Stephanie welcomes like-minded soul sister Nicole Jacobsmeyer for a raw, deep conversation about pain, suffering, God’s role in it, and ours. Though they just met over this conversation, they clicked in deep ways. Throughout a decade of trials—from assault and depression to miscarriage and cancer— Nicole Jacobsmeyer really began to wonder: Is God giving me more than I can handle?

Nicole's books is indirectly a powerful answer to the problem of evil and suffering in the world. While it is not a book for Christian apologetics, stephanie highly recommends it for anyone who seeks to answer these questions for themselves or for a loved one.

In Take Back Your Joy, Nicole shares her story of questioning God - but falling more in love with Him than ever. Without sugarcoating her own struggles or yours, she equips you in your darkest moments to:

·      Embrace a clear sense of purpose.

·      Stay grounded in God’s Word.

·      Serve others with gratitude.

·      Choose forgiveness—again and again.

·      Discover the freedom of giving up control…and more!

Nicole says, “We are not defined by the trials we face, and you are not alone in your suffering, doubts, and questions. I’ve been there. Take Back Your Joy invites you to see your life through a fresh lens as you glimpse the big picture of God’s work. Because I honestly believe that sometimes one of the greatest gifts is to have more than we can handle—so we can find a deeper joy in Christ who can handle it all.”

Nicole wrote this book for you if...

You’re wondering where is God in your pain

You’re struggling to find hope and joy

You’re questioning your faith

You’ve experienced deep pain and suffering that doesn’t make sense with what you read in the Bible

You’ve lost your sense of purpose in life

So join Stephanie and Nicole today for a hard but powerful conversation about God’s sovereignty in our trials.

MEET NICOLE JACOBSMEYER

Hi! I’m Nicole and I am so happy you found my little space on the internet. Make sure you find me on Instagram or drop a comment here so I can get to know you!

A little bit about me…

Besides my relationship with Christ, the most important people in my life are: my husband Andrew, my three sons Wesley, Reid and Nate, and our newest bundle of love, Maddie! I love people, comfy clothes, chocolate chips cookies, babies in diapers, watching my kids play sports, writing, and a good glass of red wine.

Since becoming a mom almost 8 years ago, my life mantra has been: Embrace the Chaos! With a husband in the medical field, four kids under 8, and lots of moves in between, I needed an outlet to write. The Embracing Chaos blog was started in 2016. Four years later, I launched nicolejacobsmeyer.com as my author hub.

When it comes to ministry outside of the home, I have a passion for helping women walk in victory, joy, and faith in the face of trials, sorrow, and suffering. I want to help women understand that God is good no matter what life brings and that it’s possible to find lasting joy in Him.

In other HUGE news, my first book is coming out October 4th, 2022, and I’d LOVE to have you be a part of the launch team. Stay tuned!

https://www.nicolejacobsmeyer.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nicole.jacobsmeyer/

https://www.facebook.com/nicole.jacobsmeyer1

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

This conversation is part of 3-episode Gospel Spice Summer Inspirations with partner David C Cook. Go to https://davidccook.org/ and https://davidccook.org/esther-press/ for more

 

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

We invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.

Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the traps of comparison, the importance of theology, and much more! These stand-along episodes are meant to encourage you and challenge you to experience deeper fruitfulness in your various roles and ministries, in all the relationships and areas of your life. The topics we discuss are eternal and apply to both genders, across time and space and culture and age. So, join us for deep conversations with inspiring Christ-followers, conversations that will flavor your summer with the Gospel.

Conversations about culture, leadership, success, dating, gender, and struggles with comparison, pride, and more: that is your Gospel Spice summer!

You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer 

There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.

But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?

As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.

If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!

A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER

To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.

We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.

So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.

There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.

Let’s begin.

THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE

Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.

So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.

Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!

So, let’s get started.

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