Beauty From Ashes: Wendy Wall on Africa, Deepwater Horizon, and Building a Holy Habit

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! Author and Bible study leader Wendy Wall joins host Jan to talk about hearing God's voice in the middle of upheaval — a sudden move to Angola just after a 50-year civil war, the Deepwater Horizon disaster that upended her husband's career, a providential relocation to Trinidad that let her be near her dying mother, and a season of loss that included her mom, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, and family dog.  Wendy shares how a misunderstood conversation with God about "habits" turned into a 66-day spiritual experiment — and eventually her book, The Holy Habit . Honest, funny, and full of small, specific miracles, this episode is for anyone learning to trust God when the instructions don't make sense yet. 00:00 Welcome & Introducing Wendy Wall 01:29 A Tribe of Godly Women: Wendy's Grandmother and Early Faith 02:34 The Deepwater Horizon Rig Fire 04:10 The Relocation Offer: Alaska, Azerbaijan, or Angola 04:48 Arriving in Post-War Angola: Bullet Holes and Armed Guards 05:19 "You're Coming to Africa": Hearing God, Not Sid 06:15 A Year of Obstacles Resolved Right on Time 07:04 The Passport Left at TSA 07:28 "Two Hands and Two Feet, They Are Yours" 08:11 President of the American Women's Association of Angola 09:40 Finding the Arnaldo Jensen Boys' Orphanage 10:36 Mattresses, Mosquito Nets, and Provision Out of Nowhere 11:19 The $1,360 Miracle: A Memorial Stone Moment 13:19 The Move to Trinidad and Tobago 13:38 Why God Closed the Door to Indonesia 14:42 Losing Mom, and a Season of Compounding Loss 15:11 Coming Home: Reverse Culture Shock in the Grocery Store 16:03 The Pity Party and "Give It to God, Wendy" 16:18 "If It's a Habit": God's Correction 17:06 The 66-Day Experiment Begins 18:16 How the 66 Days Became a Book 18:41 Building a Personal Prayer Toolkit 23:13 "Isn't It Ironic You Can't Turn This Book Over to Me?" 25:17 Revisiting Deepwater Horizon: Ashes Into Beauty 26:22 What Was Gained in Africa and Trinidad 27:51 "He Needed to Break Me" 28:39 Losing Everything in Storage 30:00 "We Are So Blessed": Life on the Other Side 30:26 Two Cardinals on the Back Porch 32:16 Closing Words: Look for God in the Little Things 32:22 Where to Find Wendy and The Holy Habit Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Consider subscribing to this podcast, YouTube and Substack- all with the same name: Just Talkin' About Jesus! https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!

Scripture · NLT

Isaiah 61:3

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Psalms 91:1-7

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.