Sacred Story Podcast
69 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsWhat happens when your story takes a turn you didn’t expect? How do we think about our circumstances and who God is? Join Sacred Story Ministries Founder Laura Wilcox's interviews of ordinary yet brave women who will declare God’s faithful presence and power when their stories went a different direction than they anticipated or in many cases, would have chosen. You will find encouragement and hope for yourself and others!
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Episodes
Episode #44: Sarah's Story
May 25, 2023 15:30 - 54 minutes - 50 MBIn the last episode of this series of Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox talks with Sarah, who became dangerously ill during a stopover visit in Barcelona, Spain, after spending a summer in Uganda. As she reflects on her experiences leading up to her illness in Barcelona, Sarah shares how originally her ministry with Invisible Children had taken her to Uganda years earlier. After this repeat visit to the country of Uganda, Sarah enjoyed the city of Barcelona while avoiding dealing with God ...
Episode #43: Diana's Story
May 18, 2023 15:30 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBContinuing the series Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox talks with Diana, who recalls her decades-long marriage with Rick, a man who supported but did not share her faith in Christ. While Diana warns other young Christian women to marry a man who is already a believer, she also shares how God can redeem mistakes. After Diana's father died, she began thinking and praying more about her husband's need for Christ. As her prayers became desperate, she came to a point of asking God to do "whate...
Episode #42: Sandra's Story
May 11, 2023 15:30 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBContinuing the series Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox welcomes guest Sandra, who shares about a struggle through a dark time in her life. Sandra came to faith as a child and had walked by faith many years when she first faced a crisis of faith because of her mother's death from cancer. Sandra was disappointed God had chosen not to heal her mother, yet Sandra chose to continue following God. A few years later, married and with two small children, Sandra received her own cancer diagnosis. ...
Episode #41: Suzan's Story
May 04, 2023 15:30 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBIn the ongoing series Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox talks with Suzan, a woman from Kenya who experienced a traumatic gang rape at the age of 16. Though Suzan had been raised in a Christian home, her sense of abandonment by God and the reactions of some family members to her trauma contributed to Suzan's years of wandering far away from God. In her 20s, Suzan moved to the US and found herself working in the Washington National Cathedral, where she sensed God's voice in the quiet beaut...
Episode #40: Marissa's Story
April 27, 2023 15:30 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBContinuing the series Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox welcomes Marissa, whose daughter Alice was diagnosed with cancer when she was four years old. Marissa shares how in the days surrounding Alice's initial symptoms and diagnosis, God kept leading her to read the book of Ephesians. Marissa found the very promises in Ephesians of God's deep and abiding love were exactly what she needed in those terrible days and months. Being a caregiver for a sick child was one of the many challenges of ...
Unexpected Turns #39: Laurie's Story
April 13, 2023 15:04 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBAs Sacred Story continues the series Unexpected Turns, host Laura Wilcox interviews Laurie, who talks about her crisis as a young Christian woman when she discovered she was pregnant. Not wanting to continue her relationship with the father of the baby, she felt desperate, alone and ashamed. Though initially thinking of ending the pregnancy, Laurie made the brave yet difficult decision to give up her baby for adoption. Join us for this remarkable episode celebrating God’s sovereignty and fai...
Episode #38: Kelsey's Story
September 15, 2022 18:53 - 42 minutes - 39 MBKelsey shares with Laura about the hard places in her life as a young woman which caused her to lean on Jesus. She describes the fun story of meeting her husband Blake on Instagram and the ways they worked through a long distance relationship as they connected. She talks about how her spiritual life formed her views of God's design for sexual purity before marriage. Kelsey and Laura discuss the battles women face when pursuing purity and how to find the way back to obedience when a woman cro...
Episode #37: Nancy's Story
September 01, 2022 17:02 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBNancy shares with Laura her story of pursuing fullness in the Lord as she walks through her single years much longer than expected. She shares about pivotal moments, painful break ups, feeling forgotten, adoption, and pressing into Jesus. Nancy married for the first time in her fifth decade and her story shows off God's faithfulness and intricate timing. Nancy's powerful story of meeting and marrying her husband Ben is published in Sacred Story's six-session study called Beautiful Surrender:...
Episode #36: Emily's Story
August 25, 2022 19:57 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBEmily and Laura talk about expectations in the area of marriage from society. Emily describes her disrupted plans upon graduation from college, and how the Lord opened her hands to receive His dreams over her life. She shares about how wrestling through bitterness and feeling forgotten in her singleness led her to a greater knowledge of who God is. Her entire story can be read in the six-session Bible study called Beautiful Surrender: Singleness & Marriage in the book of Ruth. Laura and Emil...
Episode #35: Kaitlyn & Laura Introduce Beautiful Surrender
August 19, 2022 16:39 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBLaura Wilcox and Kaitlyn Wurzbach, who serves on the board of Sacred Story, have a conversation about romance, singleness, and marriage in women's stories. Both share openly about their stories of bringing their longings to the Lord while trusting Him in unfulfilled desires and heartache. Laura and Kaitlyn co-authored a Bible study called Beautiful Surrender: Singleness & Marriage in the Book of Ruth. This six-session study focuses on the reward of surrender by digging deeper into the beauti...
International Harvest #34: Sofia's Story
August 09, 2022 20:45 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBLaura and Sofia share a conversation about Sofia's story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Sophia talks about the spiritual climate in the Ukraine and how she felt moved to serve God on college campuses. She describes what it was like to suddenly leave her home country of the Ukraine when war broke out, and how she served refugees in Poland. Sofia traveled to the United States where she is casting vision for her work so that she can receive funding for her ministry and the humanitarian nee...
International Harvest #33: Hanin's Story
July 06, 2021 21:59 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBRemembering God's greater story around the world provides perspective to our personal stories. Laura shares an insightful conversation with two special sisters in Christ. Hanin and Ann (not their real names) talk about their unlikely friendship since Ann is an American and Hanin is a woman from the Middle East. Yet God brought both women joy through the intersection of their stories. Because Hanin speaks Arabic, Ann translates for her while also sharing about her experiences in the Arab worl...
Unexpected Turns #32: Angela's Story
May 26, 2021 19:50 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBAngela shares her experience of resisting writing her story of her childhood hurt and finding led to do so while participating in a Sacred Story Retreat. She talks about how God changed her perspective from fear to courage in facing the pain of her mother's abandonment and the rejection of her Disney-esque stepmom. Angela shares her story of coming to faith in Christ, renewing her relationship with her mother, and overcoming wounds brought into adulthood. Angela describes how God gave her a...
Unexpected Turns #31: Erica's Story
April 27, 2021 22:20 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBErica shares about marrying her "first love" and embracing her new life which she hoped would grow into the ideal Christian family. She describes to Laura the warning signs which came several years into marriage, signaling her marriage was unraveling. Despite efforts to remain true to each other, their relationship continued to be marked by betrayal, hurt, and confusion. Erica shares how God gave her wisdom to navigate her relationship with a husband who wouldn't choose her over his addicti...
Unexpected Turns #30: Wendy's Story
April 01, 2021 19:55 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBWendy attended a Sacred Story Retreat with a group of college friends where she reflected on God's work in her story. She shares with Laura how her relationship with her mother-in-law began with so much promise and yet unfolded in misunderstanding, hurt, and estrangement. Wendy describes how the tension began, what traumatic events caused a severing of the relationship, and how she and her husband navigated difficult dynamics. She also offers hope for anyone who is experiencing distance from...
Unexpected Turns #29: Emily's Story
March 23, 2021 18:45 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBEmily describes how she found herself unable to return to normal life due to a debilitating health struggle, and how she leaned into the Lord. When her healing did not manifest as expected, her heart moved from a posture of demanding from God to a greater surrender than ever. Emily describes how God delivered and healed her in more ways than imagined. Emily's story Not One Scar can be found in the Sacred Story library. Gather a group of friends to enjoy a Sacred Story Retreat as you deepen f...
International Harvest #28: Stephanie's Story
March 17, 2021 23:30 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBStephanie and Aaron serve the refugee community in Greece. They are part of lending the heart and hands of Jesus to those who have fled their countries due to persecution, hardship, and war. Many come from Muslim backgrounds and are receiving the message of the Gospel with curiosity and joy. Stephanie and Laura talk about her personal story including her struggles with loneliness and the unknowns of living abroad. She also shares the ways joining in God's harvest is an adventure, and encour...
Sharing Hope #27: Becky Allender
June 10, 2020 13:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBLaura and Becky begin the conversation with Becky hiding in her early years which contributed to her feeling unseen. Becky shares about brokenness as our human experience. She witnessed deficits in her parent's lives and felt the effects in her life. She shares more about processing pain in a person's upbringing, and at the same time, she looks back on her parent's struggles with empathy and increasing love. Becky vulnerably talks about messing up in parenting, struggles with jealo...
Hidden in Plain Sight #27: Becky Allender
June 10, 2020 13:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBLaura and Becky begin the conversation with Becky hiding in her early years which contributed to her feeling unseen. Becky shares about brokenness as our human experience. She witnessed deficits in her parent's lives and felt the effects in her life. She shares more about processing pain in a person's upbringing, and at the same time, she looks back on her parent's struggles with empathy and increasing love. Becky vulnerably talks about messing up in parenting, struggles with jealousy, and ...
Sharing Hope #26: Judy Douglass
May 25, 2020 15:00 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBLaura's conversation with Judy Douglass is full of rich insight from a Christ follower who has experienced God's faithfulness through many chapters. Judy shares about coming to faith and those who helped her grow. She talks candidly about her struggles to want her own way and how she responded to life events including a broken engagement and the adoption of her son Josh. Judy imparts life giving wisdom about giving thanks, surrendering dreams, investing in the lives of others, and hearing Go...
Sharing Hope #25: Courtney Garrett
May 15, 2020 15:09 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBCourtney Garrett, the creator of the 101: Christianity Series, talks with Laura about how she came to faith in Christ and how her passion grew for investing in others through discipleship. She explains her heart behind the resources she wrote on exploring the basics of the faith and discovering the character of God. Laura and Courtney talk about the Living Your Story study they co-authored relating to every chapter in a woman's story. Each of these resources offers Christ followers a launc...
Sharing Hope #2: Erika Brunson
April 30, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBLaura's conversation with Erika begins with a crossroads in Erika's story. Erika and her husband found themselves in a deficit in their finances and yet Erika felt led to talk more about hope in Jesus to her clients at her hair salon. Laura and Erika discuss what it means for her to risk bringing the hope of Christ into her conversations when she didn't know how her clients would respond and whether her boldness would cause her to lose business. Erika shares stories of lives she's ...
Sharing Hope #24: Erika Brunson
April 30, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBLaura's conversation with Erika begins with a crossroads in Erika's story. Erika and her husband found themselves in a deficit in their finances and yet Erika felt led to talk more about hope in Jesus to her clients at her hair salon. Laura and Erika discuss what it means for her to risk bringing the hope of Christ into her conversations when she didn't know how her clients would respond and whether her boldness would cause her to lose business. Erika shares stories of lives she's seen chan...
Sharing Hope #1: Teresa Snow
April 23, 2020 16:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBLaura's conversation with Teresa Snow begins with Teresa sharing how she came to faith in Jesus Christ while in high school. Teresa's experience as a teenage girl who grew in her faith from those who discipled her gave her a deep conviction to do the same for others. Teresa and Laura talk about being alongside others in life, and how to enter into their stories with love and a word of hope. This powerful conversation also includes making the most of opportunities to plant seeds an...
Sharing Hope #23: Teresa Snow
April 23, 2020 16:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBLaura's conversation with Teresa Snow begins with Teresa sharing how she came to faith in Jesus Christ while in high school. Teresa's experience as a teenage girl who grew in her faith from those who discipled her gave her a deep conviction to do the same for others. Teresa and Laura talk about being alongside others in life, and how to enter into their stories with love and a word of hope. This powerful conversation also includes making the most of opportunities to plant seeds and how to ...
Unexpected Turns: Lisa's Story
April 09, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBBetrayal by someone you love leaves a deep wound. Lisa shares her story of finding God's restoration in a devastating place where she thought she'd never overcome her past. She shares her struggle to forgive, not only the people who hurt her but also herself.
Unexpected Turns #22: Lisa's Story
April 09, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBBetrayal by someone you love leaves a deep wound. Lisa shares her story of finding God's restoration in a devastating place where she thought she'd never overcome her past. She shares her struggle to forgive, not only the people who hurt her but also herself.
Unexpected Turns #21: Taeler's Story
April 02, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBLaura and Taeler talk about the source of the attacks Taeler faced through social media. Taeler describes how the affects of her battle on her mentally, physically, and spiritually and the sources of intervention she sought. When she came to the end of her resources, she pours out her heart to the Lord and begins the continuing journey of working through bitterness and anger. She talks about helpful ways people responded and the tendency of people to skip over lamenting with those who suffer...
Unexpected Turns: Taeler's Story
April 02, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBLaura and Taeler talk about the source of the attacks Taeler faced through social media. Taeler describes how the affects of her battle on her mentally, physically, and spiritually and the sources of intervention she sought. When she came to the end of her resources, she pours out her heart to the Lord and begins the continuing journey of working through bitterness and anger. She talks about helpful ways people responded and the tendency of people to skip over lamenting with those w...
Unexpected Turns #20: Sarah's Story
March 26, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBLaura and Sarah talk about damaging messages she received growing up which made her feel like she didn't measure up or needed to project a certain image in order to be accepted. Sarah shares examples of the words spoken by her mother which emphasized the priority of her appearance and weight. Over time, Sarah's began to believe lies about herself, God, and others and shares the lies including how believing them affected her social, spiritual, and emotional life. Sarah's path to healing incl...
Unexpected Turns: Sarah's Story
March 26, 2020 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBLaura and Sarah talk about damaging messages she received growing up which made her feel like she didn't measure up or needed to project a certain image in order to be accepted. Sarah shares examples of the words spoken by her mother which emphasized the priority of her appearance and weight. Over time, Sarah's began to believe lies about herself, God, and others and shares the lies including how believing them affected her social, spiritual, and emotional life. Sarah's path to hea...
International Harvest #19: Autumn's Story
March 19, 2020 11:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBLaura talks with Autumn Crew about her journey of coming to faith in Jesus as a young woman who found safe people to process her doubts and questions. She shares her story of being called into the battle against sex trafficking in Cambodia and the Middle East. Working in Iraq during the height of the refugee crisis, Autumn talks about facing personal safety, addressing the needs of the vulnerable, and learning how to protect against and prevent trafficking. Through this conversation, the co...
Unexpected Turns: Autumn's Story
March 19, 2020 11:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBLaura talks with Autumn Crew about her journey of coming to faith in Jesus as a young woman who found safe people to process her doubts and questions. She shares her story of being called into the battle against sex trafficking in Cambodia and the Middle East. Working in Iraq during the height of the refugee crisis, Autumn talks about facing personal safety, addressing the needs of the vulnerable, and learning how to protect against and prevent trafficking. Through this conversatio...
International Harvest #18: Ashlee's Update
October 31, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBLaura talks with Ashlee whose story of turning to Jesus while in college and discovering God leading her to reach out to Muslim women in the Middle East is highlighted in Episode #7. In this conversation, Ashlee shares an exciting personal update as well as a ministry update about how God is growing His church Iran. Even though believers face hardship and persecution, the Spirit of God is moving in amazing ways. Highlighting God's greater story around the world reminds us that we live in th...
Unexpected Turns: Ashlee's Update
October 31, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBLaura talks with Ashlee whose story of turning to Jesus while in college and discovering God leading her to reach out to Muslim women in the Middle East is highlighted in Episode #7. In this conversation, Ashlee shares an exciting personal update as well as a ministry update about how God is growing His church Iran. Even though believers face hardship and persecution, the Spirit of God is moving in amazing ways. Highlighting God's greater story around the world reminds us that we l...
Unexpected Turns #17: Melanie's Story
October 24, 2019 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBLaura's conversation with Melanie begins with Melanie sharing her story of a growing friendship which caused her heart break when her friend pulls away. She describes how the friend let her into her life and seemed to embrace shared beliefs about God and the walk of faith. When the friend decides to take a path that was in contrast to her former stance, the result is hurt and wounds from the interaction. Melanie reflects on managing expectations in friendship and examining motives for giving...
Unexpected Turns: Melanie's Story
October 24, 2019 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBLaura's conversation with Melanie begins with Melanie sharing her story of a growing friendship which caused her heart break when her friend pulls away. She describes how the friend let her into her life and seemed to embrace shared beliefs about God and the walk of faith. When the friend decides to take a path that was in contrast to her former stance, the result is hurt and wounds from the interaction. Melanie reflects on managing expectations in friendship and examining motives f...
Unexpected Turns: Suzan's Story
October 17, 2019 11:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBLaura asks Suzan about her struggle to conceive. After giving birth to a beautiful and healthy girl, Suzan describes her emotional and physical roller coaster including feeling disconnected to her newborn and being unable to sleep and cope with regular life. She discovers she is battling postpartum depression and seeks God's wisdom through medical intervention. Suzan describes some unhelpful responses from people even though unintentional. She also offers insight about how to suppo...
Unexpected Turns #16: Suzan's Story
October 17, 2019 11:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBLaura asks Suzan about her struggle to conceive. After giving birth to a beautiful and healthy girl, Suzan describes her emotional and physical roller coaster including feeling disconnected to her newborn and being unable to sleep and cope with regular life. She discovers she is battling postpartum depression and seeks God's wisdom through medical intervention. Suzan describes some unhelpful responses from people even though unintentional. She also offers insight about how to support someon...
Unexpected Turns: Paige's Story
October 10, 2019 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBLaura talks with Paige about her beautiful story of her world turning upside down when she loses her husband to cancer as a mother of two young daughters and a third on the way. Paige describes how God met her in her grief and in the unknown of what the future will look like. She talks about her crisis of belief to stand on the promises in the Word of God when there's temptation to shut down and blame God. Paige and Laura talk about walking through loss and coming alongside those w...
Unexpected Turns #15: Paige's Story
October 10, 2019 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBLaura talks with Paige about her beautiful story of her world turning upside down when she loses her husband to cancer as a mother of two young daughters and a third on the way. Paige describes how God met her in her grief and in the unknown of what the future will look like. She talks about her crisis of belief to stand on the promises in the Word of God when there's temptation to shut down and blame God. Paige and Laura talk about walking through loss and coming alongside those who are gr...
Unexpected Turns: Michelle's Story
October 03, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBLaura's conversation with Michelle begins with her story of coming to faith as a college student. Michelle describes her life change and being introduced to God's greater story around the world. Her course took an unexpected turn when facing a time of transition in her career and realizing God is leading her to move overseas. Michelle shares about the barriers to making such a big leap such a finances, language barrier, peoples' perceptions, and learning to get along with the "handf...
International Harvest #14: Michelle's Story
October 03, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBLaura's conversation with Michelle begins with her story of coming to faith as a college student. Michelle describes her life change and being introduced to God's greater story around the world. Her course took an unexpected turn when facing a time of transition in her career and realizing God is leading her to move overseas. Michelle shares about the barriers to making such a big leap such a finances, language barrier, peoples' perceptions, and learning to get along with the "handful of Ame...
Unexpected Turns: Amber's Story
September 26, 2019 12:58 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBLaura talks with Amber about her disillusionment after meeting and marrying her husband while they both attended seminary. She shares her struggle to relate as they faced tension on even small things - like where to put the bread! Amber describes her emotional connection to another man which became something she felt like she couldn't be without. Her story continues with how the Lord met her when her marriage was dead and how she pursued wholeness. The conversation between Laura and...
Unexpected Turns #13: Amber's Story
September 26, 2019 12:58 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBLaura talks with Amber about her disillusionment after meeting and marrying her husband while they both attended seminary. She shares her struggle to relate as they faced tension on even small things - like where to put the bread! Amber describes her emotional connection to another man which became something she felt like she couldn't be without. Her story continues with how the Lord met her when her marriage was dead and how she pursued wholeness. The conversation between Laura and Amber in...
Unexpected Turns #12: Laura's Story
September 19, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MBHelpless, frightened, confused, and frustrated. Addiction threatened to claim Laura's daughter while she and her husband struggled to know how to support her. Laura shares how their efforts to help became futile as their entire family experienced pain and fear; then the battle of making the decision to enlist the help of a treatment center. Laura describes how her faith and trust in God grew as she found a new place of surrender in the unknown. The conversation includes the reality of offeri...
Unexpected Turns: Laura's Story
September 19, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MBHelpless, frightened, confused, and frustrated. Addiction threatened to claim Laura's daughter while she and her husband struggled to know how to support her. Laura shares how their efforts to help became futile as their entire family experienced pain and fear; then the battle of making the decision to enlist the help of a treatment center. Laura describes how her faith and trust in God grew as she found a new place of surrender in the unknown. The conversation includes the reality ...
Unexpected Turns #11: Renee's Story
September 12, 2019 11:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBLaura's conversation begins with Renee's story of leaving her life behind in the United States to live on a Caribbean island in her late 20's. Renee's dream of island life unfolds with a new place to live, adopting a dog, and meeting a boyfriend. As her boyfriend becomes more violent, Renee faces the reality that this chapter of her story is not turning out the way she imagined. Renee recounts how God rescued her and her dog from harm. The woo-ing heart of God is displayed in a powerful way ...
Unexpected Turns: Renee's Story
September 12, 2019 11:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBLaura's conversation begins with Renee's story of leaving her life behind in the United States to live on a Caribbean island in her late 20's. Renee's dream of island life unfolds with a new place to live, adopting a dog, and meeting a boyfriend. As her boyfriend becomes more violent, Renee faces the reality that this chapter of her story is not turning out the way she imagined. Renee recounts how God rescued her and her dog from harm. The woo-ing heart of God is displayed in a powe...
Unexpected Turns #10: Jean's Story
September 05, 2019 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBLaura and Jean's conversation begins with Jean sharing about her desire to move, feeling stuck, and then being forced out of her home by Hurricane Harvey. Jean describes the aftermath of being flooded, how God came through for her family, and led them to take an RV trip that lasted for almost a year. She is candid about life on the road as well as the barriers to dreaming and taking a risk to do something that seems impractical or unusual to others. The dialogue also includes supporting oth...