The Formed Life Podcast

Hey friend—welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here today. In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most freeing and foundational truths in the life of a Jesus follower: you don’t have to do it all on your own.
 
We talk about how spiritual formation isn’t about striving harder, performing better, or perfecting every discipline—it’s about surrender. Real transformation happens when we stop trying to become more like Jesus in our own strength and begin to rely on the Holy Spirit, who actually does the forming work in us.
 
I share how this truth has reshaped my walk with God—how I’ve moved from exhaustion and striving to resting in partnership with the Spirit. We unpack the beautiful reality that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, empowering us to love, forgive, and live in freedom.
 
Throughout the conversation, I walk through what it means to cooperate with the Spirit instead of controlling outcomes—how formation happens not through force, but through friendship. This isn’t about passivity; it’s about learning to move with the Spirit’s rhythm and trusting Him to do what we can’t.
 
So if you’ve been trying to hold it all together, striving to be “enough,” this episode is your reminder: you were never meant to do it alone. The Spirit is already at work in you, bringing life where you’ve been weary.
 
✨ Your Invitation This Week
Pause and ask: “Holy Spirit, what are You forming in me today?”
Let go of striving—and rest in the One who’s already doing the work.
📸 Let’s connect: @vwear | @theformedlife

Hey friend, welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here today. This episode is a tender one because I’m talking about something that I live every single day: parenting beyond my limits.
 
Parenting is one of the greatest joys of my life, but also one of the most humbling journeys I’ve ever walked. And maybe you feel this too—those moments where you’ve come to the end of yourself and realize, I can’t do this on my own. In this episode, I share about those very moments and how God has been teaching me that parenting isn’t about doing it perfectly, it’s about partnering with the Holy Spirit.
 
We talk about what it looks like to invite God into the daily rhythms of parenting—into the mess, the joy, the exhaustion, and the wonder. I reflect on personal stories (including a sweet adoption celebration that reminded me of God’s faithfulness), and I unpack how the Spirit equips us when we feel unqualified or overwhelmed.
 
Instead of chasing the impossible standard of being the “perfect parent,” I explore how spiritual practices like prayer, gratitude, and community create space for us to lean into God’s strength. Parenting becomes less about striving and more about surrender—trusting that the same God who parents us with love and patience is present as we parent our own children.
 
So whether you’re raising toddlers, teenagers, or praying for your adult kids—this episode is an encouragement to breathe deep and remember: you’re not doing this alone.
 
✨ Your Invitation This Week
Spend a few minutes reflecting: where in your parenting do you need to stop striving and invite the Spirit to lead?
 
📸 Let’s stay connected: @vwear | @theformedlife

Hey friend—welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast! I’m so glad you’re here. This episode is one of those heart-to-heart conversations where I share from my own journey of formation and wrestle a bit with something I think many of us struggle with: the temptation to treat spiritual practices like a checklist.
 
You know what I mean—reading your Bible? ✔️ Prayer? ✔️ Fasting? ✔️ Serving? ✔️ All the “right” things, but sometimes we find ourselves still feeling distant from God. In this episode, I unpack why intimacy with God will always be more important than the checklist.
 
I share personally about how God has been inviting me into deeper trust and connection—moving from performance into presence. We explore how spiritual disciplines are not the goal in themselves but rather sacred pathways that lead us to God. They’re not about earning favor, they’re about cultivating relationship.
 
I also talk about the classic book Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, which has been such a gift in helping me frame these rhythms not as tasks but as invitations. When we approach practices like prayer, study, or fasting as ways to be with God, they transform us from the inside out.
 
So if you’ve been feeling weighed down or guilty about not “doing enough,” this episode is your gentle reminder: Jesus wants your heart, not your performance.
 
✨ Your Invitation This WeekSpend time in reflection today. Are you checking off boxes? Or are your spiritual practices pointing you to connection with God?
📘 Resource Mentioned: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster📸 Follow along: @vwear | @theformedlife

Episode 7: Church Without the Playbook – Planting during the Pandemic, Pivoting, and Practicing Community with Jake & Michele Smith
 
Friends, today’s episode is such a gift. I got to sit down in person (yes, in their living room!) with my dear friends Jake and Michele Smith to talk about what it’s really like to plant a church in the middle of a global pandemic. No playbook. No roadmap. Just a whole lot of trust in Jesus and a deep love for people.
 
We go back to our Evangel University days, so this conversation is personal and joy-filled. Jake and Michele share how they followed God’s call to plant a church in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and what it looked like to pivot creatively when the pandemic flipped everything upside down. From online services to reimagining rhythms of gathering, they open up about the challenges, surprises, and the unexpected ways God showed up.
 
But more than logistics, this episode is about community and spiritual formation. We dive into how true discipleship happens when people practice presence, vulnerability, and hospitality with each other. Michele reflects beautifully on how the church is not about programs but about people who are learning to be formed into the likeness of Christ together.
 
And of course, you’ll hear some laughter along the way—because if you know Jake, you know humor is part of the package! This conversation will encourage you, especially if you’ve ever wondered what it means to stay faithful to God’s call when circumstances are uncertain.
 
🌿 About Jake & Michele SmithJake and Michele have been faithfully serving in ministry for decades, pouring into communities with wisdom, joy, and authenticity. They live in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where they planted a church rooted in presence, formation, and community.
 
✨ Your Invitation This WeekSubscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement to keep walking faithfully.
🌐Please visit the website: www.bluffs.church📸 Connect with me on Instagram: @vwear

Friends, this episode is one you don’t want to miss! I had the absolute joy of sitting down with my dear friend, Justine Nielsen, to talk about what it really means to live a formed life—one where soul, story, and even success are woven together by God’s grace.
 
Justine’s story is full of depth and beauty. She shares about her journey in spiritual formation—how learning to be present with God has shaped her into a woman marked by love, hospitality, and deep faith. We also talk about the power of story work—how facing our stories with honesty and compassion can actually lead us into freedom and healing. It’s vulnerable, rich, and so needed in today’s world.
 
And then there’s her unexpected journey into real estate. Yes, you heard that right! From decades of ministry and mentoring to becoming one of the most successful agents in Central Florida, Justine reflects on how God has used her gifts of hospitality, celebration, and creativity in surprising ways. She reminds us that success isn’t just about numbers or accolades—it’s about helping people find home, both physically and spiritually.
 
Our conversation is tender and inspiring—it’s about being formed in the hidden places, walking with Jesus through every season, and trusting Him to weave even our careers and callings into His bigger story.
 
🌿 Meet Justine NielsenJustine has been building a life marked by love, faith, and hospitality. Married to her husband Glen for 30 years and mother of five, she’s invested her life in people through ministry, mentoring, and now real estate. She lives in Orlando, FL, where she celebrates spaces, milestones, and souls with wisdom and joy.
 
✨ Let’s Stay ConnectedSubscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today.📸 Instagram: @vwear

Welcome to The Formed Life Podcast. I’m Virginia Wear Kujabi—and today’s episode is a deeply personal and joy-filled conversation with someone who has walked the road of faith for decades: Dr. Bubba Greer.
 
Bubba has been a friend, mentor, and spiritual father figure in my life. In this episode, we talk about long-haul discipleship, walking with God through every season, and the gift of friendship that stands the test of time. His story is one marked by devotion, legacy, and grace—from serving in the Air Force as a physician, to decades in medicine, to now encouraging others in their walk with Jesus.
 
We talk about spiritual rhythms, retirement with purpose, and the sacredness of friendship formed through mutual knowing and shared faith.
 
This episode will bless your soul—and I pray it reminds you that transformation is lifelong, and community matters deeply on the journey.
 
🕊 Meet Dr. Bubba Greer
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Greer is a retired USAF Colonel and physician with 21 years of active service. Married to his beloved Peggy for over 57 years, they have three children and seven grandchildren. A man of wisdom, warmth, and wit—his life reflects a deep and lasting faith formed over time. His passions? Faith, family, friends, food, and football. (Geaux Tigers!)
 
📚 Resource Mentioned
Experience Jesus: Discover the Real Presence of Christ by John Eldredge
Get the book here
 
🌿 This Week’s Invitation
Reach out to a friend who knows your journey—and you know theirs. Make the extra effort to nourish that connection. Share this episode with them, and celebrate the goodness of long-term friendship.
 
✨ Subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and help others find this sacred space for deeper spiritual formation.
📸 Follow along on Instagram: @vwear

Welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast. I’m Virginia Wear Kujabi—and in today’s episode, we’re slowing down to talk about one of the most countercultural and life-giving practices in the life of faith: silence.
If your soul has felt noisy lately… if your pace has felt rushed… if you’ve been longing to actually hear the still, small voice of God—this episode is for you.
In this tender teaching, I share stories from my own formation journey and invite you to consider what it means to create intentional space for God to speak. We’ll talk about what silence is (and isn’t), how it forms us, and why the gentle whisper is often where the real transformation begins.
This isn’t about escaping your real life—it’s about learning to encounter God right in the middle of it.
 
🕊 Resources Mentioned:
📘 Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton – Find it here
 
🌿 Spiritual Practice for the Week:
Set aside time to practice silence—no pressure, no perfection. Just be still. Let yourself be known. And afterward? Journal about what stirred in you.
 
✨ Subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and share this episode with someone who’s hungry for a deeper rhythm of grace.
📸 Let’s stay connected on Instagram: @vwear

Befriending God with Tayna Godsey Part 2 (Episode 3)
 
Welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast. I’m Virginia Wear Kujabi—and you’re joining us for Part 2 of a deep and holy conversation with my friend Tanya Godsey.
 
In this episode, we continue unpacking Tanya’s beautiful book, Befriending God, and lean into the rhythms and practices that draw us closer to the heart of the Father. We talk honestly about silence and solitude, spiritual formation through story, and what it means to let God meet us in our emotional honesty—without shame or performance.
 
Tanya shares her own journey, wisdom from spiritual direction, and offers gentle insight into how we can befriend God in our ordinary lives. There’s a richness here—like sitting down with a friend who reminds you that you’re deeply seen and deeply loved.
 
If your soul has been craving a deeper connection with God—especially in the quiet and hidden places—this conversation will minister to you.
So settle in, take a breath, and join us as we explore how to be with God, not just do for Him.
 
🕊 Guest Info – Tanya GodseyTanya is a worship artist, speaker, spiritual director, and founder of Redeeming The Story, a nonprofit focused on spiritual renewal. She’s the host of The Unforced Gifts Podcast and the voice behind four beautiful worship albums that stir hearts toward God’s presence.
 
📘 Order her book Befriending God: Click here📱 Follow Tanya on Instagram: @taynagodsey
 
✨ Subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and share this episode with a friend who longs for deeper relationship with God.
📸 Follow me on Instagram: @vwear

Hey friend, welcome back to The Formed Life Podcast. I’m your host, Virginia Wear Kujabi—and today, we’re stepping into a truly soul-stirring conversation.
 
This episode is tender, sacred, and full of holy invitation. I’m joined by the beautiful Tanya Godsey—an artist, worship leader, speaker, spiritual director, and founder of Redeeming The Story. Tanya’s wisdom and intimacy with God run deep, and her new book, Befriending God, invites us into the kind of relationship with the Lord that is real, honest, and deeply restorative.
 
In this Part 1 conversation, Tanya and I talk about what it actually looks like to walk in friendship with God—beyond performance, beyond pretense. We explore grief, legacy, and the gentle ways God forms us through both beauty and brokenness.
 
This episode is also lovingly dedicated to my dear friend Jennifer Abeg Grant, who is now with Jesus. Her life embodied a deep, authentic love for God, and I know she would have loved this conversation.
 
So slow down with me. Light a candle or take this with you on a walk. Let your soul breathe. You’re not just invited to do for God—you’re invited to be with Him.
 
🕊 Guest Info – Tanya GodseyTanya is the founder of Redeeming The Story, a nonprofit dedicated to spiritual renewal. She’s also the host of The Unforced Gifts Podcast and the voice behind four albums that usher listeners into God's presence.
📘 Grab her beautiful new book Befriending God: Order here📱 Follow Tanya on Instagram: @taynagodsey
 
✨ Subscribe to The Formed Life Podcast and share this episode with a friend who’s longing for deeper connection with God.📸 Follow me on Instagram: @vwear