44: Is there purpose in pain?

Sometimes we don't realize how often, and in how many ways, God speaks to us. God speaks, but are we listening? What is God saying to us today? And, in what creative way is God communicating with us today?

Guest Info

Morgan McCarver was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her work is inspired by her past and present female mentors and her connection to Victorian corsetry through her scoliosis journey. She received an art degree with a ceramics concentration and a double minor in art history and business in 2019 from Anderson University in Anderson, SC. McCarver was honored to receive the 2019 Outstanding Art Major Ceramics Award her senior year. As a 2020 701 Center for Contemporary Art prize finalist, she had the honor of being the youngest artist to ever make it that far. She is a multi-award-winning artist who recently received an Artist Support Grant to attend a national ceramics conference. She has had the honor of displaying her work in 3 solo exhibitions, “FemininiTEA” 2020, “The Strength of a Wildflower” 2022 and “Postures in Porcelain” 2023. She recently completed a residency at Edgewood Cottage in Blowing Rock Summer 2023 and participated 2022 as well. Her first book, “God the Artist: Revealing God’s Creative Side Through Pottery,” released with Morgan James Publishing January 9, 2024. 

She has had the honor of guest speaking on over 30 podcasts as well. McCarver has studios in Asheville, NC and Spartanburg, SC. Her art can be found in various galleries around the Carolinas and Tennessee. 

Those of us who want to make a difference in the world sometimes feel as though we don't have the power to do so. Could it be as simple as loving others? Our guest on this episode shares intriguing insight into how love really can change the world.

Guest Info

Paul Zolman is the author of "Role of Love." In His wisdom, He placed us in a variety of circumstances that require us to find our way back to His pure love. So, what qualifies Paul Zolman to speak about love? His childhood experience of the opposite of love. From that austere beginning, and the distaste it formed inside him, he searched for and eventually created a method that transformed his life from anger to loving everyone. Growing up in a family of abuse, physical touch became his preferred love style, only because of the regularity. He could almost count on it. It was consistent. He came to think that was the way to express love. But deep inside, he knew that was a twisted belief. He wanted a better life for himself, which is why he created a paradigm shift that works. In this book, you’ll find what helped Paul Zolman move from a childhood boot camp of abuse to being a person who loves everyone and can find good about anyone in any circumstance. This is truly the role of love.

https://roleoflove.com/

Artificial Intelligence has developed at accelerated levels over the past few years. Since the introduction of Chat GBT, it has now become an everyday tool for all of us. We are either excited about the possibilities or frightened of them (or somewhere in between). Our guest on this episode is a best-selling author who has written about AI in his novels. Through his extensive research (and his military background) he has so much to share about our curious question. 

Guest Info

International bestselling author Jeffrey Wilson has at one time worked as an actor, a firefighter, a paramedic, a jet pilot, a diving instructor, a Naval Officer, and a Vascular and Trauma Surgeon. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who served more than fourteen years, with multiple deployments as a combat surgeon with Naval Special Warfare (SEALs) and a Joint Special Operations Task Force. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other places.

 With fellow veteran Brian Andrews, they write, as Andrews and Wilson, multiple #1 bestselling thriller series including the TIER ONE series, the SONS OF VALOR series, the faith-based thriller series THE SHEPHERDS which has been optioned by Sony Affirm for Television, WEB Griffin’s Presidential Agent Series, and now Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Sr. Series for Penguin beginning with ACT OF DEFIANCE coming May 2024 on the 40^th anniversary of THE HUNT FOR THE RED OCTOBER. Other works include the speculative thrillers THE SANDBOX and the upcoming FOUR MINUTES.

 Andrews and Wilson have now taken their storytelling to Hollywood, with more than a dozen of their stories optioned and in development for both television and Feature Film with major studios including Sony, MakeReady/Endeavor, Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, Skydance, PictureStart, Walden, and the Cross Brothers who are adapting their wildly popular TIER ONE Series of books as a streaming television series. All of their media projects have Andrews and Wilson attached as producers and they are screenwriters for several as well.

 Jeff and his wife, Wendy are Virginia natives who, with their four children Ashley, Emma, Jack, and Connor, now call Tampa, Florida home. He is a passionate supporter of his fellow veterans and in particular the SEAL Legacy Foundation, Folds of Honor, and All Secure Foundation. He leads a Men’s Military ministry for a large church in Tampa, Florida.

 www.andrews-wilson.com

Many of us have either read the book and/or watched the movie at Christmastime. But have we truly listened and watched for how Dickens weaves Christianinty into the story of "A Christmas Carol?" If you, like me, have not paid that close of attention, this episode is for you! 

Guest Info

Reverend Cheryl Kincaid is a Presbyterian Minister who studied Marriage and Family Therapy at Bethel Seminary and has a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Rev. Kincaid seeks to tell the story of God’s comforting redemptive grace amid an imperfect world. Pastor Cheryl is now the Head of Staff at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Enfield,
Connecticut.

Rev. Kincaid is the author of four published books and is the winner of
the 2013 Independent Christian Publishers Illumination Reward for bible study. 
 
Visit Pastor Cheryl Kincaid's website at https://revcherylkincaid.com/. Visit her website on Charles
Dickens faith journey at http://www.dickensandchristianity.com/

Parenting is different today than it was just 40 years ago . . . even just 20 years ago. Christian parens are facing unprecedented challenges when trying to raise children in a Christian household. How can we raise our kids to know God with such obstacles today in society and in the world? Our guest on this episode helps us explore that with some hard questions and great exploration so we hope you'll join us!

Guest Info

Mirella Acebo is a certified life coach and mom (a.k.a., The Life Coach Mom). She has over 10 years of experience leading and teaching women in the area of spiritual growth and personal development. She is a teaching leader at an interdenominational Bible study where she lectures, leads, and facilitates small-group discussions. Her passion is helping busy moms grow as they go -- in every season of motherhood, especially the hard ones! She brings honesty and hope, plus a little humor to daily conversations. Aside from her work as a life coach, Mirella is also a writer, best-selling author (SOS for the MOM), actor, producer, and storyteller with over 15 years experience in the TV industry. She has appeared in many film, television, and national commercials. She and her family live in Los Angeles.

https://www.lifecoachmom.net/

We would all agree that today's world is incredibly divided. This division isn't just political, it's societal, it's religious, it's even within families and between friends. As people of faith we wonder where God is in that division. How is God, or IS God, working in it for good - to help bridge the divide? Our guest on this episode is perfectly equipped to help us explore that question.

Guest Info

Rev. Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. is the resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Along with the Cabinet, he gives pastoral and administrative leadership to over 1000 congregations, fresh expressions of church, campus ministries, and outreach initiatives in an episcopal area that stretches across the 44 western counties of the state.

Bishop Carter is the author of nineteen books, the most recent being "Unrelenting Grace: A United Methodist Way of Life." 

Read more about Bishop Carter HERE.

Buy "Unrelenting Grade: A United Methodist Way of Life" 

In today's world, "focus" is hard to come by. Our attention spans are shrinking by the minute and the worldly things that distract us become more and more enticing. We can easily lose the limited amount of focus we have and forget to keep our eyes upon the things that really matter in life. Wes Woodhouse shares his expertise with us so that we can learn how to put our focus on those things that matter most. To truly "pay" attention!

Guest Info

Welcome to our 50th episode! Thank you for listening! In this episode, we will hear from an incredibly brave woman who endured a devastating tragedy. She not only endured, but she grew closer to God and found an incredible hope throughout her experience. She shares all of this with us in this episode so we hope you'll check it out!

Guest Info

If you are listening to this episode and were born before the turn of the 21st century, then you may be looking at today's youth and wondering the same thing. How in the world can we help this younger generation be their absolute best when they are being raised in unprecedented times (COVID, technology, etc.) Our guest on this episode is not just talking about helping youth, he IS helping youth today and has a great deal of wisdom to share with all of us.

Guest Info

Motivational consultant, international speaker, and author Ahmard Vital has empowered people globally with his inspirational guidance and tips for self-development. Ahmard provides his audiences with the tools needed to achieve personal success, utilize willpower and determination, and develop strategies that will allow people of all ages to achieve personal and professional excellence.
 
After nearly a decade of studying the performance habits of high-achieving athletes, Ahmard has developed programs of inspiration and motivation that are beneficial to individuals, professionals, companies, and organizations worldwide.

In 2011, Ahmard published Awaken the Baller Within, which was quickly labeled as the “athlete’s life manual” by some pundits in sports media. This book was taught in more than a dozen colleges and close to fifty athletic departments and sports camps. As a mental performance coach, Ahmard helped secure more than $6 million dollars in scholarship monies and worked with athletes at the Division I level and the National Football League.

Not long after a successful career as a college football recruiting analyst with Scout.com, a
Fox Sports affiliate, Ahmard founded That Guy Media Group and expanded his platform to small business and nonprofit organizations where he focused on dream building, goal setting, and a relentless pursuit of the aforementioned. By teaching his audiences to recognize their strengths, and capitalize on the power that everyone harnesses within, individuals can realize previously unimagined levels of personal happiness and success.

Ahmard is becoming one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world, working in countries like Zambia and Abu Dhabi (UAE). In the United States, he’s inspired professionals at companies like the Boys and Girls Club, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Salvation Army. His college clients include Prairie View A&M, Houston Community College and West Texas A&M.

He published his second book, I Am More Than Enough, in April 2019 to address many of his clients’ confidence challenges in their personal and professional lives. When Ahmard is not traveling, speaking, or writing, he works as a humanitarian and teen ministry leader, volunteering his time to inspire youth to envision their futures beyond their challenges and circumstances. He is also an avid reader and fitness coach, teaching cycling classes in North Houston.

https://www.ahmardvital.com/

We all endure challenges in our lives. Then, down the road, we face a situation where someone else is having a challenge as well. Do we share our story? Does it matter? Would it really help? 

Our stories have power and this is one of the many ways God uses the challenges in our lives to bring about good for us and for others. But, how do we share our story? Should we? And how do we know it will actually make a difference?

Our guest on today's show has recently published a book that can answer these questions and she's gracious enough to share these thoughts on this episode. You will want to listen and take notes as Michelle shares her wisdom and parts of her own story!

Guest Info

Michelle Prince is a best-selling author, sought-after motivational speaker, self-publishing expert, leadership coach, and CEO/Founder of Performance Publishing Group, a “partner” publishing company dedicated to making a difference... one story at a time. She is an advanced certified Human Behavior Consultant and dedicates herself to helping leaders impact the world, using the strengths and talents already within them, to create an extraordinary life and exponentially grow their business. She’s helped thousands become published authors through her consulting, courses, seminars, and publishing services, and founded the “Book Bound Workshop.”  She has also published many successful books, including her best-selling Winning In Life Now, The Power of Authority, and her most recent book, SHINE Through Your Story.

Michelle is also an enthusiastic, dynamic speaker who captivates audiences with her authenticity, high energy, and natural ability to connect with any audience. She has been endorsed by some of the most influential speakers in personal development, including Zig Ziglar. She is a Ziglar Legacy Certified speaker/trainer and is honored to be named the Ziglar Brand Ambassador, representing the values and legacy of the late Zig Ziglar.

Michelle helps people ignite their passion, identify their purpose, achieve balance, overcome procrastination, unlock potential, be more productive, succeed in personal & professional goals, and lead an abundant life.

www.MichellePrince.com

www.ShineThroughYourStory.com

www.PrincePerformance.com

www.PerformancePublishingGroup.com