Rediscovering Joy in Your Walk with God | Interview with Asheritah Ciuciu

Rediscovering Joy in Your Walk with God | Interview with Asheritah Ciuciu

Are you doing all the “right” Christian things but still struggling to feel joy? You’re not alone.

In this heartfelt conversation with special guest, Asheritah Ciuciu, we talk about what it means to move from duty to delight—from trying to earn God’s love to truly enjoying it.

Together we’ll explore the simple rhythms that restore joy and the freeing truth that we were created for delight—not performance. If your faith feels weary or stuck, this episode will remind you that joy isn’t just for eternity; it’s for right now.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Asheritah on Instagram!

Connect with Asheritah on Facebook!

Delighting in Jesus: Rhythms to Restore Joy When You Feel Burdened, Broken, or Burned-Out

Visit Asheritah's Website

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the Prayers of Rest podcast. Asheritah is the author of many books, including Full, Prayers of Rest, and Unwrapping the Names of. A Romanian missionary kid, she's passionate about helping people around the world enjoy through creative spiritual habits. Asheritah is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they raise their three spunky kiddos in NE Ohio. Discover your creative devotional type at www.OneThingAlone.com.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

 

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

On Our Way Home: Finding Hope in the Face of Death | Interview with Colleen Chao

On Our Way Home: Finding Hope in the Face of Death | Interview with Colleen Chao

What do you really believe about heaven?

When faced with her own terminal diagnosis, author Colleen Chao discovered that heaven wasn’t a faraway idea. It was a living hope that changed how she faced each day.

In this moving episode, Colleen shares the peace, beauty, and courage that come from fixing our eyes on eternity—even when life on earth is marked by suffering. Her words will stir your heart, strengthen your faith, and remind you: this isn’t the end of the story.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

On Our Way Home: Reflections on Heaven in the Face of Death

Visit Colleen's Website

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Colleen Chao is an editor, writer, and former English teacher. During her unexpected chapter of singleness, she traveled and explored new places, mentored young women, sang and acted, and spent unhealthy amounts of time at coffee shops. In 2010, at age 34, she married strong and handsome Eddie Chao, and eleven months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Jeremy. 

In 2017, after a long journey through chronic pain and illness (both her own and her son’s) Colleen was diagnosed with breast cancer. After intensive chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, Colleen enjoyed two years of clear test results—but in Spring 2021 she learned that the cancer was back, and it was terminal this time. Out of this indescribable sorrow has come stunning beauty, and Colleen’s desire is to spend the remainder of her days sharing this beauty with others who suffer.

When she’s not visiting a doctor or wrangling words, Colleen enjoys the beautiful outdoors, side-splitting laughter, and half-read books piled bedside. She makes her home just outside Boise, Idaho with Eddie and Jeremy, and their dog, Willow.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

 

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

Give Me One More Reason to Stick With Church | Interview with Dr. Carmen Joy Imes

Give Me One More Reason to Stick With Church | Interview with Dr. Carmen Joy Imes

Do you ever feel left out, overlooked, or like you don’t quite belong? In a world where loneliness is at an all-time high, what if the belonging you’ve been searching for has already been given to you? In today’s conversation, Dr. Carmen Joy Imes invites us to rediscover God’s vision for community and connection. In her new book, Becoming God’s Family, Carmen helps us see how the Bible reshapes our understanding of belonging—not as something we achieve, but as a gift we receive in Christ. If you need one reason to give God’s family one more try, join us for this important conversation.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Carmen on Instagram

Connect with Dr. Carmen on Facebook

Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters

Visit Dr. Carmen's Website

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is an associate professor of Old Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in Southern California. She is the author of Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters. Carmen has a YouTube channel where she releases weekly Torah Tuesday videos and you can find her writing on various websites, including Christianity Today, The Well, and The Politics of Scripture blog. Carmen is passionate about equipping the church to engage the Old Testament well and to see its relevance for the Christian life.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

 

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

Finding Hope When Faith Feels Broken | Interview with Catherine McNeil and Jason Hague 

Finding Hope When Faith Feels Broken | Interview with Catherine McNeil and Jason Hague 

Does your faith feel fragile, distant, or broken? You’re not alone. In this episode, Jason Hague and Catherine McNiel share how a mid-faith crisis can actually be the doorway to a deeper, more resilient walk with God.

Doubt isn’t the end of your faith—it may be the beginning of something new. In this powerful conversation, my guests share their personal stories of grief, unmet expectations, and doubt—and how God met them in the middle of the mess. Together, we’ll explore why seasons of crisis can be fertile ground for deeper growth, how to let go of false certainties, and how to embrace a faith that is more resilient, honest, and rooted in God’s goodness.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Jason on Instagram and Facebook

Connect with Catherine on Instagram and Facebook

Mid-Faith Crisis Book

Visit Catherine's Website

Visit Jason's Website

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Catherine McNiel is a chaplain, author, editor, and speaker searching for the creative, redemptive work of God in our ordinary lives. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, three children, and one enormous garden. Catherine holds an MA in human service counseling and is finishing a Master of Divinity at North Park Theological Seminary. Her previous books include Fearing Bravely, All Shall Be Well, and Long Days of Small Things, which was an ECPA finalist for New Author.

Jason Hague is the associate pastor of Christ’s Center Church near Eugene, Oregon, and the author of Aching Joy: Following God Through the Land of Unanswered Prayer. Jason has written extensively on the subject of the Christian faith and autism, special needs families, and his own spiritual journey toward hope for his own nonspeaking autistic son. His writing has appeared in Christianity Today, Focus on the Family, and Fathom. He and his wife have five children.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

 

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

Lies Satan Tells You (and 3 Truths That Set You Free)

Lies Satan Tells You (and 3 Truths That Set You Free)

Hi friends,
 
Thank you for joining me for this week's Happy Monday! A warm welcome to our new friends from Saturday's Urbancrest Women's Conference.
 
Today's Happy Monday is about recognizing three lies from Satan—and three truths from God—to help you silence those lies and stay connected to Him.
 
It's no secret that Satan likes to mess with us. Known as the Deceiver, he uses temptation, distraction, shame, and our unhealed pain as wedges to pull us away from trusting God. If he can get you to step back even a little, he'll slip a lie into that gap. If you don't notice, that lie will weave itself into your life, leaving you afraid of God, anxious about the future, hopeless, or trapped in sin.

Becky (left) and Patty (holding her service dog) drove four hours from Pennsylvania to Lebanon, Ohio for my Urbancrest Women's Conference on Saturday. They joined our Happy Monday community after I spoke at an Aspire Event in Plum, PA. Becky leads Bible study and her group did the Surrendered Study last year. Patty is walking again after a year of being bedridden. She's praising God that she's up and mobile again. It was so nice to see them! 

Satan loves to play his lies like a Spotify playlist—on repeat. Here are a few of his greatest hits:
 
You are all alone.
You've made too many mistakes for God to use you.
You can't come back to God until you get yourself together.
God likes you a little less when you forget to pray or read your Bible
You deserve the bad things that happen to you.
If you make a mistake, God's gonna get you.
You're too young or too old for God to use you.
 
What lies do you hear? If you're not sure, here's your assignment: pay close attention to your thoughts today. What condemning, fear-inducing thoughts or dire predictions keep repeating in your mind? Write them down, then open your Bible to see if they align with God's Word.
 
While I'm not a fan of giving Satan too much attention, we must stay aware that he's always looking for an opening to dangle a lie in front of us. Friend, these lies are straight from the pit of hell! The best way to cut off Satan's lies is with the power of God's Word.
 
Let's look at three common lies and silence them with God's truth. His Word is our sword that cuts through the shadows of fear and falsehood. When we stand on Scripture, we don't just recognize what's true; we begin to live in the freedom and abundance Jesus promised us (Hebrews 4:12–13; John 10:10 NLT). At the end of today's devotion, I've included a powerful spiritual warfare prayer to help you speak God's truth over your life.
 
Lie #1: God doesn't love you because you messed up.
Truth #1: Nothing can make God stop loving you.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. —Romans 8:38 NLT
 
Lie #2: God doesn't care about you or your problems.
Truth #2: God is present with you in every struggle.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
—Isaiah 43:2 NLT
 
Lie #3: God could never forgive what you've done.
Truth #3: There's nothing too big or bad for God to forgive when we humbly ask.
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
—1 John 1:9 NLT
 
I don't know what's happening in your life or what you've been through, but I suspect many of you needed one or more of these verses today.
 
Recently, I had a terrible day because I believed a lie Satan slipped in after a difficult counseling session. I returned to Christian counseling to work through an issue. I'd been praying, fasting, and surrendering, but I was stuck. After a few session I experienced a spiritual breakthrough, but the answer to my prayer was hard to hear.
 
I realized my error mistake and after I took accountability, I started beating myself up. I was so focused on my failure that I didn't notice Satan slipping a lie into my hurting heart: “You've been wrong about everything.” Oh, that one cut deep.
 
For the rest of the day, I blamed myself for everything that had gone wrong in my life and my kids' lives. When friends checked on me, I sent back a dramatic, dark text. One dear friend replied, “Barb, you are believing some ugly narratives.”
She was right. Yet, in my hurt and pain, I couldn't see the lie. It wasn't until another friend, Marna text back a prayer that acknowledged the spiritual warfare and declared God's truth over me.
 
That text prayer pierced through that dark lie. God's truth cleared my mind almost instantly. After a full day of despair, regret, and anger, I could finally see the deception. I was shaken by how easily that lie slipped in under my pain—but praise God for girlfriends who saw the lie when I couldn't.
 
This is why we need a trusted community around us. When it comes to spiritual warfare, we can't forget the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, which reminds us that we need others to help us when we're struggling. We should never try to fight the enemy's schemes alone.
 
I'm closing today's devotion with my friend's prayer, because I think someone reading this devotion needs this prayer today:
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU: Hit reply and write “Not today, Satan” if one or you needed to read today's devotion or receive that prayer. What lies do you need to silence with God's Word. Keep reading those verses all day today!
 
Share today's devotion with a friend who needs it!

After I wrote this devotion, I remember Marna gave this mug to me as a Christmas gift a year or two ago. 

PRAISE IS A WEAPON AGAINST LIES! CHECK OUT MY “PRAY LIKE THIS” SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!

TWO NEW BOLD, BRAVE, & BEAUTIFUL PODCAST EPISODES!

This week, I'm celebrating two friends with TWO amazing new books! These are conversations on the podcast that you don't want to miss. Becky and Alexandra are phenomenal authors and communicators. On my podcast, they share their powerful  stories, fresh Biblical insights, and practical ways to deal with anxiety and let go of offense. Enjoy both episodes - I sure did!

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