What is Christmas really about? Is Jesus like the “elf on a shelf” toy that we play with once a year? Or is he like Santa, punishing those who are naughty and rewarding those who are nice?

It’s easy to get caught up in cultural traditions and forget that the true meaning of Christmas is that God became flesh to dwell among us. Jesus entered into a world of darkness and declared: “I am the light of the world”. Who could make such a claim, and live a life of perfection to back it up? And what does that mean for you today?

John and Shay explain the gospel message that God wants to be WITH YOU, and moves towards you in your sinfulness, darkness and brokenness. God took on flesh in the person of Jesus in order to identify with you in your suffering and to forgive your sins. Emmanuel means “God with us”, a comforting declaration that you are not alone in this world, you have a friend in Jesus.

If you are looking for hope this Christmas season, this episode will comfort, encourage and awaken your heart to the beauty and wonder of what it means that Jesus is WITH YOU in the weeds of life.

The WYITW team wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

You won’t want to miss our NEW SERIES that begins January 8th: Surviving and Thriving After Trauma, so stay tuned for more great content on topics you care about in 2025!

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at [email protected] or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds. 

Have you heard of doom spending? It’s when you spend money you don’t have in order to cope with stress. Without considering the cost, you splurge on a shopping spree to find a little bit of happiness. We know that it’s tempting to do a little doom spending over the holidays, but what will happen when the credit card bills come around? 

We want to help you think wisely and purposefully about your finances. So in this episode, we’ve brought in two knowledgeable guests to offer guidance on your holiday spending, personal budgeting and long term finance goals. Shay talks with financial planner Kevin Adam, and Molly Harville, long time instructor for the Financial Peace class taught at The Crossing. Both Kevin and Molly have helped many people create a plan to not only get out of debt, but also reach their financial goals.

Shay, Kevin and Molly share their insights on topics such as:

The bottom line of this episode is: you don’t have to just cover your eyes and swipe the credit card! You can learn the principles behind wise spending so that you can take steps towards financial freedom and peace, even around the holidays.

If you want to know how to sign up for the next Financial Peace class at The Crossing or have a question about your finances, email Molly Harville: [email protected] 

Book recommendations:

Rich Dad Poor Dad

The Psychology of Money

If you enjoy listening to With You in the Weeds we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at [email protected] or leave us a review. For more great content from the team you can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds. 

The most beloved Christmas songs boast that it's the most wonderful time of the year, but is it really true? 

As counselors, we know that what you see on the outside of people’s lives never tells the full story. Even the beautiful family Christmas card isn’t an accurate picture of reality. The truth is that there’s a lot of sadness and brokenness in this world, and it’s easy to push it away and not enter into it. It’s normal to want to numb yourself or avoid and gloss over the hurt. 

In this episode John, Shay and Lynn acknowledge that the holidays can both be a time of levity and joy, but can also be a time where we are faced with hard realities. You may have recently lost a loved one, been given an unwanted health diagnosis, or are reeling from a painful breakup. Or maybe you're far away from family or friends and don't feel like celebrating over the holidays.

This episode will help you manage the grief you may be experiencing as we discuss:

Stay tuned for two more episodes in our “Keeping Your Sanity Over the Holidays” series!

Picture the scene: you’re sitting in front of the fireplace sipping hot cocoa while chatting quietly with family, reminiscing about the joys of your upbringing and your favorite family moments. Meanwhile, your children sit cross legged on the ground together, silently and peacefully listening with rapt attention. 

That’s how your holidays go as a family right? HA! If you’re like most people, the holiday season is filled less with peace, stillness, and cooperation and more with frantic, frustrating, and stressful situations. Or at best, a mix of the two. Travel, lack of routine and divided time with relatives and in-laws can make parenting extra challenging.

Christian and Andrew Neuenswander, busy parents of 3 young children, can definitely relate to the messiness of gathering with family over the holidays (Pro tip: never leave the house without extra handi-wipes!). In this episode Austin interviews this busy family of 5 about practical tips and suggestions for how you can “keep your sanity” over the holidays as parents.

When you finish listening, their insights and perspectives will help you apply these takeaways as you navigate tricky, fun, busy, and complex dynamics over the holiday season so that you can keep your sanity!

Are you looking forward to being with your family over the holidays? Or are you dreading the next family get together? 

Family drama can not only ruin the holiday spirit, it can create unnecessary hurt and division in a family that’s felt for years to come.

John and Lynn designed this episode to help you identify the pain points that lead to family drama:

This episode offers strategies to help you cope with potential family drama such as:

This is the first episode in our new series “Keeping Your Sanity Over the Holidays”, and will allow you to prepare for (or avoid!) family drama and enjoy some holiday spirit.

When relationships don’t work, there is often a sense of loss and heartache. Being single and longing for connection may mean you’re willing to compromise your standards in order to deal with loneliness or fulfill your need for intimacy.

Our hookup culture promotes a consumer mindset, detached from emotion, that encourages you to get your needs met without considering spiritual, intellectual or emotional compatibility. But that can lead to unwise dating decisions and further pain.

Shay and John share their own personal stories of painful breakups and the time it takes to heal when relationships don't work out. They offer wisdom and guidance when it comes to healing from divorce, how to know when you’re ready to date again, choosing wisely when it comes to finding a spouse and readiness for marriage.

If you are single and seeking companionship, or mending a broken heart after a breakup or divorce, this episode will challenge you to consider the importance of not jumping too quickly into a relationship. Singleness is a good thing; a time for personal growth and reflection, and an opportunity to prepare your heart for whatever the future holds.

American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus by Lisa Wade

If you liked this episode, text it to a friend! And please consider rating WYITW on your podcast player and leave the team a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds!

Are you concerned that you’re on the road to divorce? Maybe you and your spouse have fallen into unhealthy, frustrating, and toxic patterns that leave you wondering if your marriage can work. Now what? 

In this episode, Lynn, John, and Austin discuss the following patterns you can practice on your own and as a couple that can change the dynamic of your relationship:

On your own:

As a couple:

This is hard work, and it won’t happen overnight. But if and when you, and your spouse, are able and willing (the key phrase!) to practice these together, we’re confident that you’ll be on the road to better and deeper connection.

Book recommendations: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work and How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage

If you liked this episode, text it to a friend! And please consider rating WYITW on your podcast player and leave the team a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds!

Unfortunately, you can’t talk about how to make marriage work without acknowledging divorce. The prevalence of divorce means that everyone has some experience with it and has been negatively impacted when a marriage doesn’t work out.  

Because divorce is so common, we think it’s worth slowing down to ask: What happened to the marriage? Why didn’t things work out? What were the steps that led to divorce? Could divorce have been prevented? How has the family (and children in particular) been affected by divorce?

In this episode, John, Lynn, and Austin discuss the following 3 topics regarding divorce:

When you listen to this episode, you’ll be more equipped to evaluate the signs and symptoms that indicate your marriage may be in trouble. And once you do that, you can figure out if it’s possible to get off that road to divorce, which is the next episode! So stay tuned…

If you liked this episode, text it to a friend! And please consider rating WYITW on your podcast player and leave the team a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter

at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds!

Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce

Did you ever get “the talk?” Do you remember feeling encouraged and hopeful, or were you left feeling awkward, ashamed, confused and with more questions than answers? 

Whatever you might have learned about sex when you were growing up, your view of sex has likely been shaped by our sexualized culture that reduces sex to body parts. At the same time, you also may have been influenced by a church culture that emphasizes “purity” as the sole focus of your spiritual maturity. 

Yet both of these messages minimize or ignore the beauty and awe of sex that God intended for us to experience and can cause hurt and misunderstanding in marriage. For instance, men may view sex as something they need. And women may feel like they have to have sex with their husband so he won’t seek it somewhere else.

In this transparent conversation, Austin and John explore these topics with Sam Jolman, author of The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality. Sam lays out a captivating and beautiful view of sex and sexuality (especially for men) that we think will leave both men and women encouraged, equipped, and curious - all of which is needed to understand sex the way God intended it to be.

[Please note, this content is for adult ears only. We recognize that sex is an important, yet sensitive topic, and can bring up a wide range of emotions based on your personal experiences. We encourage you to listen at your own pace, giving yourself time to process as needed.]

If you liked this episode, text it to a friend! And please consider rating WYITW on your podcast player and leave the team a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds!

This episode might make you blush, it might make you cringe, and it might make you laugh! But if you want to make your marriage work, you’re going to have to address your sex life. Intrigued yet?

In this episode Austin and his wife Polly - yes Polly! - discuss:

We hope this episode helps you feel normalized, encouraged, and hopefully willing to address the topic of sex in your marriage wherever and however you need to. 

[Please note, this content is for adult ears only. We recognize that sex is an important, yet sensitive topic, and can bring up a wide range of emotions based on your personal experiences. We encourage you to listen at your own pace, giving yourself time to process as needed.]

If you liked this episode, text it to a friend! And please consider rating WYITW on your podcast player and leave the team a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com and follow us on Instagram @withyouintheweeds!