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

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

41. When God Makes You Wait: Becoming Who You’re Called to Be in the In-Between with Pat Domangue

Do you ever feel like God gave you a calling, and then nothing happened? Like you said yes, stepped out in obedience, and somehow ended up in a season that feels slow, hidden, or confusing? In this episode of Not Just Waiting, I’m joined by Pat Domangue, Bible teacher and author, and we’re talking about what it really looks like to become who God has called you to be—especially when it takes longer than you expected. Because the truth is… Waiting doesn’t mean God forgot. It usually means He’s forming something deeper than you can see. Pat shares her story of being called into ministry in 2002—and how what she thought would unfold quickly actually took decades of refining, stretching, and surrender. We talk about confidence, identity in Christ, releasing expectations, and why God often works in cycles, not straight lines. We also unpack a powerful picture: how a potter lets clay sit and harden before it goes into the fire—because if it doesn’t, it will literally fall apart. If you’re in a season where things feel delayed, unclear, or like they’re not moving the way you thought they would…this conversation is for you. In this episode, we talk about: * What God is forming in you in unseen seasons * How to walk confidently in your calling (even when it feels slow) * Why waiting seasons are necessary for spiritual growth * Letting go of timelines, expectations, and “what you thought it would look like” * The truth about ministry, identity, and not fitting into a box * How God uses repeated seasons to refine your character * Why you haven’t missed it—and God isn’t late Connect with Pat: Website: onfire-ministries.org [http://onfire-ministries.org] Facebook: On Fire Ministries with Pat Domangue [https://www.facebook.com/OnFireMinistrieswithPatDomangue] Instagram:  @patdomangue  [https://www.instagram.com/patdomangue/] Get the Comparison Audit here!