What if the hardest day of your life became the first step toward your calling? That’s the heartbeat of Renee's conversation with her faith filled friend Amanda West, a mother of two who loved fiercely, lost suddenly, and learned to soar by leaning into God’s strength and a faithful community. Her story begins with a marriage built on showing up at 110% and pivots into the raw aftermath of widowhood, where breath-by-breath perseverance meets the conviction that only moments and relationships endure.

Amanda opens up about her faith journey, from growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness to encountering the Holy Spirit through a single worship song. Saying yes to Jesus meant excommunication and a decade apart from her parents, yet it also meant the discovery of grace and the freedom from earning love through deeds. She shares how Scripture, especially Isaiah 40:31, became a lifeline, teaching her to wait on the Lord and rise like an eagle in the face of overwhelming loss.

We also dig into the practical side of healing: how friends, neighbors, and church family carried visible and invisible burdens; how serving others sparked fresh joy; and what dating after loss really looks like when grief arrives in waves. Amanda’s candid wisdom helps anyone navigating widowhood, single parenting, or starting again with a tender heart. She explains why mixed-age discipleship groups transform singles ministry, how churches can support without turning community into courtship, and why God wastes none of our stories, especially the heavy ones.

If you’re wrestling with love, loss, faith, or the courage to try again, this episode offers honest hope and grounded tools. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs strength for the next step, and leave a review to help others find the conversation. Then tell us: which moment spoke to you most, and why?

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What if your season of waiting is the very place God is shaping your future? Renee sits down with Pastor Rodrick Walters, CPA, husband, father, and leader of Word Life Christian Fellowship, to trace his remarkable journey from Jamaica to the States, through culture shock, loneliness, and a heartbreaking breakup, to a surprising call to bivocational ministry. His story challenges the myths we carry about singleness and success, showing how identity in Christ can steady you through the noisiest moments of life.

Rodrick opens up about renewing the mind and letting the Holy Spirit rewrite old scripts of inadequacy. He shares how Psalm 27:14 became a lifeline. We explore practical habits for singles, daily time in Scripture and prayer, learning to hear God’s voice in solitude, serving with purpose, and setting healthy boundaries in dating. You’ll hear the tender, intentional steps of blending a family, earning trust, and recognizing the right relationship at the right time, years after a first meeting. Along the way, we talk about the power of purpose at work, the beauty of bivocational calling, and how churches can support singles and “in-betweeners” without isolating them by age or status.

If you’re tired of forcing the wrong fit or feeling defined by your relationship status, this conversation offers grounded hope and clear next steps. Learn how to wait well, choose excellence without hurry, and let God’s timing lead you into relationships that strengthen your calling rather than distract from it. Subscribe for more stories and practical guidance, share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement. God Bless.

Follow Pastor Rodrick's Church Here: https://wordlifecf.org/

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What if waiting for love isn’t about pause, but about becoming? We sit with Pastor Bri DuPree, leader, mentor, and inspiring single woman in ministry, to explore how faith meets desire, how community heals loneliness, and how to prepare for marriage without losing yourself along the way.

Bri shares her path from psychology student to pastor and reframes “kingdom work” as simple, daily acts of presence: listening well, asking better questions, and dignifying people in ordinary moments. We press into the hardest parts of singleness, end‑of‑day loneliness and the ache for true companionship and talk about practical steps to build healthy friendships, create robust community, and grow emotional intelligence. Bree challenges churches to move beyond clichés, equipping singles with tools for real life, including candid conversations about sexual desire that remove shame and point toward wisdom.

Together we dismantle the myth that there’s only one person for you and replace it with a grounded vision of compatibility, shared values, and timing. We dive into non‑negotiables, why “you complete me” sets couples up to fail, and how to wait actively by cultivating hobbies, purpose, and spiritual depth. Bree’s theology of suffering brings hope after heartbreak: if God collects every tear, nothing is wasted. The invitation is clear, become whole, so you can love from abundance, not desperation.

If you’re navigating singleness with faith, longing, and a desire to do the inner work, this conversation offers clarity and comfort in equal measure. Listen, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and subscribe for more honest, hope‑filled talks on love, faith, and relationships. We’d love to hear your biggest takeaway from this week's episode!

Follow Bri's Church Here: https://www.instagram.com/theembracecollective_/?hl=en

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What if the cure for loneliness isn’t more scrolling, but a bigger story and a closer community? We welcomed Pastor Bob Martin from College Park Church to talk candidly about a decade of singleness, the unexpected grace of a pre-breakup, and the slow, steady practices that turn waiting into deep formation. Bob unpacks the “already and not yet” reality of the Kingdom, why embodied church life matters in an AI-saturated age, and how simple invitations can change a spiritual trajectory.

We explore the most common pain point singles face, loneliness and the constellation of cures that actually help: gathered worship that widens your horizon, small groups where prayer is real, weekly rhythms that tame hurry, and a counterintuitive practice of solitude that lets God speak identity into the quiet. Bob reframes dating as service, not self-fulfillment, and challenges men and women alike to leave people better than they found them. He also dismantles a few myths: singleness is not a single story, there’s no “just do this” fix, and marriage isn’t a higher tier of holiness. Scripture dignifies both callings and roots intimacy in a family of faith.

If you’re preparing for marriage, Bob’s counsel is disarming and practical: YOU bring YOU into the covenant. Start practicing the lifestyle of Jesus NOW, patience, humility, and faithful presence, so the front door of your wedding day opens into a home shaped by Christ’s character. We close with resources for finding community and next steps you can take this week: invite a friend to church, commit to one act of service, and set aside an hour of quiet time with God.

Enjoy the conversation? Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find their way to a stronger community and a deeper love.

Bob's Church: https://www.yourchurch.com/

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What if worship is the on-ramp to real relationship change? Renee welcomes Pastor Freddy Wachter, a Worship Pastor at Desert Song Community Church in Redmond, OR. He believes music can prepare hearts more effectively than any announcement or program. From his adoption story to his call into ministry, Freddy shares how worship functions as a spiritual weapon, turning a Sunday setlist into a doorway for healing, conviction, and hope.

We dig into the complex world of Christian singleness and dating with unfiltered honesty. Are churches unintentionally sidelining singles? Freddy argues for a radical shift: let singles lead singles, stop siloing them with awkward mixers, and integrate them into the life of the church with respect and real roles. We tackle codependency with clear, compassionate boundaries, why grace without truth enables, and truth without grace harms and how healing past wounds keeps them from hijacking future relationships. The goal isn’t a perfect story; it’s a healthy one.

Then we take on dating culture head-on: the buffet mindset from apps, myths from rom-coms, and the fallout from shame-based purity narratives. We propose a better path—root your choices in Christ, define a short list of non-negotiables, and balance spiritual alignment with practical competence like communication, budgeting, and service. Pursuit still matters, modeled in Song of Solomon’s respectful passion. Give second dates when possible, invest real time, and let character deepen attraction. For women, look for a man who actively participates in a local church and serves. For men, seek a woman who knows her value and respects yours. Healing, worship, and wise choices beat hype every time.

If this conversation helped you rethink love, singleness, or ministry, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it. Got a question or topic you want us to tackle next? Send it our way, we’re listening.

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Ever wondered if that uneasy feeling about someone you're dating is just fear, or something more divine? When your spirit feels unsettled despite promising appearances, it might be the Holy Spirit's gentle protection rather than your own pickiness.

We break down six critical red flags that may appear innocent but actually serve as divine whispers saying "this is not your person." From spiritual disconnection (the most significant warning sign) to inconsistent character, lack of accountability, emotional manipulation, unhealed wounds, and the heartbreaking experience of losing yourself, each red flag represents God's loving guidance toward something better.

"Sometimes the enemy will send distractions as desires," Renee explains, reminding us that as believers, we're dating for purpose, not just attention. The world teaches us to overlook warning signs for the sake of butterflies or to avoid loneliness, but God's protection often comes disguised as rejection. Those disappointing dating detours are actually divine redirections toward the person who will truly complement your identity in Christ.

Whether you're currently dating, healing from a relationship that displayed these warning signs, or preparing for future connections, this episode provides spiritual clarity and practical wisdom. Remember, you weren't created to be someone's emotional rehabilitation center, you were designed for partnership rooted in faith, consistency, and mutual growth. Share this episode with friends navigating their own dating journeys, and join us next week as we explore kingdom-minded dating that's not casual, but called.

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You’ve prayed. You’ve waited. And now someone shows up, but how do you really know if it’s an answered prayer or just another distraction?

In this perspective-shifting episode, we’re flipping the script, from fear-based dating to faithful discernment. For too long, we've approached relationships with a defensive mindset: scanning for red flags, bracing for the worst, and often missing the blessing God may be placing right in front of us.

Today, we're exploring five essential green flags that signal a Christ-centered connection, the kind of partnership built on purpose, peace, and spiritual maturity. From genuine spiritual intimacy to emotional safety, accountability, and alignment with your calling, these green flags help you recognize when someone is actually equally yoked with you, not just checking your boxes.

Whether you're dating, discerning, or simply preparing your heart for what’s ahead, this conversation will equip you with practical wisdom to recognize Godly love when it shows up. Because God isn’t just protecting your heart, He’s preparing it to receive the real thing.

Let’s stop dating in fear and start recognizing the fruit of faithful, healthy, God-honoring love.

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Ever caught yourself thinking "I'll be happy when I find the right person"? That mindset might be holding you back from the very relationship you're seeking. In this powerful season 6 opener, we're shifting focus from married couples to singles, dating couples, and newly engaged listeners with a truth that changes everything: before finding "the one," you must become "the one."

The search for lasting love isn't about scrolling harder on dating apps or lowering your standards—it's about becoming whole in Christ first. Looking at Adam's story in Genesis reveals God's blueprint: purpose before partnership, identity before intimacy. Your waiting season isn't a punishment or oversight—it's intentional preparation where God heals past wounds, shapes your character, and refines your unique purpose.

Many singles put their lives on pause, thinking marriage will suddenly provide joy, discipline, or direction. But relationships don't create these things—they magnify what's already present. Start building your life with God now. Take the trip. Develop good habits. Grow spiritually. Your waiting season isn't a holding pattern—it's a launch pad for everything God has planned. When feeling forgotten while scrolling through engagement announcements, remember Psalm 31:15: "My times are in your hands." You're not behind; you're being set apart for something extraordinary. Trust God's timing and storyline, His plot twists are always better than our shortcuts.

Whether you're single, dating, or recently engaged, join me each week for practical wisdom on navigating relationships God's way. Subscribe, share with friends and send your questions for future episodes. The journey to finding love starts by first becoming the person God created you to be.

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