19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kirkegaard once mused, “Busyness tends to prevent people from forming a heart.” Theologian Kelly Kapic agrees. Kelly shares his struggle to shed the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves and the solution he found to “the busy problem” — embracing our limitations, which connects us to God and to others.   *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Download our FREE Lent + "Countdown to Easter" Activity kit now! https://bit.ly/3II97Rc  Quotes “In our busyness, our ability to form a heart, to be kind and loving to others, gets harder and h ..read more

As a teen in Dubai, Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan experienced God’s love, ironically, through heartbreak. This experience gave him a new lens that launched him into a career in sociology. And eventually, Dr. Vaidyanathan realized that maybe the forces he thought were at odds—science and religion, truth and wonder—could actually work together for good.   *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Download our FREE Lent + "Countdown to Easter" Activity kit now! https://bit.ly/3II97Rc  Quotes “I think science is a place where you can learn to be open to something that challenges you an ..read more

Michael Wear believes politics doesn’t have to be a cage match; it can be a forum for loving your neighbor. As a leading strategist, Michael shares how faith communities can participate in the public sphere as a form of service, shifting their focus from effecting policy to helping people flourish. *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Download our FREE Lent + "Countdown to Easter" Activity kit now! https://bit.ly/3II97Rc  Quotes “Our God is a God of possibilities. We open up more possibilities when we're willing to take that step of humbly, hopefully, joyfully stewarding our influe ..read more

God’s greatest work, says author and speaker Kechi Okwuchi, is a kind of alchemy: He can transform pain into purpose. As one of two survivors of a commercial airline plane crash, Kechi shares her miraculous yet harrowing struggle to survive her trauma, and how she’s learned to draw strength from a story she never asked for. Quotes  “What sets you apart as a Christian, as a believer, is that when those bad things happen, it gives you a place to go to, to run to when they happen.” - Kechi Okwuchi “I learned that I need to learn about God for myself, know about Him for myself, so that I can ..read more

As she navigated an emotionally unstable childhood, Laura Smith decided she needed to earn love through perfection. Today an author and speaker, Laura shares how receiving a different kind of love in adulthood, along with immersing herself in the Psalms, taught her how to trust God and experience a love not determined by achievement, but by being exactly who we are. Quotes “I love Psalm 16 so much. This is someone who is terrified of something and they're saying, ‘I know you're going to give me joy. I know that you will give me what I need. I know you'll keep me secure, even though right now I ..read more

Kyle Petty comes from one of NASCAR’s most legendary families, as one of four generations who have raced in the sport. But perhaps the more lasting legacy comes from Kyle’s grandmother, who showed him that even amid horrible loss, we have a choice: do we choose to stay mired in our pain, or do we try to move forward with new purpose? Quotes “On that day, [I had] two choices. I could choose to be bitter or I could choose to be blessed. And on that day, I chose to be blessed. I chose to be blessed to have a son for nineteen years.” - Kyle Petty   “Racing gave us a platform to raise our hand ..read more

After years of stress and burnout, award-winning physician Dr. Sasha Shillcutt shares how a dedication to saying “no” revolutionized her life and put more joy in her days. Quotes “Many women struggle to set boundaries because they feel guilty, and they feel like they're going to be letting someone down. They would rather overextend themselves and live in constant burnout, which is unhealthy, so that they never have the feeling of guilt.” - Dr. Sasha Shillcutt   “I prayed and I asked God to help me. I said, ‘I don't know how I've gotten to this place where I feel so alone, and it's such a ..read more

Time and again, songwriter Fernando Ortega has seen that art has the power to carry our strongest emotions—love, joy, grief—and connect us to others who may be feeling the same. Fernando shares how he discovered a love for writing contemporary hymns, how his craft helped him heal after suffering huge losses, and the joy of watching his words give meaning to the moments of others. Quotes “The process of writing, the challenge is always to take something that's your experience and then letting somebody take their own meaning from it, making it universal.” - Fernando Ortega “The idea that there's ..read more

As she navigated a season of loss in her twenties, author and podcaster Anne Snyder discovered the foundations that hold up our lives—our families, our workplaces, our churches and neighborhoods—can also hold us when we suffer and help us find meaning when we’re ready to move forward. Quotes “The crucial questions in life are not what questions: ‘What do I do?’ They’re who questions: ‘Who do I follow? Who do I serve? Who do I love?’” - Anne Snyder “[Growing up] my family dinner table often revolved around this observation that all people are products of their culture. It felt like from as earl ..read more

Just when we’re getting comfortable, God shows up (in his impeccable timing!) to ask us to step toward something new and scary. That’s certainly been the case for Jodi Benson, the original voice of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Jodi shares how her career soared to unexpected heights, and how she strives to be salt and light wherever she goes, even if it’s in the pages of a book she never expected to write.   Quotes “God doesn't call us to be comfortable." - Jodi Benson  I'm like, ‘God, this is just this is not me.’ And He's like, ‘You know what? I can do extraordinary things through o ..read more