Conversations with Erin & Jill - What to say & what not to say to someone struggling with depression & anxiety

At some point in our lives, we all go through heartbreak and loss.
It's the most difficult, painful experience to navigate.

How do you deal with it?
Is it possible to have joy in the midst of heartbreak?
Is it possible to still have hope after loss?

In this week's episode, we share our experience with heartbreak and loss, and what we've learned as a result. We also talk about what God has shown us through our greatest loss and the healing He has brought through our deepest heartbreak.

Words to remember:
"Although loss is so hard and so heartbreaking, there is also redemption in loss. There is saving power in loss." - Erin
"Cry out to Him, go to Him, wrestle with God. Talk to Him. Express your anger and your sorrow, your fear, your loss. He understands, and He knows exactly how to heal your broken heart." - Jill 

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

Have you ever prayed over and over again about something and felt like God was distant, maybe even non-existent?
Have you been in a relationship with God for a long time and lately it seems like He is no where to be found?
Are you overwhelmed by what's going on in your life and no matter how much you've prayed God seems silent? It's as if He doesn't see or care about what you're going through?
You're not alone.
In fact, what you're going through and how you're feeling about God is very common.
We talk about it in today's episode and hope that what we share encourages you.   

Words of truth:

"When God speaks, it will always be in line with His word and the truth of who He is, His character. You will know when God is speaking, because His voice is so different than any other voice you will hear. And when you are in His word, if you know who God is, you will know what's His voice and what's not." - Erin 

"God wants us to hear his voice. He's not hiding from us." - Jill 

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

In the fast paced, highly advanced, materialistic, chaotic culture we live in, it's easy to get distracted. On any given day we're all inundated with information pulling us in a thousand different directions. Pulling us away from what matters most - our relationships and more specifically our relationship with God. 
 
 In today's episode, we talk about how to stay connected to God in a culture that tries to push Him out of everything. We share what has helped us prioritize our relationship with Christ over everything else. Ultimately, culture can try to take God out of everything, but it can never take God out of us. 

Quotes: 

"We can't know what to do in a culture that's stripping God out of it unless we know God, unless we know His will, unless we know His character, unless we know that He's good and faithful and kind and loving." - Jill

"Our culture can try to take God out of everything. But culture cannot take God out of us. We belong to Him." - Erin 

"We do not find our true self by seeking it. Rather, we find it by seeking God. For I have said, in finding God, we find our truest and deepest self."  - David G. Benner

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

Love is the point... Of everything. 
We were created and called to love God and love others. 

On Valentine's Day, a day that is supposed to represent "love," we decided to talk about God's love and why it's the most important and powerful gift you'll ever receive. Once you know His love, you can't help but love others... including your enemies.

And lastly... Happy Birthday to Hunter and Jim Kelly!!
In today's episode, we also talk a little bit about Hunter's love and how his life taught us the love of God. 

Join the conversation! 

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

With Cam home from college for a few days we decided to invite her to join us on the podcast. 
This is a fun, light-hearted conversation where we talk about a few things we love - faith, family, football, and fashion! 

This episode is a reminder to appreciate and spend time with the people you love... the people God has placed in your life.

Cam is an amazing person and has so much to give, so this will definitely not be her last time on the podcast. Many more to come!

We hope as you listen to this episode you smile, laugh, and get to know us a little better! 

Sneak Peak Quotes:
"Jim, you really need to change your outfit." - Jill
"It's not like it was a trend... it was just a Cam thing." - Cam
"Thank God for Josh Allen coming in and just taking this team over. We finally have hope now that we can actually make it to the Super Bowl." - Erin
"You guys go to battle for each other in every instance, and I'm just so thankful that you have that relationship with each other." - Jill
"It doesn't matter what you're going through, God is always there, and Hunter was just a sign of that." - Cam

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

This episode is based on three very important questions we received...
1. How do you deal with being anxious about the future?
2. How do you know what God's will is for your life?
3. How do I know what God created me to do? 

At some point in everyone's life these questions have been asked. 
In this episode we share what we've learned and what God says in His word.
We're all a work in progress and have so much to learn. 

Join the conversation! 

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

Expectations... 
We all have them... Of others. Of ourselves. Of God. 

It's hard to have expectations and it can be even harder to try and meet the expectations of others. 
But the hardest part... trusting God with the expectations of the people you love.

But there's a way to navigate all of this in a way that brings freedom. 
We're talking about it today on today's Conversations with Erin & Jill!

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

Because of the overwhelming response we received and all of your questions, we decided to continue the Conversations with Erin and Jill! 

So many people reached out to us about mental health. In today's episode, we talk about what to say and what not to say to someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety. We've both struggled with depression and anxiety. We've received words that hurt and words that heal. And what we share today is based on what we've walked through. We hope and pray that you are encouraged! 

Disclaimer: Everything we share regarding mental health is based on our own journey. We are not mental health professionals. Please understand that we are not suggesting that you do exactly what we have done. We simply want to share our story in hopes of encouraging you in your own story. 

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

Welcome to 100th Episode!

It's hard to imagine that we have recorded 100 episodes for the Light Your Heart with Hope podcast.
To make this episode even more special and memorable we decided to record with our entire family. 
We talk about faith, family, and of course... football.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for listening and being a part of this incredible journey!
We have so much more planned for 2024!
And we trust that God will continue to do immeasurably MORE than we can ask or imagine.

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.

We are so thankful for all that God did through this podcast in 2023 and we can't wait for all that's in store for 2024!

In today's episode, Erin does a quick recap of her favorite quotes and verses that were shared in episodes over the last year - truths that apply to every day of every year! Then Erin gives a glimpse into what God walked her through in 2023 and how she's walking into 2024. 

Happy New Year!!!

Learn more about our Podcast, Episode Guests and Hunter's Hope here.