The good story and the hard story can be the same story. This is where we’re sharing the proof. Feeling isolated by your hurt and heartbreak? Then this place is for you. Join Katherine Wolf and her most trusted friends as they honor the hardest parts of life while making space for the hope and humor in it all. Your weekly pep talk from The GoodHard Story Podcast will load you up with fresh inspiration, practical takeaways, and the soul-deep sense that you are not alone in the story you’ve been given.
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This season of The GoodHard Story Podcast has been rich beyond belief. Every episode was inspired by a question or suggestion YOU sent to me, so thank you! Because of your thoughtful contributions and vulnerability, we’ve had dozens of life-giving and heart-changing conversations with people who are living their good/hard lives with clarity, intention, courage, faith, and (of course) transcendent hope.
I am so grateful that you shared so many hours of the past year with me, friends.
So many of these episodes have been a balm to my own soul, and I don’t want to forget all the goodness I’ve found here. So to celebrate the final episode of this season, I’m rounding up my ten favorite takeaways. (And they were SO hard to choose!) I plan to preach these truths to myself when I need them most and I hope you can do the same!
The GoodHard Story Podcast team will be taking a much needed summer break, but we’re already planning the most glorious lineup for Season 5. We’ll be back with all-new conversations in September! Remember, our catalog of over 100 episodes is always available in your favorite podcast app for you to savor (or binge!) in the meantime.
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Episode 103: Tell Your Story, Heal Your Heart with Dr. Curt Thompson
Thursday, June 12, 2025 • Duration 59:44
What story do you believe you’re living in? Friend, your answer to that question could not be more important.
Learning to tell the truest version of my story to empathetic listeners has healed my heart after so much breaking. A decade and a half of this work has helped me integrate the hurt with the hope, and God’s goodness with his mystery. Today I’m sitting down with the person who taught me how to start telling that story years and years ago—Dr. Curt Thompson.
Dr. Thompson is a renowned psychiatrist, author, and speaker who brings together the wisdom of neuroscience and spiritual formation to help people (like me!) understand and re-narrate their lives. In this episode we’ll cover:
Discovering your suffering in the context of community
Allowing Jesus to access our entire selves
Suffering can be redefined even when it isn’t resolved
Transforming your anger into something useful
Becoming the empathetic listener that other people need
If you want to be transformed by your suffering but need some support in making that happen, this conversation is for you.
Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything - https://a.co/d/6XHzUiJ
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
John 16:33
Mark 5:25-34
2 Corinthians 4:16
Deuteronomy 8
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Episode 102: Imagining a Good Future with Amy Julia Becker
Thursday, June 5, 2025 • Duration 01:04:51
Seasons of suffering can take so much from us—our health, a loved one, our sense of security. There’s a more expansive loss that runs through all those other kinds of loss: we lose our ability to imagine a good future. We only remember pain and hurt, which means we anticipate a future filled with more pain and hurt.
I don’t think it has to be this way. Even when the worst things happen, it’s possible to dream new dreams. And it’s possible to imagine a good future for ourselves and for the people we love.
Today we’re talking to a woman on the leading edge of imagining—and creating—good futures. Amy Julia Becker is an author, speaker, and one of my very favorite thought leaders in the faith and disability space. Hours after giving birth to her first daughter, Princeton grad Amy Julia received the unexpected news that her little girl had an intellectual disability. Amy Julia’s lived experience paired with her brilliant mind and love of Jesus make her an invaluable guide as you and I take the next step toward a future filled with hope.
Here’s what you’ll take away from this conversation:
A refreshing redefinition of “the good life”
One thing you can do when life takes a totally unexpected turn
Proof that the life you didn’t expect can still be a life you love
Tons of practical resources and recommendations for taking your next step
If you need inspiration to begin imagining a good future, this episode is for you.
Show Notes:
The GoodHard Story Ep. 94 with Dr. John Swinton - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/565eb21c7e2a0b580d942c64560f312f
A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker - https://a.co/d/hHW7Xfs
Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp/
The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy Crouch - https://a.co/d/hpkQxOO
The GoodHard Story Ep. 98 with Philip Yancey - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/7ff1ca2eb98b273f3d5479dc5504d9f3
Episode 101: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn with Megan Fate Marshman
Thursday, May 29, 2025 • Duration 01:03:15
Blessed are those who mourn. Most of us have heard it over and over…but I know I’m not the only one wondering how this could be true in God’s kingdom.
Megan Fate Marshman will give you imagination for how the mourning and meek and poor in spirit might be called blessed…and might actually believe they’re blessed. This friend of mine has navigated the deepest kind of loss after her husband’s death in 2021. Since then, Megan has become a survival guide for grieving and healing with hope. She is navigating her “new normal” with incomparable grace, gratitude, and a steady trust in God’s good plan. Today she’s sharing how she’s managing to do that, and how you can too.
Here’s just a bit of the riches waiting for you if you listen:
The surprising blessing of being needy
Why we’ve got to be honest with God about our anger and anxiety
Building your dream team of friends
What “good” actually means, by God’s definition
The role of spiritual rhythms in our soul formation
If you need a fresh vision for flourishing in the most difficult seasons, this episode is for you.
“The good things of God are chiefly peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost in this life; fruition of God’s presence, and vision of his blessed face in the next, and these good things God never bestows upon the wicked, never withholds from the godly.” - Sir Richard Baker
Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing by Megan Fate Marshman - https://a.co/d/4m4JNv2
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
Episode 100: How to Heal in Your Home with Phylicia Masonheimer
Thursday, May 22, 2025 • Duration 51:05
From the early days of my stroke recovery, home—and all the rituals of home—have been a major part of my healing. Home has looked a lot of ways over the years, but my family and I have always tried to make it a place of comfort, rest, and connection. If you’re on a journey to finding a “new normal,” I cannot overstate the importance of making your home into a place of healing.
So how do we do that exactly? Today I’m joined by Phylicia Masonheimer, who believes in the power our homes have in forming us and ministering to others. We’re talking through the big and small ways that any home can be a place of soul-deep rest and renewal.
Phylicia is a mom and wife, bestselling author, Bible teacher, and the founder of Every Woman a Theologian. Her work is all about helping Christian women understand, live out, and communicate their faith with clarity and grace. I took away so much from our conversation. Here’s a preview:
How to make home a place of peace and productivity
Connecting with God in our daily home routines
A beautiful new definition of hospitality
Creating a healing space when you don’t have a typical home life
If you’re looking for the first step toward your new normal, this conversation is the place to start!
Show Notes:
Mend Coffee and Goods - https://mendcoffee.com/
Every Home a Foundation: Experiencing God through Your Everyday Routines by Phylicia Masonheimer - https://a.co/d/4WZyrQh
Phylicia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phyliciamasonheimer
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
Psalm 16:6
Psalm 84:11
Episode 99: How to Live A Life That Doesn't Feel Like Mine with Susan Robinson
Thursday, May 15, 2025 • Duration 34:51
At some point, you’ve probably felt like you were living in some strange alternate version of your life. Maybe it was after a tragedy as dramatic as a stroke. Perhaps it was something as mundane as realizing you’re middle aged. We desperately want to find our way back to the way life used to be, but it turns out that version of life is beyond our reach.
So what are our options here? We can keep longing for what was—unsatisfied, absent, and stuck. Or we can learn to love the “new normal” in front of us. Yeah, I like that option.
Today I’m joined by my wise and wonderful friend Susan Robinson to uncover how we can learn to love the lives we never imagined living.
I loved this conversation so much. Here’s a preview of what we got into…
The thing that helped make my post-stroke life feel not only normal, but hopeful
What advice I’d give to my pre-stroke self
What I miss most about my old life
The childhood dream that has been the most difficult to release
I hope you enjoy this important conversation, friend, and, even more than that, I hope you can learn to truly enjoy your one precious life.
Show Notes:
Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the Hurting - https://a.co/d/51XN3fq
What's Here Now?: How to Stop Rehashing the Past and Rehearsing the Future--and Start Receiving the Present by Jeannie Stevens - https://a.co/d/4EUeIXu
The GoodHard Story Podcast Episode 96: Losing Memory and Keeping Hope with Alzheimer's Expert Megan Carnarius - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/60ed5c2e5e34383a7079f18c20333809
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Episode 98: Receiving the Gift You Didn't Want with Philip Yancey
Thursday, May 8, 2025 • Duration 01:00:43
“Hope is believing in advance what can only be understood in reverse.”
These words have been the rally cry of my soul for over a decade now, but I didn’t come up with them myself. Philip Yancey did. This gentle, thoughtful writer has spent his career exploring the topic of suffering which, as you can imagine, has meant so much to me. Today I have the honor of sitting down with Philip to talk about some things that we can’t understand today, but trust we’ll understand some day. (Like his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis.)
This hour with Philip filled my soul, and I think it’ll do the same for you. Here’s what you can expect if you join us in the conversation:
Why pain is not the enemy
The most helpful definition of health I’ve heard yet
We can receive God’s comfort, even when we don’t understand Him
Stewarding the suffering we never wanted
The best thing we can be for God to use us
If you need a compassionate, encouraging voice speaking into your suffering—whatever it may be—then this episode is for you!
Show Notes:
Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey - https://a.co/d/6xf3QxV
The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt and What We Can Do About It by Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand - https://a.co/d/3GapVr9
“Parkinson’s—The Gift I Didn’t Want” by Philip Yancey for Christianity Today - https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/02/philip-yancey-ct-parkinsons-diagnosis-gift-i-didnt-want/
How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis A. Schaeffer - https://a.co/d/f5H3bxk
Where the Light Fell: A Memoir by Philip Yancey - https://a.co/d/47InSUW
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
2 Corinthians 1:4
Romans 8
***
Episode 97: Having It Out with God with Erin Moon
Thursday, May 1, 2025 • Duration 01:00:53
Some of you will want to turn this episode off about three minutes in because we’re talking about deconstruction. I say this with love: skipping this episode would be a mistake! Whether you’ve never doubted your faith for a moment or you’re ready to burn it all down, today’s conversation has something so good for you. I guarantee it.
Having an out-of-the-blue stroke as a healthy 26 year-old and losing the life I loved so dearly pretty much cured me of pretending I had all the answers. Grief, heartbreak, and unmet expectations have a way of undoing the framework we have for reality—and that includes the way we understand God, the Bible, and our faith communities.
Friends, on the other side of all my certainty I found something so much better. I learned mystery and doubt aren’t something to fear or feel ashamed about.
My guest is the remarkable Erin Hicks Moon. She’s an hysterically funny and incredibly poignant writer and podcaster who has become a beloved spokeswoman for those of us who are tired of pretending to have all the answers.
Here’s a preview of what we’ll get into:
How to normalize doubt, rather than glamorize or villainize it
Why faith has become synonymous with certainty
How to parent kids when we don’t have all the answers about faith
What do to when the Bible stops making sense
If you need to feel less alone and ashamed as you wrestle with your doubt, this episode is for you.
Show Notes:
I’ve Got Questions: The Spiritual Practice of Having It Out With God by Erin Moon - https://a.co/d/eqjrhLn
Meredith Ann Miller - https://www.instagram.com/meredithannemiller
Counterpoint series from Zondervan - https://zondervanacademic.com/products/category/counter-points
Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu -https://a.co/d/1tXrmDU
The Faith Adjacent Podcast - https://faithadjacent.com/
Episode 96: Losing Memory and Keeping Hope with Alzheimer's Expert Megan Carnarius
Thursday, April 24, 2025 • Duration 57:28
Aging is a privilege and we should treat it like the gift it is. But the gift of aging comes with complex challenges and unavoidable sadnesses, like memory loss. If you’re caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia—or if you’re facing a memory loss diagnosis yourself—I want to offer some encouragement and practical wisdom for you to navigate this tender experience as well as you can.
This week’s podcast guest is Alzheimer’s specialist Megan Carnarius, who is doing the hard and holy work of dignifying the experiences of people living with memory loss. I pray today’s conversation with Megan gives you fresh hope for your future and the futures of the ones you love.
Here’s just a preview of what Meg and I covered:
Making every stage of aging as good as it can be
Navigating the “hand-off” of independence
Learning how to help the soul of our loved ones shine through
Finding “fall out” blessings in life with memory loss
Reframing our older years as an “Inner adventure”
If you need expert advice for navigating the realities of memory loss, this episode is for you.
Show Notes:
A Deeper Perspective on Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Practical Tools with Spiritual Insights by Megan Carnarius - https://a.co/d/dI1lbRs
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
2 Corinthians 4:16
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Episode 95: Invisible Wheelchairs with Caroline Young
Thursday, April 17, 2025 • Duration 39:55
I’ve processed and shared countless insights from my second-chance life, but no idea has resonated more deeply and widely with you all than the idea of “invisible wheelchairs.” You know what I’m talking about—those unseen parts of our stories that feel like they’re holding us back from the most abundant versions of our lives.
Maybe your invisible wheelchair is shame, doubt, worry, loneliness, or insecurity. As a physically disabled person, I’m dealing with “invisible wheelchairs” that have absolutely nothing to do with my stroke. There’s plenty of dysfunction to go around (HA!) and I’m letting you into what feels most disabling to me these days.
On this episode, my teammate Caroline and I are working through the invisible wheelchairs in our own lives and the opportunities they offer us, if we have eyes to see them.
Tune into this episode to hear how you can…
Identify your invisible wheelchairs
Find creativity within your unique constraints
De-personalize and get curious about your invisible wheelchairs
Show up as the person you are today, not the one you thought you’d be
If you’ve needed language for the inside stuff that’s holding you back, this episode is for you!
Show Notes:
Suffer Strong: How to Survive Anything by Redefining Everything by Katherine and Jay Wolf - https://a.co/d/beOpiYd
Open Spaces Podcast with Jeff and Jourdan Johnson - https://www.theopenspacescollective.com/podcast
Discover shows related to The GoodHard Story Podcast, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Where the Light Fell: A Memoir by Philip Yancey - https://pod.link/1496882479/episode/7ff1ca2eb98b273f3d5479dc5504d9f3
Re-Imagining Family Life with Disabilities Workshop - https://amyjuliabecker.com/workshop/
The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnick - https://a.co/d/70JXPiS
Amy Julia on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amyjuliabecker/
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Erin on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erinhmoon
Erin on Substack - https://erinhmoon.substack.com/
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
Genesis 32:22-32
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything by Adam Young - https://theallendercenter.org/event/storyworkconference/
Scriptures referenced in this episode:
Romans 12:!2
***
There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/
Want a little hope in your inbox? Sign up for the Hope Note, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote
