Finding More by Letting Go: Niki Hardy & Danette Crawford
Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
Jesus Calling
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 24 July 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
*This episode mentions suicide and may be triggering for some listeners.*
This week, we hear from Niki Hardy—a writer, speaker, and coach who brings honesty and hope to life’s most difficult moments. Niki has weathered seasons of cancer, grief, burnout, and questions of faith. After transitioning from a corporate career into nonprofit and ministry work, she came to believe that life doesn’t have to be pain-free to be full.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Danette Crawford, founder of Joy Ministries. Danette shares her journey through heartbreak, single motherhood, and the challenges of starting over. She reflects on how joy is more than a feeling—it’s a deep-rooted strength—and encourages listeners to embrace service to others as a path to a more fulfilling life.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Father James Martin
Upcoming interview: Erin Leigh Nelson
Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV
The Power of Joy for Women: A 365-Day Devotional
Interview Quotes:
“I’ve left corporate life, been to seminary, moved continents, planted churches, started businesses and nonprofits, and even navigated loss, cancer, church hurt, and painful uncertainty. And through all that, I’ve come to believe God loves a cheerful doubter.” - Niki Hardy
“It’s possible to experience the full, abundant life right in the midst of all we’re enduring and to thrive, not just survive. Life doesn’t have to be pain-free to be full.” - Niki Hardy
“If I chat with God, I might not find the answers that I’m looking for, but I will find the relationship and the intimacy that I am really after.” - Niki Hardy
“When we are going through times when either life isn’t going as we hoped or expected and it’s just annoying and frustrating or when it’s deeply painful and life-altering, it’s in that place of walking and talking and chatting with God that we find peace in our hard moments.” - Niki Hardy
“We love that God is knowable, but we also have to reconcile and live in the mystery that He’s also unknowable.” - Niki Hardy
“I had to make the choice to forgive. I had to make the choice to go forward. I had to get up out of my mess.” - Niki Hardy
“We need to realize that when things change—because things will change fast—we can hang on to the truth of God’s Word. And we can hang on to our deep-rooted faith and trust.” - Danette Crawford
“It’s when we go through situations and circumstances that really shake us and test our faith and test our joy that we are faced with a decision. And I made a decision that I was going to get my happy back.” - Danette Crawford
“When you are determined to get your eyes off of yourself and go minister to others, trust me, joy will spring up in you. Focus forward, and go be a blessing to somebody else.” - Danette Crawford
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C
Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj
Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u
What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj
Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY
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Connect with Jesus Calling
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Life Audio |
| 0:03.0 | This episode mentioned suicide and may be triggering for some listeners. |
| 0:10.0 | Did you know that Jesus Calling has its own YouTube channel? |
| 0:13.5 | It's full of great content that will enhance your spiritual life. |
| 0:16.9 | You'll find beautiful videos with short devotional moments to help you through your day, |
| 0:27.9 | as well as stories on video from celebrities, authors, pastors, and everyday people who share what their faith journey has meant to them. |
| 0:35.8 | You'll also find the Jesus Listen Stories of Prayer series hosted by Susie McIntyre Eaton, featuring new guests monthly. |
| 0:38.8 | Subscribe today for new videos each week. |
| 0:46.7 | Many people have shame and fear around their questions, and I take time to debunk the myths around our doubts and questions that when they take their questions to God, they find intimacy |
| 0:52.6 | that we're all craving all along. Welcome to the Jesus |
| 0:58.3 | Calling podcast. This week we hear from Nikki Hardy, a writer, speaker and coach who brings honesty |
| 1:04.7 | and hope to life's most difficult moments. Nikki has weathered seasons of cancer, grief, |
| 1:09.6 | burnout, and questions of faith. After transitioning |
| 1:12.8 | from a corporate career into nonprofit and ministry work, she came to believe that life |
| 1:17.6 | doesn't have to be pain-free to be full. Later in the episode, we'll hear from Dennett Crawford, |
| 1:23.4 | founder of Joy Ministries. Danette shares her journey through heartbreak, single motherhood, and the challenges of starting over. |
| 1:30.3 | She reflects on how joy is more than a feeling. |
| 1:33.3 | It's a deep-rooted strength, and she encourages listeners to embrace service to others as a path to a more fulfilling life. |
| 1:40.3 | Let's begin with Nikki's story. |
| 1:43.3 | I'm Nikki Hardy, and I'm an author, speaker, and coach. Let's begin with Nikki Story. |
| 1:55.8 | I'm Nikki Hardy and I'm an author, speaker and coach who, as you can probably tell, isn't from North Carolina, but we moved here about 20 years ago from England. |
| 2:00.2 | My husband and I both came to faith in the first year that we were married. |
... |
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