Shows
MESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 127: A Compassionate Jesus in a Chaotic Season with Sherri Hughes-GraggToday I got to sit down with Sherri Hughes-Gragg—author, mom of five, and someone who speaks about God’s heart with beautiful clarity. We talked Christmas traditions—the Yanof Family Book Exchange (which started because I refused to let Mike buy himself a full-price book in December), and Sherri’s Santa Soccer, which involved antlers, Santa hats, sugar, and absolute chaos in her yard.Then we went deep.Sherri talked about raising five kids, including daughters adopted from Haiti, and how she moved from pare...
2025-12-1035 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 126: Chain-Smoked Christmas Gifts and Finding Advent Hope with Stephanie MartinToday I pulled in one of my closest friends, Stephanie Martin, because nothing says “professional podcast” like asking a bestie 24 hours before recording to jump on the show. We kicked off with Thanksgiving—where Stephanie described having college kids home as “being held hostage in the best way,” which perfectly sums up the chaos of adult children wandering in and out of your kitchen like feral cats. We swapped childhood Christmas memories (her patriotic tree covered in American flags, my chain-smoked Barbie RV) and confessed our modern traditions—like how I make my family decorate the...
2025-12-0334 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 111 Don’t Try This Alone with Toni CollierSchool starts this week!! School starts this week!!Yes, JB starts third grade—which means I owe his teachers and the entire school staff a formal apology. This summer we let him stay up too late, live on popsicles, talk back like he’s got a Netflix special, and basically roam the house like a frat boy on summer break. I hand him over to you now, untrained and feral. Godspeed, and may your patience be as great as your need for dry erase markers.As for the podcast, this...
2025-08-1346 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 109 Know Before You Go: High School Edition with Ella, Brett, and RileyAnother week, another Yanof kid takes the mic alongside a few of their friends. 🤪🤪🤪This week, we’ve got three freshly graduated high schoolers joining us: Brett, Ella, and Riley. They have lots of great insight from their four years of high school, including some pitfalls to avoid and many lessons they learned along the way.We get real about friendship drama, comparison on social media, and how to find your people in a world that makes that feel harder than ever. We also talked about what it looks like to kee...
2025-07-3044 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 105 RE-RELEASE: The Art of Redefining 'Good' with Megan Fate MarshmanRERELEASE! What does faithfulness to Jesus look like in this season of life? We're kicking it off with that question on today's show and then moving on to a powerful interview with Megan Fate Marshman. She’s amazing, and we cover everything from parenting fails to perfecting the elusive messy bun. We even had a little fun comparing stereotypes about Texas and California—because apparently, people think Texans ride horses everywhere.Megan also shared about the sudden loss of her husband and how she has leaned into prayer through her grief and raising their two smal...
2025-06-2038 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 100 What does the Holy Spirit Sound Like Anyway? With Libin AbrahamWe’re kicking off this week’s episode with part two of Sappy Cynthia—my newest segment, where I share a little more of the real-life stuff going on over here. This week, I’m talking about my daughter’s college graduation and what made me cry (which was basically most things). Then we jump into another great conversation with my pastor and friend, Libin Abraham. I’ve absolutely loved learning more about the Holy Spirit through these conversations, and Libin has such a gift for making it practical and approachable. This week, we’re talking all...
2025-05-1431 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 99 Living in the Spirit with Libin AbrahamWell, we’re starting the show today with a segment I’m calling “sappy Cynthia.” Graduating two kids in the next 10 days has brought out all the feels, and last night was Brett’s last baseball game—talk about full-on nostalgia (alongside a stomach bug I’m currently fighting).But on today’s show, I’m joined by Libin Abraham, the pastor of my church, Bent Tree Bible. I recently heard Libin preach a powerful sermon series on the Holy Spirit, and it really impacted me. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to share it with all...
2025-05-0633 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 96 Ann Voskamp on Runaway Sheep and Resurrection HopeThis week on MESSmerized, I got to chat again with the one and only Ann Voskamp—and let me just say, if you’re needing a little soul refreshment heading into Easter weekend (and maybe a reminder that God is still in charge even when your week feels like a dumpster fire), this episode is for you.Ann shared the most incredible story about chasing sheep across the Canadian tundra—yes, actual sheep. It gave us a beautiful picture of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. He never sleeps and He never takes His eyes off us...
2025-04-1628 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 95 Hosanna, Hustle, and Hanging Out with Ann Voskamp“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’” — John 12:13We’re coming up on Palm Sunday, and I honestly can’t think of anyone better to join us this week (and next!) than the one and only Ann Voskamp. And if you’re even slightly tempted to skip this episode for any reason, I’m going to have to lovingly—but firmly—ask you to rethink that decision. 😂Ann and I get real, honest, tearf...
2025-04-0931 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 92 Anxiety, Preventative Health and Other Midlife Surprises with Mikala Albertson, MD (Week 2)Dr. Mikala Albertson is back, and we’re diving into all the fun midlife surprises—stress, anxiety, preventative health, and why our bodies suddenly have a mind of their own. We’re breaking down the difference between normal stress and full-blown anxiety, and whether medication is the right move. If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “Am I dying, or is this just midlife?”—this episode is for you.We also get into the stuff we love to avoid: preventive health. Turns out, regular check-ups and blood work actually matter (who knew?!). Mikala shares what we need to be monitori...
2025-03-1242 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 91 The Midlife Mayhem of Night Sweats, Hormones, and Adult ADHD with Mikala Albertson, MD In today’s episode, I chat with Dr. Mikala Albertson about menopause, hormone therapy, and all the things we need to know to feel better in midlife. We kick things off by debunking some common myths around hormone replacement therapy and why it's not as scary as we once thought. Mikala explains how estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect our bodies and what happens when we lose them. And as a girl who is fighting some serious night sweats, you better believe I was tuned in. We also dive into supplements, with Mikala sharing the four key o...
2025-03-0533 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 89 Navigating the World of Daughters with Kari KampakisI’m so excited to kick off a two-week series with Kari Kampakis on raising girls! We dive into everything from the drama of friendship struggles and those classic mean girl moments to the surprisingly powerful role that loneliness plays in building resilience. These topics are just a few highlights from her new girls’ devotional, Yours Not Hers—an absolute must-have for girls from junior high through college! I couldn’t help but laugh (and sometimes cringe) as we unpacked how social media has turned even the simplest interactions into epic battlegrounds of comparison and envy. I s...
2025-02-1928 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 88 Perfect is Boring with Jess Johnston and Amy WeatherlyHappy Valentine’s Week! 💗💗💗💗💗 First, I want to say thank you for the kind words and incredible response to last week’s episode, where I went rogue with a solo show. I’m so glad it encouraged you! Yes, I’m hoping to do more episodes like this after I finish the book I’m currently working on. I’m excited for our show today, because I’m chatting with Jess Johnston and Amy Weatherly about a topic that hits home for so many of us—perfectionism, vulnerability, and the beauty of authentic friendships. We talk about the im...
2025-02-1239 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 87 Permission to Pivot: No Guest, No FilterHey Friends, It’s February, which means Valentine’s Day is upon us—but more importantly, it marks the one-year anniversary of my first book, Life is Messy, God is Good! Looking back over the past year, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the friends and family who have walked this journey with me. Whether you bought the book, shared it with a friend, left a review, hosted a book launch party, or prayed for my words to make an impact—you’ve been part of this crazy adventure, and I couldn’t be mo...
2025-02-0529 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 86 Melanie Shankle on Fighting Dragons 🐉🐉🐉Happy Wednesday! Is it just me, or did January last six months? I cannot handle one more school holiday, winter illness, or ¼ inch of snow canceling school. But I digress. I’m thrilled to round out this month with an amazing conversation featuring Melanie Shankle. And yes, Amy Weatherly is still co-hosting with me, and I couldn’t be more grateful! To know me is to know that I’ve been a huge fan of Melanie’s books for years. I was so excited to hear she has a new one coming out...
2025-01-2936 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 85 Annie F. Downs on NYC, Body Image, and Living with LossI’m thrilled to have Amy Weatherly back co-hosting MESSmerized with me for this exciting episode, because we’re chatting with the incredible Annie F. Downs! Annie is living the dream (and the hustle) part-time in New York City, and let me tell you, she’s not just surviving; she’s thriving. For those of us who’ve dreamed of moving to NYC but stayed safely tucked away in places like North Dallas (okay, maybe that's just me), Annie made it happen. And I’m so excited to share her journey with you! On a mo...
2025-01-2235 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 84 New Year, Same Me: Kendra Adachi Talks Time ManagementJust in case you missed the announcement last week, Amy Weatherly is co-hosting MESSmerized with me this month, and gosh, she’s so much fun. Today, we’re continuing our commitment to un-resolutions by chatting with the amazing Kendra Adachi about time management. This conversation is absolutely not what you think it’s going to be because Kendra is flipping time management on its head. Apparently, we’ve been doing it all wrong—who knew? She talks about creating systems that actually make sense for women. This includes recognizing the beauty of both proactive and reactive ti...
2025-01-1545 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 83 Lowering the Bar with “Un-Resolutions” in 2025 with Guest Co-Host Amy WeatherlyNew year, new resolutions… right? Nope, not this year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with fun memories! At the beginning of today’s show, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite holiday moments, gifts, and God-moments. But I’m also super excited to let you know that the fabulous Amy Weatherly is co-hosting with me all through January, and we are going to have so much fun! Amy is a wife, mother, author, and the founder of a huge Facebook community focused on friendship, faith, and loving ourselves well. It seemed only fit...
2025-01-0838 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 82 Shrubs, Sneaking, and Christmas Peace: A Holiday Chat with Lanier IvesterFirst of all, we've had a bit of a "situation" over here, and I’ll share all the details in today’s intro. But here’s a little teaser: neighbors, overgrown shrubs, and me sneaking out in the cloak of darkness. If that doesn’t paint a picture that’ll make you want to listen, I don’t know what will! 😂😂😂 Today, I’m thrilled to have Lanier Ivester on the show, and we’re talking all things Christmas—decor, recipes, and hosting. Lanier reminds us that the holiday season can feel both joyful and overwhelming. In fact, nine...
2024-12-1832 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 81 Louie Giglio on Life, Favor, and the Power of God’s GraceWe’re just a couple of weeks out from Christmas 🎄🎄🎄 and it feels like there’s more to be done than hours in the day. Yet, I often find myself on Instagram cracking up at all the random Christmas humor. Last week, I came across this little gem that made me laugh much harder than it probably should have: "I accidentally used mom’s fabric scissors to cut wrapping paper, and now the cops are here." - Unknown Author But I digress. Today on MESSmerized, we get to hear from Pastor Louie Giglio (and you guys kn...
2024-12-1138 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 80 Dallas Jenkins on Hope, Hollywood, and The HerdmansBrace yourselves! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about today’s show with Dallas Jenkins. Dallas is the genius behind The Chosen and now The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And let me just say, after this conversation, I walked away ready to ugly cry in a theater over the cigar-smoking Herdman kids finding Jesus. That’s exactly what happened over Thanksgiving, and the movie was a huge hit with our crew. So how does Dallas go from The Chosen to a story about the most chaotic, snack...
2024-12-0428 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 79 The Macy’s Day Parade and “What If It’s Wonderful” with Nicole ZasowskiHappy Thanksgiving Eve! 🦃🦃🦃 Are you hosting? Are you roasting a turkey in the oven or deep frying it? Do you call it stuffing or dressing? Will you use china or paper products? Is your weird aunt bringing a gelatin dish? Canned or homemade cranberries? Are you a pecan or pumpkin pie kind of girl? I have so many pressing questions. 😂 One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving Day (thanks for asking) is the Macy’s Day Parade. Back in the day, I’d watch the par...
2024-11-2735 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 78 Thankful for the Shepherd: Finding Peace in Psalm 23 with Ruth Chou SimonsRuth Chou Simons is with us this week, and trust me, I got down to the real investigative questions like how she manages hotel rooms with six kids and what it was like being on *Good Morning America* earlier this year. You’re welcome! But seriously, it’s the week before Thanksgiving 🦃🦃, and today’s show is an invitation to take a deep breath as we reflect on God’s goodness. We’re diving into Psalm 23 and what it really means to have God as our Good Shepherd—the One who takes care of us, provides for us, an...
2024-11-2034 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 77 Being thankful for a “Million Little Miracles” with Mark BattersonWith Thanksgiving around the corner, many of us are thinking about what we’re thankful for, what we might be taking for granted, and what gratitude really looks like. Today’s show comes at the perfect time, as Mark Batterson helps us reframe everyday miracles and see God in the midst of our daily lives. Mark encourages us to “change your pace and place to change your perspective.” Sometimes, to wake up to wonder, we need to step outside our routines—whether that’s by taking a walk or going on a “two-foot field trip,” like moving from the living...
2024-11-1338 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 76 Surviving Midlife: Navigating Menopause and Anxiety with Dr. Mikala AlbertsonRemember how I’ve been having lunch every Wednesday with a wonderful group of friends for the last 15+ years? Today’s show is inspired by those lunches—because lately, all we seem to talk about is midlife and menopause. It's a season, let me tell you! To help us all navigate this wild ride, I’m thrilled to bring in a true expert: Dr. Mikala Albertson. We’re diving deep into everything you never thought you'd need to know about menopause, perimenopause, and all the hormonal roller coasters that come with them. Dr. Albertson has a brilliant...
2024-11-0639 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 75 The Art of Redefining 'Good' with Megan Fate MarshmanToday’s my birthday… so there’s that! 🎉🎂 And it’s totally not too late to get me a gift—I’ll be accepting food-chain gift cards for Diet Dr. Pepper all week long. 😂 In honor of my birthday, I’m kicking off MESSmerized with a little segment I call “Things I Know for Sure” after celebrating 50+ birthdays. Really rolls off the tongue, right? But there’s more! Megan Fate Marshman joins us on the show for the first time ever. She’s amazing, and we cover everything from parenting fails to perfecting the elusive messy bun. We even had a little...
2024-10-3037 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 74 How teens win with Jon AcuffToday I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Jon Acuff! If you don’t know Jon, he’s like the fun friend who makes you laugh but also slips in the kind of wisdom that makes you go, "Huh... I really needed to hear that." We covered everything from goal-setting and personal development to parenting in a way that doesn’t drive us or our kids completely nuts. But what really hit home was our conversation about helping our teens win in life. Jon had a lot to say about recognizing that every kid’s path is diffe...
2024-10-2335 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 73 Does church still matter? With Natalie RunionWe’ve got a new show out today, and I’m so excited for you to hear this important conversation with Natalie Runion. We’re going deep into the messy but important topic of church life and the realities of church hurt, how to spot an unhealthy church, and when it might be time to walk away—or stick around. We also explored the idea that ministry isn’t just for pastors and church staff. Every believer has a ministry! Whether it’s through serving, worshiping, or simply being a witness in your community, you’re making an impact. And...
2024-10-1633 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 72 Tour Life, Friendship, and Fighting Words with Ellie HolcombToday on MESSmerized I’m hanging out with the amazing Ellie Holcomb, who’s fresh off a tour with none other than Lauren Daigle. Ellie gives us the scoop on life on the road—think tight spaces, late-night chats, and the wild sense of community that comes with sharing a bus. She also gives us an insider peek on her friendship with Lauren, how they ended up collaborating on a song, and their favorite moments on tour (spoiler: their song Be Okay will give you all the feels). But it’s not all music and fun—Ellie opens up a...
2024-10-0936 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 71 How do Christians engage in politics with Libin Abraham"If politics is robbing you of peace, you might have misplaced your trust." Mic drop please for the quote above from today’s show. Today the Pastor of my church Bent Tree Bible, Libin Abraham, joins us to dive into the tricky (but important) topic of Christians engaging in politics. We talk about how it's not just about showing up—it's about being prayerful, peaceful, prophetic, powerful, and purposeful. But the big reminder here? Our top loyalty is to Jesus, not any political party. We’re here to make disciples, not stir up more division. ...
2024-10-0236 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 70 Is this the end times? With Pastor Max LucadoIt’s starting to get embarrassing how much I gush each time I interview Pastor Max Lucado. But my goodness, after today’s show I promise you’ll understand why he’s often referred to as “America’s Pastor.” He has the kindest, most relatable presence even when he’s tackling something as complex as the end times in his new book What Happens Next. If you are like me and grew up a little bit nervous thinking about the end times and what it might look like when Jesus returns, please grab a latte and get ready for...
2024-09-2533 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 68 Do I need a digital fast? With Darren Whitehead I know, I know. You’ve read the title of today’s show, and you’re thinking there ain’t a one of us who really wants to think about how much time we are spending on our various forms of technology. Myself included. True story, recently I was considering ways I could spend more time in prayer, and I literally convinced myself that I had not one spare second in my day. As if the Holy Spirit worked for Apple, at that exact moment a notification popped up on my phone with my average...
2024-09-1139 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 67 Living faithfully where God has you right now with Pastor Matt ChandlerIt was hard to figure out how to title today’s show because we cover so much ground. If you are not yet familiar with Pastor Matt Chandler, today is going to be a good day for you! Matt Chandler is the Pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, and today he’s bringing the much-needed reminder that we were created for this exact time in human history. That matters because if we were created for the here and now, we can have confidence in God’s plan even when we feel anxious, ill-equipped, or exhauste...
2024-09-0441 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 66 What your kids wish you knew with Sissy Goff and David ThomasWith all the kids heading back to school, there’s always the anxiety that goes with unknowns and new beginnings. And that’s just for us as parents! Joking. Sissy Goff and David Thomas from Daystar Counseling are with me today, and they are bringing the heat. They are literally the wisest, kindest, and dearest people you’ll ever meet. I could go on and on, but instead I’m giving you a few of the topics we cover today: What your kids wish you knew How anxiety presents in girls vs. boys
2024-08-2842 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 65 Sidetracked with Jess Connolly: Cynthia Yanof and Heather MacFadyenIt’s August, and Heather and I are still on our summer quest to surprise each other with cool guests on Sidetracked. Today is no exception as Heather comes in hot, surprising me with the one and the only Jess Connolly. Let’s be honest, it’s the end of summer and I’m guessing there’s some portion of you that’s tired physically, spiritually, or emotionally trying to do it all? Jess Connolly addresses just that as we talk about her new book and all the research behind the how, where, and why of rest. Jess’s life i...
2024-08-2150 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 64 How do I best support neurodivergent children? With Somer ColbertI dropped JB off for his first day of second grade yesterday. He’s still at the age where he’s super excited to go back to school. I’m currently at the age where I’m happy to drop him off. Will I miss him? Absolutely. Does he need the structure? 100%. Do I pray like crazy for him to be seen, loved, and have good friends this school year? Daily. Going back to school always brings lots of emotions, but especially for our neurodivergent kiddos. As parents, we pray they can learn effectively, that they are s...
2024-08-1443 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 63 How do I share my faith? With Billy RodgersOh my goodness, I can’t wait for you to hear today's show with Billy Rodgers! And despite the weird wording of the title of this show, we're talking about sharing our faith with friends and family (and not just sharing our faith with Billy Rodgers. ha!) Billy and his wife, Brandie, are some of our very dearest friends in the world. They are amazing people with a heart for evangelism. When Billy recently shared the statistic with me below, I knew we had to have a conversation on MESSmerized about it: It...
2024-08-0748 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 62 How do I parent my adult-ish kids? With Lisa ClarkI’ll never forget the time in high school when Kate and I had a disagreement, and she threw down these inflammatory words: “welllll I am 18 years old.” I believe my response was something like, “yes dear one, you’re an 18-year-old that drives our car, uses our cell phone, lives in our house, wears our clothes, and exists on our money.” (Perhaps I should have paused a bit before responding.) Nonetheless, if you have older kids, you’ve probably had similar moments of trying to adjust to kids reaching adulthood-ish while they are still financially depe...
2024-07-3147 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 61 How do I laugh (when I want to cry)? with Molly StillmanMy family is on vacation this week, and in honor of family trips gone wrong, here’s a little summer travel excerpt from Life is Messy, God is Good: I appreciate how Home Alone completely lowered the bar on family travel expectations after the parents left Kevin at home TWICE. Not to mention that biblically speaking, Jesus’ parents lost Him for more than three days while returning home from Jerusalem. I’m encouraged that if Joseph and Mary had a parenting fail and lost the Messiah, I can calm the heck down abo...
2024-07-2440 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 60 Sidetracked with Makayla Noble : Cynthia and HeatherThis week we have a fun show as Heather and I continue surprising each other with guests on Sidetracked. I was in charge of our guest today and I’m so excited for you to hear our conversation with Makayla Noble. If you don’t know Makayla, here’s a little background: On September 20, 2021, Makayla Noble, a world-champion cheerleader, suffered an injury that resulted in a severe spinal cord injury. People from all over the world joined together to pray for her life and follow alongside her healing journey. Makayla has overcome almost impossible odds and has an amaz...
2024-07-1737 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 59 How do I find joy? With Jenna GriffithI’ve been trying to slow down and enjoy the “moments” this summer with my family. It slips by so quickly if we aren’t careful, and that seems especially true now that we have one in college (and another one going away in a year). Tonight we played pickle ball and let’s be clear, my kids get their athletic ability from Mike. But we laughed, watched the sunset, and ended with homemade ice cream. It feels like the perfect night full of pure joy. Speaking of joy (how about that transitio...
2024-07-1034 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 58 How do I get through my child’s hard diagnosis? With Jessica HurlbutHappy 4th of July week! I’m hoping you have big plans with friends and family to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. I found a new homemade ice cream recipe this summer that’s super easy and has been a fan favorite. I’m linking it here in case you're feeling ambitious and want to give it a whirl. In continuing our “how do I series,” we have Jessica Hurlbut joining us today talking about the fear and disappointment of facing our kids' unexpected diagnosis. Jessica is a mom, podcaster, author, speaker, and avid runner. Fun f...
2024-07-0437 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 57 How do I grieve well? with Abby Rike“There’s no fast-tracking the grief process.” - Abby Rike My good friend Abby is with us today talking about grief and the many forms it takes. Grief is most often associated with death, but it’s also important to acknowledge the grief we face in the loss of a dream, relationships, health, and so much more. Abby reminds us that there is hope in the midst of our deepest grief, and she tackles some of the lies we are tempted to believe when we’re struggling through the hard stuff. Interesting f...
2024-06-2641 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 56 Special Edition of MESSmerized: Sidetracked with Beth McCordI mentioned it last month, but as a little reminder, Heather MacFadyen of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast and I have a super fun show we do together called Sidetracked. As a part of this little venture, this summer we’ve decided to surprise each other with a guest and then release the episode on both of our shows. It’s been super fun so far, and we’d love to know how you’re liking it and if you want more of these shows! On today’s Sidetracked episode, Heather surprises me with author, speake...
2024-06-1949 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 54 How do I love my body? with Rebecca Carrell and Liz RodriguezToday we’re talking about body image, learning to love our body, and calling out the false narratives we’ve bought into from culture and other places relating to our physical body. Talking about body image kinda feels like no-man's land, and I’m thinking I might as well hit politics and money while I’m at it. Joking. But having a discussion around how to love our body is something that is important, and I believe it is not discussed enough in Christian circles. So we’re doing it here today! Liz Rodrigu...
2024-06-0546 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 53 How do I survive summer with my teens? Guest Ken WilgusI’m going to keep this short because, well, listen to the intro and you’ll understand. But somewhere between trying out a new spray tan and finding our trampoline in our front yard after a storm—it’s gotten kinda weird over here. But thankfully, on the show is one of our faves, Dr. Ken Wilgus. We’re talking about how we survive summer with teens, and below is a preview of a few points that are coming your way: Set absolute limits on screens in advance Establish household expectations Requi...
2024-05-2938 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 52 Special Edition of MESSmerized: Sidetracked with Toni CollierHere’s a fun little podcast update for you. As most of you (hopefully) know, Heather MacFadyen of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast and I have a little sideshow we do once a month called Sidetracked. Basically, it’s an unfiltered conversation between the two of us discussing life’s goings on, parenting, faith, etc. It comes out the first Friday of the month on Don’t Mom Alone, and It’s been a big hit. So, spinning off from that concept this week, we’re doing a second episode of Sidetracked in...
2024-05-2238 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 51 How do I deepen my friendships? Guest Amy WeatherlyWe’re answering “how to” questions these days on MESSmerized, and today we’re tackling the awesome yet complex topic of friendships. I think of all the things I’m asked to talk about from my book, most often I’m asked about the topic of friendships and how to cultivate the really deep, meaningful ones. Thankfully the queen of friendships (I made that up on the spot by the way) is with us today. Amy Weatherly is covering the good, bad, and ugly of doing life with others, and why it’s so important we prioritize fr...
2024-05-1542 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 50 How do I improve my marriage? Guests Dave & Ann WilsonIt’s week two of our new series asking “how do I _____” questions. Each week we’re bringing in amazing guests with practical advice for all areas of life. If you missed last week with Courtney DeFeo, we talked about cheering on other women, and you definitely need to go back and listen if you missed it. So so good. 🎉 This week we are tackling marriage, and I’m so excited for you to meet Dave and Ann Wilson. They are pastors, speakers, and hosts of the nationally syndicated radio show Family Life Today. But more than that...
2024-05-0831 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 49 How do I cheer on other women? Guest Courtney DeFeoIt’s May and if you’re anything like me, you’re already tired just thinking about all of the end-of-year conferences, award ceremonies, track meets, class picnics, and everything else headed our way. But don’t worry, we will survive it all together! That being said, I’m SUPER EXCITED that May is finally here because TODAY is the day we start a new series on MESSmerized. (And trust me, you’re going to LOVE it! ❤️❤️❤️) The next few months we’re examining “how do I _______?” questions on the show. In other words, each week will be...
2024-05-0134 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 48 Willie Robertson talks Duck Dynasty and sharing our faithHave I told you this week how much my family loved Duck Dynasty? It was/is such a genius way to get people laughing while still instilling biblical truth and good old fashioned family values. The prayers around the table at the end of each show still get me. Today I have the privilege of chatting with Willie Robertson about all things Duck Dynasty, and it’s far past due since I’ve interviewed basically everyone in his family except for him. Willie’s stories are amazing, including how he tried to fire Cy...
2024-04-2441 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 47 Empty Nest Prep and Parenting Adult Children with Jim BurnsSeeing as though I have a first-grader and all, empty nesting seems a lifetime away. But for so many of us it’s one of those things that sneaks up in an instant leaving us and wondering what’s next and how to parent these new adults in our lives. Jim Burns is an absolute delight and comes today with lots of practical information on how to prepare for the empty-nesting years. We discuss how women tend to cope with kids leaving home versus men, and he shares plenty of super relatable insights from his own e...
2024-04-1742 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 46 Parenting the various ages and stages of kids with Monica SwansonI hope you enjoyed the solar eclipse yesterday and the reminders of God’s majesty and power over all things on heaven and earth. Not to mention, if the stats are accurate I’m guessing you listened to Bonnie Tyler at some point during the day because. . . . why not? Her 1983 hit song, Total Eclipse of the Heart, reached number 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in the US during the solar eclipse yesterday. Bless our hearts for being so predictable and slightly cheesy when it comes to eclipse protocol. But whatcha gonna do, every now and th...
2024-04-1041 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 45 Living out your faith with Candace Cameron BureI come to you today with a slight problem. Okay, it’s a little bit bigger than slight. I’m a huge Candace Cameron Bure fan stemming back from Full House and bleeding all the way forward into the Hallmark Christmas movie era and now Great American Family Channel. Not to mention I’m obsessed with QVC and all of that makes me a HUGE Candace Cameron Bure groupie. Why is this a problem? Thanks for asking. Well she’s on today’s show and let’s say I was a lot. L...
2024-04-0338 min
Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens Into AdulthoodEpisode 171: We Interview Cynthia Yanof... Your New Best FriendToday we talk to Cynthia Yanof, host of the "MESSmerized" podcast, former host of the "Pardon the Mess" podcast and author of her new book, "Life is Messy, God is Good: Sanity for the Chaos of Everyday Life." Always relatable, Cynthia's book shares stories and lessons learned from the vantage point of a wife, mom, former lawyer, foster parent and Christian woman just trying to keep things together. Her honesty and genuine interest in everyone around her draws people to her like a magnet, including Jessica and Dr. Ken, Cynthia is the new best friend that you just met!
You...
2024-04-0224 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 43 Where faith meets mental health: Laura SmithAccording to the CDC, mental illnesses are the most common health conditions in the United States, with more than one in five adults suffering in some capacity. I say this not to be a downer, but to provide perspective as we consider the importance of treating ourselves well and seeking out the help we need. Laura Smith is with us today talking about her new book, Holy Care for the Whole Self. After years of counseling, she’s come to realize that the very techniques medical professionals suggest for improving our mental health are also the...
2024-03-2034 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 41 Parenting Ahead with Kristen HattonI’m so excited to have my friend Kristen Hatton with us today. Not only is she a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, but she’s also a brand new empty nester with a great perspective on fostering relationships with our kids now in preparation for when they live away from our homes. We talk a lot about communication in today’s show, with Kristen highlighting several reasons why our kids may not feel safe or comfortable talking to us. Even with the best of intentions, there are things we inadvertently do each day that close the lines of...
2024-03-0636 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 40 Am I addicted to my phone? A conversation with Joey OdomMy name is Cynthia Yanof and I’m addicted to my phone (and my watch, and Netflix, and Diet Dr. Pepper, and Mahjong . . . . too much?) Good thing Joey Odom is with us today! We’re coming in hot with a grace-filled word for those of us all of us who need to be reminded that we can’t allow technology to trump our relationships. We’re talking about navigating our phones in a world where they are so helpful and critical, yet can also be harmful and a crutch. Joey’s thoughts on u...
2024-02-2841 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 39 Peace in the face of suffering with Joni Eareckson TadaJoni Eareckson Tada had a diving accident as a teenager, leaving her a quadriplegic. Since that time God has used her life in incredible ways to impact millions of people all over the globe for Jesus. Joni has an incredible word for us today on finding peace in our lives by abiding with Jesus. I don’t know about you, but I know how to spend time with Jesus, praise Jesus, and even talk about Jesus. But sometimes “abiding” with him feels complex and needs a little more explanation. Joni’s doing that for us today.
2024-02-2129 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 38 Behind the Mess with Cynthia Yanof: Building our homes on a firm foundationIt’s one of those rare times where it’s just me and a mic today with no guest to be found. Be assured, I’m bringing lots of random thoughts laced with humor (and hopefully) wisdom along the way. But with the addition of lots of new listeners the last few months, I’m realizing it’s time to share some of what’s on my heart as well as how Life is Messy, God is Good came to be. We’re going to talk very practically today about building our homes on a firm foundation...
2024-02-1431 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 37 Behind the Mess with Darin Kinder: Living CourageouslyYesterday was an incredible day and I’m so grateful for your support of Life is Messy God is Good. As we continue the push towards getting this word out, I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon (or wherever you purchased the book) as well as continue sharing on social media and recommending it to friends. Please accept my deepest and heartfelt THANK YOU! Today’s show is a continuation of our discussions with friends and family who made a cameo in my book. Darin Kinder is not only in the...
2024-02-0739 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 36 “Behind the Mess” with Kate and Brett YanofI’m writing to you from the airport in Dallas on my way to Nashville for book interviews. You guys, Life is Messy, God is Good is two weeks out from making its debut. YIKES! If you don’t follow me on social, be sure to do that now so you can see my fun updates. As you know, on MESSmerized we’re doing a little series called “behind the mess.” We’re bringing some folks on the show that are featured in the book, and today it’s two of my favorite people! My two older kids...
2024-01-3135 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 33 What’s your next “yes” for 2024?Happy New Year! 🥳🎉🥳🎉🥳🎉 (Said with my most hoarse voice confirming I do in fact have my annual January cold. 🤒) I don’t know about you, but my social media is jam-packed with everyone’s 2024 resolutions and things they are adding, things they are dropping, and ways they are going to make the most of the new year. And I applaud the ambition! That being said, I’m wondering what God would have us resolve for this new year? What is he calling us to do and how do we create enough margin to...
2024-01-0344 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 32 Advent Love with Heather MacFadyen and Stephanie MartinIf you’re in a post-Christmas coma, you’re not alone! Eating cookies for breakfast and watching Hallmark movies instead of entertaining your kids is fine everyone . . . we are doing our best! That being said, can I invite you to join me and two of my favorite people for a few minutes to talk about love? Yes, it’s the last week of our Advent series and love is our topic. It’s easy to see God’s unrelenting love for his people through Jesus’ life, from the manger to the cross. But how do...
2023-12-2733 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 31 Advent Joy with Rodney SchellWhen am I going to learn? Seriously, I’m 20 years into this parenting gig and still insisting on family car rides to look at Christmas lights this time of year. It’s the definition of insanity how I do it over and over again expecting a different result. In my defense, I’m envisioning a picturesque scene of hot chocolate, pj’s, and a spectacle of lights bringing warmth and joy to my family. In reality, it’s 30 minutes in purgatory in a confined space with unwilling participants yelling “don’t touch me” or “is anyone else having...
2023-12-2026 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 30 Advent Peace with Kay WymaWe’re closing in on 12 days until Christmas, and I’m guessing the whole idea of “peace” feels illusive at this point? Or maybe that’s just me. 😂😂😂 Today my dear friend Kay Wyma is joining us on our Advent journey to discuss peace. How does Christmas bring us reminders of peace, especially in a world filled with discord and stress? (Hint: Peace isn’t the absence of conflict, but replacing it with something deeper and more significant.) I especially appreciate Kay’s challenge to identify the root causes of our unrest, worries, or confl...
2023-12-1332 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 28 Managing Christmas Chaos with Lee Cordon 🎄🎄 It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And busiest . . . There’s truly nothing like Christmas and the anticipation of fun activities, family gatherings, and celebrating the birth of our Savior. But there’s also the practicalities of shopping, cleaning, hosting, and wrapping that bring chaos to our lives if we aren’t super intentional. (Not to mention that JB is already burning up the speakers of my SUV with Kidz Bop Christmas. Bless it.) I’m so thankful to have Lee Cordon of Do Say Give with us today! She’s...
2023-11-2943 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Worship RecapHappy Thanksgiving week! Are you putting up your tree this week and getting a jump on Christmas decorations? Or are you a Thanksgiving loyalist who refuses to address the Christmas chaos until after the bird is consumed? I’m a little bit of both if I’m honest. I’m dead-set on fully embracing Thanksgiving, while also wanting to soak in every single second of Christmas by kicking-off the festivities early. Wherever you land, I’m praying this week holds plenty of sweet family time for each of you, with...
2023-11-2019 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 27: God-sized Callings with Steve FrissellIt’s National Adoption Month, and I would be remiss if I didn’t talk at least a little bit about adoption—since it has changed our lives in all of the best ways! But today we’re also talking more generally about the God-sized callings that are placed on our lives. It’s those things that God asks us to do as a step of faith and a call to obedience. For some of us it’s adoption, but for others it’s a mission trip, or a financial investment into Kingdom purposes, or even stepping into someone el...
2023-11-1535 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Worship is an actionCan you believe it’s the week before Thanksgiving? 🦃🍁 Here’s a little Thanksgiving tale that my family loves to bring up this time of year. A few years ago I got unreasonably ambitious and made the Pioneer Woman’s pumpkin chocolate pie recipe. Now listen, no shade on Ree as I’m sure her pie is fantastic (done correctly). But somehow I missed a step . . . and showed up to Thanksgiving with the slushiest pie one has ever seen. Not being ones to let things go, my older brothers had a field day saying i...
2023-11-1314 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 26: A BIG Announcement (like really BIG) 📣🎉The day has finally come where I get to share something unbelievably exciting that’s going on in my life. And true to form, I come to you somewhere between wildly excited to share the news while also completely nerved-out because it’s vulnerable and so deeply special to me. But here we go! Drum roll please . . . . You guys, I wrote a book! It’s called Life is Messy, God is Good and it’s the biggest labor of love I’ve had the privilege of being a part of in my life. I say...
2023-11-0836 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 25 The 3 Questions Your Kids Are Asking with Brad GriffinIn today’s show we’re talking about the three fundamental questions our kids are asking: Who am I? Where do I fit? What difference can I make? It doesn’t take long to realize these aren’t just questions for kids, but questions we all deal with at different points in life. Knowing this, It’s critically important we wrestle well with these core concepts of identity, belonging, and purpose—and Brad Griffin from the Fuller Youth Institute is joining us to talk about all of it. When it comes to identity, Brad helps us un...
2023-11-0140 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: A Wrap-up on Prayer"I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and the consequences of those effects down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get off our knees for the rest of our lives. Peter Kreeft." - Peter Kreeft This is one of my favorite quotes on prayer, one you are probably familiar with. Wouldn’t it be...
2023-10-3014 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 24 Trusting God with Your Doubt with Lee StrobelGuys . . . we have Lee Strobel on MESSmerized today! Lee Strobel is a former atheist turned Christian apologist who tackles the most common questions and objections people struggle with when it comes to faith. Spoiler alert, these obstacles involve the theology around earthly suffering as well as feeling as if God is silent. Lee references statistics indicating that belief in God is now down to 81 percent, compared to 98 percent in the 1960s. It’s with this in mind that he wrote his latest book, Is God Real? Today’s show is a...
2023-10-2536 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Four “P’s” for Your Prayer LifeHappy Monday everyone! I hope you’ve had a fun and relaxing weekend. Let’s kick-off this week with a keeping it real moment in our house right now (that’s also making me a wee bit crazy). JB, our 6-year-old, has suddenly decided his wake up time is somewhere around 5:45 a.m. That’s a real bad deal in and of itself; however, it’s exacerbated by the fact our teenage son gets his second wind around 11:00 p.m. every night when he’s finally willing to download his day with us. And you better believe...
2023-10-2315 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 23 Trusting God with Our Wellness with Mia MbrohIf you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking “ain’t nobody got time to worry about my own well-being.” After all, we’re trying to keep everyone else above water on any given day, right? But that mindset is exactly what gets us into trouble and is something I’m super excited for us to dive into today. Mia Mbrow is an LPC as well as my dear friend. She’s joining us today to talk about this notion of well-being. She has a good word on the importance of assessing where we are individually...
2023-10-1843 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Jesus, Teach Us to PrayPrayer should be the most important conversation you have everyday. —TobyMac Can we be honest? It’s not often that we think of prayer as the most essential or important conversation we will have in a given day. It’s also not often that I kick-off a Monday morning quoting TobyMac, but he does make a great point. 😂 We started last week covering some of the obstacles we face in praying. Things like not making time, wondering if it really makes a difference, and even feeling like God is distant. This week we’re fo...
2023-10-1613 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 22 Sidetracked: Fall, Homecoming, and Sibling RelationshipsIT'S FINALLY FALL! The air is crisp (at least for Dallas), the pumpkin lattes are flowing, and the mums are blooming. In honor of the change in seasons, this week we’re taking a quick break from our “Trusting God” series to have a few laughs with my dear friend, Heather MacFadyen from Don’t Mom Alone. We’re laughing/lamenting about everything from Homecoming Mums, teen language we don’t understand, and even some of the hard things going on in our lives these days. I espec...
2023-10-1143 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Let’s Talk Prayer“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” - Martin Luther I’ve spent most of my life agreeing philosophically with the words above; but I’ve also spent much of my life very practically wondering how to pray correctly. Or most effectively. Or the way that everyone else does so that God will really hear me. Can you relate? The next few weeks, we’re focusing on the spiritual rhythm of prayer. Yes, we’re going to talk about the...
2023-10-0917 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 21 Trusting God With Our Dreams With Wade JoyeRemember the time I read a book that rocked my world (in a good way), and I randomly emailed the author to come on the podcast and then cried when I finally met him? Me neither. But if that were to happen (which it totally did), the author would be Wade Joye, the book would be This Dream is Not for You, and today’s show is the conversation you must hear. We all have dreams, and oftentimes they are not career related. Dreams for our marriage, our family, our kid...
2023-10-0442 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purpose🪚 Spiritual Rhythms: Tools for Studying Your Bible 🔨Hopefully you’ve enjoyed a few weeks of episodes where we’ve dug deep into reading our Bible. I think the takeaways are many, but mostly the key is the intentionality in doing it each day by having a time, place, and plan for reading. This week we are talking about different tools that can help us study our Bible. By no means are these a must-have, but the resources available can be helpful in gaining deeper understanding. Mary DeMurth is joining me today to talk about the various resources available for Bible study, and she’s...
2023-10-0221 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 20 Trusting God When Your Story Changes with Cary and Cara PierceI couldn't be more hyped-up for you to hear our guests today as a part of the “trusting God” series. We have Cary and Cara Pierce joining us, and I’ve been hoping to make this happen for a LONG time. Not only are they dear friends, but they are hilarious and “real” people who know a thing or two about trusting God when your dreams change. Cary is a part of the band Jackopierce, traveling across the country entertaining millions of fans over the last 30 years. His wife, Cara, is an attorney and amazing woman of faith. Cary...
2023-09-2740 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purpose📖 Spiritual Rhythms: How do I read my Bible? 📖In the last few weeks, many of you have shared how much you loved praying for our kids together the last few years. I have loved that too, and I’m so happy my friend Courtney DeFeo is continuing that legacy on Pardon the Mess. Be sure to check it out! But I feel strongly that my calling this year is to help us very intentionally consider our spiritual rhythms. Why? Because our culture desperately needs us, as Christians, to live out our faith in tangible ways every single day. And those faith-inspired moments come fro...
2023-09-2519 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 19 Trusting God with Our Resources with Pastor Libin AbrahamI hope you’re enjoying our “Trusting God” series as much as I am. So far we’ve talked about trusting God with our failures and our future self, and this week we’re talking about trusting God with our resources. Don’t worry, this isn’t a discussion of giving away all your money. (Although we definitely are called to live generously with all aspects of our lives, including our finances.) Pastor Libin Abraham is my Pastor at Bent Tree Bible Church here in Dallas. My family attends this church, and I’m so excited that he’s...
2023-09-2040 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purpose📖 Spiritual Rhythms Week 2: Why read your Bible? 📖Welcome to week 2 of our Monday podcasts! Each week we will consider ways to incorporate small daily changes to our spiritual rhythms in hopes of experiencing big faith gains in our lives. This week we have Libin Abraham joining us, my Pastor here in Dallas. Pastor Libin has an amazing reminder of the “why-to” behind reading our Bibles. It’s a critical precursor to the “how-to”” of reading God’s Word, which we’ll begin next Monday. If you’re anything like me, you have a long history of feeling guilty for not spending enough...
2023-09-1814 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 18 Trusting God with Our Future Self with Mason KingI got a text from a friend this morning asking if I was attending a “senior lunch.” I don’t have a senior in high school right now, so the first thing that entered my mind was a luncheon for senior citizens. Life is cruel when one day you’re buying tickets to Bruno Mars in Vegas, and the next day you’re contemplating a perceived invitation to an AARP luncheon. Turns out it was in fact a lunch for moms of high school seniors (and she forgot my son was a junior.) Miscommunication? Yes. Reality check...
2023-09-1331 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeSpiritual Rhythms: Introduction Week 1 📣Before school a few days ago, I overheard my first-grader arguing with his 16-year-old brother, Brett. It was obvious my little one was getting more and more annoyed at the antics of his older brother and was about to lose it. Finally, in a moment of utter fury, my little one said to Brett in his most indignant voice, “you’re not one of father Abraham’s many sons.” It took all I had not to burst out laughing as I thought to myself, tell me you’re growing up in a Christian home without telling me you’re grow...
2023-09-1116 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 15 Caring for Aging Parents with Dr. Mary NormanWe are full-service here on MESSmerized as we transition out of back-to-school topics and jump to the other end of the age pendulum with aging parents. Dr. Mary Norman joins us today with an incredibly wise and practical discussion on loving our aging parents well. She gives us considerations for immediate action if our parents are healthy today, as well as ways to be helpful if they require more assistance. Don’t miss her advice on these important topics: Legal documents and conversations to have now if your parents are doi...
2023-08-2349 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 14 The Worry Cycle with Sissy GoffA show of hands for those who love Sissy Goff? (Picture me with both of my hands up. 😂) Sissy is a Licensed Counselor from Nashville, Tennessee, and although she’s a frequent guest on CNN, GMA, and NBC Nightly News, she’s also just an amazing woman with an abundance of wisdom around anxiety and worry. Recent statistics show that 5.6 million kids have been diagnosed with anxiety. And if a parent has anxiety, research shows their child is seven times more likely to experience it as well. In other words, today’s conversatio...
2023-08-1642 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 12 Competition, comparison, and back-to-school considerations with Kay WymaWe’re down on all fours and crawling towards the finish line of summer over here. Barely scraping by. It’s not all that surprising, except that every year my idealistic May-self is convinced this will be the summer where my dreams and expectations line up perfectly. The summer of family walks, lemonade stands, nightly devotionals, and a physical and spiritual renewing of our hearts and minds. But it’s August and all of that’s shot to . . . the ground. And now it’s just survival. Want new school shoes...
2023-08-0244 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 11 What's grace got to do with it? A conversation with Pastor Steve FrissellHey Y'all! I'm back from vacation and let's just say the Yanof family did not return unscathed. There may or may not have been a fall, a black eye, and a little (lot) of humiliation amidst the fun of family vacation. Nonetheless, I'm so excited about today's show because we've got the super hilarious and wise Steve Frissell joining us. Pastor Steve helps us walk through the concept of grace, and how it changes everything we do if we really understand it and apply it. Spoiler alert: Pastor Steve also has the most in...
2023-07-2653 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 10 All things Summer with Cynthia Yanof feat. Heather MacFadyenHello from Colorado! We’re FINALLY on family vacation, and the high temps are in the 70s and the lows are in the 40s. I basically want to rededicate my life to Jesus, I’m so happy right now. But I’m also excited for today’s show because it’s a free-flow of my thoughts around the book I’m reading on vacation (Atomic Habits) and the ways our habits shape our spiritual lives. I also share a little insight into the many ways Colorado has not been our friend over the years–...
2023-07-1939 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 9 Friendship 101 with Amy Weatherly 💙Today’s episode is for all those craving deep, authentic friendships but instead find themselves in the spiral of people pleasing, overthinking, and questioning why you weren’t invited to the girls’ night out last weekend. (Been there, done that ✔️) Amy Weatherly is an author, speaker, and hilariously real advocate of deep, authentic friendships no matter the phase of life you’re walking. She chats with us about creating friendships that celebrate others, while recognizing that not every person is “your person,” and that’s totally okay. I especially love her thoughts on evangelizi...
2023-07-1247 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 8 An honest conversation about church with Natalie RunionWhat comes to mind when someone asks your feelings about church? I feel like an outsider Life has gotten busy, and it’s hard to make time It’s full of hypocrisy that is sometimes hard to stomach Church people have hurt me more than anyone else I experience church at places that don’t have a big building and fancy landscapes Sometimes I feel overlooked and undervalued at church It doesn’t matter which answer(s) you picked, I echo your response with a hear...
2023-07-0539 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 7 Surviving Summer Parenting with Ken WilgusIt’s summer and let’s be honest . . . . someone needs to start doing a little better job raising the kids in our house. (Or maybe that’s just the current situation in my house 😂). At some point over here we decided a swim in the pool constitutes bathing, and slushies are a food group. An intervention probably needs to be staged. Either way, in honor of the dog-days of summer parenting we’re hitting some important topics today with the much-loved Dr. Ken Wilgus. For over 30 years Dr. Ken has helped parents prepare...
2023-06-2850 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 5 Talking about Fathers with Louie GiglioIn honor of Father’s Day, we’re talking about all things related to fathers, and we have none other than Louie Giglio joining us! If you’ve listened to me speak much over the years, you know the impact Pastor Louie has had on my faith-walk. I had the opportunity to study the Bible under him in college, and then—full circle all these years later—I've been privileged to podcast him many times. I could say so much more, but instead I’ll just give you a few of the topics you d...
2023-06-1438 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 4 Runs in the Family with comedian Dustin NickersonI just got back from a mission trip with my son, and there’s a few stories that need to be told. So we’re kicking off today’s show with a few things that made me laugh, as well as things that made me think from our trip. (And if you think my take-away is going to be uber-Spiritual, sadly it’s not. But it is funny and hopefully makes your summer feel a lot more normal after hearing what’s going on with ours.) Also, I’m sharing a few thoughts on the subculture of our family a...
2023-06-0737 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 2 A Life-Changing Story with Darin KinderHave you ever heard a story that not only captivated you, but also changed your entire philosophy on how to live this life? Other than the Bible, I had never experienced something like that until I met Darin Kinder. Darin is a Secret Service Agent for the United States who has helped protect our last five presidents. He routinely works in over 38 countries and has more stories than the hours we have in the day. But he’s also a survivor of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center where he earned...
2023-05-1850 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeEpisode 1 “Unsettled” with Cynthia YanofWelcome to our first season of MESSmerized! We’re kicking off this shiny new podcast with a real and humorous conversation around the ways God unsettles us in order to gently move (or shove) us into new seasons. The definition of mesmerized is “to hold the attention of someone to the exclusion of all else.” So how do we focus on something more than our everyday struggles with approval, busyness, achievement, image, and everything else that so easily captures our hearts? That’s exactly where we are headed with to...
2023-05-1834 minMESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purposeWelcome to MESSmerizedWelcome to Cynthia Yanof’s newest podcast, MESSmerized. Each week you’ll hear funny, authentic, and vulnerable conversations around everyday life, parenting, and following Jesus. A variety of guests will challenge us to pursue a life filled with the things that really do matter. Cynthia Yanof is the host as well as an author, speaker, wife, and mother. She’s relatable, funny, and dead-set on never taking herself too seriously. Whatever mess you’re walking through, odds are she’s right there with you. Don’t miss a week as we dive...
2023-05-1403 min