The Anatomy of a Faith Muscle: Merging the Eternal with the Everyday

The Chaos and the Calling
We often view faith as a static destination—a box of beliefs handed down to each generation. But as Daryl Dittmer and I explored on the When I Stop Fighting podcast, true faith is a lifelong process of merging your spiritual calling with the beautiful chaos of everyday existence.
​For many years, I carried the "heritage" of evangelical faith—the rules and expectations handed to me in the pews. But at 50, I asked God a dangerous question: "What really happened when I was eight years old?" That question moved me from knowing about God to conversing with Him. It was the moment I realized that being Spiritually BRAVE isn't about avoiding the fight; it’s about recognizing that the only real fight we have is with ourselves.

In this poignant dialogue on the When I Stop Fighting podcast, host Daryl Dittmer and ordained pastor Kristen Wambach explore the profound shift from "fighting for faith" to "living from it." Combining Kristen’s 30+ years of transformational leadership with Daryl's heart for recovery, the conversation serves as a roadmap for anyone navigating the gap between spiritual calling and daily chaos.
The episode centers on the development of the "faith muscle"—the spiritual strength required to move from religious habit to a vibrant, conversational relationship with God. Through metaphors of bus rides and beach walks, Kristen and Daryl illustrate that the journey toward being Spiritually BRAVE is marked by surrender, the softening of "sharp edges," and the restoration of the soul.

Core Themes & Highlights

• Building the Faith Muscle: Faith is presented as a dynamic strength that requires a "workout regimen." Kristen emphasizes journaling as a way to honor God’s voice, moving from a struggle to hear Him to a natural, immediate resonance.
• The Bus Metaphor: The speakers discuss the pivotal decision to "get on the bus." They reflect on how we often try to drive our own lives until pain or exhaustion leads us to surrender and allow the Divine to take the wheel.
• Treasures on the Beach: Life is likened to walking a shoreline where we must consciously choose what to pick up and what to leave behind. This process of selecting beliefs, habits, and relationships is essential for spiritual health.
• Self-Love Through "Love Himself": Kristen shares that inner healing doesn't come from self-correction, but from sitting "on the beach" with God. In His presence, there is no judgment—only the modeling of a love that eventually teaches us to love ourselves.
• The Beauty of Restoration: Drawing from her personal journey of loss and the eventual success of Rabbitrail Supply, Kristen illustrates how God restores not just what was lost, but the person who lived through the loss.

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The Rhema Shift: Moving from the Letter to the Spirit. This episode is a primary case study in how the Rhema Mind rewrites your life.

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The Workout Regimen: Building the Faith Muscle

Key Takeaway Updates 

• Conscious Selection: Like picking up treasures on a beach, we must intentionally choose which habits and beliefs to keep.
  
  
• The Role of Pain: Recognizing that difficulty is often the catalyst that forces us to finally "get on the bus."
  
• Healthy Boundaries: Kindness to others should never result in being a "doormat"; spiritual bravery includes standing for what is right.
  

A muscle that isn't used atrophies. To build a faith muscle, you must give it a place to perform through conscious effort and openness. As Daryl and I discussed, this "workout regimen" is rooted in Honor and Journaling.
When we write down the snippets, the intuition, and the "nuggets" of wisdom that come in the quiet, we are honoring the Speaker. We are creating a place for that wisdom to be highlighted and developed. Over time, this practice sharpens our spiritual resonance. Lessons that used to take "17 times" to learn begin to click in an instant. We move from a struggle to a flow, developing a "faith muscle" that is strong enough to support us when the day-to-day chaos feels overwhelming.

Journaling is what taught me how to hear God's voice; I write it down because that feels like a place of honor."—Kristen Wambach

The Bus, the Beach, and the Power of Surrender

Daryl and I used the metaphor of the bus ride to describe the journey of faith. The hardest part isn't the ride itself—it’s the decision to "get on the bus." Surrender is often prompted by pain or difficulty, yet it is the ticket to authentic spiritual living. It is the moment we stop white-knuckling the wheel and allow ourselves to be led.
Once we are on the journey, we become like travelers walking along a beach. Life presents us with countless stones, shells, and shards of glass. We must make conscious choices about what beliefs, relationships, and habits to pick up and put in our pocket—and which ones to leave behind in the sand. This process of discarding what no longer serves our spirit is both challenging and profoundly liberating.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

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​Transcript: When I Stop Fighting Podcast
Host: Daryl Dittmer
Guest: Kristen Wambach

[0:00] Daryl Dittmer: What would happen if you found out that the only real fight you have in this lifetime is with yourself? Let's talk about that. Welcome to When I Stop Fighting the podcast. My name is Daryl Dittmer. With today's guest, we're discussing what it means to be spiritually brave. We all fight the gap between where we are and where we're meant to be. We struggle to merge our spiritual calling with our day-to-day chaos.
[0:32] Daryl Dittmer: My guest today doesn't just talk about faith. She brings us into the actual conversation. Kristen Wambach is an ordained pastor, a coach, and a host of the Interviewing Jesus podcast, which I was on as a guest, and it was a wonderful, wonderful experience. She has mastered the art of letting go of the struggle to find God and simply hear him. If you are ready to stop fighting for your faith and start living from it, this episode is your key. Please welcome Kristen Wambach.
[1:07] Daryl Dittmer: Hello. So wonderful to have you on, Kristen.
[1:11] Kristen Wambach: Thank you so much. Happy to see you once again.
[1:16] Daryl Dittmer: Well, we had a spectacular conversation... maybe three months ago. Time flies. Well, you mentioned in here the day-to-day chaos, which can certainly be a part of our experience. But I think that my life of chaos has calmed way down. My younger years were fraught with chaos. Nowadays, I just try to enjoy every single day. I know you embody that and live that as well.
[2:25] Daryl Dittmer: I'm a believer that faith and being spiritually brave are things that we can build and foster through our experiences. But what brings you, Kristen, to a life of faith? Did you start out that way?
[2:57] Kristen Wambach: What brings me here today? Well, maybe a good place to start was when I was 50 years old. I'm 66 now. And so, I'd been traveling in faith with God and building a relationship for a period of time. And I asked him—cuz when I was 8 years old and I was sitting in the pew... the heritage of the evangelical church was handed to me. That's what I knew. John 3:16.
[3:42] Kristen Wambach: And I asked God, "So what really happened that day when I was eight years old?" He showed me. He developed and opened up my spiritual eyes about 25, 30 years ago which changed everything. So he allows me to see what happens when Jesus actually walks into our places of faith. How many people are really going to perceive him and let that experience build their faith muscle?
[4:40] Daryl Dittmer: I like the idea of a faith muscle. So what kinds of things help to build that? What is the workout regimen for a faith muscle?
[5:05] Kristen Wambach: Workout regimen... I had to laugh at that one. Faith muscle. So if it's a muscle, it's got to perform. It's got to do something. If you practice to run a 5K, you have to build up the muscles and your wind to accomplish it respectably. If you don't build up those muscles and your breathing, then it won't feel very respectable and you will struggle.
[5:48] Kristen Wambach: I had to learn how to apply time. Now, journaling—because I know you're a journaler, too—journaling is what taught me how to hear God's voice. I write every snippet down. Whether it's ever expressed or opened, I don't know. But I write it down because that feels like a place of honor. Like with you, I'll write things down because I honor what you said and I want to give it a place to be highlighted.
[6:34] Kristen Wambach: So the same thing with your faith muscle when you write down your impressions, your intuition, your feelings... Then that honors that faith muscle. The muscle starts to get used to functioning, moving in and out, and supporting where it is that you see faith is going to lead you on that journey.
[7:07] Daryl Dittmer: Interesting. For a long time in my life, I have felt as though I am being led. And I do know for sure that when I grab the wheel back and I'm hanging on, I'm like, "Oh man, here we go." Bumpy roads and crazy stuff. When I'm hanging on like that, my faith is set aside briefly because I'm trying to drive the bus as opposed to allowing myself to be led. Is that accurate?
[8:06] Kristen Wambach: Let me jump off of your metaphor of the bus and that faith muscle. Throughout our journey, I found that I had to spend time in every portion of the bus. I had to be a passenger all the way in the back cuz that's the cool seats. I had to be sitting shotgun because I was watching the driver and having a relationship with the driver. I had to be the person that had to go out and open up the hood and check the fluids and kick the tires.
[8:45] Kristen Wambach: I also had to be the person figuring out: well, who do I want to let on the bus and who needs to get off the bus? So, that develops the faith muscle. And then at different portions in my life, I find that Jesus allows me to do the driving because I've been well taught. When you get to drive, then you're more responsible for all those passengers behind you. You're looking out at where you're going.
[9:32] Kristen Wambach: It builds that muscle that now is all of a sudden looking out for the atmosphere and those people that you have the privilege to have influence over. Then that faith muscle starts changing the community in which you live.
[9:56] Daryl Dittmer: I agree 100%. You know, my story goes back into addiction. One of the things I had to do was jettison things from my life that didn't need to be on the bus anymore. That included humans, belief systems... things that didn't really work for me anymore. That was a beautifully interesting but also at times painful process.
[11:07] Daryl Dittmer: The really cool thing is we get choices, right? We come to many crossroads in our lives. I can intuit my way through which way to go. And that I believe is faith acquired over time.
[11:52] Kristen Wambach: And I would assume that your audience... one of the big things for me is getting on the bus. Getting on the bus. Sometimes you get on the bus and you get back off and you stand there and let it go by. But that commitment to get on the bus and to allow your mindsets, your life choices, to be vulnerable... to set them on the desk and say, "Okay, I'm going to allow change to come in and then I'm going to have a conversation with change."
[12:53] Daryl Dittmer: Gigantic decision. I think a lot of people have to get on the bus because they're in so much pain they don't know where else to turn. "I surrender. I give up. I can't do it myself anymore." Do you find that to be true with folks that you've worked with?
[14:26] Kristen Wambach: How about working with Kristen? I'm a mom of four adult sons. I've been married 42 years. I was about 29, 30. That's the point when you're a parent that you start evaluating who you are. All of a sudden, you realize your depository is rather empty. And that was the point that I decided that I didn't like me. I didn't like the way I was responding to my husband.
[15:29] Kristen Wambach: That's when I got on the bus and it was no longer the faith of my parents any longer. It was: "Okay God, we have a discussion here. I have some definite questions that I'm going to ask you and I believe you're going to teach me how to hear them."
[16:03] Daryl Dittmer: I love it. I had this box of stuff that I was handed just like you were. "Here’s what you have to believe and if you don't, you're in big trouble." That never felt right to me. I believe everyone is worthy. It has to do with—I put things in my phone all the time—looking at life as though I'm walking along a beach.
[18:41] Daryl Dittmer: You find cool stones and beach glass. Some things I will choose not to pick up and other things I'll grab it, dust it off. Some things I'll be like, "Oh man, that's the coolest piece of beach glass I've ever seen." It becomes a part of my world. We choose what we pick up and what we put in our pocket.
[20:17] Kristen Wambach: It's called grace.
[20:24] Daryl Dittmer: Yeah. It's a beautiful process. If I was just here and I was a stick man, I couldn't think, I couldn't change... that's the grace part, I think, that allows us to choose.
[21:10] Kristen Wambach: When you were sharing your story, I happened to agree with you about that box. In my box as well, who God was portrayed as is not true. He doesn't sit up there with a thumb and go like this. He does give us choices. But the cool thing that I have experienced is how good he is that he provided himself for us before we made any choices.
[22:34] Kristen Wambach: That's what I had to experience to know him—what a good father he is with all of his kids. We can't choose our way out of his presence. We just can't. Not one journey is with all the joys. There are trials and pain, especially when you're trying to shake out the truth. Like the sand. You got your sand dollar and you're going to dust it off. As soon as we open up our faith muscle, then it's like the universe that God contains can speak.
[25:02] Daryl Dittmer: It is an opening. There is no doubt. I was reminded of when I was 21, driving north in Michigan. I looked up on a hill and there was a church. On that sign it said, "God is with you whether you like it or not." [Laughter] And that was pretty cool because I needed to see that. I 100% believe that to be true.
[26:50] Daryl Dittmer: Now that muscle has grown over time. I don't take responsibility for all the beautiful things I have in my life. I just say thank you because gratitude is a channel to keep that connection strong.
[27:42] Kristen Wambach: Did that 21-year-old man who saw that saying have any idea that you were going to be sitting on a podcast today and sharing that exact story?
[28:03] Daryl Dittmer: Absolutely not. And that's the God that I want. I need to know this person. My whole life is well beyond my understanding. I'm grateful there's a God who does have a clue. Most of the time, it's the difficult things that give us the opportunity to develop that muscle.
[30:08] Kristen Wambach: I agree. My grandma said, "Never pray for patience." Because if you pray for it, God says, "Do you really want this?" So I never pray for patience. That patience with self, patience with immediate family... that's that little faith muscle there. That story about the church sign was in there. The story about the beach treasures was in there.
[31:17] Kristen Wambach: I love the glass on the ocean—the sea glass. I love to think of its journey before it ended up in my hand.
[31:44] Daryl Dittmer: I do, too. And it's the same with wampum shells. They started off broken and sharp, capable of cutting you. But then they're tumbling around in the sand and they're smoothing. By the time we experience them, they don't have those sharp edges. I can only wish the same for myself. I used to have some sharp edges. But I've been tumbling in the stones. A lot of those edges that could previously cut others or myself have smoothed over time.
[33:41] Kristen Wambach: My part in that journey—if we were to use the ocean as a metaphor for God—is first for me learning the ways of the ocean, the movement, the gravitational poles. Learning the ways so I can share and help people who are doing the rolling, watching those little edges get softened.
[34:26] Daryl Dittmer: A wampum is a shell and it gets very smooth. I think the salt water changes the color to purple. They're beautiful. They get so worn down over time. This makes me think—people talk about self-love. I agree with that. But how can we love ourselves if we're doing things that illustrate we may not even like ourselves? Some of the addictions and things that keep us stuck?
[37:57] Kristen Wambach: I have had the privilege for 30 plus years to encounter several different modalities of inner healing. One overarching thing I've noticed—including for myself—is that we come in with our list: "Okay God, you're going to work on this and point out this." He has never done that. Never, ever.
[39:17] Kristen Wambach: He never sits there and points out what I consider all my faults and weaknesses. He just wants to sit on the beach with us and hang out. When we realize he really isn't concerned about all this stuff like I thought he'd be... that is where my self-love begins. Because I'm sitting with somebody who models it. He models that love.
[40:52] Kristen Wambach: Self-love learns to exist by hanging out with Love Himself.
[41:00] Daryl Dittmer: I like that. I went to a thing this last weekend called Deep Waters Recovery. Experiencing other people healing was just the coolest thing. We call it "coughing up the hairballs." You just got to get rid of some of that stuff. If God is sitting there without judgment and I do all the buttkicking to myself... working through those things is crucially important.
[44:09] Kristen Wambach: I'm a doer as well. May I ask you a question? What is our response for people around us that are not in the "trying" mode?
[44:45] Daryl Dittmer: That's the question of our lifetime. I have a circle that has gone from a fairly large circle to smaller and smaller. Not because I'm trying to cut myself off, but because some people are not ready to try. My message generally is: "Look, I'm here when you're ready. I'd love to help." Unless they're toxic, I allow them to understand that I'm available. But until that time, I have to spend my time with me and with this. How about you, Kristen?
[47:13] Kristen Wambach: It is an ever-changing lesson that has epiphanies. [Laughter] Part of that maturing is the ability to love people. Some are closer in our inner circle and some are not. That's part of the process of self-love. Time is to govern creation, not us.
[48:05] Daryl Dittmer: I like that a lot. Some heard somebody say a long time ago: time is around to keep everything from happening at once. But it’s not to govern us. Yeah, that's really cool. In terms of toxic people—we can love them from a distance. "Be kind to everyone, but don't allow yourself to be a doormat." What do you think about that, Kristen?
[49:58] Kristen Wambach: I agree. That is part of the journey of self-loving. Sometimes God puts you in the place to bring forth transformation in their life. You might be the person that says, "I disagree with you" or "No, that behavior is not okay." But we have to be strong in us to actually stand for that.
[51:11] Kristen Wambach: God flows through that which brings a consequence. When a consequence comes to a person, it’s asking the question: "Do you want to try?" If we don't love ourselves enough, we will not be in a place where we hold that consequence in front of them.
[52:28] Daryl Dittmer: 100% agree. And maybe that consequence for them is us saying, "I can't do it anymore." Maybe that shakes them loose. I don't take responsibility for orchestrating all this. It's orchestrated for me. If I don't heed the lesson, I'll get it again. 17 times if I have to.
[55:21] Kristen Wambach: Let me share just a perspective. It feels really good when it doesn't take 17 times to get it. There's the growth. Because that faith muscle has been so well moved. It's strong. You can just get a wind of, "Oh, I did have some attitude on the backside of that comment, didn't I?" That's what sitting on the beach with him produces. It's now down to a wind of the clarity of the faith in my heart.
[56:51] Daryl Dittmer: 100% agree. When I was in my teens or 20s, it was 17 times. Now it’s not. I like to call it a resonance. It’s immediate. Daryl's life is fine. Who can I help? We've been talking for almost an hour, my friend. Let's talk about your work—your podcast, your book.
[58:26] Kristen Wambach: You can find me at KristenWambach.com. There will be the podcasting, the coaching, and then I am an entrepreneur like you are. I have a business called Rabbit's Trail Supply. Years ago, my husband and I lost everything. We lost our home. We lost the business. I have always known that God was going to restore the business and he's doing that.
[59:53] Kristen Wambach: My husband has these brilliant ideas. If it helps us, it'll help others. It's wonderful to see God restoring things into your life as a couple, as a family. That feeling of the "flow" is what makes us so grateful. We opened ourselves up to learn how to try. That's where we live in eternity and totally unaware of time.
[1:02:18] Daryl Dittmer: Beautiful. Really beautiful. I'm the only one that can stop that flow. Kristen, do you have any final thought?
[1:03:35] Kristen Wambach: Final thought... Go find the quiet place and take your piece of paper and pen and just believe what God shows you. Just like you woke up and wrote on your phone. You had to believe that that was a nugget for you for today. And that's what we never can have enough of. If a butterfly comes and sits on your shoulder, write it down.
[1:05:01] Kristen Wambach: The more times we do that, we honor the listening. Every time I write it down, I have placed myself in the position of being a student of my own life.
[1:05:31] Daryl Dittmer: 100%. Well said, Kristen. Thank you for your time and your wisdom. We will be staying in touch.
[1:05:50] Kristen Wambach: Yes, we will. Thank you again so much, Daryl.
[1:05:57] Daryl Dittmer: If you've enjoyed When I Stop Fighting the podcast, please check out my books and journals on my website. Thanks again.

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Eternity has nothing to do with time. Eternity is that dimension of here and now which all efficiencies and purposes intended to exclude." — Joseph Campbell

The Restoration of All Things

Authority is often forged in the fire of loss. My husband and I experienced a devastating "blow apart" years ago, losing our home and business. Yet, I knew that God was a restorer. Through my work with Rabbit’s Trail Supply and my 30 years as a coach, I’ve watched Him take simple, brilliant ideas and turn them into a testimony of His goodness.
God doesn't just return what was lost; He restores the person through the process. He smooths our sharp edges like sea glass tumbling in the ocean. The trials we face are the sand and stones that soften us so we can hold the beauty of His presence without cutting ourselves or those around us.

Sitting on the Beach with Love Himself

If God is the ocean, our job is to learn His movements and gravitational poles. True self-love and inner healing emerge when we stop the self-criticism and simply "sit on the beach" with God.
I have found that He is not interested in pointing out our faults or weaknesses. He offers an unconditional presence that models what true love looks like. By hanging out with "Love Himself," we learn to love ourselves. We move into the "Eternal Now," a place where gratitude and humility maintain our spiritual flow, and we become totally unaware of the constraints of time.

Honoring the Revelation

As you navigate your own journey, I encourage you to seek the quiet places. Take a piece of paper and a pen. Whether a profound insight hits you or a butterfly sits on your shoulder, write it down. Honor the small revelations. When you honor the listening, you place yourself in the position of being a student of your own life—living with clarity, purpose, and the supernatural wisdom that rewrites your story.

Closing Wisdom

The episode concludes with a call to honor the listening. By seeking quiet moments and documenting the revelations of daily life—even something as small as a butterfly on a shoulder—we align ourselves with a God who is always present, always good, and always restoring.​

"Are you ready to stop fighting for your faith and start living from it? Access exclusive wisdom and spiritual coaching designed to rewrite your life from the heart of Jesus. Explore the Podcast or Book a Transformation Session today."

The Rhema Shift & Religious Deconstruction

"Synthesizing 30 years of biblical authority, Kristen Wambach maps the vital journey from religious obligation to an intimate, lived relationship with Jesus. This pillar explores the 'Rhema Mind'—shifting from a stagnant knowledge of the Word to a dynamic, supernatural engagement with the heart of God."

•    What Religion Got Wrong About Faith (Real Talk with Reginald D)

•  Faith, Creativity, and Courage (Well and Grace with Regina Bartlett)

•    Building the Faith Muscle: Journey of Transformation (When I Stop Fighting)

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PRESS RELEASE
Ordained Pastor and Transformation Coach Kristen Wambach Explores the "Faith Muscle" and Divine Restoration on the When I Stop Fighting Podcast
CORVALLIS, OR — Acclaimed author, speaker, and transformational leader Kristen Wambach recently joined host Daryl Dittmer on the When I Stop Fighting podcast for a soul-stirring conversation on spiritual bravery, the power of surrender, and the art of hearing God’s voice amidst the chaos of modern life.
In an episode titled to resonate with seekers and leaders alike, Wambach draws from over 30 years of ministry and personal experience to bridge the gap between heavenly wisdom and practical daily living. The discussion moves beyond traditional religious frameworks, offering listeners a fresh perspective on faith as a dynamic, living "muscle" that can be strengthened through intentionality and honor.

"True faith isn’t a static box of beliefs handed down to us; it is a conversational relationship with Love Himself," says Wambach. "When we learn to honor the 'nuggets' of intuition and the quiet whispers of the Spirit, we move from a life of struggle into a life of flow."
Key Highlights of the Episode Include:

• The Faith Muscle Workout: Why journaling and documenting spiritual impressions are essential for sharpening spiritual resonance and reducing the "17-time" learning curve.
• The Bus Metaphor for Leadership: A candid look at the decision to "get on the bus," exploring how surrender—often born from pain—is the prerequisite for authentic growth.
• Beauty in the Tumbling: Using the metaphor of sea glass and wampum shells, Wambach explains how life’s trials are designed to smooth our sharp edges, preparing us for restoration.
• Restoration in Action: Wambach shares the personal story behind Rabbitrail Supply, illustrating how God restores not just businesses and homes, but the heart of the entrepreneur.

Daryl Dittmer, host of When I Stop Fighting, noted that Wambach's approach simplifies the "supernatural" into essential lifestyle tools for personal development. The episode concludes with a powerful call to "honor the listening," encouraging listeners to become students of their own lives through reflection and quietude.
The episode is now available for streaming on all major podcast platforms and at DarylDittmer.com.

About Kristen Wambach
Kristen Wambach is an ordained pastor, transformation coach, and the host of the Interviewing Jesus podcast. With over three decades of experience in leadership development and public communication, she empowers individuals to connect with their God-inspired DNA. Based in the Pacific Northwest, she is the author of several works on spirituality and the CEO of Rabbitrail Supply.
Media Contact:
Kristen Wambach | viaK Enterprises LLC
[email protected]
Website URL: KristenWambach.com