The GoodHard Story Podcast

What do we do with the stuff that’s not good and hard, but just hard?
Toni Collier is no stranger to pain. She’s navigated a childhood of tragedy and two marriages marked by abuse and infidelity. According to her, the pain hasn’t been worth it…but it hasn’t been wasted either. In our conversation, Toni shared how she’s surviving those seasons of “ashes from ashes,” and why she’s not trying to do it alone.
Show Notes
Mentioned in this conversation:
Broken Crayons Still Color by Toni Collier

2 Corinthians 12:9

Don't Try This Alone: How to Build Deep Community When You Want to Hide from Your Pain by Toni Collier

Brave Enough to Be Broken: How to Embrace Your Pain and Discover Hope and Healing by Toni Collier

Unshakable Moxie - https://www.odbm.org/en/moxie

Still Color Podcast - How Healing Became an Idol: Why We're More Obsessed with Healing than Becoming Holy

Love Your Life (Even When You Don’t Like It All the Time): A Realistic Guide to Unlocking Joy in Life’s Messy, Mundane, and Magnificent Moments by Rachel Awtrey

Isaiah 45:3

More from Toni:
Follow @tonijcollier on Instagram

Watch on YouTube @tonijcollier

More from Katherine:
Follow @hopeheals on Instagram

Receive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Watch this conversation on YouTube

How are we expected to live well on this side of the sky?
Sometimes we need wisdom for the deep, hard, dark suffering. But most of the time, we just need encouragement for the normal lives we’re living on this side of heaven. Laura Wifler is a mother and poet who finds endless inspiration in the mundanity and mess of her everyday life.
In our conversation, Laura shares what’s changed in her theology of the body, why she’s relying on the grace of the present, and how a crisis of faith invited her to doubt “toward God.”

Show Notes
Mentioned in this conversation:
This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick by Laura Wifler

Sword Drill - https://www.sworddrilltrivia.com/waitlist

The GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 51 with Laura Wifler - https://hopeheals.com/podcast/not-the-mom-with-the-chickens-stewarding-the-story-you-have-with-laura-wifler/

1 John 4:4

Like Me: A Story About Disability and God’s Image by Laura Wifler

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore

The GoodHard Story Podcast Ep. 104 with Beth Moore - https://hopeheals.com/podcast/beth-moore-on-walking-with-god/

More from Katherine:
Follow @hopeheals on Instagram

Receive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Watch this conversation on YouTube

What is the first step of moving forward from the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?
Join me today for a solo episode as I process some recent thoughts I’ve been having about how healing actually begins with heartbreak. I share some of the painful (and downright bizarre!) early memories of “waking up” from my stroke and being in total denial about my situation.
That season taught me just how critical it is to confront the reality of our stories if we ever hope to move forward. In this episode, we’ll process through some insights about how Jesus named his pain, what true lament looks like, and a simple exercise you can borrow to confront reality for yourself.

Show Notes
Mentioned in this episode:
Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp

Ecclesiastes 7:2

2 Corinthians 4:8

Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the Hurting

Isaiah 45:3

Mike Erre

Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love

Habakkuk 3:17-19

More from Katherine:
Follow @hopeheals on Instagram

Receive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Watch this conversation on YouTube

Episode 126 - Martin Deacon on the “Weird and Wonderful” Gift of Disability
What if our disabilities might give us as much—or more—as they take from us?
Disability gives us the gift of dependence. That’s the mantra of Martin Deacon, the CEO of Teach Every Nation, who began to lose his vision when he was just twelve years old. In our conversation, Martin shows how his disability transformed an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hippo Lakes - https://visit.hippolakes.com/hopeheals

Teach Every Nation - https://teacheverynation.org/

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp

MEND Coffee & Goods - https://www.mendcoffee.com/

More from Katherine:
Follow @hopeheals on Instagram

Receive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenote

About Hippo Lakes:
Hippo Lakes is a luxury safari resort nestled in South Africa’s malaria-free Waterberg region. Guests enjoy five nights in a private game reserve surrounded by incredible wildlife, beautiful landscapes and thoughtfully designed accommodations.
From daily game drives and curated experiences to meals, transportation and more, the Hippo Lakes team is committed to making every part of your stay seamless and unforgettable. Best of all, the Travel Concierge team handles the details so guests can arrive, slow down and experience the beauty of the African bush.
Through January 1, 2027, 15% of all booking payments made through Hope Heals' special Hippo Lakes booking link will go toward helping fund families to attend Hope Heals Camp in 2027.
If you’re interested in planning a stay at Hippo Lakes, you can use the link below to get started. The Hippo Lakes team takes care of the details, from transportation and accommodations to experiences during your stay.
You’ll work directly with one of their amazing Travel Concierges, who will help plan an experience that feels personal to you and your family.
Learn more and begin planning your stay: https://visit.hippolakes.com/hopeheals

Show Notes

What if your suffering is not a curse on your children, but instead an inheritance of breathtaking value?
In this deeply personal conversation, I sat down with my son James the day before he left for college. James opened up about the reality of growing up with a mom who has disabilities and how the experience has formed him into a person who shows up helpful and grateful. I reflected on one of the heaviest questions of my life: has my suffering been a burden to the people I love, especially my children? I also got to offer James the truths I wish someone had given me at his age—about God, about pain, and about the story he gets to write with his own life.

Mentioned in this episode:
Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp

MEND Coffee & Goods - https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Samford University Micah Fellows Program - https://www.samford.edu/programs/undergraduate/micah-fellows/

Micah 6:8

More from Katherine:
Follow @hopeheals on Instagram

Receive monthly reflections from Katherine - http://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Watch this conversation on YouTube