Diamonds in Dumpster Fires

We all have ways of coping when life gets difficult. But what happens when the very things we turn to for comfort become the things keeping us stuck? In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , Melie welcomes author Andy Sterie, whose journey through alcohol addiction, rock bottom, and recovery became the inspiration for his book, Refined, Redeemed, Repurposed: Finding and Sustaining Meaning B...

Encore Episode: Sometimes the conversations worth having are also worth revisiting. This week on Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , we're bringing back a conversation with Parfait Bassalé about the power of connection and what it means to move toward one another rather than away. When life gets messy, it's tempting to retreat, build walls, or focus on what divides us. But resilience isn't just about wha...

How do you know when something is really finished? After completing another round of revisions on my book, I found myself sitting with that question. The revisions are done—but does that mean the book is done? Maybe. Maybe not. And life is full of things like that. Relationships, dating, healing, career decisions, creative projects, and seasons of waiting don't always give us a clear finish line....

What do you do when your life doesn't look anything like you thought it would? In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , Melie welcomes back licensed minister, author, and Wild Goose Coffee founder Nathan Westwick for an honest conversation about disappointment, unanswered hopes, and the gap between the life we expected and the life we're actually living. Nathan and Melie talk about what it...

Birthdays often bring reflection, goal-setting, and questions about what we want from the year ahead. In this episode, I'm shifting the focus from what we want to accomplish to what we want to experience more of in everyday life. We'll talk about cultivating more presence, joy, courage, depth, and grace, and how faith can help us live with greater intention instead of constantly chasing the next m...

This week's episode is a little different—and that's exactly the point. After starting a new job and facing an especially full week, I almost skipped recording altogether. Instead, I started thinking about the minimum viable version of showing up : the smallest version of a commitment that still keeps us connected to what matters. In this short episode, we're talking about all-or-nothing thinking,...

What if the hobbies you love aren't distractions from your spiritual life—but places where God is already meeting you? In this episode, Melie talks with author Brianna Lambert about her new book, Created to Play: How Taking Hobbies Seriously Grows Us Spiritually . Brianna shares why play is more than a break from productivity and how hobbies can cultivate faithfulness, humility, creativity, connec...

What if friendship could be more than a source of comfort—and become a powerful force for healing division? In this episode, Melie talks with Parfait Bassalé, belonging strategist, conflict resolution practitioner, singer-songwriter, and author of The Way of Befriending . Together, they explore how fear, hurt, and past experiences can lead us to other people—and how courage, curiosity, and compass...

What if delighting in God is not about forcing joy, ignoring pain, or checking all the "right" spiritual boxes? In this episode, Melie is joined by Stephanie Rousselle, Bible teacher, speaker, host of the Gospel Spice podcast, and author of the forthcoming book, Awaken Delight from IVPress. Stephanie shares her journey from atheism to faith, what it means to "taste and see" that God is good, and w...

Sometimes the reason you keep saying "tomorrow" isn't laziness — it's your brain reaching for relief. In this episode, Melie explores procrastination through the lens of faith and neuroscience, unpacking why avoidance often has more to do with emotion regulation than a lack of discipline. She also looks at how burnout, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence can make starting harder, and why sham...

Sometimes the most resilient thing you can do isn't push harder, it's stop fighting reality. In this episode, Melie explores the concept of radical acceptance and why acknowledging what is can be the first step toward healing. Blending faith, neuroscience, and personal experience, she unpacks the difference between acceptance and giving up, why resisting reality often adds to our suffering, and ho...

  Sometimes the hardest part isn't the pain itself, it's not knowing what happens next. In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , we're talking about the emotional, spiritual, and neurological reality of waiting for an answer. Why uncertainty feels so exhausting, what happens in the brain during unresolved situations, and how faith can coexist with honesty in the middle of the unknown. This...

Guest: Sandy Bastien, Author, Entrepreneur What happens when the opportunities in front of you all seem good… but not all of them are actually yours to carry? In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , Melie sits down with entrepreneur, inventor, author, and mother of five Sandy Bastien for a grounded and encouraging conversation about purpose, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and learning how t...

Gentleness doesn't mean being passive, weak, or getting walked all over. In this episode, I sit down with author and family ministry leader Christie Thomas to reframe what gentleness actually is: strength under control. We talk about why gentleness is one of the most misunderstood fruits of the Spirit—and why it's often hardest to practice in the moments we need it most. From conflict and parentin...

Guest: Karen Conlon, LCSW | Transformational Coach | Author | Podcast Host Healing after divorce isn't a checklist… and it definitely isn't a straight line. In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , I'm joined by therapist and Emotionally Wealthy podcast host Karen Conlon to talk about emotional healing after divorce, relationship patterns, and how to move forward in a healthy way . We unpac...

In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , I'm joined by author and podcast host Hope Johnson for an honest, faith-filled conversation about extended singleness, unmet expectations, and trusting God in the waiting. We talk about the tension between longing for something deeply and learning to live fully in the life you have right now. Hope shares wisdom on filtering out unhelpful voices, bein...

Guest: Justin Smith, Founder of the Cray App After a long-term relationship ends, getting back out there isn't just about meeting someone new — it's about learning to trust yourself again. This week, Melie sits down with Justin Smith, the creator of the Cray app , who built it after the end of his own relationship. Instead of just moving on, Justin wanted to understand why we miss the warning sign...

  Show Notes If you've ever wondered whether wanting more automatically makes you less spiritual… this conversation is for you. Today I'm joined by Christian business coach and author Erin Harrigan , and we're talking about the tension a lot of women quietly live in: loving Jesus and also being ambitious. Because somewhere along the way, many of us were taught we had to pick one. We talk about why...

When Something Quietly Hurts Resilience, Dopamine, and the Wisdom of Letting Go There's a part of resilience no one really prepares you for. Not the crisis. Not the breakdown. But the quiet moment when you realize something in your life is slowly, subtly hurting you. In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , Melie explores what real resilience feels like in the nervous system, why calm can f...

For many people of faith,  self-compassion can sound uncomfortably close to self-indulgence or letting ourselves off the hook. In this episode, Melie explores why that tension exists—and why self-compassion, when rooted in Scripture, is not opposed to growth but essential to it. Drawing from research by Kristin Neff , this conversation reframes self-compassion through a Christian lens, separating...

What does resilience actually look like when life is heavy and you're tired of being told to "just push through"? In this episode, Melie sits down with Eric Davis, combat-decorated U.S. Navy SEAL and author of Raising Men , to talk about a grounded, practical definition of resilience that goes far beyond grit and hustle. Instead of white-knuckling hardship, Eric reframes resilience as maintaining...

Have you ever felt invisible? Even while showing up, engaging, and trying to connect? In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires , Melie explores the quiet loneliness of feeling overlooked, forgotten, or ghosted. She talks about why moments like repeated introductions, unanswered texts, and fading connections can hurt so deeply, and why that pain isn't a personal flaw: it's human wiring. This e...

January doesn't always feel fresh, clear, or motivating — and if the new year feels heavier than expected, you are not alone. In this short, grounding episode, Melie offers a compassionate alternative to resolutions, reinvention, and pressure. Instead of goals to achieve, she shares three gentle practices you can carry with you into the new year — especially on days when your energy, clarity, or m...

New Year's Eve is often framed as a celebration of fresh starts, big goals, and reinvention. But for many of us, this night feels quieter, heavier, or more complicated than that. In this episode, Melie offers a gentle New Year's Eve reflection for anyone who didn't "win the year," set big goals, or feel ready for resolutions. Instead of focusing on becoming someone new, we honor something simpler...

Christmas Eve sits in the in-between space. Not the miracle yet. Not the ending. Just the waiting. In this special Christmas Eve episode, Melie speaks to those who feel stuck in the middle of healing, rebuilding, and figuring things out. If life feels unresolved right now, this message offers gentleness, perspective, and permission to rest without forcing clarity or cheer. You'll hear reflections...