Today we sit down with our favorite Christian comedy creator: Gabriel Lopez! Known as @gods.best.friend with over 350,000 followers on social media, what led Gabriel to start this social media ministry and write his book (God's Best Friend: The Adventures of an Ordinary Man and an Extraordinary God) was far from what he had ever willed or expected.

Join us as we dive into his personal journey of the unimaginable loss and grief that led him to where he is today... including POWERFUL testimonies that will ignite your faith and expand your perspective.

We also talk about what it looks like to invite God into the creative process, how to not be weighed down by pressure to "top yourself," and encouragement and wisdom for those of you who feel a tug to start a new endeavor or create with God!

Today, we're diving into Part 2 of a topic that's been close to our hearts and highly requested by our listeners: the intersection of faith and depression.

Depression can often be an overwhelming, paralyzing, and isolating experience.

It's easy to feel so stuck in the darkness, tempted to believe that there is "no way out," and that we're powerless to our thoughts and emotions.

Our goal with this episode is not to add more weight to your burden - but simply to be your friends from afar, to come alongside you and encourage you with truth.

The truth that you aren't alone. The truth that there IS hope and light ahead of you. That there is absolutely nothing - not even the depths of depression and despair - that can separate you from God's presence, power, and unimaginable love for you.

Ultimately, we hope these 5 tangible tips equip and EMPOWER you to take a small, courageous, intentional step towards powerfully pursuing the freedom and healing AVAILABLE for you - even in the midst of your struggles.

Because your feelings are valid, but they are not the truth.

We pray that this conversation lovingly reminds you of what's true for you today.

Is it normal to have depression as a Christian? Did people in the Bible ever experience depression? And what do we do when we find ourselves in a dark and hopeless place, DESPITE knowing all the "Christian truths"?

Today we're sharing part 1 of 2 on the topic of faith and depression. We talk about our own personal experiences - from years ago, but also even more recently leading up to this episode release. We dive into the unspoken challenges so many of us (including biblical heroes and giants of faith) face, 3 common myths about depression that many people (including Christians) have, and what we've personally found to be helpful in how to view and think about depression - either for ourselves or for those around us suffering through it.

If you or someone you love struggle with depression: you are not alone.

You are valuable, worthy, and loved no matter what you're experiencing right now.

We pray that God uses this conversation to speak hope into your heart, and strength to keep on going.

How do we grieve healthily AND find real hope?

We often associate grief with the loss of a loved one, or perhaps a serious tragedy. But grief is much more common (and normal) than we think. It’s a natural part of life’s transitions, unexpected hurts, and a wide variety of challenges.

And yet, most of us were never taught how to grieve well. Instead, we default to pushing our hard emotions to the side and fight to stay “positive” and “have more faith.”

Because deep down, we’re afraid of being so overwhelmed by our losses - that we lose ourselves in the process.

Today, we sit down with Natasha Smith, author of Can You Just Sit with Me?: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life. Through her personal journey of navigating 30+ years of painful losses, she shares insights on why healthy grieving matters, as well as how to allow grief to draw us closer to God rather than pull us away.

We also dive into the unspoken aspects of grief and uncomfortable emotions, from "invisible grief" that usually gets overlooked, to managing the tension of grieving honestly WHILE putting our faith in God at the same time.

As Natasha writes, it’s not a matter of getting OVER grief - but of allowing God to help you THROUGH it.

Let’s dive into what that looks like - and step into practical ways of finding hope and healing, even in the midst of real pain and disappointment.