Hope for Right Now: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Encore Episode 3: When Everything Feels Out of Control

There’s an old Latin proverb that says, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” With that in mind, we are revisiting four of your favorite Hope for Right Now podcast episodes. Our prayer is that you would take some time to look back, and reflect on the ways you’ve grown in your relationship with God. We will return on February 23, 2026, with a new series based on our brand new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness.

When Everything Feels Out of Control was the first episode in our 2024 Lenten series. This is your third favorite episode of all time. It’s such a great one to revisit, because it’s all about trusting in God’s provision—something we have all, at one point or another, struggled to believe.

This is a special Encore Episode originally released in February 2024.

The word translated “ascent” means “to go up.” It gives an idea of being on a journey, moving to a higher place spiritually. In this week's episode, Lisa and Laura dive into Psalm 121 and explore Scripture’s response to when everything feels out of control. If you aren’t convinced of God’s protection or struggle to believe in His promises, you are in the right place. Join Lisa and Laura as they set our hearts on pilgrimage, unpacking today’s Psalm and applying it to our daily lives. 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Psalm 121:1-8.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Luke 1:28: The Lord is with you!
John 16:33: In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. 

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
When have you seen God show up for you as your keeper, your bodyguard, your sentry? 

When has God been your shade, your protection, your shelter?

Show mentions.
Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society
Peter Kreeft, Wisdom of the Heart: The Good, the True, and the Beautiful at the Center of Us All
Edward Sri, Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross
Scott Hahn, Curtis Mitch, Rev. Dennis K. Walters, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The Book of the Psalms
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Praying From the Heart: Guided Prayer Journal

Our presenting sponsor is Hallow. Hallow is the number one prayer and meditation app dedicated to helping you grow closer to God and find peace with thousands of guided prayers and meditations. As Lent approaches, Hallow invites you to join Pray40: The Return, a 40-day Lenten journey rooted in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, inviting you into deeper conversion and a renewed return to the Father. Visit hallow.com/walkingwithpurpose to get 3 months of Hallow free. Come home this Lent. 

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Encore Episode 2: When Help Doesn’t Seem to Come

There’s an old Latin proverb that says, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” With that in mind, we are revisiting four of your favorite Hope for Right Now podcast episodes. Our prayer is that you would take some time to look back, and reflect on the ways you’ve grown in your relationship with God. We will return on February 23, 2026, with a new series based on our brand new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness. Get your copy: https://wwp.today/desertbloom.

This week’s encore comes from our The Psalms of Ascent: A Lenten Pilgrimage series, episode When Help Doesn’t Seem to Come. It’s true; we can’t control life’s trials, but we do have a say in how we choose to respond. We can choose despair, or we can revisit Psalm 124, which offers comfort, hope, and a new perspective. 

This is a special Encore Episode originally released in February 2024.

The word translated “ascent” means “to go up.” It gives an idea of being on a journey, moving to a higher place spiritually. In this week's episode, Lisa and Laura dive into Psalm 124 and explore Scripture’s response when help doesn’t seem to come. Trials in life are inevitable, but what if, instead of falling into despair, we choose to see them from a new perspective? Join Lisa and Laura as they set our hearts on pilgrimage, unpacking today’s Psalm and applying it to our daily lives. 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Psalm 124:1-8.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
1 John 4:4: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Romans 5:3-5: We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. 

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Where can you take a mini-pilgrimage this week? A half-hour pilgrimage to somewhere quiet?
Finish the sentence: “If the Lord had not been on my side when [fill in the blank], what might have happened?”
When has God come through for you in the past? 

Show mentions.
Beth Moore, Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascent
Kari Jobe, Majestic, “I Am Not Alone”
Scott Hahn, Curtis Mitch, Rev. Dennis K. Walters, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The Book of the Psalms

Our presenting sponsor is Hallow. Hallow is the number one prayer and meditation app dedicated to helping you grow closer to God and find peace with thousands of guided prayers and meditations. As Lent approaches, Hallow invites you to join Pray40: The Return, a 40-day Lenten journey rooted in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, inviting you into deeper conversion and a renewed return to the Father. Visit hallow.com/walkingwithpurpose to get 3 months of Hallow free. Come home this Lent. 

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Encore Episode 1: Philippians 1

There’s an old Latin proverb that says, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” With that in mind, we are revisiting some of your favorite Hope for Right Now podcast episodes. Our prayer is that before you jump into the New Year you would take some time to look back, and reflect on the ways you’ve grown in your relationship with God. We will return on February 23, 2026, with a new series based on our brand new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness.

As women seeking joy but who often feel confined by our circumstances, this episode kicked off a series titled Grace and Glory, based on Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and boy, did it resonate! If you long for a life of joy that is not dependent on your current situation, this episode is definitely worth hitting replay!

This is a special encore episode originally released in October 2025.

Often called The Epistle of Joy, Saint Paul’s letter overflows with rejoicing, gratitude, and encouragement—amazing, when you consider that Paul wrote it from a prison cell. As women seeking joy but who often feel confined by our circumstances, what was Saint Paul’s secret? How do we rejoice in our suffering? How do we remain grateful when our situation is the opposite of what we were hoping for? 

In this first episode of Grace and Glory, Lisa and Laura unpack Saint Paul’s message and reveal how the same joy he wrote about can be yours—no matter what life throws your way.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Philippians 1

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Romans 3:23: Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Luke 19:10: For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.
Hebrews 12:14: Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Acts 28:20: For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.
Colossians 4:3–4: And pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.
Colossians 4:18: Remember my chains.
Ephesians 6:20: I am an ambassador in chains.
1 Peter 5:10–11: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Luke 7:47: Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven a little, loves a little.
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Are you feeling stuck in some way or feeling chained to some hard or painful circumstance in your life? Who is observing you in that situation? What are they learning from the way in which you are responding to your suffering?
Is there someone you are called to preach the gospel to using the indescribable power of unconditional love?
Who are you called to tempt to hope?

Show mentions.
We will return on February 23 with a new series based on our brand new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness. Hurry and grab your copy before they sell out.
St. Thomas Aquinas, quote
Eugene Peterson, The Message
Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old and New Testament, RSV: Second Catholic Edition
Justin Taylor, TGC Blog, T4G 6: David Platt, “Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions” (Revelation 5:1-14), April 12, 2012, quoted Romanian Pastor Josef Tson
Peter Kreeft, Wisdom of the Heart 

Let’s stay connected.

Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Trust in the Impossible: An Advent Series, John the Baptist

While Walking with Purpose founder Lisa takes time to write our next women’s Bible study, Laura is keeping the Hope for Right Now podcast going strong with a four-week series: Trust in the Impossible: An Advent Series.

Advent is meant to be a time of interior reflection—the weeks we prepare our hearts and homes to receive the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But with the secular world’s demands and distractions, keeping our eyes on what matters can be challenging, and the season of quiet we dream about feels impossible.

What if this Advent, we said no to the overwhelm of the secular world and yes to the overshadowing of the Spirit? Each week, Laura introduces a Biblical figure from the gospel of Luke, whose story reveals the secret to a simple, peace-filled Advent—one where we yield to God’s will, respond in faith, and trust in the impossible.  

Today’s Biblical figure: John The Baptist. If you tend to neglect John the Baptist during Advent, be sure to tune in and discover why he is significant to the gospel, but also to us right now, in these last days before the birth of Christ.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Luke 1:57-66

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Luke 11:28: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!
Isaiah 40:3–5: A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Matthew 3:1–3: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Luke 1:41–44: Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry … For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Using the list of internal/external obstacles provided in our show mentions, allow yourself to be guided by the Spirit. Ask Him to reveal the primary obstacle in your way. 

Show mentions.
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Seven Priorities That Make Life Work. Sign up for our winter book club that begins January 12, 2026.
Father Chris Alar, Divine Mercy: John the Baptist: His Real Role
Internal obstacles

Pride and arrogance: Overconfidence in our own ability can lead to a rejection of God's guidance.

Fear: Fear of failure, humiliation, what others will think, or not being worthy or able to fulfill a calling.

Doubt and unbelief: The lack of faith that makes trusting in God's plan and power challenging.

Sin: Unconfessed sin creates a barrier to a close relationship with God.

Self-sufficiency: The belief that we can get by without divine help.

Lack of forgiveness: A huge hinderance to your spiritual progress. 

External/circumstantial obstacles

Worldly distractions and desires: Focusing on material possessions or the cares of this life more than God.

Distractions and being too busy: A busy schedule can leave little time or energy for spiritual devotion.

External pressure and societal expectations: The world can be tough, and it may not understand or support your faith. 

Lack of clarity or understanding: Misinformation, wrong teachings, or a failure to understand God's will can create confusion.

Listening to others instead of God: Over-reliance on human advice rather than seeking God's direction is a common problem.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Trust in the Impossible: An Advent Series, Elizabeth

While Walking with Purpose founder Lisa takes time to write our next women’s Bible study, Laura is keeping the Hope for Right Now podcast going strong with a four-week series: Trust in the Impossible: An Advent Series.

Advent is meant to be a time of interior reflection—the weeks we prepare our hearts and homes to receive the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But with the secular world’s demands and distractions, keeping our eyes on what matters can be challenging, and the season of quiet we dream about feels impossible.

What if this Advent, we said no to the overwhelm of the secular world and yes to the overshadowing of the Spirit? Each week, Laura introduces a Biblical figure from the gospel of Luke, whose story reveals the secret to a simple, peace-filled Advent—one where we yield to God’s will, respond in faith, and trust in the impossible.  

Today’s Biblical figure: Elizabeth. If you are in a season of painful waiting, allow Elizabeth to help you see your situation as an opportunity to grow in faith and glorify God.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Luke 1:39–45

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
John 9:2–3: And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in Him.”
John 11:32: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:35: Jesus wept.
John 11:36–37 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
John 11:40: Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Luke 1:15: And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
Exodus 31:1–3: The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God.”
Numbers 11:25: Then the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more.
1 Samuel 10:10: When they came to Gib’e-ah, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.
Matthew 5:3–12: The Beatitudes

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Hide yourself in the quiet. Ask for the Holy Spirit to flood you and strengthen you in humility and faith. Ask for the help to see your waiting as an opportunity to grow in faith and glorify God.

Show mentions.
Transform hearts with us! Your year-end gift to Walking with Purpose fuels our mission to bring life-changing transformation to Catholic women and girls. You still have time to support our nonprofit apostolate. Donate before Wednesday, December 31.
Father John Riccardo, Christmas homily
Saint Francis de Sales

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.