I wouldn't consider myself to be an "outdoorsy" person, but that is changing rapidly. Over the last few years, I've made a concerted effort to spend a lot more time outside, and it has transformed our family and my personal life. In this episode, I share what prompted me to spend more time outside, how that initiative unfolded, and some practical tips to spend more time outside. So put in your headphones and head outside as we dig into the wonders of spending more time outdoors!   Read: There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather (Linda Åkeson McGurk)   Listen: 1000 Hours Outside Podcast (Apple, Spotify) Episode with Linda Akeson McGurk (Apple, Spotify)   Explore: 1000 Hours Outside   Wear: Wool Base Layers (women, men, children)   Drink: Health-Ade Kombucha   --------   ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

I love a good goal. I've always been a high-achiever, someone who looks for the next way she can grow and get ahead. But this year, something is different. The Lord made it very clear he didn't want me to set goals or use a goal planner for 2025. How did he reveal this, and what is he trying to teach me? What is the value in not setting goals? Let's talk about it.   Read: Time for God (Fr. Jacques Philippe)   Listen: Episode 036 | Word of the Year (Spotify, Apple)   Little Seed Farm Antioxidant serum Elasticity serum Goat's milk moisturizer Goat's milk soap Non-toxic deodorant *Use this link for 10% off your order!   --------   ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

For many years, I've chosen a "word of the year" to help guide me through the coming year. As I've learned how to walk with the Lord, this process has become more about receiving a word from him as opposed to picking something that sounds nice. In this episode, I reflect on my word from 2024 (and how much work I still have to do in that arena) and share my word for 2025 and what God is trying to teach me as we start a new year.   How to choose your word of the year: Podcast 009 (Apple, Spotify)   Listen: Still Falling For You (Ellie Goulding)   --------   ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

It's the third week of Advent, which means we are focusing on joy! Last year during this week, I released what became one of my top episodes: a list of 20 simple things bringing me joy. So I decided to keep the fun going with a new list for this year. Everything I mention in the show that can be linked is linked below. I hope you have a joyful third week of Advent!   ⭐ Support the podcast in my NEW Patreon community! ($5/month)   Links: WHITIN barefoot shoes (order a size up!) Calyan Wax Co. Jesse Tree Ornaments (Studio Senn) Home Study on the Marian Virtues (Blessed Is She) Columbia winter coat Monthly meal plan spreadsheet Advent playlist   Scripture References: Zephaniah 3:14-18 1 John 4:9-10   Email your list to me! podcast@jessamynanderson 🧡   -------- ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

The Christmas season is rightfully a time for great rejoicing: our Savior has come to us! But what do we do when the season feels hard or we're grieving in some way? How can we hold sorrow and joy together?   The story of Christmas, though one of great joy, is also rife with treacherous journeys, rejection, survival, and poverty. There is room for sorrow and grief in the celebration of Christmas, and the Lord does not ask us to cover up our sorrow with glittery wrapping paper and big red bows. He meets us in it.   In this week's episode, we're talking about how to hold sorrow and joy together at Christmas both emotionally and practically. We'll journey with the Holy Family to Bethlehem, uncovering the sorrows and joys they learned to hold together, and walk toward Christmas filled with expectant hope of our Savior's birth.   ⭐ Support the podcast in my NEW Patreon community! ($5/month)   Listen: Preference (Rachel Morley) Advent Playlist (Spotify)   Scripture References: Psalm 126 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11   --------   ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Important celebrations demand preparation before the party. And that is why the Church, in her wisdom, gives us Advent to prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. Our culture tends to hop from one holiday party to the next (Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas) without much emphasis on time for preparation, preparation that involves a quieting of our hearts and minds so we can fully celebrate the magnanimity of Christmas and what it means for our lives.   In this episode, I share 7 ways you can simplify this holiday season to keep your eyes focused on the reason for the season and savor Advent so that Christmas holds more weight than the extra pounds we end up carrying from overeating sugar cookies. (Been there.) I pray this episode encourages, challenges, and motivates you to prepare for Christmas with a slower and quieter holiday season.   ⭐ Support the podcast in my NEW Patreon community! ($5/month)   Scripture References: Luke 21:34-36   Catechism References: CCC 522, 524   Listen: My Advent Playlist Advent album collection Heather Khym's Advent Worship   Recipe: Chai Vanilla Shortbread   --------   ⭐ Support me on Patreon 📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Have you ever thought about how truly mind-blowing it is that God, the Creator of the universe, became a human being? The Incarnation, a foundational truth of our faith, has become so normal to us, but we cannot let another Advent and Christmas go by without reflecting on what the Incarnation truly means.   After a long break, the podcast is back with an episode to prepare your heart for the Advent and Christmas seasons. We're breaking open the Incarnation and looking at what it reveals about God's life-giving love, our bodies as gifts from the Father, and why the enemy's attack on women's bodies trace back to the Incarnation.   ⭐ Support the podcast in my NEW Patreon community! ($5/month)   Listen: Advent Playlist (Spotify)   Read: Midnight Mass Homily, 1998 (John Paul II) The Reality of the Incarnation (Ruah Woods) God, Sex, and Babies (Christopher West) Familiaris Consortio (John Paul II)   Scripture References: Philippians 2:5-8 Luke 1:35 Genesis 1:27, 31 Ephesians 5:31-32   Catechism References: CCC 461 CCC 221 CCC 1015   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

I believe that the Lord is trustworthy, that his plans are good. But I've realized that there are still areas of my life I have yet to fully surrender to the Lord, and that realization has shaken some things up on my end. In this episode, I share the effects of grasping versus surrendering and discuss what letting go looks like in my life right now. I also encourage you to consider areas of your life where more surrender may be necessary (spoiler: we are ALL holding on to something!).   Also, I'm not very active on social media, so if you'd like to stay in touch, please join my email list by sending me a message at podcast@jessamynanderson.com!   Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 16 Psalm 33   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Loss is a shared, common human experience. But it's hard and uncomfortable, and we're often left unsure of what to say or do when someone we love is grieving a loss. I've been the receiving end of incredible love and encouragement in my grief, and I've also received some extremely unhelpful words. In this episode, I'm sharing my tips for accompanying people in grief, including things to say (and not to say), things to remember, and things to do.   Recipe: Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

This month marks five years since my mom's passing. I was 26 and she was 59. In the days and months and years since that loss, I've learned something important about grief: I will never get over it, so I must learn how to live with it. In this week's episode, I share my story of losing my mom and how I've navigated that ongoing grief journey, especially while celebrating milestone moments like getting married and becoming a mother. I pray this episode helps others process their own grief journey and makes grieving people feel less alone as they navigate these wild, murky waters. As the waves of grief ebb and flow, I am continually grateful to have a savior who walks on water.   Podcast episodes mentioned: Episode 020 - My Breastfeeding Story (Spotify, Apple) Episode 006 - Living with Hope (Spotify, Apple)   Song: Beloved (Mumford & Sons)   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

I recently returned from a two-week tour of Italy, where I performed several concerts with a large ensemble and visited some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. So why weren't those two weeks the best weeks of my life? On this week's episode, I'm sharing my thoughts on why we often feel so exhausted after vacations that should be restorative and how we can approach travel differently.   I also take some time to gush about the magical moments, which were truly spectacular. But perhaps my greatest takeaway is what has inspired me to plan trips differently moving forward. Grab some gelato, and let's dig in.   Links: Episode 022 | The Lie: Fertility & Motherhood are a burden. (Spotify, Apple) Wellness Coaching with Betsy Hoyt   Email me with thoughts or podcast topics you want to hear: podcast@jessamynanderson.com   Read: Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

It's a fun and practical "list" episode! This week, I'm sharing my favorite summer products, books, music, and recipes. Some are helpful. Some are hilarious. I even threw in an embarrassing story or two. I wanted to leave you with a lighthearted episode before taking a month-long break on the podcast. I hope these things bring a smile to your face and also give you some new ideas for summer enjoyment. Don't fill up your shopping cart too quickly 😉   Products Little Seed Farm deodorant *Order free samples here! *Use this link for 10% off your order!   Think Baby sunscreen Swim dresses Rufflebutts swimsuits Walmart swim trunks Wet bags Old Navy bike shorts   Books Yesterday's Tides (Roseanna M. White) Cold Tangerines (Shauna Niequist) The Girl Who Chased the Moon (Sarah Addison Allen) Lost Lake (Sarah Addison Allen)   Music (Albums) Eyes Open (Snow Patrol) One Cell in the Sea (A Fine Frenzy) A Walk to Remember soundtrack High School Musical 2 soundtrack A Week Away soundtrack The Last Song soundtrack Golden Road (Keith Urban) Feels Like Today (Rascal Flatts)   Listen to my Summer and Soft Summer Spotify playlists!   Recipes Adrenal Cocktails Banana Nice Cream Burger marinade Best burgers EVER (put the bacon on top instead of in the burger) Grilled peaches Corn-on-the-cob Strawberry Pretzel Salad   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

A few months before meeting my husband, a priest friend of mine shared some dating advice with me. And it changed my life. The dating world is a mess, even within the Church, and this priestly advice has the potential to crack open some hearts and change the dating mindset for many people (in my humble opinion). This episode is designed to help people confront some of this issues within the Church's dating culture and encourage people to broaden their horizons a bit. Will it work? You'll be the judge of that.   Listen: The Way of Love - Marie Miller (Spotify, Apple Music) My Summer playlist (Spotify) My "Soft Summer" playlist (Spotify)   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Have you ever thought about what summer tastes like to you? Or sounds like or feels like to the touch? It's easy to let the summer fly by in a whirlwind of nonstop activities, over-filled calendars, and complaints about the heat. But it doesn't have to be like this (for us or our children).   We can shift our mindset and approach to summer by learning how to savor the summer through our five senses (and praise God for his many gifts that are unique in this season). Recording this episode made my mouth water (no joke) and prompted me to listen to some music I haven't turned on in awhile. I hope it brings a smile to your face and encourages you to savor this season!   Reminder - send your lists and summer playlists to podcast@jessamynanderson.com! :)   Listen: My Summer playlist (Spotify) My Soft Summer playlist (Spotify)   Recommendations: Think Baby Sunscreen Swimsuit #1 Swimsuit #2   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

We live in a "selfie" culture, and I'm not just talking about pictures. Words like autonomy, self, and individuality are plastered across media platforms, spreading the gospel of self-fulfillment. But is this what we're made for? In this episode, we're breaking open the idea that we're made for individuality by seeing what our bodies (and the One who created them) have to say about this.   This is the final episode in our four-part series on femininity, lies women believe, and how our bodies speak the truth.   The Series: 021 | Why I Left Feminism Behind 022 | Lie #1: Fertility and Motherhood are a burden. 023 | Lie #2: Women must be more like men to be fulfilled. 024 | Lie #3: We are made for individuality.   References: TOB 9:3 - Man becomes an image of God in communion. Amoris Lætitia (Pope Francis) CCC 2352 - Church teaching on masturbation CCC 1857 - What constitutes a mortal sin? CCC 1878-1879 - The vocation of the human person   TOB = Theology of the Body CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church   Resources: Magdala Ministries - for women struggling with sexual addiction Litany: Heroines of the Faith Chicken Sausauge Gnocchi Skillet (Ambitious Kitchen)   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Throughout much of history, women have experienced oppression at the hands of men. In response, when women grew tired, they attempted to solve this problem by becoming more like the men they didn't like. Has that worked out in their favor? I would say no.   In order for men to be the best and most authentically masculine versions of themselves, women need to be authentically feminine (the way God defines femininity, not the way the world does). How do our bodies teach us about our femininity? How can living in our true feminine identity create space for better, more virtuous men and women to arise in our culture? Let's talk about it.   Links: Find Your Love Language   Read: The Sisters of Seaview (by Julie Klassen) Theology of Home III: At the Sea   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Fertility and motherhood are often viewed as obstacles to fulfillment for women. We would be so much happier if we could just shut off our pesky cycles, right? We would be able to chase our dreams if kids didn't get in the way, right? This week's episode explores why these ideas are complete lies and how our fertility and motherhood are enormous gifts bestowed upon us by a loving God.   Links: *PLEASE read: What the Church Actually Teaches on Responsible Parenthood (Christopher West) Catechism - children are a gift Catechism - why contraception is harmful Catholic Answers - predictions from Humanae Vitae Nancy Ray podcast - self-care (Apple, Spotify) Suzanne Venker's podcast (Apple, Spotify)   Book Recommendation: These Beautiful Bones (Emily Stimpson Chapman)   Prayer: Make My Soul Your Home (available on my website on the post for Episode 022)   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

This episode kicks off a series on femininity, lies women believe about themselves, and how our bodies speak the truth. My understanding of femininity has changed dramatically over the last decade of my life due to a myriad of life experiences and the witness of women in seasons ahead of me. On this episode, I share the story of how I've left modern feminism behind for the much more life-giving option of embracing my God-given femininity.   Upcoming Episodes: Lie #1: Fertility and motherhood are a burden. Lie #2: Women must be more like men to be fulfilled. Lie #3: We are made for individuality.   Listen: Pints with Aquinas - Interview with Dr. Carrie Gress (YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts)   Make: Banana Oatmeal Cookies   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

My breastfeeding journey started with immense pain, desperate prayers, and a more personal relationship with my pump than I had ever imagined possible. But it turned into a story of hope, perseverance, and the freedom that comes from true surrender. In those early months after giving birth, I felt really alone in the difficulties of my breastfeeding journey, so my hope is that my story will help other women feel less alone if they are struggling.   Please share this episode with any of your friends who are pregnant or hope to be pregnant soon (whether it's their first or their fifth child since every kid is different). I pray it blesses and encourages them.   Resources: The Lactation Network (TLN) - find an IBCLC near you Built to Birth (birth course from Bridget Teyler - includes breastfeeding course) Ready Nest Counseling (available in TN, FL, and SC) Baby Favorites (my recommendations, including breastfeeding products)   Book: Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com

Today is my 31st birthday! I find myself at an age where I still have much to learn but have lived enough life to share bits of wisdom and perspective. So I'm sharing 31 things I've learned so far, including spiritual truths and practical tips for baking and makeup removal. If you'd like to be inspired and laugh along the way, you'll enjoy this episode.   Podcast Episodes Mentioned: Topic - seeing God in all things: 002 (Spotify, Apple) and 003 (Spotify, Apple) Topic - clothing and getting dressed every day: 011 (Spotify, Apple)   Other Things Mentioned: 1000 Hours Outside Book - This Present Paradise (by Claire Dwyer) Image - bigger teddy bear   --------   📸 Follow me on Instagram 🎶 Listen to my music on Spotify and Apple Music ✨ Check out my website 👉 Contact me: podcast@jessamynanderson.com