The Formed Life Podcast

What if worship was never meant to end when the music stops?
In Part 2 of our conversation, Jason Bulbuk returns to widen the word worship back to its true size. Jason is a former practicing attorney who left the law to make himself available to Jesus, and today he is a worshipper, musician, husband and father of four. For Jason, worship in its simplest form is a life on the altar: offering our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), giving God tomorrow, and asking each morning, "Lord, what are You asking me to tend to today?"
I share how God has met me in the two places I least expected: the kitchen and the laundry room. Jason opens up about the songs that rose out of his Sabbath season and the stripped-down EP coming from it. We also talk about how worship lifts our eyes off the waves and onto the face of Jesus, and what it means to work not for rest, but from rest.
In this episode:
Why worship has become shorthand for music, and what it was always meant to be
Romans 12:1 and living your whole life as an offering
How ordinary chores can become worship through gratitude and surrender
Giving God tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) and tending today's assignments
Jason's new music, Songs From/For the Secret Place
Working from rest, not for rest
A closing blessing from Numbers 6:24–26
If you missed Part 1, go back and hear Jason's story of leaving the practice of law and stepping into a season of Sabbath: [Episode 45 link]
Listen to Jason's music:His acoustic singles "Behold," "Deeply, Completely," "Perfume" and "Holy Spirit" are streaming now, and the full EP arrives October 20.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/75GU27yE5wkk4DZj6ROpK4
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jason-bulbuk/1705559685
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jasonbulbuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonbulbuk
Stay connected:If this conversation stirred something in you, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share it with a friend who is learning to slow down with Jesus. A rating and review takes less than a minute and helps more people find their way to these conversations.
Follow along on Instagram at @virginiakujabi and @theformedlife for weekly encouragement and simple spiritual practices that help you be formed more like Jesus.
The Formed Life Podcast with Virginia Kujabi is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Podbean.

What if the busyness you're so proud of isn't the same thing as purpose?
Jason Bulbuk spent nearly ten years as a practicing attorney, in the kind of secure, respected career our culture applauds. Just two years in, the Lord began stirring something new in him: a heart for servanthood, for washing feet, for equipping and sending. It took eight more years of prayer and patience, and a wise wife who kept gently asking, "Do you feel released yet?", before Jason stepped away from law to simply be available to Jesus.
What came next surprised him. It wasn't a bigger platform. It was a season of Sabbath.
In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Jason shares how his family learned that obedience and disobedience both carry a cost, and chose the cost of obedience. He talks about learning to work from rest rather than for it, and to tend what God gives rather than toil for it. He also shares how God has been teaching him what it means to live as a son with a Father who provides. If you've ever measured your worth by your productivity, or you're waiting on God in a season that feels uncomfortable, this conversation will meet you there.
In this episode:
Why there's a cost to obedience and a cost to disobedience, and how to decide which one you'll pay
Why busyness does not equal purpose, and what changes when we tend instead of toil
How the cultural drive for independence runs opposite to a Kingdom built on dependence on God
Trusting God in waiting: "God doesn't worry about the how"
The moment the word how became who
Key moments:02:01 From argumentative kid to attorney03:53 Eight years of waiting: "Do you feel released?"07:18 A cost to obedience, a cost to disobedience08:51 Entering a season of Sabbath15:26 Busyness does not equal purpose17:23 Independence vs. the Kingdom20:42 God doesn't worry about the how21:58 When how became who
Scripture in this conversation:Matthew 11:28–30, Matthew 6:33, Genesis 2:15, Hebrews 4:9–10, Philippians 4:19, Romans 8:15
Connect with Jason Bulbuk:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/75GU27yE5wkk4DZj6ROpK4?si=o-JE58W6QJa-TK8XWKUuyQApple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jason-bulbuk/1705559685YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jasonbulbuk?si=Wcq1FEf-HPMTKoSUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonbulbuk
Coming next week: Jason returns for Part 2, where we go deeper into worship as a spiritual practice and hear about his new music. Subscribe now so it shows up in your feed the moment it releases.

Thrive Through It (Get it here) What if you could experience joy in the middle of the hard season—not just after it ends?
In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jacqueline Heider, we go deeper into what it actually means to thrive when life is hard.
Jacqueline shares why training your mind has been one of the hardest of her six Thrive principles to live out, how Philippians 4:8 has challenged her to question thoughts that simply aren’t true, and why sometimes the first step toward change is making one small choice that challenges an old belief.
We also talk about something that is at the heart of this conversation: Christian resilience is not simply pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.
Jacqueline explains why she eventually moved the spiritual dimension of resilience to the center of her resilience wheel—and why the work of the Holy Spirit matters when we are trying to navigate our emotions, setbacks, change, burnout, and difficult circumstances.
And then we get to one of my favorite parts of our conversation:
“God doesn’t want us to have moments of joy. He wants us to have joy in the midst of all of our moments.”
That doesn't mean being happy about painful circumstances. It means learning to turn toward the Lord in the middle of them—to seek Him, trust Him, and ask what He might be teaching us and how He might be glorified.
If you're in a hard season right now, feeling stuck, burned out, or simply tired of waiting for “the next thing” before you can experience peace, I think this conversation will encourage you.
In this episode, we talk about:
• Training your mind and learning to think on what is true• Challenging beliefs that may not actually be true• Moving from survival mode toward resilience• Why thriving is NOT the same thing as productivity• The role of Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit in resilience• Happiness vs. Christian joy• Finding peace and contentment in the midst of difficult circumstances• How to view setbacks differently• Why application—not simply information—matters for transformation• Finding a Godward perspective when life feels overwhelming• Jeremiah 32:17 and the truth that nothing is too hard for God
Dr. Jacqueline Heider is a ministry leader, Bible teacher, resiliency coach, and author of Thrive Through It: Six Superpowers to Turn Struggles Into Strength.
If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and listen to Episode 43 first!
Connect with Jacqueline: JacquelineHiderCoaching.com
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who might need it—and subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast so you don't miss the next conversation.

Have you ever had a season of life that simply knocked the wind out of your sails?
Maybe nothing is technically a crisis. Your life may even look fine from the outside. But internally, you're exhausted. You're struggling. You're just trying to make it through the day.
What if God has something more for you than simply surviving?
In Episode 43 of The Formed Life Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend Dr. Jacqueline Heider—ministry leader, Bible teacher, resiliency coach, and author of the brand-new book Thrive Through It: Six Superpowers to Turn Struggles Into Strength.
And honestly, this conversation could not have come at a better time for me.
Jacqueline's work began with her doctoral research on resilience in ministry after nearly two decades of watching pastors, ministry leaders, and women struggle with burnout and barely survive when they could be thriving.
But this isn't a conversation about pretending life is easy.
Jacqueline has lived through her own hard seasons—including the unexpected challenges surrounding her daughter's cognitive disability diagnosis. She vulnerably shares how she went from asking, “Why me, Lord?” to discovering that God Himself was enough to carry her through.
And that journey changed her.
In this episode, we unpack what it actually means to thrive when your circumstances haven't changed.
Because thriving isn't having a picture-perfect life.
It's having an inner sense of well-being, joy, and peace that comes from Christ—and knowing that even when you get knocked down, you can get back up because of whose you are and who you know.
Jacqueline shares her powerful “pipe cleaner vs. popsicle stick” picture of resilience: we aren't called to be so rigid that pressure breaks us. We're learning to bend, adapt, and become resilient in Christ.
This conversation is ultimately about much more than resilience.
It's about the God who meets us in our hardest places.
In This Episode, We Talk About:
• Why Jacqueline wrote Thrive Through It• Nearly 20 years of working with women and witnessing burnout• The difference between surviving and thriving• Jacqueline's daughter's unexpected cognitive disability diagnosis• The moment Jacqueline realized God alone was enough• How studying the names of God changed her perspective• Why thriving doesn't mean everything is perfect• Why joy and happiness aren't the same thing• How to thrive in the “messy middle” when circumstances haven't changed• The importance of vulnerability and authentic community• Naming and resetting our emotions• Paul’s example of living with purpose through tremendous hardship• Why knowing your “why” matters• The six superpowers of Thrive Through It• Renewing your mind through Scripture• Harnessing your passions and discovering your purpose• Investing in yourself without guilt• Viewing setbacks as setups• Embracing change and developing resilience• What it looks like to live abundantly with Jesus—even when life is hard
A Question to Carry With You
Instead of asking only:
“Why is this happening to me?”
What if you asked:
“Lord, what are You trying to teach me through this?”
Sometimes the circumstances don't change.
But we do.
Get Jacqueline's BookThrive Through It: Six Superpowers to Turn Struggles Into Strength
Get Book Here
Connect With Jacqueline @dr._jqheider on instagram 
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who is tired of just surviving.
And if you're new here, welcome to The Formed Life Podcast with Virginia Kujabi—where we explore what it looks like to cultivate a life rooted in relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, allowing His presence to actually form the way we live.
Because God doesn't waste a thing.
Even the hard places can become places where He forms us more like Jesus.

What if the diagnosis you fear most isn’t the end of the story?
What if there is more beauty, more hope, more possibility, and more joy than anyone thought to tell you?
In Part 2 of my conversation with my dear friend Misty Coy Snyder, we dive deep into her newly published book, Happiness Is Down Syndrome: Strategies and Support for Parents at Every Stage—and into a much bigger conversation about disability, human worth, flourishing, advocacy, faith, and the stories we tell about one another.
Misty challenges us to reconsider what our culture means when it talks about “burden,” “suffering,” “good,” and “blessing.”
Because what if disability isn't the tragedy we've been taught to see?
What if our understanding of human flourishing has been far too narrow?
Misty shares why she believes disability can offer us an entirely different lens through which to see humanity—one that can cultivate empathy, perspective, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
We also talk about why self-advocates—people with Down syndrome speaking from their own lived experience—need to be heard. Misty explains why the people who actually live with Down syndrome should have a voice in shaping how society understands Down syndrome. She also shares a humbling story about realizing that sometimes the biggest limitation isn't our children's ability—it is our own assumptions about what they can do.
And then we talk about the heart behind Happiness Is Down Syndrome.
Misty didn't want to write another book that simply lists medical information or resources. She wanted to create something that could meet a frightened parent where they actually are—with stories, science, experts, self-advocates, practical resources, and hope.
A book that could feel less like a textbook…
…and more like a friend.
In this conversation, we talk about:
• Why society often equates disability with burden and suffering• What disability can teach us about human flourishing• Redefining what it means for something to be “good” or a “blessing”• Misty’s “unfamiliar path” and Isaiah 42:16• The story and meaning behind Happiness Is Down Syndrome• Why the book includes therapists, counselors, organizations, parents, experts, and self-advocates• Why people with Down syndrome need to be heard telling their own stories• The danger of both limiting people with Down syndrome and romanticizing their experiences• Why possibility, autonomy, individuality, joy, and hope matter• How our assumptions can unintentionally limit our children• What Misty hopes her book will mean for families receiving a diagnosis• The importance of giving parents permission to grieve• Why you don't have to rush to be okay• What it means to “be where your feet are planted”• Misty's dream for the book to reach parents at the moment they need it most• Why she wants families to know: you are not alone, and your baby is precious
And perhaps one of the most powerful moments of the conversation is when Misty speaks directly to the parent who has just received a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Her message is simple:
Your feelings matter.You don't have to rush.You can grieve.You can feel what you feel.And you are not alone.
This conversation is about so much more than Down syndrome.
It's about what happens when we allow God to expand our definition of blessing, challenge the stories we've believed about human worth, and learn to see people not through the limitations of our culture—but through the fullness of their humanity.
📖 About Misty Coy Snyder
Misty Coy Snyder is an author, storyteller, entrepreneur, and advocate in the Down syndrome community. She is the creator of Happiness Is Down Syndrome, a platform born from her experience as the mother of her son, Jed.
Her new book, Happiness Is Down Syndrome: Strategies and Support for Parents at Every Stage, brings together personal stories, practical resources, experts, organizations, and self-advocates to support families navigating the Down syndrome journey.
📚 Get the Book
Happiness Is Down Syndrome is available through Misty’s website and major booksellers.
Misty Coy Snyder
Happiness is Down Syndrome Book
💙 Connect with Misty
Instagram: @mistycoysnyder and @happinessisdownsyndrome 
❤️ A Special Note
This conversation is dedicated to our sons, James and Jed—two mighty warriors who remind us that every human life is deeply valuable and beautifully made in the image of God.
If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear this message.
And if you're new here, subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast with Virginia Kujabi for conversations about faith, spiritual formation, and what it looks like to actually live a life with God.

What if the thing you thought would change your life for the worse became one of God’s greatest gifts?
In this deeply personal conversation, I sit down with my friend Misty Coy Snyder, newly published author of Happiness Is Down Syndrome, to talk about motherhood, disability, advocacy, faith, and the surprising ways God can completely rewrite the story we thought we were living.
Misty shares what went through her mind when she first received her son Jed’s Down syndrome diagnosis—including the painful thoughts she was afraid to say out loud. She opens up about the dreams she thought she was losing, the shame she wrestled with, and how becoming Jed’s mother forced her to confront parts of herself she had never seen so clearly before.
But then everything changed.
Misty tells the beautiful story of meeting Jed face-to-face and realizing that the baby she had been afraid of was not a diagnosis—he was her son. From there, a completely unexpected calling began to unfold: Happiness Is Down Syndrome, a platform that has grown from a small Instagram page into a powerful voice for the Down syndrome community.
We talk about:
• Receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis and the emotions nobody prepares you for• How motherhood reshaped Misty’s understanding of herself• The moment Jed changed everything• Why Misty believes the world has gotten Down syndrome profoundly wrong• Disability, ableism, fear, and the importance of telling the whole story• How God redirected Misty’s dreams in ways she never could have imagined• Her journey from theater and performing to global advocacy• Speaking at the United Nations and discovering a stage she never dreamed of• The story behind the provocative title Happiness Is Down Syndrome• Why her new book is designed to be a guide and companion for families navigating Down syndrome• Why this book isn't only for families in the Down syndrome community—it’s for all of us
And perhaps most beautifully, we talk about what happens when God takes the thing we feared most and somehow reveals a gift we never could have imagined.
This episode is dedicated to our incredible sons, James and Jed, two boys who remind us that every human life is immeasurably valuable, deeply loved, and beautifully made in the image of God.
Come back next week for Part 2, where Misty and I dive even deeper into Happiness Is Down Syndrome and the message she hopes every family—and every person—will take away from this book.
Connect with Misty:MistyCoySnyder.comInstagram: @happinessisdownsyndrome
Get the book:Happiness Is Down Syndrome is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Misty’s website.
Misty's Page 
Get Book on Amazon
For copies purchased through RODS Hero, 100% of the profits go toward RODS and its mission to uncover the superpowers of individuals with Down syndrome.
Rods Heros
Songs by Misty Happiness Is Song
 

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Formed Life Fall Cohort
What if the life with God you’ve been longing for doesn’t come from trying harder—but from learning to actually live differently with God?
The Formed Life Fall Cohort is a 10-week immersive experience for followers of Jesus who are ready to move beyond consuming more Christian content and begin cultivating a life that is deeply rooted in relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You’ll practice spiritual rhythms, create space for God, and learn how to become more like Jesus—not through striving, but through a life intentionally rearranged around Him.
We begin September 17.
🗓 Thursdays⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM EST💻 Live on Zoom🌿 10-week immersive experience
If you’ve been thinking, “I know there has to be more than this,” this may be the next step.
Save $300 with early-bird code EARLY through August 28.
👉 Join the Fall Cohort: Apply Here
About This Episode
What does your money have to do with your spiritual formation?
More than you might think.
In this episode of The Formed Life Podcast, Virginia sits down with longtime friends Hilgardt and Janice Lamprecht, founders and leaders of The LifeWealth Group, for a deeply personal conversation about faith, finances, stewardship, generosity, marriage, leadership, success, dreams, and what it actually means to live a life of significance.
Hilgardt and Janice share the story of how God led them from South Africa to the United States, how their faith shaped the growth of their business, and why they intentionally built their company around the phrase “For the Glory of God.”But this conversation goes much deeper than financial planning.
We talk about the subtle ways money, achievement, success, and performance can become sources of identity and security—and how God invites us into something better.
Janice shares candidly about reaching the end of herself through burnout and discovering the freedom of finding her security in God's grace and love rather than accomplishment.
We also explore what happens when a husband and wife build a business together, how different strengths can become complementary rather than competitive, and why learning to honor the way God has uniquely created another person can transform both marriage and leadership.
And perhaps most importantly, we ask:
What if stewardship isn't just a financial issue—but a spiritual formation issue?
Hilgardt and Janice unpack the difference between ownership and stewardship, the connection between money and the condition of our hearts, and why our worth can never be measured by our net worth.
If you've ever felt anxious about money, retirement, success, your future, or whether you're doing enough with the life God has given you, this conversation is for you.
There is wisdom in planning.
But there is also freedom in learning to place tomorrow back into God's hands.
In This Episode
How Hilgardt and Janice followed God's leading from South Africa to America
Building a business for the glory of God
Why financial stewardship is ultimately a matter of the heart
The difference between ownership and stewardship
How money can become intertwined with identity, fear, and security
Generosity as an ongoing journey of spiritual formation
Marriage, business, and learning to embrace each other's strengths
The visionary and integrator dynamic
Leadership through encouragement and servant-heartedness
Burnout, performance, achievement, and discovering God's grace
How to pursue dreams without allowing achievement to become your identity
Why your worth is not your net worth
Planning for the future without being consumed by anxiety
What it means to live tomorrow in God's hands
Pursuing a life of purpose, impact, legacy, and true wealth
Meet Hilgardt and Janice
Hilgardt Lamprecht, CFP®, CKA®, CExP™ is President and CEO of The LifeWealth Group, with nearly three decades of experience in wealth management, private wealth planning, retirement planning, and multi-generational wealth preservation. He is also the author of Plan to Succeed With Your LifeWealth: Helping Dreams Become Reality.
Janice Lamprecht is Chief Operating Officer and Integrator of The LifeWealth Group, where she focuses on operational excellence, servant leadership, and helping turn vision into execution.
🌐 The LifeWealth Group: THE LIFEWEALTH GROUP
📖 Hilgardt's book — Plan to Succeed With Your LifeWealth: Buy book here
If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear that their worth is so much bigger than what they earn, own, or accomplish.
And remember:
You don't just have a financial life and a spiritual life. You have one life—and God cares about all of it.
Follow The Formed Life Podcast with Virginia Wear Kujabi for more conversations about becoming like Jesus in the ordinary places of everyday life.
 
 

One year ago, The Formed Life Podcast began with a microphone, a dream, and a simple desire: to help people follow Jesus into a life of deeper relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Today, that little dream has reached listeners across 37+ countries.
In this special one-year birthday episode, Virginia is joined by her dear friend Jen Jones for the podcast's first-ever live audience celebration. Instead of interviewing a guest, Jen turns the microphone around and interviews Virginia about the story behind The Formed Life Podcast—the dreams that took years to become reality, the challenges behind the scenes, the conversations that have changed her, and what God has been teaching her along the way.
And underneath it all is a bigger story:
What happens when we simply say yes to God?
Virginia shares how a dream that began as early as 2019 sat dormant for years while microphones gathered dust, life unfolded, marriage and motherhood took center stage, and technical obstacles seemed to delay the dream.
But what looked like delay wasn't necessarily denial.
In 2025, the right relationship and mentorship helped Virginia finally launch The Formed Life Podcast. One year later, she is reflecting on God's surprising faithfulness—and the privilege of being able to share the message of spiritual formation with listeners around the world without ever leaving her home office.
In this episode, Virginia and Jen talk about:
The story behind the original dream to start a podcast
Why technical obstacles delayed the launch for several years
What finally helped Virginia move from dreaming to doing
The surprising global reach of The Formed Life Podcast
How God can use our obedience in ways we never anticipated
The tension between ministry beyond our homes and the ministry happening within our homes
The behind-the-scenes work of producing a podcast without a production team
The importance of community, friendship, mentorship, and saying yes to opportunities
Some of Virginia's most meaningful podcast conversations from the first year
How spiritual formation happens not only through what we teach, but through what we experience
What it means to practice what we preach when life becomes difficult
Finding courage to speak when we don't consider ourselves an expert
How the Holy Spirit leads us into courageous obedience
Why we don't have to carry the pressure of "getting it all right"
God's sovereignty and the freedom that comes from knowing the kingdom does not depend on us
What Jesus' invitation to "come to me" means for the spiritually weary
The difference between spiritual rhythms that form us and religious practices that leave us feeling burdened
The invitation to walk with Jesus and learn the unforced rhythms of grace
The unexpected global reach
When The Formed Life Podcast launched, listeners were already tuning in from multiple countries. One year later, Virginia knows of listeners in more than 37 countries—including the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, India, South Korea, South Africa, The Gambia, and many more.
What began in a home office became a small window through which the message of spiritual formation could travel around the world.
And Virginia's response is simple:
To God be the glory. Great things He has done.
A word for the spiritually weary
One of the most beautiful moments of the conversation comes near the end, when Jen asks Virginia what she would say to someone who feels spiritually weary, stuck, or hungry for a deeper life with God.
Virginia points to Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: come to Him, walk with Him, learn from Him, and receive His rest.
The Christian life is not ultimately about performing enough spiritual activities to become acceptable to God.
It is about keeping company with Jesus.
Spiritual disciplines and rhythms can be beautiful means through which we abide in Christ, but they are not meant to become burdens that replace relationship with Him. The invitation is to walk with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and to become increasingly formed into His likeness.
One year later, the invitation remains
Whether you've listened to every episode or you're discovering The Formed Life for the first time, this episode is an invitation to consider your own "yes."
What has God placed in your heart?
What have you been postponing because you don't feel qualified, ready, or equipped?
What if faithfulness begins with one small act of obedience?
And what if the goal isn't to accomplish something impressive—but simply to walk with God faithfully and allow Him to form you along the way?
Go deeper with The Formed Life
If you're longing for more than information about spiritual formation and want to practice a deeper life with God in community, The Formed Life's Fall Spiritual Formation Cohort launches September 10.
This is a 10-week immersive spiritual formation experience designed to help you cultivate rhythms of abiding, renewal, relationship, and surrender as you journey with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Early enrollment offer: Use code EARLY for $300 off.
Offer expires August 22, 2026.
Learn more at The Formed Life Fall Cohort
Connect with Virginia
Follow Virginia on Instagram: @VirginiaKujabi
Follow The Formed Life: @TheFormedLife
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs the reminder that they don't have to do more—they can simply come to Jesus.
Scripture referenced
Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus' invitation to the weary to come to Him, receive His rest, and learn His way of life.
Psalm 2:8 — "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession."
John 15 — Abiding in Christ and bearing fruit through relationship with Him.
The Formed Life Podcast exists to equip followers of Jesus cultivate a life rooted in relationship with the Trinity, gratitude, and community—empowering transformation through the Holy Spirit and spiritual rhythms to become formed more like Jesus.
 

The truth is you are loved. You are loved. You are loved-- more deeply and completely than you could ever imagine! What if the greatest obstacle to your spiritual growth isn't a lack of discipline, knowledge, or commitment?
What if it's that you've forgotten—or perhaps never truly believed—how deeply you are loved by God?
Many followers of Jesus know God loves them. They can quote the verses, explain the gospel, and affirm the truth intellectually. Yet countless believers still live as though they must earn God's approval through performance, productivity, or striving.
In this episode of The Formed Life, Virginia explores one of the most transformative truths in the Christian life: belovedness.
Drawing from Scripture and insights from Francis Chan's Beloved, this conversation invites listeners beyond simply knowing about God's love and into experiencing it. Together, we'll explore how the Father's love precedes our obedience, how Jesus reveals the heart of God, and how the Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts in a deeply personal way.
Friend, spiritual formation does not begin with striving. It begins with belovedness.
As Virginia reminds us, the starting place of becoming more like Jesus is not becoming more lovable—it's learning to live from the reality that you already are loved.
In This Episode
Why the Father's love comes before our obedience
The difference between knowing God's love and experiencing God's love
How performance-based Christianity keeps us stuck
Why belovedness is foundational to spiritual formation
How Jesus perfectly reveals the love of God
The role of the Holy Spirit in helping us experience divine love
Moving from insecurity and striving into joyful obedience
Memorable Quotes
"The starting place for you to be formed more like Jesus is this place of awareness that you are His beloved."
"The love of God is not an abstract concept. The love of God has a face, and it's our Savior, Jesus."
"The Holy Spirit makes the love of God experiential."
Scriptures Referenced
1 John 4:19
Ephesians 1
Matthew 3:17
Romans 5:5
Romans 8
John 15
Reflection Questions
Do I live from belovedness or from performance?
Have I settled for knowing God loves me without truly experiencing His love?
What would change in my life if I genuinely believed the Father delights in me?
Where is God inviting me to receive rather than strive?
This Week's Invitation
After this episode talk to God about His love for you.  Where are you at with His love? Is it only in your head or are you experiencing it in your soul?  Ask the Holy Spirit to experience God's love right now. If time permits, Open your Bible to Romans 8, Ephesians 1, or 1 John 4.
Read slowly.
Read prayerfully.
Then simply sit before the Father and pray:
"Father, help me experience Your love."
Connect With VirginiaFollow Virginia on Instagram: @virgniakujabi and @theforrmedlife 
If This Episode Encouraged You...
Would you take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify?
Reviews help more people discover The Formed Life and join this growing community pursuing life with God through spiritual formation, gratitude, and communion with the Trinity.
And if someone came to mind while listening, share this episode with them.
The Christian life isn't striving to become loved. It's learning to live from the reality that you already are.

What if God isn't merely inviting you to endure your life faithfully?
What if He's also inviting you to delight in Him?
Many of us have learned how to strive. We've learned how to serve, sacrifice, and pursue spiritual growth. Yet somewhere along the way, we've forgotten that one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy and that every good and perfect gift comes from our loving Father.
In this episode of The Formed Life, Virginia reflects on the unexpected delight found in thirty-nine days of the FIFA World Cup—shared laughter around the television, inside jokes with family, smoothies lovingly nicknamed "FIFI," and the beauty of watching the nations gather together. Through these ordinary moments, she offers a gentle reminder that delight is not opposed to spiritual formation. In fact, it may be one of the beautiful ways God forms us into people of gratitude, joy, and love.
Jesus didn't merely invite us into faithful endurance. He invited us into abundant life.
Friend, perhaps you've been carrying a faith that feels heavy lately. Perhaps you've unknowingly believed that holiness means becoming less joyful or that enjoyment must somehow be earned. Scripture tells a different story.
The God who created sunsets, laughter, wedding feasts, friendship, and beauty delights in giving good gifts to His children.
This episode is an invitation to slow down, savor God's goodness, and joyfully receive His gifts with gratitude.
In This Episode:
Have we unintentionally forgotten delight?
Why enjoyment is a gift from God—not something to be earned
How Jesus modeled joyful presence, celebration, and community
The relationship between delight, gratitude, and spiritual formation
Why holiness and joy are not opposites
Practical ways to cultivate delight in your everyday life
Learning to receive God's good gifts without rushing past them
Scriptures Referenced:
Psalm 37:4
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
John 10:10
James 1:17
Matthew 11:28-30
Psalm 103
Reflection Questions:
Have I unintentionally believed that becoming holy means becoming less joyful?
What good gifts has God already placed before me that I've been rushing past?
When was the last time I simply delighted in something with gratitude?
How might God be inviting me to slow down and receive His goodness this week?
This Week's Invitation
Watch the sunset.
Buy the flowers.
Take the walk.
Laugh with your children.
Call the friend.
Eat the ice cream.
Watch the match.
Take the nap.
And don't rush through it.
Delight isn't a distraction from becoming more like Jesus. Sometimes, it is one of the beautiful ways He forms us.
Connect with Virginia
Follow Virginia on Instagram:@virginiakujabi and @theformedlife 
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Sometimes the most transformational invitations are also the simplest ones.
"Becoming more like Jesus isn't only about learning how to suffer faithfully. It's also learning how to receive joyfully."