Out of the Ordinary

Can you believe what Christie is doing at Maplehurst?  Sometimes embodied faithfulness can feel like drudgery.  Today we talk about how staying awake and staying in motion with our faith is a messy journey.  We don't romanticize life here.  Staying awake to what God is doing is sometimes like falling forward. If you want to sleep-walk or numb the pain, we have some glimmers of hope for you. Be...

Lisa-Jo's daughter, Zoe, has a fantastic take on their family's visit back to South Africa. How do our lives change if we can step out of our regular perspective?  Today you can learn from other main characters across the world. There's relief for not being the main character ourselves. We don't have to travel to grow in this area, spiritually or otherwise. Ever had a big change fr...

How was Lisa-Jo's trip to South Africa? Learn about her homeland and you'll come away with hopeful nuggets for your heart.  We all have ways to hold the beauty of coming alongside others in their life-changing work.  When God invites us to steward his creation it costs us something.  It applies to us in the middle of the ordinary, boring lives while being smack dab in the middle of our red...

This is the story of what Christie found at the back of a very messy closet. This is a story about the shadow side of every "Yes." In our lives, and in this new year, are we the gardeners sowing seed, or are we the soil in which our Maker plants seed? If we ARE the soil, how do we prepare ourselves to receive and nurture the RIGHT seeds? These are the questions Lisa-Jo and Christie explore...

This is the story of a neglected garden and a disappearing act. This is the first half of a two-part conversation on why we're beginning this new year by saying "No!" loud and clear. Ordinary life is a gift offered to each one of us, but did you know that ordinary life isn't actually inevitable? That ordinary life--with all of its wonder and beauty--is actually soil to be tended? O...

This is the story of having a champion. Especially one who doesn't look, talk, act, or sound like a champion. This is the story of surprise characters who become plot twists in our teenage memories. This is how people are very often very different than what we expect them to be. And how two unlikely guardian angels imprinted on the teenage stories of Lisa-Jo and Christie in ways that are just...

Key Conversations: This is the story of a terrible, no-good, but oh-so-hilarious Christmas card photo. These are stories about the things we will NOT be doing this Christmas season. Does the approach of Christmas feel a little less joyful than you wish it would? Are you already tired? Already feeling inadequate to the demands of the season? Then this episode is for you. We can't tell you exact...

This is the story about strawberry jam and Wednesday night parenting. Because this is the story about how our podcast got it's name. Buried deep in the thick of the most ordinary things we could think of was the surprising discovery that everything we valued most might easily be described as ordinary, if not even boring on some days. It was an unexpected person who pointed out to us the obviou...

This is the story of eating a 3 course dinner soaking wet in the middle of a rainstorm in Zimbabwe.  And the story of yellow leaves falling in the middle of summer in Pennsylvania. And how we have often both been so desperate in our dissatisfaction it took us years to find the antidote. But in this episode we share what that looks like, how to apply it in your own life, and the very best place to...

This is the story of a packet of grass seeds and a pitcher of water. What started out as the smallest, most unexpected parts of our ordinary lives have became the very best bits we couldn't imagine life without. We're delighted you're joining our conversation. Visit with us as we go back in time to our very first episode.  Discover Christie's books here . Discover Lisa-Jo's boo...

First episode of Get Cozy is #203 . We all need some escapes from the world. Lean into the cozy recommendations made by Lisa-Jo and Christie.  Things that will grip your soul, make you cry, laugh or make you scared for what's going to happen next.  There's something for everyone.  Healthy binges and exciting intrigue! Christie's recommendations: Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono T...

How Not To Be Held Hostage By Hallmark: 1. Leave Blank Spaces 2. Restrain 3. Feel Empty 4. Leave Room for Real 5. Wait 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 appreciatio...

How to Not be Held Hostage by Guilt:  1. Don't be hijacked  2. Be Aware  3. Let go  4. Recognize the Internal Dialogue  5. Do less 6. Leave Room   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 podc...

Don't let the Holiday Hustle Take you Down!  HOW NOT TO BE HELD HOSTAGE BY HOLIDAY SHOPPING Join us for a series of conversations about how not to have your holiday season hijacked this year! Embrace emptiness  Make a list Thrift Be inspired by books not social media (Christie enjoyed Four Midwestern Sisters' Christmas Book ) Decide ahead of time what your family story will be  Find freedo...

Key Conversation Points: Who needs a cozy book or a new show to pe into? Christie and Lisa-Jo have the best suggestions this week!  Do you enjoy Sherlock Holmes? Let Lisa-Jo explain how this book ties to him.  A Study In Charlotte series by Brittany Cavallaro.  Who loves the "Lord of the Rings" and knows about this new show?! The Rings of Power new TV series on Amazon Prime.  This book pre...

Key Conversation Points: Is muddling through faith the exception or the rule?  Sometimes we can feel like we're following breadcrumbs to connect the dots but guess what we see when we look back?! Lisa-Jo and Christie share moving and personal stories to show us what faith looks like.  Faith isn’t passive but it's an in motion experience.  We are a loaf of bread that God breaks to multiply....

Key Conversation Points: How does Diet Coke and KitKats honor God?  There is a sense that the holidays happen if mom makes it happen, but we have ideas on how to make it less stressful.   The low bar is sacred and intentional. We can be creative and still not go overboard. We're not creating an image for social media, but an experience for our family.  The planning and preparation is most impo...

Key Conversation Points: Why is Christie afraid of mediocrity? Scared of being normal? Let's not miss out on an experience because we're trying to make it extraordinary!  There is grace in muddling through the unique transitions and goodbyes that aren't ordinary or daily. We can do it differently than our past.  If you're wanting to mark a ritual as something special, you may not h...

Key Conversation Points: We're starting a new series about muddling through and lowering the bar for you!  Have you known anyone in real life that has gotten rabie shots?! Christie's is a real life person who has muddled through a bat encounter.  Muddling through is a choice.  It's not always making the best of it but it's just accepting it.  Adult temper tantrums don't move us...

Key Conversation Points: Why do we keep going with this Podcast Marriage? Lisa-Jo and Christie have learned their dance and we still claim the best stories grow out of ordinary life! There is no golden ticket around the corner and that's as it should be.  This podcast is like a table and each week we sit and look at our completely regular life and think it's enough.  We keep going because...

Lisa-Jo and Christie are helping us get unstuck and have courage to do the thing we really want to try this summer! They are giving us 8 Cliff Notes for being a human. Simple Summer Short Cut Hacks! 1. How to Hack A GARDEN (Ep. 190)  2. How to hack DRIVE TIME (Ep. 191)  3. How to hack READING (Ep. 192) 4. How to hack FEEDING YOUR FAMILY (Ep. 193) 5. How to hack a CREATIVE PROJECT (Ep. 194) 6. How...

Lisa-Jo and Christie are helping us get unstuck and have courage to do the thing we really want to try this summer! They are giving us 8 Cliff Notes for being a human. Simple Summer Short Cut Hacks! 1. How to Hack A GARDEN (Ep. 190)  2. How to hack DRIVE TIME (Ep. 191)  3. How to hack READING (Ep. 192) 4. How to hack FEEDING YOUR FAMILY (Ep. 193) 5. How to hack a CREATIVE PROJECT (Ep. 194) 6. How...

Lisa-Jo and Christie are helping us get unstuck and have courage to do the thing we really want to try this summer! They are giving us 8 Cliff Notes for being a human. Simple Summer Short Cut Hacks! 1. How to Hack A GARDEN (Ep. 190)  2. How to hack DRIVE TIME (Ep. 191)  3. How to hack READING (Ep. 192) 4. How to hack FEEDING YOUR FAMILY (Ep. 193) 5. How to hack a CREATIVE PROJECT (Ep. 194) 6. How...

Lisa-Jo and Christie are helping us get unstuck and have courage to do the thing we really want to try this summer! They are giving us 8 Cliff Notes for being a human. Simple Summer Short Cut Hacks! 1. How to Hack A GARDEN (Ep. 190)  2. How to hack DRIVE TIME (Ep. 191)  3. How to hack READING (Ep. 192) 4. How to hack FEEDING YOUR FAMILY (Ep. 193) 5. How to hack a CREATIVE PROJECT (Ep. 194) 6. How...

Lisa-Jo and Christie are helping us get unstuck and have courage to do the thing we really want to try this summer! They are giving us 8 Cliff Notes for being a human. Simple Summer Short Cut Hacks! 1. How to Hack A GARDEN (Ep. 190)  2. How to hack DRIVE TIME (Ep. 191)  3. How to hack READING (Ep. 192) 4. How to hack FEEDING YOUR FAMILY (Ep. 193) 5. How to hack a CREATIVE PROJECT 6. How to hack a...