Many of us tend to judge our most intense or unpleasant emotional responses which only increases their intensity by piling on shame. In this episode, Dr. Allison Cook talks with host Carol McCracken about her latest book, I'm Not Supposed to Feel This Way, how we can gain healthy emotional distance when we feel overwhelmed, and options for dealing with toxic people. (Check out Faith Over Fear's GodTube Channel: https://www.godtube.com/faith-over-fear/ ) Discussion/Reflective Questions: What reso...
Dec 03, 2024•33 min
If you experience chronic pain or chronic illness, you understand how impossible it can feel, at times, to hold tight to hope. On our darkest, most painful nights, we can easily feel alone and abandoned by God. Singer/songwriter Katy Nichole understands. In fact, there was a time when she wasn't sure she wanted to hold on and contemplated taking her life. But God met her in that place with a truth meant for us all. (Check out Faith Over Fear's GodTube Channel: https://www.godtube.com/faith-over-...
Nov 26, 2024•31 min
The stress of the holidays become amplified when we know we'll spend time among dysfunctional people. As Christ-followers, this can elicit questions and confusion. How can we share the light of Christ in a way that feels emotionally safe? Is there a way to reduce the chaos? Carol's guest Pam Farrel believes, often, there is. In this episode, she shares some strategies she's developed in dealing with an alcoholic father and a mother-in-law with significant mental illness. (Scroll down for discuss...
Nov 19, 2024•35 min
The grace of God and the unwavering love of a praying mom pulled Chad Mattson out of addiction and transformed him into a dad, husband, and musician who now lives to proclaim all the Lord has done. His story speaks hope to those who feel they've fallen too far to start again, those who remain chained to their past mistakes, and who, like Mattson, are learning, perhaps for the first time, to become acquainted with emotions they've suppressed for far too long. (Scroll down for discussion/reflectiv...
Nov 12, 2024•29 min
Do you find yourself battling loneliness and long for deeper connections? Do you struggle going deeper in your current relationships and wonder why tension often invades certain interactions? In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with author and Bible teacher Becky Harling about our longing to connect, things that can hinder our connections, and practical ways we can build deeper relationships. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Resource referenced: Cultivating Deeper Conne...
Nov 05, 2024•33 min
How do we navigate the loss of those we love and the evil we encounter in this world? How can we choose faith when our hearts ache and we don't have all the answers? In this episode, Brandon Heath shares how he answered those questions after the loss of his parents and a school shooting that hit much too close to home. (Scroll down for discussion/reflection questions.) Resources referenced: Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by ...
Oct 29, 2024•28 min
Fear and anxiety will come. We'll all face challenges that leave us feeling unsettled and unsure. How can we prepare ourselves to face those challenges well? In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with Bible teacher Kathy Howard on the benefits available to us in Christ. (Scroll down for discussion questions.) Find Kathy Howard: On her website On Facebook On Instagram On Amazon Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group (Inq...
Oct 22, 2024•28 min
If you've ever watched a loved one endure the pain of depression, you can understand the anxiety, fear and heartache author and comedian Kristina Kuzmic experienced when her son developed depression. Eventually, his mental health deteriorated to the point that she felt compelled to have her son committed to inpatient care. In her recent book, "I Can Fix This" she shares their journey with transparency, the insights she gained along the way, and the steps that helped bring her son to the much hea...
Oct 15, 2024•34 min
We all have a God-given need to live a life of purpose. While we can engage in numerous honorable tasks, nothing will fulfill us quite like living authentically as God created us, expressing the gifts He's given us, and pursuing the passions He implanted in our souls. In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with South African writer and pastor Trevor Hudson on how we can discern God's will for our lives and how we can pursue this vital knowledge with anticipation not anxiety. (Scroll down fo...
Oct 08, 2024•30 min
Regardless of how out-of-control our world appears, God still sits on the throne and is working out His life-giving plan. What's more, He wants to use us to bring hope and light to others. Join host Carol McCracken and guest Robert J. Morgan as they discuss principles and truths that enabled first century evangelist Paul to live with bold faith, joy amid painful circumstances and eternal impact and with an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord who empowered Him to thrive, no matter what. (Sc...
Oct 01, 2024•34 min
Bonus content! When life feels challenging, or our dreams or something we love feels threatened, our anxiety often tempts us to cling all the more tightly to whatever we fear losing. But after courageously stepping back from music for four years, Mike Donehey, lead singer for 10th Avenue North, discovered the difference between clinging, figuratively, to sifting sand and receiving all God has with open hands. Closed fists might allay our worries temporarily, but they also tend to block us from G...
Sep 27, 2024•32 min
Every election season seems to grow more unsettling than the previous. This is especially true in a world where AI can create such realistic appearing yet false content. But we can rest in this truth: God retains full control, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office, gets voted into Senate, or sits on the bench of the Supreme Court. As we deepen our knowledge and trust in His unchanging nature, He empowers us to live faith-filled, faithful lives in every season, election included. (Scroll dow...
Sep 24, 2024•35 min
We all have those certain relationships that create more tension and anxiety than joy. Sometimes, this occurs with individuals we can't avoid; other times we're prayerfully trying to figure out how to heal relational tension and experience deeper and more fulfilling connections with those who mean a great deal to us but with whom, for various reasons, we experience ongoing conflict. In this episode, host Jennifer Slattery and guest and Bible teacher Carol McLeod discuss truths recorded in Coloss...
Sep 17, 2024•30 min
Depression is a complex issue that often has numerous causes or contributing factors. In this episode, Dr. Len Lantz, a psychiatrist known for working with clients suffering from treatment resistant depression, shares why it's important to receive an accurate diagnosis and practical ways one can dial down their depression while pursuing freedom. (Scroll down for reflective/discussion questions.) Resources mentioned: UnJoy: Hope and Help for 7 Million Christians With Depression by Dr. Len Lantz (...
Sep 10, 2024•29 min
While sometimes depression hits without any known or perceivable cause, other times it stems from, or is exacerbated by overwhelming circumstances and situations involving those we love. But while we can't always control the things that impact our emotions, there are helpful things we can choose. In this episode, hosts Jennifer Slattery and Carol McCracken talk with therapist Stefanie Rowe about some of depressions roots and why it's important to seek help sooner rather than later. Bible passage...
Sep 03, 2024•28 min
Many people fear death and the process of dying. This can lead to enslaving behaviors like obsessively following health trends, avoiding airplanes, or losing the ability to think of much else when our loved ones travel. But God doesn't want us to live in fear and has provided numerous truths in Scripture to assure us of His presence in our every moment, including when we pass from this present earth, and of the joy that awaits us in paradise. In this episode, hosts Carol McCracken and Jennifer S...
Aug 27, 2024•32 min
The late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote, "The worst thing that can happen to a man is to succeed before he's ready." We've probably all heard of or read stories of fallen faith leaders to understand the truth in that statement. Considering this, what if our greatest setbacks and disappointments in pursuit of our God-given dreams are actually evidence of His love and grace? When doctors told Bay Turner that, due to his cut vocal cords, that he might never sing again, he felt into a dark and an...
Aug 20, 2024•30 min
Does the back-to-school year fill you with anxiety? Are you concerned about your child's safety, peer relationships, and relationships with their teachers? Releasing our kids into someone else's care and entrusting their education to someone you may not know much about other than their name can feel unsettling. But our discomfort can also provide an opportunity to develop greater faith as we rely more consistently on Christ and see Him care for our precious kids. (Scroll down for discussion/refl...
Aug 13, 2024•26 min
God doesn't ask us to don a strong persona when our knees feel ready to give way. But He does invite us to reach for His perfect strength, to experience that strength, especially in the face of grief and fear. Join host Carol McCracken and author, speaker, and television host Lindsay Roberts. (Scroll down for discussion.reflective questions.) Resource mentioned: Discover Your True Strength: Choosing to Thrive in the Midst of Life's Challenges Find Lindsay Roberts: On her ministry website Instagr...
Aug 06, 2024•34 min
Most of us would rather avoid suffering entirely. Yet, we're also aware of the butterfly analogy which tells us that beauty often comes through intense struggle. How can turning towards, rather than from, our pain result in beauty, and how can we find Christ in our pain. Join Jennifer Slattery as she talks with Dr. Curt Thompson on suffering, the formation of hope, and experiencing Jesus through our connection with others. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Resource referenced: T...
Jul 30, 2024•32 min
We've all experienced pain, and most if not all of us want it to end as quickly as possible. But what do we do when our pain lasts for an extended period of time? What happens when healing doesn't come, or doesn't come according to our time table? What might God be doing in those difficult seasons? Join host Carol McCracken as she talks with author and neuropsychologist Dr. Michelle Bengtson on finding God in our pain. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Resources mentioned: Hem o...
Jul 23, 2024•36 min
When our world feels out of control and uncertain, we need to know there is One who remains unchanging, faithful, and always in control. When we recognize who God is and what that means for our lives, we recognize that we're never alone, never abandoned, and never over-powered, no matter how frightening our circumstances. Join host Jennifer Slattery as she talks with author and speaker Grace Fox on Living Unafraid. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Reference mentioned: Names of ...
Jul 16, 2024•33 min
We've probably all watched a movie or read a novel that had a profound impact on us and helped us see ourselves, our circumstances, and our struggles in a fresh way. God uses numerous ways to speak to our souls, and stories can reach places within us we might otherwise keep walled off. In this episode, host Jennifer Slattery talks with novelist Felicia Ferguson on some of the themes presented in her latest release When Secrets Come Calling , the various losses her characters grieve, how God meet...
Jul 09, 2024•31 min
Life's struggles can leave us feeling exhausted and discouraged, drawing our focus to all our doubts and anxieties. We might try harder or do our best to run faster, thinking we can somehow keep everything from crashing down around us. But as Carol McCracken discusses with guest Julie Sunne, we aren't meant to carry the full weight of our lives. That's God's job. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Resource mentioned: Sometimes I Forget: 60 Reminders of Hope for Your Hard Days Fin...
Jul 02, 2024•24 min
Numerous times in Scripture, God tells us not to be afraid. But He does more than that. He's also provided powerful truths and stories that reveal His faithfulness to bolster our souls to experience increased peace and decreased fear. In this second part of our two-part series on Scriptural Truths to Quiet Fear, guest Kelly Hall and host Jennifer Slattery discuss Deuteronomy 31 and Matthew 14:22-33 and the God who remains present in life's most intense storms. (Scroll down for discussion/reflect...
Jun 25, 2024•35 min
The words recorded in Scripture are much more than wise principles upon which to build one's life. And while, reflecting deeply upon them helps to transform our thinking and rewire our brains toward increased peace, these timeless truths do more than that. They contain supernatural power to fight back darkness and fortify our souls. In this episode, Bible teacher and host of the Unshakable Hope podcast Kelly Hall and Jennifer Slattery talk about Scripture they turn to when they feel afraid. (Scr...
Jun 18, 2024•34 min
Jesus promised that His followers would recognize His voice. While this is true, there are ways we can dull our spiritual ears and ways in which we can heighten our sensitivity to His still soft voice. Passages discussed: 1 John 2:11-17; I John 5:13-15 (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Join the private Faith Over Fear Fac...
Jun 11, 2024•23 min
Many of us might know, intellectually, that God loves our children more than we do, and holds incomprehensible power to care, provide for, and guide them. But our anxious hearts can find it challenging to actually release them into His care, and our minds might find it confusing to know what this looks like in our, and their, day-to-day lives. (Scroll down for discussion/reflection questions.) Bible passage discussed: 1 Samuel 1 Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Find ...
Jun 04, 2024•29 min
Jesus told us to anticipate trouble and warned that His light within us might provoke some people to hatred. No one wants to experience conflict or opposition, but neither must we cower in fear. God promised to give us all we need through the Holy Spirit to boldly stand firm on truth, no matter the situation or who comes against us. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Fac...
May 28, 2024•18 min
Sometimes, anxiety can hit without any recognizable provocation, or our anxiety can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in that place, we can pray the prayer ancient Israel's second king, David, prayed at the end of Psalm 139, trusting that our God will and is leading us to increased freedom. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Biblical passage discussed: Psalm 139 Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Find Jennifer Slatter...
May 21, 2024•22 min
