“Once upon a time in a faraway land…” is the language of fairy tales, and through them, a longing in the heart can well up. In this episode, Stasi shares that we identify with these stories because they speak to both our story and our identity—our longing to be pursued, fought for, and loved, and the truth that we are more than meets the eye. God’s promise is the promise of restoration, and in him, we can both discover and be restored to who we are truly meant to be. There is transformative...

The wonderful Jennie Allen joins Stasi for a conversation fueled by honesty and whimsy. Jennie shares her personal journey of falling in love with Jesus, her emotional awakening, and her fabulous new book, Untangle Your Emotions. She shares how emotional vulnerability and authenticity foster a closer relationship with God and community. Friends, there is great power in not walking alone in our pain, and because we are the focus of God’s affection, we can come to him honestly, where we will...

In April 2024, the Wild at Heart women’s team will be hosting what is likely the last Captivating Retreat in the U.S. But God has more on the horizon, including the invitation for you to experience the four-day retreat through Captivating CORE. On today’s podcast, Stasi shares with her dear friends, anointed teachers and longtime followers of Christ, Lisa Beck and Cherie Snyder, some of their favorite parts of the retreat. Captivating is a timeless message and a sacred treasure hunt to come...

On today’s podcast, Stasi shares the amazing depth of God’s love for each of us individually. As the great Romancer of our hearts, he uniquely pursues us as his beloved. Did you know that we can romance his heart as well? What does that look like? Friends, he loved us first, and we romance him as we love him back. Let’s unpack that a little together and sink more deeply into his extravagant love—and then, let’s romance his heart with our loving gaze. Stasi ends the podcast by leading us...

Stasi welcomes back writer, speaker, wife, and mother Sara Hagerty to discuss her new book, The Gift of Limitations. Sara writes, “What if your greatest weaknesses, the areas of your life you resent the most…are your doorway to rich intimacy with God? What if your limitations were, in fact, your greatest gift?” With vulnerability and wisdom, Sara encourages us to name the limitations we face, so we can both grieve them and surrender them to God. From there, we can lean into the love of God...

In today’s episode, Stasi invites Allen Arnold, author, speaker, and member of the Wild at Heart team, into the studio for an insightful conversation on his new book Risk the Real. Allen encourages listeners to step away from the artificial distractions of our modern world as well as the counterfeit narratives being offered, and instead embrace the story God is telling, the True Story and the one He created us to live authentically with Him in. The invitation is to be entwined with Jesus,...

We all face regret amid life's changes and losses, feeling the weight of missed opportunities and moments. The good news is that we also have a redemptive God who does not want us to be held captive by anything but his love. In today’s podcast, Stasi shares candidly about regret and resentment and the healing power of faith and forgiveness. Friends, the power of Jesus on the cross is more than enough to carry us, and nothing is out of reach for our God. May Stasi's words inspire hope as she...

Join Stasi in a heartfelt conversation with singer-songwriter Christy Nockels. Christy shares her journey to discover God's role in her creativity while realizing that our gifts can sometimes hinder our true desires. It was when she found God in the ordinary moments that she realized that the only thing God wanted from her was that she be his and find her identity in that. Christy has made worship her way of life, and as she has surrendered to God, she has uncovered his tender path to his...

On today’s podcast, Stasi invites Dove Award-nominated recording artist, worship leader, composer, and filmmaker Justin Rizzo to a conversation on creating with God. Justin describes how God's invitations led him to life-changing creative ministry projects. He also shares what God is teaching him about faith and risk. A deep lover of Jesus, Justin is a well of wisdom and encouragement, and this is an episode that will fill you with just that as we step into the New Year. ….. SHOW...

We all have questions. You have questions. Join Stasi and today’s special guest, her husband, John, as she poses questions sent in by listeners. They explore the topics of important daily practices, forgiveness, boundaries, waiting, and holding on to hope. This podcast is a treasure chest of insight and wisdom and will be helpful as you enter into the new year. ….. SHOW NOTES: ….. VERSES:  1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) — Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Psalm 49:7–9...

In today’s podcast, we delve into the meaning and history of Advent, a season of hope, expectation, and waiting. Stasi shares stories from her own family traditions, showing us that Advent means so much more than a countdown to Christmas. It is a time to reflect on faith, hope, joy, and peace. It is a time to remember how Christ came and all that he has done for us—while looking forward with great anticipation to the promise that he will come again and make all things new. ….. SHOW...

Join Stasi as she unpacks the book of Ruth, highlighting Naomi as well as the treasured characteristic of God's hesed. Stories like Naomi’s help us be honest with God about our own lament. Even in our deepest suffering, we are always seen, loved, and held, and our faithful God promises that He will never turn His face away. In fact, we can trust that even when we don’t see or understand, our God is always working on our behalf. He invites us to trust Him and to rest in His loyal love for us...

Stasi invites her son, author, and teacher, Blaine Eldredge, onto today’s podcast to talk about his new book The Paradise King. Blaine first shares a few stories of how he became a committed, passionate and “in process” follower of Jesus, and how his life’s journey led him to write this book. The Paradise King is a product of Blaine’s curiosity and quest to recover the story of God in the Bible, as well as his longing to share it with others in a relatable and historical narrative. Blaine...

Stasi is delighted to have Lisa Harper—speaker, author, scholar, and passionate follower of Jesus—on today’s podcast. With humor and honesty, Lisa shares her journey with Christ and the gracious unfolding of learning to be delighted in by God. God is a “with” God; he loves us so much that he chooses to be close to us no matter where we find ourselves and invites us to lean into him with confidence that we will be held and adored by the King of kings. We are divinely wired to be in intimate...

Stasi welcomes Nancy Carmichael back for an engaging conversation on the power of Christ in us. Through the pressures of life and outward circumstances, Nancy noticed herself shrinking back and losing focus on God’s deeper truths. God began to strip things away, bringing Nancy to a very vulnerable place, and it was there that she saw Christ in her. Friends, Christ dwells in us and remains with us. And we desperately need his life to infuse ours, to pour out of us, so that we can live the...

Stasi welcomes Karen Christakis and Stacey Burton of the Wild at Heart team into the studio for a candid conversation that quickly leads to how intentionally God is moving on our behalf—even when we aren’t able to see it. What matters most to Jesus is always our hearts, even more than rescuing us from the hard things we plead with him to change. As you listen to this podcast, you will hear the importance of stepping back to honor our stories in order to recognize the ways God is pursuing us...

"Surrender," in Hebrew, means "to align or arrange oneself under the command of a divine viewpoint." You literally turn away from the offerings of the world, the opinions of others, and your own strategies for achieving life and instead choose to stand under God’s divine viewpoint. When we cling to other things, believing they will satisfy our souls, we put something between us and God—actually, we put something in front of Him. They may be good things, but when they become highest in our...

We are meant to live from a place of rest. Today, Stasi talks about the book Sacred Rest with the author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. Dr. Saundra shares practical steps to find rest amongst the constant demands of life, saying “Staying busy is easy. Staying well rested, now there is the challenge.” She unpacks the 7 types of rest we need — not with another list that we have to master, but with the invitation to know and receive the goodness of God in ever deeper ways. When we learn to live from...

Stasi welcomes her dear friend Becky Allender on today’s podcast to discuss story work and the healing that can come through it. Story work is a way of honoring our life’s story and the ways it has shaped us and engaging the places we need care, compassion, and mercy. If this feels new to you, Becky also offers a simple place to start. Friends, each of us desires to be seen and known, and giving a voice to our story is a beautiful level of self-care that expands our hearts for Jesus to come...

Unanswered prayer or the perceived silence of God in the midst of suffering is one of the most difficult things to endure, yet it is something that every believer has experienced. There is a way forward in these hard times. Join Stasi today as she talks about this subject head-on and leads us to the truth that though we are not promised a life free from sorrow, we are promised that our God will be with us in it…with us, in fact, in every moment of our lives. ….. SHOW NOTES: ….. VERSES:  2...

In this episode, Stasi and guest Lisa Bevere – author and co-founder of Messenger International – share about the transformative power of Jesus' love. The conversation explores how we are each uniquely loved and reframes what it means to live a surrendered life. When we step into our identity as the daughters and sons of God, we are able to embrace the truth that who we are to God matters more than what we do for Him. ….. SHOW NOTES: ….. VERSES:  Psalm 139:5 (NIV) — You hem me in behind and...

Join Stasi for this delightful conversation with her friend Yolanda Weinberger. Yolanda is a wise and passionate woman who loves Jesus deeply, and it is an honor to listen as she shares her story. Yolanda tells of how she has fallen more in love with Jesus through her daily rhythms, her parenting of adult children, and as she battled cancer. In all of it, Jesus has pursued her with his faithful love in a way she can recognize – in the language of her heart. God desires for each of us to draw...

One of the ways we experience God is through the beauty of his creation. Beauty heals. Beauty refreshes. Beauty puts our souls at rest. Beauty speaks hope. In today’s podcast, Stasi, along with Polly Dodge and Jamie Goudie of the Wild at Heart team, share the ways they cultivate beauty, and why choosing to look for beauty is so important. Jesus is Divine Beauty, perfect, alluring, and glorious. When we ask him, he will help us find beauty even in desolate places, surprising us with it in...

Friends, have you ever felt distant and disconnected from God? Of course, you have. You are not alone in that. But what then? In today’s podcast, Stasi reminds us of the good news: while our feelings may fluctuate, God remains constant and unchanging. Even when we feel like God is hiding from us, we can know that He will never turn His face away. It is in the hard seasons that we come to know God’s grace even more deeply, and can come to rest in the truth that though our experiences may...