May 20, 2022
Today, I have an incredibly special conversation to share with you. Lisa Appelo is a writer, speaker, Bible study teacher, and homeschooling Mom of 7. As a young couple, Lisa and her husband had a vision of how they thought their life would unfold, and the Lord redirected those plans a number of times. One of the biggest things they never saw coming was that her husband, and high school sweetheart, passed away very suddenly. After this devastating loss, Lisa began trying to navigate life with her children ranging at the time from ages 4 to 19, and as a woman whose life had been so tightly woven together with her partner’s, and a woman who had always believed in and loved the Lord, but needed Him to be near, and real and good to her in a way she had never known before.
In her new book, Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It Falls Apart, and in our conversation today, Lisa shares what her journey of grief, wrestling with God, and truly depending on Him looked like in those first tender days and weeks, but even now as she continues to walk with the same God who has always been near to the brokenhearted in this broken world. We talk about some of the big questions we honestly ask in lament before our Maker like: are you going to be there for me? How are you going to provide for me? How are you going to fix these broken hearts? Are you really good? Is God doing this to me? Is He a mean God? As Lisa sought out God in His word and experienced His tangible care through those around her, she wrestled through these questions and shares today the difficult but life-giving process of turning to the Lord in crisis, and not turning away from Him. God has healing and purpose in everything He calls us to, and He is truly good. I know this is an episode many, many people need to hear and I pray it ministers to you today.
Just remember the pain you see around you, or that you personally know, this is not how the story ends. You matter, and your story matters.
Today’s episode sponsor: Tony Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
Home buyer guide: http://bit.ly/buyersguidecrabtreehomes
Seller guide: http://bit.ly/sellerguidecrabtreehomes
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!!!! I would be honored to have your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going! You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return.
Connecting with Lisa:
References:
Lisa’s book Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It Falls Apart
The science of tears (sidebar, apparently in Japan there are clubs called rui-katsu- its fascinating)
The Bible Recap (the Bible reading chronologically in a year plan I used)
Lisa’s 7 Day Bible Study 7 Days of Hope for Your Shattered Heart
Mount Sinai is NOT a tiny hill. Moses climbed it (by some accounts 8 times)
Resource for working through a process of Biblical lament
Scripture References:
John 15 (as one example)- God created us to live in trust and dependence on Him
Deuteronomy 4:30, 2 Samuel 2:27, Romans 8, 1 Peter 5:7-( a few examples) God truly cares about us in a deeply personal way
Romans 8:27- The Spirit knows our groans
Psalm 34:18- The Lord is close to the broken-hearted
Psalm 68:5-He’s a father to the fatherless
Jeremiah 17:9- The heart is deceitful
Matthew 16:23, Matthew 21:12-13- Jesus got angry too (but didn’t sin)
Psalm 63 being thirsty in a dry land
John 16:13-The Spirit speaks truth to us
Psalm 56:8- God keeps our tears in a bottle
Hebrews 10:23- (just one of my faves) God is faithful
Joshua 21:45- God keeps His promises
Romans 8:28- God is working
Psalm 27:13 AMPC (one of my faves) -God’s goodness
Ecclesiastes 1:9- There is nothing new under the sun
Matthew 6:9-13- Give us this day our daily bread
John 16:33- In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart
Job, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10- (just a couple of examples)- God can cause suffering
Isaiah 53, Luke 22:44, Luke 23:26-43 -Jesus suffers
Mark 6:1-13, Mark 14:50 (just a few examples)- He knows what it’s like to experience rejection
Matthew 26:36-46- He knows what it's like to feel loneliness
John 11:25-44, He knows what it's like to watch death and grieve it
Genesis 1, John 1:1-5-Jesus was in the beginning, and He knows what life is supposed to look like from the Garden
Psalm 27:13-14-I would have lost heart if I had not believed I would see God’s goodness, wait on the Lord
Exodus 32 (on example)Moses’ struggle to go up and down the mountain (and the hurt with the betrayal of the people)
Exodus 20:18-21- Some of the Israelites didn’t want to approach the mountain
2 Corinthians 4:18- Fix your eyes
Exodus 16- The manna began
Exodus 34:28- Moses’ 40 days on the mountain and fasted
Matthew 4:1-11- Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness
Exodus 17:8-14- Moses needs help to keep his hands up
Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories
Podcast:
Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com