MESSmerized - Funny and faith based encouragement in marriage , family , Christian parenting , and finding purpose

Before we dive in, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and all the things! I took the last two weeks off to spend time with all the kids and it’s been a glorious time of renewal. Just kidding—I’ve been running around like a crazy person just like everyone else! Either way, I happy to be back and I’m so grateful for you—every listen, every message, every time you invited me into your day this year. What a gift this community has been. Truly, thank you.I saved today’s show for the last one of 2025 on purpose. I wanted us to round out the year with something that brings us back to what matters most going into a new year—being with Jesus. Today’s conversation with Tara Beth Leach is the reminder our souls need about slowing down, meeting God in the morning, and letting small, faithful rhythms steady our hearts.Tara Beth shares how God met her in a season of deep loss, how He invited her to rise—literally—and begin her days with Him, and how it changed everything. She walks us through her G.R.E.A.T. morning framework (gratitude, reflection, exaltation, asking, trusting), and we talk honestly about guilt, grace, phones, noise, and learning to quiet the distractions so we can hear from God.If you’re feeling rushed, tired, emotional, or overwhelmed going into the new year, this episode is for you. Happy New Year friends, and I cannot wait to see all the Lord will do in 2026! ✨P.S. If you’ve loved hanging out here this year, would you consider pre-ordering my new book? It helps more than you know (like… wildly more), and it means you’ll have it waiting for you when launch day hits—no forgetting, no guilt, just joy. Thank you, friends!All things CynthiaThe Great Morning Revolution by Tara Beth LeachSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/messmerized-funny-and-faith-based-encouragement-in-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today 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 parenting out of fear and pressure to parenting from Jesus’ simple plumb line:Love God, love people.Before judgment. Before fixing. Before controlling.Sherri shared openly about walking through divorce and then receiving a cancer diagnosis literally the next day. And how instead of seeing a harsh God, she began seeing the compassion of Christ more clearly than ever.She reminded us Jesus moves toward suffering. Like the widow in Scripture whose only son had died—before He raised the son, He comforted her.As we enter Advent Week 2—PEACE—Sherri offered freedom:It is not your job to fix the world. It is your job to love the people in front of you.Her new devotional, The Compassionate Christ: Draw Near to the Risen Christ, is a beautiful way to begin the new year with a clearer vision of Jesus as gentle, kind, and near.Such a great conversation—I think you’ll love it.All things Cynthia The Compassionate Christ Devotional Follow Sherri on InstagramSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/messmerized-funny-and-faith-based-encouragement-in-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today 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 tree even though none of them enjoy it, and how Stephanie is skipping Christmas cards this year because she feels like God is calling her to slow down and actually see people.The heart of the episode was Advent hope. We talked about the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments, the anticipation of the Messiah, and the different reactions to Jesus’ birth—opposition, seeking, apathy, expectancy. It led us to ask: How are we approaching Jesus this season? And how might real hope help us loosen our grip on perfect holidays, perfect kids, perfect everything?We wrapped with two essentials: husbands who buy their own presents (I literally labeled gifts “To Mike, From Mike”) and the Christmas songs we cannot stand. Stephanie declared Wham off-limits, and I begged the world to retire “Christmas Shoes” forever.Stephanie ended with a beautiful prayer for hope, rest, and hearts open to whatever God is doing—right here in the middle of our messy, imperfect holidays. Can’t wait for you to listen today!All things Cynthia Yanof Advent books we discussed:Waiting Here For You - Louie Giglio Come Let Us Adore Him - Paul David Tripp Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/messmerized-funny-and-faith-based-encouragement-in-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today I got to sit down with my new friend Abby Kuykendall, author of Let the Biscuits Burn, and y’all… this girl brought the hospitality revival I didn’t know we needed before Thanksgiving week. Abby has a toddler, another baby due in January, and somehow also managed to write a book in the fog of postpartum life. Meanwhile I once forgot to defrost a turkey until Thanksgiving morning, so we are clearly operating at different skill levels.Abby and I talked about real biblical hospitality—not entertaining, not “tour my pristine home while I panic about the baseboards,” but the Jesus kind. The kind where the table matters more than the menu, and people matter more than pillows arranged at the right angle. She walked us through how hospitality isn’t just a spiritual gift—for many of us it's a spiritual discipline we learn, like piano lessons except far less traumatizing .We also get super practical (because most of us are one bad casserole away from calling it quits). Abby shares her go-to grocery store hacks, why pizza rolls and pigs in a blanket turn grown adults into joyful children, and how even a messy house can preach “you belong here.” Plus: conversation cards, decorating tips, and simple gatherings you can actually pull off. This episode is the pep talk we all need before heading into the holiday hosting gauntlet. Lower the bar. Invite the people who might otherwise be alone. Light a candle. Put out the paper plates. And for the love of all things holy—let the biscuits burn.P.S. By now, you probably have gotten the memo that pre-orders have started for my new book, How’d I Miss That? If you have NOT pre-ordered yet, I would be so grateful if you’d consider doing that right now! Thank you, friends. 💗💗💗All things Cynthia Let the Biscuits Burn by AbbyA Living Table by AbbyListen to Abby's Podcast HereSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/messmerized-funny-and-faith-based-encouragement-in-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Here’s part two of our shows with my hilarious friend Melissa Radke. This week we pregame the holidays: Texas “sweater weather” that isn’t, Spanx leggings that are life-changing, and crowning Thanksgiving’s Best in Show (Honey Baked Ham, spinach salad, corn casserole—made by the right cousin). We confess our family wild cards (Melissa and her zany mom vs. my husband the political pot-stirrer), share one thing we’re grateful for (her: Remy thriving at college; me: surviving another book), and give 10-second writing advice: write daily, say it out loud, pray, hold the path loosely.Then we hit Christmas: Melissa’s sacred story—her son Elisha passed on Christmas morning, and how the Lord has spoken into that timing through the years.  Loss and love, together. We speed-run gift drama (parents wanting gift cards and gifting hand-me-down “treasures”), Favorite/Unfavorite Things parties, and Melissa’s… Istanbul facelift pitch. We close with most-hated carols (“Christmas Shoes” and that bossy “figgy pudding”), plus 2026 hopes and big prayers.Follow The Radke Show, grab Chicken Fried Women for gifting, and thanks for laughing through the nothing-that-became-something series with precious Melissa.P.S. By now, you probably have gotten the memo that pre-orders have started for my new book, How’d I Miss That? If you have NOT pre-ordered yet, I would be so grateful if you’d consider doing that right now! Thank you, friends. 💗💗💗📖 Melissa’s Book – Chicken-Fried Women (https://bit.ly/ChickenFriedWomen)🎥 The Radke Show on YouTube (https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowYouTube)🎧 The Radke Show on Apple Podcasts (https://bit.ly/TheRadkeShowApple)📝 Melissa's Stretch Marks on Substack (https://bit.ly/MelissaRadkeSubstack)TrimFit - https://bit.ly/beautifulyu The Swim Romper - https://bit.ly/RomperSwimsuit💌 Follow & Subscribe📝 Subscribe to Stretch Marks on Substack → (melissaradke.substack.com)📱 Instagram→ (https://www.instagram.com/msmelissaradke/)📱 Facebook→ (https://www.facebook.com/MelissaRadkeStretchMarks/)📱 TikTok → (https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaradke)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/messmerized-funny-and-faith-based-encouragement-in-marriage/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy