Before the conversations, before the frameworks, before anything had a name, Amber and I found ourselves in an unexpected place—locked in separate bathrooms, stepping away from everything else to sit with God and with each other. What happened in that space was simple, but it was real. And it changed us.

We begin this episode by talking about love—specifically the kind described in 1 Corinthians. Patient, kind, not self seeking. The kind of love that does not keep score. And we ask a hard question: is that actually the love most of us are experiencing? Or have we settled for something else that looks similar on the surface but lacks the depth and truth of what was intended?

As we revisit that early moment, the conversation unfolds into something bigger than we planned. We reflect on how often we accept counterfeit versions of love in our relationships, in our communities, and even in the Church. Versions that perform, control, or withdraw instead of staying, listening, and bearing with one another.

This episode is a throwback, but it is also a mirror. A return to the kind of connection we were created for, with God and with each other.

This is not a polished ending. It is a return to the beginning.

We walk through progressive muscle relaxation to help your body settle, then revisit joy filled memories as a way to reconnect with safety and presence. From there, we gently invite God into those moments, asking a simple but powerful question: God, where were You in this?

These Emmanuel moments are not about finding perfect answers. They are about learning to sit, listen, and become aware of God’s presence in both the good and the hard places. As we practice noticing Him in moments of joy, we begin to carry that awareness into places of pain and stress, and then find our way back again.

Find a quiet space, take your time, and if you can, practice this with a trusted friend. Resilience grows as we learn to relax, remember, and return.

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In this episode, we explore a different way of understanding pain. Together we unpack how certain formulas for faith can unintentionally push us toward striving rather than trust. We reflect on the invitation Jesus gives us to walk with Him in suffering rather than trying to outrun it.

What does it mean to rest in God while hardship remains? What does Emmanuel, God with us, actually look like when life does not resolve the way we hoped? And how can we walk alongside one another in suffering without rushing to fix or explain it away?

Through honest conversation and shared stories, this episode invites us to release the pressure to perform our way out of pain and instead discover the quiet resilience that grows when we trust God’s presence in the middle of it.

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We also talk about what happens when we try to build a false bridge around grief, bypassing the pain through spiritual language, quick encouragement, or pressure to move on. That bridge feels efficient, but it leads nowhere. What we avoid does not disappear. It waits.

Through personal stories and real conversations, we unpack the practice of lamenting, an ancient and deeply human way of expressing sorrow without denying faith. Lament gives language to loss. It creates room for anger, confusion, and longing in the presence of God and trusted community.

We also ask a hard question: what does grieving well look like when someone we love is in the middle of it? Often it means setting aside advice, timelines, and “shoulds,” and simply sitting with sorrow without trying to fix it.

Resilience is not built by avoiding grief. It grows when we allow ourselves and others to feel it fully, honestly, and together.

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This episode begins the “Sit With Me” mini series within Rhythms of Resilience. These shorter episodes are designed to give you practical, embodied skills you can practice with a trusted friend. Resilience is not built through information alone. It grows in shared presence.

We share a story from the early days after the birth of Cassidy's baby, when Amber was helping and a challenge arose with the kids. In a moment where stress could have escalated quickly, attunement changed the direction. We explore how to move through stress while staying relational, how to elevate the relationship over the problem, and how breath helps the body return to safety. You will also practice borrowing calm from someone steady and sharing joy filled memories as a way to strengthen connection and resilience.

In a world that pulls us toward reactivity, this episode invites you to slow down, sit with someone safe, and practice staying connected. Find a friend. Try it together.

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In this episode, Maureen Jones returns to continue the conversation about healing and resilience by focusing on one of the most overlooked skills in community—listening. Together, we explore what happens when people do not have anyone in their lives who can truly listen without correcting, advising, or quoting Scripture as a way to avoid discomfort.

We examine how another person’s pain can activate our own unresolved places, why we fear that someone else’s “funk” will somehow infect us, and how spiritual bypassing keeps us distant from honest connection. Through self reflection and story, this episode challenges us to ask why presence feels so hard and what it reveals about our own inner work.

Resilience grows when people are heard. This conversation invites us to slow down, notice our reactions, and relearn how to stay present with one another.

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In this episode, we explore the difference between visible wounds and the unseen injuries we carry in our souls. Joined by Maureen Jones, wife of our previous guest ,Joe Jones, former megachurch pastor gone relationship based discipleship. Maureen is a missionary, and an advanced facilitator with the Trauma Healing Institute, and we talk honestly about what happens when pain goes unacknowledged and unshared.

Together, we share personal stories of suffering injuries without having safe people to be fully honest with, and how untreated wounds quietly shape our faith, relationships, and sense of self. From Wales to our own journeys, this conversation invites listeners to consider why healing requires more than endurance, and why tending the heart with care, truth, and community is essential for resilience.

This episode continues the rhythm of learning to notice, name, and gently care for what hurts.

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Rhythms of Resilience is our new podcast series that explores the wounds of the heart, including grief, loss, life transitions, and the ways we adapt when safety and connection were missing. The hope for our listeners is to have a place to become attuned with their stories, and for our listeners to get equipped with emotional resiliency skills that can be used in the day to day.

Throughout the series, we will be joined by trusted guests as we unpack core themes from the Trauma Healing Institute courses we have been facilitating for years, offering language, insight, and practices that help build tools for your emotional growth in a grounded and accessible way.

In this opening episode, we share how we came to recognize the need for healing and why authenticity and community are not optional for restoration. We set the foundation for the conversations ahead, introducing why healing does not happen in isolation, why God is not threatened by our honesty, and why staying attuned to ourselves and others is essential for the connection needed to live set free healed and delivered.

This episode opens the door. The journey continues.

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We talk about the fascinating reality that, biologically, in the Western world have developed a biologically distinct “me” and “you” brain pattern —one that often eliminates the innate, God-designed “we.” While nations around the world are actively seeking the lost, much of the Western church is still praying for revival without stepping beyond its own walls to join the harvest already outside.

Jessie helps us understand why this happens from a neurological and spiritual standpoint, and offers practical, accessible steps for calming our brains so we can re-engage with Jesus, with others, and with Kingdom trust on a deeper level. Together, we explore what it really looks like to make the radical shift from self-protective individualism to the courageous, communal faith that aligns with the heart of God.

If you’ve ever felt the tension between longing for Kingdom movement and feeling stuck in personal or cultural patterns, this conversation will give you clarity, compassion, and a next step.

Featuring:
 Jessie Cruickshank — Author of Ordinary Discipleship; Co-Leader of V3 church planting movement; Founder of Whoology; Co-Founder of 5Q; Co-Author of Activating 5Q; and a pioneering voice in the field of neuro-ecclesiology.

We talk honestly about the first step toward healing: admitting something hurts. Why is humility so hard when it comes to receiving help? And is our fear of pain actually keeping us from the very process God designed to birth us into His Kingdom?

Together, we explore why God allows the squeezing, stretching, and realigning moments in our lives, and whether the lack of Kingdom demonstration leads His children to face the same painful adjustments again and again. Most of all, we reflect on the ongoing process of letting Jesus gently “adjust” us into wholeness.

If you’ve ever found yourself resisting the discomfort of spiritual growth—or wondering why alignment seems to be a recurring theme—this episode will feel like a deep breath and a divine reset.

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We talk about slowing down enough to form real community, why results don’t come quickly, and how Jesus didn’t build a crowd—He built a family. It’s silly, deep, and full of warmth for anyone tired of fake togetherness.

Real friendship isn’t efficient. It’s tangled, time-consuming, and the exact kind of slow work that forms us.

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We talk about the old rabbinic blessing, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi,” and what it means to walk close enough to Jesus—and one another—to be shaped by the journey. It’s light, honest, and full of stories that will make you laugh while they quietly dismantle your hurry.

You can’t apprentice from a distance. The dust only sticks if you’re walking close.

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This episode dives into what happens when friendship becomes transactional, one-dimensional, or just emotional customer service. We talk about the exhaustion of fixing people, the harm of institutional “togetherness,” why patience matters, and why spicy honesty is part of love—not the opposite of it.

If you’ve ever wanted to rush someone’s transformation or wondered why surface-level community feels so empty, this one goes deep (with laughs, curry references, and real talk).

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We unpack the 2025 Oxford World Happiness Report, which shows that America is slipping—emotionally, relationally, even neurologically. Social isolation is rising, depression is climbing, and people are lonelier than ever. Meanwhile, neuroscience tells us that friendship literally wires the brain for joy, resilience, empathy, and hope.

So… what broke?
 And more importantly, how do we get it back?

By the end, we’re left with a call: pull up a chair, pass something around, and don’t let each other slip away.

Because friendship formed us—and if the data is to be believed, coming back to the table might just save us.

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From there, Peggy invites us into a slower, deeper way of living out faith—one that opens our homes, our tables, and our hearts. Because true discipleship doesn’t happen in crowds or programs. It happens in relationship.

Drawing from her years in Africa and her time back in the U.S., Peggy shares how following Jesus often looks small, personal, and Spirit-led. Like Deborah stepping forward when others hesitated (Judges 4–5), we too are called to become what we may have never received—to nurture, to guide, and to stand in the gap.

The Wild Goose still moves among us—untamed, surprising, and full of grace—calling us to raise up disciples who walk closely with God and with one another.

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But this time, the fire is close. The latest scandal doesn’t just make headlines—it shapes how our kids see faith and leadership. It’s personal for us, and it should be for you too. The Western church is hurting, and more falls are coming if nothing changes.

This isn’t comfortable talk. It’s confrontation wrapped in love, truth that burns away the fluff, and a call to integrity that refuses to go lukewarm. We’re done with silence. It’s time to get real, get relational, and get back to a faith that can’t be faked.

Don’t forget to RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE—because if this one stings, it probably needs to spread.

Jesus didn’t call people into belonging because they were polished or put together—He bonded with weakness and imperfection. Meanwhile, has the church traded deep connection for words that justify staying apart? If attachment is wired into us as God’s design, why isn’t it the focus of everything we do?

This episode challenges how we think about faith, family, and community—and asks whether we’ve forgotten the gospel of belonging.

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* Like what Steve shared? Check out his online event here:
JOIN Multiply Maturity: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/multiply-maturity-cohort-online-tickets-1582545067899

In this episode, we laugh at our not-so-relaxing getaway and dig into the bigger questions it raised: Why do quick fixes and willpower hacks never bring real change? What kind of vision actually reshapes our brains and lives? And are we really living in rest—or just using spiritual catchphrases to cover up the mess?

Spoiler: the cruise gave us more than souvenirs… it preached a sermon we weren’t expecting.

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We talk about how “It” becomes a way of life: a joyful, countercultural rhythm where lives intertwine, people are valued equally, and showing up matters more than showing off. It looks less like a service and more like a living room—where conversations linger, snacks get passed around, and no one’s in a hurry to leave.

From how “It” shapes families and friendships, to why kids thrive in homes where presence replaces performance, we explore what happens when connection becomes a want, not a duty.

Also… there may or may not be a reference to Cousin Itt. You’ve been warned.

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Dr. Heidi breaks down the science behind stress responses, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation, and explains why relational connection isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a biological and spiritual necessity. From the need for co-regulation to the healing power of presence, we unpack how both physical and spiritual disconnection can take a toll on health.

We also dive into quantum physics as a spiritual principle, examining how our energy, presence, and intention impact those around us—and ourselves. It's a powerful conversation about being human, being connected, and healing from the inside out.

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This one’s for anyone who’s felt the tug to go deeper, step out, and trust God with more.

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We’re in the middle of a relational health crisis. American culture—shaped by rugged individualism and surface-level connection—has left many of us relationally vitamin-deficient. We’re lonely, burned out, and unsure how to build the kinds of friendships that sustain us. And it’s not just out there in the culture—it’s in the Church, too.

In this episode, we take a hard look at the suffering caused by shallow connection, especially within faith communities that often prioritize programs over people. We talk about what real friendship requires: honesty, presence, vulnerability, and the courage to let ourselves be truly known. Deep, meaningful relationships aren’t just nice to have—they’re necessary for our emotional, spiritual, and even physical health.

This is a conversation for anyone who feels the ache of disconnection and is longing for a more rooted, relational way of living.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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In this episode, we unpack our recent visit together in Colorado and reflect on the kind of connection that lingers long after the plane ride home. We explore the ancient concept of hesed—a steadfast, loyal, covenantal kind of love—and ask: How do we practice that kind of love today, in a culture that prizes independence over interdependence?

We talk about joy in relationships, the courage it takes to be known, and the challenge of walking out real-life connection beyond the structures of the institutional church. Can one hour on a Sunday build hesed? Or is it something that requires a deeper kind of investment?

This is a conversation about slowing down, showing up, and choosing each other—over and over again.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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We dive into how the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing fear and emotion, is largely formed by age seven—and how many of our core responses to life, God, and even freedom are shaped in those early years.

Through the story of the Israelites in the wilderness, we reflect on what it means to be liberated but not yet free—still carrying the mental and emotional imprints of Egypt. We unpack the meaning of Passover, the long process of unlearning bondage, and the epigenetic layers of generational formation.

And yes—we also talk about sourdough. Because sometimes the process of becoming free feels a lot like learning this ancient art: messy, slow, strangely alive, and full of mystery.

This episode invites you to name your own Egypt, laugh at the process, and lean into the long, slow work of becoming who you were always meant to be.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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We also take a fresh look at the wilderness—not as a punishment, but as a sacred, necessary space for reconstruction. It’s where false layers fall off, where identity gets clarified, and where God meets us in the wild. From John the Baptist's desert aesthetic, to Jesus' time of testing and strengthening in the wilderness, and even Adam and Eve’s first moments outside the garden—we explore how these wild places have always been holy ground for transformation.

It's raw, funny, and maybe a little bit holy.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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Guided by the lens of a project manager, we examine the signs of system failure: when the structures meant to support spiritual life become barriers instead. What happens when the "project" of church no longer aligns with its purpose? What does faith look like when you're forced to rebuild from scratch?

This is a raw, honest look at the tension between deconstruction and devotion—and what it means to follow Jesus with intention, clarity, and open hands.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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Is the Church in critical condition, or just in need of a check-up? We introduce our vision for the podcast and dive into the spiritual and mental health crisis sweeping through culture and congregations alike. With data-driven insights and a compassionate lens, we ask: What would it look like if we assessed the Church like a medical patient?

We’ll break down the vital signs—attendance, belief, burnout, and belonging—and explore how the spiritual immune system of the Church is responding (or failing to). From rising religious "nones" to the silent exodus of the faithful, we take a clear-eyed look at the state of faith in the modern West.

👥 Join us as we start a conversation that’s long overdue.

You can watch us at www.feralfaithpodcast.com

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