Episodes

  • 194. A Spiritual Crisis: Part 2 (with Melissa Harrison)

    194. A Spiritual Crisis: Part 2 (with Melissa Harrison)
    Jun 23 2025
    Guest Bio: Storytelling is Melissa Harrison’s passion. She has been a TV news anchor and reporter for more than 20 years at television and radio stations around the country including at WNBC-TV in New York City, WFAA-TV, and CBS Radio in Dallas. While she is most passionate about telling other people’s stories, she never imagined that she would one day find herself on “the other side” of the headline until she received a phone call that changed her life forever. Melissa was 25 years old and hosting a dinner party when a detective called to tell her that her mom had been murdered. To make matters worse, she discovered that the crime was committed by someone she knew and loved dearly. In an instant, her world changed forever. After experiencing what it was like to have her personal life and deepest pain portrayed in the media, she is writing a book about her story in the hopes that it will encourage anyone who is experiencing pain and loss to know that they can make it through—and to serve as a reminder for journalists of the great privilege and responsibility they have when reporting on other people’s stories of tragedy and pain. She now uses her storytelling and leadership skills to connect people and resources to organizations that empower journalists and business leaders to make a positive impact on the world. One of her greatest passions is connecting and supporting women leaders by creating community and space for them to be fully seen and known. Through women’s events, executive cohorts, retreats, and conferences, she helps women leaders experience healing and renewed purpose through the transforming power of community. Show Summary: When was a time in your life where you felt distant from God? How did He bring you back to Him? Last week, we learned about a tragic event that happened in Melissa Harrison’s life. The tragedy caused her to doubt God’s presence as she felt like He wasn’t there for her and her mother. This week, Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins are back to learn about how God pursued Melissa to bring her back into a relationship with Him. Learn about how Melissa overcame her spiritual crisis with God in this conclusion for season 14 of God Hears Her. Notes and Quotes: “The thread of His presence [is present] even when we feel like He’s not there.” —Melissa Harrison “The Lord sees me. He has been with me all the days of my life. He knows.” —Melissa Harrison “We’ve got to stop pretending like we have it all together in this Christian community. We’ve got to be honest when we’re struggling and be able to do so in a safe way, but also in a way that we can really receive the help we need.” —Melissa Harrison “Who are you, not compared to one another? What is weakening or polluting what God has designed you to be? What’s in your life that doesn’t belong: is it a habit, a mindset, a relationship?” —Melissa Harrison “The biggest thing is just to know that you’re not alone. God sees you. None of your tears are lost. He is holding you right now—even if this is a time of frustration or if you’re feeling forgotten or overlooked, or just questioning: where is God in this moment?” —Melissa Harrison “Know that this is not the end of your story. It feels like it sometimes, and it can be terrifying to think that it may not get better or that there’s not going to be a new beginning or a way out, but this is not the end of your story. God is going to be able to use all that you’re going through.” —Melissa Harrison “God’s going to be able to use your story to really help someone else. Not only is it going to be redeemed for you, but you’re going to be a light for other people. On the other side is going to be a faith that is very rich, that you’re not going to want to give up.” —Melissa Harrison Verses: Romans 8:28 Related Episodes: Melissa Harrison Links: Melissa’s Website: https://www.melissaharrison.net/ Melissa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaharrisontv/ 4Word’s Website: https://4wordwomen.org/ God Hears Her website: https://go.odb.org/ghh191
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    28 mins
  • 193. A Spiritual Crisis: Part 1 (with Melissa Harrison)

    193. A Spiritual Crisis: Part 1 (with Melissa Harrison)
    Jun 16 2025
    Guest Bio: Storytelling is Melissa Harrison’s passion. She has been a TV news anchor and reporter for over 20 years at television and radio stations around the country, including WNBC-TV in New York City, WFAA-TV, and CBS Radio in Dallas. While she is most passionate about telling other people’s stories, she never imagined that she would one day find herself on “the other side” of the headline until she received a shocking phone call. Melissa was 25 years old and hosting a dinner party when a detective called to tell her that her mom had been murdered. To make matters worse, she discovered that the crime had been committed by someone she knew and loved dearly. In an instant, her world changed forever. After experiencing what it was like to have her personal life and deepest hurt portrayed in the media, she is writing a book about her story in the hopes that it will encourage anyone who is experiencing pain and loss to know that they can make it through—and that it will serve as a reminder for journalists of the great privilege and responsibility they have reporting on other people’s stories of tragedy and pain. She now uses her storytelling and leadership skills to connect people and resources to organizations that empower journalists and business leaders to make a positive impact on the world. One of her greatest passions is connecting and supporting women leaders by creating community and space for them to be fully seen and known. Through women’s events, executive cohorts, retreats, and conferences, she helps women in leadership experience healing and renewed purpose through the transforming power of community. Show Summary: Have you ever received a phone call that forever altered the course of your life? Melissa Harrison was beginning her career as a journalist when she got a call that her mother had been murdered. In an instant, everything changed. Melissa withdrew from her faith and poured herself into her career. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they visit this time in Melissa’s life and walk through the earth-shattering news. You don’t want to miss part one of this God Hears Her conversation. Notes and Quotes: “When there was suffering, horrific suffering in my story, that was when I really started to question God’s goodness. Is He really omnipresent, and if so, where was He? How do I trust Him?” —Melissa Harrison “There were a lot of questions that I was very scared to ask. I didn’t really know how to process an anger with God or to process my questions to God. Am I allowed to question God? Is it okay to do so?" —Melissa Harrison “You love somebody so much and you wish you could save them from themselves and the mistakes that they’ve made.” —Melissa Harrison Verses: Jeremiah 29:11 Romans 8:28 Links: Melissa’s Website: https://www.melissaharrison.net/ Melissa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaharrisontv/ 4Word’s Website: https://4wordwomen.org/ God Hears Her website: https://go.odb.org/ghh191 Watch the episode on the God Hears Her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GodHearsHerODBM Share Your Story: https://godhearsher.org/share-your-story/
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    24 mins
  • 192. The Daughter of an Angry Father (with Lisa-Jo Baker)

    192. The Daughter of an Angry Father (with Lisa-Jo Baker)
    Jun 9 2025
    Guest Bio: Lisa-Jo Baker is a bestselling author, lapsed lawyer, current acquisitions editor for HarperCollins, and the author of Never Unfriended, The Middle Matters, and Surprised by Motherhood. She is also the co-host of the Out of the Ordinary podcast. Her critically acclaimed memoir, It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping, released in 2024, described by Publishers Weekly as "Poignant and searching, this leaves a mark." With a BA in English/prelaw from Gordon College and a JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School, Lisa-Jo has lived and worked on three continents in the human rights field and subsequently spent nearly a decade leading the online community of women called (in)courage as their editor in chief and community manager. Originally from South Africa, Lisa-Jo now lives just outside Washington, D.C., where she met and fell in love with her husband in the summer of ’96. Their story together spans decades, languages, countries, books, three very opinionated children, and one dog. Show Summary: What does your relationship with your earthly father look like? For some people, they have a very close relationship with their dad, which makes it easy to celebrate Father’s Day. But others may have experienced deep pain or even abuse from their dads. This Father’s Day, Lisa-Jo Baker speaks to the people who have experienced deep hurt in their relationship with their father. She shares with hosts Eryn Eddy Adkins and Vivian Mabuni how her recent healing was completely guided by the Lord and led to the restoration of her relationship with the angry father from her childhood. This God Hears Her conversation walks you through Lisa-Jo’s powerful story of redemption. Notes and Quotes: “Our parents are neither all hero nor all villain. They are human people like us—they are a mix of things.” —Lisa-Jo Baker "The patterns we pick up from our families of origin are like a language that you are learning subconsciously all the time. We can only change the patterns once we recognize them.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “If we have unhealthy patterns in our childhood, there’s a sense of resistance: How do I make space, how do I breathe, how do I feel safe?” —Lisa-Jo Baker “This is the thing about the Lord;, he will take you slowly step by step. He will do the work. He will initiate. He will invite. He will orchestrate. It will be in His timing.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “He is glacial in His timing, with such tenderness and such love. You don’t have to be afraid. My hope is that by looking at my closet and seeing what happened when we started to unpack it, that the Holy Spirit would say to you, ‘okay, are you ready to look at your closet?’ and you would trust Him with what comes next.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “The truth of who [God] is gets braided together with the truth of who your heavenly Father is, and the work of our adult lives is separating out what is real and what isn’t.” —Lisa Jo Baker “There are certain key milestones that happen in a life, and the Holy Spirit is quick to come in alongside those moments.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “He loves you so much that He had me write this story because He actually wants to meet you in your story.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “When you invite the Holy Spirit into [the memories] with you, He does begin a sacred process of bearing witness to what happened. It’s like having someone in the room with you saying ‘that shouldn’t have happened’, ‘that was wrong,’ ‘that was terrible’.” —Lisa-Jo Baker “The power of believing in the kind of God we do—who is not constrained by time—is that God is in fact able to move in and out of your timeline.” —Lisa-Jo Baker Related Episodes: GHH Ep 93 – Supporting Fathers with Dr. Meg Meeker: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/supporting-fathers/ GHH Ep 129 – Feeling, Not Fixing with Ryan Clevenger: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/supporting-fathers/ GHH Ep 160 – Intentional Fatherhood with Matt Adkins: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/intentional-fatherhood/ Links: Lisa-Jo’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Wasnt-Roaring-Was-Weeping-Interpreting/dp/0525652868 Lisa-Jo’s Website: https://lisajobaker.com...
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    31 mins
  • 191. Creativity Without Expectation (with Jena Holliday)

    191. Creativity Without Expectation (with Jena Holliday)
    Jun 2 2025
    Guest Bio: Jena Holliday is the author of Sacred Creativity and a full-time artist, author, entrepreneur, and storyteller. She is the creator and owner of Spoonful of Faith, an illustration and design studio. With just a bit of faith, she walked away from her mainstream marketing job to embrace her passion for art. What started as a hobby eventually evolved into a full-time commitment to spread kindness and hope through her artwork and words. That commitment blossomed into a blog and shop, aptly named Spoonful of Faith, and has thus become not only a successful business but a cultural beacon. Jena has been featured on Good Morning America, Ebony, Essence, People, Nylon, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo, Artful Living, and many more prominent outlets. Show Summary: What gifts do you think God has blessed you with? Do you see creativity in your gifts? Oftentimes we neglect to notice the diverse ways that God has blessed each of us with creativity. It does not always have to be writing, drawing, painting, or doing a craft. Jena Holliday has found that being creative can grant us a different type of connection with the Lord. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they learn about sacred creativity with Jena during this God Hears Her conversation. Notes and Quotes: “Why are you asking everyone else where to go, who to be, and what do except the One who created you?” —Jena Holliday “God didn’t make a mistake when He made us who we are. It wasn’t by chance; it wasn’t a coincidence. It was on purpose. That really helped me to step into the fullness of the voice that the Lord had given me.” —Jena Holliday “What I have learned is that there is a hunger to see the different ways that the image of God is reflected on the earth. It’s cool to be in this position as an artist and illustrator because I have the unique role of creating something in a visual way that doesn’t require words. It was always important to me that I showcase different women and different images and illustrations of people because I wanted them to feel seen. I wanted people to know that they were loved, heard, and that their stories matter.” —Jena Holliday “You should use [your gift] as a way to honor the Gift Giver, the One who has given it to you. We all have a corner of this earth where we get to use our gifts. Whatever God does to multiply it, that’s Him—that’s not on us. That’s not our responsibility.” —Jena Holliday “If you have something that God has given you and it’s still neatly wrapped in a box, I think that’s an invitation to open it up, spend a little time with it, and see what He does with it.” —Jena Holliday “Everyone should take the risk to use the gifts that God has given them.” —Jena Holliday “The way that Jesus loves us is so deep is that He will come after you. He will come find you again and guide you back to where He would like you to be and you get to keep walking forward together.” —Jena Holliday Related Episodes: Ep 141: Rethinking Creativity with Rachel Marie Kang: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/rethinking-creativity/ Ep 163: Mindful Creativity with Anh Lin: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/mindful-creativity/ Links: Jena’s book Sacred Creativity: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Creativity-Inspiration-Reclaim-God-Given/dp/0593581474 Jena Holliday’s Website: https://www.spoonfuloffaith.com/ Jena’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspoonfuloffaith/ God Hears Her website: https://go.odb.org/ghh191
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    29 mins
  • 190. Learning to Be Like Jesus (with Whitney Lowe)

    190. Learning to Be Like Jesus (with Whitney Lowe)
    May 26 2025
    Guest Bio: Whitney Lowe is an author who wants to see young women excited about God’s work: in the Bible, in history, in the world, and in them. She writes and creates on Instagram, previously known as Scribble Devos, a project born from the realization that young women simply do not interact with the Bible enough to be changed by its truth. Whitney is passionate about disrupting the toxic scroll of social media with hope, peace, and light straight from Scripture. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, who is a pastor, and their two young children. Show Summary: When you read the Bible, what stands out to you most about Jesus? His kindness? His servant heart? His patience? Whitney Lowe has been challenged through different seasons of her life to grow spiritually in different ways to become more like Jesus. Whether it’s conviction about an eating disorder or reading the Bible out loud to young kids, she’s determined to shine her light to lead others closer to Christ. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they learn how Whitney has spiritually grown through different life seasons. This God Hears Her conversation will encourage and inspire you! Notes and Quotes: “If He is calling us into the service of hungry people then God wants us fed too.” —Whitney Lowe “If you are a parent, if you are a mother, that is spiritual formation. That is doing the work of ‘quiet time’ and maybe even more so because it is real and is happening in real time. If you allow God into that space, He is doing the transformative work.” —Whitney Lowe “What if we just allowed God to spiritually form us in the struggles that are coming anyway, and we invited Him into those spaces through prayer?” —Whitney Lowe “I am a really big believer that we as a society are overthinking what it looks like to be sacrificial and servant-hearted. We start to think: ‘what organization do I need to start’ or ‘where am I supposed to put all my money for the year, who am I supposed to be giving to.’. When in actuality I think so many of us live in places where if we just open our eyes to our neighbors, we would see people who needed help and needed service.” —Whitney Lowe “I might not see the end result of that little act of faithfulness, but I know that God calls me to care about people.” —Whitney Lowe “We have to be okay, as believers, with people knowing that we are deeply flawed. You have to be okay with the reconciliation that might have to come after that sometimes and the fact that you don’t have to be strong because God will put people in your life that can be.” —Whitney Lowe Verses: Hosea Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13 Related Episodes: GHH Ep 86 – When We Pray Like Jesus: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/when-we-pray-like-jesus/ GHH Ep 120 – Let’s Talk About Spiritual Formation with Shalini Bennett: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/lets-talk-about-spiritual-formation/ Links: Whitney Lowe’s Devotional: https://www.amazon.com/Set-Your-Eyes-Higher-Devotional/dp/0310464404 Whitney Lowe’s Website: https://www.scribbledevos.com/about Whitney Lowe’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneypiersonlowe/?hl=en
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    27 mins
  • 189. Choosing Faith in College (with Dr. Carolyn Weber)

    189. Choosing Faith in College (with Dr. Carolyn Weber)
    May 19 2025
    Guest Bio: An award-winning author, popular professor, and international speaker on the intersections of faith, literature, and culture, Dr. Carolyn Weber, a Commonwealth Scholar, holds her BA Hon. from Huron University College, Canada and her MPhil and DPhil from Oxford University, England. She has taught students across continents and now enjoys teaching at New College Franklin and working with the creative community in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. Her book Surprised by Oxford, which won the Grace Irwin Award, the largest prize for best Christian writing in Canada, was made into a feature film. She resides in the country with her husband, four spirited children, and animal menagerie. Show Summary: Did you go to college and experience a complete change in your faith? Are you preparing to send a beloved child or children to college? During this God Hears Her conversation, guest Dr. Carolyn Weber relives her time of choosing faith at Oxford University while she prepares to send her daughter off to college. Join hosts Eryn Eddy Adkins and Vivian Mabuni as they dig into Dr. Carolyn’s faith and her current feelings about sending her daughter off. Notes and Quotes: “We have to doubt as wisely as we have to believe.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber “What I was drawn to in some ways with the Christian faith was that it was not fair-weather. There wasn’t a sense of only loving people when you’re in the mood. Love was a verb and a decision. There isn’t a grace that can be earned.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber “[On the image of Christians] It’s not a personality; it’s just a glow of a surrendered life.” –Vivian Mabuni “There is so much messaging about self-worth and women, objectifying women and them not having a voice—which is completely the opposite of how Jesus treated women in the Bible, and that is all the more radical given the timeframe.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber “Take and eat—not take and think—take and eat in remembrance of me. Put your body back together that'’s been pulled apart by so many things, remember in me and undo the first lie in the garden that you’re not good enough.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber “There’s something deeper [with fellowship] because you know that you can go to them with repentance, truth, pain, sorrow, joy, questions, and they are called to walk with you and you with them.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber “You are a daughter of the King. He is the lifter of your head and your shield. There are going to be times in life when you think you have to follow someone, but you have to follow Jesus.” —Dr. Carolyn Weber Verses: Women being the first to witness the resurrection: Luke 24:1-12 The woman at the well: John 4 Eve in the garden (the lie of not being good enough): Genesis 3 Related Episodes: GHH Ep 26 – Big Decisions and Crossroads: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/big-decisions-and-crossroads/ GHH Ep 66 – Dreams and Fears with Jade Gustafson: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/dreams-and-fears/ GHH Ep 147 – Mentoring the Next Generation with Ericka Porter: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/mentoring-the-next-generation/ GHH Ep 157 – Upheaval and Transition with Katherine Catlett: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/upheaval-and-transition/ Links: Dr. Carolyn’s Book, Surprised By Oxford: https://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Oxford-Memoir-Carolyn-Weber/dp/084992183X
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    26 mins
  • 188. Grace in Marriage (with Chelsea Damon)

    188. Grace in Marriage (with Chelsea Damon)
    May 12 2025
    Guest Bio: Chelsea Damon is the author of I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: How to Fight Less, Forgive Faster, and Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage and Together with Christ, A Dating Couple's Devotional: 52 Devotions and Bible Studies to Nurture Your Relationship. She is also the author of chelseadamon.com, a website where moms and wives are encouraged to cultivate healthy, Christ-centered lives and relationships. Damon and her husband Josh met while attending college, where they grew in their faith and dated for three years. They were married on the windy coast of Washington in 2013. Throughout their dating and marriage relationship and into parenthood, they've been learning what it means to live loving God and others in a self-love world. Today, the Damons have three biological children, are foster parents, and spend their time looking for new places to hike and explore beautiful South Carolina. Show Summary: Did you think marriage or a specific relationship would fix all your problems and fully heal you? While marriage is a beautiful gift from God, it can also be really hard. Some seasons are filled with joy and excitement while others are filled with anger and arguments. Chelsea Damon realized she was expecting that marriage would make her happy and storing up resentment towards her husband during the first few years of their marriage. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they learn how Chelsea overcame her resentment and began to apply grace to her marriage with the help of God. You don’t want to miss this God Hears Her conversation. Notes and Quotes: “I like to use a little assessment of whether something is starting to be an idol in our lives is, ‘Would I lose my self of identity if [this thing] was taken away? Or would I lose my hope and my future if that was taken away?’” —Chelsea Damon “[When dealing with disillusionment], I really had to fall back on my relationship with Christ, and in doing so, He really taught me that through fire He really is the only thing that is going to truly fulfill me.” —Chelsea Damon “One of the great dichotomies in the Christian faith is that when you surrender control, you gain so much more.” —Chelsea Damon “. . . we’re doing the work and we’re ready to be receptive to God’s Word and what He has to say to us. And that’s the only place where what He plants can grow deep roots and get a foothold in our lives to bear fruit.” —Chelsea Damon Verses: The Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:1-23 Links: Chelsea’s Book, I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: https://www.amazon.com/Thought-This-Would-Make-Happy/dp/0310367778 Chelsea’s Website: https://chelseadamon.com/ Chelsea’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsealeighdamon/
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    30 mins
  • 187. Building Community as a Mom (with Tara Edelschick and Kathy Tuan)

    187. Building Community as a Mom (with Tara Edelschick and Kathy Tuan)
    May 5 2025
    Guest Bio: Tara Edelschick is a teacher, a writer, mother of three, and grandmother. For three decades, she has worked as an educator, teaching public high school students in New York, graduate students at Harvard's School of Education, homeschoolers in Massachusetts, and incarcerated men taking college courses through the Emerson Prison Initiative. In her church, you can find her speaking at a women's conference or marriage retreat, teaching Sunday school, gathering mothers for prayer and Bible study, or leading retreats for families. Guest Bio: Kathy Tuan-MacLean is the national faculty ministry director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where she invites and resources faculty to follow Jesus together. Since joining InterVarsity in 1990, she has led numerous students and faculty in Bible study, spiritual formation, and leadership development. She is also a spiritual director who has led marriage ministry and women's retreats. Kathy is married to Scott, and they have three young adult children and an overanxious mini labradoodle. Show Summary: Did you know that 65-70% of moms struggle with feeling alone? Finding community can be hard during any part of life, but especially while you’re taking care of a child or children. Stay-at-home moms often live repetitive days at home with only their children, while working moms balance a schedule of feeling like they need to be in two places at once. How can moms find people to do life with? Tara Edelschick and Kathy Tuan-MacLean understand the struggle firsthand. Join them as they share their advice with hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins for this special Mother’s Day conversation on God Hears Her. Notes and Quotes: “God did not intend us to go through life alone, gutting through it and hiding out in the pantry eating cookies. We might still go hid in the pantry to eat cookies, but God wants to give us a friend to talk to about it.” —Tara Edelschick “Women want to be seen and heard by God and by each other.” —Tara Edelschick “But because God loves to answer prayers that are in God's will, and that we be in community is definitely in God’s will, it is always a gift. And I believe that it’s a gift God wants to give us.” —Kathy Tuan-MacLean “God invites you to share your story. God asks you to trust and obey. God transforms your pain and then invites you to be an agent of shalom.” —Tara Edelschick “As long as you don’t say no [to God using your story], no matter what you’re going through as a mom, there is transformation. God can use you, and all the pain you’ve been through, to help you be an agent of shalom—in your family and in the world. “—Tara Edelschick Verses: Hagar’s Story: Genesis 16 Samaritan Women: John 4 Racheal & Leah: Genesis 29:1–30:24 Links: Buy Moms at the Well:
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    30 mins