Out of the Ordinary

267. This Ending is a Bridge May 29, 2024

Welcome to the episode of Out of the Ordinary that you-our listeners!-made with us. You all asked the best questions and offered the perfect conversation starters (and finishers!) ...

We have arrived at the end of Out of the Ordinary, but every ending is a new beginning. This week, with your help, we share what our ordinary lives are like today, how and why we began this podcast, and the words and images we are using to describe this current season of completion and change.

We consider the present and how this episode is like a graduation
We look to the future and how this podcast has been like a bridge
We give the full story and the honest truth about our friendship, our differences, and why this podcast is coming to an end
We answer YOUR questions, including whether we might write a book together!
We look to YOUR future and offer tips for finding new podcasts

Thank you, dear listeners. Thank you, Emily Graffius. Thank you, to our husbands Pete and Jon. And thank you to the best podcast coach and producer EVER Jodey Smith! If you've ever thought about starting your own podcast, you'll want Jodey on your side.

Podcast links:

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Get your print copy here to keep reading Lisa-Jo's new book.

Get your audio book copy here to hear the languages and accents in Lisa-Jo's own voice.

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy !

Sign up for Christie's forthcoming Substack newsletter here and be the first to hear all the upcoming Black Barn news.

266. The Second Last One May 22, 2024

We felt a pang as we hit record today. This is the second to final episode of 6 years of our conversations. But because conversation with a friend always does good work–we love the place where we landed. We pretty much landed this episode in heaven, didn’t we?

In our second-last episode we reminisce about our six-year journey, the impact these conversations have had on us and our embrace of ordinary life.

YOUR participation in the finale is requested. Click here to join the last conversation!
We look to the future and what's next for each of us.
We reflect on the bittersweet nature of endings, and the hope of an eternal narrative.
We look to YOUR future and what's next for each of our listeners.

Thank you for the amazing feedback to our episode of Lisa-Jo reading from her new book. And we loved meeting so many of you at the Nooks Book Reading event. Thank you for coming out! You all are our favorites! You can see a little recap of the evening here.

Thank you for reading with us.

Get your print copy here to keep reading Lisa-Jo's new book.

Get your audio book copy here to hear the languages and accents in Lisa-Jo's own voice.

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here. Thank you.

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

265. This One is a Must-Listen May 15, 2024

How's that for a title? But, friends, it's absolutely true. No spoilers here, but please don't miss the last ten minutes of this episode.

Today we're also delighted to bring you along on a face-to-face, Lisa-Jo and Christie, book celebration day.

a day of freedom (instead of fear) is possible because God heals the past
how to ask friends for the support and encouragement we need
the power of a praying friend
our podcast has felt like a wonderful dinner party among friends, but even great dinner parties can't last forever
every end is a new beginning
we look forward together to the never-ending heavenly feast

We want YOUR questions/comments -- join the conversation here!

Get your print copy here to keep reading Lisa-Jo's new book.

Get your audio book copy here to hear the languages and accents in Lisa-Jo's own voice.

Podcast links:

You're invited! Lisa-Jo will be reading from her brand-new book at the best new bookstore in Lancaster, PA. Join Christie to cheer her on!

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here. Thank you.

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

264. It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping May 08, 2024

Today we're delighted to bring you a special audio excerpt from Lisa-Jo's new book, It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping that went on sale this week. Step into the South African outback via a storm that started brewing in Maryland.

From Lisa-Jo: I grew up in a family obsessed with stories. My mom used to take me out of school to see “important movies.” Her bookshelves overflowed. And my brothers grew up to make movies for a living.

All that to say, friend, I hope you binge this book.

I hope it reads like a movie. This story that stretches from South African’s outback to Washington, D.C. and traces the overlapping terrible, hopeful histories of my father and me.

I hope you can’t put it down. And then I hope you can’t help but tell other people about it.

I’d be so grateful if you did.

Get your print copy here to keep reading.

Get your audio book copy here to keep listening.

Excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping: Interpreting the Language of Our Fathers Without Repeating Their Stories by Lisa-Jo Baker; Read by Lisa-Jo Baker © 2024, Lisa-Jo Baker, ℗ Penguin Random House, LLC.

Podcast links:

You're invited! Lisa-Jo will be reading from her brand-new book at the best new bookstore in Lancaster, PA. Join Christie to cheer her on!

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

263. How You CAN Time Travel to Change Your Past May 01, 2024

This was a breakthrough kind of episode. A little bit like 6 years of therapy condensed into half an hour. We hope it offers you as much of an "Aha" moment as it did for us!

In this week's conversation:

What if your past isn't your past?
What if you could go back to the worst bits in your story and re-write them?
What if your pain isn't fossilized?
What if your present can set you free from your past?
Click here for BOGO Offer of Lisa-Jo's new book that expires May 2 at midnight EST.

Podcast links:

You're invited! Lisa-Jo will be reading from her brand-new book at the best new bookstore in Lancaster, PA. Join Christie to cheer her on!

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START listening to the audio book or reading the ebook for It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

262. Why This Podcast Is A Memoir Apr 24, 2024

We're not sure why it took us so long to figure this out (and understand how much it matters!), but of course this podcast is like a weekly memoir of ordinary life. Here's what that means for you ...

In this week's conversation:

Christie and Lisa-Jo explore an epiphany: they've been recording a podcast memoir all these years!
Memoir-writing nudges us to reflect on the distant past
podcasting nudges Lisa-Jo and Christie to reflect on the recent past
Lisa-Jo explains the practice she is now using to reflect on the day just past
What happens when we pause to notice and reflect? The answer is so good, Christie wonders if it's really too good to be true
Lisa-Jo shares a special invitation for local listeners

Podcast links:

You're invited! Lisa-Jo will be reading from her brand-new book at the best new bookstore in Lancaster, PA. Join Christie to cheer her on!

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START listening to the audio book or reading the ebook for It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

261. Your Scars Are Beautiful Apr 17, 2024

Only a longtime friend can get away with asking some of the questions Christie asked Lisa-Jo today. We hope they are a balm to your own scarred places.

In this week's conversation:

A kind of live therapy takes place between Lisa-Jo and Christie
Failure turns out to be a powerful catalyst for new things
Growth looks unlike what we expect else maybe we'd never even try
If you've ever felt like life is one wave after another and you can't catch your breath, welcome.

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START listening to the audio book or reading the ebook for It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

260. Everything Sad Is Being Made Untrue Apr 10, 2024

Today's episode began with big smiles, journeyed through tears, and ended with laughter.

In this week's conversation:

Lisa-Jo explains why her new book is an Ebenezer stone
Christie and Lisa-Jo realize each witnessed God making things new this week
personal stories of church hurt and church healing
what it looks like when God makes the sad things of life un-true

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

259. When You Feel Like a Beginner Again Apr 03, 2024

In today's episode Lisa-Jo shares the story of how God brings each of us to a feasting table, set with a chair all ready and prepared. And what happens if you're willing to sit down.

In today's conversation:

Lisa-Jo finds herself unexpectedly back in a courtroom setting
When your hometown is no longer your hometown.
The difference between an invitation from God vs a pushy God
How the Kingdom of God moves at the speed of relationships.

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

258. This Is What It Feels Like To Be Seen Mar 27, 2024

In today's episode we unpack:

The surprising work Christie has been doing
How good it is to feel seen and to have our unique gifts acknowledged
If God is a creator, shouldn't we embrace the creators in our communities?
How to start this conversation where you are

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold). Your ratings and reviews (leave one here) are so appreciated!

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

257. You're Not Too Late or Too Old Mar 20, 2024

Life is full of surprises, and often, it's in the most unexpected moments that we find profound meaning and guidance. In today's conversation Christie and Lisa-Jo discuss one specific instance that arrived much later in Christie's life than might be typical and how these instances are opportunities to stay receptive and attentive to God at work in the mundane and challenging.

In today's episode we unpack:

The significance of turning 50 and being a beginner again
Receiving strength from the Holy Spirit, whether we feel strong or not
The shift from relying on feelings to being receptive to God's invitations
A unique church experience for Christie and how it met her in a weary season

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold). Your ratings and reviews (leave one here) are so appreciated!

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

256. Why Happiness Is Nearer Than You Think Mar 13, 2024

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie realize they have both learned how to avoid disappointment and prepare to be happy on a special day ...

Lisa-Jo is astonished to learn this about Philadelphia
Christie shares everything she's discovered about celebrating milestones
These friends ask: how can we better communicate expectations and desires in relationships? With spouses? young kids? teens? with our friends?
Plus, different communication styles and learning to "stay in the room" to unravel communication knots together

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

255. Hot Peppers Bring Friends Together Mar 06, 2024

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie unwrap a Peck of Purple Peppers and share the story of a sentimental seed and the final book in a gardening trilogy.

It's a book launch gift haul -- unwrapped on air.
Which of the the three Jane Austen gardening sisters in Christie's Trilogy are YOU?
How to name a book
The powerful narratives that seeds and plants carry through generations.
How our family's shape our stories
Bonus: Christie reads an excerpt from her new book "Seedtime and Harvest"
Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

START reading the first free chapters of It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping here

Get Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

254. How To Finish Well Feb 28, 2024

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie celebrate a four-year project that is finally complete. What's it like to stand at the finish line?

A conversation between friends on the creative process and completing a trilogy
Thanks to Lisa-Jo, Christie discovers that her book is like a Jane Austen heroine
Which of these three books with their distinct personalities should you read first?
How writing a trilogy teaches you contentment (and how that carries over to parenting and marriage)
Why some creative projects deplete us and some feel like play
Why Gardening Matters To Christie (and why it should matter to you too)

Claim Your Pre-order Gifts Here Only available through March 4

Watch Christie's book trailer here.

Learn more about the man behind the camera, Zac Simmons, here.

Pre-order Seedtime & Harvest here

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Pre-order Lisa-Jo's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Pre-order Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

253. Confronting Shadows: A Comedy of Errors and Healing Feb 21, 2024

Lisa-Jo has a personal epiphany in the bathtub this week and Christie offers insights on the healing that comes from addressing our shadows.

We're facing our demons this week -- from the safety of the bathtub!
Lisa-Jo looks in the mirror of her past and doesn't like what she sees
Christie points us to the cyclical nature of life that can bring order and understanding out of the darkness--especially as it relates to parenting teens.
Lisa-Jo tells the story of confronting one of the worst shadows from her past on a stage in front of 4,000 people.
We want to uncover the transformative power of confronting our past and finding meaning in the pain.
Christie recommends: Like Dew Your Youth: Growing Up with Your Teenager by Eugene H. Peterson
Lisa-Jo's bathtub read: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Pre-order Lisa-Jo's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Pre-order Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Emily Graffius on Instagram @emily.graffius and learn more about her work as a TBRI Practitioner, Speaker, and Parent Coach & Cultivate Connection Facilitator. Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

252. The Weird Quirks Episode Feb 14, 2024

In today's episode, Lisa-Jo and Christie do something they've never done before ... they invite a third friend into the conversation! This special episode was recorded in person in the Black Barn!

We are together again in the Black Barn!
Meet our friend and special guest Emily Graffius
Find out what it's like behind the scenes of the podcast
We answer ALL of Emily's questions (are they your questions, too?)
Lisa-Jo and Christie's friendship and why we WON'T be breaking up or falling out
Insights into motherhood and how to form lasting friendships
This one ends with a real eye-opener as Lisa-Jo discovers the true nature of her relationship with (wait for it ...) her pillow!

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Pre-order Lisa-Jo's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Pre-order Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Emily Graffius on Instagram @emily.graffius and learn more about her work as a TBRI Practitioner, Speaker, and Parent Coach & Cultivate Connection Facilitator. Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

251. The Art of Impact Feb 07, 2024

In today's episode, Lisa-Jo and Christie reflect on the emotional and creative journey of writing and releasing their upcoming books. They discuss the concept of impact, the pressures of going viral, and the deeper significance of friendship and service.

Discussion of the process of writing and releasing a book
Personal stories behind the books
Emotional journey of sharing your work with the world
Our cultural obsession with making an impact
Reframing impact and success
The impact of sacrificial friendship

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Pre-order Lisa-Jo's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Pre-order Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

250. WE'RE BACK! Jan 31, 2024

We are back after a five-month hiatus, and we have so much to tell you.

About rest. About work. About creativity and parenting teenagers and the very Big Milestones coming up for us this year.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed and overcommitted, this conversation between two old friends is for you.

The difference between stuffing vs savoring.
What is more exhausting -- parenting toddlers vs parenting teens--and why.
The thing we've hinted at is finally real and alive in the world.
Christie gets the closest she's ever come to setting a goal.

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited about becoming fully listener supported.

Pre-order Lisa-Jo's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Pre-order Christie's new book here (or wherever books are sold)

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

249. The Last One (for now) Sep 06, 2023

Who needs rest from creating?

In the beginning, God didn't just rest from work but He rested from creating.

After burn out, Lisa-Jo and Christie wrap their arms around us and give us grace to pause. Whether you're entering a season of creation or needing a break from creating we can all relate.

Sometimes a season calls for a stop. for a pause. for less. You might not need anything new but need to revisit and savor what you already have.

"Maybe I don't need something new. Maybe what I need is already here and I need to slow down and savor it." - Christie Purifoy

Do we lose momentum in our life if we rest?

Feeling obliged to keep going but you want to stop?
Which alternative to saying "I Did Nothing" (thanks to Chalkboard Mag) resonates with you?

God is telling Christie and Lisa-Jo to pause. Out of the Ordinary will be going on sabbatical for the remainder of 2023.

Christie and Lisa-Jo both have books coming out in the spring 2024! Out of the Ordinary podcast will return again in 2024 with new episodes!! It will be so exciting to be together again!

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

Christie mentioned these two books in the episode:
Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God by Ruth Haley Barton

Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life by Margaret Kim Peterson

248. Seven Basic Tools for Ordinary Living Aug 30, 2023

This is a story about how to make ordinary life a little bit easier.

LJ and Christie laugh, talk, and recommend equipment for ordinary living: shoes, headphones, jasmine!, and more. Also, we learn that Lisa-Jo has never heard the memorable 1980s advertising slogan: "Calgon, take me away!"

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

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Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off @honeylove #honeylovepod

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

Click here to visit Earth Breeze and get 40% off your next order with laundry detergent Eco Sheets!

247. Encountering Goodness Aug 23, 2023

What does it mean to pursue goodness? Have we slighted it? Let's stay rooted in our deep and worthy ordinary virtues even though they aren't on a typical list for new year's resolutions. "I'd really like to be like Ted Lasso." Do you agree with Christie on this? Ted Lasso makes goodness and kindness appealing and powerful. *viewer discretion advised for R rated moments*

True goodness fights for you, inspires you and makes you braver and bolder. Life isn't about us being good enough for God. Christie lets us know that beauty has been linked with truth and goodness in all different kinds of philosophies.

The writings that are mentioned: Sean of the South by Sean Dietrich and Phantastes by George McDonald.

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off @honeylove #honeylovepod

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

Click here to visit Earth Breeze and get 40% off your next order with laundry detergent Eco Sheets!

246. These Are the Books That Made Us Aug 16, 2023

This is a story about a book Christie loved and Lisa-Jo did not.

Actually, here are stories about quite a few books! Because these are the childhood favorites that helped make us the women we are.

In this week's conversation, we discover just how much our favorite books reveal about our deepest selves and our relationships. Christie and Lisa-Jo trade memories and titles from The Secret Garden to Lord of the Rings and quite a few you've probably never heard of, let alone read!

Listener invitation: Take a shelfie! Yep, that's a selfie of your bookshelf. We'd LOVE to see your favorite books -- tag us in Instagram @lisajobaker and @christiepurifoy

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off @honeylove #honeylovepod

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

Click here to visit Earth Breeze and get 40% off your next order with laundry detergent Eco Sheets!

245. You're Allowed Everyday Extravagances Aug 09, 2023

This is a story about painting a dining room nearly charcoal black. And the hundreds of hours it took.

This is a story about how it turned a dining room into an everyday extravagance.

This week Lisa-Jo and Christie remember the great farmhouse dining room painting saga of their first Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania and how it nearly ruined Christie and her husband's respective backs and arms and attitudes. But how it was more than paint. It was the kind of extravagance we get to give one another on the daily.

Because this is lavish, insanely beautiful grace -- being willing to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, the boring into the extravagant, if only we have eyes to see, and sometimes paint buckets and brushes.

Did Lisa-Jo recognize the transformation? Did her family appreciate the effort taken to create extravagance ahead of their visit? Did Jon and Christie survive the hundreds of hours it took to paint walls and CEILINGS a dark charcoal color? Tune in today to find out as they remember that single room that nearly broke them and all the back-breaking, heart-aching work that went into preparing the way.

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% OFF @honeylove #honeylovepod

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

Click here to visit Earth Breeze and get 40% off your next order with laundry detergent Eco Sheets!

244. Eat This! Aug 02, 2023

If you're like us then you also associate summer with certain foods. And therefore with certain memories. These are the foods and memories that have shaped our summers for decades.

We hope listening leaves you hungry. And also, makes you remember. The tastes of your favorite summers and the memories that you can bite into when you close your eyes and picture your plate.

Listener invitation: Won't you tag us on Instagram and share YOUR favorite summer food memory with us? Just share a photo and tag @lisajobaker and @christiepurifoy

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to get 20% OFF @honeylove #honeylovepod

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

Click here to visit Earth Breeze and get 40% off your next order with laundry detergent Eco Sheets!

243. How to Leave a Critical Review Jul 26, 2023

This is the story of our first critic.

Once upon a time in a coffee shop in Chicago when Christie was a brand new English Literature professor a stranger asked her a question about reading and writing. He was pointed. He had opinions. He was her first critic.

We've come a long way since then. And gathered many, many more reviews. And we've gotten better at receiving them. And learned a lot about leaving them.

This is the story of what we have learned -- about reading as much as about writing. And how it's changed the way we think about reviews.

This is a story for anyone who loves books as much as we do. Because to love books is to love authors and learn how to respond to their art with the reviews that we leave. And yes, we read aloud one of our favorite reviews -- not because of how it agrees with us. But because of how it kind of doesn't. And what a great lesson it taught us as readers and reviewers ourselves.

Podcast links:

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

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Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off on HoneyLove.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

242. You Called Me WHAT Now?! Jul 19, 2023

This is the story of the labels people pin to us - to our bodies or our lives, or our families or our homes - and that we sometimes start to believe must be true.

This is the story of starting to say that we will not be accepting those labels today, thank you very much.

Today Christie and Lisa-Jo each share stories about labels they had unknowingly accepted about themselves since they were teenagers. As if they were a shameful secret. As if they should apologize for who they are. Do you know what we mean? Do you have a memory, a throwaway sentence, an insult, a note, a casual, cutting observation that you tucked into your soul and allowed to grow up alongside you as if it was always part of you? So that now that lie is grafted into your DNA and you can’t tell the difference between the label and the reality of you?

Today is the day to toss that label in the trash, friends!

Join us as we speak truth and laughter and reality to the labels that have embarrassed us in the past. That we choose instead to name our lives and our homes and ourselves with the words spoken on the sixth day, “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Podcast links:

Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off on HoneyLove.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

241. We Were Wrong About Marie Kondo Jul 12, 2023

This is the story of the secret shame we all carry about our houses. And the one thing that can free you from it.

This is a story about Christie's house Maplehurst being adrift in a sea of mud and construction and the pungent smell of mushroom farms nearby. And what Lisa-Jo's daughter said to change how Christie sees/smells her house.

There is nothing like the power of seeing your home and your life through someone else's eyes. For better or for worse. This week Christie admits her own secret house shame. Lisa-Jo admits all her judgy thoughts about Marie Kondo and they are both surprised by what they learn from this diminutive Japanese woman who is taking us all by storm in her new Netflix show.

Do you have a secret shame about your home? Then this episode is especially for you!

Listener invitation: We LOVE hearing from listeners. Take a screenshot of today's podcast and share it to Instagram. Then share a photo of a special spot in your home that has been kind to you. Be sure and tag Lisa-Jo @lisajobaker and Christie @christiepurifoy so they see it!

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off on HoneyLove.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

240. When the Answer To Your Prayer Is NO Jul 05, 2023

This is the story of a Jasmine-scented South African summer night.

This is a story about disappointment in God, and this is a conversation about the dreams that do NOT come true.

Christie and Lisa-Jo recorded this episode the week of Christie's twenty-second wedding anniversary. They marveled over the long years of their friendship, and all the dreams-come-true they have witnessed in each other's lives.

But what about those dreams that don't come true?

Can we trust a God who sometimes says NO? Is that God still good?

Lisa-Jo tells the story of her most bitter disappointment and the surprising encounter she had one warm, South African night.

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to treat yourself to the best shapewear on the market and save 20% Off on HoneyLove.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

Click here to visit Stellar Eats and get 20% off your next order on healthy and tasty baking mixes!

239. True Confessions of a Friendship Failure Jun 28, 2023

We know friendship isn't always easy. Today we are identifying an issue we all face but as always, there's no prescription.

Picking friendships back up after a hiatus isn't always easy. Not all of us live around family and we need friends to fill the gaps. Even some of us have family close by and guess what? We still need friends. You'll leave today feeling seen and full of grace for yourself to move forward with the friends you want to catch up with today!

In Today's Conversation:
Anyone been in a friendship desert?
Are friendships like shoes?
How do Lisa-Jo and Christie help us skip the guilt-free, overcomplicated crap of friendships?

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.

_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Honey Love for 20% off the best shapewear on the market!

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Fast Growing Trees to 15% off your order.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

238. Making Space Jun 21, 2023

What do you need today?

Today we chat about reclaiming space in our souls. There's rest that can come from order in our homes or offices but also rest that can come from order in your soul. Lisa-Jo's husband gave her a simple response that helped her soul last week and we know it'll help your soul too! If you feel like you're going to work or your everyday hustle and going to die, we have an idea that will help.

Remember, we can't get out of a hard thing in a week, if we've been in it for a year or three. Lisa-Jo and Christie give us the permission we all need today.

Exercise wisdom in taking time for your body and soul and it gives a buffer to do something different.

How did Christie have to be ruthless in letting go of books?
Need permission to escape from Lisa-Jo?
Can you believe Lisa-Jo waited to read that book for so long?

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what you think about today's podcast!

Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast.
_______

Sponsor appreciation: We're so grateful to partner with show sponsors that keep making our work possible.

Click here to visit Honey Love for 20% off the best shapewear on the market!

Click here to visit Green Chef and use code ordinary60 to get 60% off plus free shipping! The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well!

Click here to visit Fast Growing Trees to 15% off your order.

Click here to visit Nutrafol to grow thicker, heathier hair with $10 off with the code ORDINARY!

Click here to join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift!

237. Confessions of our Dirty Closets Jun 14, 2023

Motivation matters and Christie and Lisa-Jo are giving you a shot of it today. Quick and painless!

Lisa-Jo and Christie are keeping us company as we struggle with the clutter that has ensued through this year or two or three. Don't worry because we have guilt-free solutions. We're given revolutionizing yet simple tips today to gain peace in our space. It's just what we all need at this moment right now. Clutter in the mind can equal clutter in the closets. If your space has hit a crisis point, this episode is for you. Lisa-Jo has an epiphany on this podcast and we think you'll appreciate it too!

Did Christie clean up the Christmas wrapping paper yet?
Need quick tips to simplify your space?
Can you believe Lisa-Jo is calling Christie's tips radical?