Strength Through Surrender: Learning To Trust God When Life Feels Uncertain

Doing the Impossible with Christ | When You Show Up, Christ Makes Up the Difference

What if Christ isn't asking for your best — just your yes? In this inspiring episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kylie Mulladjanov shares how a daily 20-minute devotional, a quiet prompting during a phone call, and a willingness to start small led her to found ASL Primary — an organization bringing religious education to deaf children and their families across the nation. Kylie opens up about the leap of faith that changed the trajectory of her life, the spiritual practice that has shaped her relationship with God for over seven years, and the moment a story about burnt banana bread completely reframed what God is actually asking of her. This episode is a powerful reminder that Christ doesn't need our polished offering. He needs our yes. In this episode: * How a daily 20-minute devotional completely changed the trajectory of Kylie's life * The leap of faith that launched her into doing the impossible with Christ * How ASL Primary was born out of a quiet prompting she almost ignored * The banana bread story that will change the way you think about what God is actually asking of you * Why doing it badly is sometimes the most faithful thing you can do Featured Quotes & Stories: * President Russell M. Nelson — "If you want more faith, do something that requires more faith." * The banana bread story from a BYU Women's Conference talk by Tracy Browning and Susan Porter on avoiding spiritual overwhelm * The miracle of feeding the 5,000 — how Christ multiplies what we offer, even when it feels small This episode is for you if: * You have held back from something because you didn't feel ready or qualified * You want practical tools for building a consistent devotional practice * You are looking for encouragement to follow a prompting, even without a clear plan * You want to be reminded that Christ multiplies our offerings — that part was never up to us Resources mentioned: ASL Primary — aslprimary.com [https://www.aslprimary.com/] Connect with Becoming the Oak: Website: becomingtheoak.com [becomingtheoak.com] Email: kendra@becomingtheoak.com [kendra@becomingtheoak.com] Instagram: @becomingtheoak [https://www.instagram.com/becomingtheoak/] Be still. Believe. Become.

When Fear Feels Holy | Untangling Anxiety, Agency, and Who God Really Is

When Fear Feels Holy: Untangling Anxiety, Agency, and Who God Really Is Have you ever had a fearful feeling and wondered — is that God trying to warn me? For Kailey Scott, that question consumed years of her life. In this honest and deeply relatable episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kailey opens up about growing up with anxiety that became so tangled with her faith that she couldn't tell the difference between the Spirit and her own fear — and the journey that finally set her free. From compulsive driving routes and prayer rituals to decision paralysis and a distorted view of who God is, Kailey shares the moment a therapist looked at her and said: "Kailey, you and I believe in different gods." That conversation changed everything. In this episode: * Why Kailey's brain learned to associate fear with the Spirit — and how she unlearned it * The truth about God's voice: He does not speak through fear, superstition, or anxiety * How decision paralysis taught her that agency is a gift, not a test to fail * A candid conversation about medication, therapy, and why getting help is an act of faith * Three practical things to start doing today if you are living with chronic anxiety Featured Scripture & Talks: * 2 Timothy 1:7 — "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." * Elder David A. Bednar — "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease," April 2014 General Conference * Elder David A. Bednar — "Unlike worldly fear that creates alarm and anxiety, godly fear is a source of peace, assurance, and confidence." * President Dieter F. Uchtdorf — on agency, decision-making, and trusting God with our choices This episode is for you if: * You have ever mistaken anxiety for the Spirit * You struggle to make decisions without feeling like you might miss God's plan * You feel spiritually behind because of your mental health * You are looking for permission to get help — and the reminder that God wants you to God does not speak through fear. He never has. And if anxiety has been standing between you and the life God designed you to have, this episode will help you begin to untangle it. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.com [becomingtheoak.com]Email: kendra@becomingtheoak.com [kendra@becomingtheoak.com]Instagram: @becomingtheoak [https://www.instagram.com/becomingtheoak/] Be still. Believe. Become.

Still In The Storm | Anchoring Your Faith Through Fear and the Unknown

Still in the Storm: Anchoring Your Faith Through Fear and the Unknown What do you do when crisis arrives without warning — and a gun is pointed at your head? For Alberta Jones, the answer was unexpected: she felt peace. In this episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Alberta shares her remarkable true story of surviving a violent home invasion — and the string of miracles that carried her family through one of the most terrifying mornings of their lives. From supernatural calm under pressure, to finding forgiveness she didn't have to manufacture, to learning how to see our hardest trials through God's eyes — Alberta's story is a powerful testimony of faith in crisis that will anchor your soul. In this episode: * The miracle that kept her 13-year-old daughter safe * Why Alberta felt inexplicable calm with a gun to her head * How forgiveness can be a gift God gives us, not a discipline we force * The psychology concept that changes how we process our trials through faith * What God whispered to Alberta's daughter: "Because I trust you" This episode is for you if: * You are walking through something unexpected and can't see the end * You struggle to trust God when life feels out of control * You want to strengthen your faith through the real stories of real women * You are looking for peace that goes beyond your circumstances Connect with Alberta on her Etsy Site [https://www.etsy.com/shop/LandmarkMemories] for personalized gifts. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.com [becomingtheoak.com]Email: kendra@becomingtheoak.com [kendra@becomingtheoak.com]Instagram: @becomingtheoak [https://www.instagram.com/becomingtheoak/] Be still. Believe. Become. https://www.etsy.com/shop/LandmarkMemories

Tend What You Can't See | Nurturing Your Roots Through Faith and Gratitude

About This Episode What's happening below the surface of your life? Most of us spend our energy on what everyone can see — the results, the progress, the fruit. But what about what no one sees? In this solo episode, I'm teaching on the process of becoming — walking through the soil, the roots, the trunk, the branches, and the fruit as a metaphor for spiritual and personal growth. Your roots represent your covenant relationship with God, and when they're strong, everything else — your goals, your growth, your fruit — reflects that. We'll talk about why our covenant relationship with God is the foundation for everything, what happens when we neglect our roots, and how to start strengthening them through faith and gratitude — even if all you have is a particle of faith to begin with. If you've ever felt like you're producing without a foundation, or you're not sure where to start in your relationship with God, this episode is for you. ✦✦✦ In This Episode You'll Learn ●Why your roots — your covenant relationship with God — are the most neglected and most critical part of your growth ●What it means to become top-heavy and root-poor — and how to recognize it in your own life ●How your goals are only as strong as the roots they grow from ●Why gratitude is one of the most powerful root-strengthening tools we have ●Two simple places to start right now: a particle of faith and abounding in thanksgiving ✦✦✦ Episode Highlights Welcome & recap of Episode 13 — the soil as the heart The full oak tree metaphor — soil, seed, roots, trunk, branches, fruit The roots as our covenant relationship with God — Elder Shumway on what the world undervalues The vole story — when the visible doesn't reveal what's happening below The trunk as goals — Preach My Gospel and covenant-grounded direction The branches — intellectual, social, physical, spiritual growth (Luke 2:52) How to strengthen your roots — faith, prayer, and a particle of belief Abounding in thanksgiving — Corrie ten Boom and the power of gratitude in darkness Elder Holland — the strength beyond our own found in Christ Closing reflection — how does your fruit reflect your roots? ✦✦✦ Quotes From This Episode "The prevailing challenge in choosing a covenant relationship with God is that the world overvalues what it can see and undervalues what is not seen." — Elder Shumway, Simplicity That Is in Christ, BYU Devotional "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish." — Preach My Gospel "If ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you and give place for a portion of my words." — Alma 32:27 "It is simple. You focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will know how to resolve every challenge you have." — President Russell M. Nelson "There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength beyond his own." — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Broken Things to Mend, April 2006 General Conference ✦✦✦ References & Resources Scriptures ●Colossians 2:7 — Rooted and built up in Christ, established in faith, abounding in thanksgiving ●Ephesians 3:17 — Rooted and grounded in love ●Alma 32:27 — Desire to believe; giving a particle of faith space to grow ●Luke 2:52 — Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man ●Doctrine & Covenants 59:21 — Confessing God's hand in all things Talks & Teachings ●Simplicity That Is in Christ, BYU Devotional Elder Shumway — ●Broken Things to Mend, April 2006 General Conference Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — ✦✦✦ Connect With Kendra ●becomingtheoak.com [becomingtheoak.com] & free 3-step guide [https://www.becomingtheoak.com/3-steps-to-stay-grounded-free-download]: ●@becomingtheoak [https://www.instagram.com/becomingtheoak/] If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who needs it. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Never Too Far Gone | A Story of Addiction, Redemption, and God's relentless love.

What happens when years of doubt, addiction, and walking away from faith collide with God’s grace? In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, I sit down with Sam Hodges as she shares her deeply personal journey of questioning everything she once believed, walking away from church, struggling with addiction, and unexpectedly finding her way back to Jesus Christ. Sam opens up about asking difficult questions surrounding faith, church history, authority, and doctrine — and how those unanswered questions slowly led her away from God. But even in the middle of rebellion, pain, and spiritual distance, the Spirit never stopped reaching for her. From a life-changing experience at the Rome Temple to serving a mission in Tennessee, Sam’s testimony is a beautiful reminder that no one is ever too far gone for God’s love, healing, and redemption. If you have ever wrestled with doubt, struggled to trust God’s timing, battled addiction, or prayed for someone who has walked away from faith, this episode will remind you that heaven never stops pursuing us. In this Episode we discuss: * How asking hard questions can strengthen your faith * Wrestling with doubt, church history, and personal belief * Addiction, shame, and feeling spiritually disconnected * Recognizing the Spirit even while far from God * Why God understands us individually and personally * The Rome Temple experience that changed everything * Trusting God’s process during difficult seasons * The power of constant prayer and daily connection with God Key Takeaways: * Why no one is beyond Christ’s reach * God is not afraid of your questions * The Spirit does not abandon us when we struggle * Your hardest seasons can become part of your purpose * Prayer creates trust and connection with God * Grace reaches further than we often believe possible Connect with Sam Podcast: One Shepherd Find Sam on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oneshepherd33/], TikTok [https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40oneshepherd33%3F_t%3DZP-909BmkP7CWN%26_r%3D1%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn12wLO3YtxvPxY0XpYpjGBOcx7BsjsunM1lbM8-WvYMGxplCGE5OQPA9hkJ0_aem_mzuA4AFL7_dN_2xMbbD6_Q&e=AUDaKiSv4-WxmwbfDoTKW4nZePPqAQgTPScL8FeQF13SRbcjcdJepRTIa6FEqokoAjBjfIEJol7-zdH6wh2rgpVapApfmZXAXfuCUNRFKr4fQMVc9MH0QbN-NiiQSueosj702AorSUXlOG7PeDZ-N2c], YouTube [https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2F%4033oneshepherd%3Fsi%3DuzQjlMGzREYkYENQ%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGneEozAf0_-lIJe8hyboEiDYvY0YqDRSl46A6ETOKU01patuC0es654OpyAwU_aem_qdn5b8dMbBpPjCWJfLjmKw&e=AUBXauYawMdQXMePhzFrhwXKfotKn9WzhjAPi8Ur9s12YOAn4C8we2AOHLmu9EU9HCR5XPWOIlZcekVpimvO85VEg1V9JKmm9VtljvM4HSwkUEworGeLxMlnMOO2CsVdSyT2A8fdDi1IkCK-05nLDJY], and Facebook [https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F19g4kNQMQv%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr%26utm_source%3Dig%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_content%3Dlink_in_bio&e=AUC9nGYP5yGoFGs6yfJoqg3H6qaOyCEdGvT9j0lK4EwFgI0PtgW52ExYuhjpR7AFxZkwZu34Gjt0kiL-wybkHXY0aH1DuEm3PrgDFpKAbE6x35kobOIpt5uUtydmA6_UqDB0whkEV0u4Zl45PtmENpE]. Connect with Me: If this episode touched your heart, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need this reminder today. Your support helps us reach more women seeking hope, healing, and deeper faith in Jesus Christ. Until next time, be still, believe, and become. Website [becomingtheoak.com] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578722263831] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/becomingtheoak/] Email: kendra@becomingtheoak.com #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #JesusChrist #AddictionRecovery #WomenOfFaith #ChristianWomen #LDSPodcast #SpiritualGrowth #HopeInChrist #Prayer #Healing #TrustGod #PersonalRevelation #FaithOverFear #RedemptionStory #BecomingTheOak #RootedInChrist