Welcome to Renaissance Voices. My name is Kristene ODell, owner of 8 Owls Publishing. Have you ever wanted to get to know the authors behind the books you read? I have! I’m fascinated by the way Jesus moves in the lives of real people with real stories who have met a real Savior in their time of need. It’s these types of authors I love to work with and it’s my privilege to introduce them to you.

Season 2 - Episode 5

by Kristene O'Dell

Our guest for this episode is our friend Natalie Horton. Natalie speaks openly about her struggle with anxiety and how she learned to find healing in Jesus. This truly is a casual conversation among friends about the beautiful work Jesus does in our lives to bring us into a place of peace and wholeness.

Time Stamps:

2:40: Anxiety is the feeling of being pulled apart. God brings His Shalom peace (wholeness, wellness) to us.

3:15: Wholeness comes about by giving God full access into our lives. We can’t hide our pain and shame. We need to surrender those things to God.

3:50: We need to learn to be honest about our processes–when we are okay and when we are not. It was a shock to learn how to admit when I wasn’t okay.

4:07: If we get hung up on a journey into wholeness, its often because we feel like we need to have all the answers or be a “super-Christian” so that we can get God to do what we need Him to do.

4:32: However, God meets us where we are–even at our lowest points.

5:18: Wholeness is a journey. It’s not a definitive place where we arrive and live out the rest of our days there. We are continuously working toward wholeness.

5:47: God is so gracious and doesn’t ask us to give Him more than we can give in the moment.

6:55: I (Natalie) learned freedom in layers. Had it been an instantaneous deliverance, I don’t know that I would have learned to live a life of surrender.

8:53: Jesus absolutely heals us. Some healings happen instantaneous, and others happen over time.

10:31: Sometimes the thing that keeps us from giving our anxiousness to God is the fear of losing control.

12:55: One of the crucial things Natalie learned was not to put human characteristics on God. She did not have to project a false image of herself onto Him to gain His approval. She learned to trust that Father’s level of acceptance and love was more than she could understand.

17:39: Many of us as Christians have been taught that we are not supposed to feel negative emotions, have anxiety, or deal with depression. And instead of surrendering those things to Jesus, we disassociate from them and act like they are not there. When we do that, there is no room for growth, and we stay stagnant.

31:23: There are times we need professional help. It is not a lack of faith to need a counselor. Faith seeks God’s answer. It is solution-seeking. Faith is not denial.