• Table Read: Chapter One (Title Options & Naming Control Blind Spots)
    May 20 2026

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    In today's episode, we're discussing book title options and naming blind spots where the temptation to control sneaks up on us. Take a moment to respond to the three questions (listed below) that will help guide me to make this a better chapter. Thanks in advance!

    SHOW NOTES

    Vote through voicemal (click: “Send us fan mail” ⬆️ )

    1. Which title is more compelling and easy to understand what the book is about?

    Release: Invitations to live from a posture of open hands, open heart, eyes fixed

    OR

    The Nitty Gritty Practices of Surrender—Invitations to develop callouses on your soul and muscle memory in your spirit to truly let go

    OR

    Your own combination of the above? (I'd love to hear allll the suggestions!)

    2. Where does control sneak up on you? (i.e., Where have you found blind spots in your own life that you were controlling yet fooling yourself into believing that those areas were surrendered?)

    3. What would you want included in this first chapter that would compel you to keep reading without getting overwhelmed?

    CLICK: "SEND US FANMAIL" (SEE LINK AT THE TOP) FOR AN EASY WAY TO LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL ANSWER.

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    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

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    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

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    35 mins
  • TABLE READ: Prologue & Introduction From My Book on Surrender
    May 6 2026

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    You are invited to join my book development team. Listen in and comment on excerpts and focuses from each part of my book on surrender and spiritual disciplines. Who knows? You may even get a shoutout when the book gets published.

    Also, we're changing the pacing of the pod through the end of the summer: From May until September, we'll be dropping episodes every OTHER week.

    Pull up a chair 🪑 by letting me know if you read Prologues and Introductions.

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    28 mins
  • Reflections on Parenting: It's Okay To Say This Word . . . A Lot
    Apr 29 2026

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    Welcome to the Mentor's Table--a place where you can pull up a chair for deeper discussions about spiritual and emotional health with an uncomfortable focus on surrender.

    This episode may be unpopular, but I know the principle to be true. Listen the entire way through to hear not just why but what this word MUST be founded upon. It's counter-cultural, but more importantly, it's an act of obedience. It's a sign of surrender.

    Pull up a chair 🪑 by commenting on joyabad.com.

    SHOW NOTES

    To schedule an online session with my life coach Jenna Zint, CLICK HERE. Tell her Joy sent you.

    The book that is rocking my world and expanding my faith is Redeeming Your Timeline by Troy A. Brewer. Highly recommend!

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    26 mins
  • Reflections on Parenting: Incorporating Spiritual Disciplines
    Apr 22 2026

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    How do you teach your children to make Spiritual Disciplines (or as I like to say: Surrender Formation), a regular part of their life rhythm? I tell you what we did, and my prayer is that you take these two principles and use them as inspiration to adjust your own rhythms to raise your children in the way God is leading you to.

    Here's a hint from my mentor and friend, Jim Wideman: "Children learn more from what is caught rather than taught."

    This isn't meant to be prescriptive, rather descriptive of what has played out in our family. I'd love to hear your feedback.

    Pull up a chair around the table at joyabad.com.

    To listen to my first two episodes about parenting, check out:

    Practical and Spiritual Lessons From Choosing a College For Our Eldest

    Reflections on Parenting: The Secret No One Is Talking About

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    22 mins
  • Reflections on Parenting: The Secret No One Else Is Talking About
    Apr 15 2026

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    I haven't heard anyone else teaching this parenting principle, but it's vital. Even if having children is in your DISTANT future, this episode is for you. We're NOT talking about sleep training, discipline, or communication with your children. We're talking about how to ensure you don't have to parent alone (read: how to ensure you will have a community that is invested in your kids). And it all begins with the choices you make about how you spend your time NOW.

    For those who are already in the throes of parenting, it's not too late. The second best time to start is NOW. There is hope!

    Do you want to know what the law of sowing and reaping has to do with why my daughters haven't walked away from their faith? Pull up a chair 🪑

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    28 mins
  • Practical & Spiritual Lessons From Choosing a College for Our Eldest Child
    Apr 8 2026

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    Today I'm bringing some parenting reflections as the season of choosing a college for our first child begins to wrap up. Even if you think this season is too far off to bother learning now, please learn from me some clear first steps that began in elementary school that you're going to want to hear. Believe it or not, NOW is the time to start preparing (and it's not what you think).

    Pull up a chair 🪑 by leaving a comment on joyabad.com. I want to hear from you, veteran parents, what did you learn by trial and error? And you, parents with younger kids, what questions do you have about this season? Let's continue the conversation.

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    27 mins
  • BONUS EPISODE: On Confirmation Bias & Renewing the Mind from AS WE GROW
    Mar 25 2026

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    I wanted to share this conversation with you because it added so many important layers to our discussion about confirmation bias in February. Join me on As We Grow, as I talk with Gretchen, whose PhD program dovetailed so nicely into this topic, while she adds valuable components pulled from her area of expertise.

    And when you're finished listening to As We Grow, FOLLOW our show so you won't miss a future episode!

    Since we won't be airing a new episode on The Mentor's Table next week, we highly recommend you go and listen to this podcast that so beautifully demonstrates what we've been talking about for the last two months here at The Mentor's Table: " No.1 Christianity Expert: The Truth About Christianity! The Case for Jesus (Historian's Proof)" on Diary of a CEO.

    See you on the other side of spring break!

    Joy

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    1 hr
  • Developing Discernment: How to Identify a Counterfeit
    Mar 18 2026

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    As technology develops, discerning something counterfeit from something real is becoming increasingly more difficult . . . IF your approach is wrong. But there IS a way to discern truth no matter how minuscule the false percentage is. It's all about where your focus is.

    Pull up a chair, and let's talk about it. 🪑

    SHOW NOTES

    Blurry Creatures episode with Jamie Walden.


    "When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:4-5 ESV

    "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 ESV

    "One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet." Proverbs 27:7 ESV

    "For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray." Matthew 24:5 ESV

    In Genesis 27, Jacob tricks his father, Isaac, by pretending to be Esau to get the blessing.

    Support the show

    Add your voice to the Table here . . .

    Website: JoyAbad.com

    Email: hello@joyabad.com

    Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

    Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to guide you to start a sabbath rhythm.

    Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

    *Show notes may contain affiliate links

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    24 mins