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Season 1 Episode 24 When You Know It’s Christmas: Advent Week 3: Joy (Listen Here)

As we inch closer to Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth, let us focus this week on Joy. Joy is the theme of the third week of Advent. There is so much about this season that is reason for us to have unspeakable joy. Happiness and Joy differ. Joy comes from the Lord and is a fruit of the Spirit. Jesus is our joy! Happiness can depend on us somewhat, but joy lives in us when we are a child of God because Jesus lives in our hearts.

Be still and experience His joy this Christmas. Make a joyful noise! Greet those we love with joy. And pass joy around by forgiving, loving, and serving those less fortunate.

Thank you for listening, following, and subscribing. We hope you won’t miss a single episode. Merry Christmas and may God fill your hearts with so much joy this year that you have to know it’s Him!

Grace and Blessings for a joyous New Year too! May God also grant you hope, peace, joy, and love. And may you always find grace in the wilderness that only He can provide. It’s all about that baby that He sent to save us! He makes all the difference!

Season 1 Episode 23 When You Know It’s Christmas: Advent Week 2: Peace (Listen Here)

Merry Christmas and welcome to the second week of Advent 2024! This week the topic is Peace. Never has there been a more relevant time in our nation than for our need for peace, God’s peace. Join the podcast for a discussion of the peace that passes all understanding that we all desperately need. It is especially important this time of year. The holidays can be so difficult for those who are grieving, suffering financial hardships or health issues. Let us be thankful that we can look to the One who can bring us through all the hard things of life with a calming touch that only He can provide–our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Take time out this Christmas to let God’s amazing peace settle on you. It’s so easy to let the crazy rush of the season rob us of what is most important–time spent in praise and worship of God and reflection as we await the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. In the midst of it all, let us sing, “It is Well With My Soul”.

Thank you for listening, subscribing, following, and sharing this podcast. May God bless you with abundant peace in what can become a chaotic time of year. Let’s strive to always keep the Main Thing, the main thing–The Birth of Our Savior.

Season 1 Episode 22 When You Know It’s Christmas: Advent Week 1: Hope (Listen here)

Christmas season is here. The hustle bustle busyness of December can easily take our focus off the real reason for the season. This year, Sharon challenges listeners to make time every day of December to be still and know that He is God and to remember and honor the fact that He sent His Son to save us. This Year Sharon is participating in advent and inviting you along. The first week of advent’s topic is hope. Advent is a way to go deeper in studying the gift of Baby Jesus, to appreciate His sacrifice more, and to bring our focus back to a Christmas centered on Christ rather than what the world points us to–consumerism and Santa.

This week we will do a deep-dive into Hope. Let us hold unswervingly to the Hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23. Never has God shown as much faithfulness and love toward us than when He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. To miss that bless and a surrendered heart to Christ is to miss everything.

Thank you for sharing the podcast, subscribing and following. It helps the ministry to grow, and makes it easier for other people to access it.

Merry Christmas! May the Hope of Christmas settle on your heart and mind this week as you reflect on the coming celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Season 1 Episode 21 Thankful for the Thorns (Listen here)

Sharon shares a special story for Thanksgiving this year–one that reminds us that God is faithful even through our darkest times. During our time in the valleys is when our walk can grow the closest with the Lord. When we rely on Him, we find that He is steadfast and true, and there is no better friend than Him. While we don’t always understand what He is doing in our lives, the answer is always the same–we can trust Him. He is sovereign. He will never leave us or forsake us. This sobering Thanksgiving story of a young woman who had little to be grateful for in the world’s eyes reminds us that no matter what happens, we are still so blessed by God. God comforts us through our hard times so we can comfort others, and He never wastes anything we face. Only He can bring good for the worst trials of life. May you be encouraged that Jesus knows it’s not going to be easy for us. But we don’t have to worry because He has overcome the world. One day,

Please subscribe or follow and give us a rating. It helps others to find our content. Thank you for sharing the podcast as well.

May you and your family be blessed beyond all you can imagine this Thanksgiving as you give thanks to the One who gave His all for us. He is the same One who saves us every day.

Season 1 Episode 20 Starving at a Feast (Listen here)

This week’s episode discusses God’s amazing provisions and how we sometimes miss the full bounty He has for us. We are so blessed as His children that we can come boldly before the throne now that Jesus made a way for us to have a one-on-one Father/child relationship with God, the Father.

Maybe we don’t feel worthy like Mephibosheth in the story we discuss this week of how King David brought him to his table and restored him and invited him to always eat at the King’s table. Maybe we don’t trust God enough that He is able and wants to bless us. Whatever the reason, Thanksgiving is a great time to examine our relationship with our Heavenly Father and praise Him and thank Him for His love and blessings on us.

Season 1 Episode 19 Adventures in Hiking, Ministry, and Recovery: Interview with Lisa Farscht, Professional Counselor (Listen Here)

Sharon continues her interview with Lisa Farscht. Lisa is a friend and a Christian woman who wears many hats, including that of Professional Counselor. In this episode, Lisa shares about her exciting hiking adventures, including the Grand Canyon. She tells of experiences in leading ministry and striving to remain faithful in her walk with Christ as others are watching. She and Sharon discuss transparencies of sharing testimonies and doing the hard things in bearing it all to help someone else. Christ didn’t quit and we shouldn’t either. Lastly, Lisa shares about her current Recovery Alive Ministry at East Pickens Baptist Church. It is a ministry for those with hurts, habits, and hangups. That is most all of us. Please pray for this ministry and, if you are in the Upstate of Pickens County, you would be so welcome to join in person on Sunday evenings beginning at 5:00 pm at East Pickens Baptist Church, 2244 Gentry Memorial Highway, Pickens, SC. More info may be found about Recovery Alive at eastpickens.org.

May God bless you as you seek Him. He never leaves His children not forsakes us. He is always just a whisper away, waiting to help us. Walking hand in hand with Him by our side, no matter what we face, we can find grace in the wilderness.

Please like and subscribe to help more people find our podcast, to support the growth of the ministry and so you don’t miss a single episode. Check out sharonhawkins.net for more information, show notes, blogs, and for inquiries about speaking engagements, Grace In The Wilderness Ministries’ website is wildernessgrace.org. It lists information about our various ministries and ways you can support its ministries. Thank you!!

Season 1 Episode 18 Recovery, Forgiveness, and Stinking Thinking (Listen here)

Sharon talks with her friend, Lisa Farscht, Professional Counselor, in this first installment of a 2-part interview. Some parts may not be suitable for little ones’ ears due to mature content. Please listen when out of little ones’ ear range.

Lisa shares about her incredible life and how her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has carried her through many difficult situations. Lisa is helping many people as a result of her commitment to Christ and through her determination for Satan to not receive any glory, Her life experience has taught her that God is always faithful and He wants us to grow in love and sanctification. She shares advice on overcoming addiction, marriage issues, and setting healthy boundaries.

Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your heart with us. We are truly blessed to have you on our podcast!

Please share this episode with others to help us grow the ministry and encourage others. Thank you.

Season 1 Episode 17 Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Hope Rising Support Group with Deena McCollum (Listen here)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Don’t miss this episode with a special message from Deena McCollum. Thank you, Deena!! Awesome job!! Deena and Sharon are great friends and both breast cancer survivors. In this episode, they share experiences and takeaways from their cancer journeys. They, along with Rebecca Wilson, lead the Grace In The Wilderness Hope Rising Support Group. The group has a private facebook page: Hope Rising: A GITW Women Support Group For Cancer Survivors and Caregivers. Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1660556400774575

If you or someone you know have been impacted by cancer, we would welcome you or them with open arms to our group. Click on the link above and request to join and answer just a few questions and we will process your request as soon as possible. Or contact Sharon through sharonhawkins.net for assistance. This is a private group of 118 fellow cancer survivors and caregivers. Our page is a safe place to encourage or be encouraged by those who are walking the same journey. We meet locally in Pickens County, SC, every few months for an activity, speaker, dinner, etc. to have fellowship and encourage one another. You won’t find a more amazing group of women who understand and want to help anywhere.

Please share this episode to help us get the word out about our ministry of Hope Rising. Never forget cancer begins with little c, and Christ begins with Big C. Thank you!!

Season 1 Episode 16 Season Changes: 7 Lessons Learned (Listen here)

Today our podcast is about the change in seasons of our lives. As we go through life, we will encounter good seasons and hard seasons. One thing is true, change is always a certainty. There are lessons to be learned in the hard times. Sharon discusses 7 lessons she has learned in the hard seasons. These lessons encourage our faith and encourage us to hold on just a little bit longer. God is always faithful, and He is always working a plan in our lives.

Please share this podcast to help grow our ministry and encourage others. May God bring you safely through the ups and downs, and may you always Find Grace in the Wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 15 Through the Flood (Listen here)

In today’s episode, Sharon discusses the recent devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and about how we can trust God to bring us safely through the flood. She shares lessons from the story of Noah and how God provided for him and his family and all the living creatures on earth by giving them safe passage through The Flood.

God is faithful, and we can trust Him no matter how bleak our circumstances appear. God uses adversity to bring us closer to Him, and to teach us the importance of helping each other during the hard times. Always He is there, even when we feel alone. He can bring us through the miry muck and set our feet on a rock and give us a firm place to stand. Be encouraged by scripture that supports the never-ending faithfulness of the Lord.

Watch the heart wrenching story of Micah and the Asheville, NC flooding as told by his mom, Meghan Drye on Fox Weather. https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/asheville-mother-loses-son-helene-floods-north-carolina

Please share the podcast to help the ministry grow. Thank you! May God richly bless and keep you and carry your safely through the flood.

Season 1, Episode 14 Jesus Loves The Little Children, The Abortion Debate (Listen Here)

Sharon discusses how much God loves us from the womb to the tomb. The weeks since her mother in law’s passing have sparked a reexamination for her of how deeply He loves us and how precious human life is to Him. Surely the holiest of intersections with mankind are the moment of conception, the moment of salvation through Jesus Christ, and the moment Jesus takes a saint home to Heaven. Listen in as she shares scripture supporting life from conception and how God expects us to take a stand.

If you haven’t considered voting in the upcoming presidential election, it is not too late to register, but it’s close. In SC, in-person registration must be completed by October 4, by mail by October 7, and online by October 6. Link to online voters’ registration: https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/ovr/start

Sharon and many others support a special pregnancy crisis center in Pickens County, SC called Hope Women’s Center in Easley, SC. To find out how you can help this organization in their fight for sanctity of life and to urge against abortion, visit their website at: hopewomenscenterinc.org

Thank you for sharing this podcast to raise awareness and to encourage others to vote in the upcoming election. Politicians are not to be thought of as saviors, but policies matter. Do your part and vote this November. Make plans now before time runs out later this week to register.

In these tumultuous time, seek God first. He is the only way to find true grace in the wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 13 Grace In The Wilderness Interview with Marie Pritchett About Bereaved Moms (Listen Here)

Sharon interviews her close friend and Grace In The Wilderness Ministry Partner, Marie Pritchett. Marie shares the story of her son Josh who passed away at the age of 20 in an automobile accident. They discuss struggles as moms who have lost children. They talk about ways to help and encourage moms who have suffered this loss. And they discuss the Grace In The Wilderness ministries offered for bereaved moms by the ministry. Find out more about the bereaved moms’ ministry and be encouraged by Marie’s powerful testimony of how she found God’s amazing grace in the wilderness.

More information is available about the Grace In The Wilderness Ministry for Moms Who Have Lost Children by visiting www.wildernessgrace.org. Contact Sharon Hawkins at sharonhawkins.net.

If you are a bereaved mom, please consider joining our Facebook group: The Grace Girls: A GITW Support Group for Moms Who Have Lost Children

The Facebook group is how we connect. Daily encouragement and more information about GITW events and local Grace Girls meetings in the Pickens County, Easley area of SC are provided on this Private Facebook Support Group Page. Click the link above a request to join. You will only need to answer a few brief questions to help us ensure the privacy of the group. We would love to have you be a part of our support group. Special thanks to Kathy Elrod and Lori Worley as they lead Grace Girls as we have celebrated this ministry’s 10th year this year. Thanks also to Diane Moore for writing her inspirational blog for our ministry: To Josiah and Back. You may access all of her blogs at https://sharondmoore.com/

May God grant His amazing grace to all moms who have lost children. Our prayers are with you if you are a bereaved mom. Reach out to us today to connect with us further about our ministries. Thank you!

Season 1, Episode 12 Heaven…I Can Only Imagine (Listen here)

Sharon shares the amazing story of her experience with her Mother In Law Shirley Hawkins as she met her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, just a week ago. The episode tells of personal experiences from an earthly perspective. It examines scripture for descriptions of Heaven, and discusses man’s deepest yearning to know more about it.

It seems that the holiest moments in a believer’s life are when they are first conceived, when they are born again as a child of God, and when they meet Jesus face to face. What a blessing to be with a loved one who is meeting her Savior and stepping into Glory! The Bible says “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

Sharon shares a sweet tribute to her precious Mother In Law who was more like her mom for 33 years. She rests in the truth that she knows she will be reunited with her in Heaven one day.

Please share this episode to help encourage others and to help the ministry grow. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, please reach out to Sharon through sharonhawkins.net as she would love to share with you how to come to know Him. May God bless you and keep you during your days of seeking. May you find grace in the wilderness that comes only from our faithful and gracious Heavenly Father.

Season 1, Episode 10 And It Came To Pass…Don’t Stop Praying (Listen here)

Prayer works. But if we give up too soon praying, we will miss the blessing that God has in store for us. Sharon shares the stories of Hannah and the fisherman who followed God’s direction and went out deeper to fish and cast the nets at Jesus’ direction. They became His disciples, Fishers of Men. May God grant your prayers whether you have just started or have been praying for many years. God will answer. Sometimes it’s yes. Sometimes it’s no. Sometimes it’s maybe. The hardest part can be in the waiting. Be encouraged to keep on praying to the only One who has all the answers for us. Faith in Him includes faith in His timing.

Please help us to get the word out by sharing the podcast. Thank you so much!

Season 1, Episode 9 The Strength Of A Woman (Listen here)

Women have many different roles–wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, friend, employee, boss, sister in Christ. The list goes on and on. With these responsibilities, life can become overwhelming for today’s busy woman. It seems that she is faced with challenges from every direction all at once. She can find strength and courage to meet these challenges from her Savior. She is made in His image after all. He is always there ready to help and fight the battles. Let’s face it! The battles are His anyway. Why do we try to fight them on our own?

Sharon takes on the topic of strength relating to the weaker sex. But is woman really weaker? In our weakness, God’s strength is made perfect. When we rely on Him, we are mighty Daughters of Christ, and can conquer even the strongest trial, adversary, or challenge. Be encouraged that He created us just as He intended us to be. And He wants us to find our strength in Him alone. His grace is always enough!

Please share our podcast with your friends and follow to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. Together we are seeking God’s truth and finding grace in the wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 8 Be A Sheep (Listen here)

Sharon digs deep into Psalm 23 verse by verse. As this beautiful chapter unfolds, the extravagant love of the Shepherd oozes from the lines of the Word of God. It pours like annointing oil over His sheep. His love and care for us is more than we can begin to understand. If we can just let go and let God, He is ready and waiting to lead us by still waters, to guide us, to nurture us and shield us with His goodness and mercy.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior but would like to experience this bountiful grace that is only found in Him, please reach out to me at Sharonhawkins.net and I will get back in touch with you. I would love to talk with you about Jesus.

Season 1, Episode 7 Be Still and Know That I Am God with Cathy McCormick (Listen here)

In this episode, Sharon highlights her dear friend, Cathy McCormick. She shares Cathy’s article from the Grace In The Wilderness Newsletter from 2012 in which Cathy shares about being in “the middle time” in her life. Cathy’s testimony is a beautiful representation of finding grace in the wilderness. Sharon reflects on God’s faithfulness to always be there for us all along life’s journey through the “good times remembered”, the “middle times”, and the “good times hoped for”. Through it all God is always there just waiting for us to get still enough and quiet enough to hear Him.

Let Cathy’s story inspire you to never give up and to know where your help comes from. It comes from the maker of Heaven and Earth. God is always a longing, a whisper, a breath away, just wanting to travel with us and carry us on our journey through all the seasons. Lean into Him in the bad times, carry Him along during the good times. He sticks closer than a brother if we will just let Him. Be still and know that He is God and be forever changed.

Please pray for Cathy as she battles cancer and other health issues and is being gently carried in the arms of Her Savior. There is no safer place to be.

Please share this podcast with your family and friends to help us get the word out and to grow the ministry. Please subscribe/follow to ensure you don’t miss a single issue. The whole purpose is to prove the existence of our Big, Big God through real life experiences. The proof is all around us if we will only look around. May God bless you as you journey through this life finding grace in the wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 6 Divine Appointments, Identity Crises, and the Woman at the Well (Listen here)

Sharon discusses a woman in great need of finding grace in the wilderness, the Woman at the Well. This divine appointment with Jesus changed her life as she received the Living Water He offered her. He came to visit and help her on purpose. He went out of His way to find himself alone in the heat of the day with this Samaritan Woman that the Bible does not name. He revealed to her that He was the Messiah, the first time He ever told anyone that truth. He reached into her heart and changed her forever. After a healing touch from Him, she ran off, leaving her jug behind to tell everyone about her encounter.

Like this Samaritan woman, we often find ourselves in thirst for Living Water, Jesus. This week we discuss how the woman at the well was filled with shame and isolated herself from others because of bad feelings she had about herself. She had a reputation for poor choices, and no doubt had been called names. Names are hung on us too, whether as a result of our choices or because someone has treated us unfairly. Today, we talk about addressing those things that the devil has used to encumber us that we may not even realize are there—words written on our hearts. Words that we have claimed because we believe that we deserve them. Words that have inprisoned our hearts. Words of condemnation placed on ourselves or by others.

Let today be the day that the Master stops by to see you and has that divine appointment with you and clarifies that once and for all your identity is in Him as a precious daughter of the King. Jesus loves women. Jesus loves you. We will see that in today’s story.

Please share our podcast with your friends and follow to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. Together we are seeking God’s truth and finding grace in the wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 5 Happily Even After, Marriage Interview with Scott Hawkins (Listen here)

Sharon welcomes her husband, Scott Hawkins, for an interview. They discuss marriage during difficult times, during wilderness times. They share how God has held their marriage together through heartbreak and obstacles way bigger than anything they could handle on their own. They share what they have learned about the give and take of marriage, and how marriage is a blessing from God where joys can be doubled, and burdens halved. Join them as they laugh together, cry together, and praise God for His goodness. It is only through Him that they have made it this far.

They don’t claim to be marriage experts, but what they have learned about it has been through their day-by-day lives together over the last 33 years. May their story encourage you that marriage is worth fighting for, and that God can help you get through anything together if you cling to each other and to Him.

Please share this podcast with others to help grow the distribution and ministry. May God bless you richly as you find His amazing grace in the wilderness.

Season 1, Episode 4 Betrayal, Forgiveness, and Healing (Listen here)

Today’s episode centers around forgiveness. Sharon discusses how God’s grace carried her and her family through the embezzlement and betrayal by a dear friend during her cancer battle. Only God can slam two trials together so perfectly and bring them to complete calm, healing, and peace. Amazing story. Amazing God. What the devil means for evil, God uses for good over and over again. May this story encourage you if you are struggling with forgiving someone close to you who has hurt you so deeply. God can help you with the day-by-day struggles and bring you victory that is only possible through Him.

May God bless and keep you and bring healing to you and yours through any of life’s hardships. His grace is always enough, and His grace is always found in the wilderness if you just search for it. Grace and Blessings!!

Season 1, Episode 3 c starts with little c, Christ starts with Big C (Listen here)

Today Sharon discusses how life is not made of random little stories, yet everything is working toward the plan and purpose that God has for each of us. His love is endless, His mercy is constant, His faithfulness endures, and His peace passes all understanding for those who trust in Him. She will share about God’s grace in her wilderness journey of breast cancer and melanoma. If you are a cancer survivor, we pray this episode encourages your heart. No matter what, God never leaves His children even if we feel alone.

Grace In The Wilderness has a private support group called Hope Rising. Search facebook for Hope Rising: A GITW Women Support Group for Cancer Survivors and Caregivers. Click to request to join, answer a few quick questions and be added. We meet in the Upstate of SC area every few months in person for dinner usually, and we encourage and pray for one another in our private facebook group daily.

Please share this information with others to help us grow our ministry. The facebook page is for anyone, not just those who live in Upstate SC. For more information or if you have comments or questions about our group, please email Sharon Hawkins at sharonhawkins@wildernessgrace.org.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Season 1, Episode 2 Bradley’s Story (Listen here)

In Today’s podcast, Sharon shares future plans and the structure for the podcast. She lowers the 10,000 foot view of her story from last week’s episode down into the trenches of her journey for the next podcasts of July. Today’s episode is about her son, Bradley, who was 21 years old when he met Jesus two years ago. She shares his amazing story of victory, and shines a light on God’s hope and grace that have sustained her and her family for this last 2 years and 8 months since his passing. His grace is always enough no matter what wilderness you’re traveling through. The best is yet to come at the end of our journey.

Website : sharonhawkins.net
For more information about Grace In The Wilderness, visit wildernessgrace.org

Season 1, Episode 1 A New Thing (Listen here)

This is the first episode of my new podcast, Finding Grace In The Wilderness!! A New Thing!

Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

In this episode, Sharon shares her story of how God’s grace has been a constant source of strength, comfort, and peace in the overwhelming wilderness seasons of her life. Her story of faith through fears, trials and struggles inspires others to seek God’s grace no matter the circumstances. God’s grace is always sufficient. She will share her motivation for starting this podcast and bring a challenge for the listener to seek the new thing that God may be calling them to do. Will you take that first step? Seek to find God’s Grace In The Wilderness. Today is the day for A New Thing!!

For show notes, visit our blog page: https://sharonhawkins.net/blog/

Finding Grace In The Wilderness Podcast Trailer (Listen here)

Welcome to the Finding Grace In The Wilderness Podcast. I’m your host, Sharon Hawkins. Each week, we will share stories about how God’s Grace can be found during life’s most difficult circumstances. Meet with me around the table as we chat with others who have found that God’s faithfulness never ends. We will share truth and life, and discuss faith, fears, struggles, and victories. Join us as we seek to grow deeper in relationship with Jesus, the One who makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

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