Enjoying this episode? What we talk about today is exactly what we are going deeper into in my upcoming workshop — Rooted Not Rattled. Registration is now open. Details below.What if the hardest season of your life was already accounted for before it began? In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kathryn Larsen Spagnolo shares her remarkable testimony of a God who goes before us — through job loss, a house they could not afford, two children in mental health crises, and a husband whose health continues to decline.

From the moment she discovered that losing their income had actually made it possible to afford the mental health care their children desperately needed, to the basket of gift cards handed through a car window, to the cash arriving in the mail from people with no return address — Kathryn's story is one of the most vivid and tender illustrations of God's foreknowledge and provision you will ever hear. He already knew. He already loved. He had already prepared the way.

In this episode:

• How job loss, a house they could not afford, and two children in mental health crises all hit at the same time — and what God had already put in place
• Why humbling yourself enough to receive help is sometimes harder than giving it
• The phrase I will go before your face and how it became the thread running through Kathryn's entire story
• What a book called God Comes to Women taught Kathryn about how God meets women differently than men
• How looking for sunflowers changes everything you are able to see

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• President Russell M. Nelson — Confidence in the Presence of God, April 2025 General Conference — "As we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy"
• President Nelson — "Seek and expect miracles"
• Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — on prayer and the angels waiting to serve us
• God Comes to Women by Heather Farrell and Jen Mabry — on how God meets women where they are
• The scriptural pattern of I will go before your face — Moses, Abraham, Joseph Smith, Nephi, the brother of Jared

This episode is for you if:

• You are in the middle of something hard and wondering if God sees you
• You have ever struggled to accept help when you needed it most
• You want to be reminded that God arranges things in advance — before you even know you need them
• You need practical encouragement for finding joy and miracles in the middle of an impossible season
• You are carrying job loss, mental health challenges, medical uncertainty, or financial hardship

Resources mentioned:

• God Comes to Women by Heather Farrell and Jen Mabry
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishop's Storehouse — available through your local bishop for those in need
• NAMI — National Alliance on Mental Illness — nami.org — for mental health support and resources

ROOTED NOT RATTLED — Virtual Workshop
August 27, 2026 | 11:00 AM PDT | 90 Minutes | $30

Enter ROOTED in the Discount Code and get $10 off thru August 18th.

Everything we talked about in today's episode — the roots, the soil, the process of becoming — is exactly what we are going to dig into together in this workshop. We will look at it all through the lens of nervous system regulation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is where the becoming gets practical.

Register here! : I would love to see you there.

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

What do you do when you are doing everything right and still not seeing results? In this beautiful and deeply layered episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Nancy Boyer shares her journey through deep despair, career loss, infertility, financial uncertainty, and the internal wrestling every mother faces between calling, career, and what it truly means to nurture.

From the moment a scripture in Alma 58 spoke peace to her soul in the middle of unanswered prayers, to the Old Testament story of Abigail that became a symbol of Christ's compensating blessings, to the day God answered her prayer for a baby with twins — Nancy's story is a powerful reminder that God not only hears our prayers but exceeds them in ways we never could have imagined. And the miracles? They are not waiting on the other side of the hard. They are right there inside of it.

In this episode:

• How a season of deep despair after losing her career led Nancy to one of the most specific answers to prayer she has ever received
• The Old Testament story of Abigail that became a profound symbol of Christ's compensating blessings in her life
• The internal wrestling every mother faces between calling, career, and what it really means to nurture
• Why repentance is not just about sin — it is about turning again to Christ every single day
• How shifting from this is happening to me to this is happening for me changes everything

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• Alma 58:11 — "The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us. Insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls"
• Sister Camille Johnson — Invite Christ to Author Your Story, October 2021 General Conference

• Matthew 11:28-30 — on being yoked with Christ and finding rest
• The story of Abigail and Nabal — 1 Samuel 25 — as a symbol of Christ's compensating blessings

This episode is for you if:

• You are doing everything right and still not seeing the results you are praying for
• You are wrestling with questions about motherhood, career, and calling
• You feel like joy is far away or like God is taking too long to answer
• You need to be reminded that the miracles are not waiting on the other side of the hard — they are right inside of it
• You want practical and honest encouragement for turning back to God when fear and overwhelm take over

Connect with Nancy:

• @lilyandoliveco
• Books - Draw Near Unto Me
• A Christ-Centered Easter Celebration

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

What happens when you spend years letting life happen to you instead of choosing it? In this vulnerable and powerful solo episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra George opens up about one of the most personal chapters of her life — being a military wife.

From the day her husband deployed to Iraq for fifteen months, to the quiet chaos that followed when he came home changed, to the years she spent trying to keep everyone happy while slowly losing herself in the process — Kendra shares the raw and honest journey of a woman who finally picked up the oars and started choosing her life. If you have ever felt depleted, resentful, or like life is just happening to you, this episode will meet you right where you are and send you forward with faith.

In this episode:

• The rowboat analogy that perfectly captures what it feels like to drift through life without intention
• What happened when my husband came home from fifteen months in Iraq and everything quietly changed
• How I lost myself trying to keep everyone else happy — and didn't even realize it was happening
• The moment I finally picked up the oars and started choosing my life instead of just surviving it
• What Richard G. Scott, Sister Camille Johnson, and Randall Ridd taught me about faith, agency, and living with real intent

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• Richard G. Scott — The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing, April 2003 General Conference — "God uses your faith to mold your character"
• Sister Camille Johnson — "Life is hard. And we can make the hard holy by incorporating Jesus Christ"
• Randall Ridd — on living with real intent and asking yourself why
• Philippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"

This episode is for you if:

• You are a military spouse or love someone who is
• You have ever lost yourself trying to keep everyone else happy
• You feel like life is happening to you instead of being chosen by you
• You want to be reminded that agency is one of God's greatest gifts
• You are ready to stop drifting and start rowing toward the life you want

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
I'd love to hear your story: Click Here to apply to be a guest.

Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

What do you do when the faith you grew up with no longer feels like it fits — and the life you built is crumbling underneath you? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Amy Herbert shares her courageous and tender journey through twenty-six years of emotional abuse, resigning her church membership, a devastating divorce, and the darkest moment of her life sitting by a lake not wanting to live.

From the words God whispered to her in the temple years before her life fell apart, to the fluffy dogs He sent her on the worst day of her life, to the moment she stood before the Christus statue and heard her husband whisper welcome home — Amy's story is a powerful testament to the God who never stops reaching, never stops speaking, and never gives up on His children. Nobody gets to decide whether you are too far gone. Nobody but Him.

In this episode:

• How twenty-six years in an emotionally abusive marriage slowly eroded Amy's sense of who she was
• The moment she resigned her church membership — and what God did next
• The day she sat by a lake not wanting to live and what God sent her in her darkest moment
• Why she does not regret leaving — and what she found when she came back
• What Amy would say to any woman who feels like joy is far away from her right now

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• Elder Gilbert — Come Home, April 2026 General Conference — "Because of our covenant with God, he will never tire in his efforts to help us and we will never exhaust his merciful patience with us"
• 2 Nephi 32 — on the doctrine of Christ and feasting on the words of Christ
• President Russell M. Nelson — on God's merciful patience and covenant love
• The hero's journey and the doctrine of Christ — how God tells the same redemptive story across every culture and every age

This episode is for you if:

• You have ever felt too lost, too broken, or too far gone for God to find you
• You are walking through a faith crisis or asking hard questions about what you believe
• You have loved ones who have left the church and you are trusting God with their path
• You need to be reminded that God speaks to us in the language of our understanding
• You are walking through or recovering from an abusive relationship

Have a story to share? I'd love to have you as a guest. Click Here for an application.

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

Have you ever felt like something was missing but couldn't quite name what it was? In this beautiful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Melissa Weatherby and Alexis McKenzie share their mother-daughter conversion story — a journey that began with a quiet spiritual ache, was sparked by a single Instagram message, and ended with an entire family being baptized while a daughter watched via Zoom from her mission field.

From Alexis's struggle with identity and an eating disorder in her freshman year of high school, to Melissa watching her daughter's light grow brighter every single week, to the moment a husband said yes at the kitchen table before his wife could even finish her thought — this episode is a powerful reminder that God is always working, always orchestrating, and always drawing His children home.

In this episode:

• How a single Instagram message set off a chain of events that changed everything
• What Melissa and Alexis each describe as the missing piece they didn't know they were looking for
• The difference between feeling the Spirit in strokes of lightning versus carrying a constant light
• How a daughter's joy and light drew her entire family to the gospel of Jesus Christ
• What both women would say to anyone sitting in the darkness right now wondering if there is more

Featured Quotes & Talks:

• The power of one — how one friendship, one dinner, and one set of missionaries changed an entire family's eternal trajectory
• The Holy Ghost as a constant companion versus strokes of lightning — understanding the gift of the Holy Ghost
• Moses 6:63 — all things testify of Christ, including the stories we carry

This episode is for you if:

• You have ever felt that quiet spiritual pull toward something more
• You are curious about faith but don't know where to start
• You love a powerful conversion story rooted in real life experiences
• You want to be reminded that God is orchestrating things in your life even when you can't see it
• You know someone who is searching and needs to hear they are not alone

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

I'd love to hear your story. Click Here to apply

Be still. Believe. Become.

After a devastating miscarriage, Erin Price knelt down and asked God why. Three words came back clearly into her mind: I trust you. In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Erin shares her deeply personal journey through PCOS, years of infertility treatments, embryo adoption, miscarriage, and a late-stage endometriosis diagnosis that finally gave her the answers she had been searching for.

From a shocking spiritual prompting early in her marriage that redirected her entire path, to a sacred temple experience that gave her the courage to keep going, to the moment three words from God changed everything — Erin's story is a testament to what it looks like to choose faith when the path makes absolutely no sense. If you are walking through infertility, unexplained health issues, or a season where God feels silent, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

In this episode:

• How a shocking spiritual prompting early in Erin's marriage set the stage for everything that followed
• The sacred temple experience that gave her the courage to keep going when she wanted to quit
• The three words God spoke to her heart after her most devastating miscarriage
• How embryo adoption became an unexpected and deeply sacred part of her journey
• What Erin would say to anyone who is suffering and wondering if God even sees them

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• Jeremiah 29:11 — "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
• Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — Waiting on the Lord, October 2020 General Conference
• Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
• Carl Heinrich Bloch Christ and the Young Child, referenced as a sacred temple experience

This episode is for you if:

• You are walking through infertility, miscarriage, or unexplained health issues
• You have followed every prompting and still find yourself in the middle of loss
• You want to know how to support a loved one going through infertility
• You need to be reminded that God sees you, trusts you, and is leading you somewhere good

Resources mentioned and Other Resources about Endometriosis:

• Erin's article on supporting a childless friend or family member: https://exponentii.org/blog/guest-post-how-to-support-a-childless-friend-or-family-member/
• Fertility treatment scholarships and grants: https://resolve.org/learn/financial-resources-for-family-building/fertility-treatment-scholarships-and-grants/
• Erin received her grant through the Cade Foundation: https://cadefoundation.org/familygrant
• Endometriosis surgery, excision vs. ablation: https://endometriosisnetwork.com/endo-hub/surgery-a-guide-for-people-with-endometriosis/
• Infertility support groups (many larger fertility clinics also offer their own): https://resolve.org/get-help/support-groups/
• Another Article Erin wrote about her Journeyhttps://swhr.org/erin-prices-pmos-and-endometriosis-journey/
• National Alliance on Mental Illness — nami.org

• Embryo adoption information — reproductivescience.com

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Have a story to share? Click here to be a guest

Be still. Believe. Become.

What if your story — even the ordinary, messy, everyday parts of it — is one of the most powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ you will ever offer? In this solo episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra explores why personal stories matter, what they do for our faith and our roots, and how sharing them authentically can bring others closer to the Savior.

From a mountain biking rescue gone wrong in Bryce Canyon to the science behind redwood trees, Kendra weaves together scripture, statistics, and real life experience to make the case that no story is too small, too ordinary, or too simple to matter — and that someone out there is waiting to hear yours.

In this episode:

• The mountain biking story that taught Kendra everything she needs to know about being rescued
• Why people can question your faith but never your personal experience with God
• How sharing stories builds the kind of deep roots that hold us together like redwood trees
• Four practical steps for sharing your story with authenticity and purpose
• Why Sister Camille Johnson says Christ should be the author of our story

Featured Scriptures & Talks:

• Moses 6:63 — "All things are created and made to bear record of me"
• Alma 30:44 — "All things denote there is a God"
• Sister Camille Johnson — October 2021 General Conference, Invite Christ to Author Your Story
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This episode is for you if:

• You have ever wondered whether your story is worth sharing
• You want practical tools for sharing your testimony with confidence
• You are looking for a reminder that God can use your experience to help someone else
• You want to build deeper roots of connection and community in your faith

Be a Guest and Share Your Story. Click here for the application

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

What do you do when you love someone you cannot save? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Liz Morrill shares the decade-long journey of loving her son Mark through mental illness, addiction, and homelessness — and the quiet, sustaining peace that only Christ could provide through all of it.

From the miraculous prompting that led Liz and her husband to find Mark on the streets of Seattle, to learning how to pray in a way that honors agency, to the transformative power of choosing our thoughts — Liz's story is a testament to what it means to hold on to the rope when everything around you is unraveling. If you are loving someone through something you cannot fix, or trusting God with something you cannot control, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

In this episode:

• The decade-long journey of loving a son through mental illness, addiction, and homelessness
• The miraculous moment Liz and her husband were prompted to find Mark on the streets of Seattle
• What holding onto a rope taught Liz about staying tethered to Christ in the middle of chaos
• Why God is a planner — and how that changes the way we pray for the people we love
• The power of our thoughts and how choosing what we believe can lead us back to joy

Featured Quotes & Talks:

• Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — on trust, the Spirit, and the power of creation
• Elder Hall — I Glory in My Jesus, and Nephi's testimony: "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell"
• The power of covenant keeping and temple worship as a daily tether to Christ

This episode is for you if:

• You are loving someone through addiction, mental illness, or homelessness
• You are trusting God with an outcome you cannot control
• You are struggling to find joy in a season of prolonged grief or heartache
• You want to be reminded that God is a planner — even when you cannot see the plan

Connect with Becoming the Oak:
Website: becomingtheoak.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

What if Christ isn't asking for your best — just your yes? In this inspiring episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kylie Mulladjanov shares how a daily 20-minute devotional, a quiet prompting during a phone call, and a willingness to start small led her to found ASL Primary — an organization bringing religious education to deaf children and their families across the nation.

Kylie opens up about the leap of faith that changed the trajectory of her life, the spiritual practice that has shaped her relationship with God for over seven years, and the moment a story about burnt banana bread completely reframed what God is actually asking of her. This episode is a powerful reminder that Christ doesn't need our polished offering. He needs our yes.

In this episode:

• How a daily 20-minute devotional completely changed the trajectory of Kylie's life
• The leap of faith that launched her into doing the impossible with Christ
• How ASL Primary was born out of a quiet prompting she almost ignored
• The banana bread story that will change the way you think about what God is actually asking of you
• Why doing it badly is sometimes the most faithful thing you can do

Featured Quotes & Stories:

• President Russell M. Nelson — "If you want more faith, do something that requires more faith."
• The banana bread story from a BYU Women's Conference talk by Tracy Browning and Susan Porter on avoiding spiritual overwhelm
• The miracle of feeding the 5,000 — how Christ multiplies what we offer, even when it feels small

This episode is for you if:

• You have held back from something because you didn't feel ready or qualified
• You want practical tools for building a consistent devotional practice
• You are looking for encouragement to follow a prompting, even without a clear plan
• You want to be reminded that Christ multiplies our offerings — that part was never up to us

Resources mentioned: ASL Primary — aslprimary.com

Connect with Becoming the Oak:

Website: becomingtheoak.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.

When Fear Feels Holy: Untangling Anxiety, Agency, and Who God Really Is

Have you ever had a fearful feeling and wondered — is that God trying to warn me? For Kailey Scott, that question consumed years of her life. In this honest and deeply relatable episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kailey opens up about growing up with anxiety that became so tangled with her faith that she couldn't tell the difference between the Spirit and her own fear — and the journey that finally set her free.

From compulsive driving routes and prayer rituals to decision paralysis and a distorted view of who God is, Kailey shares the moment a therapist looked at her and said: "Kailey, you and I believe in different gods." That conversation changed everything.

In this episode:

• Why Kailey's brain learned to associate fear with the Spirit — and how she unlearned it
• The truth about God's voice: He does not speak through fear, superstition, or anxiety
• How decision paralysis taught her that agency is a gift, not a test to fail
• A candid conversation about medication, therapy, and why getting help is an act of faith
• Three practical things to start doing today if you are living with chronic anxiety

Featured Scripture & Talks:

• 2 Timothy 1:7 — "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
• Elder David A. Bednar — "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease," April 2014 General Conference
• Elder David A. Bednar — "Unlike worldly fear that creates alarm and anxiety, godly fear is a source of peace, assurance, and confidence."
• President Dieter F. Uchtdorf — on agency, decision-making, and trusting God with our choices

This episode is for you if:

• You have ever mistaken anxiety for the Spirit
• You struggle to make decisions without feeling like you might miss God's plan
• You feel spiritually behind because of your mental health
• You are looking for permission to get help — and the reminder that God wants you to

God does not speak through fear. He never has. And if anxiety has been standing between you and the life God designed you to have, this episode will help you begin to untangle it.

Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: [email protected]Instagram: @becomingtheoak

Be still. Believe. Become.