Beauty in the Brokenness – Christian Women (Bible Study, Faith, Healing, Trauma, Hope)

Has your marriage been affected by sexual sin? Have you been stuck in addiction, or felt betrayed by your spouse's struggle with pornography? You are not alone. In this episode of Beauty in the Brokenness, I have an incredibly honest conversation with Nick Stumbo. Nick and his wife spent years in a painful cycle of sexual addiction, broken promises, and heartache — until they found real freedom and healing through Pure Desire Ministries.  This is a must-listen for anyone who feels trapped, betrayed, or loves someone who does.

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Author Erica Colahan joins Teresa to share the fascinating true story behind her historical fiction novel, The Oystercatcher of Southwark — a tale rooted in family legend, an ancestor committed to a 19th-century insane asylum, and the discovery that generational silence can leave lasting wounds. Erica opens up about the archives, the heartbreak, and how writing Mary's story helped her find her own identity and healing after divorce.

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Episode 150 marks the close of the Seen series — and Teresa gets personal. She shares what God has been teaching her heart through writing this Bible study, how she personally identified with each of the six women in Seen, the rejections and wilderness seasons she navigated along the way. Plus a real life update and a peek at what's coming next for Beauty in the Brokenness.

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We have an invisible enemy who is out for our destruction. But we don't have to live in fear. Jesus has defeated Satan, equipped us with spiritual weapons, and accomplished our victory! As He does with the hunched woman from Luke 13, He reaches toward us and invites us to live in freedom.

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Mentioned on the episode:
The Hunched Woman's Story

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Tears, regret, and long nights can make it feel like you’re sliding into a pit with no way out. I walk through Psalm 30 with you as a song of praise that tells the truth about suffering and still refuses to give up on joy, showing the God who heals, delivers, and restores life in the darkest places.

I look back at the women we’ve been studying and the ways God keeps meeting people who feel unseen or stuck: the hunched woman in Luke 13, Hagar, the bleeding woman, Leah, and Elizabeth. The thread running through every stor...

She slumps into her seat in the back row, feeling out of place. Bent double, eyes on the ground, bound by eighteen years of oppression. The hunched woman from Luke 13 enters the synagogue, little knowing that an encounter with Jesus is about to set her free.

In this episode we meet one of the most overlooked women in all of scripture and discover what her healing on the Sabbath reveals about God's gift of rest, restoration, and freedom.

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Struggling with anxiety? Psalm 71 has a surprising, free prescription — and it works. Find hope, practical tools, and truth for every age and stage of life.

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What if the song you sing in the dark becomes the strength you stand on in the light? We sit down with musician, author, and missionary kid Myshel Wilkins to trace a pathway through eight miscarriages, hidden ambition, and the painstaking work of trusting God. Today's story doesn’t romanticize pain, but refuses to waste it, turning loss into a life that loves boldly. 

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In Luke 1:5–80, we meet Elizabeth, who has long since given up hope of bearing a child. She and Zechariah are too old for their prayer to be answered. And in a culture where women were valued based on the number of sons they produced, Elizabeth feels the sting of shame. But God looks upon her and removes her disgrace. He gives her a child in her old age, who is not only the answer to her prayer, but also the answer to the prayers of all who are awaiting the Messiah.  

Elizabeth's story is for anyone who fee...

Teresa walks through Psalm 146 alongside the story of the bleeding woman, exploring what it really looks like to anchor your hope in God when life feels uncertain. Drawing from a raw personal experience, she unpacks why human hope always disappoints, what God's goodness actually means, and how praise can practically reshape the way we see our circumstances.

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If you’ve ever been told, “There’s nothing wrong,” “It’s just anxiety,” or “It’s all in your head,” when you knew something wasn’t right—you’re not alone, and you’re not crazy! Ashley Jameson shares her journey of more than 20 years with a chronic illness that was dismissed by her doctors. She knows what it’s like to look fine on the outside while suffering inside, to stay silent after being labeled, and to feel unseen and unheard. But her story doesn’t end there. Ashley found answers, healing, supportive community, and hope in Jesus, who sees and knows our su...

The story of the bleeding woman reveals Jesus' heart to heal not just our bodies, but our hearts and souls. After twelve years of suffering and isolation, an unnamed woman risks everything to touch Jesus' garment. When she tries to slip away unnoticed, Jesus stops and turns to find her—not to shame her, but to give her a new identity. He calls her "daughter", transforming her from a woman defined by an issue into a beloved child of God. This powerful encounter reminds us that we are seen, known, and loved by a Savior who sees us in ou...

What if the healing you’ve been missing isn’t more willpower or distraction, but a language you were never taught?  We open the door to lament - honest, raw prayer that tells the truth about pain - and trace a simple, courageous path through Psalm 142 that anyone can start today.

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Dorina Lazo-Gilmore-Young is a glory-chaser. In her 30s, she was raising three children, happily married to Ericlee, and running a thriving international non-profit ministry. Her world was turned upside down when her athletic, triathlete husband received a devastating stage four cancer diagnosis and graduated to heaven just three months later. Suddenly, Dorina found herself a widow with three daughters ages 2, 5, and 8. Even in the midst of her grief, she learned to look for God's glory—in sunsets, in breath prayers, and unexpected moments of beauty, all while God was writing a redemption story she never would have imagined!

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What do you do when justice and closure never come? In this episode of Beauty in the Brokenness, trauma therapist and author Lisa Saruga shares her powerful story of surviving violent trauma, the reopening of her cold case decades later, and how God’s goodness is not dependent on justice or resolution. Together, we explore trauma healing, PTSD vs. PTSI, post-traumatic growth, and how Scripture anchors us when life remains unresolved. A hope-filled conversation for anyone navigating trauma, faith, and healing.

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In this episode of Beauty in the Brokenness, we explore Tamar’s story in 2 Samuel 13—a painful account of trauma, silence, and unresolved justice—and discover a God who sees, hears, and draws near to the wounded.

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Order Graced: How God Redeems and Restores the Broken

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A 4-step guide to starting 2026 with intention: reflect, assess, discern, and plan for purposeful living.

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We are picking up right where we left off last week with Leslie Vernick.  If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, you can find it here.  

What if forgiveness didn’t mean stepping back into harm, and submission didn’t mean surrendering your safety? We tackle the most misunderstood truths about abusive dynamics, offering a clear path toward safety, integrity, and hope. On today’s episode, we walk through four essential questions to identify patterns of abuse, how escalation works when there are no consequences, and why boundaries are acts of love, not defiance.

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Silence should never be the price of peace. Today we sit down with speaker, author, counselor, and relationship coach Leslie Vernick to talk about becoming God centered instead of husband centered, the kindness of consequences, and the power of wise community to reduce isolation and strengthen courage. If you’ve wondered whether what you’re living is normal, or if leaders have told you to try harder while you’re shrinking inside, this conversation offers clarity, language, and hope.

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Today I share one of my favorite Psalms of all time. During a painful season of my life, Psalm 63 became my lifeline. It helped calm my anxiety. It reminded me of God’s nearness. It brought about praise, despite pain.

As we walk through this powerful psalm, my hope is that if you’re navigating your own wilderness, you’ll be reminded that even in your most desperate moments, you will find yourself tucked under God’s wings, clinging to Him with all of your soul. And when you find that you can no longer hold on, you real...

This week, I speak with Jennifer Lucy Tyler about God’s power and presence in our lives in the midst of unanswered prayer. We talk about Leah’s story, Jennifer’s story, and the reality of the goodness of God in our waiting.

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What if the path to healing isn’t either the Bible or therapy—but both together? In this episode, Teresa sits down with Kristin Smith of Pure Desire to talk about how faith and mental health can work hand in hand to heal trauma while staying rooted in Scripture. Kristin shares three lifelines that helped her move from merely surviving after divorce to living the abundant life. Her story is a beautiful testimony of God’s power to heal the whole person—heart, soul, mind, and body 💛!

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Today we sit down with Gretchen Huijskens, founder of Trades of Hope, to trace her journey from orphan care in Haiti to fair trade job creation that keeps families together. Stories from Haiti, India, and Uganda show how dignified work restores voice and lifts women from crisis to choice.

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Leah’s story is one of heartbreak, hope, and redemption. Overlooked and unloved, she longed to be chosen—but God saw her, heard her cries, and wove her into His redemptive plan. If you’ve ever felt forgotten or rejected, this episode will remind you that you are seen, chosen, and deeply loved by God, who invites you to praise Him even in your pain.

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What if the most life-changing truth isn’t simply that God loves people, but that God knows and loves you? He knows every thought, every word, every action—and still pursues you with steadfast love. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with author and Bible teacher Glenna Marshall as we open Psalm 139 and let it reshape how we see God—and how we see ourselves.

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Tired of waiting for God to answer your prayers? Pastor Dustin Crowe and Teresa Whiting explore how hardships can lead to spiritual growth, deeper faith, and a clearer understanding of God’s purpose. 

Whether you’re walking through a difficult season, seeking hope in suffering, or wondering how God might be at work in your life, listen in for encouragement, biblical insight, and practical guidance for finding meaning and purpose in your wilderness.

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On today’s episode, Whitney Akin shares her beautiful heart for serving women and her lifelong struggle with living seen. Through the story of Hagar and other biblical characters, Whitney has discovered the relentless heart of God in pursuit of His daughters. She is a kindred spirit whose life work includes sharing this good news with women through her writing, speaking, and podcast.

For those feeling overlooked, Whitney offers hope and practical steps toward living seen. Listen in and find, in Whitney, another kindred spirit whose words are a balm for the lonely soul.

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Have you ever felt discarded, rejected, or utterly forgotten? The story of Hagar speaks directly to that experience with a message of hope.  Hagar's journey from rejected slave to personally encountered by God reveals a powerful truth: when the world walks away, God comes looking. He sees your tears, hears your prayers, and knows your name.

Her story reminds us that often our deepest encounters with God happen not in our moments of triumph, but in our experiences of abandonment and despair.

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What if your story doesn't begin with brokenness, but with beauty?  Curt Thompson, MD returns to challenge our fundamental understanding of the gospel narrative, reminding us that Genesis 1 - not Genesis 3 - is where our story truly begins. This profound conversation reveals how recognizing our original design as beings created for beauty and relationship can transform our approach to healing from trauma. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, you can listen to it here. 

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The human heart carries a longing to be truly seen and known. In this conversation with psychiatrist Curt Thompson, MD, we explore this universal yearning not as a weakness or flaw, but as the very cornerstone of our humanity.  Whether you've felt invisible, misunderstood, or afraid to reveal your true self, this conversation offers hope and practical wisdom. Join us as we explore how embracing the gaze of God and safe others can rewire our brains and restore our souls.

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Do you ever feel invisible or overlooked? In this episode, we explore biblical stories of women who felt unseen and discover how God actively pursues those society forgets. Teresa introduces her Seen series and unpacks how you can connect with both God and others in a digital, distracted world.

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Teresa Whiting unveils the podcast's new name, Beauty in the Brokenness, reflecting her 11-year passion for finding God's beauty in the midst of pain. She shares her journey of letting fear hold her back from embracing this message and how she's finally stepping into the vision God placed on her heart years ago.

We discuss: 
• The difference between beauty after brokenness vs finding beauty in the midst of pain
• Finding glimpses of beauty in everyday moments
• Understanding "the ache" we all feel
• Commitment to Bible-based teaching that connects Scripture with real-life struggles
• Same podcas...

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Order Graced: How God Redeems and Restores the Broken

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Music: Home (Inspirational And Uplifting Acoustic Guitar) by Daniel Carrizalez

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