Out of the Ordinary

We felt a pang as we hit record today. This is the second to final episode of 6 years of our conversations. But because conversation with a friend always does good work–we love the place where we landed. We pretty much landed this episode in heaven, didn’t we?

In our second-last episode we reminisce about our six-year journey, the impact these conversations have had on us and our embrace of ordinary life. 

• YOUR participation in t...

How's that for a title? But, friends, it's absolutely true. No spoilers here, but please don't miss the last ten minutes of this episode.

Today we're also delighted to bring you along on a face-to-face, Lisa-Jo and Christie, book celebration day. 

• a day of freedom (instead of fear) is possible because God heals the past
• how to ask friends for the support and encouragement we need
• the power of a praying friend
• our pod...

Today we're delighted to bring you a special audio excerpt from Lisa-Jo's new book, It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping that went on sale this week. Step into the South African outback via a storm that started brewing in Maryland.

From Lisa-Jo: I grew up in a family obsessed with stories. My mom used to take me out of school to see “important movies.” Her bookshelves overflowed. And my brothers grew up to make...

This was a breakthrough kind of episode. A little bit like 6 years of therapy condensed into half an hour. We hope it offers you as much of an "Aha" moment as it did for us!

In this week's conversation:

• What if your past isn't your past?
• What if you could go back to the worst bits in your story and re-write them?
• What if your pain isn't fossilized? 
• What if your present can set you free from your past?
• Click here ...

We're not sure why it took us so long to figure this out (and understand how much it matters!), but of course this podcast is like a weekly memoir of ordinary life. Here's what that means for you ...

In this week's conversation:

• Christie and Lisa-Jo explore an epiphany: they've been recording a podcast memoir all these years!
• Memoir-writing nudges us to reflect on the distant past
• podcastin...

Only a longtime friend can get away with asking some of the questions Christie asked Lisa-Jo today. We hope they are a balm to your own scarred places. 

In this week's conversation:

• A kind of live therapy takes place between Lisa-Jo and Christie
• Failure turns out to be a powerful catalyst for new things
• Growth looks unlike what we expect else maybe we'd never even try
• If you've ever felt like life is one wave after anoth...

Today's episode began with big smiles, journeyed through tears, and ended with laughter.

In this week's conversation:

• Lisa-Jo explains why her new book is an Ebenezer stone
• Christie and Lisa-Jo realize each witnessed God making things new this week
• personal stories of church hurt and church healing
• what it looks like when God makes the sad things of life un-true 

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support...

In today's episode Lisa-Jo shares the story of how God brings each of us to a feasting table, set with a chair all ready and prepared. And what happens if you're willing to sit down. 

In today's conversation:

• Lisa-Jo finds herself unexpectedly back in a courtroom setting 
• When your hometown is no longer your hometown.
• The difference between an invitation from God vs a pushy God
• How the Kingdom of God moves at the speed o...

In today's episode we unpack:

• The surprising work Christie has been doing
• How good it is to feel seen and to have our unique gifts acknowledged
• If God is a creator, shouldn't we embrace the creators in our communities?
• How to start this conversation where you are 

Podcast links:

We are now ad-free! You can help support our show with a one-time donation here or a recurring gift right here. Thank you. We are excited ab...

Life is full of surprises, and often, it's in the most unexpected moments that we find profound meaning and guidance. In today's conversation Christie and Lisa-Jo discuss one specific instance that arrived much later in Christie's life than might be typical and how these instances are opportunities to stay receptive and attentive to God at work in the mundane and challenging.

In today's episode we unpack...

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie realize they have both learned how to avoid disappointment and prepare to be happy on a special day ...

• Lisa-Jo is astonished to learn this about Philadelphia
• Christie shares everything she's discovered about celebrating milestones
• These friends ask: how can we better communicate expectations and desires in relationships? With spouses? young kids? teens? with our friends...

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie unwrap a Peck of Purple Peppers and share the story of a sentimental seed and the final book in a gardening trilogy.

• It's a book launch gift haul -- unwrapped on air. 
• Which of the the three Jane Austen gardening sisters in Christie's Trilogy are YOU? 
• How to name a book
• The powerful narratives that seeds and plants carry through generations.
• How our family's shape our stories 
• ...

In today's episode Lisa-Jo and Christie celebrate a four-year project that is finally complete. What's it like to stand at the finish line?

• A conversation between friends on the creative process and completing a trilogy
• Thanks to Lisa-Jo, Christie discovers that her book is like a Jane Austen heroine
• Which of these three books with their distinct personalities should you read first?
• How writing a trilogy teache...

Lisa-Jo has a personal epiphany in the bathtub this week and Christie offers insights on the healing that comes from addressing our shadows.

• We're facing our demons this week -- from the safety of the bathtub!
• Lisa-Jo looks in the mirror of her past and doesn't like what she sees
• Christie points us to the cyclical nature of life that can bring order and understanding out of the darkness--especially as it relat...

In today's episode, Lisa-Jo and Christie do something they've never done before ... they invite a third friend into the conversation! This special episode was recorded in person in the Black Barn!

• We are together again in the Black Barn!
• Meet our friend and special guest Emily Graffius
• Find out what it's like behind the scenes of the podcast
• We answer ALL of Emily's questions (are they your questions, t...

In today's episode, Lisa-Jo and Christie reflect on the emotional and creative journey of writing and releasing their upcoming books. They discuss the concept of impact, the pressures of going viral, and the deeper significance of friendship and service. 

• Discussion of the process of writing and releasing a book
• Personal stories behind the books
• Emotional journey of sharing your work with the world
• Our cultural obsession with m...

We are back after a five-month hiatus, and we have so much to tell you.

About rest. About work. About creativity and parenting teenagers and the very Big Milestones coming up for us this year.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed and overcommitted, this conversation between two old friends is for you.

• The difference between stuffing vs savoring. 
• What is more exhausting -- parenting toddlers vs parenting teens--and why. 
• The thing...

Who needs rest from creating?

In the beginning, God didn't just rest from work but He rested from creating. 

After burn out,  Lisa-Jo and Christie wrap their arms around us and give us grace to pause.  Whether you're entering a season of creation or needing a break from creating we can all relate.

Sometimes a season calls for a stop. for a pause. for less. You might not need anything new but need to revisit and savor what y...

This is a story about how to make ordinary life a little bit easier.

LJ and Christie laugh, talk, and recommend equipment for ordinary living: shoes, headphones, jasmine!, and more. Also, we learn that Lisa-Jo has never heard the memorable 1980s advertising slogan: "Calgon, take me away!"

Podcast links:
Follow Lisa-Jo on Instagram @lisajobaker and Christie at @christiepurifoy and please leave a review about what y...