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"GMA" and "The View" Host Follows a New Lead

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If God puts something on your heart, you can't run from it. Or you can try, but it's not going to – it's not going to work out well.

So, Paula Faris took a leap of faith- -In 2018, she stepped down from her successful run as co-host on The View and left the anchor desk of Good Morning America Weekend to pursue what she calls a passion project with ABC, a podcast called Journeys of Faith, with Paula Faris.

"I really wanted to give listeners an opportunity to hear from newsmakers and from influencers. What does their faith journey look like?  What gets them through their chapters of triumph and their chapters of tragedy?  What holds them together?"

Paula says her relationship with God keeps her grounded at work, in her additional role as ABC Senior National correspondent…and at home, as a wife and mother. During a rough patch early on in her marriage, she relied on faith to keep her family together.

"We've been married 18 years now, thank God, but it's been a lot of work, and we were just talking about it recently, you know, thank God we didn't abandon our relationship.  Even though at that moment it didn't feel like there was much worth fighting for when it came to our marriage, we stuck it out.  And I can really only say it's because of God, you know, at that moment. Neither of us really, even though I had moved out, neither of us had a real peace about it, and so we stuck it out. We have three beautiful kids and we're doing so well now."

She says making a distinction between her identity and career was a breakthrough to a more stress-free, fulfilled life.   

"That was the main reason why I stepped away from anchoring GMA Weekends and from The View.  I didn't feel like I really had much of a work-life balance.  It was hard to step away from those two jobs that I didn't realize had defined me so much. I just have to remember to give myself as much grace as I give other people.  And that it's not about being perfect, it's about a journey, and to love myself and to love others through it. And you know, it helps too that I've surrounded myself, my friends really couldn’t care less what I do for a living."

During her podcasts, she’s hoping to empower and encourage listeners through conversations with guests from varying faith backgrounds including celebrities and influencers like Luke Bryan to Sherri Shepherd and Reza Aslan to name a few.

"I've had a guest on that was an atheist, and another that was Muslim, which I learned a ton about Islam, and I think some of the more profound conversations that we have as Christians are with people that we don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with.  And it's important in this moment to sit down and listen to people and respect people, no matter they're coming from, or show them love."

So, who would she love to invite for a future episode…

"I'd love to get Snoop Dog on.  I’m just telling you. He released a gospel album about a year ago, he's had this sudden resurgence or rediscovery or conversion to Christianity and I feel like people don't give him a chance.  I would love to have him on the podcast and give him an opportunity to talk about it."

Paula has high expectations for the next season of Journeys of Faith.

"And you know, the first season you try to figure out what works and what doesn't, you try to see how people are going to receive it.  And people, you know, are very receptive to it.  And I'm super excited… And I know, there's that fear ‘Oh my gosh, are people going to listen?’  But I know once again if God calls you to do something, he'll equip you."

Paula Faris, sharing her own journey of faith as a reflection of God’s love.

"I mean, I'm nothing without my relationship with Jesus, and that's the thing. It's not a religion, it's a relationship.  And you know, I just try to ask myself 'How would Jesus handle this situation? Do people see Jesus in me?'  That's the thing too.  Sometimes I feel like I might be the only Jesus that you might see today and this might be my only crack, so it's just – for me it's a constant reminder of the magnitude of the responsibility that we have as Christians to love God, love people, and show them the love of Jesus."

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Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris Podcast. An intimate look at how some of the world's most influential people lean on faith and spirituality to guide them through the best and worst of times. Hosted by Paula Faris of ABC News and Good Morning America.

Paula Faris is an Anchor and Senior National Correspondent at ABC News.

Previously, she was the co-anchor of “Good Morning America”’s weekend edition, as well as a co-host of ABC’s “The View”.

While at ABC News, the Emmy-Award winning journalist has reported on a wide-array of topics, from the 2018 Royal Wedding in Windsor, England, to the 90th Annual Academy Awards, the 2017 Inauguration of President Donald Trump, the World Cup in Brazil and the New England Patriots “Deflategate” scandal, as well as the Republican National Convention.

Subscribe now on Amazon Echo, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher or the ABC news app. It’s FREE!

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