Finding God at Work

Chris interviews executive coach and author Melissa McCormick about her unexpected career journey. In her years as a leader at the Taylor Company, Melissa was known as a Christian for going on mission trips. But when it came to work itself, she would "leave Jesus in the car" after her morning commute. Her approach changed when she realized she could take Jesus to work with her. When she invited him in, Jesus led her into a new way of doing work, and eventually, into a new work adventure. Melissa McCormick leads the Grace & Salt Leadership Academy, helping executives "get out of their own way" to lead well. She is the author of Grace & Salt: 12 Biblical Lessons to Transform You and Your Team into Better Leaders, and you can find her podcast Top Floor, Please on Spotify and YouTube. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Colossians 4:6 (NIV) Andy Crouch, The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World (New York: Convergent Books, 2022). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #BonusEpisode #Interview #MelissaMcCormick #GraceAndSalt #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Katie Walter Easley, a dedicated nurse and the spouse of the host, shares her profound experiences of healing and re-engagement with church life. Together, they reflect on overcoming divine disappointments and rediscovering hope after dark times. The narrative weaves in themes of vocational fulfillment, identity struggles, and a shift towards pastoral ministry. Katie's journey reveals renewed confidence in church involvement, while they explore the possibility of foster care, illustrating how God's greater plans often transcend personal dreams.

In this discussion, Katie Walter Easley, a dedicated nurse, shares her journey through health crises and the complexity of vocational identity. Drawing parallels to Joseph's trials, she opens up about isolation during her struggles with depression and how it impacted her faith. The conversation explores the challenges faced when expectations clash with reality, leading to unanticipated changes in their careers. Ultimately, both Katie and Chris find renewed purpose and joy outside of traditional ministry roles, highlighting the grace found in unexpected places.

Katie Walter Easley, a dedicated nurse practitioner, shares her profound journey of recovery and self-discovery amidst life’s trials. She reflects on her endometriosis diagnosis and its toll on her marriage and mental health. The conversation dives into the realities of disillusionment with dreams, much like Joseph's story in the Bible, and highlights how crises can reshape faith and priorities. Despite the darkness, Katie finds God’s grace and growth in these challenging desert seasons, emphasizing hope and healing.

To wrap up our Divine Disappointments series, we're doing a four-episode look at the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis, with Chris (and Katie!) sharing how their own vocational journey has reflected the pattern we see there: Dream Death of the Dream Double Death of the Dream Resurrection Sometimes, our dream has to die before it can come to life in God's time. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 37:5-11 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Dream #Joseph #Marriage #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Ben Kraker about his vocational journey from youth ministry to tech sales to managed IT and app development, and how he grew closer to God through each shift. His work with youth, while fruitful, grew out of a sense of obligation to others' expectations. Eventually, he ended up on empty: disillusioned and driftless. But then, after shifting to a "secular" career, Ben discovered space to make room for his own desires and voice, finding healing in being seen by God for who he really is, not who others expected him to be. Ben Kraker is a technologist in the managed IT space, founder and lead developer at SEEN:app, and a spiritual director in training. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #LeavingMinistry #IT #Tech #SeenApp #Journaling #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Every industry has negative externalities—some way that in the course of getting business done, the world around the business is negatively affected. As disciples of Jesus, how do we make sense of our responsibility in regards to the negative externalities of the industries where we work? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Psalm 15 (ESV) Esther 7:3-4 (ESV) Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work (New York: Penguin Random House, 2012). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #NegativeExternalities #WorkplaceEthics #EthicalDilemma #Persia #Esther #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Sometimes the most stressful part of work is how little it pays. It can feel like you're doing everything you know how to do, and you still come up short. When that's your situation, it's easy to become resentful. But even when you feel like you have your back against the wall, there's an alternative to resentment. Jesus shows us a different way. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Proverbs 12:14, 27; 13:22-23 (ESV) Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV) Matthew 5:40-42 (ESV) "The State of ALICE in Illinois," United for ALICE, United Way of Northern New Jersey. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #LowPay #Wages #BadJob #PersonalAgency #Faith #Generosity #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Evelea Solgos about her harrowing first year working as a teacher, why she stuck it out even though it wasn't what she signed up for, and what she learned about herself through the process. After moving on from that role, with the help of a Christian therapist, Evelea learned how to discern God's presence in that experience even after-the-fact. She shares, "It's not too late. Even if you didn't handle a situation well while you were in it, God is still waiting for you with open arms." Evelea Solgos is an academic service provider for children with disabilities in Chicago through Catapult Learning, where she was honored as their 2025 Teacher of the Year. Evelea previously taught middle school Language Arts. When she's not helping students learn and grow, you may find her performing Elizabethan drama in a public park with the Shakespeare Blood Oath Theater Company. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Teachers #Teaching #LanguageArts #CatapultLearning #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Henri Nouwen calls burnout "a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death." Sometimes work feels more like death than life. When you're facing burnout at work, what can you do? How can you access the spiritual resources that Jesus offers in that dark place? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Quadrants Visual: Healthy and Unhealthy Activation at Work Sources: Ephesians 1:18-20 (NIV) Henri Nouwen, ¡Gracias!: A Latin American Journal (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983). Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989). Wilmar B. Schaufeli and Marisa Salanova, "Burnout, Boredom and Engagement in the Workplace" in An Introduction to Contemporary Work Psychology, ed. Maria C.W. Peters, Jan de Jonge, and Toon W. Taris (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley, 2013). Richard Foster, "Understanding the Means," in The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible, ed. Richard Foster (New York: HarperCollins, 2005). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #HenriNouwen #Gracias #InTheNameOfJesus #RichardFoster #Renovare #Indirection #Sabbath #Activation #Engagement #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral