Do you have difficulty telling others no? Do you find yourself frequently pushing your needs and desires aside to meet the needs of everyone else? Do you ever struggle to know how to love others as Jesus desires while also setting healthy boundaries? In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook shares biblical wisdom on how we can discover the best of ourselves and how doing so leads to healthier and more fulfilling relationships.

(Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Resources mentioned:

The Best of You: Break Free from Painful Patterns, Mend Your Past, and Discover Your True Self in God

Boundaries for the Soul

The Best of You Podcast episode: "Should I turn the Other Cheek? Why It's the Opposite of Being a Doormat"

Find Dr. Allison Cook:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

On Amazon

Find Jennifer Slattery:

On her website

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon
What resonated with you most in this episode?
How might you answer Dr. Cook's question: What do you want?
How reciprocal do your relationships tend to be?
Where might you land on the selfless, self, selfish scale Dr. Cook mentioned?
How comfortable are you with setting healthy boundaries?
When do you find it most challenging to set healthy boundaries?
How can strong, clear boundaries lead to relational health?
What is one action step God might want you to take, having listened to this episode?

Do you have difficulty telling others no? Do you find yourself frequently pushing your needs and desires aside to meet the needs of everyone else? Do you ever struggle to know how to love others as Jesus desires while also setting healthy boundaries? In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook shares biblical wisdom on how we can discover the best of ourselves and how doing so leads to healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
(Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)
Resources mentioned:
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-You-Painful-Patterns-Discover/dp/1400234549">The Best of You: Break Free from Painful Patterns, Mend Your Past, and Discover Your True Self in God</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Your-Soul-Overwhelming-Thoughts/dp/1400201616/">Boundaries for the Soul</a>
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-of-you/id1620059010?i=1000616119751">The Best of You Podcast episode: "Should I turn the Other Cheek? Why It's the Opposite of Being a Doormat"</a>
Find Dr. Allison Cook:
<a href="https://www.dralisoncook.com/">On her website</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dralisoncook">On Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dralisoncook/">On Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alison-Cook-PhD/author/B079NRC2SX">On Amazon</a>
Find Jennifer Slattery:
<a href="http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com">On her website</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/">Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083247680572">Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00JKQ4ZTW">Amazon</a>
<ol>
<li>What resonated with you most in this episode?</li>
<li>How might you answer Dr. Cook's question: What do you want?</li>
<li>How reciprocal do your relationships tend to be?</li>
<li>Where might you land on the selfless, self, selfish scale Dr. Cook mentioned?</li>
<li>How comfortable are you with setting healthy boundaries?</li>
<li>When do you find it most challenging to set healthy boundaries?</li>
<li>How can strong, clear boundaries lead to relational health?</li>
<li>What is one action step God might want you to take, having listened to this episode?</li>
</ol>

Life is too short and God has too much for us to do for any of us to live enslaved. Jesus promised His followers would experience filled to overflowing life, a life characterized by joy, peace, and spiritual and emotional vitality. And yet, we daily make decisions based on fear, not faith. In Faith Over Fear, author and speaker Jennifer Slattery helps us see different areas of life where fear has a foothold, and how our identity as children of God can help us move from fear to faithful, bold living.

This podcast covers topics like:

⭐️ How to Overcome Fear
⭐️ Biblical Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
⭐️ Powerful Steps to Fight Anxiety
⭐️ Finding God Faithful in Hard Seasons
⭐️ Courage to Wait on God

Jesus has more planned for us than we could imagine and He’s fully committed to perfecting that which concerns us. Fear holds us back, but His perfect love has the power to cast out all fear!

Life is too short and God has too much for us to do for any of us to live enslaved. Jesus promised His followers would experience filled to overflowing life, a life characterized by joy, peace, and spiritual and emotional vitality. And yet, we daily make decisions based on fear, not faith. In Faith Over Fear, author and speaker Jennifer Slattery helps us see different areas of life where fear has a foothold, and how our identity as children of God can help us move from fear to faithful, bold living.
This podcast covers topics like:
⭐️ How to Overcome Fear ⭐️ Biblical Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety ⭐️ Powerful Steps to Fight Anxiety ⭐️ Finding God Faithful in Hard Seasons ⭐️ Courage to Wait on God
Jesus has more planned for us than we could imagine and He’s fully committed to perfecting that which concerns us. Fear holds us back, but His perfect love has the power to cast out all fear!

Life is too short and God has too much for us to do for any of us to live enslaved. Jesus promised His followers would experience filled to overflowing life, a life characterized by joy, peace, and spiritual and emotional vitality. And yet, we daily...

Faith Over Fear

Discovering the Best of You for Healthier Relationships with Dr. Alison Cook

When pain enters our lives, most of us immediately ask both “Why is this happening?” and  “Where is God in this?” In this episode, we explore the lie that suffering means God is distant—and the truth that weakness and pain may be the very places where His presence and power become most real.

Through the lens of Tracking God in Your Life and the biblical stories of Paul, Job, Ruth, and Naomi, this conversation reframes suffering as more than disruption. Pain reveals what we truly believe about God, exposes our illusion of control, and invites us into deeper dependence, community, and spiritual maturity. Rather than rushing to fix, manage, or spiritualize hardship, we consider what it looks like to allow weakness to be weakness—and to encounter God’s sufficiency there.

We talk about trusting God without full explanations and recognizing how personal pain can become a pathway to ministering to others. Weakness, loss, and uncertainty often become the soil where empathy, calling, and belonging take root.

Listeners will be encouraged to begin “tracking God” in their own lives—watching for His presence not only in moments of relief, but in the middle of struggle. Even when suffering remains, God is still at work, forming resilient faith and shaping stories that carry hope for others.

Resource referenced: Tracking God in Your Life: How to See God's Work in Your Past, Experience His Presence, and Trust Him with Your Future Kindle Editionby Laurie Polich Short 

Reflective Questions:
Where in my life have I been tempted to believe that pain means God is distant?
When have I experienced God’s strength most clearly in a season of weakness?
What illusion of control might God be gently loosening in my life right now?
How has a past hardship shaped the way I show up for others who are hurting?
What truth about God do I need to hold onto when my circumstances don’t change?
If my pain is an invitation, not just an interruption, what might God be inviting me to notice, trust, or step into today?

Connect with Laurie Polich Short:

On her website

On Instagram

On Facebook

Follow her work on Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website 

On Facebook

On Instagram

When pain enters our lives, most of us immediately ask both &ldquo;Why is this happening?&rdquo; and&nbsp; &ldquo;Where is God in this?&rdquo; In this episode, we explore the lie that suffering means God is distant&mdash;and the truth that weakness and pain may be the very places where His presence and power become most real.
Through the lens of Tracking God in Your Life and the biblical stories of Paul, Job, Ruth, and Naomi, this conversation reframes suffering as more than disruption. Pain reveals what we truly believe about God, exposes our illusion of control, and invites us into deeper dependence, community, and spiritual maturity. Rather than rushing to fix, manage, or spiritualize hardship, we consider what it looks like to allow weakness to be weakness&mdash;and to encounter God&rsquo;s sufficiency there.
We talk about trusting God without full explanations and recognizing how personal pain can become a pathway to ministering to others. Weakness, loss, and uncertainty often become the soil where empathy, calling, and belonging take root.
Listeners will be encouraged to begin &ldquo;tracking God&rdquo; in their own lives&mdash;watching for His presence not only in moments of relief, but in the middle of struggle. Even when suffering remains, God is still at work, forming resilient faith and shaping stories that carry hope for others.
Resource referenced: Tracking God in Your Life: How to See God's Work in Your Past, Experience His Presence, and Trust Him with Your Future&nbsp;Kindle Editionby&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Laurie-Polich-Short/e/B00IKAGCDG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1">Laurie Polich Short</a>&nbsp;
Reflective Questions:
<ol>
<li>Where in my life have I been tempted to believe that pain means God is distant?</li>
<li>When have I experienced God&rsquo;s strength most clearly in a season of weakness?</li>
<li>What illusion of control might God be gently loosening in my life right now?</li>
<li>How has a past hardship shaped the way I show up for others who are hurting?</li>
<li>What truth about God do I need to hold onto when my circumstances don&rsquo;t change?</li>
<li>If my pain is an invitation, not just an interruption, what might God be inviting me to notice, trust, or step into today?</li>
</ol>
Connect with Laurie Polich Short:
<a href="https://laurieshort.com/">On her website</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lauriepshort/">On Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/laurie.polich">On Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Laurie-Polich-Short/author/B00IKAGCDG?">Follow her work on Amazon</a>
Find Carol McCracken:
<a href="https://www.carolmccracken.com">On her website&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/carol.o.mccracken">On Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/carologlemccracken/">On Instagram</a>

The Lie Hardship and Pain Tells Us About God

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/ec4df1a5-31de-4043-85d7-b4100019dd0c/transcript

What do you do when life takes a devastating turn and God doesn't seem to be helping you?

In today’s episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery sits down with retired Air Force brigadier general, chaplain, pastor, and author Bob Page to talk about trusting God in seasons of hardship and uncertainty.

Bob shares the powerful story of a life-threatening accident that left him in intensive care while his young family faced an uncertain future. To outside observers, it might have looked as if God had abandoned them. But as Bob reflects on that season, he now sees unmistakable evidence of God’s presence and provision—from a nurse who comforted his injured daughter to unexpected financial provision that sustained his family.

Through decades of ministry and personal experience, Bob has learned a profound truth: even when we cannot see or understand God’s ways, we can trust His heart.

In this conversation, Jennifer and Bob discuss:


Why hardship does not mean God has abandoned us


How to speak honestly with God about fear, anger, and confusion


The importance of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past


How God uses painful seasons to shape our purpose


Practical steps to help retrain our minds to see God’s presence

Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and insights from Bob’s book God Is Still for You: 10 Reasons You Can Be Sure When Life Is Hard, this episode offers encouragement for anyone walking through difficult circumstances and uncertainty.

Key Scripture Mentioned

Psalm 121:1–2

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Proverbs 3:5–6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”

Psalm 9:10

“Those who know your name trust in you…”

Lamentations 3:21–23

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed…”

In This Episode You'll Learn:


Why feeling abandoned by God is a common experience during hardship


How honest prayer can deepen your relationship with God


Why remembering God’s faithfulness strengthens faith


How God often prepares us through experiences that seem like detours


Practical ways to speak truth to fear

Resource referenced: God Is Still For You: Ten Reasons You Can Be Sure Even When Life Is Hard by Bob Page

Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts

Discussion/Reflective Questions:
Have you ever experienced a season when circumstances made you feel as if God had abandoned you? What emotions surfaced during that time?
Looking back, can you identify ways God may have been present in that situation—even if you didn’t recognize it at the time?
Bob talked about the importance of remembering God’s past faithfulness.
What are two or three moments in your life when you clearly saw God provide or guide you?
When fear or uncertainty rises, what truths from Scripture help anchor your heart?
Bob encouraged listeners to speak honestly with God about their emotions.
What might it look like for you to bring your fears or frustrations openly before Him?
Is there a situation in your life right now where you’re struggling to trust God’s purposes?
How might your perspective shift if you asked God to help you see that situation through the eyes of faith?

Connect with Bob Page On his website

Find Jennifer Slattery:

On her website

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon

Subscribe to her free newsletter

What do you do when life takes a devastating turn and God doesn't seem to be helping you?
In today&rsquo;s episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery sits down with retired Air Force brigadier general, chaplain, pastor, and author Bob Page to talk about trusting God in seasons of hardship and uncertainty.
Bob shares the powerful story of a life-threatening accident that left him in intensive care while his young family faced an uncertain future. To outside observers, it might have looked as if God had abandoned them. But as Bob reflects on that season, he now sees unmistakable evidence of God&rsquo;s presence and provision&mdash;from a nurse who comforted his injured daughter to unexpected financial provision that sustained his family.
Through decades of ministry and personal experience, Bob has learned a profound truth: even when we cannot see or understand God&rsquo;s ways, we can trust His heart.
In this conversation, Jennifer and Bob discuss:
<ul data-start="1308" data-end="1612">
<li data-section-id="24iodg" data-start="1308" data-end="1359">
Why hardship does not mean God has abandoned us
</li>
<li data-section-id="1qxfg64" data-start="1360" data-end="1427">
How to speak honestly with God about fear, anger, and confusion
</li>
<li data-section-id="c8243n" data-start="1428" data-end="1492">
The importance of remembering God&rsquo;s faithfulness in the past
</li>
<li data-section-id="1dzza1l" data-start="1493" data-end="1546">
How God uses painful seasons to shape our purpose
</li>
<li data-section-id="411eqt" data-start="1547" data-end="1612">
Practical steps to help retrain our minds to see God&rsquo;s presence
</li>
</ul>
Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and insights from Bob&rsquo;s book God Is Still for You: 10 Reasons You Can Be Sure When Life Is Hard, this episode offers encouragement for anyone walking through difficult circumstances and uncertainty.
<hr data-start="1983" data-end="1986">
Key Scripture Mentioned
Psalm 121:1&ndash;2
<blockquote data-start="2031" data-end="2159">
&ldquo;I lift up my eyes to the mountains&mdash;where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Proverbs 3:5&ndash;6
<blockquote data-start="2178" data-end="2259">
&ldquo;Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding&hellip;&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Psalm 9:10
<blockquote data-start="2274" data-end="2316">
&ldquo;Those who know your name trust in you&hellip;&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Lamentations 3:21&ndash;23
<blockquote data-start="2341" data-end="2449">
&ldquo;Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord&rsquo;s great love we are not consumed&hellip;&rdquo;
</blockquote>
<hr data-start="2451" data-end="2454">
In This Episode You'll Learn:
<ul data-start="2488" data-end="2789">
<li data-section-id="1om72j1" data-start="2488" data-end="2559">
Why feeling abandoned by God is a common experience during hardship
</li>
<li data-section-id="kztv12" data-start="2560" data-end="2619">
How honest prayer can deepen your relationship with God
</li>
<li data-section-id="xlj1ye" data-start="2620" data-end="2676">
Why remembering God&rsquo;s faithfulness strengthens faith
</li>
<li data-section-id="1tmqhwy" data-start="2677" data-end="2749">
How God often prepares us through experiences that seem like detours
</li>
<li data-section-id="vir1v8" data-start="2750" data-end="2789">
Practical ways to speak truth to fear
</li>
</ul>
Resource referenced: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/God-Still-You-Reasons-Sure/dp/0825449901">God Is Still For You: Ten Reasons You Can Be Sure Even When Life Is Hard</a> by Bob Page
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: <a href="https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/downloads/when-fear-strikes-a-7-day-reset-for-anxious-hearts/">When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts</a>
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
<ol>
<li>Have you ever experienced a season when circumstances made you feel as if God had abandoned you? What emotions surfaced during that time?</li>
<li>Looking back, can you identify ways God may have been present in that situation&mdash;even if you didn&rsquo;t recognize it at the time?</li>
<li>Bob talked about the importance of remembering God&rsquo;s past faithfulness. What are two or three moments in your life when you clearly saw God provide or guide you?</li>
<li>When fear or uncertainty rises, what truths from Scripture help anchor your heart?</li>
<li>Bob encouraged listeners to speak honestly with God about their emotions. What might it look like for you to bring your fears or frustrations openly before Him?</li>
<li>Is there a situation in your life right now where you&rsquo;re struggling to trust God&rsquo;s purposes?</li>
<li>How might your perspective shift if you asked God to help you see that situation through the eyes of faith?</li>
</ol>
Connect with Bob Page&nbsp;<a href="https://bobpageauthor.com/">On his website</a>
Find Jennifer Slattery:
<a href="http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com">On her website</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/">Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083247680572">Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00JKQ4ZTW">Amazon</a>
<a href="https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/s5w7a8">Subscribe to her free newsletter</a>

When Life Feels Unfair: How to Trust God When Hardship Hits

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/4411fe6d-d719-4e2e-9402-b40900245846/transcript

In this honest and hope-filled conversation,  Carol sits down with Mary DeMuth to explore how our past quietly shapes the way we show up in relationships—and how God can rewrite those patterns.

Together, they name a powerful lie many listeners carry: My past defines my relationships—I’ll keep repeating it. Early wounds, misunderstandings, disorienting seasons, and environments we didn’t choose often create internal narratives about trust, safety, control, and worth. Over time, those narratives influence how we react, who we let close, and how we protect ourselves. Fear and anxiety frequently grow out of these unresolved relational stories.

Mary shares how reflection becomes the first step toward transformation. By mapping our story—identifying key characters, inciting incidents, pain points, and the “muddled middle”—we begin to notice patterns instead of being ruled by them. Disorientation can become an invitation to find God as our true safety. What once fueled control and self-reliance can instead become a doorway to surrender and healing.

The conversation moves from awareness to action. What does it look like to walk differently? Mary explains how boundaries reduce anxiety, how emotionally safe community fosters healing, and how understanding our story shifts us from reaction to intention. When we recognize how old narratives drive current responses, we can pause, invite God in, and choose new patterns.

The episode closes with a practical next step: notice one relationship pattern you keep repeating, ask what part of your past is shaping it, and invite God into that moment before you respond.

Your past may explain you—but it does not define you. God is still writing your story, and He specializes in redemption, even in the places that feel most stuck. You are not too patterned, too wounded, or too late. You are being restoried.

Resource referenced: Restory Your Life: How Jesus Reframes Your Past, Rewrites Your Present, and Redefines Your Future 

Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts

Listener Reflective Questions
Where have you noticed your past quietly shaping how you trust, react, or connect in your current relationships?
What relational lie have you been believing about yourself that may have formed in an earlier season of pain or misunderstanding?
When you feel anxious or controlling in a relationship, what deeper fear might be underneath that reaction?
Who in your life feels emotionally safe—and what makes that environment different from others?
What repeated pattern keeps surfacing in your relationships, and what part of your story might be driving it?
If you believed God could truly restory your past, how might you show up differently in one relationship this week?

Connect with Mary DeMuth:

On her website

On Instagram

On Facebook

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website 

On Facebook

On Instagram

In this honest and hope-filled conversation,&nbsp;&nbsp;Carol&nbsp;sits down with&nbsp;Mary DeMuth&nbsp;to explore how our past quietly shapes the way we show up in relationships&mdash;and how God can rewrite those patterns.
Together, they name a powerful lie many listeners carry: My past defines my relationships&mdash;I&rsquo;ll keep repeating it. Early wounds, misunderstandings, disorienting seasons, and environments we didn&rsquo;t choose often create internal narratives about trust, safety, control, and worth. Over time, those narratives influence how we react, who we let close, and how we protect ourselves. Fear and anxiety frequently grow out of these unresolved relational stories.
Mary shares how reflection becomes the first step toward transformation. By mapping our story&mdash;identifying key characters, inciting incidents, pain points, and the &ldquo;muddled middle&rdquo;&mdash;we begin to notice patterns instead of being ruled by them. Disorientation can become an invitation to find God as our true safety. What once fueled control and self-reliance can instead become a doorway to surrender and healing.
The conversation moves from awareness to action. What does it look like to walk differently? Mary explains how boundaries reduce anxiety, how emotionally safe community fosters healing, and how understanding our story shifts us from reaction to intention. When we recognize how old narratives drive current responses, we can pause, invite God in, and choose new patterns.
The episode closes with a practical next step: notice one relationship pattern you keep repeating, ask what part of your past is shaping it, and invite God into that moment before you respond.
Your past may explain you&mdash;but it does not define you. God is still writing your story, and He specializes in redemption, even in the places that feel most stuck. You are not too patterned, too wounded, or too late. You are being restoried.
Resource referenced: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Restory-Your-Life-Reframes-Redefines/dp/B0FD7QP5C3">Restory Your Life: How Jesus Reframes Your Past, Rewrites Your Present, and Redefines Your Future</a>&nbsp;
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: <a href="https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/downloads/when-fear-strikes-a-7-day-reset-for-anxious-hearts/">When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts</a>
Listener Reflective Questions
<ol>
<li>Where have you noticed your past quietly shaping how you trust, react, or connect in your current relationships?</li>
<li>What relational lie have you been believing about yourself that may have formed in an earlier season of pain or misunderstanding?</li>
<li>When you feel anxious or controlling in a relationship, what deeper fear might be underneath that reaction?</li>
<li>Who in your life feels emotionally safe&mdash;and what makes that environment different from others?</li>
<li>What repeated pattern keeps surfacing in your relationships, and what part of your story might be driving it?</li>
<li>If you believed God could truly restory your past, how might you show up differently in one relationship this week?</li>
</ol>
Connect with Mary DeMuth:
<a href="https://www.marydemuth.com/">On her website</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/marydemuth/">On Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryDeMuth">On Facebook</a>
Find Carol McCracken:
<a href="https://www.carolmccracken.com">On her website&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/carol.o.mccracken">On Facebook</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/carologlemccracken/">On Instagram</a>

Why Do I Keep Repeating the Same Relational Patterns: Reducing Anxiety by Healing Past Wounds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/fd65ff0d-d0cf-4b30-a91e-b402002c8bbc/transcript

Discovering the Best of You for Healthier Relationships with Dr. Alison Cook

In 1 playlist(s)

Faith Over Fear

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips