MESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purpose

First of all, look at all the amazing guests coming our way this fall on MESSmerized! Seriously, the Lord has been so good to provide opportunities to talk with so many of my personal heroes of our faith and hear their words of encouragement. So, if you’re not subscribed to MESSmerized, will you do so today? Also, will you consider sharing your favorite episode(s) with your friends, your small group, and even on social media? What a blessing it would be to have your help getting this show out to more and more people. 

Today Emily Freeman joins us to discuss her new book, How to Walk Into a Room. She is a New York Times bestselling author of six books with a masters degree in Spiritual Formation and Leadership. She has a true passion for teaching us how to listen well and hold grief and silence with those who need it most. I love how Emily says that silence can teach us a lot about ourselves—it can uncover fears we need to deal with or be aware of. (I’m not very good at silence, so perhaps this was intended just for me. 😊)

This is a big day for Sidetracked because we officially announce our new home and tell you all the details on following us there. So listen today for a great word from Emily Freeman and also lots of Sidetracked laughs.

• Website:  Emily P. Freeman (emilypfreeman.com)

• Facebook: Emily P. Freeman | Facebook

• Instagram:  Emily P. Freeman | Spiritual Director (@emilypfreeman)

• Feastables MrBeast Original Chocolate Bars

• How to Walk into a Room: by Emily P. Freeman

• The Next Right Thing: by Emily P. Freeman

• NEW HOME for Sidetracked! Follow along!

I know, I know. You’ve read the title of today’s show, and you’re thinking there ain’t a one of us who really wants to think about how much time we are spending on our various forms of technology. Myself included. 

True story, recently I was considering ways I could spend more time in prayer, and I literally convinced myself that I had not one spare second in my day. As if the Holy Spirit worked for Apple, at that exact moment a notification popped up on my phone with my average screen time for the week before. And let’s just say I apparently have plenty of time to pray based on the time I spend on my phone. 

Darren Whitehead is the Pastor of Church of the City in Nashville, and his church did a collective digital fast that was incredibly impactful. He’s talking about it on today’s show, and I love how he suggests a course correction is in order now that we know the impact of excessive technology use. After all, we would do that with anything else in our life. 

His approach isn’t to just throw our phones out the window, but to remove the “distraction” apps and leave only the utility apps. You’ve got to listen today to fully appreciate this concept, but I know for me personally it sounds like exactly what needs to happen this fall. 

Listen today, pray about it, and join me in reading and implementing The Digital Fast. 

Okay, on another note—in case you missed it, Heather MacFadyen and I launched a new show, Sidetracked, many months ago as a part of Don’t Mom Alone. Since that time, it’s gained in popularity and now has a new home with the Converge podcast network as its own show. Do me a huge favor and go listen to the show here, and subscribe and even leave a review pretty please. This is a huge help as we get this new project launched. And you don’t want to miss my Buc-ees story.

The Digital Fast by Darren Whitehead

All things Cynthia Yanof

Sidetracked with Heather MacFadyen and Cynthia Yanof

It was hard to figure out how to title today’s show because we cover so much ground. If you are not yet familiar with Pastor Matt Chandler, today is going to be a good day for you! 

Matt Chandler is the Pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, and today he’s bringing the much-needed reminder that we were created for this exact time in human history. That matters because if we were created for the here and now, we can have confidence in God’s plan even when we feel anxious, ill-equipped, or exhausted. 

Not only do we talk about being Overcomers (the title of his new book), but we also talk about parenting, comparison, and the real-life stuff that happens in the midst of suffering. The part of today’s show that I think I’ll always remember is how Pastor Matt talks about having a seizure on Thanksgiving morning many years ago, and later being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I was blown away with his encouragement and hope that’s found only in Jesus even when the bottom falls out. 

Last thing—one of my favorite parenting quotes comes from the last time I interviewed Pastor Matt on the show, and he said these words: we’re working for a thank you at 18, not 15. I go back to that often when the parenting decisions that Mike and I make aren’t popular with our kids. I love how he follows up those words today as we talk about his grown kids and finally seeing the fruits of the labor. 

Take a few minutes to listen and please forward to your friends. So grateful for each of you!

The Overcomers by Matt Chandler 

The Village Church

All things Cynthia Yanof

With all the kids heading back to school, there’s always the anxiety that goes with unknowns and new beginnings. And that’s just for us as parents! Joking. 

Sissy Goff and David Thomas from Daystar Counseling are with me today, and they are bringing the heat. They are literally the wisest, kindest, and dearest people you’ll ever meet. I could go on and on, but instead I’m giving you a few of the topics we cover today:

• What your kids wish you knew

• How anxiety presents in girls vs. boys 

• Thoughts on teenage dating

• Kids friendships and the value that can come from loneliness

Sit back and take a deep breath as Sissy and David answer our back-to-school questions while simultaneously bringing us peace and perspective. And do yourself a favor, if you don’t listen to Raising Boys and Girls (their podcast), do that ASAP. Fun fact, they were unbelievably kind to allow me to be a guest on their podcast last spring—and that may have been my life highlight! 😊 

All things Cynthia Yanof

Daystar Counseling

Raising Boys and Girls 

It’s August, and Heather and I are still on our summer quest to surprise each other with cool guests on Sidetracked. Today is no exception as Heather comes in hot, surprising me with the one and the only Jess Connolly. 

Let’s be honest, it’s the end of summer and I’m guessing there’s some portion of you that’s tired physically, spiritually, or emotionally trying to do it all? Jess Connolly addresses just that as we talk about her new book and all the research behind the how, where, and why of rest. Jess’s life is full with her being an author, Bible teacher, podcaster, and coach, so she knows the challenges of finding pockets of rest in a full schedule. 

I love how we discuss that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for resting, and we are all made differently by our Creator with unique ways to recharge.  Jess reminds us that Jesus has true rest for us even in busy seasons, leading us to be more awake, alive, and present in our families, ministries, and careers.  We end the podcast by getting sidetracked and talk about everything from theology books to ice machines—join us for tons of truth and fun.

• Website:  Jess Connolly

• Facebook: Jess Connolly

• Instagram:  Jess Connolly | Author + Bible Teacher (@jessaconnolly)

• Quiz — Jess Connolly

• Tired of Being Tired: By Jess Connolly

• Breaking Free from Body Shame: By Jess Connolly

• You Are the Girl for the Job: By Jess Connolly

• Dance, Stand, Run: By Jess Connolly

• From Pentecost to Patmos: by Craig Blomberg

• Nobody's Mother: By Sandra Glahn

• Paul Behaving Badly: by E. Randolph Richards

• Nugget Countertop Ice Maker with Soft Chewable Pellet Ice

• Sun Visor Hats for Women Wide Brim Straw Roll-Up

I dropped JB off for his first day of second grade yesterday. He’s still at the age where he’s super excited to go back to school. I’m currently at the age where I’m happy to drop him off. Will I miss him? Absolutely. Does he need the structure? 100%. Do I pray like crazy for him to be seen, loved, and have good friends this school year? Daily. 

Going back to school always brings lots of emotions, but especially for our neurodivergent kiddos. As parents, we pray they can learn effectively, that they are seen for the incredible kids they are, and that they have friends who are kind to them (quirks and all). 

Today author, podcaster, and adoptive mom Somer Colbert is joining me to talk about how to best support our neurodivergent kids. I want to assure you that even if your kids don’t have neurodivergent struggles, there are kids all around us who need support and love as they (and their parents) try to best navigate their uniqueness. Somer challenges us with practical tips for establishing healthy expectations, building up our parenting toolbox, and finding ways to become a student of your child. 

Would you take a minute with me today to pray for all of our kiddos who struggle socially, academically, or emotionally? Pray with me that they will be valued, loved, and have a great school year academically. Can I also encourage you to talk to your kids about how to love kids who might be different from them? It might be that one of the kindest things your family can do this school year is to notice and love the kids you encounter who are working through unique struggles. 

Please listen to today’s show and even share it with some friends. There’s so much great information on supporting your kids, neurodivergent or not.

All things Cynthia

Somer Colbert 

Somer’s podcast

TBRI Method and Karyn Purvis

Oh my goodness, I can’t wait for you to hear today's show with Billy Rodgers! And despite the weird wording of the title of this show, we're talking about sharing our faith with friends and family (and not just sharing our faith with Billy Rodgers. ha!) 

Billy and his wife, Brandie, are some of our very dearest friends in the world. They are amazing people with a heart for evangelism. When Billy recently shared the statistic with me below, I knew we had to have a conversation on MESSmerized about it:

It’s estimated that 95% of believers go through their life without sharing their faith even one time. 

Heartbreaking yet not hard to believe, because so many of us (myself included) feel so inadequate and ill-prepared to share our faith with a culture desperately seeking hope. 

Because I REALLY want you to tune in to today’s show, I’m giving you a sneak peek of some of the top five tips today so you can see how do-able this is: 

1. Speak of God’s goodness

2. Pray not just for people, but WITH people

3. Simply be willing and ready to share why you believe what you do

Let’s not be a part of the 95% who never share their faith. As we start a new school year, it’s a perfect time to start thinking and praying about who we’re being led to have faith conversations with in the coming months.

All things Cynthia

Billy Rodgers

You Have Purpose videos 

Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Find an Alpha group in your area

I’ll never forget the time in high school when Kate and I had a disagreement, and she threw down these inflammatory words: “welllll I am 18 years old.” I believe my response was something like, “yes dear one, you’re an 18-year-old that drives our car, uses our cell phone, lives in our house, wears our clothes, and exists on our money.” (Perhaps I should have paused a bit before responding.) 

Nonetheless, if you have older kids, you’ve probably had similar moments of trying to adjust to kids reaching adulthood-ish while they are still financially dependent and oftentimes making questionable decisions. Thank goodness Lisa Clark is here today!

Lisa is an author, mother, grandmother, and incredible lady who is giving some much-needed advice on parenting our adult-ish children. Some of the topics we cover include: 

• Best advice on sending a kid to college

• How to respect our child’s independence while also giving them important advice 

• Practical ways to connect with older kids

• Recognizing they are adults even when they don’t act like it

Even if you don’t have older kids yet, the day is coming, so tune in for some great wisdom from precious Lisa Clark!

All things Cynthia Yanof 

Lisa Clark

Raising Sinners by Lisa Clark 

My family is on vacation this week, and in honor of family trips gone wrong, here’s a little summer travel excerpt from Life is Messy, God is Good:

I appreciate how Home Alone completely lowered the bar on family travel expectations after the parents left Kevin at home TWICE. Not to mention that biblically speaking, Jesus’ parents lost Him for more than three days while returning home from Jerusalem.

I’m encouraged that if Joseph and Mary had a parenting fail and lost the Messiah, I can calm the heck down about the Colorado trip where we lost all of our groceries (and most of our hanging clothes) out the back of our car in the middle of the Breckenridge roundabout. And then several days later, my husband went all Evel Knievel off a bike jump, which landed him in the ER with broken ribs and a punctured lung (all of which I weirdly got on video in slow motion). 

Good memories, that trip, but may it never be called a vacation. 

As much as I love a good family trip, it’s DEFINITELY not a vacation when the kids are involved. (Oh, and if you want to see the cringy bike accident video, follow me on Instagram and shoot me a DM.)

But I digress. 

On today’s show we’re talking with Molly Stillman about why laughter matters. Molly’s a podcaster, author, wife, mother, and just a hilarious individual. She has a great reminder on the physical and spiritual benefits of laughter. If you’re anything like me, this is a much-needed message as summer continues to go on (and on and on and on). 

All things Cynthia

Check out Molly’s new book, If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry: How Death, Debt, and Comedy Led to a Life of Faith, Farming, and Forgetting What I Came into This Room For.

This week we have a fun show as Heather and I continue surprising each other with guests on Sidetracked. I was in charge of our guest today and I’m so excited for you to hear our conversation with Makayla Noble. If you don’t know Makayla, here’s a little background:

On September 20, 2021, Makayla Noble, a world-champion cheerleader, suffered an injury that resulted in a severe spinal cord injury. People from all over the world joined together to pray for  her life and follow alongside her healing journey. Makayla has overcome almost impossible odds and has an amazing story of faith on the other side of her accident. 

Today Makayla shares how from the moment of the accident she felt the overwhelming peace of God, that He was going to take care of her and had a plan. She has mourned her physical body and what she thought the future would look like but remains in the truth that “God is not done with me yet”.  

This is an awesome conversation today and it’s always super fun when Heather and I get Sidetracked with you!

All things Cynthia

• Website:  Makayla Noble | Mak's Warriors

• Youtube: Makayla Noble - YouTube

• Instagram:  Makayla Noble (@makaylamnoble)

• Joni and Friends | Sharing Hope Through Hardship

• ATF Official Home Page | AdaptiveTrainingFoundation.org

• The Chosen TV Series