The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Church hurt can leave you grieving far more than a bad experience because you can lose your community in the process. In this deeply personal conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with counseling pastor and author Tim St. John to talk about his book After Church Hurt and what actually happens when the place meant to care for you becomes the source of the wound. Ginny shares her own family’s experience of raising serious concerns inside their church, being pushed out, and still dealing with the effects years later. Tim explains the three waves of church hurt, why naming what happened matters, how shame and hypervigilance can linger, and what to look for when you're ready to trust a church community again. They also talk about something surprisingly hopeful: churches intentionally building cultures of care where people know exactly where to turn when life falls apart. Tim shares free counseling training and resources through Lighthouse Community Church, along with more resources, sermons, articles, and information about his work at TimothyStJohn.com.

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When life suddenly stops feeling safe, the people around us may be our greatest protection. Dr. Raj Panjabi is a physician, the former White House national security official, the co-founder of Last Mile Health, and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. He joins Ginny Yurich to share what he has learned about navigating uncertainty from an extraordinary life that began when he fled civil war in Liberia as a nine-year-old refugee. Drawing from his new book, Safer, Raj explains why waiting for certainty can be dangerous, how “normalcy bias” caused him to miss the frightening signs of his own young daughter’s heart failure, and why our instinct to pull inward during hard times may be exactly backward. This conversation moves from his father’s unforgettable mantra of “no condition is permanent” to the science of resilience, the power of asking for help, and the surprising truth Raj has seen everywhere from remote communities to the White House Situation Room: our greatest protection isn’t isolation, it’s connection.

Links: Dr. Raj Panjabi · Safer · Last Mile Health

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Raising a child with special needs changes nearly every aspect of family life, but it can also reveal extraordinary opportunities for love, growth, and connection.

Dr. Joe and Cindy Ferrini, authors of The Special Needs Parent: A Guide to the Life You Never Expected, join Ginny to share lessons from nearly 45 years of raising their son Joey, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and developmental disabilities.

Through heartfelt stories and practical wisdom, they explore the realities of lifelong caregiving, protecting marriage, supporting siblings, building community, and navigating the isolation many special needs families experience. They also discuss the role of faith in suffering and how unexpected challenges can transform a family's understanding of purpose.

This conversation offers encouragement to parents walking a difficult road while challenging friends, neighbors, and churches to move beyond good intentions and offer meaningful, practical support. It's a powerful reminder that every family deserves to be seen, welcomed, and supported.

Get the Ferrini's book here!

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The history of ticks in the United States is far stranger and more disturbing than many of us realize. Award-winning science writer Kris Newby, author of Bitten The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons and senior producer of the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Under Our Skin, joins Ginny Yurich to uncover the documented Cold War programs that experimented with weaponizing ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Kris shares her own family's devastating experience with Lyme disease, the years she spent investigating scientist Willy Burgdorfer, the open-air tick releases she uncovered, and why she believes we still don't know the whole story. But this conversation isn't meant to scare families indoors. It ends where parents need it to with information on how to take ticks seriously, what to do when you find one, and how to keep giving our kids the childhood outdoors they need. Learn more about Kris and her work at Kris Newby and watch Under Our Skin.

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Bestselling author Susan Cain joins Ginny Yurich for a fascinating conversation about the hidden strengths of introverts, the pressures of an extroverted culture, and the profound beauty of life's impermanence.

Drawing from her groundbreaking bestsellerQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan explores why society prizes charisma and outgoing personalities while often overlooking the creativity, leadership, and deep thinking that flourish in solitude. She shares practical guidance for raising introverted and shy children, understanding their unique temperaments, and helping them navigate unfamiliar situations with confidence and compassion.

The conversation also explores Susan's acclaimed book Bittersweet and her new children's book, Lucky and Norman, revealing why acknowledging sorrow, embracing life's inevitable goodbyes, and recognizing the fleeting nature of our experiences can deepen our capacity for joy, wonder, and connection.

This thoughtful episode offers parents a refreshing perspective on honoring their children's individuality, embracing life's complexities, and discovering the extraordinary gifts found in quiet moments.

Get Susan's book here!

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Here is a message worth here hearing over and over again: you were already worthy before you accomplished a single thing. Artist, author, speech therapist, and homeschooling mom Tabitha Paige returns to the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast for a conversation that goes much deeper than her children's books. Tabitha shares how her son Declan, who was born with a rare genetic syndrome and significant disabilities, changed the way she understands love, worth, and what makes a life valuable. Those messages are woven into her deeply personal new book, I’ve Loved You From the Start. Tabitha also tells the remarkable story of illustrating the book after a traumatic brain injury left her struggling to see, forcing her to wrestle with the very question she was writing about: Would I still have worth if I could never create again? Ginny and Tabitha talk about raising children in an achievement-obsessed culture, homeschooling without fear, choosing a different path for your family, keeping creativity alive into adulthood, and Tabitha's beautiful new Winnie-the-Pooh projects. This one is a reminder for parents and children alike: love isn't something we earn, and there isn't just one right way to build a meaningful life.

Find everything Tabitha has created here!! There are so many wonderful gift ideas for the holidays.

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Jordan Raynor is back on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast with Ginny Yurich for a conversation about how to pursue big things without letting achievement become the measure of your worth. In his new book, Redeeming Your Goals, Jordan shares seven biblical principles and dozens of practical ways to chase meaningful goals with more courage, margin, perseverance, and dependence on God. This episode is filled with practical ideas. For example, Jordan shares the surprisingly effective tool he uses to stay off his phone around his kids. Goal setting has also caught on with his children and Jordan talks about the incredible goal his 12-year-old daughter Ellison set to fund four years of college for two children from an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. She’s already more than halfway there, and you can learn more and support her goal at JordanRaynor.com/Ellison. This one is for anyone who has ever dreamed big, failed hard, wanted to quit, or wondered how to keep going without losing themselves along the way.

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What if theology isn’t just for scholars and pastors, but something that can transform the way we live, parent, and connect with God?

Beloved author and Bible teacher Lisa Harper returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, Theology For the Rest of Us, which makes 50 theological concepts accessible, engaging, and deeply relevant to everyday life.

In this warm, humorous, and thought-provoking conversation, Lisa and Ginny explore the relationship between faith, actions, and emotions, why biblical context matters, and how the Sabbath was intended as a gift rather than a burden. Lisa also shares her remarkable journey of becoming a mother through adoption, earning her doctorate in her sixties, and helping her daughter understand God's love beneath a sky full of stars.

This episode is an invitation to embrace lifelong learning, ask deeper questions, and discover how meaningful conversations about faith can enrich family life at every age.

Get Lisa's book here!

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What happens when we give kids more time to play, explore, and discover their passions?

Christian singer-songwriter Seph Schlueter, whose hit song Counting My Blessings has touched millions, joins Ginny for an inspiring conversation about childhood, creativity, faith, and finding gratitude in everyday moments.

Seph shares how growing up homeschooled in a family of six gave him the freedom to spend countless hours outdoors, pursue music, and develop his creativity. He reflects on why today's overscheduled, screen-filled childhoods leave too little room for imagination, boredom, and meaningful connection.

He also shares the remarkable journey behind his music career, including turning down a full college scholarship, boldly reaching out to Phil Wickham, and watching his music unexpectedly go viral in Brazil.

Plus, Seph introduces his beautifully illustrated new children's book, Counting My Blessings, and discusses fatherhood, trusting God's direction, and teaching children to recognize life's blessings—even when things don't go as planned.

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What does it mean to truly know that you are loved?

New York Times bestselling author Stasi Eldredge joins Ginny Yurich to discuss her new book, The Ladder of Love: A Pathway to Emotional Healing and Spiritual Intimacy with Jesus. Drawing from her own story of childhood wounds, struggles with shame, depression, and healing, Stasi shares how our understanding of love can be restored—and how a deeper relationship with God can transform the way we see ourselves and others.

Together, Ginny and Stasi explore the different ways we experience God—as potter, shepherd, father, mother, friend, and more—and what each reveals about His character. They talk about learning to trust again, embracing childlike wonder and play, extending mercy to ourselves and our children, and finding freedom from shame.

It’s a hope-filled conversation about healing, identity, faith, and discovering that even the most difficult parts of our stories are never the end.

Get Stasi's Book HERE!

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