The Jesus Calling Magazine – Fall 2023

ANDREA BOCELLI

On a Wing and a Prayer KELLEY EARNHARDT MILLER Faithfully Steering Through Unexpected Turns

PHILIP YANCEY

What’s So Amazing About Grace?

KICKS OFF HER BOOTS TO TALK FAMILY, FUN & FAITH

Jesus Calling Jesus Listens Note-Taking Edition

Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas Jesus Calling for Christmas

Laura Minchew

Michael Aulisio

Robin

Mandy

Stephanie Chalk Senior Marketing Manager

Laura Neutzling Managing Editor

Abigail Nibblett Production Manager

Amy Kerr Copyeditor

Barbara Moser Creative Director

Peter

Michelle Lenger Designer

ALI LANDRY RESHAPES HER LIFE

with Gratitude and Belief in a Higher Plan

“WHEN AN ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE fails to serve you, it's never too late to reshape it,” says actress and television host Ali Landry. As she’s endured a few of life’s toughest battles—a public betrayal that sent her world spinning off its axis, along with health issues that threatened to sideline her life and career—she’s found comfort in her unwavering belief in a higher plan. “I trust that God’s vision for my life far surpassed any ambitions I could conceive for myself. Surrendering to Him has become my priority,” she declares.

Born and raised in the close-knit community of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, Ali cherishes a childhood that was rooted in a loving family and tight bonds.

“My hometown, affectionately known as ‘the Crawfish Capital of the World,’ instilled a sense of grounding which has permeated my entire life,“ she fondly shares. Despite the comfortable and familiar surroundings, Ali yearned for more. “Deep down, I always knew there was a greater purpose awaiting me beyond those familiar horizons,” she says. Fueled by a sense of adventure and a thirst for growth, Ali set out to discover what more life had for her.

During her time at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, the opportunity to compete for the title of Miss Louisiana USA presented itself. Despite initial reservations from her mother, Ali recognized it was a chance to travel the state, network, and secure future career prospects. Her prayers for God’s guidance seemed to come to fruition as she ended up claiming the title.

At the tender age of nineteen, Ali again found herself thrust into the national spotlight, going to the next level of pageant competition as she represented Louisiana in the 1996 Miss USA Pageant. “The night before the competition, my prayer remained the same: Let them see Your light in me,” she remembers. At the end of the competition, Ali found herself holding the crown.

Following her Miss USA win, Ali signed with a talent agency and got her first big job: a Doritos commercial that aired during the 1998

Super Bowl, which added to Ali’s growing résumé. She was named one of People’s 50 Most Beautiful People later that year.

But as Ali’s star rose, her personal life became unsteady. “I was in a very public relationship, and I found out that I had been betrayed in this relationship for many, many years.” She discovered the betrayal only two short weeks after her wedding was nationally televised. “I was heartbroken. I didn’t understand how this could happen.”

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When you put gratitude in your life, it really shifts everything.

As Ali sifted through the shattered pieces of a life she thought she knew, she adopted a practice she found centering for her soul: writing in her journal, reading scripture, and using her Jesus Calling devotional to get in the right headspace. “I am so grateful that I’ve had Jesus Calling in my life all of these years,” she says, “because I can’t tell you how many days or hard times I’ve had where the words have just pulled me through.”

feel this way. As Ali began taking this message to a larger audience, including in her brand-new book Reshape Your Life, she knew she had to include the spiritual component of her restoration as well.

A few years later, as she continued to heal, the actress found herself at a Bible study, where she would meet the man who would become her husband. Her career in the entertainment world also continued to thrive. But years later, working in her dream job as a daily talk show host, Ali could tell something was . . . off.

“Every cell in your body needs to be awake, alive, and firing for live television. I would get home from that job, I’d come straight upstairs to my bedroom. I’d put my pajamas on, climb into bed with a bag of Baked Cheetos and brownie brittle, and my brain felt like it was going to explode because of the adrenaline from the show,” she admits. “I just felt really overwhelmed. Here I am with this job that I’m supposed to love, and it’s supposed to serve me and my family. But I feel like I’m kind of living half a life. And that's when I decided I deserve more than this. This is not serving me.”

Ali decided first to pursue help with her health, and things started to add up. “When I looked at my health—the poor digestion, the incredibly low energy, plus I was losing my hair—a multitude of things showed up. When I saw my numbers on a blood panel, I was like, Well, now it all makes sense.”

“I will say my relationship with God 100% is the foundation, and that got me through to the other side. My relationship with Him is absolutely everything. One thing that I want to share with people, just to show them how simple it is to reshape your life, is to start your day with gratitude. When you put gratitude in your life, it really shifts everything.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan this code to hear more of Ali’s story!

She got on supplementation specifically for her issues and began to feel better than she thought possible. She felt inspired to tell other women about her experience and let them know: you don’t have to

You can find Ali’s book, Reshape Your Life, at your favorite book retailer.

Ali and her family on holiday

Snowstorm Sanctuary

Al and Vivian Robinson’s Remarkable Rescue Mission in Buffalo, NY

by Autumn Mularski

LAST DECEMBER IN BUFFALO , New York, pastors Al and Vivian Robinson learned the city was expecting a winter storm, a typical occurrence around Christmastime. The couple planned to bear the blizzard as they usually would inside their cozy home in the Lovejoy neighborhood, staying inside and watching Netflix. But this particular storm would turn out to be far from typical—it would, in fact, become the longest snowstorm below an elevation of 5,000 feet ever recorded in US history.

As the storm gathered strength, Al and Vivian found themselves in darkness as their electricity went out. As the couple searched for flashlights, they noticed there was a glow of lights coming from their nearby church, the Spirit of Truth Urban Ministry. Somehow, the church appeared to still have electricity. “I looked at my wife and said, ‘Vivian, why would the Lord let us have electricity while everybody around us has none?’” Al says. He soon found out why.

The couple made their way to the church, and when they arrived, Vivian posted on Facebook that the building had power and was welcome to shelter those in need. They couldn’t have guessed the simple post would be shared over 1,700 times within two hours.

Despite the eighty-mile-per-hour winds howling outside, creating whipping whiteout conditions, neighbors and church members who’d been stuck in

their homes and their cars on the streets of Buffalo started to pour into the church. “Phone calls were coming in even at one in the morning,” Vivian remembers. “A pregnant woman came into the church, and she was just crying. The young men were just so cold, you could see tears in their eyes. A mother had been stranded with children. They came in, and she had blisters going around her ankles. It was terrifying because they looked like third-degree burns. I went to the house to find some clothing for them, some socks and blankets and pillows— anything to try to make them comfortable.”

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I was just grateful we had the opportunity to love on these people.

Over the next thirty-seven hours, temperatures continued to drop, eventually reaching -24 degrees. Snow began to pile in drifts reaching up to twelve feet. Phone calls continued to pour into the church, so Al and Vivian began to compile a list of addresses so they could help as many people as possible. They organized snowmobiles and sleds to rescue the people stranded around Lovejoy. Through six long days, the couple’s efforts gave safety to 154 people, while they witnessed miracle after miracle throughout the harrowing experience.

“When the people were here, we cried together, we laughed together, we embraced together,” Vivian says. “And when this room was empty, I wept. I was just grateful we had the opportunity to love on these people.”

And Al will never forget a Christmas morning unlike any other. “We had everybody here from Nigerians, to Polish people, to Arabic people. We had people who spoke sign language we couldn’t understand. And on Christmas Day, we had food from every group of people who made food their way. But most importantly, they celebrated the gift that Jesus gave them of life on Christmas morning.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan this code to hear more of the Robinson’s incredible story!

Living

a Legacy of Hope, Hard Work, and Faith

by Laura Neutzling

Reba

knows the secret to a good life is “to keep things simple and be thankful for the good things the Lord’s given you.”

This faith and gratefulness for God’s gifts has guided Reba in her nearly fifty-year career, where her name has become synonymous with the glory days of country music. “I read in Jesus Calling the other day that when you pray, when you give thanks, it’s the thing that goes straight up to heaven, and it’s heard the loudest—the thankfulness.”

Reba recalls how her grandmother, Reba Estelle Smith (her namesake), instilled early on that God was someone Reba needed to know. “Grandma was very spiritual,” the entertainer remembers. “We’d go down there to the pond dam on our farm, and her main mission was to tell us Bible stories and about her love for the Lord. We went to church with her, and she’d pray before going to bed at night.” “

The work is in the waiting.

playing rodeos, honky-tonks, and even tractor-pull competitions before she charted with a bonafide hit, 1983’s “Can’t Even Get the Blues.” She was just starting to see that hard work pay off and was finally in a place to headline her own show.

“Thank God for that McEntire determination,” she laughs.

Where that determination would take her ended up being the stuff of dreams; from becoming a member of The Country Music Hall of Fame and The Hollywood Bowl who has more than 50 award wins under her belt, earning honors from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, CMA Awards, GRAMMY® Awards and GMA Dove Awards all the way to becoming a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba would also go on to have 35 career No. 1 singles and more than 58 million albums sold worldwide.

Another secret the legendary singer ascribes to, which is no secret to anyone who knows her, is a strong work ethic that’s guided the superstar across her success as a touring singer, to becoming a television star and movie actress, and once again as a published author. In her new book Not That Fancy, Reba talks about where this work ethic came from— her early days working her family’s cattle ranch with her father and siblings in Chockie, Oklahoma. Those long days working hard on the ranch honed the drive she carried into becoming one of the most listened-to music artists of all time. “Ranching life is not an easy life,” she says. “Us kids spent a lot of time rounding up cattle. It was out there in those hills that I first learned the work is in the waiting.”

Reba would really know the meaning of that working and waiting after her first foray into the music business in the late 1970s, when she released her first radio single. As the McEntires gathered around their old radio to hear her debut song, crackling with static, Reba—then in her early twenties—thought, Well, now I’ve made it! But there was more work ahead for the singer: “No fancy tour bus or big royalty check appeared,” she says of that moment. It would take seven more years of

And still, after all of that success, Reba credits those lessons of hard work and God’s presence in her life for being where she is today. “We think that we have total control,” she says. “We think we can handle all the messes we get ourselves into—we cannot. If you just give it to God, He’ll handle it. He knows how to take care of things and do it a lot better than we can.”

“

If you just give it to God, He’ll handle it.

Over the years, Reba’s had to put a lot of things in God’s hands—most recently, the loss of her beloved mother, who died at age 96 on March 14, 2020. Jacqueline “Jackie” McEntire was the one who first taught her four children—son Pake and daughters Alice, Reba, and Susie—how to sing harmony. She always had a dream for the siblings to sing, long before her daughter became the “Queen of Country Music.”

Reba recalls how her mother’s drive inspired her own determination to make it into the music business. “People always say, ‘Where do you get your ambition?’ And I say, ‘Did you know my parents?’ Mama wasn’t competitive, but she was ambitious. She was always trying to get ahead when Daddy went broke in the cattle market. She was down there making six dollars a day at the fish camp, sun up to sun down. Hardworking people show up: you know your lines, you’re prepared.”

Reba and her mother, Jackie

*An exclusive excerpt from Reba’s brand-new book Not That Fancy

Jackie didn’t just model ambition to her daughter, and as proud as she was that Reba became the singer she hoped her daughter would be, she also made sure Reba and her siblings knew what was really important in life. “We were taught that materialistic things aren’t that important—family is,” the singer remembers. “All that other stuff can go away in a heartbeat. But you better hang on to the relationship with your family. Especially your siblings.”

It’s something Reba has definitely held onto, as she and her brother and sisters became even closer after their mama’s death. In the early days of COVID, they had a chance to reminisce about all the things she taught them, how she inspired them, and how she made them laugh. Reba recalls one of the funnier moments—a time when her mother decided to get baptized well into her golden years. “She was at church, and they were doing the altar call. Mama went down, and the preacher said, ‘Well, Jackie, what can I do for you?’ She said, ‘Well, preacher, I’m turning myself in.’ Then we came in when she got baptized. That was wonderful.”

As Reba looks back on the McEntire family’s legacy, those themes of gratefulness and hard work remain a thread woven throughout the fabric of her life, as well as her commitment to stay close to God, inspired by her grandmother so long ago.

“I love to talk to God,” she says. “I don’t think I could have gotten

through all the changes in my life without the Lord. He’s that rock, that fortress you lean on when things go wrong, when things go bad. God is always there when you need Him.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Want to hear Reba share more about her life growing up on the ranch? Scan this code to hear her swap stories with sisters Alice and Susie!

You can find Reba’s brand-new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots, at your favorite book retailer today!

Reba, Pake, Alice, Susie, and Jackie

Jackie, Susie, and Reba

The Race of Her Life:

Leaning on God at Every Turn

KELLEY EA R NHARDT MILLER

IN THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL RACING , one name that’s roared to success and become the standard for excellence is Earnhardt Starting with racer Dale Earnhardt, who became a seven-time Winston Cup Champion in the 1980s and 90s, to his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who continued the championship streak after his father passed away at age forty-nine, all the way to Kelley Earnhardt Miller, who chose a different track on the business side of the racing industry as the co-owner and manager of JR Motorsports.

But what’s it like being in one of the most iconic families in all of sports?

“Growing up in the Earnhardt family of NASCAR, it just felt normal. It was just part of who we were,” Kelley remembers. “I didn’t realize things were different until I was a little older, maybe a teenager. Then I started recognizing those differences between our family and others.”

From the starting line, it’s clear that Kelley’s passion for racing is in her blood. And although she grew up in an iconic racing family, her journey from the track—she raced in her younger years—to executive leadership was far from a joyride. “There were a lot of challenges, especially as a female in a male-dominated industry,” she recalls. “It was very difficult to be a girl. You’re talking about the nineties. I raced against grown forty- and fifty-year-old men, who are very set in their ways, and it just wasn’t a place for girls. I remember even growing up in the shop, you would be told, ‘You don’t need to be in the shop. This is a place for guys.’”

Kelley and her brothers

With determination and resilience, Kelley forged a path for herself in business, both as a co-owner of a motorsports company and as her brother Dale, Jr.’s business agent. “I feel like ultimately, what I’ve done is what I’m supposed to be doing,” she muses. “I don’t think that I was supposed to be an accomplished racecar driver. I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, and I’m very happy.”

One of the central forces guiding Kelley’s journey is her faith. “My faith in God is the rock that I stand on, and God is the center of everything,” she says. “I find that for myself through devotions. I do that intentionally, because I like that daily reminder that He is in charge and He is who I need to look for.” One of

her trusted resources to keep her family’s spiritual life thriving is the Jesus Calling devotional. “My middle daughter absolutely loves it,” she shares. As a mom, Kelley finds herself praying for many things for her children, about the world they’re stepping into as independent people. “My prayers often are for them to make the right decisions and to be strong in their faith.”

As a business leader, a mother, and a woman of faith, Kelley's looking to carry on the standard of excellence her family cemented in generations past. “I want my legacy to be, first and foremost, that we carried on the Earnhardt legacy. We carried on the reputation of my dad. My dad was a superior driver, but off the track, he was great with the

fans, he was a great businessman, and he developed lifelong relationships with people. I just want my legacy to be that I was a positive influence and role model in the sport.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Put your phone in Camera mode and hover over this code to hear more about Kelley’s story!

Learn more about Kelley in her book Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life.

Kelley, driver William Byron, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

THERE’S A REASON iconic Italian vocalist

Andrea Bocelli is called “the world’s most beloved tenor.” Despite the unprecedented heights where his career has allowed him to soar, Andrea’s core values still guide his every decision, and his humble, genuine nature shines through in each lyric that erupts from his powerful lungs.

But to really know Andrea beyond his emotionfilled music, you must know his passions, the things he holds in highest regard. From his family land in Tuscany, to his love for horses and the sea, to the music that soothed him as a child, Andrea considers himself the sum of his past: hopes, dreams, and inspirations included. He is a shining product of where he was raised, stating, “If you want to have large, strong wings, you need to be deeply rooted in your land.”

Andrea Bocelli’s Journey of Faith

by Abigail Nibblett

Andrea’s roots are planted firmly in family, tradition, and his close relationship with God, which has kept the singer—who became blind at the age of twelve after a soccer injury—centered through decades of success.

Faith was a part of Andrea’s life growing up in the small village of La Sterza, Italy, and as a young man he had big questions about the religion that had been handed down to him, and bigger questions about the God he’d been told about in his youth.

As he began to assess his perception of God, he became troubled when he couldn’t find concrete answers to his big questions. This led Andrea down a path to become agnostic. The singer describes the term as, ”He who doesn’t know, because he doesn’t have the means to know.””

But the faith of his youth remained in his

consciousness, and each time he tried to refute it, Bocelli began finding reasons to believe in the God from his childhood. “I realized that there can’t be a clock without a Clockmaker,” he says. “If someone told us that a well-constructed clock appeared out of nowhere all of a sudden, we’d all laugh. Nobody knows who made the clocks in 1800 and so on, but we know for sure that someone must have made them. So how can we not believe that Someone created us and life on earth?”

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I realized that there can’t be a clock without a Clockmaker.

beautiful. “We met people and talked about faith in a profound and significant way, and I think it enriched us all,” he says.

With the support of his family, the strong roots he has at home and in his country, and the abiding faith he is ever embracing, Andrea’s music has taken wing in glorious ways—becoming the soundtrack of a life dedicated to art and beauty.

Andrea began to gravitate toward faith instead of fate, and all of the sudden, the religious practices he’d grown up with became, in his words, “serious, tangible, and important.”

As he began to seek God through intimate conversations, Andrea’s life in music started to gain some serious traction. His career has seen some incredible highs—including fifteen solo studio albums, three greatest hits albums, nine complete operas, countless awards and honors, performances on the world’s most iconic stages, and over 75 million records sold.

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My faith has always been very important to keep myself down to earth.

Throughout his incredible success, Andrea prioritizes family and frequently travels home to spend time with them, realizing a fame like his can be allconsuming if left unabated. “There are moments when it’s easy to feel high and important,” he reflects. “My faith has always been very important to me to keep myself down to earth, to remember that everything I’ve done wasn’t my merit, but a gift from God.”

Andrea’s recent music special, The Journey, gave him the opportunity to go back to his heart’s home in Tuscany, to a life that he finds more simple and

Adapted from Andrea’s Jesus Calling Podcast interview, and translated from his native Italian. Hear more of his story by scanning this QR code! And check out how you can watch Andrea’s music special at thejourney.movie.

Andrea appearing in The Journey

An exclusive excerpt from Sarah Young’s 365-day prayer devotional Jesus Listens

Triumphant God,

Your Word poses the rhetorical question: “ If God is for us, who can be against us? ” I trust that You are indeed for me since I am Your follower. I realize this verse does not mean that no one will ever oppose me. It does mean that having You on my side is the most important fact of my existence.

Regardless of what losses I experience, I am on the winning side. You have already won the decisive victory through Your death and resurrection! You are the eternal Victor, and I share in Your triumph because I belong to You forever. No matter how much adversity I encounter on my journey to heaven, nothing can ultimately prevail against me!

Knowing that my future is utterly secure is changing my perspective dramatically. Instead of living in defensive mode—striving to protect myself from suff ering—I am learning to follow You confi dently, wherever You lead. You are teaching me not only to seek Your Face and follow Your lead but to enjoy this adventure of abandoning myself to You. I rejoice that You are with me continually and You are always ready to help me in times of trouble

In Your magnificent Name, Jesus, Amen

Unveiling Anxiety: The Hidden Lessons in Our Fears

by Curtis Chang Duke Divinity School

Anxiety is the fear of some potential loss. We all carry that around with us. And our childhoods oftentimes make us especially sensitive or vulnerable to certain types of loss. I was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States at age three. I was a latchkey kid from an early age, and I think I was vulnerable to the loss of provision, that sense of, What will happen if my parents don’t make it home? Who’s going to take care of us?

Our anxieties have a lot of wisdom contained in them. They tell us a lot about who we are and what we fear losing. I believe that

human experience and Scripture tell us that anxiety is not a problem to be eliminated—it’s actually a fundamental condition of what it means to be human.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

– 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

My most devastating experience of anxiety happened because I was living in denial. I was a pastor and I thought if I admitted my anxieties, that would demonstrate somehow that I was not a good pastor. Our church went through a difficult patch, and it got so bad that I went through a two-week period where I didn't sleep. I was too anxious, and my brain was too much in overdrive, and that led to an utter breakdown. I ended up going on disability and stopped being a pastor—I was almost nonfunctional for several months because that anxiety slid over into depression.

So I know full well the nature of anxiety as a problem, but I also have experienced firsthand the promise

of anxiety as an opportunity for spiritual growth. It takes us to our core beliefs and our core fears about loss, about God, about what we are actually promised by Jesus in terms of our future.

Scripture has several accounts depicting Jesus as experiencing anxiety—including as He's heading to the cross. That should tell us: if Jesus experienced the symptoms of anxiety, that this is not a sin, this is not a character flaw. To be human is to go through this door marked anxiety, and it’s futile to try to run away from this door, because we are inevitably going to face loss in our life. Jesus showed us the way by not running away from the door, not going around it. He demonstrated the Christ-centered way of encountering anxiety is to actually go through it

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan this code to listen!

You can find out more about Curtis’ Christ-centered approach to anxiety in his new book, The Anxiety Opportunity, available now.

Merry Clayton

SHOWS THE WORLD HER BEAUTIFUL SCARS

by Laura Neutzling

MERRY CLAYTON, A NAME THAT IS SYNONYMOUS with the finest of soul and gospel backup vocals, has been a force in shaping the landscape of the music industry for decades. Born and raised in New Orleans, Clayton’s love for music was cultivated early in her life, first at her father’s church.

As she snuggled in one of the pews, falling asleep next to gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, little did she know she’d have her own musical career that would propel her to become one of the most influential background singers of the 1960s, working alongside legendary artists like Ray Charles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And who

could forget her spine-tingling performance on the Rolling Stones’ iconic “Gimme Shelter” recording?

With the tumultuous backdrop of the ‘60s as the setting for her rise in music (“It was a time of great transition,” says Merry, “and I was right in the thick of it”), she enjoyed legendary collaborations with some of the biggest names in music history— namely, touring with Ray Charles as one of the legendary Raelettes. The experience, she says, was transformative. “Ray Charles was my musical father—he taught me everything I know about the business.”

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My music allows me to share the love, hope, and faith I have with others—and I find greatsolace in that.

Clayton continued to thrive over the next decades as a sought-after background vocalist, and was profiled in the popular 2013 documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom, along with other legendary background singers like Darlene Love and Táta Vega. As Merry found herself being introduced to new audiences through the film, she was prepared to launch out on a solo tour in 2014 at the age of sixty-four.

But just weeks before the tour was to launch,

Merry was involved in a car accident with lifethreatening injuries that surely could have ended her music career. As she regained consciousness in the hospital room, the singer was told that because of the severe trauma to her legs in the wreck, doctors had to amputate both her legs at the knee. Instead of crying or lamenting her fate, Merry had just one question: “Can I still sing?”

As she began the arduous road toward healing, the music she so loved came back with renewed purpose as she revisited the gospel songs of her youth. Her faith, along with the support of her family, proved instrumental in her journey to recovery. “My faith is what kept me going, and I’m grateful for it every day,” she declares.

As she leaned on faith, her undeniable talent would once again catapult her into the spotlight, this time as a powerhouse background singer for British rock band Coldplay. She asserts, “I’ve always believed that my purpose in life was to be a vessel of love, hope, and inspiration, and background singing allowed me to do that.”

With her latest album Beautiful Scars, Merry wants her listeners, and the world, to know that there is hope after tragedy, and it doesn’t have to mean the end of your dreams. “I’ve been knocked down, I’ve been kicked down, but faith brought me back and I'm standing here now,” she says. “These are beautiful scars that I have in my heart. Every hurt I’ve endured, every cut, every bruise I wear proud like a badge. I truly believe that my music allows me to share the love, hope, and faith I have with others— and I find great solace in that.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast Scan this code to hear more of Merry’s story!

You can find Merry’s latest album Beautiful Scars wherever you stream or buy music.

9 Ways to Give This Holiday Season

Talaat & Tai McNeely‘s Budget-Friendly Gift Guide

Despite our best intentions, sometimes the holidays tempt us to stretch our budgets beyond what they can bear. Finance coaches Talaat and Tai McNeely have been there. But they also know that the best gifts don’t come from your wallet: they come straight from the heart.

If you’re looking to give something a bit more meaningful this holiday season, the couple has a few suggestions on ways to give freely, even when your budget is a little tight.

1. GIVE ITEMS YOU ALREADY HAVE

Who says gifts have to come from a store? Take a few minutes to go around your home and see what you aren’t using anymore. This can include toys, clothes, books, or any household items that you no longer need. Give those items to a family or an organization that could really use them!

2. GIVE AWAY YOUR TIME

Volunteering at food pantries, children’s hospitals, shelters, nonprofits, and other organizations is a great way to spread holiday cheer. And remember, the gift of your presence with friends and family members means the most of all.

GIVE YOUR SKILLS

We all have something we’re good at: cooking, landscaping, writing, sewing, even carpentry. Give the gift of your ability to someone else, like offering your makeup talents to a bride, or helping your neighbor fix his lawn mower. God made you with unique talents, and you can use them to make a difference for someone else—for free!

SHOW RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Sometimes, a gift can be as simple as holding the door for the person behind you, picking up trash you might come across, returning a cart at the grocery store, or simply paying someone a compliment. These small glimmers can completely turn a person’s day around, and they help you to have an others-focused mindset as you look for opportunities to show kindness.

5. GIVE AWAY COUPONS

Have an extra coupon you’re not able to use at the store? This is a gift that costs you nothing, but presents the perfect opportunity to bless someone else when they least expect it.

6. OFFER MENTORSHIP

If you have wisdom to share, you have an opportunity to pour into others in an impactful way. Maybe you’re a seasoned parent who can answer questions for new parents, or perhaps you can help new employees trying to learn the ropes. Your knowledge is a gift— give it away freely.

7. COOK A MEAL

There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal, especially when you’re in a time of need. When you make a favorite meal, double the portions. Then find someone who may be ill, a new parent, someone grieving, or even someone who may be lonely, and take them that meal. They’ll be grateful—and your heart will be warm.

8. GIVE BLOOD

You may be eligible to donate blood this holiday season. During such a busy time of year, this life-saving gift sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, but it can have a major impact on those who need it.

9. SET UP ONLINE FUNDRAISERS

If all you have is a few minutes, set up an online fundraiser on social media and encourage your friends and family to donate to a charity or organization of your choice. Choosing to bless others in this way can make a big difference!

HARNESSING HEALING

The Transformative Power of Equine Therapy at HopeWell Ranch

By Cynthia M. Stuckey

LIKE MANY YOUNG GIRLS , Jodi Stuber cherished the dream of one day owning her own horse. Little did she know how her passion for these gentle animals would bring hope to so many.

In 2004, Jodi co-founded HopeWell Ranch in Weidman, Michigan, as an equine therapy farm. From the start, the goal of HopeWell has been to facilitate healing and to restore hope for children and families through multiple programs, all while seeking to be the love of Jesus in action. It’s a mission that comes quite naturally to Jodi. “I’ve always been an encourager,” she says. “I want people to be well, I want to see the best that God has for them. I feel like

being the hands and feet of Jesus—extending healing to other people is my calling.”

Jodi’s mission is one that has grown out of the overflow of what God has done for her. “I had no idea that when I encountered Jesus that my life would take this road, and I am grateful. It is so humbling to serve these beautiful people every day. It’s just an honor for all of us.” And as she gets ready to serve the clients in her care, her mornings begin with prayer, her Bible, and her copy of Jesus Calling. As she finds inner strength in this daily practice, Jodi thanks God for the ability to witness all that He is doing through their ministry. “I see how God is impacting the lives of our animals, our clients, our staff, our volunteers. I never dreamed that this kind of life could happen for me.” The life that Jodi loves has become a tool of healing for so many and what began as a ministry to only twelve people has grown to over three thousand participants.

“

I feel like being the hands and feet of Jesus—extending healing to other people is my calling.

As HopeWell has sought to create a welcoming therapeutic environment, their mission has adapted to care not only for civilians, but retired and current military service men and women as well. Provided free of charge, Project Solomon was devised to honor and serve veterans and their families who experience feelings of loss, isolation, and other aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). From February to December, the staff offers Project Solomon participants healing and personal reflection through breakfast and dedicated time with the majestic HopeWell

herd. Witnessing strengthened relationships and the progression of these special clients has been a gift to Jodi and her team. “What an adventure it has been to serve those who have served our country, so that they can feel safe and wanted and encouraged in all the good and hard things that they’ve experienced.”

Many of the positive interactions provided through Project Solomon are miraculous for both horse and human. Jodi relays one particular story of John, a veteran who dealt with severe PTS but came to share a bond with HopeWell horse, Mercy. As John spent time with Mercy, it became clear that the two shared something special. Their parallel stories of trauma and neglect led to a unique closeness. On the evening of their first day together, John was able to sleep through the night for the first time since leaving military service. Their story is one of many that highlight the powerful connection possible between humans and animals at HopeWell.

Jodi Stuber considers it all a gift that the little girl who once dreamed of owning a horse is now watching that dream deliver growth and healing every day at HopeWell Ranch.

For more information on Project Solomon, or to help support our veterans, please visit hopewellranch.org.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan this code to hear more of Jodi’s story!

Creating Sanctuaries and Peaceful Spaces

An Interior Designer‘s Journey of Recovery and Renewal

by Cynthia M. Stuckey

A world-renowned interior designer and natural curator of beautiful spaces, Carley Summers has designed home interiors from North Carolina to Morocco. In each space she arranges, she infuses a dose of her personal design philosophy: every home is a sanctuary. It’s a phrase that carries meaning for her, because with every space she assembles, she celebrates the personal sanctuary she created for herself twelve years ago: sobriety from drug and alcohol addiction. She gives all the glory to God for how her life was renewed from the brink of destruction.

“

I was in one of the lowest circumstances you can be in, but God started working in my life.

At the age of twenty-two, Carley entered rehab for the second time, after a second DUI made her realize she needed help outside of herself. Carrying only a few changes of clothes, a Bible, and a copy of Jesus Calling gifted from her father, Carley felt totally alone. Surrounded by people in various stages of substance withdrawal, she recalls the feeling of being at the utter end of herself and crying out to God for help.

“I started to read Jesus Calling and consider the

Carley encourages others to think carefully about the spaces in their homes, especially during the bustling holiday season, and to reflect upon where they might need to cultivate a bit of peace in their decor. She shares wise words for the overly busy by suggesting that they start small. “If you intentionally design one quiet corner in your home, then when the world feels hectic, when the whole world is clamoring and you can’t find peace, go to that chair, go to that side of your bed where there's a candle or a sprig of flower or greenery—something that sparks joy in you. That’s where we can create that sacred space, that intimate, quiet corner.”

scriptures at the bottom,” she remembers, “and it began to take root in my life. People were saying, ‘This is a really hard place to be in, and you’re so positive.’ It gave me this unexplainable joy, even though I was in one of the lowest circumstances you can be in. I was able to allow God to start to work in my life.”

As her newfound faith grew, her recovery truly began. Twelve years later, Carley still wakes up each day with the fresh grace of being healed and clings to the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV)

It is from this deep well of gratitude that Carley has built a flourishing life and interior design business. Her own home is a haven she and her husband share with their one-year-old son Max. And it is in helping her clients share their own stories through the design of their homes that Carley has found a treasured ministry opportunity. She is passionate about the importance of stewarding one’s home well so that it becomes a sacred space of renewal and intimacy. Though her designs are gorgeous and convey a sense of luxury, Carley refutes the idea that intentional design must always be expensive. “It doesn’t have to be top of the line,” she says. “It could be a couch from Goodwill, it could be an old heirloom. But when we sit there and cherish it, and it’s a space that we love, it helps us feel peace.”

With every carefully curated home that Carley has designed, her hope remains that the beauty will lead to more peace within the inhabitants of it, and that it will remain a sacred space of joy and celebration.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast Scan this code to hear more of Carley’s story!

Find Carley’s book, Sacred Spaces, at your favorite book retailer today.

HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Living Hope: 365 Devotions to Know Jesus is Always with You

is exclusive in-app devotional from bestselling author Sarah Young focuses on the power of hope in our lives. With more people experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and depression than ever before, this year-long devotional o ers comfort by focusing on themes of hope–speci cally, the hope we nd in Jesus.

BLIVING HOPE features new devotions from Sarah and selections from Jesus Calling, Jesus Today, and Jesus Always

Find LIVING HOPE in the Jesus Calling App today!

COMEDIAN JEFF ALLEN : FACING LIFE’S STORMS WITH LAUGHTER

by Michael Overholt

JEFF ALLEN’S RAPID-FIRE COMEDY centers on the fun— and the frenzy—that family provides. And the roots of his comedy run pretty deep, starting with his mother. “Growing up, my brother took everything to heart, and life just tore him up. But I’m more like my mom: she has the ability to laugh amid the storms of life. I’m so grateful I inherited that from her.” It was a skill he’d need in the coming years.

What he could credit his brother with, however, was introducing him to stand-up comedy. When he was sixteen,

Allen showed up early to watch his brother’s band one night and caught the comics opening for the band. Immediately, he thought, That would be kind of cool to do. He got his start in 1978 in the Chicago clubs, and success came quickly. Within a year, he’d doubled his income.

Unfortunately, his comedy success did not bring him happiness. In fact, coping with success along with a new marriage and baby took a toll on Jeff, and he sought solace in the way he’d been regulating his emotions since he was a teenager: alcohol.

“Almost every alcoholic can remember their first drink. I remember mine vividly. I was at my sister’s wedding, and the minute I took a sip, it was like, Holy cow, I found it, the magic elixir. And as you learn in the Bible, anything apart from God that you think will make you whole usually destroys you. So it pretty much destroyed me.”

There’s a particular incident that sent him near the brink of destruction: one night when he was thirty years old, Jeff was on a bender, trying to numb his pain while also trying to figure

out where all the misery in his life came from. His conclusion? When he got married and started having kids. His tripped-out logic reasoned that if he beat his wife, she would divorce him and take their son away, and he could have his life back.

“

I’m glad God didn’t give up on me when I gave up on myself.

When he came out of his stupor, his strong urge to harm a family member frightened him. He begged his wife to take him to

Alcoholics Anonymous. “If you don't take me,” he remembers saying, “I probably won’t go. And if I don’t go, I don't think we’re going to make it.” And so began his journey to sobriety. “I'm glad God didn’t give up on me when I gave up on myself,” he says.

The decades since have led to flourishing and healing for the comic. His comedy has been featured on Netflix, Amazon, Showtime and Pure Flix. He’s one of the most popular corporate entertainers in the business. His videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views, and now, he’s landed his proudest accomplishment: becoming a grandfather.

Learning to embrace life as a journey, as something to be lived with forgiveness instead of perfection, has been key to his mental and spiritual mindshift. “Healing begins when you realize you have no control over much of today,” he says. “But if you can just put one foot in front of the other and smile at your fellow man and go, ‘It’ll get better,’ then whatever you’re experiencing, it’ll pass.”

Something else that’s given him peace was realizing that God’s not done with him yet. “I’m a constant work in progress,” he admits. “You know, I consider myself blessed that I had the disease of alcoholism, because it got me on a journey that ultimately led to Him. I gave him the reins twenty-five years ago, and I said, ‘Just give me the courage to follow Your paths.’”

And those paths have led him to stages in his life and career he never thought he’d reach.

You can find Jeff’s new book, Are We There Yet?, at your favorite book retailer.

WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?

Writer Philip Yancey Would Be Happy to Tell You

by Michael Overholt

ASK GOOGLE FOR “THE EPITOME OF A JOURNALIST” and in return you’ll get something along the lines “someone who relentlessly seeks the truth, investigates, and reports information in a fair, accurate, and unbiased manner, serving as a watchdog for the public’s right to know.” The description fits Philip Yancey perfectly, a writer who describes himself as someone “called to speak to those living in the borderlands of faith.” And for those who don’t know, Philip Yancey was educated as a journalist.

It seems, however, that Yancey was rather naturally disposed to the journalist’s quest to find the truth.

Case in point. Yancey paints very grim pictures of his childhood church experience. “My church really believed that people of color were made inferior to be servants to the white races,” he says. When he encountered a brilliant Black biochemist working at the Center for Disease Control, the moment created instant dissonance for Yancey: “The church had lied to me. The church was wrong. That started me on a quest to find out these things for myself, to explore my faith.”

Unlike many who may have seen this dissonance as a way to permanently step out of church or walk away from their faith altogether, Yancey set out to find “what’s genuine and what’s fake.” Questions that were not being asked at his church, like, “Is this just a learned behavior pattern that I have, or is it genuine? Am I really connecting to the God of the universe?” These are the kinds of topics the writer explores.

“

Grace is the attitude that God has toward us all the time.

For a time, Yancey did reject the church, but he “ended up rather reluctantly at a Bible college” before getting graduate degrees in communications and English from Wheaton College and the prestigious University of Chicago. During his time in Chicago, Yancey became the writer many know him as today, working as an editor for Campus Life and Christianity Today and writing for The Atlantic and The New York Times. He has now authored about two dozen books, including his seminal work, What’s So Amazing About Grace? Through it all, his journalist’s eye has been the angle. “I’m a writer, and a lot of Christian books are written by experts: a theologian, a pastor. Well, I’m not an expert. I’m a journalist.”

“ God wants to remake us in a way that’s good for us.

“When you look at the heroes of the Bible they are all deeply flawed, like David, a murderer and adulterer. Moses is also a murderer. The apostle Paul was a human rights abuser, persecuting Christians. And yet that didn’t stop Him loving those people. In fact, they’re the giants of the faith. God is for us. God is with us. And God wants to remake us in a way that’s good for us.”

And that, says Yancey, is what is so amazing about grace.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan the QR code to hear more of Philip’s story!

What that perspective has earned him, however, is quite fascinating. Because he is not searching to establish a new movement or coin the next Instagrammable sound-bite—he’s looking to “represent the ordinary person in the pew”—Yancey is invited to places where people need an unflinching gaze at reality so that they, too, can discern the genuine from the fake.

“I’m often called to places of tragedy,” Yancey relates. “Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, the Sandy Hook shootings, to Japan when the tsunami killed 20,000 people . . . as a journalist, I can put together things that hopefully help other people.”

But what does that phrase “as a journalist” mean when it comes to his faith? Humans shoulder massive mistakes yet, as Yancey says, “grace is the attitude that God has toward us all the time.”

You can find What So Amazing About Grace? Revised and Updated at your favorite book retailer today.

RESTORING THE BROKEN YEARS

Fox and Rob Richardson Find Freedom in God’s Promises

by Cynthia M. Stuckey

SIBIL “FOX” AND ROB RICHARDSON have a remarkable story of redemption to tell to anyone who will listen. It’s one that echoes God’s faithfulness in spite of missteps and decades of heartbreak.

In 1997, Fox and Rob were high school sweethearts whose marriage took a sharp turn from “happily ever after” when a desperate season of financial need led them to a life-altering decision. As young parents with a new home and an exciting business opportunity on the horizon, Fox and Rob both felt their future was filled with promise. But within a few short weeks, Rob lost his job, their business investor stepped away, their son had sudden health problems, and their new home was suddenly rife with expensive issues.

In this unexpected downturn of their circumstances, the Richardsons felt pushed to desperate measures, and made a decision that would

cause even more pain: they planned to rob a bank. Their plan failed, and soon they found themselves facing charges for their crime, and ultimately jail time, which would separate from their four children. Fox was sentenced to twenty years, but Rob—a first-time offender—was given a startling sixty-one years to serve at Angola, the bloodiest penitentiary not only in Louisiana, but in the United States.

Fox remembers the utter isolation of her first night in prison and the sound of her own heart pumping with amazing clarity, prompting her to pray, “God, if I’m still here, it’s for a reason. You created this life, I did not. And if You have given it to me, even with the foul decisions I have made, I am going to see this through.” In that moment, the fight to repair her fractured family began.

“

Long

before we were released from prison, God had set us free on the inside.

In 2002, Fox was released early on good behavior; the next day she drove five hours with her four young boys to spend precious time with Rob. Now that her time was served, Fox immediately embarked upon the decades-long journey to fight for her husband, who was still facing a sixty-year sentence. Over the next several years, the Richardsons remained a close family in spite of strenuous conditions. Rob worked

from the inside to persevere day by day while serving his sentence, and Fox worked within their young family, sacrificing for and teaching their children ownership and faithfulness in their challenges. “Incarceration was our family’s challenge,” she says. “There was no point in our journey that Rob and I were not willing to fully accept responsibility for what we had done.”

After twenty-one years behind bars, Rob was granted clemency in 2018, but Fox believes their true freedom came much earlier. “Long before we were released from prison, God had set us free on the inside. We understand that to be free is to free others, and our constant prayer has been that God will allow us to use our voices to continue to enlighten people.”

Today Fox and Rob are doing just that. They advocate for incarcerated families through Participatory Defense NOLA, an organization they founded with the hope to change lives and laws through love. The Richardsons also founded Rich Family Ministries, dedicated to empowering marriages to thrive. Every new day brings hope and healing for the Richardsons. “I know what it’s like to see your hardships as reflective of God’s grace, God’s mercy, God’s promise,” Rob says, “and to know that after difficulty comes ease. God knows we’ve been in some difficult moments. And true to His Word, He delivered us from our setbacks.”

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Scan this code to hear more of their story!

can read more about Fox and Rob’s story in their book TIME, available now.

You

A Reason to Sing at Christmas

with Singer/Songwriter Ellie Holcomb

WHAT DOES JOY SOUND

LIKE? That’s a fun question to think about, isn’t it? Truth be told, I’d never thought about it much before I met singer/songwriter Ellie Holcomb. But I’m so glad I did. Because it turns out, just thinking about that question has brought me and my family so much joy, especially during the Christmas season.

If you don’t know Ellie Holcomb, then prepare to fall in love— because talking to Ellie is like talking to pure sunshine. She just radiates warmth, and I’m just so drawn to people like that.

Ellie’s got quite the story. She grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and her father happens to be one of the most celebrated Christian music producers in the business, Brown Bannister. He’s worked with all kinds of people like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman— the list goes on and on. Ellie’s been in the studio since she was little, so music’s been in her veins for a while. But guess what? When she was little, she swore she’d never be a musician. She’d never date a musician or marry a musician. In fact, she went to school, majored in English and taught school for a bit.

But guess what? She met a musician. She married that musician. And she quit her education job and made music with that musician. And his name is Drew Holcomb. I bet you might’ve even heard of his band, called Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. They’re pretty good.

Anyway, it wasn’t before too long that Ellie decided maybe she actually was a musician, so she started to write and perform her own stuff. And people enjoyed it. In fact, to this day Ellie’s won three GMA Dove Awards!

On top of it all, this talented young woman has written something she never thought she would: she’s created a few books for children. One of the latest is called Sounding Joy, and I absolutely love reading it with my grandkids. It’s based on a tradition that Ellie and her family started to do around Christmastime when she was little, when they’d gather together to sing old Christmas songs.

Ellie Holcomb

“There was something in my nine-year-old self that knew we are made to sing together,” Ellie told me. “We have a reason to sing because of Jesus, a reason to rejoice because of Jesus.”

Ellie hopes this book shows families all of the magic and wonder of being together during the Christmas season. She hopes they hear the sounding joy of the most beautiful story ever told: that a Savior came down to save us, and that we get to share this joyful story with the whole world. I love Ellie’s heart for families, and I love thinking about this beautiful story with my own.

_ Susie

Scan this code to watch Susie and Ellie share these stories and more Christmas joy on YouTube!

Susie McEntire -Eaton HOST OF THE JESUS LISTENS: STORIES OF PRAYER YOUTUBE SERIES

CHAPEL HART

Taking Music from Gospel Roots to Country Boots

by Autumn Mularski and Amy Kerr

FROM A SMALL-TOWN CHURCH choir in Poplarville, Mississippi, to televised stages across the nation, country music trio Chapel Hart is watching a divine plan unfold before them that they never could’ve imagined.

Comprised of sisters Devynn and Danica Hart along with cousin Trea Swindle, the trio began honing their harmonies early on in church, singing alongside their grandmother in the gospel choir, and even at family holidays alongside their 105— yes, 105!—first cousins. (“Our grandparents had seventeen children!” Danica says.)

The turning point for the group arrived on the grand stage of America’s Got Talent, Season 17. With their original single, “You Can Have Him, Jolene“ a heartfelt tribute inspired by Dolly Parton's legendary classic, their performance not only earned them a standing ovation, but also defied all expectations as the judges awarded them the elusive Golden Buzzer. “It was the most validating moment that we’ve ever had in our lives,” Danica remembers. “Our gratitude is forever through the roof for that moment.”

Since that triumph, Chapel Hart has captivated fans with their fiery country spirit while remaining steadfast to their gospel roots, and the impact of their talent resonates far beyond reality television. Country music icon Loretta Lynn took notice of the group and personally requested they reimagine one of her cherished originals. In response, Danica, Devynn, and Trea released a soul-stirring rendition of Lynn’s “Welcome to Fist City” as a heartfelt tribute to the legendary songstress.

May 2023 marked a milestone for Chapel Hart with the release of their highly anticipated album, Glory Days. The album serves as a testament to the power of faith, describing how it’s guided them

through the highs and lows along their shared path.

“While ‘the glory days’ may evoke images of eternal sunshine and rainbows, we embrace the reality that life's journey encompasses its own set of challenges,” Devynn reflects. “Yet, it is precisely these experiences that define our ‘glory days’ and make them truly remarkable.”

As Chapel Hart's harmonies continue to reverberate on stages around the country, their unwavering faith, passion, and authenticity serve as a beacon of inspiration for fans far and wide. With each note they sing and every stage they conquer, Chapel Hart solidifies their place in the annals of country music history, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all who hear their extraordinary talent.

To learn more about Chapel Hart, follow them on social media.

Find their new album Glory Days wherever you stream or buy music.

THERE’S A WAY BACK FROM HOPELESSNESS

Dr. W. Lee Warren on Holding on Through Trauma

In a world full of suffering, it can be difficult to find hope. But for Dr. W. Lee Warren, this is exactly what he has found. A neurosurgeon from Nebraska, Dr. Warren is a Christian and a military veteran. After returning home from his service in Iraq, Dr. Warren faced not only the onset of PTSD, but also the tragic loss of his son, Mitchell. He shares about the pain of these experiences, and how he came to know that in life, we can both struggle and have abundance, and that hope will ultimately bring us through the most difficult of recoveries.

I SPENT FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS in a tent hospital in Iraq in 2005, during the most dangerous part of the war. And I think one of the hard parts was operating on someone else while you were in physical danger yourself. A lot of us carried that home.

“

How do I pray for them and encourage them to hold on to hope?

I came home from the war and went through some aspects of PTSD and healing and recovery. But the problem that I kept running into as a surgeon was I would see somebody’s MRI or CAT scan, and they would have a malignant tumor and not long to live. And I had this conundrum of, How do I pray for them and encourage them to hold on to hope? Because independent of your medical condition, hopelessness turns out to be a really bad diagnosis. And in the process of that struggle, I became one of those suffering people myself. We lost our son. Mitch was a brilliant young man. He was

nineteen, and he had always been hilarious. He had a big personality, and everybody loved him. He was also incredibly sensitive and really uncomfortable in his own skin. That caused him a lot of issues and became a source of anxiety for him. For a while, that also led him to being estranged from us, but I think he remembered his upbringing, and who he was, and was starting to find his way back.

In August of 2013, he called me and he said, “Dad, I want to come home. I want to go back to school. I love you, and I want to find my way back.” And the last thing I heard my son say in this life was, I love you. Mitchell and his best friend were both found stabbed to death in a house.

There was a Jesus Calling passage that somebody sent us on the day that we buried our son, and it was exactly what we needed in the moment. It said: “Entrust your loved ones to Me.” Imagine reading that on the day you’re putting your son in the ground.

I read that a hundred times, and I wept. What was said to me through the words of Jesus Calling was: “There’s a danger of making this the only thing you can see for the rest of your life. And I’m telling you, there's a better way than that. I created you to steward him for a while. But now it’s time to let me have him so I can steward you some more.”

“

He says ‘I’m going to give you something that will be close to you when you’re broken.’

The day Mitch died was three days before our first granddaughter, Scarlett, was born. It’s another one of God’s promises coming true. He says ‘I’m going to give you something that will be close to you when you’re broken.’”

I realized that hopelessness affects all of us after we go through hard things. It’s the thing that keeps us from finding our way back to a meaningful life again. And the bad news is that it happens to all of us. But the good news is there really is a way back.

Adapted for print from the Jesus Calling Podcast. Put your phone into Camera mode and hover over this code to hear more of Dr. Warren’s story!

You can find Dr. Warren’s book, Hope Is the First Dose, at your favorite book retailer.

Dr. Warren and son, Mitchell at his graduation

The Sweet History of Chocolate Chip Cookies DECK THE HALLS WITH DOUGH

WHETHER YOU ’RE CREATING a cozy self-care treat or showing loved ones how much you care, chocolate chip cookies speak to the heart every time of year. But did you know this delicious confection has been around for only less than a century?

“Back in the 1930s,” says artist and cookie expert Katie Jacobs, author of the brand-new cookbook The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book, “innkeeper Ruth Wakefield chipped a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar into ‘peasize’ pieces and baked them into brown sugar cookies at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, just south of Boston.” Nestlé bought the rights to the recipe, put Ruth’s directions on the back of their morsels, and the rest is history.

With lots of butter, sugar, and love, Katie’s researched and perfected over 100 delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes, from the simple classics to creative must-try recipes that’ll have your loved ones saying, “Wow!” Katie graciously shared a Christmas cookie recipe from her book, sure to become a new favorite. Whether you put them in a holiday cookie box or bake them with your loved ones, we hope you enjoy them this joyful season as much as we have!

– The Jesus Calling Magazine Team

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book is now available at your favorite book retailer. It’s a perfect gift for any cookie lover—including yourself!

Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

(makes about 24 cookies)

Go ahead and bookmark this recipe—you’ll want to add it to your holiday baking. One bite and—BAM!—it’s Christmas!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons water

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

2 eggs, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

½ cup crushed peppermint, about 3 candy canes

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, water, and butter in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.

3. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts to the chocolate mixture, stir until smooth, and set aside to cool completely.

4. Add eggs, sugar, and brown sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on high speed until the egg mixture is pale yellow and ribbony and has almost tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.

5. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

6. With the electric mixer on low speed, slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Turn off mixer and set aside.

7. Add the flour mixture to the bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. The dough will be very soft. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

8. Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop dough. Place 5 or 6 dough balls onto the baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of dough balls with crushed peppermint candy canes.

9. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are cracked and shiny but still slightly underdone. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle each cookie with more crushed peppermint candy canes.

10. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the rest of the cookie dough.

You can either crush unwrapped candy canes in a zip-top bag, or you can go the easy way and buy crushed peppermint candies at the grocery store or online. It’s up to you!

Katie’s Tip:

GAMES j PUZZLES

Autumn Game Night!

Harvest Crossword

ACROSS

1. A forest fungi that, when stuffed, makes a delicious appetizer

4. Squirrels love to nibble this; it’s nuts

5. Puts on a colorful show in autumn

6. Pumpkin, apple, and pecan

7. A golden, glutenous plant

9. Fluffy treat to roast over a campfire

11. Jack’s favorite autumn gourd

12. An object used to collect a harvest DOWN

2. A tall, golden plant whose name comes from the Greek word helios

3. When the bounty is plentiful—and so are the festivals

8. An autumnal tree with red berries

10. A cider ingredient

KEY: MUSHROOM, SUNFLOWER, HARVEST, ACORN, LEAF, PIE,

WHEAT, ROWAN, MARSHMALLOW, APPLE, PUMPKIN, BASKET