The Speakeasy

Merry (belated) Christmas and welcome to "dead week"—that weird, quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is… and honestly, it's kind of wonderful. This is the final Friday of the year, which means we're wrapping up the Ending Well series—seven weeks of looking back at 2025, redeeming the hard parts, and hunting down the goodness God planted along the way. Today's...

Every year of my life, my dad Earl has read the classic book the Cajun Night Before Christmas. I'm thrilled this year to bring it to the podcast so that it can not only live forever for myself and my family, but so that the culture we love can live on as well. Gather up your kids for a quick reading of my favorite Christmas book!   Sponsor: PreBorn A free ultrasound can double a woman's chance of...

  As the year comes to a close and Christmas draws near, this episode is an invitation to slow down and rethink what actually makes a year meaningful. If you're ending the year feeling like you didn't do enough, didn't accomplish enough, or didn't have any big, flashy "banner moments," this conversation is for you. What if the ordinary years—the quiet, unseen, seemingly mundane ones—are actually w...

As we hit the halfway point of December, this episode is a deep breath and a reset. In a season that pushes hustle, consumption, and constant motion, this conversation invites us to slow down and reclaim awe, wonder, and expectancy—especially as we approach Christmas. Hannah Brencher joins the Speak Easy Podcast to talk about Advent, rhythms, mental health, and what it looks like to resist hurry i...

Ending Well: A Pruning Deep Dive  This is week six of the Ending Well series, and we're talking about something a lot of us are living through in real time: pruning —the cutting away, the stripping back, and the strange mercy of God doing holy surgery on our lives at the end of a hard year. "Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." – John 15:2 ⏱ Episode Timestamps...

In this episode we look back at how it started (a guest room closet + $20 mic + TV tray) and how God has grown us, our marriage, and this show over seven years—from fear and hustle to rest and trust. We talk about money, messy action, viral moments, criticism, love languages, parenting, and what "success" actually looks like for our family now. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power an...

Welcome back to the Ending Well series. This is week five of looking back over the year, letting God redeem the hard parts, and choosing who we want to become as we step into a new season. Today's episode is all about marriage — but even more specifically, the kind of wife you want to be. Not the Instagram version. Not the performance version. The real, healed, whole version. This year, God radica...

December is here, Advent is upon us, and while the world is speeding up, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, breathe deep, and remember that anxiety does not magically clock out for the holidays. In this episode, we talk with Ruth about what it looks like to set the tone for the month of Advent with intention, slowness, and a heart that is more focused on Jesus than on performance, ex...

Week four of the Ending Well series lands right at the halfway mark. This episode is a look back over a three-year road (starting in 2022) of how God helped me fight inflammation, feel like myself again, and regain my "glow." This is not a weight-loss talk, not a quick-fix list, and not medical advice. It's a redemption story about healing from the inside out — spiritually, emotionally, and physic...

The day before Thanksgiving, we hit pause together for a short "FaceTime-style" heart-to-heart. Whether you're bracing for tricky family dynamics or you're the holiday superfan, this mini-episode gives you a simple, grace-filled plan to enter the day grounded, intentional, and at peace —without pretending or performing. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding....

Welcome back to week three of our Ending Well series — a journey to close out 2025 by reclaiming what's been hard, remembering what God has done, and letting Him renew our perspective before the year ends. In this episode, we're talking about something that hits close to home for so many of us — the addiction to productivity. This one is for the hustlers, the people-pleasers, and the high achiever...

Welcome back to The Speakeasy Podcast! In this episode, I'm joined by one of my closest friends—and one of my favorite people to learn from— Amy Bernhardt . I call her my "continuing education friend" because she's always learning, growing, and sharing wisdom that hits deep. Amy recently shared something online that stopped me in my tracks: "What if your weight loss journey isn't about losing weig...

In this episode, we continue our Ending Well series by diving into what it really means to go a different way —to stop running on self-reliance, striving, and noise, and instead return to the quiet confidence of walking with God. This has been one of the hardest years of my life, but also one of the most redemptive. Through heartbreak, pruning, and wilderness seasons, God has been dismantling old...

In this episode, I sit down for the third time with one of my all-time favorite authors, Gary Thomas , whose books have radically shaped my faith and perspective on life, relationships, and spiritual growth. From When to Walk Away to Sacred Marriage and Sacred Pathways , Gary's writing has helped countless believers understand what it means to live a life rooted in truth and grace. His newest book...

In this special bonus episode, we close out the year by slowing down and reflecting on what it means to end well — not by hustling harder, but by listening closely to the voice of God. After a year marked by pruning, change, and growth, [Host] shares how the Lord has used silence, stillness, and surrender to shape her faith and restore her peace. This heartfelt conversation is an honest look at wh...

In this episode, Hannah Morgan joins the conversation to share her powerful story of faith, suffering, and redemption. Hannah is a wife, mom, and the author of The Vial: A Memoir of Survival and Faith . Her journey began after she experienced a severe adverse reaction to a vaccine in high school—an event that changed every part of her life and led to years of physical pain, unanswered questions, a...

In this episode, Mandy Arioto—CEO of MomCo (formerly MOPS)—joins the conversation to remind us that motherhood isn't just about raising kids. It's about raising the Kingdom. Together, we talk about how motherhood is the holiest ground many of us will ever stand on—where God refines us, redefines us, and shows us what really matters. From sleepless nights and endless laundry to the deep spiritual w...

In this episode, Tilly Dillehay joins the conversation to talk about something that touches every one of us— spiritual warfare —and how it plays out in the most ordinary parts of our lives. From our attention spans to our homes to the hidden battles of motherhood, Tilly helps pull back the curtain on how the enemy works to distract, divide, and destroy the good things God has given us. Tilly is th...

In this episode, Emily Berning, co-founder of Let Them Live , joins the conversation to share how one act of radical obedience turned into a national movement that has helped hundreds of women choose life. Emily and her husband started with nothing but conviction—emptying their own bank account to meet the needs of one mother in crisis. From that single step of faith, God multiplied their "yes" in...

In this episode, Rachel Van Kluyve joins the conversation to share how God built her family in ways she never expected. What began as a discussion about transracial adoption—how God brought her two beautiful daughters into her family and the challenges that came with it—became a powerful reflection on obedience, trust, and doing the next right thing when God calls you into the unknown. Rachel open...

In this episode, Abby—known online as M is for Mama —returns to the show to talk about her newest book, You Bet Your Stretch Marks , the third installment in her motherhood series. With honesty, humor, and a heart deeply rooted in scripture, Abby encourages moms to see that the hard seasons are not wasted and that motherhood, even in the trenches, is profoundly worth it. From battling doubt and co...

In this episode, Dave and Ann Wilson join the conversation to talk about their new book How to Speak Life to Your Husband . With honesty, humor, and decades of marriage ministry experience, they share why our words carry the power to either breathe life into our marriages or quietly chip away at them over time. From their own struggles—including seasons where they almost lost their marriage—to the...

In this episode, Erin Lynam joins the conversation to share a powerful perspective on rest—why God created it, how we see it modeled in scripture, and even how creation itself points us to rhythms of work and rest. Erin is a certified master naturalist and the host of the Nat Theo kids' podcast, which blends science and theology in ways the whole family can enjoy. She explains how rhythms in natur...

In this episode, Ben and Corey Spell—the founders of Good Ranchers—join the conversation to share their remarkable journey from ministry to building a company that's reshaping the food industry. They open up about the leap of faith it took to start, the challenges of bringing transparency and integrity to meat sourcing, and the hurdles they've faced along the way—including Corey's personal battle...

In this episode, Pastor Zach Windal joins the conversation to share how he's making scripture accessible for everyday life. From his personal journey of discovering truth to the practical ways he helps people connect with God's Word, Zach brings clarity and encouragement for anyone longing to strengthen their faith. He breaks down the barriers that often keep people from engaging with the Bible an...