If you think your calling is collateral damage in the hurt and hardship you’ve experienced, I understand how you’re feeling. The work I’m doing now looks nothing like the dreams I had for my life. But now, I can’t imagine dreaming up anything better.

Today on The GoodHard Story Podcast we’re covering one of my all-time favorite topics: how our limitations—rather than our strengths—invite us to lean into God’s calling for our lives. Give me 45 minutes of your day and I’ll give you a new way of approaching your purpose. I’m sharing how you can…

• Figure out what your “creative best” actually is
• Take radical responsibility of your story 
• Allow your calling to evolve and grow
• Dream new dreams for your life
• Find clarity through your boundaries

If you need fresh vision for the good purpose in your hard story, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Treasures in the Dark Entry 46: Dreaming New Dreams - https://a.co/d/4n1npsd

“The most progress we can make is turning around” - C.S. Lewis

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

• Psalm 16:6
• John 3:30
• Galatians 6:4-5
• Romans 8:28
• Ephesians 4:1

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

How could it be true that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly?

I spent years trying to make God’s ways align with my definition of goodness, but nothing ever seemed to click. Finally, I realized I actually needed to redefine what goodness meant to me. It was not an easy process, let me tell you, but it has formed me for the better.

My friend Lysa has been on the same journey of redefining everything in a life that has upended every expectation she had. While our pain has taken completely different forms, she is my sister in suffering whose extraordinary character has been formed by hardship, not in spite of it. No one is more qualified to coach us on identity formation than Lysa TerKeurst.

I’m inspired and challenged by who she is today and who she is still becoming, and I think you will be too. You do not want to miss out on the goodness and grit today episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast. Here’s just a preview of what you’ll take away:

• Identifying shame scripts in your life
• What to do with the things that will never make sense to you
• Making space for the sweetness of the unexpected
• Selecting your soul’s board of directors

If you’re ready to become better instead of bitter because of your heartbreak, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Therapy and Theology Podcast - https://lysaterkeurst.com/therapy-and-theology/

I Want to Trust You, But I Don't by Lysa TerKeurst - https://a.co/d/2Q6mHfK

Lysa’s TikTok dance in New York - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDTBG8np6mm/

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

• 2 Corinthians 1:4
• Psalm 84:11

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

I don’t re-listen to my own podcast episodes often, but I’ll be replaying this one many times over. My guest Dr. Dan Allender is a trauma therapist. And if you just assumed this episode has nothing for you, consider Dr. Allender’s words: “All life east of Eden is a form of trauma.”

Whew. 

So, yeah, you need to hear this. Dr. Allender’s work has been a gamechanger in my life and I insist that you have access to his wisdom, too! He has given me a framework for understanding, grieving, and telling my story, and I cannot think of a more trustworthy voice to speak into our conversation on identity formation. 

On this episode, the kind and brilliant Dr. Allender shares…

• The one thing you can do to take a step toward health

• Why wrestling with God can be a form of worship

• How to create the community you long to be a part of

If you want support in becoming who you’re meant to be, this episode is for you.

Show Notes: 
The Allender Center - https://theallendercenter.org/

The Allender Center Podcast - https://theallendercenter.org/category/podcast/

Curt Thompson Confessional Community - https://curtthompsonmd.com/the-way-of-the-confessional-community/

Adam Young on The GoodHard Story Podcast Episode 71 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-71-what-your-feelings-are-asking-of-you-with/id1496882479?i=1000671653634

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

2 Corinthians 4:10

Romans 12:15

Psalm 22:1

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

It’s 2025, friends. Who do you hope to become in the year ahead?

You and I are probably not going to become people of resilience, compassion, and courage by accident. Our circumstances, beliefs, relationships, and decisions are shaping our souls—in both good and hard ways—every minute of the day. I want to understand exactly how it’s happening. And what I can do to create the identity I want.

Today we’re talking to my winsome friend Bob Goff—author, speaker, and unofficial spokesperson for belovedness. This mentor of mine knows how to live whimsically *and* strategically, and I am determined to learn how to do it too.

On this episode, Bob is sharing exactly how you can…

• Find God’s one and only plan for your life and mine

• Start asking “What if?” with HOPE instead of anxiety

• Become a note taker of your own life (and why it will change everything)

If you’re ready to start living like you’re loved (because you are), this episode is for you!

Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility - https://www.bobgoff.com/books/catching-whimsy/

Treasures in the Dark Entry 32: The Habit of Hope - https://a.co/d/3mcRhmK

Treasures in the Dark Entry 60: What If? - https://a.co/d/3mcRhmK

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

• Romans 8:19-23 (The Passion Translation)

• Romans 5:3-5

• Hebrews 11:1

• Galatians 5:6

• Philippians 4:6

• Mark 9:24

• 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

"Hope is not a fixed point I will reach. Hope is the living force that propels me through the ongoing cycle of hurting and healing."

In these sacred weeks surrounding Christmas, I want to acknowledge that the holiday season isn’t such a bright time for all of us. These final days of the year can be a painful reminder of what we once had. What is no longer. What will never be.

Each week in the month of December, I'll be sharing a short reflection that invites you reconsider your darkest seasons as times of formation, preparation, and possibility.

Treasures in the Dark Read Along

Starting January 9, 2025, I’ll be hosting a 90-day read along of Treasures in the Dark over on Instagram. Make sure you’re following me there because I’ll be streaming some readings from the book, sharing behind the scenes content, and hosting discussions with all of you. If you want to grab your own copy of Treasures in the Dark, it’s available wherever books are sold. You can find the audiobook on Spotify or Audible.

Like what you heard?

There's so much more to the story⁠⁠. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

⁠Spotify⁠: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=4e5a0a76749b4d91

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe at https://hopeheals.com/hopenote.

"Hope is an escape hatch from the what-if loop because it gives you and me permission to live the lives we have. It narrows our vision to work with what’s in front of us. Hope puts to rest all the lives we could have lived and gently reminds us, “This is the one you’ve got. Don’t waste it.”

In these sacred weeks leading up to Christmas, I want to acknowledge that the holiday season isn’t such a bright time for all of us. These final days of the year can be a painful reminder of what we once had. What is no longer. What will never be.

Each week in the month of December, I'll be sharing a short reflection that invites you reconsider your darkest seasons as times of formation, preparation, and possibility.

Treasures in the Dark Read Along

Starting January 9, 2025, I’ll be hosting a 90-day read along of Treasures in the Dark over on Instagram. Make sure you’re following me there because I’ll be streaming some readings from the book, sharing behind the scenes content, and hosting discussions with all of you. If you want to grab your own copy of Treasures in the Dark, it’s available wherever books are sold. You can find the audiobook on Spotify or Audible.

Like what you heard?

There's so much more to the story⁠⁠. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

⁠Spotify⁠: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=4e5a0a76749b4d91

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe at https://hopeheals.com/hopenote.

"Some of the best fruit in my life will be incubatedin dark, cold seasons of suffering."

In these sacred weeks leading up to Christmas, I want to acknowledge that the holiday season isn’t such a bright time for all of us. These final days of the year can be a painful reminder of what we once had. What is no longer. What will never be.

Each week in the month of December, I'll be sharing a short reflection that invites you reconsider your darkest seasons as times of formation, preparation, and possibility.

Treasures in the Dark Read Along

Starting January 9, 2025, I’ll be hosting a 90-day read along of Treasures in the Dark over on Instagram. Make sure you’re following me there because I’ll be streaming some readings from the book, sharing behind the scenes content, and hosting discussions with all of you. If you want to grab your own copy of Treasures in the Dark, it’s available wherever books are sold. You can find the audiobook on Spotify or Audible.

Like what you heard?

There's so much more to the story⁠⁠. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

⁠Spotify⁠: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=4e5a0a76749b4d91

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe at https://hopeheals.com/hopenote.

"Suffering confronts me with the question, What is it i want from God? Do i want the gifts, or do I want the Giver Himself?"

In these sacred weeks leading up to Christmas, I want to acknowledge that the holiday season isn’t such a bright time for all of us. These final days of the year can be a painful reminder of what we once had. What is no longer. What will never be.

Each week in the month of December, I'll be sharing a short reflection that invites you reconsider your darkest seasons as times of formation, preparation, and possibility.

Treasures in the Dark Read Along

Starting January 9, 2025, I’ll be hosting a 90-day read along of Treasures in the Dark over on Instagram. Make sure you’re following me there because I’ll be streaming some readings from the book, sharing behind the scenes content, and hosting discussions with all of you. If you want to grab your own copy of Treasures in the Dark, it’s available wherever books are sold. You can find the audiobook on Spotify or Audible.

Did you like what you heard?

There's so much more to the story: Click here⁠⁠ for more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me!

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Spotify⁠

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe here.

I became disabled in an instant, but my husband Jay did not become a caregiver in that same instant. No one, like, gave him a pamphlet or anything! He had to learn by trial and error, and the stakes were high.

Many of you, dear friends, are in a marriage with a caregiver or care-receiver and you’re navigating what it looks like to uphold a version of your vows you didn’t see coming. I am the first person to affirm what a complex position you are in.

After nearly 17 years of this caregiving-in-marriage deal, we’ve learned a few things about healthy conflict, surrendering control, and releasing old dreams. We’ve also made all the mistakes. So Jay and I want to share a little wisdom—and a LOT of encouragement.

Here’s what you can expect from our time together on The GoodHard Story podcast this week:

• The #1 way we “beat the odds” of divorce after a traumatic brain injury
• What’s worked for us (and what hasn’t worked) in conflict resolution
• Leaning into non-traditional gender roles in our marriage
• Deciding to dream new dreams for our lives
• How I stopped feeling like a burden in my marriage

If you’re longing to feel seen and supported in a caregiving marriage, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller - https://a.co/d/9P0hVVF

Stanley Hauerwas - https://stanleyhauerwas.org/

Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp

Ep. 76 - 5 Ways to Start Believing You Are Worthy of Care - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-76-solo-5-ways-to-start-believing-you-are-worthy/id1496882479?i=1000676043943

Ep. 74 - Unspoken Demands for a Perfect Life with Sho Baraka - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-74-unspoken-demands-for-a-perfect-life-with/id1496882479?i=1000674277593

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox?

⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

If there is such a thing as icons of caregiving, Joni Eareckson Tada and her husband Ken are those icons. After a diving accident at 17, Joni became a quadriplegic. Ken and Joni met and joined lives years later. As Ken put it, he “married into disability.” 

These two saints have cared for one another faithfully for over 40 years, but it’s not always perfect. Joni and Ken were generous to share about the hard conversations they’ve had to have about overwhelm and burnout. Even through all the hard, this couple affirms again and again how the experiences of caregiving and care-receiving have shown them the heart of Christ. 

From healthy communication tips to practical ideas for self care to receiving care well—WOW, do we have a lot to learn from these two?! Join us at the table to receive loads of wisdom from two of my heroes, including…

• Ken’s experience of dating and marrying someone with a disability
• What it takes to care for Joni’s body in a day
• How Joni expresses her gratitude for the care she receives
• Practical rhythms of restoration and self care for both caregivers and care-receives
• Navigating conflict in the complexities of caregiving relationships
• Keeping a sense of joy in their unusual marriage 
• Healthy communication tips 

If you are craving some real talk about all things caregiving and care-getting, this episode is for you.

Joni and Friends website

Hope Heals by Katherine and Jay Wolf

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

1 Samuel 16:7

John 15:13

There's so much more to the story: ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠ for more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me!

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Spotify⁠

Want a little hope in your inbox?

⁠⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠ for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content.

Get to know us:

⁠⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠⁠

⁠Instagram⁠⁠

Matt and Ginny Mooney gave round-the-clock care to their first son, a baby boy who lived for just 99 days. All parents are caregivers, of course, but the Mooneys became caregivers in ways they never could have imagined.

Now, 18 years later, the Mooneys have opted into a lifetime of complex caregiving as they raise an adopted daughter living with autism and cerebral palsy. I am fascinated and challenged by their choice to take on more responsibility, more heartache, and more grief.

My two gracious friends were kind enough to answer every one of my probing questions with humor and vulnerability. And if you join us for this conversation, I bet they’ll feel like your kind, funny friends by the end, too!

Here’s what you can expect to hear on this week’s episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast:

• An honest answer about the most difficult part of caregiving
• The one thing the Mooneys want most for their daughter living with significant disabilities
• What to do when you navigate grief and caregiving differently than your spouse
• The best thing to say and do on tender anniversaries
• What to expect from your typical kids—and what  NOT to expect—when it comes to caregiving for a sibling
• Matt and Ginny’s #1 recommendations for caregiver self care
• If you’re grappling with the good/hard realities of caregiving of any kind, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

99 Balloons

A Story Unfinished: 99 Days with Eliot

rEcess

bEfriend

Mend Coffee & Goods

Hope Heals Camp

***

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Want a little hope in your inbox?

⁠⁠Sign up here for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content.

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠

Instagram⁠