Minute with Marlin EP #4 - Put Down the Screen and Pick Up a Real Book

EP #40 - Building a Family and a Legacy of Generosity w/ Derek & Lisa Guyer

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast … Some people build businesses. Others build lives that point to something greater. In this powerful conversation, Derek and Lisa Guyer share the raw, beautiful story of their journey; from financial brokenness and a tiny two-bedroom home with six kids in one room, to owning and transforming Kentucky Lumber into a place of integrity, character, and genuine care. Derek openly talks about the early failures, the lessons learned from his parents, and the deliberate choice to create a company culture where employees feel safe, customers are treated like family, and tough love meets real respect. At the center of it all is their deep commitment to fostering and adopting children from hard places. Derek describes the chaos, the screaming, the fear… and the unwavering decision to be the safe place these kids desperately need. Through every trial, financial stress, loss, and the daily grind, they return to the same truth: generosity matters most when it’s hardest. If this conversation filled your coffee cup, we would humbly invite you to leave a thoughtful comment below and please, don’t be shy … the Like and Subscribe buttons help more friends find this episode.  We’re always looking for more friends. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com [https://plainvalues.com/]

Minute with Marlin EP #4 - Put Down the Screen and Pick Up a Real Book

Marlin has always loved the simple, sensory pleasure of holding a real book or magazine; the feel of the paper, the weight in his hands.  In this episode, he reflects on how rare and precious books once were in the Middle Ages, when monks painstakingly copied them by hand. Then Gutenberg’s printing press changed everything by giving “wings to truth.” He beautifully connects this to God’s own design: trees become paper, language becomes Scripture, and the written word allows divine truth to spread across generations. These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick moments of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement—perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com [https://plainvalues.com/]

EP #39 - Dead for 35 Minutes and the Miracle That Followed w/ Jimmy & Becky Mast

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast … Some stories remind us that God still does the impossible. On a seemingly normal Monday morning in 2013, Becky Mast collapsed at home. Within minutes she had no heartbeat. For the next 35 minutes she received no oxygen to her brain. She was clinically dead. What followed was a cascade of miracles. Paramedics worked on her relentlessly. After six shocks and heroic CPR, her heart finally restarted. Doctors at multiple hospitals gave grim prognoses, massive brain damage was expected. They prepared Jimmy for the possibility of bringing his wife home in a wheelchair, or worse. Instead, after being anointed with oil according to James 5, Becky began showing signs of life. She responded to her favorite worship song. She spoke. She walked. She came home just 15 days later. Jimmy and Becky share their story with raw honesty; the fear, the prayers, the friends who carried them, and the undeniable hand of God that defied every medical expectation. If this conversation filled your coffee cup, we would humbly invite you to leave a thoughtful comment below and please, don’t be shy … the Like and Subscribe buttons help more friends find this episode.  We’re always looking for more friends. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com [https://plainvalues.com/]

Minute with Marlin EP #3 - Don’t Miss the Awe Right Outside Your Door

As a young boy, Marlin watched a powerful storm roll through with tornadoes touching down nearby.  A funnel cloud spun just 100 yards behind their house, hovering above the treetops. While the rest of the family took shelter in the basement, his dad stood outside, calmly watching in awe of nature’s raw power. Marlin was terrified, yet deeply moved by his father’s fearless wonder. That moment stayed with him. These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick moments of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement—perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters. Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com [https://plainvalues.com/]

EP #38 - From Addiction to Adoption Ministry w/ Larry Yoder | Pure Gift of God

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast, Marlin sits down with his good friend Larry Yoder for a conversation about God’s incredible redeeming grace. Larry shares his remarkable journey of growing up Amish, leaving the church as a teenager, and spiraling into a life of heavy drug use, partying, and bad choices. From smoking weed at 11 to nearly overdosing multiple times, Larry openly talks about how he was searching for something to fill the void but kept running from the very thing he needed most: Jesus. Then came the turning point. Sitting at a pizza shop with friends who simply shared how Jesus had changed their lives, Larry surrendered everything. What followed was radical transformation… quitting drugs cold turkey, moving to Baltimore to serve in an inner-city ministry, meeting his wife Amanda, and eventually stepping into the work he does today with Pure Gift of God. Now, Larry and his team work tirelessly to support foster care and adoption, helping children find loving homes and walking alongside families through the hard, beautiful work of building forever families. His story is a powerful reminder that no one is too far gone for God’s grace, and that our past pain can become the very platform God uses to bring hope to others. If you’ve ever wondered whether God can truly redeem the messiest parts of our stories, or if you want to be encouraged by a testimony of radical transformation, this episode is for you. If this conversation filled your coffee cup, we would humbly invite you to leave a thoughtful comment below and please, don’t be shy … the Like and Subscribe buttons help more friends find this episode.  We’re always looking for more friends. Learn more about Larry Yoder’s work at https://puregiftofgod.org [https://puregiftofgod.org/] Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com [https://plainvalues.com/]