If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking “ain’t nobody got time to worry about my own well-being.” After all, we’re trying to keep everyone else above water on any given day, right? But that mindset is exactly what gets us into trouble and is something I’m super excited for us to dive into today. Mia Mbrow is an LPC as well as my dear friend. She’s joining us today to talk about this notion of well-being. She has a good word on the importance of assessing where we are individually, b...
Oct 18, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Prayer should be the most important conversation you have everyday. —TobyMac Can we be honest? It’s not often that we think of prayer as the most essential or important conversation we will have in a given day. It’s also not often that I kick-off a Monday morning quoting TobyMac, but he does make a great point. 😂 We started last week covering some of the obstacles we face in praying. Things like not making time, wondering if it really makes a difference, and even feeling like God is distant. Th...
Oct 16, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 23
IT'S FINALLY FALL! The air is crisp (at least for Dallas), the pumpkin lattes are flowing, and the mums are blooming. In honor of the change in seasons, this week we’re taking a quick break from our “Trusting God” series to have a few laughs with my dear friend, Heather MacFadyen from Don’t Mom Alone. We’re laughing/lamenting about everything from Homecoming Mums, teen language we don’t understand, and even some of the hard things going on in our lives these days. I especially appreciate Heather...
Oct 11, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 23
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” - Martin Luther I’ve spent most of my life agreeing philosophically with the words above; but I’ve also spent much of my life very practically wondering how to pray correctly. Or most effectively. Or the way that everyone else does so that God will really hear me. Can you relate? The next few weeks, we’re focusing on the spiritual rhythm of prayer. Yes, we’re going to talk about the “why” questions behind ...
Oct 09, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Remember the time I read a book that rocked my world (in a good way), and I randomly emailed the author to come on the podcast and then cried when I finally met him? Me neither. But if that were to happen (which it totally did), the author would be Wade Joye, the book would be This Dream is Not for You , and today’s show is the conversation you must hear. We all have dreams, and oftentimes they are not career related. Dreams for our marriage, our family, our kids’ lives and, yes, sometimes for o...
Oct 04, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed a few weeks of episodes where we’ve dug deep into reading our Bible. I think the takeaways are many, but mostly the key is the intentionality in doing it each day by having a time, place, and plan for reading. This week we are talking about different tools that can help us study our Bible. By no means are these a must-have, but the resources available can be helpful in gaining deeper understanding. Mary DeMurth is joining me today to talk about the various resources avai...
Oct 02, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 21
I couldn't be more hyped-up for you to hear our guests today as a part of the “trusting God” series. We have Cary and Cara Pierce joining us, and I’ve been hoping to make this happen for a LONG time. Not only are they dear friends, but they are hilarious and “real” people who know a thing or two about trusting God when your dreams change. Cary is a part of the band Jackopierce , traveling across the country entertaining millions of fans over the last 30 years. His wife, Cara, is an attorney and ...
Sep 27, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In the last few weeks, many of you have shared how much you loved praying for our kids together the last few years. I have loved that too, and I’m so happy my friend Courtney DeFeo is continuing that legacy on Pardon the Mess . Be sure to check it out! But I feel strongly that my calling this year is to help us very intentionally consider our spiritual rhythms. Why? Because our culture desperately needs us, as Christians, to live out our faith in tangible ways every single day. And those faith-i...
Sep 25, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 20
I hope you’re enjoying our “Trusting God” series as much as I am. So far we’ve talked about trusting God with our failures and our future self, and this week we’re talking about trusting God with our resources. Don’t worry, this isn’t a discussion of giving away all your money. (Although we definitely are called to live generously with all aspects of our lives, including our finances.) Pastor Libin Abraham is my Pastor at Bent Tree Bible Church here in Dallas. My family attends this church, and ...
Sep 20, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Welcome to week 2 of our Monday podcasts! Each week we will consider ways to incorporate small daily changes to our spiritual rhythms in hopes of experiencing big faith gains in our lives. This week we have Libin Abraham joining us, my Pastor here in Dallas. Pastor Libin has an amazing reminder of the “why-to” behind reading our Bibles. It’s a critical precursor to the “how-to”” of reading God’s Word, which we’ll begin next Monday. If you’re anything like me, you have a long history of feeling g...
Sep 18, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 19
I got a text from a friend this morning asking if I was attending a “senior lunch.” I don’t have a senior in high school right now, so the first thing that entered my mind was a luncheon for senior citizens. Life is cruel when one day you’re buying tickets to Bruno Mars in Vegas, and the next day you’re contemplating a perceived invitation to an AARP luncheon. Turns out it was in fact a lunch for moms of high school seniors (and she forgot my son was a junior.) Miscommunication? Yes. Reality che...
Sep 13, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Before school a few days ago, I overheard my first-grader arguing with his 16-year-old brother, Brett. It was obvious my little one was getting more and more annoyed at the antics of his older brother and was about to lose it. Finally, in a moment of utter fury, my little one said to Brett in his most indignant voice, “you’re not one of father Abraham’s many sons.” It took all I had not to burst out laughing as I thought to myself, tell me you’re growing up in a Christian home without telling me...
Sep 11, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 18
JB, my youngest son, fell over a Lysol can in the living room and is currently on crutches. I promise I didn’t make this up. More details are coming on today’s show, but If you’re not following me on social media you need to do so for no other reason than to see the cuteness of him navigating crutches (unsuccessfully). Today we’re kicking off a series on trusting God and letting go of our metaphorical crutches in order to hand our deepest struggles over to the Lord. Psalm 20:7 is one of my favor...
Sep 06, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 17
I think we can all agree that God writes the very best stories for our lives. I think we can also agree that sometimes those stories are incredibly difficult roads that we’d rather not walk if we’re honest. Today on MESSmerized we have my friend Jonathan Pitts joining us to talk about life, loss, and his decision to be “defiantly joyful” no matter the situation. Besides being an incredible human who loves Jesus, Jonathan’s life is an example of holding your plans loosely and trusting God as the ...
Aug 30, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
We are full-service here on MESSmerized as we transition out of back-to-school topics and jump to the other end of the age pendulum with aging parents. Dr. Mary Norman joins us today with an incredibly wise and practical discussion on loving our aging parents well. She gives us considerations for immediate action if our parents are healthy today, as well as ways to be helpful if they require more assistance. Don’t miss her advice on these important topics: Legal documents and conversations to ha...
Aug 23, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 15
A show of hands for those who love Sissy Goff? (Picture me with both of my hands up. 😂) Sissy is a Licensed Counselor from Nashville, Tennessee, and although she’s a frequent guest on CNN, GMA, and NBC Nightly News, she’s also just an amazing woman with an abundance of wisdom around anxiety and worry. Recent statistics show that 5.6 million kids have been diagnosed with anxiety. And if a parent has anxiety, research shows their child is seven times more likely to experience it as well. In other...
Aug 16, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This week we’re continuing our back-to-school series with some key conversations to have with our kids before school gets rolling again. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of interviewing many of the top authorities in parenting, and I’m always reminded of the importance of knowing and speaking directly into our kids’ core needs. With this in mind, I came up with three topics I want to cover with my kids and also share with you. Spoiler alert: they include belonging, perspective, and kindness...
Aug 09, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 13
We’re down on all fours and crawling towards the finish line of summer over here. Barely scraping by. It’s not all that surprising, except that every year my idealistic May-self is convinced this will be the summer where my dreams and expectations line up perfectly. The summer of family walks, lemonade stands, nightly devotionals, and a physical and spiritual renewing of our hearts and minds. But it’s August and all of that’s shot to . . . the ground. And now it’s just survival. Want new school ...
Aug 02, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Hey Y'all! I'm back from vacation and let's just say the Yanof family did not return unscathed. There may or may not have been a fall, a black eye, and a little (lot) of humiliation amidst the fun of family vacation. Nonetheless, I'm so excited about today's show because we've got the super hilarious and wise Steve Frissell joining us. Pastor Steve helps us walk through the concept of grace, and how it changes everything we do if we really understand it and apply it. Spoiler alert: Pastor Steve ...
Jul 26, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Hello from Colorado! We’re FINALLY on family vacation, and the high temps are in the 70s and the lows are in the 40s. I basically want to rededicate my life to Jesus, I’m so happy right now. But I’m also excited for today’s show because it’s a free-flow of my thoughts around the book I’m reading on vacation (Atomic Habits) and the ways our habits shape our spiritual lives. I also share a little insight into the many ways Colorado has not been our friend over the years–yet we’re back again. I can...
Jul 19, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Today’s episode is for all those craving deep, authentic friendships but instead find themselves in the spiral of people pleasing, overthinking, and questioning why you weren’t invited to the girls’ night out last weekend. (Been there, done that ✔️) Amy Weatherly is an author, speaker, and hilariously real advocate of deep, authentic friendships no matter the phase of life you’re walking. She chats with us about creating friendships that celebrate others, while recognizing that not every person ...
Jul 12, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What comes to mind when someone asks your feelings about church? I feel like an outsider Life has gotten busy, and it’s hard to make time It’s full of hypocrisy that is sometimes hard to stomach Church people have hurt me more than anyone else I experience church at places that don’t have a big building and fancy landscapes Sometimes I feel overlooked and undervalued at church It doesn’t matter which answer(s) you picked, I echo your response with a heartfelt “me too.” That being said, I’m a HUG...
Jul 05, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 8
It’s summer and let’s be honest . . . . someone needs to start doing a little better job raising the kids in our house. (Or maybe that’s just the current situation in my house 😂). At some point over here we decided a swim in the pool constitutes bathing, and slushies are a food group. An intervention probably needs to be staged. Either way, in honor of the dog-days of summer parenting we’re hitting some important topics today with the much-loved Dr. Ken Wilgus. For over 30 years Dr. Ken has hel...
Jun 28, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 7
There’s some exciting news around here I’ve been waiting to share! My dear friend Heather MacFadyen and host of the very popular Don’t Mom Alone podcast has asked me to be on her show for the next six weeks. We’re doing a summer of mentorship series and the first episode is out now. We’re covering all kinds of parenting tips as well as “important topics” like the time my son put a cherry bomb exhaust system on his truck and even Heather’s texting habit that needs an intervention. Don’t miss it t...
Jun 21, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In honor of Father’s Day, we’re talking about all things related to fathers, and we have none other than Louie Giglio joining us! If you’ve listened to me speak much over the years, you know the impact Pastor Louie has had on my faith-walk. I had the opportunity to study the Bible under him in college, and then—full circle all these years later—I've been privileged to podcast him many times. I could say so much more, but instead I’ll just give you a few of the topics you don’t want to miss from ...
Jun 14, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 5
I just got back from a mission trip with my son, and there’s a few stories that need to be told. So we’re kicking off today’s show with a few things that made me laugh, as well as things that made me think from our trip. (And if you think my take-away is going to be uber-Spiritual, sadly it’s not. But it is funny and hopefully makes your summer feel a lot more normal after hearing what’s going on with ours.) Also, I’m sharing a few thoughts on the subculture of our family and how my husband used...
Jun 07, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Callie Nixon is with us today, and you’re going to love her. She’s a sought after speaker, vocalist, and integral part of Jennie Allen’s IF:Gathering . But even more than that, she’s just one of us. Callie is no stranger to walking the hard places in faith. And when I tell you the Lord put her in my life at the most unbelievably important time, well, it’s true. Today is a great conversation about how to hear God’s voice. We also have a very practical discussion on dipping our toes into the next ...
May 30, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Have you ever heard a story that not only captivated you, but also changed your entire philosophy on how to live this life? Other than the Bible, I had never experienced something like that until I met Darin Kinder. Darin is a Secret Service Agent for the United States who has helped protect our last five presidents. He routinely works in over 38 countries and has more stories than the hours we have in the day. But he’s also a survivor of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center where he earne...
May 18, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to our first season of MESSmerized! We’re kicking off this shiny new podcast with a real and humorous conversation around the ways God unsettles us in order to gently move (or shove) us into new seasons. The definition of mesmerized is “to hold the attention of someone to the exclusion of all else.” So how do we focus on something more than our everyday struggles with approval, busyness, achievement, image, and everything else that so easily captures our hearts? That’s exactly where we a...
May 18, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to Cynthia Yanof’s newest podcast, MESSmerized. Each week you’ll hear funny, authentic, and vulnerable conversations around everyday life, parenting, and following Jesus. A variety of guests will challenge us to pursue a life filled with the things that really do matter. Cynthia Yanof is the host as well as an author, speaker, wife, and mother. She’s relatable, funny, and dead-set on never taking herself too seriously. Whatever mess you’re walking through, odds are she’s right there with...
May 13, 2023•4 min
