Grief doesn’t always look like losing someone. Sometimes, it’s the ache of a dream that never came to life, a future that didn’t unfold as you’d hoped, or a relationship that was taken away.

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose speaks with Jan Johnson, a 72-year-old woman who has endured many adversities – from miscarriage and widowhood to estranged children, abandonment, rape and cancer. More recently, she has experienced the loss of a relationship with a grandchild who was kidnapped by her own father.

Jan shares how she’s learned to trust God through it all by grounding herself in His word, reflecting on His past faithfulness, and maintaining an eternal perspective. She offers words of encouragement to grieving hearts, reminding listeners that God uses tribulations to build our testimony of faith and draw us closer to Himself.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“We go through the trials and tribulations because that’s where we come closest to Him. He’s building my testimony to share with somebody else that might be going through it.”

-“I have learned to trust Him, which is just a hard thing to do. But you only learn that through going through hard things. If you don't go through hard things, you don't need to trust Him.”

-“If He doesn't answer in the here and now, He still has a big picture of how it's going to work, whether we understand it or not. And that’s where your trust comes in.”

-“We need to go back and write down those things and say, this is where God came through in my life. This is where He hasn't come through yet – but He will.”

-“God takes you through deep waters. He's right there and you just have to keep in the Word because if you don’t, you just get lost.”

Connect with Jan:

Website: https://jan-johnson.com/

Just Talkin About Jesus Podcast: https://justtalkinaboutjesus.buzzsprout.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justtalkinaboutjesus

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.johnson.5201

Substack: https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2A4VkhcFV4

What’s the soundtrack playing in your mind? Are you rehearsing all the ways you messed up, fell short, or "should have" done better? What if you could quiet that inner bully and finally believe the truth about yourself?

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose speaks with Carol Feil (61), a writer, speaker, and self-described cheerleader of women. Carol sheds light on the importance of paying attention to our thought life, encouraging women to recognize, root out, and replace the lies with this truth: you are seen, known, and deeply loved by God.

Carol also discusses how grounding ourselves in our identity in Christ can help us navigate expectations, rejection, and various social dynamics. She also offers words of wisdom on not letting your feelings have the final say, knowing God’s character, trusting God when you don’t understand, and a whole lot more.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“Those thoughts that try to do battle with us, first we have to recognize they're there in order to do anything about it.”

-“The Lord sees us when we're the bud. He sees us when we're the full bloom and He still sees us and loves us when we're the wilting flower that's done its process and it's time to rest before the next cycle of growth.”

-“It doesn't say I always feel like He’s never leaving me or forsaking me. It says He will never leave me or forsake me.”

-“He's a good, good father. But He also can't be less than He is. So along with being a good father, He has lots of attributes that I can't pick and choose which ones I want to embrace.”

-“Who people think I am on the outside has nothing to do with what the Lord has put inside of me.”

-“Even when we don't feel seen, known or loved, we can be confident that God says in His word that what He starts, He finishes. He's a completer. He's a redeemer.”

-“I don't want a God I can fit in a box. I want a God that is so much bigger than my circumstances that when I can't see a way through, I can believe that He sees it from beginning to end.”

Connect with Carol:

Website: https://carolfeil.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolfeil/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolFeilWriter

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjBMF_8AN64

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose speaks with Laura Padgett (73), a multi-published, multi-awarded author and dancer who knows a thing or two about struggling with perfectionism.

Laura explains that she has come to see perfection as a “queen who is held up by three handmaidens”: competition, comparison and control – all of which can be destructive to ourselves and our relationships.

She encourages listeners to knock the queen off her throne by adopting an attitude of gratitude for who God made you to be and the gifts He has given you. She also highlights the importance of self-awareness in relinquishing control and remaining curious when an unwanted behavior arises.

Throughout our conversation, Laura offers words of wisdom on learning to love ourselves, walking in reliance on God, overcoming fear, and more.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“Perfectionism will kill curiosity. Control will kill curiosity. Comparison will keep you from being curious about the things God wants your curiosity spent on.”

-“When you are on the altar for the Lord, you drop perfection, you drop precision, and you drop the pursuit of self. Now it's worship, praise, prayer, and oftentimes lament.”

-“The thing I want to do is start each day with gratitude for who I am, what I am, and the gifts I've been given.”

-“Begin to ask God, what are my gifts? And then take a chance. Step out."

-“Get a mentor. When it comes your time, be a mentor. Because this is how we continue to share that beautiful, sacred, feminine truth that we are all mothers to each other.”

-“Rely on God when things hurt, rely when things are strange, rely when things are uncertain.”

Connect with Laura: https://lauralpadgett.com/

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPPCV5wMLAo

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose interviews Laura Crosby, a 67-year-old woman who shares her extensive journey in ministry and the lessons she’s learned along the way, particularly regarding her identity in Christ.

Laura encourages listeners to recognize and utilize their gifts and offer God “your little bit” – whether it’s extending someone an invitation or offering a word of encouragement. She also discusses various ways she has fostered meaningful connection with both God and others – even in a highly divisive culture.

Throughout our conversation, Laura highlights the importance of setting aside quiet time with God, the beauty of mentorship and community, and the benefit of practicing emotional awareness.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“Everybody can bring an invitation, a question, and a blessing. That's something that you can gift other people.”

-“God’s invitation every single day, no matter what, is to spend time with Him.”

-“God is never distracted. He's never in a hurry. He gives me his full attention and His full affection when I'm aware of it and when I'm not.”

-“In order to care for others well, we really need to listen and learn; listen to the stories that people are bringing in with them.”

Connect with Laura:

Website: https://lauracrosby.me/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracrosby/

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3lcwo2jC5o

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose welcomes Isabel Tom, author of “The Value of Wrinkles,” to discuss the importance of connecting younger and older generations.

Isabel shares her personal journey growing up in a multi-generational household and how her experiences working in senior care have shaped her perspective. She also explains the mission behind the Grandkid Investigator Kit, a resource she created to help connect grandchildren with their grandparents.

Isabel highlights the role of faith in bridging generational gaps and offers insight into the challenges of fostering intergenerational relationships, emphasizing the need for intentionality.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“If you want to value somebody, you’ve got to learn about them. You’ve got to learn their story.”

-“We have to be intentional in helping our kids connect with their older loved ones.”

-“When you spend time with the older generation, it allows you to see things from a long-term, eternal perspective.”

-“I attribute my faith to watching my grandma because the closest I got to seeing what the love of Jesus is like was watching her, because she was just so selfless.”

Connect with Isabel:Website: https://www.valueofwrinkles.com/Grandkid Investigator Kit: https://www.valueofwrinkles.com/gkiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelctom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheValueofWrinkles/

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr_5AFPN7SQ

Forgiving someone who has hurt you can be hard. But forgiving a family member who has wounded you deeply can sometimes seem impossible. How can you forgive what you can’t forget?

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose speaks with Cynde Morris, a 64-year-old woman who shares a powerful testimony about the healing and freedom she experienced through forgiveness.

Cynde reminds listeners that forgiveness is not about feelings – it’s about obedience. And when we make the choice to forgive, we're freeing ourselves from the chains of anger, hatred and bitterness.

Don’t miss this short, but powerful episode!

Wise words worth echoing:

-“It's not about emotion. It’s not about feeling like you want to forgive. It's more about obedience.”

-“It’s to break those chains. That’s all that unforgiveness does…that bitterness and the hatred and anger, it's like wrapping yourself up in chains. The only way to get free of it is forgiveness.”

-“Take that step of obedience and realize it's releasing yourself, not the other person. Release yourself from the bitterness and the anger and the hatred so that you can be free.”

-“It has nothing to do with me. It’s all about what He did for me.”

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnzyLaDxuzk

Stepping out in faith is not always easy. It can come with a lot of fear, risk and unknowns. But, it also brings with it the opportunity to experience God’s grace and faithfulness – something that Rodney and Nita Lloyd have repeatedly experienced throughout their life in ministry.

From church planting and pastoring to teaching at Bible schools and doing missionary work across remote parts of Africa, Rodney and Nita have learned that when you follow the call of God and step out in faith, His grace is sufficient and He is faithful to equip you with everything you need.

Join Katharine on the Eternal Echoes podcast for a conversation rich in wisdom and insight with a couple who has faithfully followed the Lord’s plans even when it took them far into the unknown.

Throughout the conversation, Rodney and Nita offer words of wisdom on growing in faith, daily obedience to the Lord, being in community, and so much more.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“Obedience today unlocks the will of God for me tomorrow.”

-“God is a globalist. God loves everybody the same.”

-“He always has a plan and He always has grace for every season.”

-“If you stay humble and teachable, God will use you.”

-“Being faithful with what's at hand will prepare you for what's ahead.”

-“God speaks, faith comes. We obey and faith grows.”

-“We develop as we obey. And if we don't obey, we never develop.”

-“The Bible doesn't say we're monolithic stones being built. We're living stones being built together. And we need each other.”

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60KolIKNmDs

In this episode of the Eternal Echoes podcast, host Katharine Rose sits down with the first mother-daughter duo to come on the show, Pat Vallefuoco (85) and Pamela Steele.

Pat shares her journey of faith, resilience, and lessons learned through life’s challenges, including a divorce and the loss of her son to drug addiction. Pamela shares the impact of her mother’s faith on her own life, highlighting the power of leaving behind a legacy of faith.

Throughout our conversation, Pamela and Pat speak to the importance of daily devotion, obedience to God, and staying rooted in God’s word.

Wise words worth echoing:

-“When the Lord is in charge, He takes care of those problems that you think are a problem. They don’t stay.”

-“We have 101 things that we can ask for. But He’s mainly asking from us to love Him.”

-“You don't need to be alone for the Lord to give you a light. You can have it through someone else or through something across the street or on TV.”

-“I have to say the most important lesson for me has been to daily spend time with the Lord.”

Follow Katharine and Eternal Echoes:

Facebook and Instagram: @EternalEchoesMinistry

Substack: http://katharinerrose.substack.com

Website: www.eternalechoesministry.com

Email: ⁠⁠Katharine@eternalechoesministry.com⁠⁠ for speaking events or interviews

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QFMyRehH_4