Cultivate the Ordinary Travis and Jessie Vangsnes

In this episode, Travis and Jess are joined by Christa Hardin (MA Counseling) to talk marriages and relationships. She brings wise perspective on the various stages of marriages and speaks into the common reality of so many couples feeling they have lost their glow, or spark. Using a mountain analogy, she walks us through the basics needs of relationships all the way up to the mountain top of joy, hope, and purpose in marriage. Christa gives sound counsel for those of us who are currently in a darker place and just can't seem to see the hope. We hope you will be as inspired as we were to engage in healthier relationship practices and to look at your own marriage with fresh eyes.
Christa is a former therapist and now does extensive research and coaching for marriages and relationships. She believes in using a combination of general relationship techniques and the Enneagram assessment to provide nuanced care for her clients. Her podcast, "Enneagram+Marriage" has a huge reach and loyal following. Her book, "Enneagram in Marriage: Your Guide to Thriving Together in Your Unique Pairing," released in October 2023, and has achieved bestseller status on both Amazon and Baker Book House.
Mentioned in this episode:
Blog: Boundaries in Marriage by Enneagram Type
Book: Setting Boundaries That Stick
Follow Christa: her podcast and other resources
Website: www.enneagramandmarriage.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/enneagramandmarriage/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/772026686525647Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christa-hardin-b23258120/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@enneagramandmarriage
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
Shiny Eyes:...

In this episode, professional artist Tamara Brown joins Travis and Jess and shares her inspiring story of becoming a self-made artist and entrepreneur after leaving the corporate world. Her unlikely journey led her to gaining a licensed partnership in 2011 with a major national greeting card company and her designs were featured on cards in Walmart, Target, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Today Tamara owns a successful art and design business, Tamara Brown Art, where she also does custom work.
Growing up in Charleston, SC Tamara describes being immersed in a place full of vibrant textures and colors. Much of her art today is still inspired by those sparkly moments of childlike wonder in her coastal upbringing.
Tamara shares about the process of finding her artistic voice and her evolution as an artist. The conversation steers into things like the creative process and what it means to image God through our creativity in all kinds of ways. Tamara has lots to say around people finding their gifts and honing their craft --no matter your age! She talks about her journey of being a small business owner and the ways she continues to finds inspiration in the ordinary around her. Tamara has a deep and rich faith and talks about the cool ways God gives back to her through her gift. She also shares how her art connects her to others in all kinds of ways.
Checkout Tamara's website and her art available for purchase
Follow Tamara on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tamarabrownart/
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Books:
The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
a...

In this episode, Travis and Jess talk all things foster care in light of May being National Foster Care Awareness Month. They both work for the national org, America's Kids Belong whose mission is to improve the outcomes and experiences for kids in foster care. Travis and Jess are former foster and adoptive parents and are very passionate in helping others discover their "why" to get engaged in this issue. There is a vast shortage of foster families. There is a vast shortage of those supporting foster families. We can all do better. We need to because lives and the futures of some of the most vulnerable in our country are hanging in the balance.
French writer Simone Weil famously once said, "Attention is rarest and purest form of generosity." Foster care needs our attention. It needs our gifts, abilities, and experiences. It needs us. Whether that's being foster parents or supporting foster families in our communities. We can all play a role doing something ordinary for extraordinary ends.
They unpack common questions and comments like:
What is the US foster care system?Why are kids in foster care?What does it take to be a foster parent?What is the licensing process like?What are common myths and misconceptions around foster care?"I'd get too attached.""I want to start, but my spouse isn't interested.""What about my bio kids?"
And plenty more . . .
They also share personal stories and insights on their own experiences as foster parents and about their work at America's Kids Belong. They also talk about adoption from foster care. This is a jam packed episode where our hope is that you'll learn more about foster care and consider taking steps to find an entry point into engaging this space. Your involvement can change lives in numerous ways.
Here are some great resources from America's Kids Belong to get you started on your journey:
Explore Fostering
Explore Adoption
Support Foster Families
Engage Your Church
Engage Your Business
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Book: To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
a...

Travis and Jess are joined by Michelle Wegner to discuss the topic of beauty. They talk about beauty and its relationship to God, our souls, and why we need beauty in our lives. There's a fascinating connection between beauty, grace, and truth that the three also discuss. As the Benedictines say, "Beauty is truth shining into being."
Michelle serves as the Director of Soul Care and Spiritual Formation at KC Underground in Shawnee, Kansas. She is the owner/founder of Illuminate the Ordinary, a venture aimed at illuminating lives through art, beauty, and soul friendship. She is also currently working on her Doctor of Ministry in Theological Studies at Kairos where she is studying the impact of beauty and the soul and God's missional purpose of beauty.
Michelle shares some stories around her journey that led to exploring beauty as a theological focus after experiencing healing and feeling God's presence in quiet, ordinary but beautiful spaces. She shares ways people can extract beauty from life in the everyday as we shift our perspective and see the world around us differently. We look at some examples of God's prioritization of beauty in the Bible.
Michelle and Travis also discuss the differences between the Protestant and Catholic imaginations theologically and how this impacts the exploration of beauty in art, worship, and writing. There's a lot more in this podcast on the subject of beauty and wonder in this lively discussion.
As part of Michelle's research, she is looking for stories from people who God is using beauty to draw to himself. She'd love to interview you if you have a story to share. EMAIL her at: michelledwegner@gmail.com
She's also collecting feedback for her research in a brief survey on beauty. You can help her out and submit your answers here.
Follow Michelle on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDWegner
Also referenced in this episode:
Book: Beauty: Rediscovering the True Sources of Compassion, Serenity, and Hope by John O' Donahue
The Soul Care Institute
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
Shiny Eyes: Seeing Better Through the Lenses of Joy, Tears, Beauty, and Hope
a...

Many of us long to escape our difficult lives and the contexts we live in. We wish we could see things with the joy and child like wonder we used to have. Marcel Proust once said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Travis and Jess discuss the things that cloud our eyesight and what it means to have new and "shiny eyes." Travis talks about the vision behind writing his book, Shiny Eyes: Seeing Better Through the Lenses of Joy, Tears, Beauty, and Hope. Towards the end of the episode, they read a section of the book together.
The two also share about some of the things they are currently up to. They talk about their monthly soul care newsletter. SIGN UP HERE. And they share about their new rest and retreat getaway--Shiny Eyes Retreat-- available to rent near the Great Smokies in East Tennessee. FIND OUT MORE HERE:
Follow Shiny Eyes Retreat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=shiny%20eyes%20retreat
Questions about retreats, coaching, or soul care groups email: shinyeyesretreat@gmail.com
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
Shiny Eyes: Seeing Better Through the Lenses of Joy, Tears, Beauty, and Hope
Redemption's Echo: Living in the Reflection of God's Grace

In this episode, Travis and Jess engage with Bob Harding on a fun and lively conversation around seeing the world and finding meaning in our stories through quotes. Bob is the pastor at CrossLife Church in Spartanburg, SC. He wrote the foreword to Travis' book Shiny Eyes: Seeing Better Through the Lenses of Joy, Tears, Beauty, and Hope.
He and Travis have a huge love of quotes and talk about why this is for each of them. They also discuss some of their favorite quotes around the topics of wonder, adventure, the corruption of power, understanding our belovedness, and seeing God at work in the everyday.
Jess shares a profound quote from Fred Rogers. Interestingly, Bob has a really cool story about Mr. Rogers talking to his son on the phone years ago. His words left an imprint on Bob and has influenced how he listens to and responds to those he meets today. Words enrich our lives and help us see things in ourselves, others, and the world around us in new ways.
Quotes discussed in the podcast:
Being beloved is our identity, the core of our existence.  It is not merely a lofty thought, an inspiring idea, or one name among many.  It is the name by which God knows us and the way He relates to us.  Brennan Manning 
 What kind of Christian can best endure suffering?  That Christian doesn’t exist. I could handle your problems easily.  You could handle mine with a yawn.  But it didn’t happen that way.  I got the ones I couldn’t handle; so did you.  Gene Edwards 
 Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, covered in scars, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming “Yahoo, what a ride!”   Bear Grylls 
There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in. Graham Greene
Power puts everyone to sleep, as much as possible. Its great system, the great method is that of putting to sleep, anesthetizing, or, better yet, atrophying. Atrophying what? Atrophying the heart of the human person, our needs and desires, imposing an image of desire and need that is different from the boundless urge we have in our heart." Luigi Giussani
Our culture has filled our heads but emptied our hearts, stuffed our wallets but starved our wonder. It has fed our thirst for facts but not for meaning or mystery. It produces "nice" people, not heroes. Peter Kreeft
CrossLife Church in Spartanburg, SC
Additional resources from Travis and Jess:
Guided Pace website: resources for coaching, soul care, and spiritual retreat offerings
Travis' books:
Shiny Eyes: Seeing Better Through the Lenses of Joy, Tears, Beauty, and Hope
a...