Desperate For Hope with Vaneetha Risner

In this opening episode, my sister Shalini and I will share a raw and honest account of walking through the wreckage of divorce—what it felt like up close, the losses named, and the lament that gave way to God’s presence. Together we’ll reflect on grief, unanswered prayers, and what it felt like to walk with someone and help carry that burden. This conversation will frame the heart behind the podcast: an invitation to be honest about pain, to discover hope in unexpected places, and to journey forward with the God who never leaves.
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📕 Buy My Latest Book
This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God through the Heartache of Divorce | REWARDS members (free sign up) get 25% off
In This Episode
[01:00] Why We’re Talking About Divorce
[02:20] Our Marriage and the Day Everything Changed
[04:00] Trying to Hold Our Family Together
[07:00] The Shame and Questions That Followed
[09:00] Learning to Be Honest With God
[13:00] Wrestling With Repentance and Reconciliation
[18:00] What It Was Like for My Sister to Walk With Me
[27:00] Red Flags, That Conference, and Beginning to Rebuild
[50:00] The Book I Needed—and Hope for the Road Ahead
Guest Resources
🎙️Discover the Word podcast  
💻 God Hears Her
📚Vaneetha’s Books: 
Her memoir: Walking Through Fire

Her latest devotional: Watching for the Morning

🗣️Follow Vaneetha
💻 More Resources Available at: Vaneetha.com

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Editing and Support by ⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠

I still remember lying in my bed, huddled in the corner, wondering how my life had unraveled so completely. Divorce was never part of the plan. I had prayed. I had fought for my marriage. I believed God would restore it. I thought reconciliation was the only way to honor Him — and when it didn’t happen, I didn’t know how to move forward as a Christian.
The world had plenty of advice, but I longed for wisdom rooted in faith — from people who understood the grief, the questions, the shame, and the fear. When I couldn’t find that kind of guidance, I wrote This Was Never the Plan. And now, this podcast continues that conversation.
In this series, I sit down with people who understand divorce from every angle — those who have lived through it, pastors and counselors who have walked alongside it, and trusted voices like Paul Tripp, Sissy Goff, Brighton Butler, and Barnabas Piper. Together, we talk honestly about grief and loss, parenting and co-parenting, rebuilding, forgiveness, dating, remarriage, and learning to trust God again.
These conversations aren’t simplistic or one-size-fits-all. They make space for the complexity and the pain. Because none of us was meant to carry this kind of heartache alone.
If divorce is part of your story — or someone you love — I want you to know you’re not abandoned, and you’re not without hope. God is with you in this. I’ve learned that even when the story isn’t what we prayed for, He is still writing something good.
I hope you’ll join me.

……….
📕 Buy My Latest Book
This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God through the Heartache of Divorce | REWARDS members (free sign up) get 25% off

📚Vaneetha’s Books: 
Her memoir: Walking Through Fire

Her latest devotional: Watching for the Morning

🗣️ Follow Vaneetha
💻 More Resources Available at: Vaneetha.com

What does resilient faith in the midst of relentless suffering look like? Join me as I sit down with my friend and author, Michele, as she shares her story which includes an unwanted divorce, single-parenting, the challenges of a blended family, surviving cancer and foster-adopting children with trauma backgrounds. Michele's story is one of hardship, but also one of unwavering faith in God as she has leaned into Him, trusting He is redeeming her suffering.
In our heartfelt conversation, Michelle recounts her upbringing in a Christian home and her dreams of a Christian husband and children. She shares her feelings of shame after her divorce, the unique struggles of blended families, and the resentment she felt over her unmet expectations. Then she was diagnosed with tongue cancer three separate times and describes the intense treatments, surgeries, and the lasting impact on her health, including permanent disabilities. In the midst of that came the challenges of adoption, which were largely unexpected, so Michele offers invaluable suggestions on how to come alongside adoptive parents.
Michele’s story is a testament to God’s kindness, the power of a resilient faith, and the profound hope that can be found even in deep suffering. Her courage and faith will inspire you as you wrestle with your own challenges or walk with those in a difficult season.
DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

EPISODE CHAPTERS
(00:06) - Michele’s Story
(08:11) - Navigating Suffering and Finding Hope
(23:12) - Challenges and Realities of Blended Families
(31:58) - The Challenges of Foster and Adoption
(43:15) - Wrestling With Faith
(51:10) - Finding Humor and Hope

GUEST BIO
As an experienced communicator, Michele Cushatt speaks internationally to a wide variety of audiences and has published four books, including A Faith That Will Not Fail and Undone. A three-time head and neck cancer survivor and parent of “children from hard places,” Michele is a (reluctant) expert on trauma, pain, and the deep human need for authentic connection and enduring faith. She and her husband, Troy, share a blended family of six children, including biological children, stepchildren, and foster-adopt children. They live on eight acres outside of Denver, Colorado.

GUEST RESOURCES
Michelecushatt.com
Latest Book: A Faith That Will Not Fail
Facebook | Instagram

RESOURCES
Buy the Desperate for Hope Bible Study from Lifeway
Use discount code: HOPE for 25% off 1 item from Lifeway through August 31, 2023.
Vaneetha’s Books: Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption | The Scars that Have Shaped Me
To learn more, visit: https://www.vaneetha.com/

FOLLOW
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!
Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

How can sharing our brokenness with others help us heal? Join me for a deeply moving and vulnerable conversation with my friend and author, Ann Voskamp, as we explore how gratitude can be a weapon against darkness and a powerful way to find healing in the midst of suffering. 
Ann opens up about her own childhood tragedy at the age of four when her sister was accidentally killed. She talks about the profound impact it had on her family and the subsequent struggles they faced. Despite the pain, Ann firmly believes in God's sovereignty and the redemptive power of His story. She shares how her practice of gratitude, expressed through counting gifts, helped her find wholeness and trust in God's provision even in the midst of suffering.
We talk about the role of the Church in supporting those who are hurting. Ann stresses the importance of sitting with people in their pain and being a non-anxious presence, offering practical acts of service and heartfelt prayers. She also highlights the need for the Church to address mental health issues with sensitivity and compassion, creating a safe space for individuals to share their trauma and find healing in the embrace of the body of Christ.
Finally, we explore the power of Scripture in providing hope and comfort during times of suffering, and the importance of being part of a supportive community. Join us in this honest exploration of finding wholeness and hope through gratitude, faith, and leaning into the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father.

EPISODE CHAPTERS
(00:00) - Introduction to Ann Voskamp
(08:22) - Finding Wholeness Through Gratitude
(18:41) - Church as Safe Haven for Mental Health
(25:11) - Living Cruciform
(36:37) - Finding Hope and Comfort in Scripture
(51:02) - Gratitude, Faith, and Community in Suffering

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

GUEST BIO
Ann Voskamp is a Canadian author, blogger, wife and mother of 7 children. She has written multiple books, including the New York Times bestseller, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are and WayMaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of.  

GUEST RESOURCES:
• WayMaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of. 
• One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
• The Greatest Gift
• The Broken Way — A Daring Path into the Abundant Life
• Annvoskamp.com
• Instagram

RESOURCES
• Buy the Desperate for Hope Bible Study from Lifeway
• Use discount code: HOPE for 25% off 1 item from Lifeway through August 31, 2023.
• Vaneetha’s Books: 
  - Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption
  - The Scars that Have Shaped Me
• To learn more, visit: https://www.vaneetha.com/

FOLLOW
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

Losing a child is an unimaginable grief, and it was a reality my guest, Tim Challies, and his wife Aileen had to face when their son Nick, a college student, passed away unexpectedly. As a pastor and author, Tim shares his family's journey of finding hope in the midst of their pain and offers insights on how to navigate the complexities of grief, granting ourselves grace and patience, and being authentic in our mourning.
Together, we explore the questions Tim and Aileen asked God during this time, and the temptation to allow feelings to dictate our beliefs. Tim shares how his trust in God has grown despite their tragic loss, emphasizing the importance of being grounded in the truth of God's sovereignty and goodness. 
We also discussed the challenges of navigating grief within a family and the importance of offering one another grace since each person's grieving process can be different. Tim offers encouragement to those in the early stages of loss, sharing how his grief has changed over time. 
Join me as we talk about God’s comfort in suffering, the limitations of seeking answers to "why" questions, and the importance of focusing on the character of God. This conversation offers a raw and honest look at the realities of suffering, and the hope and strength we can find in God and His people when faced with life's most difficult challenges.

EPISODE CHAPTERS
(00:06) - Tim Challies Story
(08:15) - Navigating Grief
(20:13) - Joy in God's Sovereignty
(24:21) - Living With Grief
(35:47) - Faith and Support in Loss
(44:45) - Finding Hope in Suffering

GUEST BIO
Tim Challies is an author, speaker and elder at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, where he and his wife Aileen reside. He is a father to two girls (one of whom is married) and one son who is waiting for him in heaven. Tim has written a number of books including:

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (Crossway, 2007)
Sexual Detox: A Guide For Guys Who Are Sick of Porn (Cruciform Press, 2010)
The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion (Zondervan, 2011)
Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity (Cruciform Press, 2015)
Visual Theology: Seeing and Understanding the Truth About God (Zondervan, 2016)
A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible (Zondervan, 2019)
Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History (Zondervan, 2020)
Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God (Zondervan, 2022)

GUEST RESOURCES:
www.challies.com
Twitter | Facebook

RESOURCES
Buy the Desperate for Hope Bible Study from Lifeway
Use discount code: HOPE for 25% off 1 item from Lifeway through August 31, 2023.
Vaneetha’s Books: Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption | The Scars that Have Shaped Me
To learn more, visit: https://www.vaneetha.com/

FOLLOW:
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!
Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.