Hey, y'all Allie and Dr. Howard and I can hardly believe it, but we were nominated for podcast of the year through the K-Love Fan Awards.

So we would love for you to go on over to k-loafanward's.com and cast your vote for BPT, or that link will also be in the show notes or on the website.

But thanks so much. We're really tickled.

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During today's conversation on Backported Theology, I have the absolute delight of diving deep into some real-life stuff with two very dear friends, Natalie Grant and her husband, Bernie Hermes.

Unless you're living off the grid and are listening to BPT through a coconut and dental floss, you've no doubt heard Natalie's stellar voice because she's been a recording artist for over 20 years and has more awards,

including multiple female artist of the year awards, than you could fit in the back of a truck.

And Bernie's success as a music producer is every bit as extraordinary as Nats.

He's also been honored with a plethora of accolades, including several Grammys.

But the glow of all that hardware, this incredibly gifted couple has earned pales,

next to the radiant joy on their faces when they talk about the goodness of our Creator- Redeemer,

which, when you hear their backstory, is both encouraging and convicting because the biggest

miracles they trusted God for took a very long time in coming.

This courageous couple epitomizes how theologian, an author of the Message Bible

paraphrase, Dr. Eugene Peterson, describes spiritual obedience. He calls it a long walk

in the same direction. If you feel like you're running low on hope this season because the

miracle you've been trusting God for hasn't happened yet, Nat and Bernie's story is going to

provide both empathy and encouragement and will help reframe our perspectives regarding God's sovereignty

and our expectancy. Peter contextualizes it well in his Second New Testament epistle when he says,

but do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a

thousand years are like a day.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. That's from

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