And Sons

The stunning images of two-time, award-winning Northern Ireland photographer Steven Hanna has captured the imagination and praise of countless people...including Sam and Blaine. Fascinated by his unique take on nature photography, they reached out to discuss his passion, vision, and process. Steven reveals how he learned to see what most of us miss, why being outdoors makes him come alive, and the essential way light shapes everything. SHOW NOTES: To view Steven Hanna's photographs, visit https://nebofineart.co.uk/

We do our best to distance ourselves from our problems. To keep them at bay, we try to go faster. Jump to the next project or friendship. Or explain away our feelings. But eventually the pressure becomes too great and the cracks appear. This is about what happens when you stop believing the story you've been telling yourself about why you are the way you are...and begin the healing process of becoming who God made you to be.

It's the start of a new year...and all-new podcasts with Sam and Blaine. But rather than just dive in, they first share how they spent their furlough. It's a transparent look at naming and addressing the issues that surfaced from the pressure cooker of two brothers constantly working together...as well as the new frontiers that God is inviting each of them into. The result is a fresh chapter for AndSons, birthed from a time of deep healing and restoration.

2020 is pretty much a wrap. For most, that couldn't happen soon enough. But the changing of years never automatically changes us or our circumstances. If we want to like our lives more, it requires sacrifice and intention. James Baxter is the Executive Director of Exodus 90, a ministry that's taken tens of thousands of men through a 90-day ascetic program of fasting, deep communion with God, and self-denial. It's a brotherhood of ordinary men from around the world...all on a path to greater restoration and freedom. Originally recorded in 2019, this conversation reveals ancient practices that lead to more space for God—and more life.

Most of us are coming into this Christmas having experienced some mix of loss and disappointment from the strange year known as 2020. But the answer isn't to downgrade your hopes for what's still possible this season. Sam and Blaine serve up some much-needed holiday cheer and encouragement while asking a few questions that just may change how you view the past year...and this Christmas.

Picking up where last week's podcast left off, Sam and Blaine talk about Advent promises fulfilled—and those yet to come. The consumerism, stress, and distractions of this season can leave us empty and weary. But Advent counters that by reminding us that the story of Christmas isn't past tense but rather still unfolding. It is a holy season of both remembrance and anticipation. That is the hope of Advent.

It's Advent season. A time of hopeful anticipation. And yet it's hard to even say the word "hope" without simultaneously feeling the pain of deep disappointment, dreams delayed, and real loss of this year. In the first of this two-part series, originally recorded in 2019, Sam and Blaine look at how our longing for Jesus to come again opens the door for true hope.

Some storms are beyond our control. But the ones that hit hardest are often relational storms of our own making. Sam and Blaine reveal how to prevent the turbulence that often sabotages our friendships. Doing so requires us to invite God into our relationships—knowing he alone can help us choose redemption over gratification or self-interest with those that matter most. The result isn't just better relationships. It transforms our friendships into the very shelter we need to weather the chaos coming against us. In these isolating times, find new ways to strengthen your relationships and be a better friend to those in your world.

How does adversity impact our bodies and sense of worth? Luke Eldredge joins Blaine in the studio to share his story of long-term injury, the resulting shame, and eventual triumph. Discover why our bodies affect our lives rather than our lives affecting our bodies, ways to push through the "pain cave" of physical (and other) limitations, and how persistence leads to restoration.

The question isn't whether we have pain. We have plenty. It's where are we taking it and how are we medicating it? But running from the pain never works. Nor does trying to numb it. Sam and Blaine offer a better alternative. Facing it. Through real life examples, they share how it's possible to press in and grow during the hard times—not after the storm passes, but right in the eye of it. So come on, don't waste your pain.

Life can turn upside down in the blink of an eye. You receive a "mayday" phone call or need to offer help to someone experiencing trauma. Now what? Dan Allender provides simple, practical counsel on how to engage those in your world who have recently experienced trauma of some kind, suggestions of what's good to do—and not do—in those moments, and how to lovingly walk alongside them over time.

We live in a culture that demands we react to every issue right now. Answer fast. Beat the buzzer. Get the social media "like". All while we stay on the surface rather than going deep with the person or issue in front of us. But there's a better option. The Holy Spirit is here with us...to guide us. Embracing that truth will radically shift the pace and quality of our decisions. This is an invitation to slow down, stop reacting, and to be okay not knowing all the answers. From there, it's a lot easier to ask the Holy Spirit what's really going on.

In the past year, our world has been shaken in almost every conceivable manner. We have been shaken as well—with chaos coming agains our dreams, hopes, and hearts in uniquely personal ways. In this conversation, Allen Arnold—Wild at Heart team member and author of the new book Chaos Can't—reveals where chaos comes from and why our usual responses to it fall short. Discover how not to let chaos in as well as God's invitation to fill the empty, void places in your world—and within you—with light, hope, beauty, and order.

Whether written, visual, oral, or music, stories serve as mini periscopes that reveal the world around us—and within us. The best movies, novels, and television shows are more like smelling salts than sermons, awakening us to the truer version of who we are...and more importantly, who we can be. Discover both the helpful and harmful ways stories shape us...and why that matters far more than most realize.

This week, we head to Hollywood. It's where a lot of stories are brought to life. And where actor, director, and author Nathan Clarkson spends his days. He takes us behind the scenes to discuss the wild world of movies, what it means to be a good man in the midst of it, and how, as an actor, he could more easily lose himself in roles once he found his true identity. God created us with great intentionality. Because of that, we can pursue our creative desires with intention. Doing so makes for the best story of all—the one we were created to live.

We all love a good story. But rarely do we see our lives as a story. In this episode from 2017, Sam and Blaine discuss the DNA of creativity and story with Allen Arnold from the Wild at Heart team. Allen is an author and—in his former life—the publisher of more than 500 novels. Along the way, he's discovered what makes a really good story...and how we can enter into our own story with more passion and purpose once we begin to see it as a journey of discovery.

We wrap our Soul Care series with a look at what we usually try to hide—the state of our soul. Trying to figure out how our soul is doing can feel like an incredibly complicated process. Until you realize the answer is revealed through the story of your life. It's a restoration project that begins with reflection. To get you stated, Sam and Blaine share ways they are pursuing their stories...and souls.

How well do you know yourself? Odds are...not very well if you don't regularly tend to the inner needs of your heart and soul. This pursuit begins with you...but doesn't end there. Because you'll never know anyone else's heart better than you know your own—or treat their hearts with more care than you treat yours. In this podcast that originally aired in 2017, Sam and Blain serve up several unexpected ways to grow in self-knowledge through the lost art of soul care.

We live at a time where everyone strives to be seen, celebrated, and productive. Yet what if being hidden in a world where everyone else fights to be noticed is actually...a gift? Sara Hagerty, the author of Unseen, joins Sam and Blaine to discuss her journey from burn-out to being fully present—and what shifted when she finally slowed down to focus on the unnoticed areas of her life.

Your soul takes plenty of hits each day—and it doesn't just get better on its own. Time alone never heals those kind of wounds. Nor does it automatically happen through outdoor adventures or relaxing with friends. Soul care isn't hard—but it does take intention. In this first of four podcasts on the topic (originally episode 78), Sam and Blaine share some basic practices for slowing down, seeking stillness and restoring one's soul.

We rarely give ourselves permission to go any speed but fast. It feels impossible to downshift to a slower rhythm. Not now. Not with so many expectations. So we push on...only to wonder why we have so little to offer those around us and why our heart feels so numb. In this disruptive yet hopeful podcast, Sam and Blaine show what it looks like to hit pause, create space to breathe, and choose a rhythm that refuels the soul.

In this final serving of our Summer Series, Wild at Heart staffer Jamie Goudie throws you back to Episode 44. This one features an interview with Michael Cusick—counselor, lecturer, and founder of Restoring the Soul, a ministry addressing sexual addiction through deep, whole-hearted restoration. He reframes where our addictions come from and how the unexpected antidote to sexual addictions isn't more shame...but more love.

In this fifth installment of the AndSons Summer Series, Bart Hansen serves up his favorite past episode - #86 with Wookie Jones telling stories about adventure, passion, and risk. Besides having a really cool name, Wookie owns a coffee shop, collects cool motorcycles, is wildly creative, and gets paid to do what he loves by freelancing. By nature, risk is, well, risky—but you can't expect to gain a return on no risk. Wookie doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but he has discovered that a life of less regret requires more risk.

How would you feel if your high-tech smartphone was suddenly just a...phone? No apps. No Siri. No touch screen anything. Just a device to call people. Is your eye starting to twitch at the thought of it? In this installment of the AndSons summer series, Allen from the Wild at Heart team reveals his favorite past AndSons podcast. It's Episode 137 - originally titled No Smartphones for a Month. In an effort to fight the creeping, medicating, overextended presence of our smartphones, several on the team exchanged their smartphones for low-tech flip phones for thirty long days. The results tested our patience, revealed our over-dependence on the devices, and flipped our expectations going forward. It's a disruptive, freeing conversation about the ways we use our smartphones...and the ways our smartphones use us.

The focus turns to dating in this third installment of the And Sons Summer Series. Michelle Patterson from the Wild at Heart team chose Episode 85 as her favorite past And Sons podcast. In it, Sam, Blaine, and Luke share stories from their experiences in dating from high school to college to, eventually, marriage. You won't find any pat answers or formulas here - just stories offered to help you interpret the challenges and joys of dating, love, and marriage in fresh ways.

It's summer...and that means outdoor adventure, lots of ice cream, and the And Sons Summer Series. This week, Stacey Burton from the Wild at Heart team shares her favorite past And Sons podcast. Episode 58 - originally titled The Danger of the Self-Arranging Life - is a look at what happens when we believe it's up to make life work. We need to care for our joy and our hearts, but the self-arranging life isn't soul care. It's a trap that can lead to isolation, obsession, and striving.

Welcome to the AndSons Summer Series. To mix things up (and to give them some vacation time), Sam and Blaine invited six of the Wild at Heart team to select and introduce their favorite past AndSons podcasts. First up to bat is Jon Dale - and he chose episode 73 featuring Dr. Randy James from True Life Medicine in Colorado. Dr. James redefines what being well - and what being sick - really means. In the process, he reveals how our culture and Western medicine have confused us about the best ways to care for our bodies - and why true wellness always involves the mind, soul, and body.

Many of today's emerging social, political, and spiritual movements aren't actually new. Earlier iterations can be found throughout history. Sam and Blaine highlight some specific centuries-old forces expressing themselves in new ways, including: 1) Materialist vs. Supernatural and 2) Nationalism vs. Globalism. In describing these movements, they reveal how - without God - either side of a force will inevitably turn toxic or destructive.

Why can't most days be easier? We expect the occasional big storms that come. But it's the slow grind of the daily hard that wears on us most over time. Yesterday's leaky pipe. Today's flat tire. Tomorrow's unexpected bill. All men face this low-level thwarting by the enemy. Unfortunately, difficulty alone doesn't guarantee growth. Here are some new ways to interpret your hard days.

Being the dad of a girl is a radically different experience than fathering a boy. Yes, every child has their own personality. But a boy and girl also provoke the heart of a father in uniquely specific ways. Sam and Blaine share stories of being dads to their sons and daughters - as well as what this season is revealing about them as men, husbands, and fathers. It's the beautifully messy, always new, never dull adventure of being a dad.

Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In this timely and timeless conversation, he addresses the topic of racial justice and reconciliation through the unique lens of the gospel. He calls it Civil Righteousness and it involves four key pillars: 1) Engaging Justice, 2) Restoring Communities, 3) Mobilizing Allies, and 4) Building Bridges. Discover how God, at his core, is a healer - and what it looks like to participate in the restoration of all things in this chaotic moment in time.

We live in a polarizing time of stark opposites. The result is growing tension fueled by an odd swirling of opposition, offense, anger, and withdrawal. Sam and Blaine process what's going on behind the scenes - drawing on research and examples of why we believe certain things, how we process new information, and why true change is both more valuable and complex than we imagine.

161 I Dan Allender: Forgiveness is Freeing Dan Allender believes forgiveness must be at the forefront of our actions - especially in these fragmented times. Rather than take offense, we're invited to create peace. Doing so is a necessity and a privilege that allows the love of God to heal a world filled with hate. When we stop trying to contain, control, or manage life and others, we can start participating in the kind of reconciliation that allows us to experience union and communion with others. Discover how genuine forgiveness is the necessary soil for kindness, generosity, and play to flourish freely in our hearts and relationships.

A few reminders. The gospel transcends every human identity and tells you a few important things about the world. Like, the fact that the human heart is fallen. It’s the original problem. It is the well from which all injustice and violence pours. And there’s Satan, God’s sworn enemy, who stokes human sin. But, thanks to the work of Jesus, we have a new heart. We have power over Satan and his kingdom. We offer the restoration of all things in real time into the world. This conversation between therapist Wendell Moss and Sam Eldredge is an onramp into the issues surrounding race, trauma, and masculinity. It first ran in July 2018, but we’re queuing it up again because here at And Sons we look for orientation. We look for trustworthy sages to give us direction in real time. We think you’ll find this conversation helpful, especially as you engage it in view of your position as a friend of Jesus, participating in the restoration of the heart and the overthrow of evil, alongside Jesus, your brother and captain. The books Moss recommends at the end are: Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson), White Awake (Daniel Hill), Roadmap to Reconciliation (Brenda Salter McNeil).

We often settle for a simple physical explanation when we're feeling down or off. So when a throbbing headache keeps you from an event of great joy, you assume it must be because you recently cut down on caffeine. Yet these simplistic diagnoses fail to account for the fact that we are beings of body, soul, and spirit - and every move in the direction of greater life will be opposed. Here are tools to better diagnose what's really going on when you sense things aren't right.

The immaterial practices that fill our days (like those endless Zoom meetings) may be productive but they don't anchor us. Numerous studies show we need regular contact with the real. When we disconnect from the physical, we do our bodies and souls great harm. Something powerful happens when we go out for a run, walk barefoot in the grass, or spend time tending our garden. It turns out, we need dirt...literally. Sam and Blaine explore why our body, mind, and soul thrives on tactile connection to the physical world.

Why is the decision to see a therapist the last resort for most of us? Sam and Blaine demystify the process by interviewing therapist Stacia Littlefield. She helps people navigate the terrain of their hearts to care for their inner places. In this conversation, Stacia sheds light on how the process works and why it leads to breakthrough. Because it's true - we all need a good therapist every now and then.

Our words hold immense power. We understand that on a relational level. But spiritually, far more is at play. Throughout scripture, God reveals how your words, thoughts, and actions can either bless or curse your health, home, and work. And it's not just what you speak or think. We receive the blessing and cursing of others, too. This conversation shines light on why words matter even more than we realize.

Our experience with alcohol varies wildly from person to person. For some, it's an occasional beer or celebratory toast. For others, it ranges from a source of relief to a secret addiction they can't break. Annie Grace, author of The Alcohol Experiment and This Naked Mind, reveals why we reach for what we reach for. She's helped countless people rethink their relationship with alcohol by replacing feelings of shame and guilt with motives of curiosity and joy.

These strange times provide countless opportunities to talk with others about the Kingdom, but religious language gets in the way. Here's a simple way forward: rather than talking about Jesus from some memorized script, just talk about your heart. Why? Because Jesus isn't abstract; he's revealed in the concrete territory of your daily life. Then, ask what these times are stirring in the person you're talking with. To hear what this sounds like, listen in on six conversations with friends sharing how this season is affecting their hearts and hopes.

We're good at doing, but we tend to question the value of pausing. This intentionally brief podcast is about a shift - from saying more to praying more. The world downplays prayer as a legitimate response to global events. But prayer is a mighty power we've been given to co-determine the future with God, and to compete for the many uncertain outcomes of this global moment. So now more than ever, let's pause. And pray.

The celebration of key events happens regularly in childhood. But then we get older and they stop. We hit a milestone dead zone where important things go unacknowledged - whether the start of a job, the birth of a child, or the loss of a dream. In fact, right now, COVID-19 has caused a full-on celebration moratorium. And the cost is real. Without celebrations, we quit trying. We feel unseen or alone as new chapters come and go with no recognition. Luke Eldredge joins Sam and Blaine for this conversation on the appeal of rituals and need for shared experiences.

How does the trained professional survive hard times? By simplifying. It is the dominant strategy of the mature through the ages: double down on first principles. But those skills don't just magically appear in the moment of need. We learn by doing. Only then can we rely on past training and muscle memory. Hard times reveal the areas where we've grown soft and need to return to basics. Who could you become if you saw this season as real-life training rather than simply waiting for life to go back to how it was?

We live in unprecedented times where scarcity and fear strike in the middle of the day and the dead of night. Yet God promises to provide and sustain us. How can we hold to the belief that God is good when circumstances shout otherwise? Hebrew scholars (and self-proclaimed nerds) Scott and Mandy unpack how Psalm 91 is our rescue once we realize what the invitation to take shelter under the shadow of the most high God really means.

When hard times hit the fan, how shaky is your foundation? The pull is often to gain control...or at least more information. But doing so causes us to miss the deeper initiation. With God, we are fundamentally safe even when nothing in our world is safe. That's because true hope never rests in things being better than they are - but in God's nature and his promise to ultimately make all things right.

What did God mean when he meant Sabbath? Most of us have no clue. Culture and tradition have made it boring and burdensome. So we shrug and settle for a nap or a beer. But something's been lost. What if God's original intent was for it to be a day of delight rather than simply a time to re-charge for Monday? Discover how to reclaim the Sabbath as a time of feasting, savoring, celebrating, and remembering what matters most.

How do you avoid losing hope? For better or worse, it's an everyday question. Answer? It may mean doing the hard thing, which is adoring God in the middle of the mess. Problem is, you can't adore a God you don't know or allow to know you. We sat down with Sara Hagerty to talk about her counterintuitive book, Adore. It's about what happens when we expose our interior life go God, create an evidence list with the attributes of God, and allow the landscape of our minds to be reclaimed by what's true. Adore is the place where the grit of your day collides with the beauty of God's presence.

Where to start? Brad Beck has flown T-38s, worked at NASA, traveled the world, been an ER doc, and that’s only half the story. And even so, he’s still great to work with. We sat down for a conversation about calling. How do you walk it out, one step at a time? How do you transition through what seem to be distinct careers? How do you get through grueling seasons? And how to you hold on to the epic once you’ve flown training fighter jets? Turns out, it all comes down to a life with God, and concrete experiences of God that shape your vision. This is a conversation for every young man who’s in the middle of it all.

It is, unfortunately, a common experience: you enter a room, and everyone else seems to belong there. But not you - you're the outsider. And then comes the impulse to get out, check out, hide. In this episode, Blaine and Sam sit down with Allen Arnold, a regular voice on the Ransomed Heart podcast, to unpack the urge to hide: where does it come from, how do you get to its root in your story, and what do you do to engage anyway. From generational norms to the silence of Adam, distrusting people to the reliability of Jesus, this is a podcast on how to take hold of God's interpretation of your story. And then you can relate through it.

144 | Everyone Else Has it Easier, Right? by And Sons