Novelist Claire Gibson has spent years doing the part of writing no one sees—the showing up, the refining, the staying with it long before anyone pays attention.

Now, with her novel Burst Into Song on the horizon, things are starting to move.

This conversation lives in the long middle—the doubt, the quiet, the moments when it feels too hard. And why that’s often where the real work is happening.

Gibson stayed with it long enough for the work to catch up.

If you’re in the thick of it—still working, still waiting—this one’s for you.

Find out more about Claire

https://www.clairegibson.com/

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There’s one simple practice that can change your life, and it doesn’t take discipline, talent, or effort the way most habits do. It’s something we often overlook, but the science and the lived experience both point to the same truth: gratitude has the power to transform how we think, feel, and connect.

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Few words are more powerful than “I’m sorry,” yet those two words can be some of the hardest to say. Admitting we’ve done something wrong challenges the story we tell ourselves about who we are.

In this episode, I talk about why apologies are so difficult, what psychology and neuroscience say about it, and why learning to say a sincere “I’m sorry” can repair relationships, restore trust, and even double the likelihood of forgiveness.

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So many struggles stay hidden because of shame. Whether it’s an eating disorder, substance misuse, or just feeling like you’re the only one dealing with something hard, silence has a way of making things darker.

In this episode, Kent, Mary Ivon Montgomery, and I join Tammy and Kevin as guests on their podcast Across the Table. They invited us to talk about faith, recovery, body image, and the courage it takes to tell the truth about what’s really going on. We’re sharing that conversation here because if you’re struggling, or walking alongside someone who is, bringing things into the light is often where healing begins.

Across The Table Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/kh/podcast/across-the-table/id1843708720

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There are few things more uncomfortable than taking a real, honest look at ourselves. For me, a fearless moral inventory meant facing lies, the shame, and damage. But after the pain comes remarkable healing — and joy.

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For a long time, I thought the 12 steps were just for people battling addiction. What I’ve learned is that some of the most practical, life-changing lessons I’ve ever found are embedded in that process, and at the center of it all is something simple: love and service.

In this episode, Kent and I talk about how helping others has a way of healing the one doing the helping. If you’ve ever felt restless, stuck, or like something’s missing, this conversation is really about finding purpose and having the courage to step into it.

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A lot of people think recovery is just about quitting something. Just stop drinking. Just stop using. Just get it under control. But what I’ve seen in our family and in so many others is that recovery isn’t just about stopping. It’s about building a different kind of life. What once felt like a curse can slowly become something you’re grateful for.

In this episode, Kent and I talk about what we call “romancing the drink,” that mental habit that starts long before the behavior ever does, and the shift toward thinking it all the way through. It applies to addiction, but it also applies to money, relationships, attention, and all the things we chase thinking they’ll finally fix something inside us.

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For a long time, I thought willpower was enough. I believed I could muscle my way through change, keep faith on a shelf, and pull it down later if I needed it. What I learned — slowly and painfully — is that stopping a behavior and finding recovery are not the same thing.

Kent and I talk about ego, vulnerability, the spiritual path that so many people in recovery eventually walk, and why growth begins when we admit we can’t do this alone. It’s an honest conversation for anyone asking hard questions about healing, faith, and what truly sustains us.

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We recently lived through a storm that shut down our town, cut the power for days, and reminded us how fragile our routines really are. When the lights go out and the temperature drops, and your house is hit by a tree, perspective gets tested — and so does patience, fear, and old wounds you thought were long settled.

In this episode, my wife Kent and I talk about what it’s like to navigate an unexpected storm — not just the weather kind, but the emotional ones that rise up alongside it. We reflect on marriage, past trauma, community, and the quiet ways resilience shows up when plans fall apart.

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