God’s Plans Verses Our Plans

Every May brings three big events: Mother’s Day, Graduations, and Memorial Day.

All three make us reflect more deeply on the loved ones in our lives as well as marking the change in seasons from Spring toward summer. This May we also welcomed the first American born Pope, Leo, after Francis passed away on April 21st ending his twelve year period as pontiff. We also had five Fridays so we had three episodes this month with our every other Friday posting schedule.

Our first show features my guest Chad Brignac who, together with his wife Jdele, authored a book about blended families titled “Blend Don’t Break: Creating Your Family’s Secret Sauce”. As someone with firsthand experience myself blending a family since 2002, I thought this sensitive subject would represent a great Mother’s Day tribute to the most important job any of us will ever have, raising our children. Chad lost his first wife to an aneurism while still in his twenties and after a divorce, Jdele lost her first husband to suicide.  They met and married combining their four children into a blended family without fully processing their grief and loss.  Chad goes to those vulnerable places which take great courage to discuss, those things he wrestled with along their journey.

The passing of Pope Francis created curiosity throughout the world about the traditions of “The Church” in selecting a successor.  It also surfaced a discussion about the role of the church and why it appears to be retreating in our nation.  My guest Dr Timothy West and I discuss what has been called “The Great Dechurching of America” with 40,000,000 of us choosing to no longer attend over the last twenty-five years. Tim works as a Senior Ministry Consultant for NL Moore & Associates, a firm dedicated to guiding churches through senior leadership transitions so he has a broad view on the wrestling match we chose to title “Don’t Give Up on the Church!” I think it is an excellent show filled with research on how we got to where we are today but also offers very hopeful suggestions on how we are beginning to reverse this trend, particularly with the younger generations.

Speaking of younger generations, I am most excited about having my first Gen Z guest on the podcast!  His name is Nick Hartzler, a class of 2023 Texas A&M graduate in Agricultural Economics. (WHOOP!) Nick shares his story about wrestling with his plans verses God’s plans as a twenty four year old striking out in the world to choose a career that is quite different from the one he received his degree in.  It has several significant plot twists including a serious flash fire incident with a burn pile, once again proving that God purifies and refines us through fire!

Please share this newsletter or any of these episodes with friends or family that you think might be wrestling with similar issues to help grow our audience.  The entire purpose of the podcast is to help others feel like they aren’t alone in struggles that are actually quite common to us all and to glorify God in how he helps us to overcome them. You may also send folks to the website www.thesavagepath.com to explore for themselves. And lastly, I am always eager to hear from my listeners directly through my email: david@thesavagepath.com

In Christ,

David L Savage

Please consider a tax-deductible donation to our foundation.

Recent Podcasts:

** Wrestling With Blending a Family
————————————————————

Ahead of this day honoring mothers and families, I thought it might be a timely topic to discuss a wrestling match that none of us ever wanted to have, that of blending a family.
Listen to Entire Podcast ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wrestling-with-the-inner-man/id1586386692?i=1000705847479 )

Chad & Jdele Brignac

** Don’t Give Up on the Church: Wrestling With Cynicism
————————————————————

In this episode we discuss what we both feel is an extremely important problem and urge every listener out there “Don’t Give Up on the Church!” the title of this episode.
Listen to Entire Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wrestling-with-the-inner-man/id1586386692?i=1000708738085)

Dr Timothy West

** Wrestling With God’s Plans verses My Plans
————————————————————

Did you wake today thinking “I’m going to take on the world and chart my own course of rugged individualism?” It is the American way!

However, we often find out very quickly that it might not be God’s way for us and He seems to prevail in about…100% of these situations.
Listen to Entire Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wrestling-with-the-inner-man/id1586386692?i=1000710521392)

Nick Hartzler