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

Love Never Stops Looking | Trusting God With What You Can Not Control

What do you do when you love someone you cannot save? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Liz Morrill shares the decade-long journey of loving her son Mark through mental illness, addiction, and homelessness — and the quiet, sustaining peace that only Christ could provide through all of it. From the miraculous prompting that led Liz and her husband to find Mark on the streets of Seattle, to learning how to pray in a way that honors agency, to the transformative power of choosing our thoughts — Liz's story is a testament to what it means to hold on to the rope when everything around you is unraveling. If you are loving someone through something you cannot fix, or trusting God with something you cannot control, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. In this episode: * The decade-long journey of loving a son through mental illness, addiction, and homelessness * The miraculous moment Liz and her husband were prompted to find Mark on the streets of Seattle * What holding onto a rope taught Liz about staying tethered to Christ in the middle of chaos * Why God is a planner — and how that changes the way we pray for the people we love * The power of our thoughts and how choosing what we believe can lead us back to joy Featured Quotes & Talks: * Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — on trust, the Spirit, and the power of creation * Elder Hall — I Glory in My Jesus, and Nephi's testimony: "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell" * The power of covenant keeping and temple worship as a daily tether to Christ This episode is for you if: * You are loving someone through addiction, mental illness, or homelessness * You are trusting God with an outcome you cannot control * You are struggling to find joy in a season of prolonged grief or heartache * You want to be reminded that God is a planner — even when you cannot see the plan 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.

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.