The MooLily PodCast: Recent Episodes
The MooLily Village
With candor and love, the Moolilly gals approach a wide range of topics, looking to equip themselves and others with tools that enable us all to live with intentionality, choosing hope instead of perfectionism. They aim to talk to as many awesome Jesus-loving women as they can who have been through the tough realities of life and emerged with strength. Genuine relationship and authentic connection is what they're all about. Take a listen in a place where we're safe together.
After two months off-the-air, Kristianna and Christina pop in to share an update on where they've been, where they're going, and how they've found themselves, once again, plunged deep into the subject matter of the MooLily series they had planned to produce.
Returning to the air after their winter break, Kristianna and Christina invite you to come sit with them as they relate how the conversations they have on MooLily aren’t just conversations, but places of inspiration and hope that move them to action. They also process transitions and hard things, sharing the personal impact of Jesus speaking Truth into their spirits and how this experience has sparked the direction for the next MooLily series.
Coming up out of the past few weeks of weighty contemplations, today's podcast soars high into songs of worship and reflections on the freedom we find in rejoicing in the Lord. Rachel Faagutu shares her time, music, laughter and tears as she generously and graciously articulates the reasons why worship sustains our hearts, as well as ways that we can shake off heaviness, from healthy community to serving the hurting.
Rachel is a worship leader and singer/songwriter. Her music is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and in many other places.
All music on today's podcast was used with permission.
Samson. "Over and Over." Let My People Dance. 2006.
Rachel Fa'agutu. "Made to worship." Little Songbirds. 2012
Rachel Fa'agutu. "Near to me." Little Songbirds. 2012
Wallace Faagutu & Rachel Fa'agutu. "Survival plan." 2009.
Brandon Oaks. Logan Murphy. Rachel Faagutu. "Rejoice." 2019
Rachel Fa'agutu. "Butterfly Song." Little Songbirds 2012.
Forerunner Music & Wallace & Rachel Faagutu. "Let My People Dance."
Onething Version 2017
What do we do in the places of waiting? Who are we when our production value ceases to exist and we are left alone with just our thoughts and God, in the winterization of our lives? Sara Hagerty cuts straight to the quick of the thing in today's conversation. Sharing from her own experiences of winter, she tenderly and poignantly speaks to the discomfort of being alone with God, and the remarkable things that happen when we encounter Him in the raw places inside of ourselves.
You can find Sara's writings at sarahagerty.net, on Facebook and Instagram, and her books are available wherever books are sold.
Resources mentioned -
Cry of the Soul by Drs. Dan Allender and Tremper Longman
In every culture and tribe, rituals and traditions exist around the act of sharing food. In recent years, science and psychology have given us insight on why and how community and intimacy are created when we gather together to eat. On today's episode, Kelli Donovan leads us into the scripture to contemplate the story of God's redeeming love, and to share how she has encountered Jesus in her study and practice of observing the Jewish Feast's.
We see images like this every single day that both inspire and create waves of guilt and shame. The truth is that caring for our bodies is of great importance, so the conversation around health, fitness, and body-image will always be a pertinent one that we long to summon the courage to navigate. Help is here! Kristianna and Christina sat down with two people who have not just walked, fought, and overcome in these areas, but also have found their vocation in helping others to navigate them. Today’s guests are personal trainers whose passion is to meet their clients where they are and lead them towards where they’re meant to be; they share practical and technical thoughts on the benefit of accountability and setting small goals, as well as edifying and encouraging the heck out of all of us in the process.
Resources mentioned -
Spirit of health
Think and Eat Yourself Smart by Caroline Leaf
Silent takeover by Jacquelyn Sheppard
Detoxinista.com by Megan Gilmore
Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere
21 Day Detox -Caroline leaf
We step into our winter series wondering what can be found in the stillness, hiddenness, and waiting of this season. With Germanic memories of Christmas and Canadian contemplations on the deep dark and cold of winter, we open the conversation on coziness, belonging, and continuing to prepare room in our hearts and homes for the Lord.
In this vulnerable conversation, coming between our autumn and winter series', the girls own their Christmas struggles and share encouragement for living December out of an honest, accepting, and relationally connected place.
In the episode that concludes the fall series, “It Takes a Village,” Christina and Kristianna mull over the lasting impressions on their hearts, ways to process times of transition with your family, and the power of finding your place on the bus. Also included is a public health announcement that every woman who has ever given birth will find both amusing and informative!
This week we dive into what it means to live in an emotionally and spiritually healthy place and where/how to begin that journey. (Is there a set of questions or a standard to work towards or is the process more fluid and unique to each individual?) We have a double barrel infusion of wisdom and insight with our 3rd annual guests, Sarah Miller, Certified Professional Counselor, and Blakely Page, Registered Dietician/Nutritionist, who speak honestly from their own lives as well bringing thought provoking new research.
In our favorite recording experience yet, Christina and Kristianna sit down with the delightful Marjorie Kahler, mother of two sons, 10 grandchildren and now a growing number of great-grandchildren, to hear her story of moving across the country, raising strong boys, and the simple joy of doing it all with friends in close community.
As we give due diligence to answering our listeners question of, "How do I parent well?", MooLily has sought out the advice and experience of Danna Dahl, a professional counselor and certified play therapist in the Kansas City area. Danna brings deeply thought through answers to our myriad of complex questions, as well as humility and a delightful laugh. She illustrates, explains, and defines multiple ways that we can intentionally grow in our ability to parent our kids well.
Intelligent, intentional, and consistently gracious, guests Richard and Marci Lewellen passionately bring together theology, education, and a purposeful message of hope for parents. While challenging our accepted cultural thoughts on education, the Lewellen's also offer a great perspective on how teachers and parents can work together in the hard work of raising our children. Experienced teachers, Richard and Marci have served families and children with non-profits, churches and school for over 20 years. They have spent the last 10 years building Bethel Academy.
Our Autumn series is our endeavor to open up a conversation around the topics brewing in the hearts of some of our listeners. At our event in June we asked you what pressing things were on your hearts that we could chew on and process on the podcast. What really amazed us were how many women were asking the same questions! In this first episode, Christina and Kristianna take a stab at answering how to cultivate healthy community while in transition, and how to begin cultivating the skill of hearing from the Lord.
*Resources mentioned -
Knowing God by Joy Dawson
Life model works
Joyful journey: Listening to Immanuel by Dr. Wilder, Anna Kang, John and Sungshim Loppnow
In the final episode of the Motherhood series, Kristianna shares her latest Sleep-Deprived adventure and, more importantly, the girls process the deep things shared by their guests that impacted their hearts.
“You can always come home” song
On this episode the girls sit down with Kelsey Kautzi, an adoptive mother, and hear her incredible story of listening to the Father and allowing Him to lead her through valleys of impossible circumstances and seasons of radio silence.
In a deeply insightful conversation, professional counselor Jewel Anderson unpacks the truth, heart, intention, neurology and purpose in understanding what Attachment Theory is. She aptly illustrates the gift of understanding your own broken attachment style, as well as sharing with the Moolily ladies her passion for the repair that can be done to the ruptures we experience in our relationships.
The Moolily podcast is delighted to welcome Aussie April Parnwell for her third time guesting on the show! April shares her journey of embracing motherhood, as well as thoughts on the practice of teaching your children relational skills. As a rockstar mum she encourages the girls to identify and come to know their own strengths and gifts.
In a super guesting episode, the cohosts of Simply Wholehearted, Amy and Ashley, join the Moolily girls for an honest conversation on the couch. The conversation touches on emotions, the "hard-edged What", the importance of knowing how much your voice matters, and then culminates in a four-way brainstorming session on how to intentionally mother from a place of being unplugged, purposeful, and intentional.
We are so excited to be back with you! We hope you had a delightful Mother’s Day! On today’s episode Kristianna tells us about the last several months of being a mother to her bonus baby number five beautiful girl, along with the weight of processing her recovery, both internally and physically. Christina shares about how her failures as a new mom have brought her low, and how the Father used these painful circumstances to transform her perspective and application of her call to mothering.
The Moolily girls take a quiet afternoon to contemplate the transformative power of Advent, reflecting on the mystery and deep love of God WITH US. They ponder the end of pregnancy, the difficulty of waiting in the tension of longing, and the incredible faithfulness of the Lord to deliver us. May you find joy in celebrating the little things this season, holding your heart in a place of holy delight and remembrance. Merry Christmas from Moolily!
*Resources mentioned-
Soul space - Jerome Daley
On this episode our conversation centers around how to utilize the skills of self-care and heart-awareness as we endeavor to tend the garden of our hearts and prepare for the busyness of the upcoming Christmas season. Unpacking some of the simple wisdom our guests brought, and the deep things that moved their hearts, Christina and Kristianna wrap up by talking about their desire to have the whisper of Jesus permeate the month of December.
Joined for a second time by psychologist Sarah Miller, the Moolily conversation heads into the territory of processing shame, performance, comparison, perfectionism, expectations and the roles that our hormones can play in the battle of anxiety. Sarah also offers wonderful advice on teaching our children how to process their big emotions, as well as reminding us that a loving Father never minimizes or dismisses the experience of what we're going through.
Travel back in time to late summer, when the amazing Meghan Adams re-joined Kristianna and Christina on the podcast. In her time with us, Meghan shares the intimate revelation the Lord gave her, that the garden of our heart belongs to Jesus. As we surrender the lies of responsibility to "fix our hearts", and that the health of our heart is dependent on how "well" we do, our role in our hearts is changed from head gardener to His helper. Finally, Meghan delves into how releasing unforgiveness, with its illusion of power and self-protection, creates a heart that is free.
Blakely Page rejoins the Moolily conversation to explore what can be done in times of stress to care for our bodies. She offers an excellent synopsis of the impact that food has on our emotions and touches on the issue of what we need versus what we want. Drawing from her wealth of knowledge as a practicing dietician, she guides us into examining the call of God for us to live in connection to our bodies, hearts, minds, and the people around us.
Both Self-care and the reasons we need to do self-care are no joke; it's very rarely sunshine and roses that propel us into seeking out healing and health. On this episode, Kristianna and Christina launch the autumn Moolily series by talking about some of the hard and rocky ground they're currently plowing, and the questions they are asking of the Lord to stay healthy in these difficult seasons.
Resources* mentioned-**
The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
The girls take time out, on a Sunday morning, to reconnect after the summer and process the ups and downs of everything that the series on Friendship has brought up in their hearts. The lessons learned and wisdom gained speaks to exactly where they are in their lives and, as always, everything comes back to Jesus.
After a long summer hiatus, we return to the Moolily series on Friendship with this precious episode recorded earlier, in the spring. Lauren Plemmons, nurse, musician, and worshipper, tells the girls about the dramatic journey that brought her into the heart of God and friendship with His son. Lauren brings deep encouragement, practical advice, and the testimony that there is no shame in being stuck.
*Resources-
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Blakely Page rejoins the Moolily conversation to explore what can be done in times of stress to care for our bodies. She offers an excellent synopsis of the impact that food has on our emotions and touches on the issue of what we need versus what we want. Drawing from her wealth of knowledge as a practicing dietician, she guides us into examining the call of God for us to live in connection to our bodies, hearts, minds, and the people around us.
Both Self-care and the reasons we need to do self-care are no joke; it's very rarely sunshine and roses that propel us into seeking out healing and health. On this episode, Kristianna and Christina launch the autumn Moolily series by talking about some of the hard and rocky ground they're currently plowing, and the questions they are asking of the Lord to stay healthy in these difficult seasons.
The girls take time out, on a Sunday morning, to reconnect after the summer and process the ups and downs of everything that the series on Friendship has brought up in their hearts. The lessons learned and wisdom gained speaks to exactly where they are in their lives and, as always, everything comes back to Jesus.
After a long summer hiatus, we return to the Moolily series on Friendship with this precious episode recorded earlier, in the spring. Lauren Plemmons, nurse, musician, and worshipper, tells the girls about the dramatic journey that brought her into the heart of God and friendship with His son. Lauren brings deep encouragement, practical advice, and the testimony that there is no shame in being stuck.
Friendship in Marriage: Essential but not Inevitable!
With a combined experience of over 20 years, the Daleys and the Baldwins chew on a hot topic and dive into what it really takes to build friendship in marriage. Through experience, wisdom, and funny stories of their own failures and triumphs, this is a podcast that will leave you with some truth, insight and a hope-filled perspective!
Additional resources mentioned:
Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis
Gary Smalley
Friendship in Seasons
Today's podcast takes us on another blast from the past as Laurisa Ballew brings in her bestie, Emily Bury, to talk about what it means to be friends since you're 6; a lot of changes happen in a friendship over the course of that many years! These two lovely ladies bring insight into how a friendship that can change is a friendship that will mature and grow strong. They teach us all about the great gift of learning vulnerability, becoming a safe place, and the value of persevering in love to take the risk to give and receive.
Revisiting Thoughts on Remaining Tender in Relationships
In this episode we return to a conversation that the Moolily girls had last summer with Christina’s dear friend and mentor, Shirley Brownhill. As a longtime missions leader and current leader of the YWAM Perth base, Shirley is a woman who has lived her life on an adventure with Jesus, going to the hard places and doing the hard things, while staying soft and kind and rich in the presence of God. As we are unwrapping the topic of friendship, Shirley’s seasoned wisdom on doing community in an intentional way, as well as her sage advice on remaining tender during conflict with others, is profoundly applicable. Enjoy!
How to Grow a Sustaining Friendship - Even When You’re the Worst
This week, on the pod, we have the joy of returning guest Hannah’s always-lovable presence. Using their 20-year friendship as a guide, Hannah and Kristianna bring us insight as to the qualities and skills the Lord values in friendship, which Christina then compiles into a very handy list. The girls give us a synopsis of what God has grown in their relationship, through pain and laughter, mourning and celebration. Kristianna mentions her dreaded box of letters and Christina asks deeply insightful questions. Hannah is kind and everyone leaves feeling hugged.
What is the Friendship series all about?
In this short podcast Christina, Kristianna and Laurisa, share their own values of friendship as well as both some of their own hopes, and the Lords, for how friendship can share the heavy load our arms carry in this life.
Wrapping up Joy - The Moolily Girls' Take-Away
Christina, Kristianna, and Laurisa, sit down for some La Croix and conversation, reflecting back on the very different ways that the Yellow Canary of Joy series has impacted them over the last few months. They share their hearts, some Jesus revelation, and process where they all need to go from here.
An Extraordinary lesson on Joy in the Waiting
The Moolily girls are blessed, all the way from Australia, by the effervescent delight of April Parnell. April shares hard won wisdom on learning the gift of Joy during seasons of waiting. She testifies to the presence and perspective of God in these times, unpacking the revelation of Romans 8:22-25, which speaks of the mystery of enlargement that happens within us during waiting. (This episode is not without some cross-continental technical difficulty, but it is more than worth the listen!)
The Compassionate presence of Immanuel in the midst of Pain and chaos
This is the podcast not to be missed! We laughed, we cried, and we hung out with Jesus together. Life and relationships can sometimes move from difficult to hellish, leaving us feeling alone, stuck, and hopeless. On this episode Sungshim Loppnow, therapist and co-author of the Joyful Journey, shares some of her story of growing up in poverty, being an immigrant in a foreign land, and working through difficult years of marriage. Sungshim honestly and vulnerably tells the story of how she encountered the tender presence of Immanuel, the God who was with her, and how He began to heal her heart, bringing her to a place where she could return to joy, even in the presence of pain, conflict, and chaos. Her insights and revelation on trauma, healing, and the Welcoming of God, come straight out of her own rich intimacy with Jesus. Listen in to hear the remarkable revelation she has on marriage, as the Lord brought her from pain management to richness in her own life.
Joyful Journey: Listening To Immanuel by James Wilder, Anna Kong, and John and Sungshim Loppnow
Dr. Wilder and Life Model Works-
https://joystartshere.com
https://m.facebook.com/lifemodelworks/
Immanuel journaling-
https://immanueljournaling.com
BONUS : Immanuel Journaling: Working with the Master Builder to build lasting Joy
Hooray! Bonus Episode! In this short episode we continue our conversation with Kim Specker on building lasting joy and connecting into the ultimate source of joy... Jesus Himself!
*Resources-
Joyful Journey: Listening To Immanuel by James Wilder, Anna Kong, and John and Sungshim Loppnow
How joy feeds our brain and shapes our overall wellbeing
Joy is not purely an emotion but also a neurological phenomenon that feeds every aspect of our wellbeing. Kim Specker, Life Coach and Joy specialist, joins the MooLily girls to share powerful insightsand fascinating brain science on pursuing joy in our everyday lives.
*Resources-
The How of Happiness by Sonya Lyubomirsky
Dr. Wilder and Life Model Works-
https://joystartshere.com
https://m.facebook.com/lifemodelworks/
Immanuel journaling-
https://immanueljournaling.com
How to Live as Yourself: broken, weak, and loving Jesus.
This week the Moolily girls sit down with the beautiful, feisty, and gentle-spirited Brenda Cacy, mother of 8, homeschool veteran and cultivator of joy. Their warm conversation starts with a special introduction from the depths of Laurisa’s heart, then moves on to the practicality of how to listen to the Lord, His delight in our weakness, and Brenda’s personal wisdom on how we can learn to pay attention to the state of our Yellow Canary of Joy.
How the Father relates to us as His girls and thoughts on what Covenant looks like.
As we look at what we stand for, as the MooLily Village (that’s you), we begin to explore the concept of Covenant. Who is the Father? How does he relate to us? And how does that shape who we are? This week we sit down with Christina’s Pastor, the gracious and gentle Glenn Kahler who, having been in ministry for over 30 years, has walked the road of performance and burnout, and learned the joy of living in the presence of the Father.
To find out more about Glenn, you can visit www.gatheringnetwork.org.
Additional resources mentioned:
The King Jesus Gospel by Scott McKnight
Representing our Father, the King
As the Moolily girls dig deeper into their core values, Christina’s spunky husband does us all a tremendous favor by gracing the MooLily mic for his first official guest spot on the podcast. In this episode they examine how easy it is to miss the fullness of the Lord's identity and OURS, if we don’t fully understand and experience His role as ruler and King. With charm and conviction, James shares his personal experience of living under and serving the current reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. And in true Moolily style, some friendly, multi-national banter helps to unpack an encouraging and empowering truth.
*Resources mentioned-
The Servant Queen and the King She Serves by William Shawcross
What does MooLily mean?
We are women who have given up on living in perfectionism and guilt and are choosing to live intentionally, and with hope...So who are we, and how does that conviction actually play out in our lives? This week we meet a new member of the MooLily Village, as well as talk about the foundation of what MooLily is all about.
Meeting the Lord in the New Year
2017 is here! As the New Year starts the MooLily girls share hopes for the coming year, struggles with processing the last year, and some timely wisdom on how to practically take steps to grow in the places that you're longing to.
Do you ever feel like a good person or a bad person, a failure or winning at life based on what you put in your mouth that day? Registered Dietitian/ Nutritionist Blakely Page helps us to navigate these tricky and sometimes turbulent waters with some simple and empowering ideas and values to live by. Together these concepts will help us all to lean into peace while taking care of our bodies!
We decided to end our current series with a bang by breaking new ground on the Moolily podcast! Take a listen to the historic moment when Kristianna and Christina are joined by their first ever male guest, Luis Cataldo. The Lord placed Luis and his wife, Jill, into a season of political service over the last few years, much to their surprise. Luis provides great insight into our perspective of those in politics, and those around us who hold different views. He also helps to wrap up our series, "Managing your heart well in the midst of fear and raging conflict," by bringing us advice from the political road and revelation from the heart of a father.
This week the MooLily girls are joined by Kerri Myers, a woman of strength and delight who has followed Jesus into a turbulent community to bring His light and love. Kerri shares both an amazing snake story and wisdom on creating balance and space in our lives. As a bonus she also walks us through the simple practice that she uses to process her emotions, connect with Jesus' presence, and find her way back into His peace, NO MATTER what she is feeling and no matter what the circumstances are.
We come full circle as our first guest, Nayomi Thomas, rejoins us for another powerful conversation to launch us into our new series, "How to manage our Hearts Well in the Midst of Fear and Raging Conflict." This precocious lady starts off by laying down the Word on the topic of gratitude, then dives into our new series with a host of Biblical truth seasoned by her own sage life experience.
As women, Self-care is often not very instinctive. Kristianna and Christina draw out some of the gold from our last 3 guests, and share with us some of their own processes, and life style choices, to keep their hearts and bodies healthy. Also, we answer a question: "What do we do as Christian families on All Hallows Eve?"
Most of us take for granted that we know what we feel, but the reality is that very often we don't. More then that, few of us actually possess the skills to know how to process our emotions in a healthy way. Sarah Miller, A professional counselor, fills this episode with enough wonderful advice, encouragement, practical application, insight and wisdom to keep all of us tuned in and engaging with the conversation on self-care. Take some notes and take courage, there is hope for all of us on this journey; Immanuel is with us.
Shirley Brownhill, longtime missions leader and current leader of the YWAM Perth base, graces the Moolily microphone with her stunningly sweet presence. Shirley is a woman who has lived her life on an adventure with Jesus, going to the hard places and doing the hard things, while staying soft and kind and rich in the presence of God. On the podcast Shirley gives us a peek into the seasoned wisdom she’s gained from doing community in an intentional way, as well as sharing sage advice on remaining tender during conflict with others.
This is our DECALILY! That’s right, our 10th MooLily recording!!! What do you do when you feel stuck? Val Hetrick (a recovering perfectionist) shares, with great insight, how she uses beauty, rest, story, and the power of strong community to get herself unstuck!
When someone we love is broken down and burnt out, when do we step in? What’s our role to play and how do we share their burden without depleting ourselves? April Parnwell shares how she carried her family through financial crisis and more with some special grace… (Featuring passionate and authentic Aussie quoting of "The Man from Snowy River"!)
What happens when the circumstances of your life bring you to the darkest hour of your soul and you discover you don't know who you are and you aren't sure you want to keep living with the way you are?Marriage. Addiction. Relational dysfunction. Pain. Jesus. Whiskey. Children. Jesus. Pain. Separation. Recovery. More Jesus. The Moolily girls talk about all this and more with their guest, a brave woman who has boldly gone where many fear to tread...into the depths of her own heart to face both the beauty and the ugly only to discover that Jesus is there, right in the middle of it all.
Life often doesn't pan out the way we planned but our guest, Laurisa Ballew, has walked with chronic crisis for the last five years. And even though she almost lost her daughter earlier this year, she shares how she finds joy and grace from Jesus in the midst of real challenge!
Disappointment is something we all face. Christina shares a recent situation where a relationship went bad and cost her dearly, as well as some simple keys the Lord gave her to protect her heart against resentment and bitterness.
Our special guest Meghan Adams brings powerful truth, and courage, to look at the way Jesus works in and around us to turn our brokenness into something that brings life to others.
With great humor and provoking honesty, Nayomi Thomas walks us through some of the dearest times of her life and how gratitude drew her into a new light