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Coming Soon: The 4:13 Podcast

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I’m so excited to let you in on a secret … you and I are about to become podcast buddies! That’s right, very soon (September 13, to be exact), I’ll be launching my brand new podcast, the 4:13 Podcast.

This fun news may also make you think about a few questions, so let me see if I can go ahead and answer those for you!

Why 4:13?

4:13 represents a verse in Philippians:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

So, on the 4:13 Podcast we’ll get real about life’s not-so-simple moments and learn to apply 4:13 to whatever we face. If you’re deep in the trenches of life and could use some practical encouragement and biblical insight to help you be and do more than you feel capable of, the 4:13 Podcast is for you.

How can I listen?

You’ll be able to find and subscribe to my podcast with your favorite podcast-listening apps like iTunes, Spotify and Google Play, starting September 13. Plus, I’ll also post about each new episode on the blog every week and you can listen from there as well.

What about your weekly blog?

We’ll still do Java together every week! Once the podcast is live, my weekly blogs will still be there – they just may look a little different as I’ll be sharing some of the truth nuggets from the newest podcast episode with you.

When will it be live?

The first episode will be available on iTunes and my blog on Thursday, September 13.

Be the First to Know

If you’re not already subscribed to Java with Jennifer, my weekly encouraging email, be sure to sign up here so you’ll be the first to know when the new podcast is up and ready for listening.

More Questions?

If you have any other questions about the podcast, contact our ministry team here.

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When It Feels Like God Is Not Good to You

Do you ever wonder if God has dropped the pen and stopped writing your life story? You know, when your life doesn’t happen like you wanted or seems less important or interesting than someone else’s life, you can question what God is up to. My friend, author Ashleigh Slater knows exactly how that feels and that’s why I’ve asked her to join us for Java today.

So, if you, like me, battle the tendency and temptation to compare your story with others’ stories, you’ll really benefit from these three truths Ashleigh reminds us to be purposeful to tell ourselves. I just love this and I know you will too.

Pour your coffee and settle in. Take it away Ashleigh!

“No matter what happens today,” I gently reminded my two daughters, “God is writing your individual stories, and you can trust Him.”

Both girls were about to audition in New York City for the national tour of a Tony-Award winning musical. It was an audition we’d spent weeks preparing for—not only vocally, but also emotionally.

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What It Means to Be Well

I stood on the deck overlooking Table Rock Lake as a pontoon boat motored by.

It revved and choked and whirred and roared and the lake started dancing! The waters lapped onto the shore and wave after wave swayed the dock so it rattled and squeaked.

As the water stirred, I listened and wondered how long it would last.

As I did, I thought how much I wished I could run down, sit on the edge of the dock, and feel the whirling waters tickle my ankles.

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The One Weapon You Need to Fight Any Battle

What weapon do you use when you find yourself on a battlefield?

Let’s face it. Battlefields are all around us. It often feels like right in the middle of a happy day, we are called to the front lines, fighting for our joy, and standing in faith against the enemy.

And, when that happens, you and I need a weapon.

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes God lets us face battles so we can learn that we already have the only weapon we need to be victorious.

It’s the same weapon Jesus had when He was in a battle against His enemy.

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This One Change Can Make Your Bad Days Better

Last Christmas Eve, I made the world’s worst casserole.

Oh, girl, I am not exaggerating. If anyone else thinks theirs is bad, I will put this casserole up against it—and, I guarantee you, it would take home the title of “World’s Worst Casserole.”

The recipe called for milk, but I ran out and used buttermilk instead. Bad idea. Truly, it was the absolutely worst casserole ever!

But, my sweet family tried to be so mannerly and gracious as they swallowed each sour, sticky bite! After all, it was Christmas Eve and they were on their best holiday behavior.

When I called my dad to wish him a merry day, I told him about my Christmas Eve catastrophe, and how I had made the worst casserole. He said, “No, you didn’t. You made a great memory!”

My dad was an expert at extracting the good out of every single thing! He taught me how to create “Goodness Grabbers.” (Though, it probably would have been good if he had also taught me how to follow a recipe!)

Do you know what a Goodness Grabber is?

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One Powerful Way to Write Scripture on Your Heart

If you’ve ever heard me teach the Bible, you know that I don’t use a Bible when I do!

Odd, I know.

The reason is that I can’t see the Bible. (If you’re a new reader, this might be a good time to tell you I’m blind.) Instead, I try to memorize the passages I am teaching.

For that reason, I am often asked how I memorize Scripture. So, I thought I would share with you one way I do it.

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How to 4:8 Your Thoughts

A few years ago, I sat—did I say “sat?”—I meant, I was stuck in front of a little girl and her daddy on an airplane. We’d been glued to the tarmac for 45 minutes when we were told for the fourth time that we were delayed again. Ugh.

I blew out a frustrated breath and fumed about everything that was wrong with this airline. I just knew that the past 45 minutes would turn into another 45 minutes and then into four hours and five hours and then … deep breath … I’d miss my connection, be stuck in Chicago and, well, that’s enough. You get the idea. I was not a happy woman.

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What Is on the Menu at God’s Table

When I was a college student in Florida, Rose was a widow who lived nearby. Many of us students regularly visited her.

One evening, my friend, Mike, popped in at dinner time and Rose invited him in. They visited for a few moments … that is, until Mike noticed her kitchen table was set for two.

“Oh Rose,” he said, “I didn’t realize you were having a guest for dinner. I will scoot out.”

She stopped him, and explained that ever since her husband died over 30 years earlier she always set two places at her table.

Mike assumed the second place setting was to remind her of her late husband, but Rose corrected him.

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5 Ways to Handle Conflict With Grace

Wouldn’t you just love to sit across from Candace Cameron Bure and sip coffee and have an honest talk about life? Well, sister, this is your moment! Pour your coffee because Candace is on the blog!

I am tickled that she is joining us today to talk about conflict. Yep, that. You may think that being a celebrity, she doesn’t run into much conflict, but not so. She is a woman just like you and me, and she has found some practical and biblical ways to deal with conflict, and they’re brilliant! You will really appreciate her perspective.

So … take it away, Candace!

Having been in the entertainment industry a long time, I’ve developed five secret tools that I use regularly to stay cool. You don’t have to be an actress or have a job with intense public pressure to need these tools in your toolbox.

We all face criticism and conflict, and we all need to know how to handle it with grace. Here are five methods I’ve learned along the way.

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Be Still and Know That You’re Not God

What would happen if you just got still? Would the world as you know it fall apart? Would you?


Sometimes we stay busy to outrun our fear of failure or keep us distracted from thinking. Sometimes, when we are overwhelmed by sorrow or stress, we just long to fix something, clean something … you know, do something!