What if your darkest chapter wasn’t the end of your story—but the beginning of something new?

In this honest and hope-filled episode of The Collide Podcast, we sit down with Leeana Tankersley to talk about what it looks like to hope in the middle of devastation, rebuild when life falls apart, and welcome new possibilities after loss, disappointment, or unraveling. Leeana shares wisdom from her own journey as a writer and woman of faith, inviting us to release our grip on hoping for specific outcomes and instead learn how to hope in God—especially when the future feels uncertain.

Whether you’re walking through your darkest chapter, piecing your life back together, or standing on the edge of something unknown, this conversation offers a gentle reminder: beginning again is holy work, and you’re not behind.

Meet Leeana

Leeana Tankersley is a writer, editor, university writing professor, and the author of six books including Brazen, Breathing Room, Begin Again, and Hope Anyway. With two English degrees and over two decades of experience in faith-centered storytelling, Leeana helps women step out of hiding, reclaim their voice, and live fully. Her work has been featured in CNN, Huffington Post, and Publishers Weekly. She lives in Central Virginia with her three teenagers and her mischievous Labradoodle, Rosie.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

How to hold hope in the face of your darkest chapter
What rebuilding your life can look like after everything falls apart
Why letting go of hoping for can open the door to hoping in
How to welcome new possibilities when the future feels fragile
Why beginning again is not failure—but faith

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If your life feels like it’s in pieces—or you’re wondering how to keep going when hope feels thin—this episode will meet you with compassion and clarity. You’ll be reminded that God is still at work, even here, and that no matter how many times your story has been rewritten, always, we begin again.

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