Unexpected with Hannah Love

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Episode 18: Bold Prayers & Humble Beginnings (Nehemiah’s Story) Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

Have you ever felt like your position isn’t exactly an impressive one? Maybe your title at work or role at home or within your family has left you feeling…less than. Less than chosen, less than worthy, less than capable, less than seen, or even less than qualified for a ‘more important’ role? If so, I have just the story for you, today! This happens to be one of my favorites because, well, of course, because God shows us once again how He loves to use the most unexpected people to do His greatest works! This is the story of Nehemiah. But, before we get there, I’d love to give you a quick little Bible history. Many of us are familiar with the great exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. It is the story of Moses, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments and so much more. Even if you aren’t familiar with the Bible, you’ve likely seen the cinematic version on tv around Easter. However, did you know that there is a second great exodus story in the Bible? I delved into studying this last year and was amazed that I had rarely heard mention of this era of the Bible. Hold tight and I’ll drop in a bit of context and then pull in a few passages to shape the scene for you. It really is a fascinating time! (Ezra-Nehemiah) Here’s my wonderful cliff notes version to get us up to speed: Israel had fallen into rebellion once again. For years, God sent prophets to warn the people and declare God’s wrath if they did not repent and turn from their unrighteousness. They refused to listen. Eventually, God promises the total destruction of Israel, scattering the people and turning them into exiles of other lands. But, God also promises that once His wrath has been assuaged, He will bring back a remnant to rebuild Jerusalem. Just as God promised, Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were carried off to serve as exiles under the king of Babylon. (This is, in fact, where we get the book of Daniel along the stories of Shadrach, Meschac, and Abednego. They were all captives taken from the land of Israel). And this brings us up to where we are going in scripture today! After 70 years in captivity, to fulfill prophecy, God moves king Cyrus’s heart (the Babylonian king at the time) to release back the remnant of Jerusalem. All who felt the call to go back to their homeland were permitted to do so. Not only that, but he sent orders out to all the land that they should send supplies and materials and anything else they may need for their journey. Along with the first group to go back was a priest from the tribe of Levi named Ezra. He goes back with the mission of building back the temple so the Jewish people can resume their traditional rituals and worship. Ezra’s story is full of fascinating detail, but today, I’m going to highlight another main character of interest. This man’s name was Nehemiah. Roughly 13 years after Ezra left Babylon to begin rebuilding the temple, a man named Hanani arrives in the city of Susa (part of Babylon) with other men who had been in Judah (Israel). Nehimiah began questioning the men about what they had seen. He asked about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. And so, it is here that I’ll pick up reading in Nehemiah 1… All those centuries ago, I doubt Nehemiah, the humble servant, ever dreamed that he would be leading a mission to build back the walls and fulfill prophecy. So, today, I hope you’ll be encouraged. I hope you’ll hear this message and remember how God could use you, too. Pray bold prayers. Ask God to use you and work through you. You may just be surprised at the courage that bubbles up in unexpected places to launch you into something you could never have imagined for yourself.. Thank you to our partner, Cru!

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Episode 17: Healing Aug 08, 2022

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Healing. Though I am far from an expert on the matter, I do have experience here. Healing. There’s an ‘ing’ at the end because it’s present tense - still in process, and will be for anyone willing and ready to walk this road. Defined, healing is: the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. I found another source that described healing in a Biblical sense, saying: Healing occurs through the integrating forces that restore, transform, sustain and nurture the whole person (body, mind, spirit) at each phase and in every dimension of life, and within relationships of the person to the creation, to other people, and to God. I believe the work of counselors and therapists is a wonderful thing. However, I will add that true healing must come from God. And a good counselor is always going to point you to God’s design and use Biblical principles. I’ve mentioned resources my husband and I have used for counseling, not for any outstanding issues, but rather to help us navigate marriage in the music industry. A few years ago, because of crazy schedules and seemingly NO time together, I decided a marriage retreat would be a good idea. I was so excited to dig in and have a few days with Shay working on our hearts. Not only that, but I was excited to hear an outside perspective on our lives and responses. It was actually called an ‘intensive’ week and by the time we finished, I understood why! I won’t go into too much detail, but by the time we came out, I think my husband felt better and I was left in shock at the “chronic trauma” we had uncovered from my past. That was the exact wording used… “chronic trauma”. I couldn’t believe it. Me? With my easy going, calm demeanor? Me? With my fresh-air, idyllic country childhood? Surely not. What’s funny to me now is that I think a lot of people are probably like this! Walking around thinking we are absolutely fine. Nothing to see here! I’m fine. Everything’s fine. But under the surface, there are layers. These layers could look like years of rejection, shame, grief, loneliness, unkindness, exclusion…the list goes on and on. Apparently, my coping mechanism had become numbing. I was (and still can be) very good at compartmentalizing feelings or incidents. I would just turn them off completely and carry on with life. Coping mechanisms may look different for everyone though…in fact, there are so many ways to escape feelings. I would even say that coping often manifests through our behaviors. It could look like escaping through alcohol or substances. Oftentimes, though, it can be a lot more subtle… it could look like binging shows or movies at night just so you don’t have to think. It could look like excessive video gaming. It could look like staying in a continuous cycle of dating and relationships to keep your attention from focusing on your own heart rather than pursuing someone else’s. It could even look like an extravagant social life or working to the point of being a workaholic. All of these behaviors could point to deeper issues that say “I’m coping”. I’m not saying these behaviors always point to outstanding issues. But I am saying, these things can all be indicators that there’s more going on. And there’s work to be done. In this episode, I share personal experiences with healing & describe steps towards reaching it. Today, my prayer is that this lands on hearts ready to heal. I pray you take the first steps towards whole restoration. Acknowledge the need for healing. Invite God in. Be vulnerable enough to go back to painful things. Identify the lie. Reject it. And replace it with the truth of God’s word. I pray you’ll show yourself grace as you begin… And I know, without doubt, God has the freedom of peace on the other side. (Below is a link to a wonderful resource on restoration of the feminine heart)! Captivating Expanded Edition: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul https://a.co/d/ijXfSYN

Episode 16: Do You Know Who You Are? Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

Life. It happens in seasons. Just as God appoints times and boundaries for the seasons in a calendar year, I believe that He also appoints a time in our lives for certain seasons to begin and end. They serve a purpose and are a part of a greater whole. For most of my growing up years, I was, for lack of a better word, timid. This is a quality that lasted into my young adult life. As I entered my 20’s, I found myself in a really unhealthy relationship. Worse than that, it was rather abusive. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just call it a season of my life. It served a purpose. And, to be honest, it served as a defining part of my life as I shifted from timid to…determined. Determined not to be a door mat again. Determined not to be used, taken advantage of, or taken for granted. It was, in fact, the first time in my life I asked myself if my situation was one that God would want for His daughter. The answer was a resounding “No”. Of course not. And by that standard, I began to see myself in a new light. By that standard, I started to really consider myself God’s child, a daughter whom He loved and delighted in. This season shaped the perspective I believe God wanted me to have all along. I was a daughter of the King. Beloved and chosen. That leads me to you the question…who are you? Do you know who you are…in God? Knowing the answer to that - really knowing it deep in your heart - it will change your life. Let me give you an example of a few people in the Bible who knew the answer to this profound question. Starting in Daniel, let’s read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The first chapter notes that one of the first things the Babylonians did was rename the exile boys they had taken captive. It was customary to give new names to slaves. In a nutshell, it reminder that their identity was stripped and this was meant to remind them of the new position in life they found themselves in. Essentially, it was an effort to erase their past. In this passage, there are four Judahites mentioned BY name. Daniel. Hananiah. Mishael. And Azariah. These were their given names at birth. In Hebrew, this is how they translate: Daniel - God is my judge. Hananiah - Yahweh is gracious. Mishael - Who is like God? Azariah - Yahweh has helped. These were some strong names. Immediately, the chef eunuch gave them new names. Belteshazzar - Protect the life of the king. Shadrach - Command of Aku (Babylonian moon god). Meshach - Who is like Aku. Abednego - Servant of Nebo (Babylonian god of wisdom). These new names spoke volumes in terms of what the Babylonian’s intent was. They intended to erase the old identity of these young men and turn them into servants of THEIR culture and their gods. I just wanted to point out this development before we move on. I’ll read the rest of the story through chapter 3. There are so many lessons to pull out of this incredible series of events. But today, I wanted to point out a truth that is so practical. These men knew who they were. More than that, these men never forgot who they were. Facing an outraged king, these men stood before his question “who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”. And their names answered… Yahweh is gracious. Who is like God? Yahweh has helped. And though he was not there, Daniel’s name, meaning “God is my judge” also rang forth from their demeanor. They stood unflinching in the face of radical pressure. Radical politics. Radical culture. They stood, knowing who they were and Whose they were. What a testament. They had no way of knowing God would rescue them, and indeed, they were still thrown in the furnace. But they weren’t alone in it. And they came out unscathed. Not even smelling of smoke. I have to believe that God LOVES standing by His children as they stand in truth. Stand in the knowledge that they are His and, therefore have freedom from the pressures of anything else.

Episode 15: Words of Life Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

I was in the car this summer with my sister in law. Wanting some feedback, I asked if there were any themes or topics she’d like to hear about on the podcast. After some thought, she said, “You know… there is something you and I have talked about a lot that I feel like other people need to hear, too. Especially parents”. “What?” I asked. “Speaking words of life over your kids”. She said. I nodded as I knew it was a topic we really did talk about a lot. The power of words. There are probably a lot of books out there on the subject. None of which I’ve claimed to read. But I do know something about it. A few years ago, we went through a phase (as I’m sure most kids do). Every time we corrected our oldest or asked him not to do something, he would go straight to the most negative thought. He would say “I’m bad!” or “I’m mean!”. No amount of saying “No, buddy, you are a good boy!” seemed to be working. After some research and a few parenting articles I discovered this is called “negative self talk”. Essentially, it was his little inner critic coming out…He was four years old and yet here I was reading about an inner critic that was already surfacing! I scoured the internet and tried everything I could think of to change this behavior. One day, I came across an article that described negative self talk in a way that just made sense. Not just logically, but Biblically. See, it is SO important for me to teach and live in a way that aligns with what the Bible tells us. The first step, the article said, was to help him identify that the thought was just a thought and that it was not true. It was, essentially, a lie. So, every time Asher would say something along the lines of, “I’m not good”, I would ask him to stop and think if that was true? Every time, he would say….”no…it’s not”. The next step was to do something with those negative thoughts..something that should elicit a giggle to “get rid of the lie”. So, we decided we would flush those lies down the potty with all the other stinky stuff! Wouldn’t you know, after a few weeks of asking over and over… “Buddy, is that true? Do mommy and daddy think that of you? Does God think that of you?” we slowly stopped hearing that little self critic come out. Isn’t that just like God? To teach you to do the very thing you’re asking your child to do? During these weeks, I felt God ask me…”Are you identifying your own negative thoughts? Don’t you know the enemy is a liar? Is that how I see you, my child? Is that what My word says about who you are?”. Whew… I could cry some days thinking about how good God is to remind us of things He knows we need! Now that God had my attention on the subject, I felt like there was much more to understand about words and the power they hold…. When Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6, it was meant as an example because his disciples asked Him the way they should pray.. one of the lines in it says “May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Did you know that means you play a part in Gods work when you pray? When you speak aloud God’s promises here on earth as they are in heaven? Because that’s exactly what you’re doing. To speak life…Truth from God, you are partnering with Him to bring heaven to earth. You are coming into agreement with Him and releasing it to earth. Isaiah 55:10-11 says: “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” Whether or not we have enough faith to believe the things we say.. just remember, if God said them to us and about us, then so it is. Believe it. But more than that, speak it. Speak words of life over your home, your children, your family, your marriage. Throw away the lies. Replace them with truths. And watch your life change

Episode 14: Interview with Shay Mooney (Pt. 2) Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

If you are tuning in to today’s episode, it is a part 2 from a conversation with my own sweet husband, Shay Mooney! If you haven’t listened to part 1, you mayyy want to go back for a listen before continuing on because we give a lot of context before diving into the second half of our story! Within this episode and really within our story, we cover everything ranging from the early years of marriage, to babies, and careers… and finding what Joy really means in it all. We laugh and cry as we reminisce on the years of lessons and the seasons of growth God has taken us through up to this point! I hope you’ll enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed sharing… here is part 2!

Episode 13: Interview with Shay Mooney (Pt. 1) Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

This week on Unexpected, I sit down and visit with someone near and dear to my heart… this man is a husband and a father, a singer and a songwriter, and he is the life of any party. He is Shay Mooney of country music (3 time Grammy award winning) duo Dan + Shay. Oh, and did I mention I’m married to him?! This conversation dives deep into Shay’s early years, his career, and eventually into our life together as husband + wife and mom + dad… We welcome you to sit in on this intimate conversation as we walk through years of the unexpected…choices we made, and foundations laid by our own families that helped us make them. We laugh and we cry… and hopefully, we point out a few lessons learned along the way! Buckle up for this two-part episode. It’s going to be good! My prayer for anyone listening is that you, too, can see how God has worked in the unexpected areas of your own life..

Episode 12: Esther (Pt. 2) Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, I read the second half of the book of Esther… Esther is FULL of everything we may find in a blockbuster movie today! An orphan turned queen. Palace intrigue. A plot to kill the king. And a daring move from the heroin herself to save her people from destruction. This book is one you won’t want to miss! Esther is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman, and amazingly, it is the ONLY book that doesn’t mention God specifically. That does not mean, however, we don’t see His hand throughout this incredible (true) story! I hope you’ll stay tuned and enjoy both parts 1 & 2 as I read the entire book. I’ll then pull out lessons applicable to most (if not all) of us, today 🤍 Now close your eyes and enjoy as the story unfolds…

Episode 11: Esther (Pt. 1) Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, I read the first half of the book of Esther… Esther is FULL of everything we may find in a blockbuster movie today! An orphan turned queen. Palace intrigue. A plot to kill the king. And a daring move from the heroin herself to save her people from destruction. This book is one you won’t want to miss! Esther is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman, and amazingly, it is the ONLY book that doesn’t mention God specifically. That does not mean, however, we don’t see His hand throughout this incredible (true) story! I hope you’ll stay tuned and enjoy both parts 1 & 2 as I read the entire book. I’ll then pull out lessons applicable to most (if not all) of us, today 🤍 Now close your eyes and enjoy as the story unfolds…

Episode 10: Distractions…And What Jesus Says About Them Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

As I sat down to write this episode, I mentally reviewed a list of struggles and themes I feel like we all struggle with. Well, I was reading in Luke and as I continued to pray on the topic, I noticed a word that kept cropping up. Distraction. So today, instead of recounting one specific story from the Bible, I thought I would tie in several different passages to reinforce this particular topic. Within a few chapters in the book of Luke, I noticed three different references to distractions as well as the different types of distractions we face. So, forgive me if today’s episode sounds a bit like bullet points! But for the sake of making each point relatable, I’ll also add in a personal note or experience for each. If you’re in the mood for a lesson today, you’ve landed on the right episode! If you’re taking notes today, here is your first point: God doesn’t want you to be distracted by your past. I’ve never met someone who is an exception to this, (except for maybe newborns because they don’t have a past to pull from yet)! At some point or another in our lives, we are all guilty of letting our past dictate our choices, define our present, or distract from our future. The end of Luke chapter 9:61-62 say this: “Still another said to him, “Lord, I want to follow you too. But first let me go home and say good-bye to my entire family.” Jesus responded, “Why do you keep looking backward to your past and have second thoughts about following me? When you turn back you are useless to God’s kingdom realm.” I think it’s important to note here that rather than focusing on Jesus’ rebuke, this tiny piece is more about the larger lesson Jesus is pointing out. The past can not only distract you from the future, but remedy you “useless to God’s kingdom realm”. Not only that, but Jesus even says that “looking backward to your past”…can make you “have second thoughts about following” him! That is a pretty powerful statement. I can tell you from experience that there are some seasons in my past that, although I’m thankful for how I grew in them, I wouldn’t want to keep going back to that time and that headspace. Dwelling on mistakes, on hurt, on shame? That holds NO benefit for you! Furthermore, going back to the past over and over acts as miracle grow for doubts about who you are NOW and what you’re capable of NOW. Not just now, but on into the future! So that is the first takeaway today… God doesn’t want you to be distracted by the past! The next point is this: God doesn’t want you to be so distracted by busyness that you miss Him. That you miss seeing how He’s speaking and moving in your life. That you miss lessons and moments He has gifted to you specifically! If you’re waiting for the biblical tie-in…I’ll read about it here, in Luke 10: 38-42 TPT… And your final bullet point for the day is this: God doesn’t want you to be distracted by others. Luke 10:1-4 TPT reinforces this… I thought this was the perfect point to end on today. Being distracted by the lives of other people may be the most prevalent issue we ALL deal with. Because of social media, our exposure to others is limitless and the temptation to compare is human nature. But God knew that and warned against it even in Biblical times. Specifically, Jesus said, “Don’t get so distracted from my purpose by anyone that you might meet along the way..” So often, we look around at the race other people run. It may look like a successful business, ministry, or family life. It may look grander and more exciting than what lies before you. But the fact of the matter is, God gave you your own race to run. It won’t look like everyone else’s and it shouldn’t. Today, I pray God draws your attention to whatever area of distraction you may be dealing with. I pray that He not only exposes it, but grants the discipline to become Undistracted by anything not of Him. I pray He opens the right doors, closes the wrong ones, and gives you the discernment you need to pursue Him…

Happy Father's Day from That Sounds Fun Network! Jun 19, 2022

Show notes

Happy Father's Day from That Sounds Fun Network & Unexpected! Today we have a special bonus episode to share with you celebrating dads & all we love about them. In this episode, hosts from all different That Sounds Fun Network shows -- including me -- share what we love about our dads/and advice about being a dad.

ALSO! Our friends over at Storyworth are giving away TWO free subscriptions for our TSF Network listeners! To enter: visit thatsoundsfunnetwork.com & enter your email in the pop-up. That's it! Good luck & Happy Father's Day!

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