It's a new year and Micah and Shireen are getting ready to fast for ten days. They talk about the challenge of choosing to suffer through fasting and how to dial-in your fast. They share some epic fasting fails plus sage advice from their decades of experience with this spiritual practice. You'll be encouraged to hear that there is so much freedom to be found in fasting if we set ourselves up to truly lean into God.

Micah and Shireen wrap up 2023 with a funny Christmas story and get reflective when thinking back over the year with their own personal highs and lows. New Year's resolutions come up and they discuss ways to mark important seasons of our lives while trusting God with our dreams. Plus, Shireen shares a scripture milestone she achieved this year!

Micah and Shireen had to take a walk to catch their breaths after the Georgia Bulldog's historic loss. Micah shares the benefits of breathing deeply and Shireen connects the dots to joy. They discuss the similarities and differences between joy and happiness and why "treat-yo-self" can fall short of producing true joy. Plus, Shireen gives Micah the gift he already knew she'd ordered...

Micah and Shireen talk about the challenge of finding peace and how to spot a fake! Not all things that bring us comfort or calm actually produce lasting peace in our lives or our world. Peace that we receive from the person of Jesus is lasting, while the peace we manufacture for ourselves fades. The discussion ranges all the way from why Micah won't use hand weights on his walks to the fascinating resurgence of Stoicism. At the end, Shireen casually mentions that she hates coffee...

This week Micah and Shireen talk all about waiting. Having to wait can make us wonder if we've done something wrong or if God's not coming through for us - but what if there is more for us in the waiting? Can we place our hope in the one who brings the result more than the result itself? In this episode, Micah quotes a symphony conductor and Shireen shares what not to say to a friend who is waiting. Plus, Micah makes a major Christmas confession and Shireen is shocked... 

From their clashing gift giving philosophies to strong opinions on when it's ok to put up the tree - this episode is full of great ideas for getting more fun and enjoyment out of Christmas this year. They share some hard-won lessons from their years of celebrating Christmas with four young kids and what it looks like for them today. Plus, they share the good that ended up coming from their 2022 Christmas Day flight debacle (Southwest is not a sponsor of this podcast.)

"Let's circle back after the holidays..." This statement represents the frantic, stress-filled pace many of us have begun to expect from the holidays - but does it have to be this way? Micah and Shireen talk about what they do to manage stress in their family's lives during the holiday season and beyond. They also discuss how they recognize when there is too much on their plate and how they handle this together. It may seem counterintuitive, but they are convinced that practicing the sabbath - even through the holidays - can truly increase our peace and enjoyment this season! Thinking about the holidays, the talk naturally turns to their favorite Thanksgiving foods.

People fail us all the time, but failures of spiritual leaders have a uniquely painful impact. In this episode, Micah and Shireen talk about how to process this pain and give examples from their own experiences. Not all hurts are equal and this means our approach isn't one-size-fits-all. In many cases, the most difficult part is avoiding getting stuck in two ditches: writing people off completely or brushing their failures under the rug. Plus - as Halloween is over and all the candy has been collected, they talk favorite candy. Spoiler alert: Shireen's is disappointing and Micah's is basic.

While it can feel like a recent buzzword - deconstruction is nothing new. We talk about this often misunderstood concept and share our own experiences with it. Did you know deconstruction even appears in the Bible? Viewing it as more of a fork in the road than a destination can help us walk through the doubts we and our friends may face and come out reconstructing a faith that lasts. We wrap up discussing Micah's shoe game and its genesis moment: his first pair of Jordans!

Halloween decorations are up all over our neighborhood and this got us talking about the range of opinions on this holiday and we share where we've landed for our family. Below the surface of the Halloween question is another: how do we as followers of Jesus view spiritual warfare? Can a holiday defile us? Can believing lies? We cover a lot in this talk - and you'll also discover what Micah's first mask was!