Our culture is obsessed with convenience. Fast and easy sounds great but rarely leads to growth. That's why many have taken the opposite approach, pursuing hard and inconvenient things. But choosing a life based on either extreme is likely to cause damage. The goal isn't to make life convenient or inconvenient based on a set of "auto-pilot" assumptions. It's to ask God what's needed and allow him, as Father, to initiate us as sons through each situation.
Jun 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 213
In And Sons first livestream, Sam and Blaine talk about the struggle of feeling only adequate at life while others appear to be crushing every goal in sight. It's a time where the verdict starts to come in—or so it seems— on whether you're a success or barely passing. Most feel like they don't measure up. So why try harder if your best still misses the mark? Here's an honest conversation about facing these feelings without losing hope, beating yourself up, or downgrading your future. Show Notes:...
Jun 01, 2021•43 min•Ep. 212
All movies and stories aren't created equal. They tell us about the nature of reality, form how we see the world, and shape our souls in both good and bad ways. Most people embrace one of two extremes when it comes to story. They either passively consume any and all content, oblivious of how it's affecting their worldview. Or they withdraw from any stories other than those with overt Christian messages. Sam and Blaine suggest a better way—the practice of engaging story by both being aware of wha...
May 25, 2021•39 min•Ep. 211
No one likes to think they have blind spots. But, well, no one is immune. We've all had that moment where we thought we nailed it only to realize we somehow misread the person or situation in front of us...yet again. In this MetaDragon podcast (see show notes), Sam and Blaine offer tools to identity and resolve our blind spots when it comes to us, our families, and the world at large. It isn't about trying harder—but seeing life more accurately. Show Note: Our team has began calling these sorts ...
May 18, 2021•50 min•Ep. 210
We miss so much in the world around us due to overfamiliarity—from the sound of a nightly train and the smell of our homes to the sky around the stars. In this AndSons MetaDragon episode (see show notes), Sam and Blaine dive into the concept of negative space. In art, this is the space between figures in a composition. Artists regularly use negative space to enhance their paintings, photographs, songs, and architecture. Yet our lives also have negative space within them—such as the distance we p...
May 11, 2021•47 min•Ep. 209
James Arnold Taylor is the man of more than 200 voices—including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Johnny Test, The Flash, and Fred Flintstone. He's also a man who has discovered his own true voice...and enjoys helping others know and like who they are. In this far-ranging conversation, the highly acclaimed voice actor discusses pursuing what you love even when it makes no sense to those around you, the journey of finding his true father, and the power of speaking honestly—whether in the creative process or to th...
May 04, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 208
We want a life of ease and comfort. We need the pain and discomfort of running toward the very things that make us feel incompetent or uncomfortable. Sam and Blaine address this topic through the lens of fatherhood, sharing how they're being shaped in this season of low sleep and high demand. Pressing into what feels like too much is messy. But the greater danger is succeeding at a life of ease where you never risk offering beyond your comfort zone. Change starts by inviting God into these areas...
Apr 27, 2021•41 min•Ep. 207
If we were to walk in your home, what would we conclude matters to you based on what's on your walls or in your garage? In other words, where do you spend your money and time? If that feels a bit personal, well, it's meant to. We call it the strategy of stuff. Because, as it turns out, your stuff tells a really revealing story about who you are and what you value. This is your invitation to get curious about what you choose to populate your world with—and why.
Apr 20, 2021•41 min•Ep. 206
Regardless of where you grew up, it likely didn't feel like home in some ways. And that's normal. No earthly home can completely satisfy our soul's longing to belong—or compare to the eternal home God is preparing for us. Whether you felt misunderstood by those closest to you, lacked unconditional love, or had a restless rather than restful home life, this longing to belong causes us all, a times, to feel like exiles. In this MetaDragon episode, Sam and Blaine rethink what our search for home me...
Apr 13, 2021•45 min•Ep. 205
For most, the topic of tattoos sparks an immediate reaction. Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, tattoos provide an incredible entry point to the way we see the world and our bodies. It turns out the things we do with—and to—our bodies have more power than we tend to realize. And with tattoos, it's never just about ink on skin. In this conversation, Sam and Blaine talk about the spiritual dimension of tattoos (both good and bad)—as well as some practical and cultural considerations. Show Notes: Th...
Apr 03, 2021•43 min•Ep. 204
We tend to go bad directions when we're isolated. That's because we're meant to live in community rather than as castaways on our own private islands. God designed us to be relational in all areas of life...including in the things that bring us joy. Sam and Blaine offer some ways to find the communal / relational space for the craft you long to pursue with people who will protect and celebrate your passions—as well as how you can be that person for others. Because what brings you joy was never m...
Mar 30, 2021•38 min•Ep. 203
In the January 26th podcast, Sam and Blaine invited everyone to join them for a radical experiment in joy. If you missed it, go back and listen before jumping into this one. The challenge? Commit to some daily practice for the month of February. Not out of duty—but to awaken your senses and heart. How'd those 28 days go? Sam and Blaine share their results and discuss with others how their time went pushing themselves physically, playing instruments, waking two hours earlier, taking night walks a...
Mar 23, 2021•57 min•Ep. 202
Why is our culture so intent on wiping some words out of existence while bending the meaning of others beyond recognition? Language control is a strategy of power that tries to change the shape of reality without changing the human heart. It's an attempt to reshape the world...through words. In this MetaDragon episode (see show notes), we explore the eternal power of words, what's lost when certain words are outlawed, and what it means to "sever the word bridge". Show Notes: AndSons MetaDragon E...
Mar 16, 2021•30 min•Ep. 201
Our 200th podcast is one of our most uniquely profound episodes yet. It's a fusion of story and song; loss and lament. Sarah Bianchi is an incredibly creative poet, photographer, songwriter, and singer who has experienced tremendous loss. As part of her grieving process, she has created beautifully personal songs that wrestle with unanswerable questions in ways words alone can't. In her brave conversation with Sam, and Blaine she isn't afraid to linger with lament...or shy away from the unexpect...
Mar 09, 2021•51 min•Ep. 200
We all need adventure. Something that puts us into a setting that both inspires and tests us. But in the past year, when travel has been so restricted, going and doing almost anything active has been a challenge. As winter gives way to spring, Luke Eldredge and Luke Tilden join Sam and Blaine to talk about their recent adventure biking the Copper Triangle—a loop that ascends and descends three passes in the high country of the Rockies. The joy of entering into adventure together is an essential ...
Mar 02, 2021•43 min•Ep. 199
Almost all men in their twenties and thirties long for a sage or two to help with the hard questions and new seasons of life. But where are these older men who have learned the secret to true courage, strength, vulnerability, and purpose? Morgan Snyder spent two decades on this quest and discovered the treasures of wholehearted masculinity from the lives of more than seventy-five sages who have gone before us. He has found the most important thing. And in this conversation with Sam and Blaine......
Feb 23, 2021•48 min•Ep. 198
One of the best parts of parenting is being a friend to our kids. Yet we can sometimes get so focused on correcting them about everything, we miss the chance to connect with them about anything. Amy Dale joins Sam and Blaine to share what it looks like to be a safe place for our kids, to be fully present when they're ready to talk, and to speak life by saying "Here's what I see in you that's true" when they lose sight of who they really are.
Feb 16, 2021•53 min•Ep. 197
Does the pursuit of your dreams feel like the "forever project"—one you can't quit thinking about but never quite happens? Wild at Heart team member Allen Arnold understands how we get stuck in these areas...and the ways to break free. He's spent more than two decades working with people in the area of story, dreams, and creativity. Along the way, he's discovered the exponential power of concentrated periods of creativity over what most of us do...which is spend micro moments as time permits and...
Feb 09, 2021•44 min•Ep. 196
Have you gotten into a rut with your close friends? Do you tend to just watch sports together, go to the same hang-outs, or re-tell the same high school or college stories? If you want your friendships to last, you'll have to master some more difficult relational skills. Such as refusing to talk about people not in the room as well as practicing vulnerability, unselfishness, and reconciliation. It isn't hard, but it does take intention.
Feb 02, 2021•41 min•Ep. 195
What one practice stirs your heart...yet you're not currently doing it? Maybe you've never believed you had time or the courage to try it. Now, imagine joining a group of like-minded people all committed to doing their "one thing" during the same window of time. That's the February Experiment for the AndSons community. Here's how it works: 1) Choose a practice that you want to try for the month of February (hey, that's only 28 days!). 2) Pick a buddy to do it with you. 3) Make it real by emailin...
Jan 26, 2021•35 min•Ep. 194
The stunning images of two-time, award-winning Northern Ireland photographer Steven Hanna has captured the imagination and praise of countless people...including Sam and Blaine. Fascinated by his unique take on nature photography, they reached out to discuss his passion, vision, and process. Steven reveals how he learned to see what most of us miss, why being outdoors makes him come alive, and the essential way light shapes everything. SHOW NOTES: To view Steven Hanna's photographs, visit https:...
Jan 19, 2021•55 min•Ep. 193
We do our best to distance ourselves from our problems. To keep them at bay, we try to go faster. Jump to the next project or friendship. Or explain away our feelings. But eventually the pressure becomes too great and the cracks appear. This is about what happens when you stop believing the story you've been telling yourself about why you are the way you are...and begin the healing process of becoming who God made you to be.
Jan 12, 2021•55 min•Ep. 192
It's the start of a new year...and all-new podcasts with Sam and Blaine. But rather than just dive in, they first share how they spent their furlough. It's a transparent look at naming and addressing the issues that surfaced from the pressure cooker of two brothers constantly working together...as well as the new frontiers that God is inviting each of them into. The result is a fresh chapter for AndSons, birthed from a time of deep healing and restoration.
Jan 05, 2021•50 min•Ep. 191
2020 is pretty much a wrap. For most, that couldn't happen soon enough. But the changing of years never automatically changes us or our circumstances. If we want to like our lives more, it requires sacrifice and intention. James Baxter is the Executive Director of Exodus 90, a ministry that's taken tens of thousands of men through a 90-day ascetic program of fasting, deep communion with God, and self-denial. It's a brotherhood of ordinary men from around the world...all on a path to greater rest...
Dec 29, 2020•49 min•Ep. 190
Most of us are coming into this Christmas having experienced some mix of loss and disappointment from the strange year known as 2020. But the answer isn't to downgrade your hopes for what's still possible this season. Sam and Blaine serve up some much-needed holiday cheer and encouragement while asking a few questions that just may change how you view the past year...and this Christmas.
Dec 22, 2020•5 min•Ep. 189
Picking up where last week's podcast left off, Sam and Blaine talk about Advent promises fulfilled—and those yet to come. The consumerism, stress, and distractions of this season can leave us empty and weary. But Advent counters that by reminding us that the story of Christmas isn't past tense but rather still unfolding. It is a holy season of both remembrance and anticipation. That is the hope of Advent.
Dec 15, 2020•15 min•Ep. 188
It's Advent season. A time of hopeful anticipation. And yet it's hard to even say the word "hope" without simultaneously feeling the pain of deep disappointment, dreams delayed, and real loss of this year. In the first of this two-part series, originally recorded in 2019, Sam and Blaine look at how our longing for Jesus to come again opens the door for true hope.
Dec 08, 2020•26 min•Ep. 187
Some storms are beyond our control. But the ones that hit hardest are often relational storms of our own making. Sam and Blaine reveal how to prevent the turbulence that often sabotages our friendships. Doing so requires us to invite God into our relationships—knowing he alone can help us choose redemption over gratification or self-interest with those that matter most. The result isn't just better relationships. It transforms our friendships into the very shelter we need to weather the chaos co...
Dec 01, 2020•36 min•Ep. 186
How does adversity impact our bodies and sense of worth? Luke Eldredge joins Blaine in the studio to share his story of long-term injury, the resulting shame, and eventual triumph. Discover why our bodies affect our lives rather than our lives affecting our bodies, ways to push through the "pain cave" of physical (and other) limitations, and how persistence leads to restoration.
Nov 24, 2020•46 min•Ep. 185
The question isn't whether we have pain. We have plenty. It's where are we taking it and how are we medicating it? But running from the pain never works. Nor does trying to numb it. Sam and Blaine offer a better alternative. Facing it. Through real life examples, they share how it's possible to press in and grow during the hard times—not after the storm passes, but right in the eye of it. So come on, don't waste your pain.
Nov 17, 2020•38 min•Ep. 184
