I am so very grateful you are joining us today. Like Season One and Two, this season is full of broken and beautiful stories that will encourage, challenge and inspire you. As you listen, you will be encouraged by God’s unfailing faithfulness. He does what He says He will do. He is a promise keeper who NEVER forsakes - even when we doubt Him. You will be reminded that you are NEVER alone in your story. No matter where you are today, God is there, walking with you and working in you. In the unexpected, He is in control. In the delay, He is faithfully working. In the hurt, He is healing. In the pain and grief, He is comfort. In the joys and successes, He is glorified. When the seasons change, He does not. This is why we tell our stories! Because each time we share our story, whether in a public setting or quiet moment, we are reminded that God does not leave us or forsake us and He has been working for our good through it all. Our stories point to the only source of hope, peace and joy in this life - fixing our eyes on Jesus. So as you enjoy hearing the stories this season, once again, it is my prayer that as you listen, you will be ushered to the presence of God and that He would meet you in your own story through the messages of those you hear this season on Honey For Your Heart.
So it’s become a tradition to kick off each new season of Honey For Your Heart with a guest from a previous season: kind of like a “where are they now episode”. So, continuing that tradition, I am SO excited to welcome Mattie Jackson Smith back to Honey For Your Heart to launch our first episode of Season Three. Mattie joined us on season one and shared about her journey through very unexpectedly losing her husband Ben to a tragic accident after only 11 months of marriage. She walked us through her powerful book Lemons on Friday, which is one of my favorite books still to this day. In this book, Mattie so eloquently expresses the real time emotions and struggles of grief while also pointing to powerful, foundational truths that are critical to navigating grief from a Biblical perspective. If you haven’t read the book or listened to Mattie’s episode in season one, I highly recommend doing both!
When we left Mattie last, she was preparing to get married to Connor in a few months. Today, we pick up where we left off with Mattie and hear all about her life updates and how grief looks now in a new mountaintop season. She also has just released a new devotional book called: Through The Valley of Grief: Daily Rhythms to Navigate Grief. If you are walking through any kind of grief or even just a hard season, this devotional book provides incredible tools to daily go before the Lord with your struggle, with eyes fixed on Him, even on the darkest of days. You will enjoy hearing Mattie talk about how the Lord gave her four practices that truly helped her navigate her grief authentically and spiritually.
Follow Mattie here: https://www.instagram.com/mattiejackson/?hl=en