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Maybe you’ve grown up as a Christian going to church or maybe you’re not interested in religion at all. But when you’re scrolling, hanging out with friends, trying to sleep, or overwhelmed with your day-to-day, do big existential questions ever pop in- you know- things like, “Why am I here? How did all this get here? What happens after I die?” “Is there a God and is there really meaning to all this?” ”What’s so special about Jesus Christ?”
We’ve all experienced deep longing for something this world can’t seem to satisfy.
Even someone as wildly successful as Taylor Swift knows that to be true. “I had won album of the year at the Grammys for a second time...” She said, “and I remember thinking afterwards, ’Oh my god, that was all you wanted!... That was all you focused on. You get to the mountaintop and look around and you’re like... what now?”
If you’re tired and feeling overwhelmed with all the different voices yelling for your affections- telling you what to go after- whether it be success, beauty, the perfect partner, social media followers, money, or power… only to leave you let down and unsatisfied, searching for more… Maybe like my friends and me, you’re after finding something REAL.
Every week, join me (Janell Wood), special co-hosts and guests as we ask questions, look for answers, and search for the source of something REAL: Restoration, Eternity, Authenticity, and Love. I believe those things can ultimately be found in relationship with Jesus Christ, but don’t take my word for it. Listen to our conversations for yourself and go on a journey with us: Is Jesus the REAL thing?
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Happy Wednesday! (And sorry this is published SO late!)
This is a special podcast episode that recaps the mission of Finding Something REAL. Janell talks about themes of rejection, shame, guilt, beauty, truth, goodness, and the importance of truly seeing people.
We hope you enjoy!
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Josh White (August 2020)
FSR: Josh White (April 2021)
FSR: Josh White (December 2022)
FSR: Allen Crostic (Nov 22)
FSR: Allen Crostic (March 2021)
FSR :Allen Crostic (Feb 2021)
FSR April 2020 with Allen Crostic (April 2020)
Lucrezia’s Episodes (March 2021)
Intro
with Terrian
with Drew
with Stephanie
with Brenna
FSR: Justin Brierley (April 2021)
FSR: Stephanie Rousselle (March 2021)
FSR: Gernot Zeillinger (June 2022)
FSR: Lindsey Medenwaldt (March 2022)
FSR: Kristin Desgrosselier (Dec 2019)
Cross Examined Instructor's Academy
EF High School Exchange Year
MAVEN
Calvary Chapel Osuna Campus
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Hello all! I hope you’re having a great summer so far!
Today on the podcast, we welcome Katie Westenberg. As well as sharing about her faith journey, Katie chats about distractions as well—how they affect us and what we can do to combat them. She talks about the weight of comparison and the fear of missing out, the power of Biblical remembrance, and spiritual disciplines. They also talk about the anxiety about the choice to live a less distracted life and what we can learn from Jesus’ example
We hope you enjoy the episode!
About Katie
Katie is the author of But Then She Remembered and I Choose Brave, and contributes to Club 31 Women, the Huffington Post, The Gospel Coalition, and Mothers of Daughters. Katie is passionate about speaking truth and encouraging women to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. Katie and her husband live with their four children in Washington State.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Katie’s Website
I Choose Brave book
And Then She Remembered
Atomic Habits - James Clear
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Warning: Discussion of sensitive topics related to mental health
Happy Wednesday! Today on the Finding Something REAL podcast, we’re sharing a conversation between Janell and today’s guest Amber Cullum!
Amber shares about growing up in a culturally Christian home in Kentucky, her rebellious phase, and how her faith was impacted by a missions trip to India. She also shares about her podcast ministry, how it’s impacted her faith, and how she doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Amber shares about her experience with depression and the practical things that have helped her cope (including medication, exercise, and the Bible).
We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Amber
Amber Cullum is the host behind the Grace Enough podcast. She is a wife to Sam, a mother of 3, a physical therapist, a Kentucky native living in Raleigh, and a lover of connecting with people and learning the stories of God’s grace in their lives.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Dagmar’s previous FSR episodes
Jillian’s website
The Gift of the Unexpected - Jillian Benfield
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Happy Wednesday, friends! We hope you are having a wonderful Summer!
Today on the podcast, Dagmar joins Janell as we welcome Jillian Benfield. Jillian shares her faith journey and about how the events of her life encouraged her to write a book about embracing the unexpected. She shares about the grief and emotions she experienced when she found out that she was expecting a son with disabilities and how she experienced peace and God’s presence at the time of his birth.
The group also talks about how the Psalms relate to our relationship with God, how God brings life in our circumstances, and why resurrection is a theme of this life, not just the life to come. We hope you enjoy!
About Jillian
Jillian is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. As a freelance writer, her essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such asTODAY,Good Morning America,Yahoo! News, andABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings, in her community, and as a part of the National Down Syndrome Congress’s NationalDown Syndrome Advocacy Coalition. Jillian and her husband, Andy, and their three children make their home on Florida’s Space Coast.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Dagmar’s previous FSR episodes
Jillian’s website
The Gift of the Unexpected - Jillian Benfield
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Finding Something REAL Podcast!
Today, Janell and Sevanna have a conversation with Tricia Goyer! Tricia shares some of her story of being a teen mom, her experience praying for her future husband, and how God has played a part in that. They also talk about the proper place of physical intimacy in relationships, what to do if you feel like God is leading you out of a relationship, and more!
We hope you enjoy this podcast!
About Tricia
Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.
This USA-Today Best-selling Author has also won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference.
Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She recreates historic wartime eras with precise detail through comprehensive research and is a beloved author of Amish fiction, as well, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna and Jason
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna and Janel
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna (bonus episode)
FSR Dec 2020 with Tricia Goyer
Tricia Goyer
Robin Jones Gunn
Before You Meet Your Future Husband - Goyer
Praying For Your Future Husband - Goyer
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for joining us on the Finding Something REAL Podcast!
Today, Janell and Leonie have a conversation with Francine Rivers the author of Redeeming Love. Francine shares about her faith journey and how it is reflected in her writing. She talks not only about the story of Redeeming Love, but also about the Redeeming Love Foundation and the recently released Redeeming Love movie. They also discuss topics such as how Christians can still be imperfect, pushback Francine has received from the Redeeming Love movie, the Christian publishing market, and more. We hope you enjoy!
** Please note that today’s episode does cover topics such as sex and sex trafficking. **
About Francine
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers had a successful writing career in the general market for several years becoming a born-again Christian; she then wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. A retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush, Redeeming Love is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction and it continues to be one of the industry’s top-selling titles year after year. Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous bestselling novels with Christian themes—including The Masterpiece, Bridge to Haven, and A Voice in the Wind —and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the world. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. Francine and her husband live in Northern California and enjoy time spent with their grown children and grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR s5e26 with Leonie
FSR August 2022 with Leonie and Frank Turek
Francine's website
Redeeming Love Foundation
Redeeming Love (Book)
Redeeming Love Movie
The Scarlett Thread (book)
The Atonement Child
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Welcome to Wednesday! Today on the podcast, Gaia chats about her podcasting journey. She mentions what has been most impactful for her and what her biggest takeaways are.
We also welcome Vaneetha Risner to the podcast! Vaneetha shares her story of having polio and the suffering it caused throughout her life. She talks honestly about struggling with the idea of faith and how she came to believe in Jesus. She also talks about how losing her son, Paul, caused her to angerly turn from God and her experience of returning to him. Vaneetha graciously shares this and so much more of her story in today’s episode. We hope you are encouraged.
About Vaneetha
Vaneetha Risner is passionate about helping people find hope in their suffering. All her books: the Bible Study, Desperate For Hope, her memoir, Walking Through Fire, and the devotional, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, encourage readers to turn to Christ in their pain. Some of her greatest joys are being a wife to Joel and a mother to Katie and Kristi. She writes regularly for Desiring God, and has been featured on Family LifeToday, Joni & Friends, and Christianity Today.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR March 2021 with Brenna Blain
FSR August 2020 with Josh White
FSR: April 2021 with Josh White
FSR: December 2022 with Josh White
Vaneetha’s website
Desperate for Hope - Vaneetha Risner
Walking Through Fire - Vaneetha Risner
The Scars That Have Shaped Me - Vaneetha Risner
Desperate For Hope Podcast with Vaneetha Risner
Grace Enough Podcast with Amber Cullum
Joni Eareckson Tada
Priscilla Shirer
Believing God Bible Study - Beth Moore
When God Weeps - Joni Eareckson Tada
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Another Wednesday, another episode! We are excited to bring you a new episode of the Finding Something REAL Podcast! In today's episode, Gaia shares some of her current feelings about faith and how her Journey is going so far. We are also excited to introduce Lindsey Ponder. Lindsey talks about her personal faith journey and a bit about The Bible Project. Then the group has a discussion about the Bible and seek to answer questions such as; Why should we read the Bible? How can we trust the Old and New Testaments? They also chat about authoritative vs submission issues, sin, and more. We hope you enjoy the episode!
About Lindsey
Lindsey Ponder is a teacher and author passionate about understanding the Bible in its original context so that we can glean its wisdom for our own. A producer at BibleProject, Lindsey helps manage the organization’s internationally acclaimed podcast. Lindsey is part of the family at Kessid Church, where she serves as a member of the teaching team and as a worship leader. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Lindsey is currently in pursuit of a Masters of Divinity at Western Seminary. When she’s not studying or teaching, Lindsey enjoys hiking with her beloved dog and hearing someone’s story over (copious amounts of) coffee.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR March 2021 with Brenna Blain
The Bible Project | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok
Bible Project Paradigm Series: Who Wrote the Bible?
Kessid Church (Vancouver WA)
Moody Bible Institute
Western Seminary