45. How to Trust God When the Story Isn't Finished with Victoria Fortuna

46. How God Forms Us Through Waiting, Trust, and Unexpected Detours with Cassandra Crawley Mayo

Have you ever wondered if God is doing more in your waiting than you can see? In this episode of the Not Just Waiting Podcast, I sit down with author, speaker, and coach Cassandra Crawley Mayo for a conversation about trust, purpose, and the ways God forms us through life's unexpected detours. Cassandra shares powerful stories from her own journey—from navigating career challenges as the first African American woman in leadership roles, to learning how to trust God with major decisions, to experiencing a moment with God that forever changed her faith. Together, we talk about what it means to release control, stop comparing ourselves to others, and become the women God created us to be. If you're in a season where you're asking, "God, what are You doing?" this conversation will encourage you to keep trusting Him—even when you can't yet see the outcome. In This Episode: * Why trust is often the lesson God keeps teaching us * Learning to wait for God's direction instead of forcing our own * A powerful story of God showing up in a moment of deep doubt * How comparison can keep us from becoming who we're meant to be * What it means to actively and passively wait on God * Finding purpose through hardship and unexpected seasons * Why your past doesn't have to define your future * How to rise beyond the limits you've placed on yourself Connect with Cassandra:📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassandracrawleymayo 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassandra_crawleymayo/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandracrawley/ ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cassandracrawleymayo 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cassandracrawleymayo  Resources Mentioned: Is Your Way In Your Way? by Cassandra Crawley Mayo [https://www.cassandracrawley.com/store]

45. How to Trust God When the Story Isn't Finished with Victoria Fortuna

What do you do when the story you believed God was writing doesn't unfold the way you expected? In this tender and honest conversation, I'm joined by my most requested guest, Victoria Fortuna. Together, we talk about long seasons of waiting, unanswered prayers, grief, adoption, surrendering expectations, and learning to trust God when life looks nothing like we imagined. Victoria shares pieces of her story—from an eight-year adoption journey and heartbreaking loss to the unexpected ways God has shaped her character in seasons that felt invisible and uncelebrated. Through it all, she offers a powerful reminder that God's goodness is not dependent on our timelines and that even unfinished stories can be filled with hope. If you've ever wondered where God is in the waiting, struggled with unmet expectations, or felt caught between joy and grief, this conversation will meet you there. In this episode, we discuss: * What God forms in us during long seasons of waiting * The difference between pursuing God's gifts and pursuing His presence * Learning to hold both joy and grief at the same time * Trusting God's goodness when prayers seem unanswered * How loss reshapes our understanding of restoration * Why your story isn't over yet * Finding freedom in the phrase "to be continued" Connect with Victoria: Instagram: @victoriarosefortuna [https://www.instagram.com/victoriarosefortuna/] Substack: victoriafortuna.substack.com [http://victoriafortuna.substack.com] Free Resource: Feeling behind in life? Download my free Comparison Audit [https://reannaiveyhoffmann.myflodesk.com/comparisonaudit] worksheet and discover whose timeline you've been measuring yourself against.

44. How God Builds Your Character Before Your Calling with Kate Massey

This conversation with Kate Massey felt like sitting across the table from a friend and talking honestly about fear, obedience, waiting seasons, and the ways God forms us long before anyone sees the fruit of it. Kate shares about her journey from resisting the worship team to stepping into speaking opportunities, how God used uncomfortable seasons to build her confidence and character, and why bold faith often looks much more ordinary than we expect. We also talk about: * why fear keeps so many of us stuck * how God develops our character before advancing our calling * the danger of forcing timelines God never asked us to force * what Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Noah, and Moses teach us about waiting * how asking someone “Can I pray for you?” can change more than we realize * learning to trust God when His timing doesn’t make sense * why understanding your identity in Christ changes everything If you’re in an in-between season wondering what God is doing, this episode is for you. Connect with Kate: Instagram: @katemasseywrites [https://www.instagram.com/katemasseywrites/] Website: KateMassey.org [https://www.katemassey.org/] Kate’s books: * Purpose and the Pain [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHYJ5J25] * Purpose and the Waiting (coming soon)

43. You Are More Than What You Hold: A Conversation on Identity, Waiting & Becoming with Dawn Stephens

What happens when God removes the very thing you thought defined you? In this week’s episode of the Not Just Waiting Podcast, I sat down with author, former teacher, and publisher Dawn Stephens for one of the most honest and hope-filled conversations about identity, purpose, and becoming that I’ve had in a long time. Through the beautiful metaphor of pottery and children’s books, Dawn shares how God walked her through seasons of being filled, emptied, pruned, stretched, and rebuilt. From teaching to running a school, becoming an author, experiencing burnout, and stepping into publishing, Dawn reminds us that God never wastes a season — even the ones that feel hidden or confusing. We talked about: * Why we often tie our identity to what we “hold” * The danger of defining ourselves by roles, titles, or productivity * What it means to become a “fruit pot” * How waiting seasons prepare us for what’s next * Why God sometimes allows cracks instead of fixing them * Burnout, striving, and learning to rest * How God uses every season of your story This conversation felt like sitting down with a friend who gently reminds you that becoming takes time — and that God is still forming something beautiful in the in-between. If you’ve ever felt emptied, overlooked, behind, or unsure of who you are in this season, I think this episode will deeply encourage you. Connect with Dawn: * Website: dawnstephensbooks.com [https://dawnstephensbooks.com/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnStephensBooks/ [https://www.facebook.com/DawnStephensBooks/]  * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnstephensbooks/ [https://www.instagram.com/dawnstephensbooks/] * Twitter: https://x.com/dawnstephens https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnstephens/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnstephens/] * Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dawn_stephens_books [https://www.tiktok.com/@dawn_stephens_books] * Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/DawnStephensBooks/ [https://www.pinterest.com/DawnStephensBooks/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DawnStephensBooks [https://www.youtube.com/@DawnStephensBooks]   Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement in their waiting season.

42. God Still Uses the Waiting with Nancy Jasin Ensley

This week on the Not Just Waiting Podcast, I sat down with author, former nurse, counselor, and storyteller Nancy L. Jasin Ensley for one of the most honest and unexpectedly funny conversations we’ve had this season. Nancy shares what God has been teaching her in the “winter season” of life — from slowing down and learning patience to forgiving the people who hurt her and discovering that God still had purpose for her long after retirement. We talked about: * why waiting is still active * how journaling can help you process what God is doing * the connection between fear, control, and worthiness * the surprising ways God shapes our character * why patience, forgiveness, and humility matter so much * how God often uses the things we didn’t plan for * what it means to truly listen instead of just hear Nancy’s stories about nursing, counseling women from her home, ghostwriting memoirs, and navigating disappointment reminded me that becoming rarely happens in big, glamorous moments. Most of the time, it happens slowly. Quietly. In ordinary faithfulness. If you’re in a season where life feels slower than you expected, or different than what you planned, I think this conversation will encourage you deeply. You can connect with Nancy and explore her books here: www.nancyjasinensley.com