1 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Christian Parent Crazy World, the podcast that tackles 2 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: tough topics to help you be a godly parent in 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: an ungodly world. 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 2: I am your host, Catherine Seekers, and in today's episode, 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 2: we will tackle this very timely question, how do you 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: hold on to your faith when the holidays only magnify 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: what's been lost? Because for a lot of families, this 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: season isn't Mary and Bright. There's an empty chair at 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: the table because someone you love is gone, or a 10 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: relationship has fractured. Maybe a diagnosis came out of nowhere 11 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 2: and knocked to the wind right out of you. Maybe 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: your child is making choices that keep you up at night. 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: Maybe you've faced heartbreak, deep physical, soul level heartbreak right 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 2: in the middle of what was supposed to be a 15 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 2: joyful celebration now seems to be moving through the season 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: with ease, while you're just trying to breathe, trying to trust, 17 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 2: trying to believe that God is still good when life 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: fills anything. But so, what does faith look like? Then? 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: How do we cling to hope when hope is the 20 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: very thing that feels broken. It's hard, I know, but 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 2: hope and faith are bound together like sisters who never 22 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 2: stop searching for one another, and I have a holiday's 23 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 2: story to share with you, a story from my own 24 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 2: life about how they reunite in the most unexpected way 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: at Christmas. That's the ground we will cover in this 26 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: episode of Christian Parent Crazy World. So let's get started. 27 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: So Christian Parent Crazy World is about four and a 28 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: half years old, now, a little over, and every year 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: for Christmas, I feel like I need to do it's 30 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: a big idea for a Christmas episode, sometimes two. But 31 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 2: this year the idea wasn't big or flashy, it wasn't clever, 32 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: it wasn't even something I was planning to share. It 33 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 2: was just a part of my own story, a part 34 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: of my heart, something I think so many of us 35 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 2: struggle with during the holidays, that is hope. Sometimes life 36 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: can be unbelievably hard, and the holidays have a way 37 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 2: of turning up the volume on that kind of pain. 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 2: Everyone else looks merry and bright and filtered to perfection 39 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: on Instagram, and we're over here trying to make it 40 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: through our day on prayer and caffeine and sheer willpower. 41 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:49,239 Speaker 2: Hope often feels distant because we remember Christmases that look 42 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: nothing like this. When our kids were little and innocent 43 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: and still believed, believed in family, believed in God and 44 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: the Christ Child, our tables were full, no empty chairs, 45 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: no strained silences, no gaping voids where someone we love 46 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 2: used to sit. Or maybe maybe your ache looks a 47 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 2: little different. Maybe the chairs you longed to fill with 48 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 2: more giggles and tiny feet never filled at all. Maybe 49 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: the future you prayed for, the family, the marriage, the healing, 50 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 2: the prodigal returning hasn't materialized, not yet, and the gap 51 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 2: between what you hoped for and what your living feels 52 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 2: unbearably wide. It's so hard to find hope when you're 53 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 2: staring down disappointment and heartache or loss, especially when the 54 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: world around you is lighting candles and singing joy to 55 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: the world. And of course our Holy book is filled 56 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: with joy, but it's also filled with heartache, with lament, 57 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: and the holidays can magnify that kind of pain. And 58 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: it's in those places, those cracks in our story, those 59 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 2: moments when the life we're living feels nothing like the 60 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: life we believe God for that we start to wonder 61 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 2: if hope is even worth holding on to. We may 62 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 2: not say it out loud, but we feel it. Lord, 63 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: I don't see you, I don't feel you. I don't 64 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 2: understand what you're doing here. And how am I supposed 65 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 2: to hope for anything right now? But this is where 66 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: something sacred happens. Because hope and faith are not separate 67 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: things we juggle or trade off. They're intertwined. They breathe 68 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: in rhythm with each other. When one feels like it's fading, 69 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: the other rises to carry it. And I learned that painfully, 70 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: personally and profoundly through a story God wrote in my 71 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: own life. That's a story about two sisters, hope and faith, 72 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: who lives in heaven. And because of the one who 73 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: lives in heaven, the other now, praise God, she lives 74 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: here on earth. Literally one died so that the other 75 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 2: could live. And in the deepest season of my grief, 76 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 2: God used these two sisters to show me that our hope, 77 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 2: what we long for, what we wait for, what we 78 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 2: cannot yet see, rests safely in His hands. But our faith, 79 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 2: that daily strength we need to just keep going, that 80 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: lives right here with us on earth. So let me 81 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 2: take you back back to a season in my life 82 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: when hope felt impossibly far away, and faith was something 83 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: I had to fight for every single day. This wasn't 84 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 2: a theory for me. It wasn't a sermon or a 85 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: cute Christmas devotional. It was wraw, It was real, and 86 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 2: it unfolded in a way that only God could orchestrate. 87 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: Started in twenty fifteen when I was believing God for 88 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: a miracle, a miracle that honestly made no sense on paper. 89 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 2: It was a big, borderline ridiculous miracle. Because I was 90 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 2: forty five and I believed the Lord had promised us 91 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 2: one more child, a little girl. I had no idea 92 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 2: how much this journey would break my heart, it would 93 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 2: stretch my hope and strengthen my faith all at the 94 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 2: same time. Look, I've shared portions of this story before, 95 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 2: but I'm going to connect it in a way I 96 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: never have, and I hope you'll stick with me through this, 97 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 2: even if you've heard parts of this story before, Because 98 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: you see, I had dream after dream after dream this 99 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: little girl. And at first, I'll be honest, I wasn't 100 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 2: exactly on board with this journey. I wasn't begging God 101 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 2: for a baby at forty five, after all, we already 102 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 2: had four kids, and I've said this before. I did 103 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 2: not want to be in a medical journal. I didn't 104 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: want to be on the evening news. And you know 105 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 2: my last name is not Dougar. Having a second baby 106 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: in my forties wasn't exactly my idea, not at first, 107 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 2: but I knew God's plan is always better than mine, 108 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 2: and I believed this was his plan. Still, I threw 109 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: in a little caveat because I'm human. I told the Lord, 110 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: I want you to have this child before I turned 111 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 2: forty five. Well pro tip here, don't give God ultimatums. 112 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: That never really ends well for us. That's just some 113 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 2: bonus material for you right there. So when the window 114 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: of time for me to have a baby before I 115 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 2: turned forty five came and went, I figured, okay, you 116 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 2: know I must have been wrong. I must have miss 117 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 2: hurt God, and I stopped praying for this miracle girl 118 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: to come. And maybe you've been in a place like that. 119 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 2: You've truly believed God promised to do something, but it 120 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: didn't come in the timeframe you expected. So you let 121 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 2: the dream go. You protect your heart. You decide you 122 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 2: must have misheard God. And you know sometimes we do 123 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 2: miss hear God. Let's be real my track record isn't 124 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 2: exactly perfect in the hearing God department, but I've learned 125 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 2: that when my heart is completely surrendered to the Lord, 126 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 2: when I am close to Him in prayer, and when 127 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 2: I'm in that sweet spot with God, my spiritual antennet 128 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: gets a whole lot clear, and I can trust what 129 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 2: I'm hearing in my spirit from His spirit. And that's 130 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: where I was when I began believing God for this 131 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 2: fifth child. You know, I'll just warn you right now, 132 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 2: this journey gets kind of supernatural. It's honestly, it's kind 133 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 2: of weird. But honestly, that's just God being God. Because 134 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 2: if you read the Bible, which I highly recommend that 135 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 2: you do, by the way, you'll notice that God does 136 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 2: some weird stuff. So my story has dreams, it has 137 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 2: spoken words through trusted people, these little nudges that kept 138 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 2: my hope alive when I really had no reason to hope. 139 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 2: But as I said, my deadline for God came and went. 140 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 2: So I thought, well, that settles it. I must have 141 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 2: imagined all of this. But then in early November of 142 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 2: twenty fifteen, I had a dream, one that I could 143 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: not shake. In that dream, my husband and I were 144 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 2: in a doctor's office, and this room was just bathed 145 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 2: in bright light, and in my hands it was a 146 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 2: tiny embryo. Now, in the dream, it was larger than 147 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 2: an actual embryo, but I knew that it was magnified. 148 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 2: It was kind of like a like a hologram. It 149 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: was just it was a couple of inches tall. But 150 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 2: I just held her gently and stared. She was so small, 151 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: so fragile, so precious. And I woke up with one 152 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 2: overwhelming thought echoing in my soul. A child that small 153 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: could not possibly be alive in my hand. Now, normally 154 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: I write my dreams down, I process them, I pray, 155 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 2: I tell a friend. I've been doing that for decades. 156 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 2: But this one I wanted nothing to do with this dream. 157 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 2: It scared me, so I buried it because I thought 158 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 2: I must have been wrong. I'm way too old to 159 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: have a baby anyways, But you know, God loves to 160 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: tell stories about old women having babies. He does it 161 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 2: in both Testaments, so apparently this is the thing he 162 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 2: really likes to do. So a few weeks later, my 163 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 2: pastor's wife, who was also my Bible study partner at 164 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 2: the time, told me that she had a dream and 165 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 2: In it, I was in our Bible's study circle, very pregnant, 166 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 2: great with child, and I laughed and I said, well, 167 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 2: that must be some kind of spiritual pregnancy, because there's 168 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: no way I'm literally pregnant. But a few days later, 169 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,079 Speaker 2: the Friday before Thanksgiving, in fact, I took a pregnancy 170 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 2: test and there it was, was a faint double line, 171 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 2: and I was terrified. The first words out of my 172 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 2: mouth were, I'm too old. Not exactly faith filled, but 173 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 2: it was real. There you go, That's where I was. 174 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 2: But as I told my husband, excitement started to grow, 175 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 2: and my doctor confirmed it I was pregnant. We decided 176 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 2: to wait until Christmas to tell our families, and we'd 177 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 2: put the sonogram under the tree. But in the back 178 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 2: of my mind I couldn't shake that dream of the 179 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 2: tiny embryo. And then Thanksgiving morning, I had another dream 180 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 2: that I will never forget. In it, I had ordered 181 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 2: some baby items, and when I opened the mailbox they 182 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,559 Speaker 2: were there. I was so excited, but as I pulled 183 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 2: them out of the mailbox one by one, they were 184 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 2: all broken. Every single item was broken, and when I 185 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 2: tried to return them, the company told me that I 186 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 2: still had to pay the full price. It was unsettling, 187 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 2: the symbolism, it was hard to ignore. Just a few 188 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 2: hours later, at five pm, one hour before our Thanksgiving dinner, 189 00:12:48,160 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: I began to bleed so at the table that night 190 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 2: I had to tell my family two things at once. Hey, everybody, 191 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 2: I'm pregnant and I think I'm losing our baby a 192 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 2: miscarriage on Thanksgiving during our Thanksgiving feast. It felt cruel, 193 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: but he knew God wasn't cruel. He was still speaking, 194 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 2: he was still present, even in the heartbreak. He was 195 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 2: teaching me something about giving thanks, especially when it costs 196 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 2: us something. That day, I gave what Scripture calls a 197 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 2: sacrifice of praise. My heart was breaking, My hopes were shattered. 198 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 2: My faith was shaken, but still hanging on. My Dad 199 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 2: prayed over the meal, and he just kept saying, we 200 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 2: must have faith, We must have faith. And I held 201 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 2: on to that faith. Two days later, I woke up 202 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: with a single word pulsing inside of me, Hope, over 203 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 2: and over and over, Hope, Hope, Hope, and I knew, 204 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 2: I knew that that was her name, the child we lost. 205 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: We were to name her Hope, and I didn't even 206 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 2: realize that it was the first Sunday of advent, Hope Sunday. 207 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 2: Not yet when I did realize that I could not 208 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: believe it. We were naming our little girl Hope on 209 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 2: Hope Sunday. And she gave us so much hope, Hope 210 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 2: that God's promise wasn't dead, Hope that I could still 211 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: get pregnant, Hope that God would redeem what was lost. 212 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 2: And my pastor's wife, she gave me a little gift. 213 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: It was a tiny angel. It was a Hope Angel, 214 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 2: and she was just a couple of inches tall, exactly 215 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 2: like the little embryo in my dream. That angel. Every 216 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 2: single day as I grieved, she was the only tangible 217 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: thing I had to hold onto. But she wasn't here, 218 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: she was in heaven. And one day I wept because 219 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 2: I never got to hold our little girl. And then 220 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 2: God reminded me, yes, you did hold her. You held 221 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 2: her in your dream before you ever even knew she existed. 222 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 2: So I held that Hope Angel and prayed for the 223 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 2: child who would come next to the child. We already 224 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 2: knew that we would name Faith Evangeline, Faith, which means 225 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: the good News of our faith. And I started looking 226 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: for a little Faith angel the same size as my 227 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 2: Hope angel, something physically to hold onto while I prayed. 228 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 2: But I couldn't find one anywhere, Not in Christian bookstores, 229 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 2: not in the Hallmark store, not online like nowhere, I 230 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 2: could not find one. So every day I held on 231 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 2: to my Hope Angel and prayed. And the months world 232 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 2: by winter turned to spring and spring to summer, but 233 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 2: my womb stayed empty. Hope's do date was approaching fast, 234 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 2: and the closer I got, and the more painful it felt. 235 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 2: I had prayed so much, We had prayed five full 236 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 2: pages of Scripture over my body every single day, hours 237 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 2: upon hours upon hours of prayer. We were doing everything 238 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 2: we knew to do, and nothing was happening. And I wondered, again, 239 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 2: was I crazy? Did I miss here? God? Again? I 240 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: know our hope child is in heaven, but will this 241 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 2: faith child ever come to Earth? Then the morning of 242 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 2: Hope's do date came and the Holy nudged me to 243 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 2: take a pregnancy test. I didn't want to. It was 244 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 2: too early to tell, and I was too discouraged. I 245 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 2: didn't want another reason to grieve. But I took the 246 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 2: test anyways, and I walked away. I didn't want to 247 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 2: see the result. I came back a few minutes later 248 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 2: and I picked the test up, and I was going 249 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 2: to toss it in the trash, and I froze. I 250 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: couldn't bleeve my eyes. There were two bright, bold lines, 251 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 2: not faint, not questionable, bold, unmistakable lines, and the sign 252 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 2: of a cross. 253 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 3: It was positive. 254 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 2: I was pregnant on the very day that hope was due. 255 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 2: I couldn't make that up if I tried. Faith came 256 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 2: to us in the very day that our hope was due. 257 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 2: Now I'm telling you this, this pregnant he was not easy. 258 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 2: There was gestational diabetes, a fibroid tumor the size of 259 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 2: her head, a placental abruption at twenty six weeks, which 260 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 2: is incredibly dangerous. There was bed rest for months, a 261 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 2: six week hospital stay culminating in a bloody hospital room 262 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 2: that honestly looked like an episode of CSI, and emergency 263 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 2: C section. I lost a ton of blood, you guys. 264 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: It was rough. But our little girl, her miracle girl, 265 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 2: was fine. Our Evangeline Faith arrived perfectly healthy on February 266 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 2: twenty fifth, twenty seventeen. The Faith child had come. But 267 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 2: let me get back to that little faith angel. Remember 268 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 2: how I could never find one? This is so cool, 269 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 2: you guys. Well, while I was on bed rest at 270 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,959 Speaker 2: home at the end of the second trimester with our 271 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 2: little miracle girl, this was a full year after I 272 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 2: started my search for that little faith angel to match 273 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 2: my Angel of Hope, Well, my oldest daughter came bouncing 274 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 2: down the stairs and she said, Mommy, mommy, look what 275 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 2: I've found. 276 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 3: Isn't she beautiful? 277 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 2: And she handed me a tiny angel, exactly the size 278 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 2: I'd been looking for, and carved across her dress was 279 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 2: one word faith. Where did you get this? I asked, 280 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 2: perhaps a little too forcefully, and my daughter said, NONI 281 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,880 Speaker 2: gave her to us when I cried last year, she whispered. 282 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 2: Confused by my tears, I told her not to worry. 283 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 2: Mommy was just so happy to finally find her. I've 284 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 2: been looking for her for so long. I couldn't believe it. 285 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 2: I had been praying for this little faith angel, searching 286 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 2: for her for over a year. But she was already here. 287 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 2: She had been in our house all along. 288 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 3: I just didn't know it. And the Holy You're a 289 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 3: whispered to my heart. Hey, everybody, it's Christmas, which means 290 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 3: your house currently looks like the Shepherds ran through it. 291 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 3: Your to do list is longer than the Book of Leviticus, 292 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 3: and your kids are asking for gifts that costs more 293 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 3: than your first car. So let me give you a 294 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 3: little Christmas miracle free stuff that actually helps you parent. 295 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 2: Hm. When you subscribe at Katherine seekers dot com, I'm 296 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 2: going to send my ebook Beyond the Lies, where I 297 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 2: expose those cultural myths that whisper you are not doing 298 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: not while you're literally trying to keep tiny humans alive. 299 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 2: I'll also send my original scripture songs to help you 300 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: hide God's word in your heart or at least round 301 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 2: out Falise Navidad for five blessed minutes for the love. Yeah, 302 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 2: ange'll receive my Prodigal Bundle, which contains all of my 303 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 2: favorite resources for prodigal parents. Every week I will send 304 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 2: you one simple email, no fluff, no spam, no twelve 305 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 2: page epistle, thank you very much, just the key takeaways 306 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 2: from each episode, transcripts, yay, and what's coming next. So 307 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 2: this Christmas, give yourself a break. You don't need more 308 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 2: wrapping paper. Well maybe you do, but you definitely need 309 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: more peace. So visit Katherine Secrets dot com. 310 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 3: That's Catherine with. 311 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 2: His sea hit subscribe and let me pour some joy, 312 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 2: some scripture, and some sanity into your season. 313 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 3: Merry Christmas, everybody. 314 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 2: And the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart. You prayed 315 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 2: for her, and she came the moment you prayed. You 316 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 2: just couldn't see her yet. And this is the truth 317 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 2: that God has etched into my heart. You see, our 318 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 2: hope lives in heaven, but her faith lives here on earth. 319 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 2: Hope is with Jesus, the anchor behind the veil. Hope 320 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 2: is eternal, Hope is secure, Hope is held safe and 321 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 2: are heavenly home. But faith, Faith is for right now. 322 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 2: Faith is what gets us through the waiting. Faith is 323 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 2: what is born in the searching and in the darkness. 324 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 2: Faith is what grows when hope feels so so far away, 325 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 2: Because hope and faith are sisters. Sometimes sometimes here on earth, 326 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 2: hope seems lost. Sometimes hope feels buried. Sometimes hope feels 327 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 2: like it has died. But faith comes to life through 328 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 2: those very places of heartbreak. You may have dashed hopes 329 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 2: this Christmas. You may be staring at a diagnosis you 330 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 2: never imagined. A child who has wandered so far, a 331 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: financial mountain that feels immovable, a loss so heavy you 332 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 2: don't even have words to describe it. And hope feels 333 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 2: far away because sometimes it is. Sometimes our hope really 334 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 2: does live in heaven. And I know that personally because 335 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 2: in my own story, faith would never have come if 336 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 2: hope had stayed here on earth. They could not occupy 337 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 2: my womb at the same time, one had to leave 338 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 2: for the other to live. And as painful as that is, 339 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 2: there is a holy truth buried in it. Sometimes our 340 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 2: hope dies, and in that death our faith is born. 341 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 2: Faith grows in the very places hope once filled. Faith 342 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 2: rises in the empty spaces. Faith learns to breathe where 343 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 2: something precious has been laid to rest, and spiritually, the 344 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 2: He is true for each of us. Hope me feel 345 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 2: far away for you right now, out of touch, out 346 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 2: of sight, held safely in heaven by the God who 347 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 2: loves you. But your faith, your faith is here, living, breathing, 348 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 2: growing because Christ came a manual God with us, God 349 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 2: for us, God beside us. He stepped into our broken world, 350 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 2: into our longing, into our grief, and where He is, 351 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 2: faith lives. So if your hope feels crushed this Christmas. 352 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 2: Take heart, Your hope is safe in heaven, but your 353 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 2: faith is here and it is not fragile. It is 354 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 2: being fortified, strengthened, and shaped by the very God who 355 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:57,719 Speaker 2: knit you together. And He will redeem your suffering. He 356 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 2: will restore your hope, and He I will fulfill your 357 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 2: faith just as He did mine. Merry Christmas, my friends, 358 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 2: may hope anchor you and may faith carry you, because 359 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 2: they are sisters after all. And as we close out 360 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 2: this episode, I want to let you know that I 361 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 2: have a really fun best of episode next week that 362 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: has some really awesome holiday films that you may not 363 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 2: have seen. But I want to invite you to join 364 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 2: me for a very special New Year's episode of Christian 365 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,719 Speaker 2: Parent Crazy World in two weeks. Because if the holidays 366 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,120 Speaker 2: have felt heavy, and you're stepping into a new year 367 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 2: carrying some fears, some uncertainties, or giants that feel way 368 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 2: too big for you, you are not alone. Name right 369 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 2: there with you. We all face giants in our families 370 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 2: and our finances and our health and in our faith. 371 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 2: And in this special New Year's message, I'm going to 372 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 2: walk you through a very powerful and practical biblical strategy 373 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,640 Speaker 2: for slaying yours in twenty twenty six. So if you're 374 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 2: craving a fresh start, a renewed faith, and a clear 375 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 2: path forward, this is the message you need to launch 376 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 2: the new year with strength. So make sure you subscribe 377 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 2: over at Catherine seekers dot com and please join me 378 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 2: as we step into a faith filled new year together. 379 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 2: Ry Christmas, everybody. I want to thank you for joining 380 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 2: me today. Look, I know there are a lot of 381 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 2: things you could be listening. 382 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: To right now, and I really appreciate that you took 383 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 1: this time to spend with me. I hope you will 384 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: join me from a next podcast when we take aim 385 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: at some aspect of our culture that threatens to derail 386 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: our parenting and steal our kids' faith. If you enjoyed 387 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: this episode of Christian Parent Crazy World, would you consider 388 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: telling a friend and sharing it on social media and 389 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 1: giving it a good review over on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, 390 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: and follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and maybe you 391 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: could say that Christian Parent Crazy World is the best. 392 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 2: Podcast you've ever heard in your entire life. 393 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 1: Here we just a thought, and be sure to check 394 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: out my website, which is Katherine Segers dot com. 395 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 2: That's Katherine with the Sea. 396 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 1: I have lots of articles and resources there that will 397 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 1: help you on your parenting journey. 398 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 4: And if you subscribe, I will be sure to send 399 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 4: you some really cool free stuff and notify you of 400 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 4: future podcasts, articles, and blogs. 401 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 2: I want to end this and every episode with a 402 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 2: word of encouragement. 403 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 4: God gave you your kids, your specific kids for a reason. 404 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 4: That's because you hold the key to unlocking God created 405 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 4: them to be. 406 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 2: We'll see you next time. 407 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,239 Speaker 5: Parent Crazy World is a production of Life Audio and 408 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 5: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 409 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 5: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 410 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 5: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 411 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 5: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 412 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 5: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.