Joy doesn’t always feel easy—it often feels vulnerable, even risky. In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, Amy Petersen sits down with author and therapist Nicole Zasowski to talk about her new Bible study Daring Joy: What Six Women in the Bible Teach Us About the Power of Celebration When It Feels Risky, Complicated, and Even Impossible.

Nicole shares how her own seasons of loss, transition, and disappointment led her to a deeper understanding of joy—not as a reward for when life goes well, but as a practice we can step into, even in life’s hardest seasons.

• Why joy can seem like one of our most vulnerable emotions
• The difference between gratitude and thanksgiving (and why speaking it aloud doubles your joy!)
• Simple practices that retrain your brain toward joy
• What six women of Scripture—Eve, Sarah, Miriam, Mary, Elizabeth, and Mary Magdalene—teach us about daring joy in the middle of uncertainty
• And more!

• Daring Joy: What Six Women in the Bible Teach Us About the Power of Celebration When It Feels Risky, Complicated, and Even Impossible by Nicole Zasowski
• What If It’s Wonderful?: Release Your Fears, Choose Joy, and Find the Courage to Celebrate by Nicole Zasowski
• From Lost to Found: Giving Up What You Think You Want for What Will Set You Free by Nicole Zasowski

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Suffering is something every believer will face—but what do we do when it feels relentless, unfair, or overwhelming? In this powerful episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with author and speaker Vaneetha Risner to talk about walking with Jesus through seasons of deep pain.

Vaneetha’s story is marked by challenges: childhood polio, the heartbreaking loss of her infant son, a painful divorce, and the ongoing struggles of post-polio syndrome. Yet, through every valley, she has discovered the nearness of Christ—not through quick fixes or easy answers, but through honest lament and raw dependence on God.

Together, Amy and Vaneetha explore common misconceptions about suffering, the beauty of biblical lament, and how to come alongside others who are hurting with both truth and tenderness. If you’ve ever felt like your faith faltered under the weight of pain—or if you’ve walked with someone in the midst of grief—this conversation will remind you that your hope is not in an outcome, but in a Savior who draws near.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode with Vaneetha Risner:

• Why there is no “quota” for suffering—and how to reframe hardship as a means of drawing closer to Christ
• The false belief that obedience keeps us from pain, and what Scripture really teaches about suffering
• How lament gives language to our grief and creates deeper intimacy with God
• Practical ways to walk with others in their pain without minimizing or sermonizing
• Why our ultimate hope is not found in changed circumstances, but in Jesus Himself

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Watching for the Morning: 90 Devotionals for When Hope is Hard to Find by Vaneetha Risner

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When you put your “yes” on the table, you never know where God might lead. For Lynette Ezell, that yes has looked like navigating miscarriage, parenting biological children, adopting internationally, fostering locally, and supporting her grown daughters as they walk the same road. Through every season, God has proven faithful in both the joys and the struggles of ministry and motherhood.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, Amy Petersen sits down with Lynette Ezell—wife, mom of six, grandmother, and ministry leader. Together, they talk candidly about the highs and lows of adoption and foster care, what it means to parent through trauma, and how to keep saying yes to God even when the road is long and hard.

Whether you’re considering adoption, already walking that journey, or simply want to support foster and adoptive families in your church or community, this conversation will encourage and equip you to take the next step of experiencing God’s faithfulness.

• How God shaped Lynette’s family story through both loss and adoption
• What it means to keep your “yes” on the table—even when doors close
• The reality of parenting kids from hard places and why trauma-informed care matters
• Practical ways churches and ministry wives can support foster and adoptive families
• Why your “yes” may look different than someone else’s, but God’s faithfulness remains the same

• The Adopting and Fostering Home Podcast
• Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM)
• Duffel Bags for Foster Care: Launching a Restoring Dignity Ministry in Your Church
• Backpack Ministry Guide
• The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn B. Purvis

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Life in ministry brings both joy and heartache. But what do you do when the grief feels overwhelming? Can you still hold on to hope? In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Julie Busler—author, speaker, and Bible teacher—for an honest conversation about grief, mental health, and the sustaining hope we have in Christ.

Julie shares her powerful story of walking through depression, trauma, and mental health struggles, and how God faithfully met her in the darkest valleys. Together, Amy and Julie talk about what it means to grieve with honesty, find strength in Scripture, and walk alongside others who are hurting.

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to reconcile sorrow and faith—or how to care for loved ones who are suffering—this conversation will remind you that grief does not erase hope. In Christ, both can coexist as we hold fast to the promise of eternity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode with Julie Busler:

• How grief and hope can coexist within the Christian life
• Biblical encouragement for navigating depression and suffering
• Why lament is a vital part of spiritual growth
• Practical ways to support others in seasons of loss and pain
• And more!

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Hopeful Sorrow by Julie Busler
• Joyful Sorrow by Julie Busler
• Mental Illness and the Ministry Wife (an interview with Julie Busler)

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Life in ministry often means carrying the weight of people’s stories, navigating unexpected challenges, and learning to love well even when it’s costly. If you’ve ever wrestled with how to lead with both strength and tenderness, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with DeenDeen Vedoya—church planter’s wife, mom of three, and women’s ministry leader in Edmonton, Canada. DeenDeen shares her personal journey of church planting, discipleship, and discovering what it means to lead with a heart shaped by Christ’s compassion.

Together, Amy and DeenDeen talk honestly about grief, generosity, and the daily choice to lead people with empathy. You’ll hear practical wisdom on cultivating curiosity, listening well, and letting God’s love flow through you in both ministry and family life.

Whether you’re walking through conflict, caring for others in their suffering, or simply longing to reflect Christ more in your leadership, this conversation will remind you that compassion isn’t weakness—it’s Spirit-filled strength.

• The importance of compassion-driven leadership in ministry and motherhood
• Practical ways to embrace curiosity, empathy, and generosity with others
• How to grieve ministry losses without losing hope
• Encouragement for releasing expectations and trusting in God’s provision
• And more!

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Life in ministry can feel like constant chaos—balancing church responsibilities, family needs, and the everyday mess of raising kids. If you’ve ever felt the tension between ministry demands and motherhood, you’re not alone.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Heather Oldham—ministry wife, mom of five, and church planter’s wife—to talk honestly about parenting kids in the whirlwind of ministry life. Heather shares her personal story of growing up in a pastor’s home, raising her own family in the church planting context, and learning to find calm in the chaos.

Together, Amy and Heather explore practical ways to model peace for your children, stay connected when correction is needed, and cultivate a home where ministry kids feel loved, secure, and part of the mission—not in competition with it.

Whether you’re in the trenches of raising littles, navigating the teen years, or simply craving encouragement in the messiness of ministry, this conversation will remind you: Calm isn’t the absence of chaos—it’s the presence of Christ’s peace.

• How to model emotional regulation in times of high stress
• Practical ways to engage your kids’ hearts through curiosity
• Tips for helping your children name and process their emotions biblically
• Ways to see discipleship happening in the everyday moments
• And more!

• “Raising Church-Planting Kids: Be Their Calm in the Chaos” by Heather Oldham

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Welcome back to Season 7 of the Ministry Wives Podcast! In this episode, host Amy Petersen sits down with Casey Kilgore, a ministry wife of more than 20 years and part of the Send Network team.

Casey opens up about the realities of navigating unexpected ministry shifts, from major transitions in her family’s calling to their bold step into full-time RV living. With honesty and wisdom, she shares what it looks like to trust God’s plan even when it feels uncertain—and how ministry wives can stay rooted in Christ through seasons of change.

Whether you’re walking through a new chapter in your own ministry journey or simply want encouragement as a ministry wife, this conversation will remind you that God is faithful and that you’re not alone.

• Why community support is essential for ministry families
• How trusting God’s plan means stepping into the unknown
• Practical ways to navigate your family’s next steps in ministry and discipleship
• The role of prayer in discerning God’s guidance
• Encouragement for church planting wives serving across the U.S.

• Resources for Church Planting Wives

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Welcome back to Season 7 of the Ministry Wives Podcast! In this episode, host Amy Petersen sits down with Bible teacher, actress, spoken-word artist, and ministry wife Blair Linne for an honest conversation on anxiety, mental health in ministry, and trusting God when self-effort falls short.

Blair shares her journey through crippling panic attacks—a struggle that inspired her book Made to Tremble—and how God used that season to teach her deeper dependence on Christ. Together, Amy and Blair discuss why Christian women in ministry must break the silence around anxiety, seek help without shame, and build supportive, gospel-centered community.

• How anxiety shows up—even in the lives of ministry wives
• Ways to move from self-reliance to real dependence on God
• Practical steps for inviting safe, Christ-centered community into the struggle
• Why counseling and medication can be wise tools, not signs of weakness
• Scriptures that bring calm and clarity in moments of fear

• Made to Tremble: How Anxiety Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Faith by Blair Linne
• The Attributes of God album by Shai Linne

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