The LivGreater Podcast

The secret to a fuller, more intentional life might start with something as simple as making your own tortillas, rendering your own lard, and inviting everyone you love to dinner. Elizabeth Dodd shares how a first-generation East Texan built a home centered on farming, faith, and family — and why she believes the best lessons are still learned around the table.Elizabeth opens up about life on a working hobby farm, from raising cattle and peaches to milking a cow, separating a calf overnight, and turning raw milk into a daily routine that now feels second nature. She also explains the “ingredients household” philosophy — why homemade food, from sourdough to tortillas, changed the way her family eats and gathers.You’ll discover:

• How Elizabeth learned to render lard and tallow from her own animals, and how she uses each one
• What it really takes to milk a cow every day, train an animal to the routine, and keep the process running
• Why regenerative farming, rotational grazing, and seasonal planting are all part of her long-game approach to self-sufficiency
• How freeze-drying, broth-making, and preserving the harvest help her stock the kitchen for the months ahead

But this conversation goes deeper than farm life. Elizabeth and Shelley talk about the power of intentional hospitality, the beauty of large family gatherings, and why making space for cousins, neighbors, and children to truly know one another matters more than ever. Elizabeth also shares how her faith in Jesus Christ shapes the way she sees family as eternal and relationships as something to protect, nurture, and pass on.If you love practical homesteading, DIY skills, and honest conversation about what it means to build a home where people feel known, this episode will leave you inspired and ready to slow down, learn more, and gather more often.

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Heather McVey set out to hike the Appalachian Trail with no hiking or camping experience—and with her Alaskan Malamute, Sugar, by her side. In this conversation with Shelley, Heather shares how the trail became a journey of faith, resilience, and personal renewal. A former professional fighter and real estate broker, Heather had become a stay-at-home homeschooling mom. After 20 years of marriage, she began hiking as she faced major changes in her life. She talks about learning trail life one step at a time, the kindness of strangers, the challenges of hiking with Sugar, and the experiences that strengthened her faith in God and humanity. Now traveling the country in an RV, Heather continues to embrace adventure and live out her faith every day. 

Connect with Heather:

Facebook: Basecamp and Puddles: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587367043721&sk=about

Connect with Heather on Facebook to Watch for her book "The Mountains Call Me Daughter" coming soon.

In this episode:

• Why Heather decided to hike the Appalachian Trail despite having no hiking or camping experience
• Starting with day hikes in Virginia and learning the basics of trail life
• Hiking during a difficult personal transition and finding strength on the trail
• Resupply stops, hostels, stealth camping, and life with everything in a backpack
• The challenges of hiking the White Mountains and navigating dangerous weather
• Why Heather had to send Sugar home for part of the hike—and how hard that was
• Finding faith, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of self through solitude
• Unexpected help from strangers and memorable moments of “trail magic”
• A dangerous river crossing during Hurricane Lee
• Heather’s RV travels and what she’s looking forward to next

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What happens when you stop chasing the life you planned and start saying yes to the one God opens in front of you? 

Kimberlee Smith thought she would live overseas as a missionary, but a simple summer project turned into something far bigger - a neighborhood art movement that is building community, sparking generosity, and pointing people to Jesus.

Kimberlee shares how a high school faith decision, a movie, mission trips, and an internship in Lebanon shaped her heart for sharing Christ across cultures - and how that same calling now shows up in her everyday life at school, at home, and in her neighborhood.

• How a teacher’s advice helped her move from tight pencil work into loose, expressive watercolor.

Instagram 

Facebook 

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Beverly Udall does not mess around when it comes to getting things done.  This includes mastering her mood by choosing to be happy every day.  Bev lives with a positive mindset that carries her through times of chaos, kids, and careers so much that she enjoys it all.  Bev is the "Jane of all trades" and doesn't wait around to get things accomplished.  Enjoy the conversation and connect with Bev and her Nectar Drink Bar Team.

Connect with Beverly Udall and her Nectar Drink Bar Team:

Instagram 

Facebook 

Nectar Drink Bar Website

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Christy Hugh wears many hats.  She talks about 2 of those on the LivGreater podcast as a Doula and Charity Foundation Board Member. Christy strives to live with purpose. As a big believer in following spiritual promptings her life unexpectedly changed when an undeniable prompting enveloped her.

Connect with Christy Hugh:

Instagram 

Facebook

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Christy Hugh wears many hats.  She talks about 2 of those on the LivGreater podcast as a Doula and Charity Foundation Board Member. Christy strives to live with purpose. As a big believer in following spiritual promptings her life unexpectedly changed when an undeniable prompting enveloped her.

Connect with Christy Hugh:

Instagram 

Facebook

THANK YOU so much for listening!

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REESE MATUA--wife, mother, micro content creator, and, above all, a trying disciple of Jesus Christ. She shares her life with honesty because she knows the power of redemption, repentance, and God's grace. 

Reese lives greater by fully embracing who she is—flaws, imperfections, mistakes, and all. The woman she is today was built by the hardest seasons of her life. It was the broken version of her that had to fight for the healed version of her. She believes too many of us spend our lives comparing our beginning to someone else's middle or our struggle to someone else's success, and in doing that, we miss the very story God is using to shape us. Living greater isn't about becoming someone else—it's about becoming exactly who God created you to be. When you stop running from your past and start allowing God to use it for good, your greatest weaknesses become part of your greatest purpose. That's how Reese lives greater—by choosing growth over comparison, purpose over perfection, and Jesus Christ over everything else.

Connect with Reese Matua: 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maumatua/ 

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MARK BERRIDGE is a TEDx speaker, award-winning author, and former corporate leader who inspires people and organizations to unlock their potential — even in the face of disruption or uncertainty. His unique perspective blends executive experience with the raw lessons of personal recovery after a severe spinal injury. Mark champions progress through mindset, momentum, and the power of believing you are already more capable than you think. 

Mark blends the raw reality of his personal spinal cord trauma with 25 years in international corporate leadership to help people perform with clarity, resilience, and purpose — especially in moments of disruption. 

Connect with Mark Berridge: 

Website https://www.markberridge.com.au/ 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/markberridge_author/ 

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Learn how to create an amazing 2026 year and LivGreater. 

This method will get you focused to create a life you enjoy and can progress from. 

A fantastic year starts now.  

Get Your 2026 WALL CALENDAR Here 

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What if every obstacle in your life was actually an opportunity in disguise? In this motivational episode, Shelley Perry shares how your mindset and perception determine whether challenges hold you back or help you grow. Learn how to see setbacks through faith, courage, and gratitude — and find freedom in every leap.

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