Oh, Good Grief | The Podcast with Joy McMillan

What if the thing you've been running from is actually the doorway to healing?

Type Sevens are often the dreamers, the visionaries, and the bringers of joy. They see possibility where others see limitations. They remind us that even after heartbreak, there can still be beauty.

They are the ones who ask:

"What if tomorrow holds something beautiful?"

And that perspective is a gift.

But beneath that gift can be a quieter fear:

"What if I get stuck?"

Stuck in pain. Stuck in disappointment.
Stuck in limitation. Stuck in emotions that feel too heavy to carry.

So the Seven learns to move.

To create. To dream. To find the next thing.

And sometimes that movement is life-giving.

But sometimes it becomes a way of avoiding the very places where healing begins.

In this episode of Oh, Good Grief, we explore Enneagram Type Seven. We'll talk about the gift of joy, the impact of trauma and emotional avoidance, the relationship between grief and presence, and the invitation to discover a joy that isn't dependent on escaping difficult things.

Because joy is not the absence of pain.

Joy is the presence of God in the middle of it.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sleeping at Last⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if the voice you've trusted most...has been fear?

Type Sixes are often called the loyalists. They are faithful friends, committed partners, thoughtful leaders, and steady companions who see what others miss.

They are the ones who ask the questions. They prepare for what could happen. They think through the details. They protect what matters.

And those are beautiful gifts.

But beneath that strength can be a quieter question:

"Can I trust?"

Can I trust people? Can I trust myself? Can I trust the future? Can I trust that I'll be okay?

In this episode of Oh, Good Grief, we explore Enneagram Type Six—the Loyalist. We'll talk about the gift of discernment, the weight of hypervigilance, how trauma can amplify fear and uncertainty, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to eliminate every unknown and begin trusting the One who walks with us through it.

Because healing doesn't mean becoming fearless.

It means learning where to place your fear.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sleeping at Last⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if protecting yourself from depletion has also protected you from connection?

Type Fives are often called the observers. They are the thinkers, researchers, and deep learners who notice what others miss. They bring curiosity, wisdom, and thoughtful insight into a world that desperately needs it.

But beneath that beautiful gift can be a quieter fear:

“What if I don’t have enough?”

Not enough energy. Not enough knowledge. Not enough capacity. Not enough to give.

So the Five learns to conserve.

To retreat. To prepare. To understand.

Because if I can understand it, maybe I can manage it.If I can prepare for it, maybe I can avoid being overwhelmed.If I don’t need too much, maybe I won’t be disappointed.

In this episode of Oh, Good Grief, we explore the heart of the Enneagram Five—the beauty of their depth and curiosity, the trauma patterns that can lead to isolation, and the invitation to move from simply observing life into fully participating in it.

Because knowledge can inform us.

But only love can transform us.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sleeping at Last⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if the thing you've always believed was missing...was never actually missing at all?

Type Fours often experience life with remarkable depth. They notice beauty others overlook, feel emotions deeply, and long for authenticity in a world that often settles for appearances.

But beneath those gifts can live a quieter belief:

"Everyone else received something I didn't."

In this episode, we explore the heart of Enneagram Type Four: the longing to belong, the temptation to build an identity around what's absent, and the freedom that comes when we discover our deepest identity isn't found in our wounds, our uniqueness, or our emotions, but in being fully known and fully loved by God.

We'll talk about grief, trauma, comparison, emotional honesty, and why healing doesn't require losing your depth - it simply invites you to stop letting your pain tell you who you are.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by⁠ ⁠⁠Sleeping at Last⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if success has become the safest place you've ever known?

Type Threes are often celebrated for their ambition, resilience, and ability to accomplish incredible things. They inspire us to dream big, work hard, and pursue excellence.

But beneath the drive to achieve can be a quieter question:

"If I stop performing… will I still be enough?"

In this episode, we explore how the Achiever's greatest strengths can become survival strategies—especially when shaped by attachment wounds, developmental trauma, or the belief that love must be earned. We'll talk about image, identity, burnout, emotional disconnection, and the freedom that comes from discovering your value has never depended on your accomplishments.

Because the Gospel doesn't ask us to prove our worth.

It reminds us that our worth has already been settled.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by ⁠⁠Sleeping at Last⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if your greatest strength has quietly become your greatest burden?

Type Twos are often known as the Helpers or Befrienders - compassionate, generous, intuitive, and deeply attuned to the needs of others. They are the people who tend to remember birthdays, notice when someone is struggling, and show up without being asked.

But beneath that beautiful gift can be a hidden belief: "I am loved when I am needed."

In this episode, we explore how the Type 2's desire to care for others can become a survival strategy, especially when shaped by grief, trauma, or early relational wounds. Together, we'll unpack the difference between loving others and earning love, why healthy boundaries are an act of love—not selfishness—and how the Gospel invites Type 2s to receive the very grace they've spent their lives giving away.

Whether you're a Type 2 or love someone who is, this conversation is an invitation to step out of performance and into belovedness.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by ⁠Sleeping at Last⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if the stories we've believed and the strategies we've developed to survive carried an invitation to discover who God created us to be?

In this introductory episode, we're beginning a ten-part summer series exploring the Enneagram through the lens of grief, trauma, and the Gospel. Rather than using it as a tool to label ourselves or others, we'll discover how it can become a compassionate mirror, revealing the coping strategies we've relied on, the wounds beneath them, and the freedom available to us in Christ.

Together, we'll explore how our personalities are shaped not only by our God-given wiring, but also by the experiences, losses, and relationships that have formed us. More importantly, we'll ask how the Gospel speaks into each type's deepest fears, longings, and false beliefs.

Whether you're new to the Enneagram, skeptical of it, or you've known your type for years, this series isn't about becoming more self-focused.

It's about becoming more aware of the places where fear has shaped us, and more open to the transforming work of God's love.

Because healing doesn't begin with changing who we are.

It begins with remembering who we've been all along.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This series will feature the Enneagram playlist by Sleeping at Last.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

• Enneagram resources: simplybloom.org/enneagram

• The code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

What if one of the most Christlike things we could do is simply slow down enough to notice?

In this episode, Joy shares the profound impact of reading Theo of Golden and the invitation it stirred in her heart—not just to admire a beautiful character, but to become the kind of person who sees people well.

Together, we'll explore the sacred art of noticing beauty in ordinary places, calling out the gold in others, creating safe spaces for weary souls, and embodying the love of Jesus in everyday interactions.

Because perhaps the world doesn't need more impressive people.

Perhaps it needs more attentive ones.

More people who stay.
Who listen.
Who notice.

More people like Theo.

And ultimately, more people like Jesus.

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. This week's song: Lilies + Sparrows by Jess Ray.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

In this tender and courageous conversation, Joy sits down with Morgan Brailley to talk about surviving childhood sexual abuse, being one of the survivors of Larry Nassar, and the long road toward healing.

Morgan shares how trauma shaped her early years, the challenges of trust, the role therapy played in her recovery, and the ways God has redeemed even the hardest chapters of her story.

But this episode isn't only about survival.

It's about what happens when God takes broken places and grows something beautiful from them.

Today, Morgan is a wife, mother, foster parent, adoptive mom, and fierce advocate for vulnerable children. Her story is a living picture of redemption - proof that trauma may shape us, but it does not get the final word.

This conversation explores healing, foster care, motherhood, trust, and the surprising ways God brings beauty from ashes.

If you've ever wondered whether God can redeem your pain, this episode is for you.

Scripture:

• Psalm 91
• Genesis 50:20

Playlist:

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. Ansonya's song: Holy Forever by Nick Day + Housefires.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.

There are moments in life that leave a mark. Moments where harm is done, where silence follows, and where the absence of care cuts just as deeply as the wound itself.

In this episode, Joy explores what it means to carry those stories honestly before God.

Drawing from the story of Jonah, we'll wrestle with the tension between justice and mercy, and how easy it is to want accountability for others, and how difficult it can be to release what we feel we’re owed.

We also touch on the woman caught in adultery, and the posture of Jesus - who neither condones sin nor condemns the sinner, but instead kneels low, diffusing shame and interrupting the cycle of accusation. His response invites us to examine not just what was done to us, but what we carry because of it.

Through it all, we return to a central question:What rock are we still holding, and what might it look like to finally let it go?

Scripture:

• Jonah 1-4
• John 1:8-11
• Psalm 103:8
• James 1:19
• Ephesians 4:26, 31-32
• Psalm 139:1

Playlist:

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Oh, Good Grief Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, featuring the songs that carried us through. Today’s song: Dear God by Cory Asbury.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Simply Bloom Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ code for free shipping: OGGPODCAST

Connect with Joy:

Website: simplybloom.org

Facebook: @simplybloom

Instagram: @simplybloomjoy

Email: [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you:

Share it with someone who may be in a hard season.

Subscribe + review to help others find this space.

You are loved.