Alastair Sterne’s invitation to joy was an unexpected one. Ironically, it was while struggling with depression that he started to pay attention to the full array of his emotions, including joylessness.

In this fascinating conversation with creative director turned pastor, Alastair Sterne, he discusses his latest book, Longing for Joy: An Invitation to the Goodness and Beauty of Life. Alastair is currently the associate pastor at Coastline Church in Victoria, British Columbia. In our time together, he talks about why joy can be so elusive, how we can hold joy alongside suffering, how joy connects us to God, and practical ways we can cultivate joy.

Tara Beth Leach is an author, speaker, and the senior pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, Illinois. Her most recent publication is a six-week Bible study entitled, Live in the Light: Radiating the Hope of the Letters of John. 

In our time together, Tara Beth shares about the important role the church plays in living out light and hope in a broken world. She also talks about how we might live in a grounded and authentic hope and what has inspired her in the belief that, in the end, light wins. Tara Beth also shares some important distinctives of authentic beauty, versus societal ideals she sees at work inside and outside of the church.

After having two miscarriages, followed by the sudden loss of her husband, Dawn Mann Sanders felt like it was the end of her world as she knew it. Dawn is a Bible teacher and author of When Your World Ends: God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life. 

In her book, and in today’s conversation, Dawn shares what she’s learned about rebuilding after significant loss, as well as what the creation story in the book of Genesis taught her about her own process of grief and rebuilding. If you’re looking for hope and purpose on the other side of loss, this conversation is for you.

Michael Ulloa is an online personal trainer and performance nutritionist. In his online platforms, and in his work with clients, Michael is calling nonsense on unhelpful or ill-advised fitness and nutrition messages. With a background in occupational therapy, he takes a holistic approach to client care, bringing lightness, balance, and joy to the fitness and wellness space.  

​In my time with Michael, he talks about his own journey, falling prey to fitness content and struggling with body image, as well as the lies he sees at work in the fitness industry. He also discusses how he sees cultural beauty standards influencing the fitness industry and tips for navigating fitness and nutrition content.

After leaving her childhood home on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean, author, slow-living guide, and podcaster, Jodi Grubbs, had assumed the rapid pace and hustle culture in the U.S. Soon, she realized that burnout had crept in, and God was inviting her to a return to the "island time" of her past.

In her book, Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale, and in this conversation, Jodi invites us to grasp a more sustainable approach to life, anchored by the pauses of spiritual practices and an openhandedness before God. Jodi desires to give us all permission to slow down, to see what we’re missing when we don’t slow down and shares practical ways to adopt more gentle life rhythms.

Oona Hanson is an educator and parenting coach. Through her writing, workshops, and private consultations, she supports families in raising kids who have a healthy relationship with food and their body. She has been featured in television programs, like Good Morning America, and her work has been featured in various publications, including People, USA Today, US News & World Report, Today, CNN, and The Washington Post.

In our time together, Oona discusses what lies from diet culture she sees at work in the lives of the families she works with, how a focus on “healthy eating” can become harmful, myths and misunderstandings about eating disorders, and ideas on how to help kids and teens develop a life-giving relationship with food.