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

I think we need a drum roll . . . like seriously. 🥁🥁🥁🥁
Today on the show we have Jon Acuff. And let me just start by saying—I’m a HUGE Jon Acuff fan. And today’s show feels a little bit like a redemption story for me, because the first time I had him on, I didn’t fully know who I was talking to (which still makes me laugh/cry a little). Since then, I’ve read the books, listened to his podcast, made my family listen to the podcast… and now I’m all in. So truly—I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation today.
Today we’re diving into his brand new book, Procrastination Proof, which I feel sure is a message so many of us need. We talk about why we procrastinate (and why it’s not just a “you problem”), what’s actually going on underneath it, and how to get unstuck in a way that’s realistic and doable. He shares a simple framework—dream, plan, do, review—that helps take all those ideas and intentions and actually turn them into action.
And because it’s us, we also hit some of those classic Jon Acuff moments—his “soundtracks,” a humbling Skittles story about empty rooms and starting small, and a conversation about doing the things nobody else wants to do so you can experience what most people don’t. I even share how his work challenged my husband to run 1,000 miles last year… and actually do it (and to be clear, the only running I did was my mouth cheering him on and one short jog that required a full recovery plan).
Join us today—and fair warning, you may walk away wanting to do something you’ve been putting off… in the best possible way.

Jon Acuff’s website 
Procrastination Proof by Jon Acuff
Soundtracks by Jon Acuff
All things Cynthia

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Hey Friends, Happy Easter Week! 🐣🌷✝️
I hope you’re enjoying this week and finding a few quiet moments to slow down and really consider all that Jesus has done for us. I know how easy it is to rush right past it—we’ve heard the story, we know how it ends—but I hope we’re all pausing and stepping back to consider Holy Week again with fresh eyes.
On the podcast today is one of my faves—a pastor from my church, Steve Frissell. We’re covering everything from workout routines that involve picking things up and putting them down (his = weights, mine = snacks and Diet Dr. Pepper) to a full family scandal involving brownies disguised as protein bars. We also hit all the important Easter topics—Cadbury eggs vs. Peeps, why egg decorating with that tiny wire handle is the fastest way to lose your sanctification, and whether anyone can truly pull off seersucker (jury’s still out).
Steve also walks us through Holy Week—from the crowd yelling “Hosanna” to Jesus’ crucifixion  a few short days later. And practically, we discuss how if Jesus isn’t functionally King in our lives, something else likely is. Approval, control, comfort, anxiety—those things will gladly take the throne, and they’re terrible at the job. So this episode is a mix of laughs, Easter nostalgia, and a really honest look at what it means to crown Jesus as King of Kings in our everyday lives.
Can’t wait for you to listen while you’re making deviled eggs and glazing the Easter Ham. 
Blessings!
Bent Tree Bible
Order How'd I Miss That
All things Cynthia

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As you know, I’m taking a little time away this week for spring break with my family—which means slower mornings, later nights, and me pretending I’m a fun, flexible person who doesn’t actually need a routine to survive.

So today, I’m dropping a recent episode from one of my other podcasts, Sidetracked, with my co-host Heather MacFadyen.

If you’ve never listened, just know this: there is no outline, no real plan, and absolutely no guarantee we stay on topic. I’ll be back next week with a fresh episode of Messmerized. In the meantime, settle in—here’s what’s coming your way:

Heather has a new hobby—hip-hop dance fitness—which leads to a very real conversation about midlife exercise choices, ranging from dancing to water aerobics to the stroller workouts moms used to do at the mall. That, of course, opens the door to a shocking revelation that some totally off-the-rails mothers used to take strollers on escalators (i.e., Cynthia).

There’s also a discussion about a child who snort-laughed gum into his nose, running shoes that started foaming mid-practice, and a man who apparently inhaled a tiny toy traffic cone.

They break down new teenage slang, debate the strange corners of internet fame (including monkeys and squirrel puppets with millions of followers), and share why the world might be ready for a menopause subscription box that actually contains useful things (trade the lip plumper for tweezers and possibly an emergency adult diaper).

Add in goose outfits, Graceland, ribbon shopping in Memphis, and a TSA agent gently reminding Cynthia to zip her pants in the airport security line, and this episode is 100% Sidetracked.

Listen to Sidetracked
Become a Super Tracker
Order How'd I Miss That
All things Cynthia

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Spring break is happening at the Yanof house, which means I’m headed to San Diego with some of my crew. And yes, we’re going to the zoo. I want the record to reflect I’m selflessly going to walk 12 miles, wonder why every creature in the entire park seems to be either asleep or hiding behind a rock, and question my life decisions (while also holding my nose). But it’s all in the name of being a good mom. So here we are.
Because of travel, today we’re re-releasing one of my favorite conversations with the GOAT himself, Max Lucado. And before you think, oh I’ve heard this one, stay with me.
Last week I had one of those moments where my thoughts completely ran away from me. My son was out driving late at night, and my brain was off to the races—one small concern spinning into about twelve worst-case scenarios in about five minutes flat.
And that’s when I thought, okay… this is exactly why we need to revisit Pastor Max’s words again. In this conversation, he talks about how our thoughts shape our beliefs—and our beliefs shape our behavior. He shares biblical, practical ways to take every thought captive and why “picky thinking” matters more than we realize.
If your mind has felt a little noisy lately, this conversation is such a helpful reset.
Grab a Diet Coke on my behalf and lean in—because it’s a good one (and at least you’re not at the zoo). 🥤🦒✨

Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado
All things Cynthia
How’d I Miss That

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Tiffany Stein joins me on the podcast today for a vulnerable and thoughtful conversation about grief, disappointment, and what it looks like to keep wrestling toward God when life falls apart. Tiffany shares the heartbreaking story behind her book Mourning God after losing her infant son, David, and how that loss led her into not only grief over what she had lost, but also grief over the God she thought she knew.
Today’s conversation isn’t just for someone who has experienced the death of a loved one. We talk about the many forms loss can take—church hurt, broken relationships, shattered expectations, illness, estrangement, and dreams that never came to be—and how those losses can unravel what we thought we believed about God. Tiffany offers such a wise and honest framework for lamenting for those seasons when God feels silent, prayer feels dry, and faith feels like you’re just barely hanging on.
This conversation is deep, hope-filled, and incredibly practical too. Tiffany shares what helped her in the darkest season of her life, how the body of Christ can carry people when they have no strength left, and some genuinely helpful ways to love people who are hurting without resorting to the usual stitched-on-a-pillow responses. If you’ve ever wondered whether God can handle your honest disappointment, or if you’re walking with someone through sorrow and want to love them well, I think this episode will meet you right where you are.

All things Cynthia
Mourning God by Tiffany Stein
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, & Hope
Author: Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
Author: Dane Ortlund

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