Power to Cope Radio Podcast

Power To Cope Proving Mother Wrong!

“Jacob” was certain it would not be hard to find “the” verse in scripture that would clear up his mother’s mistaken new belief that Jesus was the Jewish messiah. At least it should be nothing that two hours of daily Bible study couldn’t solve! Eight months later a now much more spiritually-open youth was ready to be confronted by a billboard, devastated by rejection from a romantic interest, and stunned with amazement and surrender at the discovery almost overnight of the Messiah of his people–who fulfilled the logic of prophetic predictions and answered the heart needs of a man who in time would become a rabbi to lead many like himself to find the power to cope available in the God/man who became his own personal Savior. PS: Mother knows best!

Power To Cope As A Triplet: Melissa, Brian and Tori Kretschmar

The conversation with these three 13½-year-olds is laced with spiritual insights and youthful reactions expressed ingenuously. At this point all three are deliberately choosing to make time for God. They speak casually of schedules that include voluntary personal and family worship. They’re normal youth who’ve learned tools for coping . . . If they hang onto them they’ll be protected a long time!

Power to Cope with Emptiness

John‘s emptiness had been present much of his life. Nothing earthly could fill it. Successful in his business studies, John found the vacancy within himself ever-present  and dominating–whether he was on Madison Avenue giving advice and making international deals involving millions of dollars, or following socially acceptable drinking and other mood-altering-easily-obtainable drugs. He was making more money than he could spend, went after romance and all the other “stuff” that finally nearly cost him his sanity. The path that led him to surrender to Jesus, asking for forgiveness when he really hadn’t known he needed it much less how it could be obtained, is nothing short of fascinating. John could scarcely believe that with confession and acceptance of Christ as his Savior, he had been delivered! There were no more voices! John lives free.  When anyone asked him: Where should I invest my money? John’s answer would be: “Buy Bibles!”  John knows what to do about emptiness. God fills him, again and again, as only He can. And what God does, and what God gives, lasts. It continues to amaze him, and satisfy him!

Power To Cope for 85 Years! 

James Land witnesses to God’s faithfulness during over eight decades of a life filled with challenges and blessings as he tells of: his career choice and financial uncertainties as well as leadings; his choice of a life companion (Robbie Lee, a power-filled prayer partner); and as time went on health challenges that God continues to carry him through. It’s obvious the trials can be forgotten when looking back, due to a deep confidence–well deserved–in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Power To Cope with Electrocution

 Scott Barlow  was seeking a closer walk with Jesus about the time of a profound loss that turned the family upside down. Through self-sacrificing service in Ethiopia, the family was united and became focused–while the size of their family increased! In the process, Scott survived electrocution, a life mission was imprinted within all of their hearts and minds, and deep faith and understanding of the Savior became a way of life that might have been missed without the unsettling accident and subsequent events that drew all of them into a really desperate need for power to cope from a Source outside their up-to-then quite predictable world! Just listening to their ministry at a hospital and on the street for the hungry–as well as their participation in the development of an orphanage will challenge your own comfortable world.

Power To Cope with Career Joys and Life’s Disappointments

Greg: When a man finds a career that leads him into serving God with joy—how could there be such loneliness that leads to desperation and at times wrong conclusions about answers to prayer? Yet red flags waved loud and clear. Greg experienced exactly that, but in the shock that followed the reality of his error, God gave Power To Cope and carried him to deeper ministry and joy.

Power To Cope Surviving Domestic Violence

Chavella’s story is a testimony that one never has to face life alone. God steadied her, and brought escape after her first marriage of 22 years with a man whose brutality came to be expected when he was drinking. Their growing-up children helped her escape his infidelity and mistreatment. Several years later the “spiritual leader” she then married revealed himself as a controlling tyrant with a troubled mind. Six women had been married to him before she was (she learned after the fact). He led a double life of unfaithfulness toward her and God. Now Chavella leads a professional life ministering as counselor, author and instructor. She’s at peace. God is enough.

Power to Cope with Unemployment

John Fallone is a success as a salesman and entrepreneur in developing consulting services and strategies for saving businesses. What he touches—when given a chance, seems to turn to “gold”…but costs many hours away from home/family/church direct needs. As the economic market has been volatile, so has been his steady income flow—with unemployment marring his record and leaving him in the realm of the unemployed and thus his family expenses being dependent on his wife’s income. BUT, knowing God was leading all the way, and teaching trust to everyone who will listen, John learned God’s discipline in this—that the seeming “no answer” to finding work immediately was being used by his Lord to make him skillful in new areas, and leading him to a lead role in church activities. He has accepted the discipline, thrown himself into a full mode of trust in God—and still expects at any moment to be able to be back into the “employed” category at any moment, as God gives him the opening. Meanwhile, work as the head elder of a faith-filled church has become a privilege and a joy—and the family still goes on, watching and listening to this man who claims God’s promises moment by moment! He is definitely NOT unemployed. He’s on God’s volunteer staff full time!

Power to Cope with Gender Change & Reversal

Speaking with Ruthellen in a conversation that at the least had to have been difficult for this woman who has her doctorate in psychology. Ruthellen’s life had been touched with early memories of a tarnished picture of God to say the least—by a man who told her he was in place of God to her, and she should relate to him in that way. The abuse suffered from his hands and his words is painful to imagine. Add to that parental disappointment expressed that she was not born a boy. Somewhere in all that, Ruthellen admits she bought into the lie that a gender change on the outside would satisfy the parent’s and her own sense of failure. Everyone around seemed to “help” her do this—never preparing her for the physical pain and disappointment that accompanied the outer transformation. Later—after going back and forth between female and male, a plea to God for help was answered. She found peace and direction—finally reversing the earlier deed—but no encouragement from others. Her story is a lonely one, with God alone truly giving her power to cope

Power to Cope with Multiple Surgeries

In this conversation Trish describes in some detail the story of one emergency surgery after another in a recent two-year period when she was told they were life or death in urgency! She experienced tremendous pain and would at times say her “good-bys” – yet each time she has gotten through it. She wants her story to be a lesson to others to really listen to trusted professionals before ever going “under the knife” in the first place. But more than that, it is the story of a woman who has reached a point where she realizes that each breath she is taking even now is because God has allowed her to survive. You’ll find Trish’s story amazing, told with conviction by an innocent sufferer you wish you could protect from more of the same. But then you realize God is already nearby giving her power to cope!