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You Were Made for This

You Were Made for This

Written by: John Certalic
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 You were made for fulfilling relationships. Listen each week to stories of people finding hope and encouragement in their relationships so that you can too. Host and award-winning author John Certalic, together with his guests, share principles of life-giving relationships. John's relationship story starts with his birth to a single mother and placement in foster care for the first 16 months of his life. From this comes four different careers, 53 years of marriage to the same wife, and much he has learned about relationships. John draws from all this, along with inspiring stories from his guests, to share how you can find more fulfillment in the relationships you were made for.Copyright 2023 John Certalic Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Relationships Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • 229: Thankful For Encouraging People

    229: Thankful For Encouraging People
    Nov 26 2025
    With Thanksgiving Day just around the corner here in the US, I've been thinking about how grateful I am for the encouraging people I see all around me. People who encourage me by their thoughtfulness towards me, and also towards others. I've got some examples for you in today's show that I think will encourage you. But first, I'm John Certalic, and you are listening to episode 229 of You Were Made for This, the podcast about enriching our lives by reflecting upon the relational moments of everyday life that reflect the character, image, and likeness of God. It's what we were made for. We were made for this. Thankful in New York City I'll start with an encouraging quote I came across the other day from a Substack email I got from Garrison Keillor. Now in his early 80s and having moved to New York City from his beloved St. Paul, Minnesota, Keillor still writes and travels the country putting on truncated versions of his wildly popular A Prairie Home Companion. He writes in his email: Old age is the age of gratitude, when I come to appreciate the beautiful details in life such as Lenny our doorman in New York who says, "Taxi?" as I come across the lobby pushing a suitcase and when I say, "Please," he hustles out into the street and lets fly with a classic two-finger whistle like the shriek of a predator and a taxi makes a swift U-turn and pulls up and Lenny grabs the bag and throws it in the trunk. How encouraging it is to hear someone say, Old age is the age of gratitude, when I come to appreciate the beautiful details in life. I think I should like to live in an apartment building that has a doorman. Maybe even be the doorman who worked second shift in exchange for reduced rent. And maybe wear a classy uniform and get tips from wealthy tenants. Thankful for kind people Actually, I once was the caretaker of an upscale apartment building when we were first married, living in what used to be the servant's studio apartment in exchange for reduced rent. I didn't have a uniform, but I did get a few tips. Like the time Mrs. Rourke gave me a tip for changing a light bulb in her floor lamp. And Mr. Reynolds used to tip me for taking his golf clubs down to the Greyhound bus station to be shipped to Florida just before he and Mrs. Reynolds headed South for the winter. So I do have the experience, which I will have to remember to include in my resume. Thankful for feedback from our podcast listeners While Garrison Keillor was encouraged by Lenny, his doorman, there are encouraging people in my life, particularly the listeners to this podcast. For example, last month a listener from Ohio wrote to me and said, I just want you to know how much I enjoyed your podcast where the girl was searching for her biological father. Have to listen to it again. [She's referring to episode 169 from several years ago: "A Daughter's Feel-Good Story About Her Father"] Your podcasts are so refreshing, John…and you have a very soothing voice. A break from other podcasts for sure. Though they are interesting and beneficial. ~ M.G. Then there is the encouraging person serving as a missionary in Ecuador who responded to the article I wrote recently, "Ask Questions Like Jesus Did." He wrote, This blog post is very thought-provoking and reminds me of what a master conversationalist Jesus was. Every word counted for something. It definitely was not filler with Jesus. God bless you, John. _ N.F. An Interesting Bible study format Among the other encouraging people in my life is another podcast listener who is from Wisconsin who wrote I wrote about asking questions like Jesus did. She responded with this: I love this article you wrote about the questions Jesus asks. Next semester, I am planning to have my Bible study group do a study on "the questions Jesus asked." I'm planning on having everyone in the group pick a question Jesus asked and lead a Bible study about that question. I love to get everyone in our group involved by leading a study. There are so many questions Jesus asked and he has so much to teach us in each question. I thought it would give everyone a chance to pick a question that caught their attention in some way spoke to them. I might just share your blog post with my group as a way of introducing this idea! Thanks for expanding my thoughts! ~ K.P. What a great idea for a bible study. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this one. Two responses to "Ask Thoughtful Questions Before It's Too Late" Moving on, two other encouraging people wrote to tell me about how an article I wrote the end of last month impacted them. This was the one entitled "Ask Thoughtful Questions Before It's Too Late" The first one is from a listener from Iowa who wrote: I wish my grandpa was still alive! I would have liked to hear more about his childhood. He was so grouchy, but also kindhearted. And he became much nicer as I got into high school and beyond. I would like to know what made him act so ...
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    12 mins
  • 228: Beyond the Landscape - The Beauty I saw in Ireland

    228: Beyond the Landscape - The Beauty I saw in Ireland
    Oct 15 2025
    Beauty is more than scenery My wife and I recently returned from a vacation trip to Ireland. We saw the same things people typically see when they visit the Emerald Isle. The museums, the pubs, the walking tours led by local guides. And those sheep; all those sheep. Then, of course, there was the rich beauty of the green rolling hills, and the breathtaking rugged cliffs that border the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea. But I also saw a different kind of beauty, the beauty of relationships as people reflected the character and image of God. This is what I will remember most, and what I talk about in today's episode. But first, I'm John Certalic, and you are listening to episode 228 of You Were Made for This, the podcast about finding joy in being the person God created each of us to be. Namely, someone who reflects the character, image, and likeness of God in our relationships. It's what we were made for. We were made for this. When people ask me, "How was your trip?" I can say it was truly awesome. But it was different from the kind of awesome that has become so commonplace these days. It wasn't like the awesome you hear from the high school kid after he finishes taking your order at Chick-fil-A. What was awesome for me was the beauty I saw in several different forms. The first was how spectacular the landscape and scenery were. I couldn't help but think of how pleased God must be with his creation of this island about the size of South Carolina. Anne Lamont would call it "God showing off" when he created Ireland. Showing off in the best sense of the word in talking about ˙is creation. Beauty in Differences Another form of beauty I experienced was how different many things were to what I'm accustomed. Driving on the left side of the road. Very few highways wider than two lanes. People saying" sorry" when they accidentally bump into you on the crowded sidewalks of Dublin and Belfast. No graffiti or homeless people that I could see. And how clean everything was. No garbage or litter. And the sheep. All those sheep. Have I mentioned the sheep yet? So much beauty in people living life very different from me,and thriving in it. There was also the beauty I saw in relationships during our travels through the cities and countryside of Ireland. One stop took us to the Waterford Crystal factory in Cork, and another to Belleek Pottery in Northern Ireland. In both places I was impressed with the artisans who work there. They start an apprenticeship that lasts 5 years, and then after 3 more years they become master artisans in their craft. They spend the work day at benches creating beauty in small decorative items that are shipped around the world. Their relationship to their work in creating beauty is a picture of dedication. Creating beauty from a workbench In both places, many of the employees have worked for decades at the same job. Several grey-haired men, not much younger than me, hunched over their benches with ear buds in their ears, creating intricate details with small tools in their large hands. It made me wonder if they might be listening to this podcast. I don't know if I I could work as a craftsman like they do. I don't have the pertinence I imagine they must have.s="Apple-converted-space"> I also think I would get bored. But I so respect people who work at tedious jobs like this in order to support their families. Men and women who sacrifice loftier goals for the sake of earning a living so their families could achieve their goals. Yet the objects they create are truly beautiful, so there's got to be some satisfaction in this. Many of the pieces were so expensive I picture them becoming family heirlooms to be handed down to future generations. That's got to be rewarding. The man in bib overalls Another form of relationship beauty unfolded in front of me with some of the people in our tour group. My wife and I traveled with two friends of ours, along with 37 strangers on a motor coach all over Ireland for 12 days. One man in our tour group stood out, the guy who wore bib overalls every day, and everywhere. He seemed out of place at first. You cut people slack when they're living out of a suitcase for 12 days as we did. But he wore bib overalls all the time, even at the nice restaurants on our tour. I thought at first he was a farmer, but soon learned that he was a public works employee who just retired from his job in a medium-size town in central Illinois. I don't remember his name, but he was the kindest, gentlest, and most caring person I've run into in a long time. He helped Janet get off our bus on several occasions, and he helped other people as well. He stood in sharp contrast to two other men on the trip who never seemed to stop talking. On and on they talked about their travels, the minor things that went wrong on our tour, and their opinions about everything under the sun. They seemed oblivious to others in their midst. Different from other men on the trip But the man in ...
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    16 mins
  • 227: When Anxious Thoughts Come

    227: When Anxious Thoughts Come
    Oct 1 2025
    In last week's blog post (click here if you missed it) I wrote about taking a break from the news media because of how unsettling and agitated it was making me feel. All the violence and discord were making me anxious. I needed to withdraw myself from the news and turn to something more positive. It led me to a passage in the Bible from Philippians 4:8, which reads, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." I then wrote about the breakfast Janet and I had with our 23-year-old twin grandsons and what a delight it was because it personified the virtues the Apostle Paul described in this passage. Anxiety creeps in What I didn't mention last time was that our breakfast came at a time of anxiety for me in preparing for a vacation trip Janet and I were taking to Ireland. It was coming up soon, and I even thought, "How can I get out of this?" Have you ever felt anxious like this, even over something good like a vacation? In today's episode I'll tell you how I made it through this anxiety, because what I learned in the process may help you when you're feeling anxious. But first, I'm John Certalic, and you are listening to the start of season 10 and episode 227 of You Were Made for This, the podcast about finding joy in being the person God created each of us to be. Namely, someone who reflects the character, image, and likeness of God in all our relationships. It's what we were made for. We were made for this. Vacation planning causes anxiety So what was there to be anxious about in planning a 12-day vacation trip to Ireland? Janet and I have both traveled a number of times overseas, but it seemed there were more things to be anxious about this time. Will our Irish cat, Father Patrick O'Malley, be okay with our cat sitter? Will the bus taking us from our home in Wisconsin to O'Hare International for the flight to Dublin get us there on time?Will I forget my passport?Will our flight be on time, or might it even be cancelled?What did I forget to pack? Did I pack too much, or too little?Will I get sick like I did a few years ago, and spend hours in the ER of a London Hospital?Will Janet get sick?Will I lose my passport in Ireland?Will Janet's foot and knee pain keep her from being able to walk fast enough to keep with the tour guide?On our return home, will we be able to find the place to pick up the bus at O'Hare to take us home? On and on it went. So many things that could go wrong. Was the trip even worth it? An answer to anxiety During this anxious time a few close friends were praying for Janet and me. As the day grew closer to leave, I was in the middle of reading through the Book of Psalms in the Bible. At the height of my anxious feelings I came across Psalm 139. And that is what made all the difference in relieving me from my anxious thoughts and feelings. Reading this psalm several times over a few days calmed my heart. It's another example of putting Philippians 4:8 in practice, namely, fixing my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Thinking about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. I'll close now by reading Psalm 139 for you. It's not very long. I hope you will think of the truths it contains when you're feeling anxious and unsettled. Because it is what we were made for. You and I were made for this. Psalm 139 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count ...
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    9 mins
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