t have a better guest for this conversation! You heard her story 2 weeks ago on Episode 72: “Fighting for Joy in the Aftermath of Divorce”, and today, Kathy Kaspar returns for a follow up episode to share how she has learned to fight for joy with forgiveness. As she shares more of her story and parts of her own forgiveness journey, she will help you better understand “the why” and “the how” of the forgiveness process. I think you’ll really appreciate how practical Kathy gets! It’s one thing to know that we SHOULD extend forgiveness, but it’s a whole other thing to really know how to do it - so I love that she walks us through some actual steps and gets beyond the why to the practicality of the how! And, spoiler alert, while unforgiveness leads to bitterness, resentment, and hardness of heart, working towards forgiving those who have wronged you leads to freedom, peace, deeper faith, and JOY…so, I’m glad you’ve found this episode. Thank you for listening and continuing to share the podcast with others!

*This episode is sponsored by . Visit my link at BetterHelp.com/fightingforjoy for 10% off. Quality counseling is such a worthy investment in your fight for joy!

24/10/2023

Over the past few months I have had the privilege of reconnecting with a sweet friend from college. Kathy Kaspar and I met over 30 years ago and although we never developed a deep friendship, she was always someone that I loved running into and have fond memories of. Facebook kept us in touch a little bit, but it was really preparing for this episode that allowed me to hear about the heartbreak she has had to endure over the years. I’m thankful for Kathy’s willingness to share about her fight for joy in an extremely difficult marriage, through her subsequent divorce, and in the years to follow as she lost not only her marriage but friendships, her home, her financial security, and was thrust into the overwhelm of starting over.

So many of us are affected by divorce, either personally or with someone we care about. But I'm confident that you'll find many take aways from this episode that go beyond the effects of divorce, especially if you find yourself in a place where your life looks nothing like you thought it would. I think you'll especially appreciate the Top 5 list that she shares at the end.

Kathy's journey has been tough - and she still has a lot of hard things to deal with, but I know you'll be encouraged by her hope, her perserverance, her gratitude, her fight for her true identity, and her trust in God's goodness, even in the middle of horrible circumstances. I hope that her story will inspire YOU to keep fighting for joy in the middle of your own hard stuff.

Listen here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000632425989

Or here on my website: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/72

**This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that can help you get paired with a licensed therapist in just a few days. They have given me the opportunity to share a 10% off link for you as Fighting for Joy listeners at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!

12/10/2023

Today I get to introduce you to Brandy Reynolds, a local friend of mine who became very dear to me during our years of serving a community of young moms together. It was during that time that I learned more about Brandy's story - its a tough one that includes time in prison and years of rejection and shame...but it also includes repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and yes, even joy!

In our conversation today, Brandy shares about the fight for joy she experienced both in and out of prison. She gets practical with some of the things that helped her run TO God, not from Him, and how she was able to cling to hope in some of her darkest days behind bars. We also talk about the power of forgiveness and love, and the miraculous ways that God can redeem our broken stories for His glory.

Brandy is in the process of launching her new book into the world - Released: Chains to Chosen. We only had an hour together for this episode, so you'll have to get the book to read her entire story, but as you listen today I hope our conversation encourages you, especially if YOU feel labeled, rejected, or chained to your own difficult circumstances. There IS a path to freedom, hope, and JOY!

Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-joy/id1441976170?i=1000631070050

Or here: https://fightingforjoypodcast.fireside.fm/71

You can find out more about the release of Brandy's book at https://chainstochosen.com

**This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that can help you get paired with a licensed therapist in just a few days. They have given me the opportunity to share a 10% off link for you as Fighting for Joy listeners at: https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy
Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!

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