Praise Be To Pod

He told a whole congregation how wives should behave while doing the opposite behind closed doors. Ashley and Bailee skip the true crime recap of Netflix's Death of a Pastor's Wife and ask the scarier question: how does a church spend years training people to forgive a pastor before anything even comes out?

Plus, a praise report, a sprained foot, and a very serious debate about Nathan Fielder's hotness.

Content Advisory: this episode discusses suicide, sexual abuse, grooming, and religious abuse. The hosts share the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at the top.

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Ashley and Bailee unpack their thoughts and experiences with evangelical discipleship programs (think YWAM, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, Teen Mania’s Honor Academy, etc.). They discuss how these programs offered young, disenchanted evangelical millennials an alternative to college, trade school, or other forms of higher education, as well as the immersive culture, community, and spiritual formation they provided. They explore how these experiences shaped their religious experiences and understanding of purpose, and what happens when those who lose their faith are left with no back-up plan.

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
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▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
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This week, Ashley and Bailee explore what it means to rebuild self-trust after spending years in an evangelical culture that taught them not to trust themselves. From being told that “the heart is deceitful” to learning to be suspicious of their own desires, instincts, and decision-making, they unpack how constantly looking outside ourselves for permission and direction can leave us disconnected from our own inner voice.

Together, they talk about what it looks like to begin trusting ourselves again and becoming open to the possibility that not every good decision has to come from sacrifice, suffering, or self-denial. Sometimes, joy, pleasure, and desire are just as connected to truth.

What We Talk About:

• Ashley found a scalp product that actually works. This is not a drill.
• Bailee gives tips on committing voter fraud.
• Hagar, Ishmael, and evangelicals’ insistence with spreading Islamophobia.
• Why are the same five actors in every movie?
• That one time “Satan” helped Bailee escape a cult in Kansas City.
• Ashley’s husband has no religious trauma and it’s bewildering.

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

Ashley and Bailee sit down with filmmaker Grace Sims to talk about her evangelical childhood, her time with Youth With A Mission, and the purity-culture nicknames that followed her through high school. The conversation moves into Grace's gradual deconstruction and the deeply personal story behind her short film, The Country They Call Life, which follows a young woman navigating the decision to end a pregnancy. Grace opens up about her own abortion experience, why she chose to humanize every character in the film rather than write villains, and how she hopes the film builds empathy across the pro-life and pro-choice divide.

Connect with Grace:
Grace Sims is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. She began training in acting at the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City before studying directing and screenwriting at Emerson College in Boston. Grace spent time in missions organizations before turning fully to storytelling. Her latest short film, The Country They Call Life (2025), follows a young woman named Maxine through the surreal, transformative experience of ending a pregnancy, drawing on Grace's own experience with abortion.

👩‍🦰 📸 Instagram: @meadowlarrk
👩‍🦰 💻 Web: gracesims.com

The Country they Call Life:

🎥 📸 Instagram: @thecountrytheycalllife
🎥 💻 Web: https://www.gracesims.com/

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week, Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation about 9/11, getting into the attacks themselves and the enormous cultural impact they had on a generation of Americans. They talk about how September 11th changed the way Americans understood safety, terrorism, patriotism, and the world around them, and how the aftermath shaped American and Evangelical culture for years to come.

Together, they explore the War on Terror, Islamophobia, surveillance, and the ways 9/11 became woven into American politics, media, religion, and everyday life. They also dig into the evangelical response to the attacks and how growing up evangelical shaped the stories, fears, and beliefs they absorbed in a post-9/11 world.

References: 

Anti-Defamation League. (2023, February 21). The significance of the Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.adl.org/resources/news/significance-oklahoma-city-bombing

Avalon Project, Yale Law School. (n.d.). Military-industrial complex speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/eisenhower001.asp

Bar-Lev, A., & Chermayeff, M. (Directors). (2021). Turning Point: 9/11 and the war on terror [TV series]. Netflix.

Bill of Rights Institute. (n.d.). Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/timothy-mcveigh-and-the-oklahoma-city-bombing/

Britannica. (2026a, June 24). Military-industrial complex. https://www.britannica.com/topic/military-industrial-complex

Britannica. (2026b, July 17). Pat Buchanan. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patrick-J-Buchanan

Common Dreams. (2025, November 19). "Trillion dollar war machine": Understanding US militarism and how to dismantle it. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trillion-dollar-us-war-machine

Council on Foreign Relations. (2021, August 31). How 9/11 reshaped foreign policy. https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-911-reshaped-foreign-policy

EBSCO Research Starters. (n.d.). Patrick "Pat" Joseph Buchanan. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/patrick-pat-joseph-buchanan

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2022, May 10). Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing

Foreign Policy in Focus. (2013, May 8). Defense conversion. https://fpif.org/defense_conversion/

González, R. J. (2010). Militarizing culture: Essays on the warfare state. Left Coast Press.

In These Times. (2020, August 17). How pro sports became part of the U.S. military's war machine. https://inthesetimes.com/article/sports-military-patriotism-corporate-war-baseball-football-hockey

Miller Center. (2025, May 28). Oklahoma City bombing. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/oklahoma-city-bombing

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2004). The 9/11 Commission report: Final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 

U.S. Government Printing Office. https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf

Pew Research Center. (2023, November 8). The changing face of America's veteran population. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/08/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/

Political Research Associates. (1999, April 1). Clinton, conspiracism, and the continuing culture war: What is past is prologue. https://politicalresearch.org/1999/04/01/clinton-conspiracism-and-the-continuing-culture

U.S. Department of State Archive. (n.d.). 1989–2000: The post-Cold War era. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/pcw/index.htm

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week, Ashley and Bailee begin a two-part conversation about 9/11 and the American evangelical response to one of the most defining events of their generation. But before getting into what happened after September 11th, they take a step back to look at the political, historical, and social climate that led up to the attacks.

Together, they unpack the history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, the legacy of the Cold War, the rise of Islamic extremism, American foreign policy, and the complicated relationship between the United States and the Middle East. They also dig into Osama bin Laden’s origin story and radicalization, and the events and ideologies that shaped his path toward becoming the leader of al-Qaeda.

They talk about what Americans understood about Islam and terrorism before 9/11, the cultural narratives that were already taking shape, and how all of this context shaped the way Americans would eventually understand the attacks.

References:

• Anti-Defamation League. (2023, February 21). The significance of the Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.adl.org/resources/news/significance-oklahoma-city-bombing
• Avalon Project, Yale Law School. (n.d.). Military-industrial complex speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/eisenhower001.asp
• Bar-Lev, A., & Chermayeff, M. (Directors). (2021). Turning Point: 9/11 and the war on terror [TV series]. Netflix.
• Bill of Rights Institute. (n.d.). Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/timothy-mcveigh-and-the-oklahoma-city-bombing/
• Britannica. (2026a, June 24). Military-industrial complex. https://www.britannica.com/topic/military-industrial-complex
• Britannica. (2026b, July 17). Pat Buchanan. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patrick-J-Buchanan
• Common Dreams. (2025, November 19). "Trillion dollar war machine": Understanding US militarism and how to dismantle it. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trillion-dollar-us-war-machine
• Council on Foreign Relations. (2021, August 31). How 9/11 reshaped foreign policy. https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-911-reshaped-foreign-policy
• EBSCO Research Starters. (n.d.). Patrick "Pat" Joseph Buchanan. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/patrick-pat-joseph-buchanan
• Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2022, May 10). Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing
• Foreign Policy in Focus. (2013, May 8). Defense conversion. https://fpif.org/defense_conversion/
• González, R. J. (2010). Militarizing culture: Essays on the warfare state. Left Coast Press.
• In These Times. (2020, August 17). How pro sports became part of the U.S. military's war machine. https://inthesetimes.com/article/sports-military-patriotism-corporate-war-baseball-football-hockey
• Miller Center. (2025, May 28). Oklahoma City bombing. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/oklahoma-city-bombing
• National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2004). The 9/11 Commission report: Final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf
• Pew Research Center. (2023, November 8). The changing face of America's veteran population. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/08/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/
• Political Research Associates. (1999, April 1). Clinton, conspiracism, and the continuing culture war: What is past is prologue. https://politicalresearch.org/1999/04/01/clinton-conspiracism-and-the-continuing-culture
• U.S. Department of State Archive. (n.d.). 1989–2000: The post-Cold War era. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/pcw/index.htm

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week, Ashley and Bailee continue their conversation with Mike Maeshiro – delving into what it’s like being LGBTQ+ in an evangelical world where your sexuality is treated as an affliction to overcome. Mike opens up about how being closeted made it nearly impossible to imagine a future for himself, and how pouring himself into ministry served as a distraction from his sexuality and from the possibility that God might actually accept him for who he is.

Together, they explore what happens when the promise of “deliverance” never comes, and how Mike’s experiences eventually led him to question the theology he once devoted his life to as well as the institutions upholding it. Along the way, they talk about the Bible, Jesus, having a Jezebel Spirit, and what dating men has honestly been like post-deconstruction and coming out.

Our Guest, Mike Maeshiro: 

Mike Maeshiro is the founder of Numa, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals recovering from religious toxicity, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. A prominent voice in both the LGBTQ+ and deconstruction movements, Mike draws on his experiences as a gay man navigating his Christian upbringing and ministry to share profound insights about faith and identity.

As a former instructor at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, known for his class "Discerning of Spirits," Mike now focuses on emotional health and redemptive deconstruction. He serves as a consultant and coach for gay men transitioning away from evangelicalism, leading a team of coaches who assist those whose faith is evolving.

In addition to his advocacy, Mike is a social media influencer and thought leader, emphasizing the transformative power of living authentically and reclaiming spirituality in affirming ways. 

“HUMANS MATTER MORE THAN THEOLOGY.” - MIKE MAESHIRO

Find More from Mike

• Numa: https://www.mikemaeshiro.com/
• Podcast: Confessions of a Reformer
  • Episodes Mentioned with Tyler Williamson on Spiritual Abuse: 
    • Part 1
    • Part 2
• Mike’s Coming Out Story on Youtube: God Wants Me To Be Gay - A Christian Pastor’s Coming Out Story
• Instagram: @mikemaeshiro
• Youtube: @mikemaeshiro3965

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week Ashley and Bailee kick things off with the politics of expensive desk chairs, the two hours Bailee lost Uncle Marty, and her unexpected new love affair with baseball (much to Ashley's disapproval). Jacob weighs in with his signature distaste for Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

In our Part 1 interview with Mike Maeshiro, founder of Numa, we go back to the beginning. Mike opens up about knowing he was gay from a young age, and what it was like navigating that reality inside an evangelical world that offered him conversion therapy instead of acceptance. He walks us through his years at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, teaching "Discerning of Spirits" and how that same season eventually planted the seeds for what would become Numa, the organization he now leads to help others recover from religious toxicity.

_____

Mike Maeshiro: 

Mike Maeshiro is the founder of Numa, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals recovering from religious toxicity, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. A prominent voice in both the LGBTQ+ and deconstruction movements, Mike draws on his experiences as a gay man navigating his Christian upbringing and ministry to share profound insights about faith and identity.

As a former instructor at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, known for his class "Discerning of Spirits," Mike now focuses on emotional health and redemptive deconstruction. He serves as a consultant and coach for gay men transitioning away from evangelicalism, leading a team of coaches who assist those whose faith is evolving.

In addition to his advocacy, Mike is a social media influencer and thought leader, emphasizing the transformative power of living authentically and reclaiming spirituality in affirming ways. 

“HUMANS MATTER MORE THAN THEOLOGY.” - MIKE MAESHIRO

Find More from Mike

• Numa: https://www.mikemaeshiro.com/
• Podcast: Confessions of a Reformer
• Mike’s Coming Out Story on Youtube: God Wants Me To Be Gay - A Christian Pastor’s Coming Out Story
• Instagram: @mikemaeshiro
• Youtube: @mikemaeshiro3965
• Episodes Mentioned with Tyler Williamson on Spiritual Abuse: 
  • Part 1
  • Part 2

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week Ashley and Bailee break down the Five Love Languages: where they actually came from (hint: it's more churchy than you think), why zero peer-reviewed studies back them up, and how a 1992 Christian Literature release somehow out-lasted Myers-Briggs as our go-to personality rubric. 

The author, Gary Chapman, was a Baptist marriage counselor with a Ph.D. in adult education. Somehow his little notebook became the defining relationship framework of the last three decades — and neither of us can figure out how "physical touch" ended up in every guy's Hinge bio.

We're talking origin story, slow-burn rise to fame, the actual science (or lack thereof), and a full Hall of Grievances.

Plus: what's on our hearts this week, our own love languages laid bare, and a few more thoughts of course.

Connect with Us:
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🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod

This week, join Ashley and Bailee for a full-length “What's on Your Heart?” episode. From our thoughts on Lindsey Graham to Ashley’s trip to Kenya to Minnesota’s abysmal air quality, we're spending the entire episode catching up on everything that's happened over the summer, sharing what's been on our minds (and hearts), and following every tangent that inevitably comes with it.

What we talk about:

• Bailee's move
• Ashley's trip to Kenya
• How Lindsay Graham’s Death brought self-reflection
• Our most embarrassing summer moments
• Marmot OnlyFans
• Reviewing The Odyssey
•      …And more!

Connect with Us:
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🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com
💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod