Under the Oaks with Amy Romfo & Jenny Harrison

41. Joy Is a Choice: Raquel Marcelle on Faith, Loss, and Living in Your Soft Season

What if everything that was supposed to break you was actually building you? Raquel Marcelle [https://www.instagram.com/iamraquelmarcelle/] knows. This week, Amy and Jenny sit down with one of the most magnetic voices on social media right now — a New Orleans native who started creating content at 50 because her kids told her she was funny and had something to say. Turns out, they were right. One walk through her neighborhood, one stranger in a garden, and 3.4 million views later — Raquel [https://www.instagram.com/iamraquelmarcelle/] is here to tell us exactly how she lives a soft life. In this episode, we're talking about: * What kept a marriage together after a husband's incarceration — and why counseling was the thing that kept giving them one more shot * Raising a child with epilepsy, losing a bonus daughter, and how faith doesn't remove the hard, it just walks through it with you * What "soft living" actually means when you've earned it the hard way * How Raquel went from fighting Raquel to flourishing Raquel — and what that transformation really required * The moment God used a sweaty, no-makeup walk to reach 3.4 million strangers This is the episode you send to the friend who's in the middle of her hard season and needs to hear that her soft one is coming. "If my mom couldn't give me anything else, she gave me God. And that was the greatest gift she could have ever given me." Follow Raquel Marcel on Instagram and TikTok — and don't miss her Masterpeace account where she's helping women master God's peace, one post at a time. Follow here: https://www.instagram.com/iamraquelmarcelle/

40. Joshua Dixon | How to Find Hope When You Have Every Reason Not To

⚠️ Disclaimer: This episode contains discussions of trauma, suicide attempts, and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. If you have ever felt like the pieces of your life are too scattered to ever come back together — Joshua Dixon [https://www.instagram.com/admirewear_/?hl=en]'s story is going to remind you that broken is not the end. Amy and Jenny sit down with Joshua Dixon, motivational speaker, founder of AdmireWear, and one of the most quietly powerful voices in the mental health space, who at eight years old lost 80% of his face in a dog attack — and has spent the 18 years since rebuilding, healing, and turning every scar into a reason for someone else to hold on. Joshua walks us through the harrowing details of that December afternoon in Chicago, waking up from a month-long coma with no memory of what happened, and learning to walk, talk, eat, and smile again — all before the age of nine. What he couldn't have known then was that those hospital hallways, where he dragged himself with IV machines in tow just to sit with other patients, were the very beginning of a calling that would one day reach 500,000 people across the globe. In this episode, Joshua shares: * What it was like to wake up from a coma at eight years old and face 62 surgeries over 18 years * The rose bushes his mom planted during his recovery — and the life lesson they taught him that became the foundation of his entire brand * How a suicide attempt, homelessness, and years of private struggle led him to build AdmireWear and a community of people who refuse to give up * Why he believes you can be shattered without being broken — and what it looks like to pick up the pieces with the help of a chosen family * The snowstorm that kept his surgeon in Chicago the night of the accident, and why Joshua believes every single detail of his survival was orchestrated by God Joshua is weeks away from marrying his high school sweetheart — the girl who told him to smile more before he even had the muscles to do it. His story is not one of tragedy. It is one of the most stunning examples of what it looks like to take every hard thing life hands you and turn it, slowly and faithfully, into roses. Follow Joshua here: https://www.instagram.com/admirewear_

39. Tony Tran | When Slowing Down Is the Hardest Thing You'll Do

If the pace of your life is louder than the life you actually want — this one is for you. Amy and Jenny sit down with Tony Tran [https://www.instagram.com/tonytran/?hl=en], content creator, first-generation Vietnamese-American, husband, and dad, who walked away from a fast-paced fashion content career to build something quieter, more intentional, and far more honest — a mid-century modern home in Florida, a slower pace of life, and a message that more is rarely better. Tony opens up about growing up as a first generation immigrant child in inner-city Chicago, the church three blocks away that became his village before he even knew what a village was, and how watching his parents sacrifice everything to work gave him the opportunity to be something different — a present father. From Vietnam to TikTok, from fashion to home renovation, his story is a full circle one, shaped by cultures, loss, faith, and the quiet realization that the happiest people in the world usually have less than you. In this episode, Tony shares: * Why he walked away from lucrative brand deals and a thriving fashion career to pursue something slower and more soul-filling * What a trip back to Vietnam with his two-year-old son taught him about community, family, and what a real village looks like * The powerful lesson his immigrant parents modeled — and the one thing he is doing completely differently * Why presence, not provision, is the single greatest gift a parent can give a child * How a church three blocks from his Chicago home became the turning point that changed the entire trajectory of his life Tony is also the first to admit that the curated calm you see on his page does not always reflect the beautiful chaos happening behind the scenes — and that honesty is exactly what makes him worth following. He is a reminder that slowing down is not a retreat. It is a choice, and one of the most courageous ones you can make. Follow Tony here: https://www.instagram.com/tonytran

38. Molly Sanborn | If You Have a Pulse, You Have a Purpose

If you've ever wondered whether God can use the most ordinary, unexpected, even a little ridiculous thing in your life to reach someone else — this episode is going to leave you with a full heart and probably a craving for cheese balls. Amy and Jenny sit down with Molly Sanborn [https://www.instagram.com/cheeseballchick/?hl=en], speaker, author, and founder of Whatever You Do Ministries, whose wild obedience to a simple calling has taken her from a middle seat on an airplane to viral videos, open heart surgery, and divine encounters she never could have scripted. Molly walks us through the story that started it all — a giant container of cheese balls, a flight attendant with a microphone, and a conversation that went from snacks to Jesus in ten seconds flat. What began as a fun moment in 2008 has grown into a ministry built on the belief that God uses the foolish things of this world to accomplish His purposes, and that every single person you meet is carrying a story worth drawing out. In this episode, Molly shares: * How a bicuspid aortic valve discovered in childhood led to open heart surgery, two unexpected follow-up surgeries, and a faith that only grew stronger through all of it * The viral moment with Nurse Jen that sent her book flying off Amazon, connected her with a rancher in Texas, and launched Whatever You Do Ministries into a new season * What it looks like to say yes to God when you're grumpy, running late, and absolutely do not want to strap on the cheese balls * The divine encounters — in elevators, MRI machines, and hospital waiting rooms — that prove obedience always leads somewhere beautiful * Why she and her husband launched their ministry in the middle of the hardest season of their lives, and how God showed up anyway Molly is also working on her next book, Surrender to the Surgeon, a devotional born from her open heart surgery journey — and yes, she is already back competing in Ninja after three surgeries, because of course she is. She is a living reminder that God doesn't need you to be polished, prepared, or even in a good mood. He just needs your yes. Follow Molly here: https://www.instagram.com/cheeseballchick

37. Sam Balto | No Permission Needed: How the Bike Bus Is Changing the World

If you've ever sat in a school car line, scrolling your phone for the third time, wondering if there's a better way to start the morning — this episode is going to feel like a breath of fresh air. Amy and Jenny sit down with Sam Balto [https://www.instagram.com/coachbalto/], physical education teacher turned nonprofit founder and the heart behind Bike Bus World, a global movement that is transforming the way kids get to school one pedal stroke at a time. Sam shares how a single spring morning with five kids and a walking school bus set him on a path he never could have predicted — one that would eventually go viral, land on Good Morning America, and bring Justin Timberlake, Benson Boone, and Zara Larsson along for the ride. What started as a simple idea to get kids moving before school has grown into a worldwide community of parents, seniors, volunteers, and yes, a few music icons, all united by the belief that joy, connection, and fresh air are always worth showing up for. In this episode, Sam shares: * How a video from Barcelona sparked the very first Bike Bus on Earth Day four years ago — and what happened next * The confidence, friendships, and sense of belonging kids gain just from showing up and riding together * How a parent's TikTok video going from 200,000 to two million views overnight changed everything * Why being joyful and positive — not combative — is the most powerful strategy for building a movement * His practical step-by-step advice for anyone who wants to start a Bike Bus in their own neighborhood Sam's goal is 10,000 bike buses worldwide by 2030, and after spending an hour with him, you will believe it is absolutely possible. He is a reminder that you don't need a title, a budget, or anyone's permission to make something beautiful happen right where you are. Follow Sam here: https://www.instagram.com/coachbalto/