The beat drops, the lights glow, and something unexpected happens: people who feel out of place on Sunday morning find themselves at home praising God on a dance floor. That image frames our conversation with Jess—a wife, mom, and worship leader—who shares a candid, deeply human story of living with bipolar disorder while building spaces where bodies and hearts can worship without apology.
We trace Jess’s journey from meeting Jesus in Sunday school to discovering a love for serving on mission trips, then into the labyrinth of diagnosis, depression, and medication. She opens up about her first manic episode triggered by an antidepressant, the hard won stability she found with lithium and quetiapine, and the everyday choices that steady her—sleep care, less caffeine, intentional community, and counsel that blends Scripture and therapy. Along the way, she explains how worship and the Word reshape harmful narratives, turning shame into truth-telling and isolation into connection.
We also face tough questions about healing. Jess walks through the disappointment of chasing miracles that didn’t come, and how Scripture reoriented her expectations: Jesus didn’t heal every person, Paul’s thorn remained, and wisdom often looks like both prayer and practical care. Instead of hollow promises, she offers a durable hope—grace that holds when symptoms surge, friends who walk you through lows, and a God who uses suffering to grow humility, gratitude, and compassion for others. If you’ve wrestled with bipolar disorder, depression, or the tension between faith and medicine, this conversation is a steady hand and a clear path forward.
Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope today, and leave a review to help more listeners find this conversation. Then tell us: where have you found unexpected grace?
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