In Joy Life with Mattie Jackson

Why the 12 Steps will transform YOUR life too with Ian Morgan Cron Jan 28, 2025

Everyone knows what the 12 Steps are. Whether you're in recovery, someone you love is, or if the idea seems like a life-time and a church-basement away from you, Ian Cron has some news for us. We're all addicted to something. We're all victim to trying white-knuckled, self-reformation rather than surrendered, God-worked transformation. And these steps are the way to fix all of that.

I've been a fan of Ian's work for a long time. And this conversation has somehow left me with even greater respect, gratitude, and joy for his both his depth of wisdom and wit. Ian calls us all like we are: broken humans incapable of fixing ourselves. He also calls the 12-steps what they are: practicle rhythms to "put wheels on the gospel."

What we already believe theologically as Christians, he says, is taken from the doctrinal to the transformational when we use these steps as a trellis for surrenduring to the God we claim can heal us but are so seldom willing to hand the reigns over to.

Ian's new book, The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between, is for anyone and everyone who is ready to admit they can't white-knuckle the lives they want. Don't miss Ian's hard-won truths and his on-going invitation to live honest, joyful, beautiful lives.

Motherhood, Mean Girls & Generational Trauma with Melanie Shankle Dec 17, 2024

Today's guest is bringing some hard-won, much needed wisdom for all the parents out there -- especially moms of girls -- but also for the kid in all of us still carrying wounds left open.

Melanie Shankle is a three-time New York Times Best-Selling author, and for the first time, she's opening up not just about parenting her daughter, but about how becoming a parent was an unforeseen catalyst to facing a lifetime of trauma with her own mother.

With her trademark humor, candor and vulnerability, Shankle encourages readers to explore their own existing wounds and trust God to not only heal, but break generational cycles of trauma with the goal of handing a legacy of triumph over to our children.

To every mom who’s ever felt overwhelmed, ill-equipped and fearful she’s not “enough” for her daughter, Shankle’s Here Be Dragons offers hope, encouragement, and empowerment. When we achieve healing and wholeness in Him, there’s no dragon we can’t slay, and no parenting battle we won’t call victory.”

Follow Melanie Listen to Big Boo Podcast Pre-Order Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generation Trauma

How to Create Daily REVIVAL with Cleere Cherry Reaves Dec 10, 2024

As you come to the end of another year and the start of a fresh one, where are you on energy? Focus? Gratitude? JOY? If like so many of us, you're screeching to the finish line on fumes, today's guest is here FOR YOU!

Cleere Cherry Reaves is a true lover of God and people. And her powerfully evident desire with her newest devotional, Revive, is to help us learn to do exactly that. And not just revive our lives in the New Years resolution, emotionally-charged major moments. But rather how can we start reviving the monontony and grind of our daily lives? How do we create margin to plug back in to the God of abunance and let him start reviving us one day at a time?

Follow Cleere @ Cleerely Stated Get REVIVE: Declarations of God's Truth to Revew Your Spirit

Holiday Update & Big Announcement with Mattie! Dec 03, 2024

As we approach holidays and the end of 2024, here's a quick solo chat with Mattie on life updates, new book, and another special announcement!

New devotional BOOK New Through the Valley of Grief 6-week COURSE

Styles of Joy with SC Perot Nov 26, 2024

There are not adequate words to describe how much I adore this woman and what she is offering the world.

SC Perot, Texas native turned Nashville resident, has become my new personal guru on joy. Her first book, releasing February 25, 2025 and entitled Styles of Joy, is everything I dream of for this podcast and then some!

In the wake of her life-shattering divorce, SC embarked on a wildly unexpected quest for joy in places and with people she never expected. With a career as a corporate lawyer and a family background in serious politics, she never expected her head-first venture into Harry Style's fandom would save her life.

SC is as wise as she is witty, and her rich, hilarious, no holds barred approach to chasing a new life defined by joy will truly change the way you live yours.

Nature's Lessons on Slowing Down & Living Well with Stephen Proctor Nov 15, 2024

Are you tired of the constant noise, hustle, and angst of culture? Does the pace you've been keeping feel like it's robbing all your joy and peace? Stephen Proctor is here to direct our eyes, ears, and minds back to one of the most powerful and accessible sources of revitalization -- NATURE!

Stephen Proctor is a visual artist who specializes in landscape cinematography and aerial photography to curate calming, imaginative experiences. And in his new book, Wild Wonders: What Nature Tells Us About Slowing Down and Living Well, Stephen is lovingly calling us out back outdoors to the place where restoration is available and waiting.

Stephen encourages readers to recognize how being outside offers us a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the Creator, draws us back into a more holistic and contemplative way of life, and restores a deeper awareness of the beautiful world around us.

Restoring Everyday Wonder with Mark Batterson Nov 05, 2024

Think you’ve never experienced a miracle? The New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson reminds us of the millions of miracles God performs every day and inspires us to live with a clearer sense of identity, purpose, and childlike wonder.

To live fully and joyfully, he explains why we need to cultivate a holy curiosity. For what? For everything! Too many of us are so wrapped up in our own worlds and as a result are living with an impoverished view of God. We are only living at half capacity, so we let anxiety keep us from pursuing our dreams because we can't see that God is far bigger than our biggest problems, close enough to help us triumph, and gooder than even our worst seasons.

His newest book, A Million Little Miracles, invites you reawaken your sense of wonder about God and His world.

Staying Bold in Brokenness with Tasha Cobbs Leonard Oct 22, 2024

GRAMMY Award-winning singer and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard is one of the most iconic artists in gospel music history. But her success did not come without her own profound seasons of brokenness. Her message?

Show up anyway. Worship anyway. Believe and trust God boldly anyway.

And as the title of her newest book calls us to: Do It Anyway: Don't Give Up Before It Gets Good.

In this deeply personal account of Tasha's greatest trials and victories, she proves that the moments when we’ve got nothing more to give are precisely the moments to press on and do the hard thing anyway. Because waiting on the other side of that decision is our breakthrough and transformation. From Googling how to upload an album to iTunes to later releasing a Billboard Top 10 album to depression so heavy it held her in bed, Tasha has seen God meet her after every resilient step of faith.

Love Yourself, Love Your Story with Bryan Crum Oct 08, 2024

In his decade-long work as a hospice chaplain, Bryan Crum has spent endless hours sitting with individuals as they reflect on their lives and confront their mortality. His biggest takeaway from those bedside hours?

Too many of us don't really love the stories of our lives.

Too many of us accept regret, doubt, and fear as the status quo.

And Bryan is on a mission to help us start to love our stories -- and ourselves -- NOW, rather than waiting until the end of our lives. In his new book, Neighbor, Love Yourself: Discover Your Value, Live Your Worth, Bryan is calling us all into better, fuller living RIGHT NOW as we realign our self-worth with who God says we are; rediscover purpose; and recapture the little rhythms that lead to greater joy in our daily lives.

Reclaim Your God-Given Gifts with Jena Holliday Oct 01, 2024

What's on your "one day" list? One day, I'll finally try this. One day, I'll do that thing again. One day, maybe I'll have time to... (fill in the blank!).

We've all walked through seasons where we feel like we've lost our purpose or, in Jena's words, have left "our gifts sit on the shelf." And as an artist, illustrator, wife and mom, Jena Holliday is calling us all back into Sacred Creativity!

Her new book, Sacred Creativity: Inspiration to Reclaim the Joy of Your God-Given Gifts, is exactly that. It is a call back into places that have always made you tick, made you who you are. It is inspiriation and practices to re-learn your own voice and start doing the things God created you to do. It's chock-full of affirmations to speak over yourself and back to your doubt.

Jena calls not just those who consider themselves creatives or artists but all of us who are longing for more; all of us who are created by the Creator on purpose, for purpose.

On Waiting, Willingness, and Wearing a Crown That Lasts with Demi Leigh Tebow Sep 24, 2024

Would you ever imagine Miss Universe feeling insecure? Anxious? Unsure of her purpose and her worth? In her debut book, A Crown That Lasts, the stunning and generous Demi Leigh Tebow reminds us that we're not alone in our contrant struggle with right identity.

The former Miss Universe and wife of football superstar, Tim Tebow, offers us an honest and vulnerable peek behind the curtain on her own battle with waiting, purpose, and self-worth following the end of her time as Miss Universe.

In spite of her illustrious crown and work as an entrepreneur, philanthroplist, speaker and now author, Demi reminds us how quick we are and how futile it is to define ourselves by worldly things that fall away.

Demi boldly shares biblical truth and personal insights on:

the danger of tying personal identity to accomplishments
discovering the truth of who we were created to be
how to use any platform, no matter how big or small, for eternal impact

Her generous spirit, passion for the Lord, and heart for her readers are palpable. Thank you, Demi, for your vulnerability and encouragements to all of us to always and only wear the one crown that lasts.

How to Untangle Your Emotions with Jennie Allen Jun 11, 2024

Have you ever been told you’re too emotional? That you need to better control your feelings?

Or have you been a life-long feeling controller? Emotion pusher-downer? Do people praise you for being strong but you know deep down you’re actually just staying numb?

Jennie Allen is a NYT Best-Selling author and bible teacher, and she is finally giving us not just the permission but the sales pitch and sisterly call to embrace and untangle all our emotions. Why???

-Because God made them (even the “bad” ones)

-Because emotions are tools that inform us and connect us

-Because when we reject hard feelings, we miss out on the joyful ones too

-Because naming, feeling, and sharing our emotions is the pathway to peace

Need more convincing? Jennie herself claims to have lived much of life as a “fix-it” girl rather than a “feel-it” girl. But in the years of living through the struggles and practical strategies her book offers, she is a walking testimony for the depth, peace, and richness of life that comes when we do the brave work of untangling our emotions.

Follow Jennie here! https://www.instagram.com/jennieallen/

Order Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What To Do About It here! https://www.amazon.com/Untangle-Your-Emotions-Naming-Knowing/dp/0593193415

Why to Prune your “Excess” This Summer May 22, 2024

Have you seen this meme before? The one that always says something along the lines of: “adulthood is the cycle of constantly saying, I just have to get through this week, over and over again until you die”? Do you laugh or want to scream when you see it? Why have we allowed exhaustion and depletion to become the status quo? Should it be? And is there any realistic way to slow things down?

We don’t have all the answers. But this week, we’re talking about the practice of pruning – what it means and how it’s helped us apply some small adjustments, or cut backs, to life’s taxing cycle of demands. A few questions for you to consider as you look at what to prune from you own life right now:

What causes me to accept living in this exhaustion/depletion cycle?

What’s the why behind my yes to this commitment?

Who am I investing in who’s no longer investing in me?

What do I need to stop “should-ing” myself about?

Where can I reset my expectations of “above and beyond” to a realistic “good enough”?

These are just a few of the filters Shannon and I are working to set up in our lives to help us prune spots of excess. Yours will certainly be different and unique to your family, your schedule, your season. The bottom line is, we all run greater risk than we realize when we don’t practice occasional pruning. I love how the necessity of pruning grapevines in winemaking applies so aptly to us as well:

“Left on its own, a grapevine will sprawl and spread itself out, huge crops can ripen unevenly and usually result in grapes that lack the intensity of flavor needed to make great wine.”

Sound familiar??? What filters can you put in the place to do a little needed pruning as we move into this summer season?

How to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most with Darren Whitehead May 14, 2024

Have you ever done a fast? It’s not incredibly common in our culture anymore (unless it’s giving up something for Lent or a juice fast to drop a few quick pounds, it seems!). Well, it’s an age-old practice that pastor and author, Darren Whitehead, can save us from our phones.

https://www.instagram.com/darrenwhitehead/

The 40-day digital detox started a year ago with his Franklin, TN church congregation either fully or partially fasting from all apps not considered utility on their phones. (So yes, you can still work and call/text!). And it was an overwhelming success! They’ve now done it multiple times, and Darren is giving us the inside scoop on the program in his new book, The Digital Fast: 40 Days to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Fast-Detox-Reclaim-Matters/dp/B0CQD95HG6/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qd9yqmvJ6NE9ijyqqDmiLdpUMskrvkeAgOjwpj2xrm2czkTnKA8zDb3IlVbkulTjqF-ucKlK5eGOVD0Y-MSnS6cff_w_S8yekHAnuEYKTWE.n3BjnYH6B-ET-nNl4nZ-iw_gBe6kYrgQcKp0RYqC1aQ&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxeyxBhC7ARIsAC7dS3_6J-f9KELoV4upgizDsgoAAWZgW9bfjpbSAl5UvttHD7u-fm-abaMaAqSNEALw_wcB&hvadid=693190154324&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9013186&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2766643418922460592&hvtargid=kwd-2281601668473&hydadcr=22594_13493210&keywords=the+digital+fast+darren+whitehead&qid=1715203206&sr=8-1

Darren’s major concern is that “our smartphones are now taking from us more than they’re giving to us.” Yikes! But it’s so true. And the beautiful outcome of this fast for nearly all who’ve embraced it is restored time and attention and joy. Darren reminds us that these devices, while a necessary and helpful tool, have gone from something we have mastery over to things that have mastery over us.

Do you want to reclaim your time? Your attention? Your focus? Your joy??? Don’t throw out your iPhone, but do embrace the millennia’s old practice of fasting, the point of which is to put something aside in order to pick something more life-giving up. What would you have room to enjoy, to pick up again, if you put down your phone for a detox?

See more resources from Jonathan Haidt here https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jonathan-Haidt/author/B001H6GAXW?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

The Secret to Joy with Randy Frazee Apr 24, 2024

This week’s guest is speaking my language on every level!! He’s been studying joy as a pastor and researcher for 5 years and, in his words, “mining the book of Philippians for joy for 27.” As a But Randy Frazee’s mission is not just to teach us about joy. He’s here to teach us how to build our joy muscles; how to, as his new book The Joy Challenge’s subtitle assures: discover the ancient secret to experiencing worry-defeating, circumstance-defying happiness. Who doesn’t want that??

Randy walks us through the spiritual, the scientific, and the practical of seeking and sustaining life-changing joy. Not just temporal happiness, but a lifestyle and mindset of joy despite our circumstances, our people, our pasts, and our greatest worries. Randy draws ancient wisdom from the apostle Paul in Philippians as well as modern neuroscience and physiology to give us a full picture understanding of how our minds and spirits work together to lead us into lives of daily joy.

Follow Randy here https://www.randyfrazee.com/

Get The Joy Challenge book here https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Challenge-Experiencing-Worry-Defeating-Circumstance-Defying/dp/0718086163

The Gift of the Unexpected: Finding yourself when your life goes off plan with Jillian Benfield Apr 16, 2024

What if the dreaded, unexpected thing in your life is actually the beginning of becoming your truest, most flourishing self?

This is Jillian’s story. This is my story. This is all of our stories at some point in life if we learn to yield to the God who redeems EVERYTHING. After receiving a life-altering diagnosis for her unborn son, Jillian Benfield faced not just unmatched grief as a young mother, but also a dismantling and rebuilding of all she believed, in her faith and in her overall worldview of personal value and worthiness.

Overcoming her unexpected circumstance wasn't an option. She would have to undergo it instead. She would learn to find God’s goodness in a situation that she couldn’t qualify as good. She would discover who she truly was and who God was leading her to become.

In her own transforming journey through the challenges of the unexpected, Jillian proves how many good gifts seasons of grief can offer. In her book, The Gift of the Unexpected, she helps you break down the false constructs you've built around God and your identity. You won't avoid your pain, but you'll learn to feel it, in a healing way. And you'll discover how your internal transformation leads to external purpose.

Reset Your Relationship with Your Phone & Restore the Relationships That Matter with Joey Odom & Aro Apr 09, 2024

I’d be willing to bet you’ve found and are listening to this week’s episode on your phone, right? So let me start by saying – phones are not evil! But we’re lying to ourselves if we don’t admit their power to addict, distract, and ultimately steal from many of life’s joys given the CONSTANT connection and attention most of us give them. Did you know…?

91% of adults have their phone within arm’s reach all day, every day.

63% are trying to limit screen usage somehow but struggle to do so successfully.

This week’s guest has fallen victim to constant phone absorption, as we all have, but he is offering us a solution. Joey Odom, co-founder of the Aro box & app, is bringing us the first solution designed specifically for families looking to reduce screen time and increase quality time together. The beauty of Aro? They’re not calling us back to flip phones or swearing off technology – they’re a tech company after all! Their ultimate purpose is to give us the tools, structure, and the emotional investment necessary to reset our relationship with our phones, and thus, reprioritize all the other relationships that have been suffering as a result of our devices.

There’s no shame here. Just the courage to face a tough reality along with a much needed, real solution. Thank you, Aro!

Enrich Marriage & Intimacy w/ Lindsey Maestes Apr 02, 2024

Well friends, this is the one either you’ve been eagerly waiting for OR the one that scares you the most to open 🤪. This week, we’re talking all things marriage and intimacy. This was obviously such a gift for me as Connor and I approach our first anniversary next month, but Lindsey’s work as a marriage and intimacy coach, writer, and podcaster serves those in any and every stage of marriage.

Over her past decade of working with women, she’s curated 3 online courses to help us enrich specific life seasons that often need a little extra TLC. The Wife Project: From Roommates to Soulmates, The Sex & Intimacy Project for Couples, and The Modern Proverbs 31 Woman course all stem from her passion for thriving, God-centered relationships and are rooted in her own decade plus-long marriage as well as her work alongside women and men far ahead in years and wisdom.

I love her because she is a beautifully and confidently open book. Anything you’ve walked through, wondered, or struggled with, Lindsey likely addresses with us or on her podcast, the Living Easy podcast. No one sits down with Lindsey and leaves feeling alone. Her heart is for all of us to walk in rich, flourishing relationship, and she’s here to help us do just that.

Follow Lindsey

https://www.instagram.com/livingeasywithlindsey/

Check out all Lindsey’s courses here

https://stan.store/lindsey

From Rock Bottom to Radical Joy: Why Your Story Matters with Molly Stillman Mar 27, 2024

I couldn’t ask for a more perfect guest for Easter week than Molly Stillman. Her debut book, If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry: How Death, Debt, and Comedy Led to a Life of Faith, Farming, and Forgetting What I Came into This Room For, releases TODAY and is a start-to-finish witness that God is always working to redeem our messes.

From the tragic loss of her mother at age 17, to incurring and digger her way out of a mountain of debt at 21, to thoughts of ending her own life, Molly chronicles her “emotional, financial, and spiritual rock bottom” for readers with the ultimate hope that they never give up hope for their own stories.

As a former improv and sketch comedian, our conversation is all that it implies – big laughs and occasional tears, all rooted in her since found unshakeable foundation of faith. More than anything, Molly wants YOU to know that YOUR STORY has power, potential, and endless kingdom purpose in the hands of the God she knows and loves. No one is too far gone. Nothing is beyond redemption.

How to Get Past Your Past with Jason VanRuler Mar 19, 2024

Do any of these exasperating statements sound familiar to you?

That really was the last time.

I’m going to do it differently than they did.

I can’t keep letting this affect me.

I’ve got to move on.

Me too. And this week’s guest’s personal story and his life work is to help people like you and me get past our pasts. Jason VanRuler is a liscenced therapist, coach, and speaker working with clients from high-level business execs and artists to those transitioning out of incarceration. And the one thing he sees we all have in common: the tendency to let our pasts rob our present and threaten our futures.

Jason is kind. He is wise. And he is so generous to equip us with the tangible ways to start actively working through the parts of our story we continue to feel or fall victim to. And the best part of all of this? When we learn how to get past our broken past, it leads to greater connection – with our loved ones, with ourselves, and with all the goodness around us.

Follow Jason

Order Get Past Your Past: How Facing Your Broken Past Leads to Connection

Kinda Counseling #4 - Q&A Interview with Mattie Mar 12, 2024

This week is super fun because we’re flipping the script and having Shannon interview ME! I’ve loved our one on one time with y’all, talking through different topics and issues that affect all of us. But I thought with season 3 underway and so much exciting change happening in my world, why not take a pause and share a little more detail about my day to day right now.

A battle for hope after life changing loss with Granger Smith Feb 27, 2024

If you’re a country music fan like me, you likely already know Granger Smith as a platinum-selling country singer/songwriter, but did you know he is now a NYT best-selling author??

Granger’s story, Like A River: Finding the faith and strength to move forward after loss & heartache, is devasting and tender and ultimately, charged with hope. Following the tragic, sudden loss of his 3-year-old son, Granger walks us through not only the crippling fears and failures of his grief journey but also the radical spiritual and mental transformation that has led to his healing.

For anyone struggling with loss or simply battling the how’s and why’s of life’s heartbreaks, Granger is your friend and guide through darkness.

How to Est. New Patters When Loving Others Has Left You Hurting with Courtney Burg Feb 20, 2024

I think it’s safe to say all of us have felt that churning inside, that unwelcomed angst, when a friend or family member seems to overstep or under appreciate or fail to communicate yet again. No one wants to be trapped in cycles of less safety and more stress with the people you love, but many of us do and simply learn to “live with it.” Courtney Burg knows and shows us a better way.

Through decades of both personal struggle and professional coaching around co-dependency and boundaries, Courtney calls and equips women to the work of pursuing freer and richer love in their relationships. In her new book, Loyal to a Fault: How to Est. New Patters When Loving Others Has Left You Hurting,she helps us identify patterns of disfunction/tension in our closest relationships and then showers us with empathy and instruction on how to live better boundaried and, thus, more lovingly with those around us.

I walked away from this conversation feeling freer to communicate clearly, better aware of my own needs and core values, and practically equipped to establish boundaries for myself and for others. What a gift her hard-won wisdom is to all of us!

Follow Courtney: Instagram & Online Community

Buy Loyal to a Fault

Join her in reading 5 Days to a Value Driven Life

How to fight for a life of friendship and true connection with Justin Whitmel Earley Feb 13, 2024

Season 3 is here, and I can think of no better place to start than with my new friend, Justin Whitmel Earley. As both a corporate lawyer, man of God, and dad of 4 boys under 10, Justin has cracked the code on HABITS. Seems simple right? Don’t we all want to foster good habits in our lives and in our families? Sure, but Justin’s 3 books focus on just that – the powerful creation and rhythms of habits in work, in the household, and most recently, in friendships.

His latest book, Made for People, addresses the devastating epidemic of loneliness plaguing our country and invites us to follow his lead in the “fight for a life of friendship” and connection. His wisdom has been found and lived in real time, and he’s giving us the roadmap with 10 of his arts and habits of relationship – a few we touch on being vulnerability, honest encouragement and rebuke, and the courage to say the awkward things.

There’s no time in history I believe we need the up-close love and support of our people more than right now. Justin tells us not only is it possible, but it can actually save our lives.

Resolutions, Intentions, and Setting Your Filters for 2024 Dec 26, 2023

Do you fall victim to resolution regret every year? Maybe you go into the new year strong, with genuine, I-can-do-it-this time convictions and then come March, you’re right back where you started. Ever think maybe we’re teeing all this up wrong?

What if in place of rules or resolutions, this year we focused on rhythms? What if instead of shooting for that 180 degree turn in our health or relationship or professional life, we chose to get 1% better each week? What if we mapped out who we wanted to be 5 years from now instead of what boxes we wanted to check in 6 months? What if we worked backward with our goals – setting not undoable finish lines to cross but establishing core values through which to filter our decisions and plans?

Shannon and I are no experts - we’ve done it wrong plenty of times. And this year, we’re flipping the script. Join us in changing our approach to New Years growth and goals, including the attached, customizable vision board for you and your family to adjust your vision for 2024.

Happy New Year, y’all!

A Chat with Santa & Christmas Party Tips from My Fav Elves Dec 12, 2023

As we grow nearer and nearer to Christmas, I hope this week’s jolly episode brings you a burst of joy as you shop, wrap, bake, or hustle to get whatever checked off your Christmas list this week! In part 1, you’ll hear from some of my favorite elves (BFFs) on some fabulously easy and delicious Christmas app & cocktail recipes as well as some insider tricks for parents reeling in the face of two more weeks of elf on the shelf.

In part 2, I get to chat with Santa himself!!! We get a little insight on his health journey over the past year (don’t worry, he hasn’t given up cookies, and neither should you!), how he and Mrs. Claus celebrate Christmas, and more.

I hope this festive episode brings you a little lightness and joy this week as we continue the advent and Christmas season!

Follow Santa J. Claus on Instagram

Elves’ fav recipes:

Emily’s easy bacon crackers: https://www.aforkstale.com/easy-bacon-cracker-recipe/

Emily’s Boursin, prosciutto crostinis: https://www.hungryhooker.com/new-recipes/cheesy-crostini-bites-84maf

Madison’s homemade shortbread: https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/stem-ginger-shortbread/

Ryba fudge & treats: https://ryba.com

Rahaf’s spicy sweet potato bites (serves 4):

2 sweet potatoes, cut into rounds and then halved

Your favorite chili oil (recipe discussed in episode)

Toss in salt, pepper and chili oil

Roast at 425 for 15 minutes or until soft

Relish topping (chopped by hand or in food processor):

1/4 cup pistachios, almonds or walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup figs or dates, chopped

zest of 2 limes

1/8 cup olive oil

1 bunch of mint, roughly chopped

salt to taste

Put on top of sweet potatoes and enjoy.

Elf on the shelf creative tips:

https://creativelykaty.com/products/elf-on-shelfs-journey-to-the-manger-2023?_pos=1&_sid=fc9e9840f&_ss=r

Hope in the Hard Diagnosis & How to Stay Allies in Your Marriage Dec 05, 2023

Shannon and Chase Willardson may as well be brand ambassadors for this podcast. Their family’s story, their enduringly hopeful hearts, and their unending commitment to choosing joy during lifelong difficulty is inspiring. Within the first year after the birth of their second child, Shannon and Chased learned that their daughter, Charlie, suffered from an extremely rare disease called CDG, a lifelong prognosis with no treatment or cure. And even more, as they worked to accept and adapt to Charlie’s profound lifestyle needs, they became pregnant with their third child who was diagnosed in utero with the same disease.

Shannon and Chase share openly the spiritual and emotional turmoil that facing these diagnoses brought on their family, but even so, never stray too far from the hope that their foundation of faith and resilient relationship have provided. They are courageously honest about the struggles and darkness of their reality and yet always return to active gratitude and celebration of the family they love. They are admirable and enduring allies on this journey and in their marriage. They are truly such a joy!

Follow Shannon on Instagram

Listen to the Willardsons on Don’t Judge, Just Love podcast

Is Worry Free Living (and Parenting) Possible? with Sissy Goff Nov 28, 2023

Sissy Goff has not only spent 3 decades counseling children and their families but is a prolific author and speaker and just pretty much spews joy and wisdom everywhere she goes. Her most recent book is a MUST READ for all parents and really all humans. The Worry Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too offers empathy, intellect, and endless tangible resources for all of us to better identify and manage anxiety.

A few of the awesome topics we cover:

-5 ways to identify when anxiety shows up (in our bodies, minds, and hearts)

-How to “stop, drop, and flip” intrusive, anxious thoughts

-Learning to trust your gut

-The power in “letting the bottom 20% go”

I could not love Sissy or her heart for people and families more! This is truly a don’t miss for everyone, in any stage of life.

Kinda Counseling with Mattie & Shannon: How boundaries better your relationships Nov 21, 2023

Are you in a relationship that continues to feel depleting, unhealthy, even toxic? How do we know when it’s time to create some space, have a conversation, or – as we talk ALL about in today’s episode – set a much-needed boundary with a partner, family member, colleague, or friend? Boundaries are at the foundation of healthy relationship in the counseling world, but what do they mean practically for us? Shannon and I discuss: · What are boundaries?· Why do they matter?· Why they are NOT selfish when the motive is love.· Why they are the key to preserving healthy relationships.· How they build foundation and margin for necessary self-care.

This is conversation applies to everyone, in all types of relationships. At the end of day, boundaries are to preserve, not to punish, and to help all of us “identify where the other person begins and where we end.” They are the start of better health and honesty in relationship – don’t miss Shan’s professional wisdom and practical direction on boundaries!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=gyojvztu_9Y&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

Resilience in Marriage, Attraction, and Anxiety/Depression with Doug & Jamie Hehner Nov 07, 2023

If you’ve ever seen the reality show Married at First Sight, you know what a challenge those first months and years of being married to a full-on stranger proves to be for couples. Doug and Jamie Hehner, from the show’s first season, are the quintessential arranged marriage success story. Ten years and two beautiful kids later, the Hehners commit their podcast and public platforms to share the real ups and downs of their lives and invite all their followers to do the same on their show, Hot Marriage, Cool Parents.

We cover everything in this episode from attraction and how it changes shape over the course of relationships to prolonged seasons of post-partum anxiety and depression. Whether you’re single, newly married, or have been in this for a decade like them, we can all relate to the everyday humanness and hope Doug and Jamie’s story offers. They’re real. They’re resilient. They’re a couple who has refused to give up on joy in their marriage.

Follow Jamie & HMCP on Instagram

Hanging with the Hehners on YouTube

Hot Marriage, Cool Parents podcast

Insight Timer for meditation

The waiting, the whys, and how-to’s of secure, godly relationships with Madi Prewett Oct 31, 2023

Madi Prewett Troutt has run the gamut of dating experiences and disappointments. From high school heartbreaks many experience, to publicly defending her faith on the Bachelor, to seasons of longing and wrestling with God when she was “always a bridesmaid, never a bride,” Madi teaches us as much about waiting and contentment than she does love itself.

Madi’s latest book, The Love Everybody Wants: What You’re Looking for is Already Yours, is chock full of practical, doable strategies for dating intentionally and faithfully. She’s done it wrong and done it right, and she’s such an honest guide through the struggles of pursuing relationship. But more than that, her life is a powerful testament to the security, peace, and confidence that comes when we start to define our worth and identity, not by relationship status, but by the love that’s already ours – the love of Christ.

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The spirit & science of hope with Dr. Lee Warren Oct 24, 2023

Imagine you’ve spent your entire career studying the brain, treating it for trauma and disease, and subsequently, helping patients cope with the grief that follows. Dr. Lee Warren, an esteemed neurosurgeon and Iraq War veteran, had literally written the books on PTSD and the brain (No Place to Hide & I’ve Seen the End of You). But when he tragically lost his nineteen-year-old son, his neurological understanding of trauma recovery was met with his own struggle through the mental, emotional, and spiritual journey of grief.

Dr. Warren’s latest book, Hope is the First Dose,walks us through his own unspeakable tragedy and how his profession and his faith came together to land at the one thing none of us can survive or live fully without – hope. Dr. Warren gives us tangible, powerful ways to understand what our bodies do after trauma as well as spiritual revelations of faith that bridge Scripture and science in ways that will, no pun in intended, blow your mind.

Breaking the mold and bridging the gap with Hannah Dasher Oct 17, 2023

Hannah Dasher singer and songwriter, TikTok star and cook, and absolute, all-around entertainer. Known for her big hair, bigger heart, and hilarious wit, Hannah’s presence and her music bring together followers from all backgrounds, belief systems, and walks of life. Like me, her passion is traditional country music – the kind filled with steel guitars and stories that cut to the heart of what it’s like to be human. This woman tells it (and sings it) like it is and has a God-given confidence we all need a little more of in our lives.

Hannah has been named a CMT Next Women of Country artist, Fender Next artist, a MusicRow “Next Big Thing” artist, and more. She’s as kind as she is talented and is a model of authenticity and grit to the women of our generation and the next. Her newest album, The Other Damn Half, debuts this month.

Follow Hannah on Instagram and TikTok https://www.instagram.com/hannahdasher/ https://www.tiktok.com/@hannahdamndasher?lang=en

Hannah’s music https://open.spotify.com/artist/60JD0JML3KiTHFkKNGv16e?si=Be_lSeRbT_CJ-Z6y9VveHA&nd=1

Hannah’s tour dates https://www.songkick.com/artists/6444959-hannah-dasher/calendar

Finding grace, freedom, and purpose in an overachieving world with Mary Marantz Oct 10, 2023

"Each of us have a version of us who has already walked into the room ahead of us, introduced us, and left us uninvited.” Have you ever felt this way? Helpless to outrun or outdo or undo the parts of your story you feel define you? This is Mary’s story. Having grown up in a trailer park, Mary is the quintessential, American Dream success story. From rural West Virginia to Harvard Law. But even in her success, achievement slowly shifted from a thing worth celebrating to the thing that kept her running, exhausted, from that old story she longed to escape.

This conversation and Mary’s latest book, Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots (https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Growth-Equals-Strong-Roots/dp/0800738462), is for anyone who has leaned on achievement, perfectionism, performance, or shapeshifting to try to outrun their past. Mary is brave and honest in sharing her lifelong struggle to escape the endless burden of being and doing more. Her story is an invitation to choose progress over perfection, slow growth over relentless grind, and contentment over control.

Take Mary’s achiever types quiz @ https://marymarantz.com/quiz-get-started (https://marymarantz.com/quiz-get-started)

Follow Mary on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/marymarantz/)

Subscribe to her podcast,

The Mary Marantz Show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mary-marantz-show/id1478272407)

Kinda Counseling with Mattie & Shannon: How to process trauma and navigate conflict Oct 03, 2023

The idea of processing our emotions, experiences, fears, etc. is at the foundation of not just professional counseling but simply healthy living as humans. So, this week I sit down with one of my best friends and In Joy Life’s resident therapist to talk about:

-What does processing really mean? How do we do it?

-Why does it matter for our own mental health and for the flourishing of our relationships?

-What happens when we process differently (and in different time frames) than those we’re in a relationship/conflict with?

-What is brain spotting, and how does it help us process trauma?

-The difference in resolving vs. repairing.

This is basically like a casual counseling session with my bestie (yikes!) and a conversation full of tools for you to better process tough feelings and situations, both independently and with those you love.

Church wounds, courageous forgiveness, and loving in the gaps with Anna Golden Sep 26, 2023

Anna Golden is a walking, talking, insanely-talented-singing bundle of joy. After 10 decades of fulltime worship-leading and ministry, she’s releasing her second, full-length solo album called Church. It is an invitation not just into her personal story of wounds and grief and restoration to the Church that hurt her, but a genuine call for all of us to choose forgiveness over bitterness, redemption over retreat, and hope in the radical restoration that God can work in any and every story.

Even as a younger (and way cooler, Gen Z!) sister in Christ, Anna has set a renewed example for me for what it means to trust God’s call for us to love his Church. This woman is about to make some powerful waves with this generation, and I’m so grateful to share her work with you.

Follow Anna on Instagram

Get her album Church

Letting go and living openhanded with Colbie Caillat and Rahaf Amer Sep 19, 2023

If you grew up anything like me, singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat was ALL OVER your first iPod. After blowing up with her debut single, “Bubbly,” Colbie became a voice for the singers and dreamers of my generation and has since topped 15 billion streams, 2 Grammys, and is releasing her 7th solo album October of 2023.

What we love about her new album, besides that it’s in the country genre this go ‘round, is how rich, raw, and vulnerable the record is as she takes us through the journey of grieving and healing forward after the end of her decades-long engagement. The tension she’s learned and teaches us to hold between missing and cherishing past loves as well as embracing new seasons “Wide Open” is an invitation for listeners to live wholly human – in the hurt, the hope, and everything else Along the Way, as the album is so aptly titled.

Join me, Colbie, and our dear friend Rahaf on this week’s episode to get their insights on letting go, living openhanded, and loving yourself.

Pre-save Colbie’s new album, Along the Way (https://www.colbiecaillat.com/)

@colbiecaillat (https://www.instagram.com/colbiecaillat/?hl=en)

@rahafamer_ (https://www.instagram.com/rahafamer_/?hl=en)

How to Claim Your True Identity with Hosanna Wong Sep 12, 2023

Hosanna Wong is an author, poet, and Christian spoken word artist (really, really cool -tt’s like poetry in motion!). Hosanna’s newest book, You Are More Than You've Been Told: Unlock a Fresh Way to Live Through the Rhythms of Jesus, is the very message you need if you ever struggle to live out of your true, unshakeable identity. She courageously shares her own story of breaking free from decades of lies about who she was and what she was capable of. It is equally as personal as it is practical with immediate, life-changing takeaways in every chapter. Her love for God and passion for living big and living freely in palpable. These rhythms truly do unlock a fresh way to live.

12. SEASON FINALE: To the One Completely Tired of Waiting Apr 18, 2023

Have you, like me, found yourself saying a lot recently: “I can’t wait!”?

Whether this statement comes from a place of wonderful excitement or a really tough moment of frustration, the reality of and pace of life often leaves us in seasons of waiting. It’s inevitable!

In this episode, I'm chatting about how taking the ACTION of hoping, you can create a MINDSET of greater joy and peace.

If you find yourself currently waiting for something, tune in to learn why waiting well is less about the thing you’re waiting for and more about what happens in you and in your relationship with God and with others in the process.

Tune in to this episode to ensure you don’t miss the treasure right where you are. Don’t miss the joy in the waiting.

www.mattiejackson.net

11. Re-Meeting the Child in You with Laura Williams, LPC Apr 11, 2023

Do you feel like you’re floundering in the wake of a hard loss? Or are you crushing it, thriving by cultural metrics, and yet don’t feel happy?

Well, we have just the counselor for you! And I do mean licensed professional counselor, writer, and podcaster, Laura Williams.

Laura’s practice specializes in developmental and relational trauma (yes, we will learn what that means here), and her ultimate goal with all her clients and listeners is: “to help you heal the wounds that keep you from yourself.” Heck. Yes.

We talk about the things that most often keep us from freedom as adults, and she offers clinical, spiritual, and incredibly practical strategies to find and begin processing our trauma points.

Some key takeaways from Laura:

Everyone has trauma; it’s simply “a place of wounding where a need wasn’t met.”
You have the power to “reparent” yourself through the childhood wounds that limit you as an adult.
How connecting back with the little kid in you (your “inner child”) can be the most practical and doable way to chase small joys!
Humor is a critical element of enduring hardship and chasing joy in grief. (LOVE THIS)

The bottom line is: the you God individually and purposefully made you to be has likely gotten masked by a lifetime of experiences, traumatic or not. Laura’s passion is to help you dig up and dust off the best (i.e. most free and most joyful!) parts of yourself that life has covered up.

Because don’t you want to re-meet the little you God has always intended adult you to be?

Follow Laura here:

https://www.instagram.com/laurawilliamslpc/

For full notes visit:

https://www.mattiejackson.net/in-joy-life

10. Embracing the Art of the Pivot with Mary Hollis Huddleston Mar 28, 2023

At some (well, unfortunately, many points) in life, we all hit a roadblock, a dead end, or maybe have the rug of a really good thing pulled out from under us. Seasons end, relationships break, or for whatever reason, plans must change. This week’s guest has struggled through, faced head on, and finally embraced what she calls, “the art of the pivot.” Mary Hollis Huddleston has been forced to pivot both professionally (as an entrepreneur, influencer, and author) and personally (as a full-time working mom of 2) at many points in her life. And according to her, when we have the courage and tools and faith to be flexible with our future, God often steps in with even better plans than we had planned for ourselves. What Mary teaches us:

Why the art of the pivot can yield fruit from failure.
Balance is not actually attainable; prioritizing well is.
Adult friendships are a necessity for joy and flourishing (especially for women).
Bonus! Great inside tips on stress-free hosting/entertaining.

The bottom line is, Mary actually does do it all. With a hugely successful event rental business, entertaining Instagram platform, her second novel on the way, and a hubby and two kids at home, even she reminds us: “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at the same time.” Her energy is inspiring, her fervor for life contagious, and her why-not-try attitude has brought her huge success across the event industry and beyond. But how did all this purpose and these projects come to be? By embracing the art of the pivot. Keep up with Mary: @mrssouthernsocial (link https://www.instagram.com/mrssouthernsocial/) Please Be Seated (link https://pleasebeseated.com/) Books (link https://mrssouthernsocial.com/without-a-hitch-coming-dec-2021/)

9. Is Hurry Stealing Your Joy? Mar 21, 2023

A question I’ve been asking a lot lately is not just how can I seek after joy, but also what are some everyday enemies of it?

And one of these enemies I’ve been thinking, reading, and talking a lot about recently is: hurry.

If you’re honest, when is the last time you went through an entire week or day without feeling hurried or rushed?

And is this crazed pace of life you’re living, the chronic hurriedness of your heart, stealing your joy?

Tune in to this episode as I dive into:

How to lessen hurry and to experience more joy,
The unusual word of the year I chose - and why it's harder than I thought it'd be, and
Intentional steps I'm taking to become more present everyday

What if joy is somewhere right in front of you? Don’t you want to savor it too?

For full notes, head to: www.mattiejackson.net

8. Living with Joyful Defiance in the Face of Darkness with Scott Sauls Mar 14, 2023

Sometimes as we see news, social media, shoot, just life being life -- joy feels impossible, at best, and maybe even inconsiderate, at worst.

How can I continue on hoping and happy when so much evil and loss and heartbreak is happening around me or to me?

Scott Sauls, senior pastor of my church here in Nashville, has faced his share of personal hurts and regrets (the opening words to his latest book are him saying, “You suck,” to himself).

He’s walked through his own suffering with anxiety and depression as well as pastored his congregation, family, and friends for nearly 3 decades.The good news Scott has to offer? Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen – the title of his latest book. His whole message to readers and listeners is, as its subtitle reads, how God redeems regret, hurt, and fear in the making of better humans.

The bad stuff that happens is always raw material for God to bring forth the best stuff in us, if we let him.Some key points from Scott:

Why gentleness in conflict speaks pretty loudly these days.
How shame and regret can bring us into richer relationship with God.
The power of beholding and abiding.
How to live fully in a tragic place.

Part of why I love Scott is he’s not afraid to tell the truth about all that sucks in this life. But that honest lament is always followed by joyful defiance, inexhaustible hope, and the reminder that our best days are never behind us; they’re always ahead of us.

Follow Scott here: https://www.instagram.com/scottsauls/

7. How to Age Gracefully and Gratefully with Melissa Joan Hart and Amanda Lee Mar 07, 2023

I bet it doesn’t take long for your critical mind’s eye to conjure up a time when you felt insecure in your body.

Whatever the memory, whatever the scale or the season, all of us are haunted at points by the “not ______ enough’s” or the “too _________’s” about our bodies.

This week’s guests know what it’s like to have all eyes – and cameras – on you.

As a child star – beginning acting at 4 years old – whose TV/film career skyrocketed in her teens and early twenties (e.g. Clarissa Explains It All & Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Melissa Joan Hart has decades of experience resisting the snares of comparison and insecurity.

But even as a young actress, Melissa says she didn’t feel as much pressure to live up to unrealistic physical standards then as she has this past decade of aging after having her three children. And her bestie and co-host, Amanda Lee (former beauty pageant queen, also mom of 3), doubles down on the crucial intentionality it takes to stay grateful for the body we have, rather than obsessing about the one we don’t.

These two get real and spur us on in the struggle:

It takes faith and adoring community pouring into your self-worth to build up confidence (it’s hard to maintain on your own).
“Health/fitness” should look more like what our bodies are able to do than just how our bodies look.
There’s no better antidote for toxic comparison than gratitude (and Botox ;)).

As Melissa so simply and profoundly reminds us, “the goal is to get older.” The goal is to live another day, another year, another decade in a body and mind that serves you best for the time you’re in.

Sure, it doesn’t always look or feel sexy, but they’re calling us not the miss the beauty in the process just because we don’t always like the picture. None of us stay 21 forever – why not learn to age gracefully and gratefully (and with no shortage of humor!)?

For full episodes notes and behind the scenes, head to: www.mattiejackson.net

6. The Messy Journey to More with Naomi Raine Feb 28, 2023

What baggage, what wounds, what regrets continue to hold you back from the more you know you’re made for? What parts of your life do you keep frantically sweeping under the rug for fear your followers or family or God, or worse, your own self will reject you if they only knew?

Naomi Raine – Grammy award winning singer, writer, producer, pastor, and worship leader – sets a life-changing example of authentic struggle and the resulting richness of life that comes from owning our messes.

Her latest solo album, Journey, is genuine and raw. Zero façade. Brutally honest and powerfully hopeful. She lays it all out for us – the good, the bad, and ugly that when acknowledged honestly, led her to more intimate relationship with God and those in her daily life.

Just a few of her nuggets of gold are:

Worship is more about how you offer your day to God than how well or often you sing to him.
Learning to be more honest with God helps us be better people to people.
How to get back on the same page with God when we’ve veered off course.
How to enjoy the “even if,” the waiting seasons well.

Naomi gives us permission to engage our struggles and in doing so, move toward freedom from them.

Whatever polished picture you think your people or your church or your God needs to see you and embrace you is BS, my friends. Working through your mess draws your (safe!) people closer, strengthens the relationship, and ultimately brings greater intimacy than sweeping things under the rug ever will.

But as Naomi reminds us, it’s a journey. And it’s a journey very worth taking.

Follow Naomi here: https://www.instagram.com/naomiraine

5. Losses, Silver Linings, and Silverbelly Whiskey with Alan Jackson & Robbie Goldsmith Feb 21, 2023

Not one of us is immune to losses, failures – you name it – the regular human struggles of life. So, the question is not how do we avoid them, but how do persevere and grow and even create beautiful things in their wake?

You know that I know how tough fighting despair with joy can be. So, you also know how outrageously worth it I know living with defiant and resilient hope is!

And so do both of this week’s guests.

Today I’m joined by my sweet Dad, Alan Jackson, and my dear friend and entrepreneur Robbie Goldsmith.

As CEO Robbie has launched and grown Dad’s own personal bourbon brand, Silverbelly, but the two share more than just the love of a good whiskey. Both men open up about the experience of losing their dads and how, with time passed and the intentional choices to seek the silver linings, came great perseverance, creativity, and life on the other side of those losses.

Some take-aways from the guys:

Find joy (even in the loss) wherever you can.
Failure is required for growth, in business and in life.
Orient yourself toward the people, places, and principles you most want to reflect.
Success starts with serving others; put the mission first, and the money will follow.

As Robbie reminds us, “life is 90% perspective.” What happens to us can tear us up and slow us down, or it can open up our hearts, our businesses, and our songwriting (in Dad’s case) to support and connect with others going through their own struggles. When we choose joy and service, even our most painful losses show a silver lining.

Get your exclusive Silver Belly Whiskey here: https://silverbellywhiskey.com/

4. Are Your Failures Your Biggest Assets? Feb 14, 2023

What’s that one dream you’re shelving because you’re afraid it’s too big, too expensive, or too out there? What’s the phone call that’s eating away at you to make, but you’re so scared that the voice on the other end may not want to reconcile? What’s the really hard truth you need to say out loud to yourself to move forward but you can’t because forward will for sure equal a failure? No one likes it, of course, but I hate failure – despise it. Always have. Because the flaw in my thinking since childhood has been that a failed project, a failed plan, a failed relationship means a failed me. A flawed me. A less than me. In the eyes of the world, failure chips away at the value of who I am. DON’T TELL YOURSELF THESE LIES FOR 30 YEARS LIKE I DID!!! A few things I’ve learned:

A failed project, plan, etc. means you still have something pivotal to learn; learn it. That’s the fruit.

Failed communication or conflict in a *safe* relationship can create more trust and safety when it’s handled with grace and humility. That’s the fruit.

Failure to meet a goal or keep a resolution doesn’t mean you can’t do it; it means you have more muscles to build on your way toward it. Build them. That’s the fruit.

A failure in obedience to God isn’t a red mark on your spiritual record; it’s a crack in your self-righteous armor that allows his soul-saving love to rush in all over again. That’s the fruit.

Your failures do not define who you are, but they can refine and enrich who you are if you let them. For more on this topic, head to: https://www.mattiejackson.net/in-joy-life

3. How to Combat Fear and Thrive in the Unknowns with Laura Osnes Feb 07, 2023

Have you recently had a dream or season you loved stolen too soon? Or maybe you’ve been thrust into a new opportunity or phase that, though wonderful, feels totally disorienting and overwhelming?

Actress and singer Laura Osnes has found herself in some deep waters over the course of her 15-year career, some miraculously exciting and some terribly heartbreaking.

Whether it was being thrown into the craziness of Broadway from a Minnesota dinner theater at age 21, shifting from stage acting to film for the first time, or reluctantly leaving her life in NYC after being rejected by her peers, Laura has felt the fear and pressures of entering unknown seasons.

In the face of life’s exciting open doors and its devastating endings, Laura inspires us to live with a generous balance of confidence and humility, a rightful sense of betrayal and the freedom of forgiveness.

A few big takeaways for me were:

Joy comes when you stop measuring your present against the next “I made it moment.”
Not every open door is a door you should walk through.
The power of keeping thick skin and a soft heart.
The permission you have to feel your hurt and own your bitterness without falling victim to it.

No matter what’s on the horizon for you right now or what water you feel like you’re treading, Laura’s story is a testament to how we all can choose joy where we are. Things always change. Doors open and close. Perseverance and faith are readily available to everyone.

Follow Laura here! https://www.instagram.com/lauraosnes/

2. Why the Now is Better than the Next with Shawn Johnson & Andrew East Jan 31, 2023

Do you find yourself constantly wishing time away or looking to next best thing? Are you genuinely trying to be present but, like me, continue failing to just “be where you are?” I’m a doer. A dreamer. I crave forward motion. But have I been missing the joys of today because my eyes are always set on being better for tomorrow? Like many of us, I have certainly been a victim of our self-help and self-development crazed culture (both of which are good things!). But what Shawn and Andrew helped me see is that sometimes the best progress, and the most joy, come from simply talking one day at a time. From learning and growing right where you are, today. From, yes, staying present. Take it from this powerhouse couple who have always been athletes and achievers on the move:

Take it from this powerhouse couple who have always been athletes and achievers on the move:

Conflict isn’t something to race through; it can be a tool to facilitate more honesty, tenderness, generosity, and intimacy in relationships.
Joy with toddlers (or in any exhausting season) is possible when you embrace the chaos and remember it for what it is – temporary.
Don’t be afraid to learn as you go. Don’t rush the process of marriage (and life). Steps 1-4 should come before step 5.

With two toddlers, multiple businesses, and millions tuning into their East Family YouTube platform daily, Shawn and Andrew have learned the powerful practice of loving, communicating, and celebrating in the now rather than constantly prioritizing the next thing. If they can do it, why can’t we?

Follow Shawn + Andrew here: https://www.instagram.com/shawnjohnson/ https://www.instagram.com/andrewdeast/

1. Why Fun is Spiritual & The Power of Learning to Want Well with Annie F. Downs Jan 31, 2023

Are you tired of waiting on that dream to be answered or that desire to be fulfilled? Would you give anything to feel a little joy in the waiting yet just keep fielding disappointment after disappointment? This week’s amazing guest gets you on every level! Annie F. Downs knows the feelings of longing and discontentment as much as she does rejoicing and success. Even as the super successful author, podcaster, and speaker she is now with her expansive platform and network, That Sounds Fun, Annie shares the years of no’s and let downs she battled on the road to her very not overnight success. She knows well what contentment does and does not look like when you’re waiting on dreams and prayers to be answered. We talk all about:

Loving your life right where you are (even if you don’t like where you are).
The joy of dreaming with God and leaning to want well.
The spiritual growth and healing power of having fun as adults.

Annie has seen many miraculous yeses and many heartbreaking no’s in her years as a professional and as a person. She is as honest about and hopeful for her not yet’s as she is crazy thankful for her numerous dreams come true. She’s as funny and encouraging as she is wise. If you need a powerful pump-up in your own waiting season, don’t miss this well of wisdom from Annie F. Downs. Follow Annie here! https://www.instagram.com/anniefdowns/

Introducing: In Joy Life with Mattie Jackson Jan 23, 2023

Isn’t one of the hardest parts of this human life that we actually have so much less control over it than we think we do? The world is broken, people fail us, accidents and illnesses and hard things happen every day, and they’re pretty much out of our hands.

I know this on a deeply personal level. When the person I loved most was suddenly, tragically taken from me, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do to bring him back, to heal myself. My heart was broken, and my hands totally tied. As a 28-year old widow, my situation would never be “fixed.”

But then I realized, there was one thing still left in hands. There was one choice that I had the agency to make, even as my world was falling to pieces around me. And I started choosing joy - in tiny, small, mundane, daily ways at first. Soft breezes, yummy foods, trying activities that Ben loved and learning to do them myself. And then, the beautiful things I chose that started out small began to have a huge impact on my mind, my heart, my whole life.

Here's a few things I hope you learn from me because I know they’re true:

Joy and pain are not mutually exclusive.
Joy is about adjusting your perspective, not changing your circumstances.
Joy is not a denial of reality; it is the freedom to be grateful and present in the middle of whatever your reality is.
Choosing joy takes courage; choosing joy is how we fight despair.

Why you learning to choose joy is important to me is because it truly saved me. It gave me permission to keep living and an invitation to celebrate daily beauty and the small wins, even in the midst of my worst grief. Choosing joy is the way we fight against despair and darkness in this world because it’s an intentional way of living that ushers in light! Seeking the good, choosing the beauty when so much ugly is happening is hard. It’s countercultural and courageous and life changing. And it starts small. We all have the agency to choose joy! Why not start today?

www.mattiejackson.net

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