The Speakeasy

In this episode, I sat down with my husband Jeremy to talk about 15 years of marriage, the early struggles, the growth, and how we got to where we are today. Because what you see now? It didn't always exist. And that's kind of the whole point.
We laughed, we got vulnerable, and we talked about the stuff a lot of couples deal with but don't always say out loud, especially in those early years.
What This Episode Is Really About
This isn't a "we've figured it all out" conversation. It's more like a "we stayed, we worked, and God changed us" kind of story.
At the core, we unpacked three major tension points that shaped our marriage:
1. Communication Struggles
Jeremy is an external processor. I'm an internal processor. And for years, that dynamic created so much conflict we didn't even realize we were having. Silence, fear, assumptions, all of it just piled up until we finally learned to talk before the conflict, not just during it. We had to build safety so honesty didn't feel like an attack.
Turns out, miscommunication wasn't really the issue, misunderstanding each other's intentions was.
2. Expectations (The Hidden Pressure)
Our upbringings shaped so many unspoken expectations we didn't even know we were carrying into our marriage. I was loving Jeremy the way I wanted to be loved, not the way he needed to be loved. Learning each other's love languages was a massive turning point for us. Because so many of our frustrations weren't actually about behavior, they were about unmet, unspoken expectations.
3. Life in the Trenches (Small Kids + Stress)
Early marriage plus young children is just exhausting. We were both drowning in stress but completely misunderstanding each other's, provider stress vs. caregiver stress. It felt like a perfect storm, and honestly, sometimes growth doesn't feel like progress. It just feels like survival. But pushing through that season together is what built the long-term strength we have now.
Key Takeaways
Healthy marriage requires individual growth first → when we both worked on ourselves, everything changed
You can't learn communication in conflict, you build it before
Assume the best about your spouse, not the worst
Different roles carry different weight, learn to honor both
Your "recovery time" matters more than your conflict → ours went from days… to hours… to minutes
Seasons matter → what feels overwhelming now won't last forever
The Big Picture
Marriage isn't about avoiding hard seasons, it's about growing through them together.
You are not defined by the season you're in, you're defined by the God over it.
Whether you're newly married, in the thick of parenting, or feeling stuck in communication patterns, I hope this episode reminds you that strong marriages are built, not found.
 
Sponsor: CrowdHealth
CrowdHealth is a health insurance alternative that puts you back in control.
Get started for $99 for your first 3 months using code SPEAKEASY at:
joincrowdhealth.com
CrowdHealth is not insurance—it's a better way to pay for healthcare.
 
Final Encouragement
If you're in a hard season right now…
You're not behind.
You're not broken.
You're building something that lasts.

In this episode, I sit down with author and Bible teacher Hanna Seymour to talk about what it really looks like to grow spiritually in the middle of real life with busy schedules, motherhood, exhaustion, and all.
We unpack Hanna's book Everyday Spiritual Habits and tackle one of the most common questions believers wrestle with: How do I actually stay consistent in my faith without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? This conversation blends practical wisdom, biblical truth, and even habit science to help you build rhythms that truly last.
Throughout our chat, we share our personal journeys from checkbox Christianity and inconsistent routines to discovering life-giving rhythms with God that are flexible, sustainable, and deeply transformative. After this conversation, I hope you'll walk away encouraged that spiritual growth isn't about perfection, it's about connection.
In this episode, we cover:
why spiritual "discipline" can feel overwhelming and how to reframe it as life-giving habits
how to build habits that stick using simple, realistic steps
the power of starting small (even 30 seconds counts)
how to connect with God in everyday moments (laundry, dishes, driving, etc.)
habit stacking and identity-based growth (who you're becoming vs. what you're doing)
how different life seasons require different rhythms and that's okay
lesser-talked-about disciplines like gratitude, celebration, silence, and solitude
practical ways to memorize Scripture and stay rooted in truth
why shame has no place in your spiritual journey
If you've ever felt like you're failing at reading your Bible, praying consistently, or "doing enough," this episode is a breath of fresh air. It's not about adding pressure, it's about discovering a better way to walk with Jesus in your everyday life.
Sponsor: CrowdHealth CrowdHealth is a health insurance alternative designed to give you more control and transparency. Get started for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com. CrowdHealth is not insurance.

In today's episode, I sit down with Christian artist and author Stephen McWhirter for a raw, hope-filled conversation about redemption, forgiveness, and the transforming power of Jesus.
Stephen shares the powerful story behind his music and about his book, Radical Restoration, where he talks about how he grew up in a home marked by abuse, spiraling into deep addiction, and ultimately encountering God in a life-changing moment that set him on a completely new path. His testimony is a reminder that no one is too far gone for grace and that restoration is possible even after years of pain and brokenness.
We dive into the difficult but freeing topic of forgiveness: what it truly means, what it doesn't mean, and how God calls us to release the debts others owe us without minimizing real wounds. We talk honestly about the tension between forgiveness and reconciliation, the healing that comes through surrender, and the way God's love can transform even the deepest bitterness into freedom.
In this conversation you'll hear about:
Stephen's journey from addiction to worship ministry
how encountering grace reshapes identity and purpose
why forgiveness is both a command and a gift
the difference between forgiving someone and allowing access to your life
how asking God for His heart toward others changes everything
practical first steps toward healing from past hurt
If you've ever struggled to forgive, wondered whether real change is possible, or needed hope that God can restore what feels permanently broken, this episode will deeply encourage you.
Sponsor: CrowdHealth CrowdHealth is a health insurance alternative helping families step outside a confusing system. Get started for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com. CrowdHealth is not insurance.

Today's episode is a long overdue catch-up. I'm finally sharing the fuller story of what happened in 2025: the year God completely flipped my life, my work, my identity, and my priorities upside down.
If you've noticed that my content has shifted a lot over the last year, this is the why.
For years, this podcast has felt like the most full expression of me. Faith, motherhood, politics, wellness, the Bible, all of it. But Instagram had become heavily political. Eventually, the very work I thought was most important started costing me more than I realized, my peace, my presence, my family, and honestly, my soul.
In this episode, I'm sharing the story of how God began asking me to do something that felt harder than any "jump" of obedience He'd ever asked of me before: sit down, pull back, do less, trust Him, and let Him carry what I had been trying to hold together myself.
We talk about:
how political content became my full-time work

the moment I realized my priorities were deeply out of order

what disobedience looked like in real time

why 2025 felt like my "belly of the whale" year

the vision God gave me that changed everything

identity, striving, motherhood, and learning to be a daughter before a warrior

why I stepped back from politics online

what God has been rebuilding in me ever since

This one is personal. It's vulnerable. And it's probably the clearest picture I've given yet of the shift God has been walking me through. If you're in a season where God is asking you to slow down, let go, or trust Him in ways you do not like, this episode is for you.
Sponsor: CrowdHealth CrowdHealth is a health insurance alternative helping families step outside a broken system. Get started for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com. CrowdHealth is not insurance.

Today we're talking about anxiety, not the casual "I'm stressed" kind, but the kind that takes over your body, your thoughts, your sleep, your peace, and your sense of safety.
My friend Maddie Joy Fischer joins me to talk about our very real stories with anxiety, panic, fear, and the lies at the root of it all. We both know what it's like to feel trapped by fear and to wonder if this is just how life will always be. But we also know what it's like for God to meet us there, unravel self-reliance, expose the lies, and begin rebuilding something truer and stronger.
In this conversation we talk about:
how anxiety can start small and slowly take over

health anxiety, panic attacks, and feeling unsafe in your own body

the lie that says "I'm not safe" and the truth that answers it

fear of man, self-protection, and trying to stay in control

what it looks like to come to the end of yourself

why healing is often not linear

how God uses even the darkest seasons for redemption

what surrender actually looks like when you're in it

This episode is full of honesty, Scripture, and hope for the person still in the thick of anxiety, and for the person who loves someone who is.
If you've ever felt like fear was driving the bus, this conversation is for you. There is freedom in Jesus. There is truth stronger than the lies. And there is hope, even here.
Sponsor: CrowdHealth CrowdHealth is a health insurance alternative helping families opt out of a broken system. Get started for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com. CrowdHealth is not insurance.