In this episode, Mandy shares why the podcast went quiet and why it's returning now, thanks to encouragement from her daughter and community. She reflects on time, ADHD, family health challenges, and how lessons from gardening and faith reveal that growth often looks slow and messy. Listeners will hear honest stories about resilience, purpose, and trusting God's timing through every season.
After explaining her decision to homeschool and telling some funny stories from her own homeschooling journey, Mandy discusses different types of narratives, how context changes how we view our own personal narratives, and then she teaches how to use the "3 to 1 Rule for Complaining" in order to protect your interpersonal relationships.
In this episode, Mandy discusses sensory issues, stagnation vs. growth, the importance of building your resilience and the danger of letting anxiety limit your potential.
In this episode, Mandy takes on the subjects of love and vanity and how vanity can affect how we see ourselves, how we approach relationships and even how we worship God. She uses Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis to explain the difference between embracing self-love and learning to be your authentic self, resting in God’s love.
SPOILER ALERT! In this episode, Mandy fully indulges her love of C.S. Lewis and gives a quick summary of the major events of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and part of Prince Caspian in order to use the different characters in that second story to establish 5 types of people and explore how they differ when it comes to listening and pursuing God’s will for their life. Listen and find out which character you are.
Don't let the kids listen with you for this one because in this episode Mandy gets into a very controversial subject... Santa Claus. Also discussed, cultural terrorism, comfortable lies vs offensive truth, assessing those who are "teachers" in your life, and how to be a good accountability partner.
In this episode Mandy discusses critical race theory, the damaging over-use of labels in both Psychology and in our day to day life, and how the way we identify ourselves and those around us can lead us to disconnect from others and limit our own potential.
In this episode Mandy tells the story of the Roseto Mystery. She addresses how to fight Covid-19 related anxiety and discusses the value of community to your physical and emotional health.
In this episode Mandy tells how leading worship at "The Pursuit of Wholeness" conference for an organization called Coming Out, Inc. changed the way she approaches worship, she shares some funny stories about toxic church people and discusses how the modern church is creating Christians bred for slaughter, seeking comfort instead of repentance, unable to "do the work of an evangelist". The world is going to hell and the church is too busy with infighting to notice.
In this episode, Mandy discusses how contentment is not a trophy, one more thing to be purchased, or a destination to be reached. It is a choice that we can intentionally make to be grateful for what we have in order to live happier, more fulfilled lives.
This episode will discuss three major ways that we self-sabotage ourselves and how to stop. Also included, how to train your brain to avoid unwanted memories so that you can heal from past trauma.
If you’re going through a particularly bad time, this episode will encourage you that God can take your worst moments and use them to guide you to your best. Mandy tells the story of the F5 tornado that destroyed the city of Rochester, MN in 1883 and the good that came out of that storm. Also in this episode, the Joplin tornado of 2011, Old Testament leaders Joseph and Esther, advice from Winston Churchill, and the story of how Mandy and her husband met at the end of the worst summer of her life...
Today is Mandy's birthday! In this podcast, Mandy discusses the most important thing about birthdays...gifts! Mandy uses funny stories about getting presents for Christmas and birthdays to illustrate the importance of patience in our lives, and then focuses on the greatest gift we've ever been given, salvation through Jesus Christ!
Mandy compares the continuing damage of unhealed childhood trauma to weeds in a garden choking out what is good for us and stunting our personal growth. Mandy then explains a faith-based model for trauma integration created by therapist and trauma-survivor Juanita Ryan.
Mandy tells the strange story of Anna O., and how Freud and his mentor Breuer came to understand the importance of transference in the therapeutic relationship. She then explains how to identify transference in interpersonal relationships as a way to discover areas of unhealed trauma.
In this episode, Mandy explains the differences between compassion fatigue and burn out, and discusses how these can affect you as a parent, caregiver, minister, etc. She delves into the extra stress inherent in living normal life during the pandemic and how to avoid being taken advantage of or "grow weary in well doing".
In the first episode of season 2, Mandy discusses how our misperception of "normal" as perfection forces us to feel abandoned in our own "fiery furnace" and steals our contentment in times of calm.
30% of professing evangelicals hold the incorrect and heretical belief that Jesus was simply a good teacher but not God. This is not okay.
This episode features a biography of William Tyndale and some scary stats about the current state of Evangelical Christianity in the time of COVID-19.
Mandy shares what it feels like to have an outsider mentality, how it develops, and how it can both help and hinder us in day-to-day life and ministry.
This lesson profiles clinical depression treatment options then recommends practical day to day ways to improve symptoms of depression. It also takes a look at various Biblical figures as well as the lives of Charles Spurgeon and Martin Luther for advice
A lesson on the importance of self-control, and a visit to Mandy's garden for her thoughts on how to grow not just fruit and veggies but also personal motivation and self-discipline in your life.
Mandy explains the origins of the term "gaslighting" and teaches how the church can identify and defend themselves against narcissists in a culture of chaos.
Mandy uses the basic structure of a play, protagonist vs antagonist, as metaphor to understand the anger and violence we see in the culture around us, and she shares her heart about how to help heal our communities and nation.
Mandy contends with the complex issues of miraculous healing, why a loving God would allow suffering, loss of faith, and how to handle it when healing doesn't come.
In this episode, Mandy opens up about her own journey through complicated grief, miscarriages, chronic illness, and a cancer scare.
In part 1 Mandy explores normal grief and the existential horror of death, comparing and contrasting Stoic philosophy, existential psychology, and portions of the book "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis.
Mandy teaches how approaching your life with intentionality and "fresh eyes" can help you discard old, dysfunctional behaviors, attitudes, and relationships in pursuit of a better life and stronger faith.
Mandy discusses how abuse victims struggle with the concept of grace.
Mandy addresses how "pet sins" can block revival and restoration in your life.
