S8 Episode #13- Healing, Hope & Being Held by Jesus with Laurie Robinson Sammons
THE ONE WITH Laurie Robinson Sammons
This week we are excited to welcome author, speaker, and long-time educator Laurie Robinson Sammons to the podcast! Laurie brings a rare blend of wisdom, warmth, and lived experience that speaks directly to anyone walking through challenge, burnout, grief, or a longing for deeper faith. Her stories—from decades in education to mentoring young women, navigating profound loss, and discovering healing through Jesus—offer practical encouragement and a powerful reminder that hope and wholeness are possible. If you need a gentle nudge toward resilience, rest, or renewed connection with God, this conversation will meet you right where you are.
More About Laurie
Laurie Robinson Sammons is an author and speaker who has devoted 50 years to education, serving as an elementary and secondary teacher, district curriculum specialist, youth center director, gymnastics coach, reading specialist, and adjunct college professor, and later as a national consultant training administrators and teaching teams across the U.S. and abroad. Her work with youth, families, and global missions has shaped her deep awareness of issues such as exploitation, bullying, suicide, and domestic violence, and she was honored as a Fulbright Teacher Ambassador to Japan. Laurie mentors women and families in her faith community and contributes to strategic planning, grant research, and philanthropic initiatives through the Women’s Giving Circle in Naples, Florida. She and her husband, Hank, split their time between Estero, Florida, and the mountains of Glade Springs, West Virginia, and delight in their five children and seventeen grandchildren.
About HER book: From mourning to dancing
From Mourning to Dancing is a powerful narrative that inspires hope and resilience in the face of life's greatest challenges. Anchored in the wisdom of Psalms 30:5, “Weeping may last through the night, but JOY comes in the morning,” this book encourages readers to embrace each day with renewed purpose. A plant cannot be always in full bloom; it must go through a period of dormancy to be pruned, nurtured, and fertilized before it blooms once again. The author shares deeply personal stories of losing eleven family members within a short period of “dormancy”, from darkness and mourning , now to be guided by divine vision to a life filled with joy, purpose, and bloom.
Drawing inspiration from Michael Beckwith’s insight, “Pain answers when vision pulls,” these stories highlight the importance of having a clear vision from sorrow to celebration, and from tears to triumph. This book celebrates the healing power of authenticity and vulnerability, showing how God offers grace to mend hearts and uplift the human spirit when we find gain in the pain. Discover powerful scenarios of individuals who have faced profound struggles like unexpected death, illness, addictions, betrayal, chronic illness, narcissism, infertility, and a host of other concerns facing the 21st century family. Their stories illustrate how resilience and growth blossom out from life's unpredictable trials. Each thoughtfully crafted chapter concludes with prayer and reflection, encouraging personal introspection on themes of courage, faith, and hope.
This inspiring work offers the assurance that in facing hardships, you are never alone, highlighting God’s unwavering support through every step. Let’s embrace our challenges as opportunities for growth with resilience and perseverance ; "From Mourning to Dancing." Our lives were never meant to be traveled alone. If you came hungry for deep conversation and meaning, there is a place set at this table as we enter the conversations together.
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SHOW NOTES
Faith and Mentorship
Lauri shared her personal journey of coming to know the Lord, highlighting her experience at Bible camp and her subsequent career in education. She emphasized the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus and her current role in mentoring young women at church.
Self-Care for Educators
Laurie shared her experience of mentoring young women and teaching for 52 years, emphasizing the importance of self-care and taking time to recharge when feeling burned out. She advised educators to prioritize self-care, recognize the impact of trauma on students, and step away when needed to prevent burnout.
Finding Strength Through Resilience
Laurie shared her personal experiences of loss and resilience, including the death of her husband shortly after their 35th wedding anniversary trip to the Galapagos Islands. She described how these events led her to reflect on the themes of death, departure, and disappointments, and how she found strength through her faith and the natural cycles of life.
Journey Through Grief and Healing
Laurie shared her personal journey through grief and loss, describing how she found solace in nature and eventually used her experiences to write her book, From Morning to Dancing. She invited 14 others to share their stories of overcoming difficult challenges such as infidelity, addiction, and abuse, highlighting the common theme of finding healing and wholeness through faith.
The book aims to show that despite their differences, people are more alike than they realize in their experiences of pain and struggle, and that God walks with them through their hardships.
Trauma Healing and Faith Journey
Laurie shared her personal experiences with trauma and healing, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and processing pain while relying on faith. She discussed how unprocessed trauma can manifest in various health issues and highlighted her work in women's conferences and Bible studies, where she encourages others to find hope and strength in their faith journey. Laurie emphasized the message "hang on, pain ends" as a reminder that despite difficult circumstances, healing and wholeness are possible with God's support.
Empathy and Connection Through Challenges
Laurie shared a personal story about writing a book and encountering a woman at Panera who was struggling with her husband's hospice care. The encounter led Laurie to write an introduction to her book about connection and empathy between people. This was a powerful reminder that God can use challenging situations to guide us and bring us closer to others.
Finding Fulfillment in Christ Alone
Laurie shared a personal story about a transformative experience where she realized the importance of humility and presence, contrasting her initial focus on tasks with the deeper connection she needed to make. She discussed her book chapter "The Virtual Mirror, The Seduction of Social Media," which explores Steve Jobs' final days and his reflections on the true value of things beyond their price, emphasizing a lesson for parents about teaching their children the intrinsic value of objects rather than their cost.
Laurie encourages us to find fulfillment in Jesus rather than material possessions, emphasizing that true richness comes from life experiences and love. She encouraged listeners to be vulnerable and open-hearted, noting that Jesus accepts people exactly as they are without requiring perfection.
The conversation concluded with a prayer for those who are hurting, emphasizing that Jesus is present with them in every step of their journey and inviting them to open their hearts to healing and wholeness.
“Jesus says come as you are and I will do the rest. Let me hold you. Let me fill you.”
-Laurie Robinson Sammons
NEXT STEPS
Here are a few action steps to help you dip deeper this week!
Prioritize one act of self‑care: Whether you’re an educator, caregiver, or simply feeling stretched thin, choose one restorative practice to help you recharge.
Name an area of unprocessed pain: Gently acknowledge any grief, trauma, or disappointment you may be carrying, and invite Jesus into that space.
Spend time in nature: Take a walk, sit outside, or pause to notice beauty as a way of grounding yourself and reconnecting with God’s nearness.
CONNECT WITH LAURIE:
Thank you, as always, for listening! Please remember that everything we do is funded by those who benefit from our ministry. Our ministry a 501(c)3, so your contribution is tax-deductible.
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The Collected Podcast is a production of Collected Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disciples of Jesus discover and live from their true identity in Christ, recognize and walk in their divine purpose within the Kingdom of God, and experience growth in their capacity for mature, healthy relationships.
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes French and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.