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Erica Renaud shares stories about God’s faithful love in the many seasons of her life. From an unexpected pregnancy at age 17 to meeting her husband, from being called to speaking  to living with her family of 7 in her parents’ home much longer than she expected, she has a story for everyone. Erica has a fiery love for the Lord and for Scripture that comes through in each story she shares. I came away from the conversation inspired, and I pray you will too!Erica Renaud is a mom and wife to her worship leader husband. The majority of the time Erica is a stay at home mom, homeschooling 4 or her 5 kids and managing chaos. She speaks regularly throughout the Northeast for various events and is the host of At Home and Abroad, a weekly radio program on ALIVE Radio Network. Find out how you can book Erica to speak in the Capital Region of New York at https://www.ericarenaud.org/

One of the greatest lies that depression tells you is that you are utterly alone, that no one has ever felt the way you feel and that no one could ever hope to understand. For the Christian, this feeling of being alone is often mixed with shame.This shame whispers thoughts like, “If I were a faithful Christian, I would have unfailing joy.” “If I were stronger in my faith, I would have overcome this.” But what if these thoughts were lies? What if there were faithful believers throughout the centuries who inhabited the same darkness as you? Diana Gruver reveals that there have been many such Christians throughout the ages in her new book Companions in the Darkness, and the believers who struggled with depression may surprise you. It is easy to idealize those we laud as “heroes in the faith” as being impervious to depression and as exuding joy in all circumstances. But Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Mother Teresa—just to name a few—had intense struggles with depression. In Companions in the Darkness, Diana Gruver weaves church history, narrative, and memoir as she tells the story of 7 believers who walked the dark path that many of us now tread. In looking back on Christians of centuries past, she assures those struggling that they are not alone, and she paves a hopeful way forward with the valuable lessons and wise encouragement she draws from each person’s story. Diana Gruver holds an M.A. in Spiritual Formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She writes about discipleship and spiritual formation in the every day. Her passion is encouraging and nurturing disciples of Jesus, giving them a vision for how He speaks to every aspect of the story of their lives. I’m thrilled to be able to speak with Diana about Companions in the Darkness, and I will be giving away a copy of her book on November 26, 2020. Have a listen for instructions on how to enter the drawing. Check out Diana's book here: https://www.ivpress.com/companions-in-the-darknessLearn more about Diana at: https://www.dianagruver.com/

You asked, Hope answers! Hope answers your questions about Russia, miracles, depression across cultures, and creativity through telling lots of stories (including a pretty embarrassing one involving a granola bar). 

Do you struggle with believing that God has good motives for what he's doing in your life? Whether you're wrestling with singleness or a difficult marriage, chronic illness or chronic loneliness, it can be easy to become cynical toward God when suffering continues to layer. Although we both know at our core that God is good, Corinne DuBois and I both struggle with cynicism toward him. Join us in this honest, unfiltered conversation about the cynicism that has taken root in our hearts and the truths that are setting us free. The Battle for God's Motives: https://yearningheartsjourney.blogspot.com/2018/06/battle-for-gods-motives-why-bad-things-happen.htmlWhen You're Struggling to Believe God's Promises: https://hopeunyielding.com/2019/05/01/when-youre-struggling-to-believe-gods-promises/My Terrible Lunar New Year Party: https://hopeunyielding.com/2020/09/21/on-turning-30-and-unfulfilled-desires/ NOTE: I didn't mention it in the episode, but I am not superstitious in the least, and affirm that Christians are not to seek out psychics. But the bizarre timing of the seemingly innocent "game" certainly wasn't the encouragement I needed at the time. 

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the U.S. among those between the ages of 10 and 34. Depression is an epidemic in our culture, yet many suffer in silence. Many Christians, in particular, ashamed that they lack the joy that they feel they should have as a believer. Bruce Johnson brings clarity and light to this issue as he talks about his 40 year-long struggle with clinical depression, the comfort that Jesus has given him through the years, and a message of hope to those struggling. Bruce Johnson has been performing since he was 8 years old, but he worked full-time as a professional illusionist for 15 years and traveled all over the world with his show. He then worked in full time ministry for twelve years, first as the Associate Pastor of Outreach and Small Groups at Church of the Open Door in Hampden, Maine, then with Frontier Ventures as the Director of Campus Ministry at the University of Maine. Check out this amazing sermon by Charles Spurgeon, a pastor who himself struggled with depression: "The Compassion of Jesus": https://archive.spurgeon.org/sermons/3438.phpStatistics cited: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/NSDUHNationalFindingsReport2018/NSDUHNationalFindingsReport2018.pdf

In our very first episode, Samantha Vocarte and I talk about our passion for proclaiming God's love, faithfulness, and the hope we have in Him through personal story. Oh, and we learn a little about my short-lived juggling career and how I fell in love with the written word in...COW class.Read more of my story here: https://hopeunyielding.com/2020/04/05/saying-yes-and-to-a-life-i-didnt-expect/