When God Says No to the Life You Planned

When God Says No to the Life You Planned

She had done everything right. Raised in faith. Surrounded by goodness. Living a life that looked steady, strong—even enviable from the outside. But then came a moment that didn’t fit the pattern. A prayer. A decision. A “yes”… followed by a “no.” And suddenly, everything unraveled. What do you do when the answer you receive from God contradicts the life you thought you were building? When peace only comes after letting go of something you once believed was right? In this deeply personal story, she walks through the quiet wrestle of learning how God speaks—not just in answers, but in timing, in loss, in unexpected turns, and in the spaces where certainty feels just out of reach. From a broken engagement…  to a faith refined through real questions…  to discovering Jesus Christ not just as doctrine—but as someone she could actually know— this is a story about what happens when faith stops being inherited… and becomes chosen. And about how sometimes, the “no” you never wanted…  is the very thing that opens the door you were meant to walk through. 0:00 — From Knowing the Gospel to Knowing Jesus Christ 3:02 — Born in the Covenant & Learning the Gift to Believe 4:02 — “How Do I Stay?” in the Church of Jesus Christ 5:42 — A 12-Year-Old Testimony Seed 8:03 — Watching a Faithful Mother Fight Through a Faith Crisis 10:42 — Learning to Accept God’s “No” Answers 12:18 — When Prayer Changed an Engagement 13:33 — Peace After Heartbreak & Trusting God’s Plan 16:28 — The Book of Mormon Changed Everything 18:47 — Starting the Book of Mormon Over After President Hinckley’s Invitation 20:09 — Building Holy Habits Through Imperfect Effort 22:10 — From Doing the Gospel to Knowing Jesus Christ 23:37 — No Longer Afraid to Be in the Savior’s Presence 27:05 — Letting Go of Control & Trusting Grace 35:47 — God Is Still in Charge When Life Hurts 37:50 — Why God’s “No” Opens Better Doors 44:48 — The Temple Changed Me Slowly 51:42 — Living Spirit-Led Without Overthinking Revelation 54:43 — Why I Choose to Stay in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 56:26 — Loving Others Instead of Trying to Fix Them

Too Far Gone for God?

Addiction, conversion story, troubled childhood, faith, healing through Jesus Christ, LDS testimony, mission, temple marriage, overcoming shame. Steve learned early how to survive. He learned which doors not to open, which streets to avoid, and how to become whoever people expected him to be. By high school, he was already living a life that felt almost impossible to escape. Then a girl invited him to church. What started as curiosity slowly became something far more dangerous to the life he had always known. A road trip. A testimony meeting. A question he could not stop thinking about. Soon Steve found himself caught between two worlds: one pulling him backward and one quietly asking him to believe he was meant for something more. This is a story about the life Steve almost lived… and the God who would not stop reaching for him. Listen to this powerful episode of Anchored. 0:00 — From Addiction to Anchored Faith  2:02 — Joining the Church Changed Everything  3:14 — Growing Up in Addiction and Chaos  8:54 — Feeling Accepted by Latter-day Saints  10:38 — Church History Sparked His Testimony  13:39 — Baptism and Leaving the Old Life  15:36 — Rick’s College Helped Him Escape Addiction  18:55 — A Mission Call Funded by Faith  21:18 — Building a Covenant-Centered Family  27:53 — Seeing God’s Hand Through His Life  34:45 — Healing Father Wounds Through Heavenly Father  37:29 — Learning Christ’s Grace Applied to Him  43:19 — Walking Daily With Jesus Christ  45:24 — Ministering to Inmates Through Christ’s Love  51:06 — Why He Chooses to Stay

She Kept The Number

LDS conversion story, faith in Jesus Christ, healing from trauma, family brokenness, personal revelation, God’s timing, finding hope after loss, anchored in Christ.  She kept the number. It wasn’t written anywhere obvious. She didn’t talk about it.  But it was etched somewhere deeper—carried quietly through the years, too important to lose and too complicated to face. Some stories don’t end when they break. Some stories wait. At five years old, everything changed. The kind of change that doesn’t come with explanations—only fragments. A family split. A life rearranged. Questions that followed her longer than she expected. And yet… something else followed too. Small moments. Unexpected people. A feeling she couldn’t quite name—but couldn’t ignore. The kind that shows up before you understand it. Before you’re ready for it. Years later, standing on the edge of a decision she had avoided for most of her life, she finally did the one thing she had always wondered about. She made the call. What followed wasn’t what she imagined. But sometimes the story you’re trying to finish… isn’t the one God is writing. This episode lives in the space between what we hope for and what actually unfolds—and the quiet, unmistakable way Jesus Christ meets us there. Some stories resolve. Others anchor. This one does both. 0:00 — A childhood moment sparks a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ  0:38 — Introduction to Don Norton and her connection to Rare Faith 1:15 — A traumatic childhood: divorce, kidnapping, and separation from her mother 3:45 — Seeds of faith planted through small moments and church influence 5:23 — Searching for her mother and rebuilding a relationship  9:20 — Marriage, healing, and building a Christ-centered family life 11:00 — Discovering purpose through learning, health coaching, and EFT 12:16 — A defining moment: feeling the Savior’s love at her mother’s funeral 14:50 — Staying anchored to Christ through struggle, prayer, and church 18:48 — The power of forgiveness and receiving divine help to forgive 21:39 — A faith crisis and finding clarity through scripture (Romans 16) 25:29 — Joy in Christ: understanding “best days and worst days” 30:32 — Trusting God through real-life miracles and answered prayers 36:20 — God prepares the way: learning to trust His timing 37:31 — Practical tools to reconnect with God in hard moments 40:17 — A 40-year prayer answered: surrendering control and trusting God 46:22 — How to build trust with God through small, consistent experiences 49:02 — Why she stays: knowing Christ’s love through lived experience 49:31 — Christ as our “surety” and anchor through the Atonement

When God Still Uses You

Do you ever wonder if God will actually keep His promises—especially when your life feels like it’s falling apart? When nothing looks the way you thought it would, and you’re left asking, “Is He still working in me?” In this deeply personal episode, we explore what it means to trust in the promises of God during your hardest days. Drawing on real-life experiences of overwhelming family trials, discouragement, and feeling like you’ve failed your calling, this conversation speaks directly to anyone who has questioned their worth or purpose in the middle of pain. If you’ve ever felt like stepping away meant you disappointed God… or wondered if He can still use you when you feel broken, exhausted, or unseen—this message is for you. Through the lens of faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a deep belief in Jesus Christ, we uncover a powerful truth: God often fulfills His promises not in grand, visible ways—but in quiet, simple moments that change everything. You are not disqualified. You are not forgotten. And God is still using you—right where you are. Chapters 0:00 Wondering if God keeps His promises 0:14 When everything feels like it’s falling apart 0:33 Family crisis and overwhelming responsibility 1:04 Asking to be released from a calling 1:29 Feeling like a failure—and what God did instead 1:52 Beauty for ashes: how God used the pain 2:18 Can God use me when I’m discouraged? 2:40 The unexpected moment that changed everything 3:04 Testifying in small, sacred ways 3:20 How God really uses us daily

He's Already In The Water

What happens when Jesus Christ invites you to do something that feels completely beyond your capacity? As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we often talk about faith, trust, and following promptings—but what about the moments when we feel like we’re sinking? In this powerful episode, we explore a message inspired by Tamara W. Runia and the story of Peter the Apostle stepping out onto the water. What if the Savior’s invitation was never meant to leave you alone—but to show you that He is already there with you? Through personal experiences of doubt, coaching struggles, and life-changing decisions, this episode reveals a deeply comforting truth: Jesus Christ is not waiting on the shore—He is in the water with you. When you feel inadequate, overwhelmed, or unsure, that is often the exact moment He is closest. If you’ve ever questioned your abilities, wrestled with fear, or wondered how to trust God more fully, this message will help you shift your focus—from yourself to seeing others as He sees them. Because the miracle isn’t just what He does… it’s who He is in your life. Chapters 0:00 The Lord’s Invitations Feel Big 0:14 When You Feel Unequal to the Task 0:30 He’s Already In the Water 0:53 The Image of Christ Lifting Us 1:17 When I Thought I Failed 1:40 Reaching Up Through Prayer 2:00 A Surprising Answer 2:18 Shifting Focus: It’s Not About Me 2:36 Seeing Others As Christ Sees 3:05 A Difficult Invitation to Move 3:33 What God Did With Our Yes 4:08 He Is With You Right Now 4:17 Notice, Journal, and Share