Halfway There | Christian Testimonies | Spiritual Formation, Growth, And Personal Experiences With God

Michelle Shaeffer is an award-winning blogger, podcast host, international speaker, author, marketing consultant and human psychology junkie. She grew up a missionary kid in rural Alaska, became a pastor’s wife, and then the picture-perfect life fell apart…and along the way discovered that even when we walk away from God, He never gives up on us. Michelle inspires us to keep looking for God in unexpected places because you never know how he will answer your prayers. Listen to Michelle’s story above or in your favorite podcast app! Stories Michelle shared: How she helps people start businesses that align with their values Growing up in very rural Alaska How she learned to see the world from other perspectives Getting married at 18 and moving to West Virginia and the struggles they had early on The moment her business was born in a prayer The UPS delivery she didn’t expect The bubbles that proved God’s love to her Asking about the very nature of God Discovering herself while starting her business Starting

Cliff Ravenscraft is a motivational speaker, coach, and podcaster who taught podcasting to thousands of people. If you know Cliff, you’ve probably heard his business journey but I was curious about his spiritual journey. Today, Cliff shares how he was exposed to many streams of Christian faith as a young man, how his characteristic zeal led him on a search for what God required of him, and how he learned to accept and love himself because Christ already did. Cliff’s story reminds us that finding ourselves means being in Christ. Please listen to Cliff’s story now! Stories Cliff shared: Cliff’s mission in life His diverse exposure to various churches as a child His obsession with having a relationship with Jesus and staying out of hell December 9, 1991 as the moment he gave his life to Christ (kinda) Dating Tammy and her parent’s requirements Trying to live a perfect life Finally giving up in college and living it up Meeting his future wife Stephanie and sensing the presence of God at her church Receiving a wo

Idella Kercher works with women spreading the gospel overseas. Today she shares her story of God’s great provisions after the death of her child and divorce. Throughout her life God has given her everything that she needed in miraculous ways, helping her to grow and trust in him. He taught her about generosity and brought her to where she needed to be. Listen to Idella’s story now! Stories Idella shared: Growing up in the family that was at church whenever the doors were open Working with ministries overseas Losing a baby and finding trust in the Lord again Discovering the cracks in her marriage The wise advice Vernon Grounds gave her Going through the fear of cancer and leaving her husband Eating up the Psalms as her marriage was ending How the Lord provided a job for her after the divorce The abundant provision through the software industry The company owner that taught her about generosity Seeing her grandchildren as her legacy Great quotes from Idella: When you go through hard times you may not be happy

Seth is the host and conversation curator of the Can I Say This at Church Podcast. He started the podcast as a way to work out his own doubts and questions and quickly found that he was not alone in them. Today, Seth shares how his faith began to unravel after his kids were born, how his friends held space for him to question, and how those questions deepened his trust in the Lord. His story shows us that as long as our goal is to know God, we should never be afraid of questions or their answers because God is always big enough to handle them. Listen to Seth’s story now! Stories Seth shared: Being involved in his church Growing up in the Texas Bible belt Attending Liberty College and doing community service How his faith began to unravel after his children were born The friends who held space for him to be openly doubtful Taking his questions to his pastor who gave him permission to wrestle Starting his podcast, Can I Say This at Church Learning patience with people who don’t believe the same as he does Shif

Brandy Goebel is host of the Road Home to You podcast. Today she shares her story of healing and loss, humility and redemption and God’s plan through all of it.  After trauma and trials, she trusted God to hold her above the waves, even if she didn’t quite know how.  Those experiences put Brandy into a place to learn more about who he really is and what he wants for her life. Listen to Brandy’s story today! Stories Brandy shared: Growing up in a church and giving her life to Christ at age 10 Rebelling when she got to college Joining Youth With a Mission (YWAM) so her parents wouldn’t cut her off How she came face to face with her pride in YWAM Forgiving a prisoner in Perth, Australia and how it helped her heal from her own trauma Marrying her high school sweetheart How her dad’s death rocked her world Learning that her secret affair became public How her husband’s response changed her understanding of Jesus Going to the “triage church” and her healing process Learning about her husband in a new way Starting

Millie Cline is a spiritual director for groups and individuals as well as an Enneagram trainer and consultor. Today, she shares her journey of finding her place in the world and discovering God’s steadfast love. As she advanced in her career she found herself never feeling like she was where she was meant to be. After giving up on trying to chase God’s love through actions, he reminded her that she isn’t loved because of what she does, she’s loved because she’s his child. We all have our doubts about where we belong, but Millie’s story reminds us that God always has a place for us, even if we can’t always see his plan. Listen to Millie’s story now! Stories Millie shared: Serving as a spiritual director at Urban Skye What the practice of spiritual direction is about Walking down the aisle at 9 years old in her Southern Baptist church Her “tame version” of rebellion in college The crisis that made her question the Lord and her direction in life Learning to take more risk and let the Lord use her The mentors w

Mike Savage is a fellow podcaster, author, and former criminal mastermind. After being caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison he dealt with the constant certainty that his wife would leave him. Today he shares how he came to Christ and made a shocking discovery that helped him understand just how much God loves him. His story proves that even when we think everything’s lost, he still works, if not always precisely how we’re expecting. Listen to Mike’s Story today! Stories Mike shared: Growing up in a religious family at Southern Baptist churches The moment in the prison chapel when he gave his life to Christ How he ended up in prison in the first place His prison Bible reading habits as he learned the Scriptures The contrast between his learning and his certainty that his wife Cynthia was going to leave him How he learned of his wife’s sacrifice Walking out of prison and seeing his wife waiting Getting a job as a professor Great quotes from Mike: I didn’t know how un-peaceful I was until the moment that

Tricia Lott Williford is an author, speaker, and teacher. From a young age her life was set in God, but when the sudden death of her husband flipped her world upside down she had to re learn how to talk to God and put her life back together again. Today, she talks about raising two boys; finding the steady, little things; and growing into who God made her to be. With God and writing as her firm foundations, she has experienced pain and loss, but also joy and love and kept pushing on. Her story is a reminder that no matter what happens, God has a plan for you, you just have to wait. Listen to Tricia’s story today! Stories Tricia shared: Growing up in a Christian family Moving from being a teacher to a stay at home mom Losing her husband, Robb in 12 hours of illness Finding solace at Starbucks with the Psalms Two years of winter Working at Starbucks and meeting her current husband Her book coming out this year and her writing process Great quotes from Tricia: I was born loving Jesus. One of the greatest grace

Joseph Warren is the host of two podcasts, and a spiritual coach. Today, he shares how he started out a successful businessman but soon found his life spiraling until he hit rock bottom. Joseph climbed out of the pit – with the help of important people in his life – and reclaimed his faith. His honest and raw story will show you that no matter where you are in your life, God will still guide you home. Listen to Joseph’s story now! Stories Joseph shared: How his parents’ divorce changed his life The view he inherited from his parents of God The three things he wanted out of life at 19 Running from everything he knew to pursue fortune Burning out and retiring for five years to party How his sister took him in and showed him love Trying new things when he was bored with success and almost being murdered Rebuilding his life slowly in Tampa The constant inner nagging to spend time with the Lord Deciding to sit with the Lord an hour a day for two weeks How the Lord led him into listening prayer through circumstanc

Sharon Swing is the co-author of Listen to My Life; Maps for Recognizing and Responding to God in my Story. Today she shares how listening and life maps aided her in her own journey and how she adapted it to help others in their journeys as well. Through multiple experiences she found where she was meant to be and how she could help people push on from where they are right now. She gives some of her tricks to life mapping and encourages us all to reflect on our own journeys. Listen to Sharon’s story today! Stories Sharon shared: Growing up in the NW suburbs of Chicago in a Christian family How a baptism service captured her heart The experience that brought her to tears after college A charismatic experience that changed her life Why experiences needs to be added to how we learn about God Her first lesson in listening to the Holy Spirit Entering ministry at Willow Creek Association and then having to leave How she was inspired to create Listen to My Life The story that made her cry and helped her realize why

Tom Nardone is a mailman turned house flipper, author, speaker and coach. Today he shares how he found his true calling from what he saw everyday and how economic downturn led him closer to Christ. He grew his business from a side hustle to a career by taking advantage of what God had already put right in front of him. Tom demonstrates the importance of looking at what you have and not what you don’t have. Listen to Tom’s story now! Stories Tom shared: Finding Christ at a youth meeting when he was 12 Seeing the world differently after giving his life to Christ How God showed him that his wife was the right woman for him Realizing that being a postman was not his highest calling How the real estate crash of 2008 affected him The books that helped him remember his relationship with God What God said to him while praying at a stoplight What being conformed to Christ’s image looks like in his life Coaching people who flip houses Great quotes from Tom: There are a lot of promises God makes to us that He wants us

Jim Gum is the Executive Pastor at Jacob’s Well church in Kansas City and founder of Story Enneagram whose message is “You are NOT your Enneagram type.” Story Enneagram – where learning your type is just the beginning of a whole new story. Today, he shares his story of coming to Christ through Young Life, discovering he was at the point of breaking down and healing through the Enneagram. He found it easy to let himself get caught up in all the things he thought he had to do to make others like him and not focus on what mattered, his health and the people around him. His story will demonstrate that you don’t need to be perfect for those around you. Listen to Jim’s story now! Stories Jim shared: Growing up in Kansas City outside of the church Riffing off “Let it Be” by the Beatles when saying the sinner’s prayer Spending a summer in a body cast which caused a disconnect with his friends and led to him giving his life to Christ for real The silent retreat led by Brennan Manning that changed him The question his

Jeremy Myers is a podcaster and author back for his second episode here with me on Halfway There Podcast. Today we go back over what we discussed in our previous episode together and caught up on what has happened in our lives since then.  From the ways non Christians sometimes show more kindness than fellow believers to starting our own podcasts, Jeremy and I discuss our journeys these past few months. Listen to our conversation now! What we talked about: His neighbors caring for him more than his fellow Christians His writing goals and habits The enneagram and the benefits of knowing oneself My journey to realizing I wanted to start this podcast Jesus’ miracle at the wedding New Media Summit and my experience there Podcasting and entrepreneurship Defining Faith The definition of spiritual maturity The core beliefs of Christianity Forgiveness Great quotes: I don’t think we have an all or nothing Faith. The christian life is characterized by love. Resources mentioned (some links are Amazon affiliate links

Esmie Lawrence is a former Olympian, podcaster, and life coach dedicated to help women live the life they’re meant to live. Today, she shares how she came to Christ, drifted away during her training, and ultimately grew closer to him than ever before. She struggled with depression but was able to overcome it to live the life she wanted and be the best she could once more. Her story will push you to find your passion for Christ and for life. Listen to Esmie’s story now! Stories Esmie shared: Born in Jamaica and emigrating to Canada at 12 years old How the caring community of her church led her to give her life to Christ A story of her mother’s faith Getting too busy for Christ as she trained for the Olympics Running to school in Jamaica and the feelings sports gave her Forgetting God as she trained for the Olympics What she learned about herself by training for and appearing in the Olympics Her depression after the Olympics The feelings of abandonment by God she suffered The moment she surrendered her life ag

Jerry Schemmel is a broadcaster for the Colorado Rockies. As a baseball fan in Denver, if it’s summer, Jerry is on my radio. Today, he shares the story of how the crash of United 232 changed his life forever. Jerry shares his thoughts as the flight lost control, redirected to Sioux City, and ultimately hit the ground at 255 miles per hour. The fact that he survived is amazing but it was the aftermath of survivor’s guilt and depression that led him to Christ. Now, Jerry lives every day for Christ and shares the Gospel whenever he can. His story will convince you that the Lord can use anything to get your attention. Please listen to and share Jerry’s story today! Stories Jerry shared: Growing up in small town South Dakota What religion was like growing up Roman Catholic The plane crash that changed his life What those last few moments before touching the ground were like Running back into the plane to rescue a little girl Dealing with the aftermath of the crash Giving his life to Christ after months of depress

Michael Malcom is a pastor and executive director at Alabama Interfaith Power and Light. Today, Michael shares his calling and work in social justice issues. We have a frank conversation about race, how we are all conditioned to see things differently through our experiences, and how we can learn to listen. Michael’s stories will encourage you to reconsider your beliefs about police violence and environmental injustice in the United States, particularly the Southeast. I left this conversation feeling more strongly than ever that it’s time to take the politics out and embrace others with the love of Jesus. Please give Michael’s story a listen now! Stories Michael shared: How he came to the Alabama Interfaith Power and Light and the work they do His calling as a pastor and being the first formally trained pastor in his family How going to school shaped his view of God The difference between “deliberative” theology and “embedded” theology Preaching his first sermon at 8 and eventually running from God How God b

Chris Staron is a film-maker and podcaster who has one of the best shows out there that you’ve never heard. It’s called Truce and his mission is to call a truce to the culture wars. Today, Chris shares his journey of fighting for his faith in college and being financially challenged while making his movies. He reminds us about the value of being hard to offend and quick to love. His journey hasn’t been easy and he’s dealt with the realities of the film business and the anxiety that goes with it. Now, Chris is creating a conversation that will change how you think about culture, politics, and faith. Listen to Chris’s story now! Stories Chris shared: Why he started his podcast Truce Growing up in Ohio in a Christian family Giving his life to Christ as a 10 year old at a play How his faith was tested in college Why he switched from being “a bit of a Pharisee” to “hard to offend” How he got into film making Making connections in the film industry and his movies The importance of gratitude in his journey Moving t

Kristi Kennedy, Co-Founder/CEO of Bee Friendly Network she is a PhD Candidate in Medical Research, a widow by circumstance and mother to five, all are survivors of bullying and abuse. Today, she shares about fully accepting her faith and founding her company to help fix the problems she saw in the world. As she was growing up she wrestled with a question that prevented her from diving deeper into her faith. All of us have our questions that we just can’t find the answer to but her story is an encouragement that questions, and needs, do receive answers. Listen to her story now! Stories Kristi shared: Founding the Bee Friendly Network Growing up in Detroit and the way segregation in the suburbs shaped her The one spiritual question that haunted her from the time she was young Getting a call from Anne Kennedy (D. James Kennedy’s wife) who answered her burning question The Christlike example of the Kennedy’s Beginning to serve as a prayer partner Becoming a “widow by circumstance” The amazing ways God provided

Pheyland and Natalie Barthen are musicians, worship leaders, and evangelists. Today they share how they learned to trust God in even the most uncertain circumstances.  Pheyland and Natalie reached rock bottom financially when God picked them back up and provided for them in unexpected ways. Their story will inspire you to place your trust completely in God and allow him to take care of you on your journey. Now, they are on a journey pressing into the calling God has for them. Listen to Pheyland and Natalie’s stories now! Stories Pheyland & Natalie shared: Starting a ministry together in 2001 The Lord providing for their family Natalie growing up as a pastor’s kid being at church all the time The moment the Holy Spirit grabbed Natalie’s heart in church after a night of drinking Pheyland giving his life to the Lord at the altar at seven years old Being filled with the Holy Spirit at a church camp Learning about how to depend on the Lord in the past year Pheyland working a full-time job and the misery of

Daniel Gomez is a coach, author, and speaker. Today, he shares his story of coming to know God, drifting away from him during his career, then being brought back through his wife’s illness. His struggle between balancing his career with his life with his family and relationship with God is relatable to all of us in our work centered world. God used many people to show him that he had wandered away. His story pushes us to look into our own lives and see if we really are being the people God made us to be. Listen to Daniel’s story now! Stories Daniel shared: Why he wrote his book You Were Made to Fly Giving his life to Christ as his dad suffered with cancer Finding a mentor to help him grow in Christ Why picking up trash is a spiritual discipline for him How a corporate career led his heart away from God The prayer that gave him a new heart His conversation with his son that led him to see he had changed The restoration he feels from the Lord How he became a speaker and coach Great quotes from Daniel: I reall