Shefindstruth

When I opened Donna Pyle's book Without This Ring: Surviving Divorce to prepare for our interview, I was not prepared for how powerful her story and guidance would be. Silly of me since I'm a big fan of Donna's and I know she brings authenticity and practicality to the pages of her writing! But her raw story struck a chord with me thinking back to broken moments in my own marriage. I'm not divorced - by the grace of God - and God has brought much healing to my own relationship. Evenso, Donna's story and the things she learned resonated so much with me. All of this made interviewing her even more powerful for me. Donna's book seeks to present various perspectives and issues for divorcees and help the reader see Christ centered steps towards hope and healing. She does a great job. I highly recommend the book and I have no doubt if you listen to this show - whether you are going through a divorce or not - you will glean much from our talk. I tried to touch on points that will be helpful for those facing divorce

It is my position that the church needs to be having a louder and more productive and useful conversation about sexual assault and what we can do to serve our neighbors who have faced such experiences. This is part I in a series I'm doing where I interview experts and helpers who can assist us in maneuvering this topic for the good of our friends and communities.  We will start with a basic conversation of what sexual assault is, how prevalent it is, and the perspective of someone who is on the front lines of this subject matter. Kami Garrison is a local expert I asked to chat with me. She is Prevention and Education Coordinator at KC-CASA and ISAS. These offices are part of a broader coalition in Illinois called ICASA, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. These offices work to improve the quality of services for survivors of sexual assault, assist in their recovery, and work towards the elimination of sexual violence.  Among other things we talked about teaching our kids about consent, what rape cultur

Am the only one who feels a lot of pressure that I'm supposed to "be the light"? Maybe I should just quit whining and do what needs done, but I'd also like to know what it means for sure to be the light. Today I hash through this after having had a conversation with a friend who felt like she had failed to be the light. Is it just about doing the right thing? What if I fail?  Links from the show include: This is the blog post I wrote about where God is while we are electing a president.  Here's a simple and to the point article about Moral Therapeutic Deism written by Karen Jones titled What Is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism? Here's the article by Mark Roberts called What Are the Good Works God has Prepared for Us? Scripture references included  Matthew 5:14-16 (Scroll down after the Beatitudes) Ephesians 2:10   One more about listening to podcasts - How Does One Listen to A Podcast?   To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blo

As a young adult Christian I was constantly wondering what my life was supposed to look like as a follower of Christ. My everyday life. How does one "serve Christ," really, with all these distractions? What careers count? I definitely wanted to please God, but I wasn't sure how. Plus there was still sin in my life and I was super frustrated about that too.  There was so much I didn't understand about how all this works.  Of course the answers aren't as cut and dry as we'd like.  So I've talked before about Gene Edward Veith's books and how they address this stuff. This weekend I got to meet him and hear him speak about my favorite topic Vocation! Today's show talks about how as Christians we ask the question "Now What?" and what the answers look like.  Links and references include: Lecture on Passive Righteousness by Jordan Cooper Ephesians 2:1-10 Podcast Episode on Vocation - Episode #4 Gene Veith's -God at Work               -Family Vocation     To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the fa

Most of us have had a series of friendships that can bring up a whole host of emotions when we think about them. It occurred to me recently that some of us (me included!) might not be approaching our friendships intentionally as grownups. I think I took it for granted that friendships when I'm in my 30's would be easy and fulfilling.  LOL What is up with me and my unrealistic expectations of the world?!  So here are a few of my observations: Friendships are potentially complicated at any age: 9,13, and 37. At the same time, every friendship is different.  Don't try to fix people.  People are complicated. (I say this way too many times during the show.) I over-analyze things. My friends know this which is helpful.  Being intentional about our friendships will be best in the longrun. Do it!  Find some wise women if you're struggling with this.  I cited scripture during the show, but I'm only going to mention my favorites here.  Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 Therefore encoura

We are layered people. Not one-dimensional like the people on sitcoms.  Me. My husband. The grocery store clerk. Everyone.  Jesus too.    There's way more to Him than I tend to think.  He's layered like an onion - just like us.  One way for us to unpeel the layers is to look at how Christ fulfills the 3 offices of prophet, priest, and king. This is called the threefold office of Jesus Christ and enlightens us on WHO God is, WHAT Jesus does, and HOW the Old Testament is totally tied into the New Testament.  Defining prophet, priest, and king is important since the meanings now are different than the way the Bible uses them. I did this with the help of Google, a book by Henry Jacobs called Elements of Religion, and Scripture. Here are some of my links: Elements of Religion About prophets About priests  Deuteronomy 18:18 Isaiah 53:5 John 1:49 story of the woman at the well I hope this episode was useful to you! Drop me a line and let me know what you think. I'm looking for feedback on whether this was too basic

Theology is interesting to me because I like to get to the crux of things. Analyze the snot out of them. (It's a gift. Sortof.) Hence I like critical thinking. Asking questions, finding answers. Good stuff. Which is why I'm digging deeper in this episode and asking some questions that I think probably a lot of people have but we don't talk much about. Like "Why is a sacrifice necessary to redeem us from sin?", "Is sin really that big of a deal?", and "Won't we all just go to heaven in the end?" All of this leads me to say controversial things in this episode like: The Bible is not centrally about love.  I need a religion that is not at its core about me.  Why did Jesus have to die? Is sin inconsequential? Let's talk about the concept of the 2 kingdoms... A perfect holy God means any blemish separates us from Him.  Any sin we commit is a reflection of our rebellion against God.  We cannot sin against God and expect to be at peace with Him for eternity. I'd love to hear what you think. The next episode will d

It's pretty self-explanatory. Lol Whether it's summer or not, if you feel like there's been a disconnect lately between you and your maker just because your head is filled up with other things.. then you'll probably feel right at home in this episode!   I discuss what's been going on a little and what it looks like when I do finally sit down with some quiet time. Plus I share what I've been learning about FASTING and how it might have more of a place in my life than I previously thought!    It all comes together in this episode that will inspire you to carve out some time and rest in the faithful arms of your maker. No need to start over. You can just pick up where you left off.  *** To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Out

Don't you hate it when you record a podcast one week but don't get it posted till the next? Well hate might be a strong word. I'm just glad I have one to post!  This episode starts out me talking about how we got 4 inches of rain in these parts the night before. Interesting since a week later we got 6 inches and that's the state of things while I edited. Anyway, I wasn't treading water too much to get this thing ready, thank gooodness.  Basically this is me re-thinking Episode 24 about God's plan and talking through some of the not-so-black-and-white aspects. This podcast and our language and our conversations have to be on-going so we can further explore this stuff and that's what today is about. Because this really is a complicated topic and we aren't God. So I think poetry helps the conversation.  I reference the following:  The Unwanted Necessity - My Hope for the Journey.co Andrew Peterson's music that I want you to listen to: You Never Let Go The Rain Kept Falling Dancing in the Minefields   To continue

Lately my brain has been swamped with emotional life stuff and I was feeling really annoyed until I remembered that everyone is dealing with something and it's just how it goes. The thing is, when we are in the thick of it it's hard to remember.  Does God expect me to be handling this better than I am? Looks to me like the Bible tells us about all sorts of resources God has built into our lives for times such as this...  Check out the episode and these links related to the content: Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale Issues Etc podcast episodes I decided today I'm not going to link all the Bible verses. Look them up for a great way to spend some time in the Word! Proverbs 12:15, 11:14, 15:22 2 Timothy 3:16 Hebrews 4:12 Galatians 6:12 James 1:5 Psalm 139 I Samuel 16:7 Psalm 8:4-5   To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at h

Today's long awaited episode is an interview with L.L. Martin author of Positively Powerless: How a Forgotten Movement Undermined Christianity. I read this book and loved it and think it has a really important message we all need to pay attention to. Satan is very sneaky and this is definitely one of his angles.  She isn't suggesting there is evil in a "positive attitude," but that the movement of New Thought has been watered down into Positive Thinking which looks and sounds good but is not consistent with God's Word. We touch on the role of this thinking in the prosperity gospel, success, self-concept, confession, sanctification, and community. The book is filled with great doctrine and practical application of Martin's ideas. Go buy it! Link to book.  During the show I reference this Issues Etc. episode.  Martin's website.    To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · mus

Last episode I interviewed counselor Amanda Hofbauer from Chicago, IL for advice about how to comfort our friends who are struggling with something. We talked about the not-helpful thing people say and what might be more useful to our neighbors.    Today I look at the book of Job for direction on how to be a friend to someone who is going through something really terrible. There's a lot of what-not-to-do in this book, but help is revealed as well.    Check out the first episode if you haven't already and let me know what you think about both of them!   To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer  

"Some things in life cannot be fixed. They can only be carried." -Megan Divine   Today's show is about those uncomfortable conversations where we cannot fix the problems people are struggling with. I am honored to have Amanda Hofbauer, MA, AMFT as a guest on the show discussing the difficulties of these conversations. She is a licensed Couples and Family Therapist in Chicago who specializes in helping those who are dealing with grief, infertility, and trauma. You can find her online at Facebook.com/renewtogether and also on Psychology Today. Check out her links! This whole conversation started when I saw a tweet from Donna Pyle (and here's her website) ..... Oh hello this is so true!! Such a problem. Maybe this week's podcast should just be about not having easy answers. https://t.co/mjtRWSrvkj— Angie Wagner (@shefindstruth) April 4, 2016 So this got us talking and that's what this podcast is about. How DO we respond without being insincere and generic? This Buzzfeed link that Amanda found helps as

First of all, there are some glitches in the technology here and there. I know about them and apologize. I think I was talking too fast for my computer. ;)   Been thinking about parenting and what it really is and how to prioritize parenting stuff with the rest of the world. I realized that sometimes I might be wishing away this time in which I'm parenting children and I really don't want to do that. But it's easy to slip into.  So I looked up some verses on parenting and did some reflecting. Here's the links to the show.  Psalm 127:3 - Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Jonathan Fisk Boars in the Vineyard Episode Ephesians 6:4- Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Deut 6:6-9 - And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your childr

Some thoughts on Lent, Easter, and suffering. Discovering holes in theology when you put limits on God's faithfulness. And my goals for the podcast and my women's ministry.  What is prosperity theology?  Why Lutheran? The Lutheran Knuckleheads article I wrote called Coming Up Short.  Pastor Shields - follow him on Twitter! Blog posts about suffering   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me - heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14   Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter, but of the Spirit;

In today's episode I answer questions I've been pondering since Episode 15 concerning fear and what the Bible says about it.  Does it really say "Do not fear" in the Bible 365 times? What does the world think "perfect love" means? Why does Joseph Prince seem to have cornered the market on this? Do I really have to dissect I John to figure this out?    These questions and more sorted through in episode 17.  And here are the links: Episode 15 9 Sins the Church Is Okay With Psalm 56 NPR's story on close friends being close to us in times of trial Psalm 54 Definitions of sustain I John 4 Joseph Prince butchers Scripture   To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer  

You want to EXPERIENCE God? FEEL His presence? FIND Him?   It's less about you or me finding Him.  It's more about how He comes to us.    The Means of Grace can be defined as "how the Holy Spirit works both faith and good works in our lives." (from Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Veith p44) The Means of Grace are the vehicle God uses to come to us in a very real, very physical way so we can experience Him - undoubtedly and without question.  Baptism Galatians 3:27 Galatians 2:20 Colossians 1:27 Lord's Supper John 6:52-58 John 6:41-51 The Word Romans 10:17 I Thesalonians 2:13 John 15:3 1 Peter 1:23   Article from Pastor Cooper on Christ IN us called Christ Dwells Within Us and We Should Be Talking About It To continue the conversation, go to the facebook page or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer  

I'm so glad to be back! Had to skip last week because my brain was overloaded, but now things have improved. Praise the Lord.  In today's podcast I explain how I think there is an internet culture directed at women that promotes a lot of false sin and (therefore) false guilt. Telling us we have these problems and offering up a bunch of solutions, the entire time the "problem" isn't really a problem and in the process we are overlooking actual sin that needs to be addressed.  Take a listen and see if you can relate. Also, if you are of the male gender and you listen, I would love to know if you see a similar thing that happens among men. Or not. Anyway, this is outside of the Christian culture but it's also totally thriving within it. There are all sorts of Christians telling me how I need to have more faith so I can _____ (fill in the blank).    All of this leads to the thing that actually started me on this rant in the first place which is this blog post called 9 Sins the Church is Okay With. Besides ending

Awhile back I listed out some things I can do when I am feeling like a loser and just can't get it together. (I've decided I need to post these in my office. Or on my forehead.) But meanwhile, I did a podcast on them. The first part was episode 13 and I basically got through 1-2.5. This episode completes the list and I think it's a decent list. Among other things I discuss the idea that some things the world thinks ARE sins, possibly aren't.. as well as what some Bible verses DON'T mean.  Includes: God has a reason for you. We don't need a 5 year plan, we need to look around and see what needs to be done. Romans 8:28-30 Freedom from sin means we can freely serve.    Habakkuk 1:1-4 Lord Help me make this happen.  Philippians 4:10-13 Isaiah 41:10 Bonus Step - Tell Satan to shove it.  Philippians 4:4-8 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplicationwith th

In an effort to be uplifting today instead of super heavy (it IS February after all; in the Midwest that means we are all struggling to go on with our lives because the sun hasn't shined in 3 months), I ran across this post I did awhile back called 10 Steps When You Feel Like a Loser.  Turns out talking about these in detail only brought us through steps 1-3 and then I had to stop and start another episode. (I'm attempting to be consistent with the length of the episodes and keep them around 30 minutes or less.) Anyway, this episode covered thankfulness and confession. It also includes discussion about how "gratitude journals" are all the rage and they worry me.  Solid Scripture in here. This episode includes the following: I Thessalonians 5:18 Colossians 3:15-17 James 1:17 Philippians 4:6 In the segment on Confession I get far enough to reference Bo Giertz' book To Live with Christ which I can recommend enough. Also this bit from the LCMS and also Luther's Small Catechism. Check those out.  Also I have a smi