Truth Heals

We got to sit down with an amazing friend, wife, mom, and overall woman of God who talks about shifting our priorities to healthy living and wholeness for our mind, body, emotions, and soul through fitness and spiritual growth.

Happy New Year, friends! I know we're all excited to end 2020, but if we're not intentional about inviting God into the planning and preparations for the new year, then everything we've been talking about for the last 31 days will have been for nothing.

Tune in for a special sharing of how Mary responded to the unwanted and unexpected miracle of her pregnancy to give you a good idea of how you can respond in this new year to the unexpected blessings that might come your way. 

Stay tuned for a special new series on the podcast, launching in January! And for more content to encourage you in your faith, life, and purpose, check out stephanielapreal.com and follow us on Instagram @befearlessly.authentic. 

If God is our Wonderful Counselor, that means He is the best listener and guidance in our lives. He is ready to hear us, but also wants to point us in the right direction. Tune in for some helpful tips and Scripture when you need to remember WHY God has called you to do what you're doing - setting your new year's resolution should be an invitation for God to help guide your goals and new rhythms. 

Verses to Remember as your Move into God's Calling:
Philippians 1:6 | Psalm 145:18 | Isaiah 55:6 | Psalm 46:10 | 2 Peter 1:10

God is steady, unchanging, a solid rock for us despite the chaos of circumstances around us. What does it mean to you to lean into His unchanging character and stand firm in the unsteadiness of the world? No matter what 2021 may bring, are you trusting in the peace of God's unchanging love, joy and hope to guide you?

There are two things that the author of Hebrews reminds us are the hope, the anchor for our souls. When we know and believe the truth of this phenomenon in Jesus, we can be confident that no matter what life throws our way, we will be anchored and secure in His hands. Tune in today to discover what these two things are and how the unchanging qualities of God keep us grounded. 

God is faithful, so how does that motivate you into this next season as He calls you to action? Even when we fail in our faithfulness, He is still faithful to us every time. May the last few days of the year be filled with joy, peace, love, and hope but also the reminder to bring God with you into the process of planning for what's next.

Verses to remember from Miracles in the Meantime:

John 1:14 | Matthew 19:26 | Matthew 17:20 | John 14:12 | Psalm 77:14

The long-awaited arrival - God with us. Immanuel. What does this mean? Where has the story unfolded throughout all of history? God has been with us all along but in different ways, and when He came to earth as a little babe - it changed everything.

The long awaited arrival was actually just the beginning. Merry Christmas!

Faith in Jesus simply means trusting Him, and He is so worthy of our trust. It's not just about the destination of the promise, but His hand in all the details of the journey itself. Mary didn't know everything that was to come, yet she trusted. God was with her in the process, and He was faithful to her just as He is faithful to you and me.

You don't have to ask to receive God's peace - it's with you already. God is peace, and the miracle in our daily lives is that He is with us daily. How can you receive that peace today? Where do you need the miracle of peace to show up?

*Comments today taken from Advent: The Weary World Rejoices by Lifeway Women

God works miracles, despite our weariness. I hope this reminder today brings you to a place of feeling God's grace over your weakness and worry. He is working out all miracles in the meantime.

God is over all, in all, through all, and for all. He knows what you need and when you need it, but do you fully trust Him? Miracles show up for us in moments we might least expect it, but even if it feels smaller than something like turning water to wine, God is working miracles out for you in your life - as unexpected or unprecedented they may be. 

Verses to reflect on from meaning in every moment:

Romans 8:28 | Philippians 4:6-7 | Hebrews 12:2-3 | Philippians 4:12

Jesus is a relational being - Relationships are at the core of who He is, but He also encourages us to be in community together. Who you surround yourself with is often a great gauge of how close you are to Jesus. We need each other - we need community in Christ. Tune in to see how God used community to set up Jesus for His arrival, and what that means for us today.

Today we are talking about how Jesus truly is VICTORIOUS over all, but I hope you know that doesn't minimize what you're going through. Rather, His victory is the light at the end of the tunnel we look forward to. Tune in for a helpful reminder of how to walk through suffering with God's glory in mind, releasing the burdens of this world, and feeling His strength in His presence. 

Psalm 23 may be the best, most all-encompassing psalm of all, especially with all we've been talking about this Advent. Today, a shorter episode, lean into the truth of who God is for you through the beauty of this Psalm, and reflect on what you need from Him that is promised through His presence as our shepherd. 

Jesus is making preparations for us, but how can we make preparations for Him in those "meantime" moments? Tune in for an episode that will challenge your preparations this holiday season and give you 3 ways to prepare with peace. 

Even when we don't see it; even in the silence, God is always working on our behalf. He's not stagnant or inactive - He is moving things and changing things for our good. Reflecting on this is an important part of our journey in the faith as we begin to see that silence is actually more of an invitation to something far greater than what we could accomplish by filling our time with constantly doing. 

Even in the waiting, there are promises God is working out for our good. Tune in today to be reminded of how even in our lack of understanding, God's promises are always better. Even though Moses didn't make it to the Promised Land, he still received a great promise, just not as he expected. 

Immanuel means God with us, but what does "Jesus" mean? What do the names of God mean and how do they impact our lives? Today, we're starting a new section this Advent where we reflect on meaning in every moment. 

God knew our limits, so instead of leaving us helpless, He gave us two tools to help us as we live our lives here on earth - mainly, He left us the Holy Spirit so we'd always have what we need to face our daily trials. Tune in to hear how God steps in to be our Helper. 

You may know that Jesus is enough for you, but do you really understand and live in light of the truth that He provides ALL you need and ever more than that? He not only wants to give you what you need, but He wants to give you the desires of your heart. Let the truth of Scripture and God's character soak in today, the 12th day of Advent. 

Is there anything good about waiting? Where is God when things feel stagnant or frustrating? David reminds us in the Psalms that it is possible to see the goodness of God while we wait patiently for His plans to come to fruition. Maybe this is the little bit of hope your weary heart needs while you wait. 

There is a kind of hope that is big enough to fill the void of our weariness, and that hope is in Jesus Christ. He chose to come down to earth, love came down, to meet us where we're at so we could experience true joy and peace. But then He didn't leave us. Tune in to hear how you can experience a closeness to Jesus and the Holy Spirit in a new way this Advent. 

Are you feeling lost or lonely in this season? Do you remember the impact of God's unconditional love for you? Are you able to see the light in the darkness? Tune in for Day 8 of our Advent journey as we discuss the meaning of God's unending, unconditional, overwhelming love for His children and how that can light up your holiday season.

Jesus is more than enough for us, and He is greater than anything we could plan or think through on our own. Tune in for Day 7 of our Advent journey as we reflect on the MORE God has to offer us if only we'll focus our attention on His presence in our daily lives.

Check out more of Stephanie's writing and projects at www.stephanielapreal.com.

It's the second Sunday of Advent, day 6 in our Unconventional Advent journey, and we're moving into the next section of Miracles in the Meantime. Today, we look at how God is MORE than enough for us and more than we can even imagine. He offers more for you at your worst than you even deserve at your best. Tune in to hear just how much God wants to offer you through this Advent season. 

No matter what we face, what wilderness we're walking through, or where we've tried to take matters into our own hands, God is constantly making a way. He's in control, and His way is always best. So how do we respond when we reflect on Abraham and Sarah's life and how they responded to the promise of God when it didn't happen as they expected? 

God's promises are so good throughout history, and we see His intentionality in the way He uses numbers to emphasis His goodness. Today, we're reflecting on the number 7 and what it means for us in the truth of God's promises when we are waiting. 

We tend to skip over the genealogies in Scripture, but they reveal to us some of the most significant details of God's plans and promises throughout history. It's also another great reminder that He really does meet us in our messiness. Tune in for a short encouragement on where God shows up when we least expect Him to.

In order to understand the impact of Jesus' arrival on earth, we have to take it back to the beginning and see His goodness and grace even in situations that don't seem grace filled. It's day two of Advent, and we're throwing it all the way back to the Garden.