The Speakeasy

If you're feeling stressed, exhausted, and disconnected, it might not be because life is too busy—it might be because your priorities are out of order.

In this solo episode, I share a deeply personal lesson God has been teaching me over the past year: there is a biblical order to where our time, energy, attention, and devotion belong. After a season where work and ministry had climbed to the top of my priorities, God gave me a vision showing just how disordered my life had become. Then the board changed, revealing a simple order that would begin reshaping everything: God. Spouse. Children. Community. Ministry.

I walk through each of these five areas and share what I'm learning about putting them back in their proper place, not through perfection or another checklist, but through surrender and obedience.

Episodes Mentioned:

• Ep. 407 - Navigating Change: How God's Shifted My Entire Life
• Ep. 411 - Where Do I Start? (Bible Reading, Journaling, & Staying Rooted)

Bible Verses:

• Matthew 22:37 — Love the Lord your God with everything you have — the first and greatest commandment
• Psalm 27:4 — One thing sought above all else — dwelling with God
• Genesis 2:24 — The covenant of marriage — two becoming one
• Proverbs 31:11-12 — The wife who brings her husband good all the days of her life
• Psalm 127:3 — Children as heritage and gift, not achievement or identity
• Deuteronomy 6:6-7 — Faith impressed on children through the ordinary moments of life
• Hebrews 10:24-25 — The call to genuine, embodied community
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 — Two are better than one — the value of real relationship
• Mark 8:36 — The cost of gaining the world while neglecting what matters
• Matthew 6:33 — Seek first the kingdom — the right order always starts with Him

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How do we raise kids who actually want to come to us with the hard questions?

In this episode of The Speakeasy Podcast, I sat down with Kate Henderson, co-founder of Gather Moms, to talk about intentional motherhood and navigating conversations our parents never had to have. Our children are constantly receiving messages from everywhere, so if we want to shape their worldview, we have to start meaningful conversations first.

Kate and I discuss practical ways to make those conversations feel natural, and why asking questions is often better than giving answers. We also tackle gender and sexuality, and the complicated world of screens and social media.

What matters most is creating a home where questions are safe and your children know they can come back to you. You don't need to have every answer, you just need to keep showing up and pointing them toward Jesus.

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I sat down with Susan Peters, CEO of Unbound Now, to discuss the myths that keep people from recognizing trafficking and how we can respond when something doesn't seem right. Susan explains that trafficking rarely looks like movies portray it. Instead, victims are often groomed over time through manipulation and relationships with people they already know.

Susan and I discuss how parents, teachers, coaches, and community members can recognize warning signs and what to do when something doesn't seem right. We also talk about the hope found in restoration and how survivors can heal with compassionate support.

Whether you're a parent, educator, or someone who wants to make a difference, this conversation equips you with practical knowledge and encourages you to become a safe, attentive presence in your community.

Sponsor: CrowdHealth

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On today's episode, I have a conversation with Steven Rofrano, founder of Ancient Crunch, to unpack the growing conversation around seed oils, processed foods, and how the modern food system impacts our health. Steven's childhood health struggles led him to question the foods most of us consume every day.

Together we discuss why families are rethinking processed foods, what seed oils are and why they became so prevalent in America, and the contrast between American food culture and more traditional approaches found in Europe. We also talk about paying attention to how food makes you feel instead of accepting poor health as normal.

Steven and I encourage you not to get overwhelmed by every new health trend, but to make thoughtful, sustainable changes that support long-term wellness. This episode offers practical encouragement to ask better questions about the food we consume every day.

Sponsor: CrowdHealth

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As we reach the halfway point of the year, I reflect on the importance of slowing down long enough to evaluate where we've been, where we're headed, and how God is shaping us in the process. Rather than chasing constant productivity, I encourage you to embrace the natural rhythms of each season, recognizing that every season has a purpose. Just as creation doesn't bloom year-round, neither are we meant to live at the same pace all the time.

Sponsors: Just Thrive and CrowdHealth

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CrowdHealth provides a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance, helping members navigate healthcare costs with greater transparency and support. Learn more at JoinCrowdHealth.com using code SPEAKEASY.

This episode is an invitation to rethink what a thriving marriage actually looks like. If you've been focused on loving your spouse but wondering how to genuinely like them too, this conversation is for you.

I sat down with Christian counselors Chris and Jamie Bailey of Expedition Marriage to discuss building a marriage where both people are willing to let God transform them. Their story is proof that healthy marriages aren't built by perfect people.

Chris and Jamie share how their relationship began before either knew Christ and how years of anxiety, unhealthy expectations, and emotional struggles nearly derailed their marriage. Jamie opens up about severe anxiety and panic attacks, while Chris discusses the helplessness he felt trying to "fix" something he couldn't control. Together, they explain how counseling, faith, and learning healthier patterns moved them toward healing.

Here are some great resources Chris and Jamie shared to help you on your journey:

For Wives: CLICK HERE

For Husbands: CLICK HERE

Sponsor: CrowdHealth

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In this powerful episode, I sit down with Rachel Barkley to discuss disability, suffering, identity, resilience, and what it means to trust God when life changes overnight. What began as a conversation about disability quickly became a deeper discussion about hope, purpose, and finding God's goodness in the middle of unexpected circumstances.

Rachel shares her profound story of becoming paralyzed just two weeks after giving birth to her first child. After experiencing worsening symptoms during pregnancy, she woke up one morning unable to move her legs. Doctors eventually discovered a large tumor growing inside her spinal cord, leading to emergency surgery and a long road of recovery.

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This episode is an invitation to rethink what we mean by orphan care and how Christians can best support vulnerable children around the world.

I sat down with Elli Oswald, Executive Director of Faith to Action, for a conversation about orphan care and global missions. Elli brings over a decade of experience in global child welfare and shares why many organizations are shifting focus from institutional care toward strengthening families.

Key takeaways:

• The majority of children in orphanages worldwide have living family, poverty separates them, not death
• Children thrive when they stay with family or in family-based environments
• Elli's story of Knabs shows how family tracing efforts reunited nearly every child in a Sierra Leone orphanage with their families
• The church's role is ensuring our giving creates the best outcomes
• Strengthening families before separation happens is more effective than caring for children after crisis

This episode isn't about criticizing generosity, it's about channeling our compassion toward lasting stability, healing, and belonging. Whether your heart is for international missions, foster care, adoption, or serving vulnerable families, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what effective compassion looks like.

This week I sit down with Elise Orozco from Raising Rock for a conversation that feels deeply personal and incredibly timely. We share remarkably similar stories of stepping away from ambition, hustle, and outside success in exchange for something we discovered mattered far more: presence.

Elise opens up about leaving a high-level corporate career after realizing that while she was succeeding professionally, her family was often receiving the exhausted leftovers of what remained. What follows is an honest conversation about motherhood, identity, slowing down, surrender, and learning to embrace God's priorities instead of culture's expectations.

Sponsor: CrowdHealth

Looking for an alternative to traditional health insurance? CrowdHealth offers: Lower-cost prescriptions and labs Access to vetted doctors Bill negotiation support Community-centered healthcare solutions Get started for $99 for your first three months using code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com.

Year two of homeschooling is officially in the books, and I'm sitting down for an honest recap of what worked, what didn't, and what I wish I had known sooner.

If you're considering homeschooling, preparing for your first year, or just curious what life actually looks like after the highlight reels, this episode offers a realistic look at the beauty and challenges of homeschooling life.

I share the biggest lessons from year two:

• Year one felt like survival, year two finally felt like life
• Every path has challenges, choose the hard that works best for your family
• Connection before curriculum, children learn best when they feel seen
• Homeschooling is growing everyone, not just the kids
• Many frustrations came from my own expectations trying to recreate traditional school at home

I also walk through our current daily rhythm, curriculum favorites, and how I address common fears about kids falling behind, socialization, and working while homeschooling.

After two years, one thing is clear: the girls are thriving, and so is our family. This episode is about letting go of perfection and embracing the messy, beautiful reality of learning together.

SPONSOR

CrowdHealth

Looking for an alternative approach to healthcare?

CrowdHealth provides:

• Access to vetted doctors
• Lower prescription and lab costs
• Bill negotiation support
• Community-centered healthcare solutions

Get started for $99 for your first three months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com.