The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast

Episode: The Way of Resilience with Ruth Chou Simons

Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Ruth Chou Simons

Episode Overview

This episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast features a heartfelt and practical conversation with author and artist Ruth Chou Simons about cultivating resilience. Drawing from their experiences, faith, and personal struggles, Candace and Ruth discuss overcoming adversity, building habits of spiritual and physical discipline, and finding purpose—even when life doesn’t go as planned. With listener questions and open, relatable dialogue, the episode provides encouragement for anyone seeking to navigate challenges with grace and strength.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is Resilience? Where Does It Come From?

• Defining Resilience (04:19):

  • Candace asks Ruth who the most resilient person in her family is. Ruth immediately points to her husband for his daily perseverance and attitude:

    “Everything is an opportunity to grow… his attitude literally is everything is an opportunity to grow.” — Ruth (04:35)

  • Ruth contrasts her own wiring, which tends toward discouragement after mistakes, with Troy’s willingness to continually get back up and keep learning.

• Theological Perspective (07:46):

  • Ruth discusses what the Bible says about resilience—not as mere willpower, but as dependence on God’s strength:

    "Every time God gets the credit, he always gets the credit for our perseverance… it's that God desires for us to walk with him, that he is making us resilient day by day" — Ruth (07:46)

  • Resilience is not about muscling through, but about surrender and getting up again "because I'm living for God."

2. Building the Muscle of Resilience in Daily Life

• Candace’s Personal Journey (10:35):

  • Candace shares that for 20 years, reading the Bible felt like a struggle, but perseverance eventually led to deep desire and love:

    "I prayed every day, God, give me a desire to read your Word... I didn't have one for 20 years." — Candace (10:35)

• Discipline as Grace (11:49):

  • Ruth reframes Bible reading and resilience as building muscles over time, akin to physical training:

    "I'm not opening my Bible... and going, I'm going to be resilient today because I read this verse. No... because day by day I am working this muscle." — Ruth (11:49)

  • Discipline is not about rigid self-improvement, but about freely engaging with the means God gives.

• Waiting for Fruit (15:01):

  • Candace links both spiritual and physical resilience to “putting in a lot of work before you see the growth,” explaining the motivation that comes when results finally appear.

3. Navigating Difficult Seasons

• Candace’s Experience with Public Criticism (21:46):

  • Candace recounts a period (2022-23) when she lost contracts, partnerships, and friendships amid public falsehoods:

    "I felt like my character was just thrown in the gutter... But... that's when James 1 comes to mind: 'Consider it great joy when you face trials... because it produces perseverance.'" — Candace (21:46)

• Persevering in Hardship (25:52):

  • Instead of giving in to criticism or “cancel culture,” Candace chose to “pick myself up and trust God,” motivated not to let the enemy win.

• Encouragement from Community (26:56):

  • Candace stresses the importance of having trusted friends or a spouse to speak encouragement during dark times:

    "You need those people to speak those encouraging words to you, especially when you’re feeling like you’re in the pit." — Candace (26:56)

4. Stewarding What You Have & God’s Creativity

• Change as Opportunity (33:11):

  • Candace frames disappointments or losses as the start of something God might want to do differently—not always bigger, but as part of his plan:

    "God doesn’t always promise that it’s bigger or greater. It’s just different... I don’t want to be on the path that God doesn’t want me on." — Candace (33:11)

• Ruth’s Vulnerable Share About Ministry Change (34:43):

  • Ruth opens up about a ministry partner stepping down and her own feelings of loss and uncertainty:

    "It's so revealing because it tells you what maybe you were putting your expectations in that were a substitute for trusting God..." — Ruth (34:43)

5. Surrender is at the Heart of Resilience

• Letting Go & Trusting (40:58):
  • The conversation culminates in the insight that true resilience isn’t just toughness, but willingness to surrender to God’s will, even in uncertainty.

Listener Questions

1. How Can I Make Time for God with a Busy Morning? (41:13)

• Question from Inga, a 17-year-old student:
• Candace encourages flexibility:

  "I have a go and flow type of mentality when it comes to my Bible time... There's no set way that you have to do time with God." — Candace (42:50)

• Ruth suggests using audio Bibles while getting ready in the morning, and using other times (weekends, study hall) for more in-depth study:

  "Maybe that's the time to do audio Bible... Play God's word like the soundtrack of my day." — Ruth (43:01)

2. How Do I Be Still and Listen for God?

• Anonymous Listener:
• Ruth acknowledges that stillness is a discipline and suggests scheduling quiet, unplugged moments. She also recommends audio Bibles, praying intentionally, and paying attention to how God might answer through conversations, nature, or Scripture.

  "Stillness... is actually a discipline... schedule it, choose to go and actually sit quietly for a time." — Ruth (44:49)

• Candace finds walking in nature is the best way to hear from God and quiet her mind:

  "I love having quiet time with God on a walk. So that is a time I can listen, but there’s still movement." — Candace (45:33)

• Both stress that God’s gentle guidance doesn’t generally appear as an audible voice, but through many forms—especially His Word.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Her Own Resilience:

  "I've always felt like Mighty Mouse, you know, very little in size, but, but, but a warrior." — Candace (06:20)

• Resilience and Faith:

  "You have to actually fight for it and say… God, if this is not what you have for me, you’re gonna reroute me and your way is better." — Ruth recapping Candace (38:30)

• On Surrender:

  "Resilience is a place of total surrender." — Candace (40:58)
  "Resilience is actually surrender. It's being soft to the will of God." — Ruth (41:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:19 | Candace and Ruth discuss most resilient family members | | 07:46 | Ruth describes resilience from a biblical perspective | | 10:35 | Candace’s 20-year journey to loving Bible reading | | 11:49 | Ruth on discipline as building muscle, not earning favor | | 21:46 | Candace describes her public challenges and clinging to James 1 | | 25:52 | Battling public criticism through trust in God; refusing to "let the enemy win" | | 26:56 | The role of community and trusted friends in resilience | | 33:11 | Viewing disappointments as new opportunities in God’s plan | | 34:43 | Ruth’s ministry changing; learning to trust God with new directions | | 40:58 | Surrender as the core of true resilience | | 41:13 | Listener question about finding time for devotions as a teenager | | 43:01 | Using audio Bibles and flexible rhythms for engaging with Scripture | | 44:14 | Listener question on stillness; practical advice for quieting mind and listening for God | | 45:33 | Candace on walking as a spiritual practice for reflection and hearing God | | 46:34 | Ruth and Candace on hearing God—usually not audible, but through Word, nature, or others |

Final Takeaways

• Resilience is not about unbreakable strength but about repeatedly getting up, surrendering to God, and remaining open to his creativity and redirection.
• Both spiritual and physical disciplines develop strength over time, rarely showing immediate fruit.
• Seasons of loss or disappointment may precede deeper purpose or renewal, and God’s path is often not what we expected, but always for our good.
• Community, honest self-assessment, and daily habits centered on faith are vital for ongoing resilience.
• Listening for God’s guidance happens most authentically through consistent engagement with His Word, prayer, and living attentively in daily life.