Rise and Form

Thanks for listening to the first episode of 2025 and we have some sad news, it is our last episode too (at least for now). After some reflection and rest, we feel it is time to take a break from podcasting to focus on other aspects of Rise and Form and our personal lives. It's one of the best formation moves we feel we can make but are still sad to be hanging up the mics for now. Please keep...

Merry Christmas! In this Steep, Aundrea talks about how, true, Spirit-led love transcends mere feelings. She identifies a lack of empathy as a hindrance to love and gives 5 ways to enhance your empathy.

Advent week 3! Magnifying joy does not mean minimizing hardship. Attending to a more balanced perspective which includes the joy of the hope that we have in our God. One of the more prevalent researched based barriers to experiencing joy (and a cherishing of life) is a biased/imbalanced perspective that focuses on, or ruminates on negative things. Steep in!

Coming up! Aundrea discussed how groundedness and the lack of groundedness can impact our peace.  She really highlights what really does bring ultimate peace and the importance of inner peace, which is... ready for it...is achievable! Well okay sort of. Aundrea highlights the importance of mindfulness and groundedness, disconnected from external chaos. The episode ends with a practical and useful...

In a time like now, it is not only possible to be distracted, it is inevitable. This episode is a couple thoughts on how to cut through the distractions that hold you back and focus on your highest values.

The more reflective you are, the more effective you are! As we wrap up Season 3 of the Rise and Form Podcast, we want to take a moment to reflect on salient parts of the Fruit of the Spirit focus, exploring how we can weave these some thoghts and values into our daily lives, especially as we approach the holiday season. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re thrilled about what’s coming next! We have som...

In this steep, Aundrea talks about ways to move towards gentleness by cultivating humility.  She shares three key aspects of humility based off of Dr. Daryl van Tongeren's book 'Humble:' knowing yourself, checking yourself, and going beyond yourself. She emphasizes the importance of being curious about oneself, one's reactions, and others.  By practicing these principles, one can foster a habit of...

To close out the season on the fruit of the spirit, we have a chat with Dr Sherri Yoder to discuss the fruit of "gentleness". Dr. Sherri Yoder is a former Clinical Psychologist turned executive director of a not for profit; Thriving Thoughts Global, she is a leader in the global community on promoting mental health and challenging cultural narratives on that topic with her podcast, writing, speaki...

Steeping in Kindness with Abe! We need it right now!

We chatted with New York Times best selling author and memoir expert Susy Flory. Susy shares her insights on the transformative power of kindness, a crucial fruit of the spirit, and its significant crossover with mental health and the power of our personal and corporate narratives. With over 14 books to her name, including the acclaimed 'Thunder Dog,' Susy discusses the importance of sharing our u...

Reflections on "holding tension" and some take aways from the fruit of Goodness episode with one and only, Dr. Aundrea!

Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Did you miss it? It's right there in the middle; Goodness! Ryan Roemer is a Christian Clinical Psychologist and the perfect guest to help us understand and reflect on the often overlooked fruit of goodness! Goodness is way...

A little cup of Joy for your Monday but before you take a sip...It's crucial to distinguish between joy and happiness. Abe drops some C.S. Lewis in here and even attempts some greek translation. What is even happening?! Rise and Form is happening! While happiness is often fleeting and tied to external factors, joy is characterized by maturity, clarity, peace and contentment that persists even amid...

Count it all joy to spend some time learning and unlearning what the fruit of joy actually is with our special guest Pastor Bob Johnson, from The Bridge Church Northwest. Bob details the profound, relational nature of joy through personal experiences, scriptural wisdom, and practical spiritual habits. Learn how a deep connection with God, intentional stillness, and long-term faith practices can tr...

Hey friends, Aundrea is extracting some refined thoughts about trust and finding peace from our time with Dr. Katherine Thompson. She talks about how “letting go” leads to peace and asks, “How could trusting God help me in this situation?” It’s such a simple but powerful question. Aundrea also dives into how we get to know God? Well.... it's just like with any person, it’s about talking to Him and...

Dr. Katherine Thompson, is an Australian senior lecturer in mental health and wellbeing, author and fellow mental health practitioner. Dr. Katherine shares her journey of finding peace in suffering and how and letting go of "the mast" is the beginning of peace. Dr Katherine draws some of her work and thoughts on suffering and peace from theologians sycgh as Jurgen Moltmann and Richard Rohr.  “It's...

Avoidance! Dereliction! Strong words but well worth unpacking. Our episode with Adam Dell had themes of how avoidance prolongs our suffering, so for this weeks' steep, sit down with Abe and lets think on the problem of avoidance. Abe encourages some critical thought on forming lives that face our fears, develop diligence and attend to what is our responsibility.

Revisiting Our Most Popular Episode: Dr. Adam Dell on Trauma, Healing, and Faith. This is a bonus replay of our most popular episode featuring Dr. Adam Dell, a highly popular clinical psychologist and trauma expert. Dr. Dell discusses the profound impact of trauma and how there is hope for our healing. He discusses the power of moments, moments that we can sometimes underestimate and the unique ho...

Aundrea's Reflections on Self-Control, Vulnerability, and Love In this episode of Monday Steep, Aundrea reflects on recent episodes with Kerry Paxton and Brandon Reynolds, as we explored self-control, vulnerability, accountability, and the community. Kerry highlights the crucial link between vulnerability and self-control, emphasizing the need for community support and the Holy Spirit's involvemen...

Brandon Reynolds is the founder of Into the Deep, a men's ministry that builds Christ-centered community for men and challenges one of the most pervasive problems facing our modern world - isolation. Brandon shares a transformative experience at a justice conference in Portland, Oregon, and how it inspired him to create a space where men can connect, share, and grow in their faith. We discuss what...

Let's talk about your mood. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? This episode is for you. How do we get out of a bad mood? What even is mood and how does it impact our thoughts, feelings and behaviors? *We are taking a break from our usual Steep format due to Abe being abroad and some tech barriers! Hoping this blesses and equips you anyway - Abe and Aundrea.

"Self-control is the key that unlocks a life of freedom."  - Kerry Paxton  Kerry Paxton has been singing in church since the age three and has been serving in worship and pastoring roles for over 10 years. As a singer-songwriter, leader, and musician Kerry has walked in the tension of needing to keenly rely on the Holy Spirit to maintain a submitted and surrendered mindset. He is the ass...

In this episode, Abe discusses his evolving mindset, influenced by conversations with friends and reflections on his own thought patterns. Abe emphasizes the importance of metacognition and balancing sentimental reflections with a forward-looking perspective. Aundrea, on the other hand, explores the concept of rest, challenging the notion that busyness equates to productivity. Together, they delve...

Jessica hails from Alaska, and has had a full career in the WNBA as a Power Forward and Center. Jessica won 3 titles with UConn too so she knows about the grit needed to remain steadfast and to bear with ongoing opposition! Now, she’s making waves in marketing at Nike. One of the things that stood out most about Jessica is her love and dedication for Christ and how it reflects in her daily life an...

In this episode of The Monday Steep, we delve into personal experiences and reflections on managing emotions, authenticity in prayer, and the search for a deeper relationship with God. Aundrea's reading of the Psalms prompts a conversation about understanding God’s character and the role of prayer. We also touch on a tragic local event involving the murder of a nurse, which leads to discussion...