Hope for Right Now: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

Episode 29: Real Women, Real Stories, Jeannine Yousif

Join us as we kick off a four-part series, Real Women, Real Stories. In each episode, Lisa Brenninkmeyer and Laura Phelps sit down to chat with a woman who has inspired and challenged them to grow in their faith and relationship with the Lord. Knowing each woman personally, they have been able to see up close the way that her relationship with God has transformed her heart and changed her life. These women are strong, wise, and tenderhearted. They teach us that every one of us has a story, and every story matters. Lisa and Laura love these women, and you will, too! 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Psalm 91:1–5: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Luke 12:6–7: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
What lie does the enemy most often use to mess with you? How do you fight back?

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We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

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Episode 28: Loving Like Him Through Forgiveness

Join us for Lesson 6 in our six-week summer series based on our Living in the Father’s Love Bible study, Loving Like Him Through Forgiveness. Lisa and Laura are firm believers that no matter the situation, forgiveness is crucial to living in freedom. The truth is, when we struggle to forgive, we are the ones who suffer. If you are in a place where the pain is too much, and you do feel like you haven’t any control over the way to respond, this episode is for you. Grab your study guide and get ready to jump into a new perspective on forgiveness. Freedom, sweet friend, is waiting for you.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Matthew 10:8: Freely you have received, freely give. (ERV)

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Matthew 10:8: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give. (ERV)
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Isaiah 53:7,9: He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth…And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Invite Him in with this episode’s question for reflection.
There are three indications of having truly forgiven a person:
1. Not dwelling on the incident.
2. Not bringing up the incident again and using it against the person.
3. Not talking to others about the incident.
Which of these aspects of forgiveness do you find most difficult?

Show mentions.
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Living in the Father’s Love, Talk 2, Lesson 6: Loving Like Him Through Forgiveness, Walking with Purpose
Father John Hopkins, L.C., Victim Chart and Victim Plus Chart, found in Living in the Father’s Love, pages 73 and 74 or download here. 
Father John Riccardo, The Rescue Project
Lisa Brenninkmeyer and Laura Phelps, Hope For Right Now: A Walking with Purpose Podcast, Episode 13: When God Permits the Pain
Dr. Gary Smalley and Ted Cunningham, From Anger to Intimacy: How Forgiveness Can Transform Your Marriage
Avila Institute
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.
We are taking a short break and will return August 5, 2024, with Real Women, Real Stories. //Lisa and Laura

 

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We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

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Episode 27: How Do I Work at Forgiving Myself and Others?

Join us for Lesson 5 in our six-week summer series based on our Living in the Father’s Love Bible study, How Do I Work at Forgiving Myself and Others? Forgiveness is such an important topic that we devote two lessons to it: the Bible study lesson and the talk that follows. One of the reasons we think it matters so much is because lack of forgiveness hits us on every level physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Lisa and Laura know that talking about forgiveness is tender territory, because when forgiveness is needed, something serious has happened. But they also understand how crucial it is to forgive. Why? Well, grab your Bible (and definitely a pen and paper because you will want to take notes) and find out!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 
Matthew 7:1–5: Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Matthew 4:17: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Matthew 18:23–35: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Is there someone in your life who you have not forgiven? Did anything in this chapter make you think about that situation differently?

Show mentions.
Father John Bartunek, The Better Part
Timothy Keller, Gospel in Life Sermons, Forgiveness and Reconciliation
C.S. Lewis, Essay on Forgiveness
Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place
Hamilton, “It’s Quiet Uptown”
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.
Watch Talk 2, Lesson 6: Loving Like Him Through Forgiveness. 

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

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Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

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Episode 26: How Does God Define Beauty?

Join us for Lesson 4 in our six-week summer series based on our Living in the Father’s Love Bible study. Today Lisa and Laura discuss the question: how does God define beauty? We know the right answer; it’s about what’s on the inside, right? But exactly what on the inside makes a woman beautiful? What makes you feel beautiful? Everyone’s experience of beauty can be different, but one thing is for sure: beauty is good. We are moved by beauty. It stirs the soul and is most often how God draws us to Him. So grab a cool drink and settle in for a beautiful episode!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
2 Corinthians 4:16–17: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Esther 4:14: And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.
Psalm 34:5: Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.

Invite Him in with this episode’s question for reflection.
Think of a woman in your life who is beautiful because of how she has loved. How have you experienced her beauty? Take time this week to write her a letter and say: I think you are so beautiful in the way that you love, and this is how I have experienced it through you.

Show mentions.
Sister Josephine Garrett, Hallow, Rosary for Families
John Bartunek, The Better Part, Mission Prayer
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying, Five Stages of Grief
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
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Episode 25: What is the Purpose of My Life?

Join us for Lesson 3 in our six-week summer series based on our Living in the Father’s Love Bible study. Today, Lisa and Laura talk take a deep dive into God’s purpose for our lives: a personal relationship with Him. What does a personal relationship with Jesus look like? What is mental prayer? What are my gifts? And did Lisa and Laura pass or fail their high school science classes? Get the answers to these questions (and so much more) by clicking play. It’s another great conversation you don’t want to miss!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Philippians 3:7–11: But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
John 6:44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
Psalm 145:18: The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
Psalm 139:13–16
1 Corinthians 12:1–11

Show mentions.
Many Parts Ministries
Catherine of Siena Institute
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Walking with Purpose, Discovering My Purpose, Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Edith Stein, Essays on Woman (The Collected Works of Edith Stein)
Danielle Heckenkamp, Femininity Is a Gift from God, OnePeterFive blog
Four components of the feminine genius: receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity (for in-depth descriptions, download our exclusive discussion guide).
Feminine Genius Ministries
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off.
Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.

Invite Him in with this episode’s question for reflection.
Reflect on your life and think of a time when you practiced one of the following: receptivity (received a person exactly as he/she was and were a shelter for his/her soul), sensitivity (picked up on the needs of another person’s unspoken needs), generosity (went the extra mile for another person), and maternity (cherished, guarded, or protected another). In which area would I most like to grow? 

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

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Episode 24: What Kind of Father is God?

Join us for Lesson 2 in our six-week summer series based on our Living in the Father’s Love Bible study. Today, Lisa and Laura talk about God’s boundless love for us, while acknowledging that for many, our experience of father has fallen way short. When our earthly fathers disappoint us, it can be hard to trust God. But there is good news—no matter what, we can all find our way back to Abba, Father! As we study this lesson together, we hold hearts gently and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. So grab your study guide, grab a friend, and let’s discover the truth about our Father. This is an episode you do not want to miss.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
1 Corinthians 13:4–8: Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
1 John 4:16: God is love.
John 3:16: God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son.
Hebrews 1:3: He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.
John 14:3–7: “And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”
Romans 8:15: For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”

Invite Him in with this episode’s reflection.
Download the Praying from the Heart Guided Prayer Journal bookmark. Prayerfully read the list  of God’s qualities listed on the bookmark, then journal the ones that you want to believe in more wholeheartedly. Read this list each day, looking for ways that God is revealing Himself to you through these very characteristics. 

Work through Lesson 3: What is the Purpose of My Life in Living in the Father’s Love.

Show mentions.
CCC 239
John Bartunek, The Better Part
CCC 27
Julian of Norwich, quote
Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, Wild Goose TV, My father’s Father
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Walking with Purpose, Praying from the Heart: Guided Prayer Journal
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
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Episode 23: Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Beauty of a Childlike Faith

Join us for a brand new, six-week summer series, Living in the Father’s Love! Do you sometimes doubt if God really loves you? Are you searching for purpose? Do you struggle to measure up to our culture’s definition of beauty? Is there someone you need to forgive, but don’t know how? Join Lisa and Laura as they help us wrestle with these questions as they walk us through this brief, but powerful Bible study.

Today, Lisa and Laura unpack Lesson 1: The Beauty of a Childlike Faith. The video, which you can access from our website, is based on the teachings of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the patron saint of Walking with Purpose. Do you wonder what qualities God desires to see in you? Grab your study guide and iced coffee, and let’s find out together!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 
1 John 4:19: We love, because He first loved us.

 

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode. 
Isaiah 64:6: We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 
Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.

 

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
In the talk, Lisa quotes Fr. Jean d'Elbée, who shares this great prayer: “Jesus, repair what I have done badly; supply for what I have left undone.” How does this thought resonate with you in your current state in life? In what area of your life do you most need God to fill in the gap?

Show mentions.
Living in the Father’s Love, Talk 1, Lesson 1: The Beauty of a Childlike Faith
Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of The Little Flower
Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbée, I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux
Saint Therese of Lisieux photos from Lisa Brenninkmeyer
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor, St. Therese of Lisieux and the Martin Family podcast
Prayer of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
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Episode 22: The Sword of the Spirit

Join us for episode 22 in our eight-week series, Be Strong: The Armor of God. Lisa and Laura continue our deep dive into Ephesians 6:10–18, awakening us to the invisible battle that rages while encouraging us to reach for the weapons that keep us strong and steady. Today, Lisa and Laura introduce the sixth piece of armor, the sword of the spirit. This last piece of armor is the most powerful and the most important, because it is the Word of God! Grab your coffee, open your Bible, and meet us on the frontline!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Ephesians 6:17: And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Ephesians 6:13: Take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 2:14: For he is our peace.
Matthew 4:4: But he answered, “It is written,‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Sirach 19:10: Have you heard a word? Let it die with you. Be brave! It will not make you burst!
Sirach 2:4–5: Accept whatever is brought upon you, and endure it in sorrow; in changes that humble you be patient. For gold and silver are tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
2 Timothy 1:7: God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.
Isaiah 55:11: So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.
Psalm 19:7–8: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Have you ever experienced God shining a light on a particular Scripture to give you exactly what you need in that moment? Which verse and in which circumstances?

Show mentions.
Summer Bible study on the podcast! Lisa and Laura will be working through a six-week series based on the Walking with Purpose Bible study, Living in the Father’s Love. Using code BOGOHOPE, purchase one Living in the Father’s Love and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends July 15, 2024.
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Living in the Father’s Love connect coffee talk, Talk 1, Lesson 1: The Beauty of a Childlike Faith.
Sign up now to receive weekly reminder emails that include an exclusive discussion guide created just for this series.
CCC 104: In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, "but as what it really is, the word of God." In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.