'Reader's Digest Condensed' Show Notes

Katie welcomes Every Moment Holy creator Doug McKelvey to discuss the surprising story behind one of the most beloved Christian book series of the past decade.

Doug shares how a simple prayer written to help him focus on writing fiction eventually became Every Moment Holy, why Christians from many traditions have embraced written liturgies, and how ordinary moments — whether changing diapers or repairing a water heater — can become opportunities for worship.

Together, Doug and Katie explore beauty, language, prayer, creativity, and what it means to believe that God is at work in every moment of everyday life.

Unabridged Show Notes

Katie sits down with author Doug McKelvey, creator of the bestselling Every Moment Holy series, to explore how written prayers can help Christians recognize God's presence in the ordinary moments of life.

Doug shares his journey from a non-liturgical church background to discovering the beauty of historic prayers through The Book of Common Prayer. He explains why thoughtfully written prayers aren't a replacement for spontaneous prayer but a companion to it — often giving believers words when they don't know how to pray.

The conversation traces the unexpected birth of Every Moment Holy, which began as a personal prayer during a season of creative frustration. Doug recounts how a simple conversation with Andrew Peterson quickly grew into a vision for a beautifully crafted book of liturgies covering everything from changing diapers to repairing a home.

Along the way, Katie and Doug discuss creativity, storytelling, theology, and the importance of seeing every ordinary task within God's larger story of redemption. Doug also reflects on the overwhelming success of the series, why it has resonated across denominations, and how these prayers help reorient believers toward God's kingdom in everyday life.

The episode concludes with Doug sharing the scripture that has sustained him throughout the writing process and a preview of Part 2, where he and Katie will discuss one of Doug's favorite classics.

In This Episode

Discovering liturgical prayer

• Growing up in a non-liturgical church
• Encountering The Book of Common Prayer
• Why written prayers can strengthen personal prayer

The birth of Every Moment Holy

• A prayer written for fiction writers
• Andrew Peterson's unexpected encouragement
• How one prayer became an international bestseller

Finding God in ordinary life

• Why changing diapers and doing laundry matter
• Seeing everyday work through the lens of eternity
• Reframing ordinary tasks as acts of worship

Writing, creativity, and calling

• Doug's unfinished science fiction novel
• Why artistic constraints can increase creativity
• Trusting God with the work He's given us

Looking ahead

• The new Every Moment Holy Prayer Songs
• Preview of Part 2 of our conversation, where we'll discuss one of Doug's favorite classics

Books Mentioned

• Every Moment Holy — Doug McKelvey
• The Book of Common Prayer

Who This Episode Is For

• Christians seeking a richer prayer life
• Readers who love thoughtful Christian books
• Writers, artists, and other creatives
• Anyone who feels overwhelmed by ordinary responsibilities
• Fans of The Rabbit Room and Andrew Peterson

Enjoying Oh My Word with Katie?

• Would you consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts? Reviews help more readers discover thoughtful Christian conversations about books, faith, and the stories that shape us.
• Follow @ohmywordpod on Facebook and Instagram for episode updates, book recommendations, and literary conversations.

A Question to Reflect On

What ordinary part of your daily routine might look different if you truly believed God was present in it?

'Reader's Digest Condensed' Show Notes

Katie welcomes author, teacher, and Close Reads co-host Heidi White to discuss her book The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and in Life.

Together they explore why the tension between what we "ought" to do and what we "want" to do lies at the heart of both great literature and everyday Christian life.

Heidi shares how Anne of Green Gables shaped her moral imagination, why the parable of the prodigal son became the framework for her book, and how stories help us understand the fractured human condition after the Fall.

They discuss older-brother and younger-brother tendencies, the healing of desire, the role of joy in the Christian life, and why characters like Odysseus continue to resonate across centuries.

Unabridged Show Notes

Katie sits down with author, classical educator, therapist, and Close Reads co-host Heidi White to discuss The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and in Life.

Heidi shares the childhood reading experience that changed her life when she discovered Anne of Green Gables during a difficult season of grief and loneliness. Together, she and Katie explore how stories shape our moral imagination and why literature often forms character more deeply than rules alone.

They discuss the central premise of The Divided Soul: that since the Fall, human beings have lived with a fracture between duty and desire. Drawing from the parable of the prodigal son, Heidi explains how both the younger brother's disordered desires and the older brother's joyless duty reveal different aspects of the same divided heart.

The conversation ranges from psychology and spiritual formation to Homer and The Odyssey, examining how great stories illuminate the struggles of real life. Heidi also shares practical signs that we may be slipping into older-brother self-righteousness, why joy matters in the Christian life, and what it means to pursue the healing of a unified soul.

Along the way, they discuss Anne Shirley, Odysseus and Penelope, Lonesome Dove, Christopher Nolan, classical education, and the enduring power of stories to help us understand ourselves and the world.

In This Episode

Reading, imagination, and formation

• How Anne of Green Gables changed Heidi's life
• Literature as moral formation rather than mere entertainment
• Why stories often shape us more deeply than rules

The divided soul

• The conflict between duty and desire after the Fall
• The prodigal son as a framework for understanding human nature
• Why both younger-brother and older-brother tendencies need healing

Duty, desire, and everyday life

• Recognizing self-righteousness and resentment
• The danger of joyless duty
• Recovering rightly ordered desire

The Odyssey and the harmonious soul

• Why Odysseus serves as a powerful literary example
• Temptation, perseverance, and the longing for home
• Thoughts on modern adaptations of classic stories

Books, stories, and the Christian imagination

• Why great literature remains relevant
• Reading as a way of understanding ourselves
• How stories reveal spiritual realities

Books and Authors Mentioned

• The Divided Soul - Heidi White
• Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
• Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Odyssey - Homer
• Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
• The Feast - Margaret Kennedy

Who This Episode Is For

• Readers who love classic literature
• Fans of Close Reads and literary podcasts
• Christians interested in spiritual formation
• Teachers, homeschoolers, and classical educators
• Anyone wrestling with duty, desire, burnout, temptation, or joy

Enjoying Oh My Word with Katie?

• Would you consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts? Reviews help more readers discover thoughtful Christian conversations about books, faith, and the stories that shape us.
• Follow @ohmywordpod on Facebook and Instagram for episode updates and bookish content.

A Question to Reflect On

When have you felt the tension between what you "wanted" to do and what you knew you "ought" to do — and what helped bring those two desires back into alignment?

The ‘Reader’s Digest Condensed’ show notes

Katie welcomes Mississippi singer-songwriter and author Matthew Clark to discuss The Well Trilogy — a sweeping project of albums and companion essay collections inspired by the woman at the well, faithfulness in exile, and the hope of Christ’s return.

Together they explore Tolkien, creativity, grief, collaboration, The Rabbit Room, and why paying loving attention to God and the world around us may be one of the most important spiritual disciplines we’ve lost.

Unabridged show notes

Katie sits down with Mississippi-based singer-songwriter and author Matthew Clark to discuss The Well Trilogy — three albums paired with collections of reflective essays exploring healing, faithfulness, beauty, and the restoration of all things.

Matthew shares how growing up surrounded by music, visual art, and storytelling shaped his imagination, and why Tolkien became one of the earliest literary worlds that truly captured his heart.

They discuss the origins of Only the Lover Sings, the first volume in the trilogy, which emerged during a long season of grief and healing after divorce. Matthew explains how the story of the woman at the well became a spiritual “habitat” he returned to again and again — and how the trilogy gradually expanded into meditations on exile, endurance, and the return of Christ.

Katie and Matthew also explore the importance of collaboration in the creative process, the influence of communities like The Rabbit Room and the C.S. Lewis Foundation, and why personal essays and creative nonfiction can become powerful companions for people walking through suffering.

Throughout the conversation, they reflect on leisure, contemplation, beauty, and the idea that we most fully discover ourselves when we are seen and loved by God and others.

In this episode

Growing up surrounded by creativity

• Matthew’s artistic family background
• Learning guitar through one hilariously surprising riff
• Why early success matters when learning an instrument

Tolkien, imagination, and literary influence

• Growing up immersed in Middle Earth
• Tolkien’s idea of “escape” and why it matters
• The influence of Josef Pieper’s Only the Lover Sings

The origins of The Well Trilogy

• How the woman at the well became central to Matthew’s spiritual journey
• Writing through grief, loneliness, and healing
• Why each album became paired with a collection of essays

Creativity and collaboration

• Learning to invite others into the creative process
• Working with essayists, editors, and visual artists
• The role of communities like The Rabbit Room and The Cultivating Project

Faithfulness in exile

• The themes behind A Tale of Two Trees
• Psalm 137 and learning to “keep singing”
• Hope, despair, and the promise of restoration

Beauty, contemplation, and paying attention

• Recovering the true meaning of leisure
• “Beholding” as a spiritual practice
• Why art and stories matter for Christian culture-making

Books and authors mentioned

• The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien
• Only the Lover Sings — Josef Pieper
• Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling — Andy Crouch
• Galahad and the Grail — Malcolm Guite
• King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table — Roger Lancelyn Green

Who this episode is for

• Readers who love contemplative Christian nonfiction
• Fans of Tolkien, The Rabbit Room, and faith-infused art
• Christians walking through grief, loss, or spiritual exhaustion
• Songwriters, artists, and creatives navigating calling and collaboration
• Anyone longing for beauty, hope, and deeper attention to God

Enjoying Oh My Word with Katie?

• Would you consider leaving a rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts to help more people discover the show?
• Share this episode with a friend who loves books, music, or thoughtful Christian conversations.
• Follow @ohmywordpod on Facebook and Instagram for more bookish content and episode updates!

A question to reflect on:
What is a Bible story that you have "lived in" for a season (or maybe you're in it now), and how did God meet you there?