The Recovering Preacher's Kids

Have you ever looked at a Christian influencer's flawless 5:00 AM quiet time routine and silently thought, “Why doesn't my relationship with God look like that?”It’s incredibly easy to become a "spiritual chameleon"—constantly jumping from one journaling method, reading plan, or morning blueprint to another, trying to copy someone else's formula. But what if chasing the perfect procedure is actually causing you to miss the Person?In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on the trap of spiritual mimicry. We open up about the exhausting cycle of trying to fit into a type-A checklist mold, why we beat ourselves up when we can't sustain it, and the beautiful truth that there is no one-size-fits-all plan for walking with God. From the pressure of social media blueprints to a profound realization during a Monday night Bible study about what it actually means to "walk with God in the garden," we explore how to stop looking for a formula and start looking for Him.Spoiler alert: God doesn't just live in a perfectly quiet, designated prayer chair. He’s right there with you while you're washing the dishes, driving to work, and folding laundry. Hit play, take a deep breath, and let’s release the pressure to perform.

Ever feel like a "crappy believer" because you can’t seem to stick to a 5:00 AM prayer routine, or because your mind wanders the second you close your eyes? You are definitely not alone.In this episode, Lori and Lisa dive into the heavy burden of trying to live out someone else’s spiritual blueprint. From the trap of short-form "top 5 ways" videos to the pressure of checking off a perfect spiritual checklist, we discuss how easy it is to treat faith like a performance rather than a relationship.Pulling from the story of Moses and a beautiful reminder from Psalm 90, we talk about giving ourselves grace, embracing the "level" we are currently on, and discovering how God uniquely speaks to us—even if it's not at the crack of dawn.What we talk about:💛 The exhaustion of living on borrowed faith and borrowed plans.💛 Why a "Level 2" faith is exactly where you're supposed to be if you're just starting out.💛 Breaking free from the pressure of the 5:00 AM quiet hour.💛 Learning to ask questions, handle the "trips and falls" of life, and grow at your own speed.Let's walk this journey together. If this conversation gave you a little more breathing room today, hit Follow to join our community. Sharing this episode with a friend who needs a reminder of God's grace is the best way to support the show!

Are you living on God's truth...or just someone else's interpretation of it?It's easy to build a faith that sounds biblical without ever digging into Scripture for yourself. In a culture built on quick answers and short clips, many of us have settled for borrowed convictions instead of a personal relationship with God's Word.In this episode, Lisa and Lori talk about what it looks like to move beyond the simplified Bible stories many of us grew up with any begin pursuing the deeper truths Scripture actually teaches. They discuss how small compromises can quietly shape our lives, why no one else's relationship with God can sustain your own, and why spiritual maturity requires intentional time in God's Word.In this episode:✨ Why a childhood understanding of Scripture isn't meant to be where your faith stays.✨ How "micro-sins" slowly become major strongholds.✨ Why your faith can't be borrowed from your pastor, parents, favorite author, or influencer.✨ What it really looks like to study Scripture instead of simply consuming Christian content.If this conversation encouraged you, be sure to follow the podcast, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with someone who wants to grow deeper in their walk with Christ.

As America celebrates a monumental milestone—250 years as a nation—it’s easy to look back at our history with a mix of patriotism and reflection. But as the fireworks fade, a bigger question remains: How good are we at remembering where we came from?In this episode, Lisa and Lori dive into 1 Samuel 7 to explore the story of the "Ebenezer stone"—a physical monument built by Samuel to declare, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." Join us as we look at why human nature naturally drifts toward control, why we become numb to day-to-day victories, and how we can start building personal "monuments of remembrance" in our own lives to celebrate surrender instead of staying stuck in our struggles.In This Episode, We Discuss:America’s 250th Milestone: Reflecting on the foundation of our country and where we’ve drifted.The Story of the Ebenezer Stone: How a discombobulating thunderstorm led to a monumental victory for Israel.The Idol of Control: Why we constantly want to "see around the curve" of life (and Lori’s moving car headlight metaphor!).Leveling Up in Faith: Why parenting and spiritual maturity are a lot like a video game.Practicing Surrender: Shifting our focus from beating ourselves up over our mess-ups to celebrating the moments we actually let go.

Have you ever worked incredibly hard to clean up an area of your life, only to accidentally invite an old habit right back in?In this episode, Lori shares a painful—yet hilarious—lesson from her backyard pool. After spending the entire season keeping the water crystal clear, a single, forgotten pool float from the garage brought back the dreaded red algae overnight. It turns out, the bacteria wasn’t dead; it was just dormant, waiting for the right environment to reactivate.We often do the exact same thing with our faith. We try to bring pieces of our past along for the ride, only to find ourselves self-sabotaging and recontaminating our lives.Join us as we break down what true, deep repentance actually looks like. We explore:The Mirror of the Laver: Moving past quick, "numb" prayers of confession and learning to honestly examine the gravity of our choices.The "Best Bud" vs. "Sovereign Lord" Pendulum: How swinging between complacency and condemnation keeps us from a healthy reverence for God.The Honesty Challenge: Why real transformation requires digging deep and "hashing it out" with God instead of just hitting the high points.If you are tired of fighting the same old cycles and are ready for the kind of honesty that actually changes everything, this conversation is for you.

Why do we try to mimic someone else’s journey when God gave us our own lane?After a chaotic morning commute into downtown Birmingham, Lori had a sudden realization during her morning quiet time: “I don’t have a problem with surrender. I have a problem with obedience.” In this episode, Lori and Lisa break down the distinct difference between surrendering your path to God and practicing daily obedience. Using the unexpected (and intense) moment in Exodus 4 where Moses faces the consequences of partial obedience, as well as Peter’s classic "what about him?" moment of comparison in John 21, they look at how easily we try to copy the stories we tell ourselves about others instead of listening directly to God.From parenting and career to the everyday traps of comparison, they get honest about the comfort of holding onto "favorite" sins and why the narrow path offers a peace that the crowded road never can.Key highlights in this episode:The Traffic Analogy: Why switching lanes to get ahead usually sets us paces back.Moses & Partial Obedience: Learning from the hidden, sobering truths in Exodus 3 and 4.The Comparison Trap: Why Peter looked at John, why we look at high-profile leaders, and how Jesus answers us: "What is that to you? You follow me."The "Shoulder" of the Narrow Road: Why trying to just sit on the sidelines of the wide path always pulls us in.Connect with us:Leave a review and let us know: Are you struggling with surrender, or is it obedience?

Have you ever woken up, looked around at your life, and thought, "How in the world did I end up here?" In this episode, Lisa and Lori sit down for a raw, honest conversation about the tug-of-war between overthinking and impulsivity. Lisa confesses her struggle as an overthinker who feels safe only when following the rules—even when it means physically staying behind the guardrail and missing the view. Meanwhile, Lori opens up about her tendency to jump right over the boundaries just to feel like she's in control, only to find herself sitting in "Egypt."Together, they dive into what it truly means to offer our lives as a complete sacrifice, the unique heartaches of parenting adult children, and why we have to stop trying to "fix" everyone else's problems. If you struggle with anxiety, a need to know the future, or find yourself sitting in a hard season wondering what God is doing, this episode is a beautiful reminder that He has a plan for the plunder, even when the timeline makes no sense to us.Key Takeaways from this episode:✔️ Safety vs. Control: The difference between looking at life through a safety lens and operating out of a need to control.✔️ Lessons from the Plunder: Why the things you accumulate in your hardest seasons are exactly what God will use to build your next chapter.✔️ Parenting Adult Children: Learning to step out of the way so your kids can experience God’s faithfulness and build their own testimonies.✔️ The "I'm Sorry" Trap: Why Lori’s therapist told her to stop apologizing for things out of her hands, and how to transition from "fixer" to "disciple-maker."

Have you ever wanted to quit when life didn’t go the way you expected?In this honest and heartfelt conversation, Lori and Lisa reflect on the story of Elijah and the moments when fear, disappointment, and exhaustion make us want to stop moving forward. From mountaintop victories to desert seasons, they explore what it means to trust God when the journey feels too long and the valley feels too deep.Together they discuss:✨ Why we run from difficult situations✨ The danger of living in self-pity and unfinished business✨ Learning to hear God’s still, small voice✨ The importance of truth-tellers in our lives✨ Trusting God one step at a time, even when we can’t see the whole path aheadSometimes the miracle isn’t in the whirlwind—it’s in the simple obedience of taking the next step.If you’ve ever felt stuck, discouraged, or tempted to give up, this episode is a reminder that your story isn’t over yet. The desert is not the destination.

What happens when following Christ changes you so deeply that you begin grieving the version of yourself you used to be?In this honest and deeply relatable conversation, Lori and Lisa unpack the hidden tension many believers experience between the “old self” and the person God is shaping them to become. Together they discuss spiritual maturity, personality, identity, grief, and the struggle of learning how to surrender who we were without losing the unique qualities God created within us.From reacting in the flesh to learning to respond through the Holy Spirit, this episode explores the difficult but beautiful process of growth, healing, and transformation in Christ.If you’ve ever wrestled with:• feeling torn between your old nature and your faith,• grieving past versions of yourself,• wondering where your personality fits into God’s plan,• or trying to understand why spiritual growth can feel so uncomfortable…this conversation is for you.Because maybe growth isn’t becoming someone entirely different. Maybe it’s allowing God to redeem who He created you to be all along. 

Recorded live at a recent speaking event, this conversation dives into legacy.Not the polished, perfect version people post online… but the real kind. The kind built slowly through faith, failure, heartbreak, motherhood, obedience, and learning to trust God one day at a time.We share personal stories about fear, control, having adult children, breaking unhealthy cycles, learning how to love people well, and what it really means to “leave them Jesus.”If you’ve ever wondered:Am I doing enough?What am I really leaving behind?Can God still use my mess?Why is trusting Him so hard sometimes?…this conversation is for you.This episode isn’t about having all the answers.It’s about learning to walk faithfully anyway.We hope this reminds you that legacy doesn’t begin someday in the future.It’s being built right now — in the small moments, the quiet obedience, and the everyday choices to love like Christ.✨ “Faith isn’t proven by what you finish. It’s revealed by what you’re willing to start that outlives you.”

Waiting is hard. Especially when you’ve been praying, believing, hoping… and nothing seems to be changing.In this episode of What To Do While You Wait, Lori and Lisa have an honest conversation about what happens in the middle seasons — the seasons where God feels silent, prayers seem unanswered, and frustration starts to creep in.Together, they unpack:✨ Why waiting exposes what’s really in our hearts ✨ How we often want God to fix everything without changing us ✨ The struggle of feeling stuck between healing and growth ✨ What it means to participate in the very prayers we’re praying ✨ How faithfulness in the waiting may look more active than we realize With humor, vulnerability, and biblical reflection, this conversation reminds us that waiting is not wasted — and sometimes God is preparing us while also preparing the answer.If you’ve ever felt tired of waiting, discouraged in prayer, or unsure what to do next, this episode is for you.

Ever feel like you’re doing everything right… but nothing is changing?In this episode, we get real about those frustrating seasons where you’re showing up, praying, trying, growing—and still feel stuck in the same place.We talk about:Why doing “all the right things” doesn’t always produce immediate resultsThe danger of measuring your life against what you see on the surfaceHow unseen growth (the “roots”) might be where God is doing His deepest workThe difference between punishment and preparationIf you’ve ever felt overlooked, behind, or weary from doing your best with no visible progress—this conversation is for you.Because maybe… you’re not stuck.Maybe you’re being prepared.