Advertise on podcast: No Matter What with Hanna Seymour

If you've ever wondered whether struggling with anxiety or depression means something's wrong with your faith, or you love someone in a dark season and don't know how to help, this conversation is for you. I'm talking with Hope Blanton, a licensed clinical social worker, and Christine Gordon, who has a master's in theological studies and teaches at Covenant Theological Seminary. They've each walked through their own seasons of anxiety and depression, and together they've written a book that refuses to pick a side between the spiritual and the clinical.We get into what it actually looks like to hold "God is good" and "my brain isn't functioning right now" at the same time, why so many Christians feel guilty for taking medication, and what the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 teaches us about how God cares for the whole person, body included. This one is honest, practical, and full of real hope.Their book, Hope for the Anxious and Depressed, releases September 29th.Connect with Hope and Christine:Website: https://www.athisfeetstudies.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athisfeetstudies/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athisfeetstudies/Book: https://link.amazon/B08hLQCyEConnect with me:Instagram: @hannaeseymourWebsite: hannaseymour.comThe Weekly One: https://hannaseymour.com/the-weekly-oneEveryday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com/

Ever feel like you're just waiting around for someone to invest in you — waiting to be picked, waiting to be mentored, waiting for someone older and wiser to notice you need it? I sat down with Cheryl Marshall, who's spent over 25 years walking alongside women in the local church, and she flipped that whole idea on its head. We also spent real time in Romans 12, unpacking what it actually meant for a first-century Jewish believer to hear "present your body as a living sacrifice," and why that phrase is so much bigger — and harder — than we usually make it. This one covers discipleship, worship, and what it looks like to suffer well.Cheryl's new book, All of Me: Pursuing a Life Wholly Devoted to God, walks through Romans 12:1-2 in depth if you want to keep going after this episode.Connect with Cheryl:Website: cherylmarshall.comInstagram: @_cherylmarshallFacebook: CherylMarshallBooksPodcast: Whole-Life WorshipBook: All of Me — https://link.amazon/B08fl2gHlConnect with me:Instagram: @hannaeseymourWebsite: hannaseymour.comThe Weekly One (my Monday email): https://hannaseymour.com/the-weekly-one

Have you ever looked at your own kids and wondered who you just became? I sat down with Natalie Hixson, known online as the @angrymamacoach, to talk about mom rage, the kind so many of us carry in silence. Natalie is honest about the years she calls abusive, what finally broke the cycle, and the tools she still uses today, including her "sit and pray" reset.I also brought a stack of questions straight from you--so we get into real, specific moments: what to do when you're home alone and about to lose it, and how to recover with your kids after you've already said something you regret.If shame has ever crept in after a hard moment with your kids, I think you're going to feel so seen today.Connect with NatalieWebsite: nataliehixson.comInstagram: instagram.com/angrymamacoachFree Trigger Tracker: nataliehixson.com/free-triggers-trackerCoaching: nataliehixson.com/work-with-meHer new book, Lord, Why Did You Give Me These Children?! A Faith-Based Approach to Overcoming Mom Anger, is out now: https://amzn.to/3Tse9uBConnect with MeInstagram: instagram.com/hannaeseymourWebsite: hannaseymour.comSign up for The Weekly One, my Monday email: hannaseymour.comMy book: ⁠everydayspiritualhabits.com⁠

My friend Annie F. Downs joins me on the podcast for a conversation you'll want to sit with. We talk about comparison, holy ambition versus selfish ambition, and the "unmet desire" so many of us are quietly carrying instead of naming out loud. Annie shares what it's actually looked like to trust God through big dreams, five summers of surgery and heartache, and a marriage she didn't see coming until she was 46. If you've ever caught yourself waiting for "someday" before you start living, this one's for you.Connect with Annie F. DownsWebsite: anniefdowns.comInstagram: @anniefdownsPodcast: That Sounds FunBook: Don't Let That Hold You Back: https://amzn.to/4yeVGjYConnect with me:Website: hannaseymour.comInstagram: @hannaeseymourMy book: everydayspiritualhabits.comThe Weekly One (my free Monday email): hannaseymour.com

Ever hit a season so hard you couldn't even pray? Katie Kelley knows that place. Solo parenting six kids, one with severe autism, no words left except "Lord, have mercy."Katie's back on No Matter What a year after her first appearance, and her life looks completely different now. We talk about what actually gets you through when you can't pray a real prayer, how to look for light in a dark season, and why grace isn't soft, it's the grit that holds you up when you can't hold yourself up. Connect with Katie: Website: katiemkelley.com Instagram: @katiemblackburn Substack: katieblackburn.substack.com Book: Grace Will Be There: https://amzn.to/3UKECDV Connect with Me:Website: https://hannaseymour.com/Email: [email protected]: instagram.com/hannaeseymourBook: everydayspiritualhabits.com The Weekly One (my free Monday email): hannaseymour.com

Morgan Krueger and I get into something I think about constantly: are you living like the hero of your story, or like a supporting character pointing to the real Hero? We talk about what it means to magnify Christ instead of ourselves, why holiness needs a total rebrand, and the prayer Morgan replaced "give me strength" with after writing her new book. This one gutted me in the best way.Connect with Morgan:Instagram: instagram.com/morganwkruegerhttps://www.instagram.com/thekingdom.people/Website: morgankrueger.comBOOK: Made to Magnify: https://amzn.to/4wVNLI1Connect with Me:Website: hannaseymour.comEmail: [email protected]: instagram.com/hannaeseymourBook: everydayspiritualhabits.com

We pray for the husband, the baby, the new job, the move, the increase. And then we actually get it. So why does the blessing sometimes start to feel like a burden? Melissa Miller joins me to talk about her new book, But I Prayed for This, and teaches me about "reward prediction error". We get into survival mode, change fatigue, and how to tell "hard" that's from God versus "hard" that means we took a wrong turn. CONNECT WITH MELISSAWebsite: melissamillerwriter.comInstagram: instagram.com/melissamillerwritesBook: https://amzn.to/4bGhSuGCONNECT WITH MEWebsite: https://hannaseymour.comEmail: [email protected]: https://instagram.com/hannaeseymourMy book: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com

Chelsey DeMatteis joins me to talk motherhood in the trenches, what walking with Jesus actually looks like before kids and after kids, and the moment God rehammered a hard lesson about kindness on her heart. Plus, a first look at her new devotional, Mercy in the Margin. CONNECT WITH CHELSEYWebsite: https://chelseydematteis.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/chelseydematteisLiving with Less Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-with-less-podcast/id1450217627Get Mercy in the Margin: https://amzn.to/4waeYFGCONNECT WITH HANNAWebsite: https://hannaseymour.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/hannaeseymourGet Everyday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com

I've been a little obsessed with heaven lately, so I sat down with the perfect person to talk about it. Jennifer Rothschild has been blind since she was 15, and earlier this year she released a Bible study on heaven with a devotional coming this September. We talk about her story, the anger and joy that somehow existed at the same time as a teenager, the biggest misconceptions about heaven she's trying to correct, and what it looks like to grieve with hope. Her Bible study, Heaven: When Faith Becomes Sight, is out now, and her devotional, Heaven for Today, releases September 8, you can pre-order it today.Connect with Jennifer:Heaven Bible study: https://amzn.to/4gYVpwdHeaven for Today devotional (pre-order, releases 9/8): https://amzn.to/3TMLgclWebsite: jenniferrothschild.comInstagram: instagram.com/jennrothschildPodcast: 413podcast.comConnect with me ◡̈ Website: https://hannaseymour.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/hannaeseymourEveryday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.comThe College Girl's Survival Guide: https://hannaseymour.com

Who is your God? Not the one you'd say out loud, but the one actually on the throne of your life.My guest today spent her teenage years chasing a Disney Channel dream, and by 23 she was successful by every outward measure and completely lost on the inside. Carrie Alexander, host of New Mom Podcast, tells me what it took to actually meet Jesus, the question that changed everything, and what God's been teaching her in the thick of new motherhood.Follow Carrie: New Mom Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-mom-podcast/id1865528073https://www.instagram.com/carriewampler/@carriewampler Connect with me ◡̈ 🌐 Website: https://hannaseymour.com📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/hannaeseymour📖 Everyday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com📖 The College Girl's Survival Guide: https://hannaseymour.com

Jesus asked over 300 questions and only directly answered five — what does that tell us about him? Today I'm talking with JR Briggs, author of The Art of Asking Better Questions. We dig into why the quality of your life is shaped by the quality of the questions you ask of God, yourself, and others, the four elements of a truly great question, and how to level up the questions we ask on autopilot. I walked away with a notebook full of new questions to ask the people I love, and I think you will too. Resources: JR's book, The Art of Asking Better Questions: https://amzn.to/3RH44Jn Kairos Partnerships: https://www.kairospartnerships.org/ The Resilient Leaders Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilient-leaders-podcast-with-j-r-briggs/id1510355063 Connect with JR: Twitter/X: @jr_briggs Instagram: @jrbri.ggs Connect with me: Website: https://hannaseymour.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @hannaeseymour

This week I'm trying something new: a full Q&A episode! I pulled questions straight from a bowl of listener submissions and answered them completely unscripted — everything from mom guilt and healthy friendships to sex in marriage, seminary, and my honest take on Botox and cosmetic surgery. I also reflect on my 16-year-old self and what she'd think of my life today. Send me your questions for a future episode at [email protected] / Chapters:00:00 – Intro: my first-ever Q&A episode01:16 – What would 16-year-old me think of my life now?06:41 – How do I know I'm ready for motherhood?10:29 – What am I reading now? (Emma Lyon series, The Correspondent)12:45 – What does a healthy friendship look like?15:29 – How do I handle mom guilt?20:38 – Marriage tips: making time for date night & bringing back fun23:50 – Thinking about going to seminary? My honest advice26:58 – What's changed since year one of marriage?31:25 – My honest take on Botox, fillers & aging biblically35:41 – Wrap up + next week's guest 🌐 Website: https://hannaseymour.com 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/hannaeseymour 📖 Everyday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com 📖 The College Girl's Survival Guide: https://hannaseymour.com

Courtney Pray Duke prayed for her husband's safety as he left for a bike ride. Hours later, she was a 29-year-old widow with three young children. In this episode, Courtney shares how she took the next step when grief made it impossible to even read her Bible, what years of wrestling with God's "no" taught her, and the Matthew 9 story behind her memoir, And She Got Up. If your circumstances are contradicting everything you believe about God's goodness right now — this one's for you. Connect with Courtey: And She Got Up → https://amzn.to/4gQDIyG https://www.courtneyprayduke.com/ Connect with Hanna: hannaseymour.com Instagram: @hannaseymour → https://www.instagram.com/hannaeseymour Book Everyday Spiritual Habits → https://everydayspiritualhabits.com

Prayer is one of those topics that carries a lot of weight — and a lot of guilt. Most of us feel like we should pray more, pray better, pray longer. And yet it remains one of the hardest spiritual disciplines to actually practice. Today I'm sitting down with Courtney Reisig, writer, Bible teacher, and author of the Gospel Coalition booklet Prayer — who opens her booklet with four words I wasn't expecting: "prayer is hard for me."We talk about what it looks like to actually build a prayer life when you're not a natural "prayer warrior," why having a plan for prayer is just as important as having a plan for Bible reading, and how small habits — like a timer, index cards, or praying while you fold laundry — can slowly transform the way you commune with God.Courtney also shares the books and resources that have shaped her own prayer life, and we both share the short, anchor prayers we come back to again and again.If you've ever felt behind in your prayer life, this conversation is for you.Resources & Books Mentioned:Prayer by Courtney Reisig (Gospel Coalition) → https://amzn.to/4wcEURGA Praying Life by Paul E. Miller → https://amzn.to/4akVLJzHandbook to Prayer by Ken Boa → hhttps://kenboa.org/product/handbook-to-prayer-praying-scripture-back-to-god/Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney → https://amzn.to/4p65CsVPraying the Prayers of Paul by D.A. Carson → https://amzn.to/4etCsQLPrayer by Tim Keller → https://amzn.to/4g0h6eQGet Your Life Back by John Eldredge → https://amzn.to/4fZlWJjScriptures Referenced:Philippians 4:6James 5:16Hebrews 11:6Psalm 46:11 Peter 5:7 (cast all your cares upon him)2 Corinthians 2:15 (aroma of Christ)Connect with Courtney:Instagram: @courtneyreisigWebsite: courtneyreisig.comConnect with Hanna:hannaseymour.comInstagram: @hannaseymour → https://www.instagram.com/hannaeseymourBook Everyday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com

Today I'm sitting down with Lauren Groves — author of Toddler Theology board book series, kids acquisitions editor at B&H Publishing Group, mom of three, and kids ministry coordinator — and honestly this conversation felt like a deep breath and a gentle nudge all at once. We talk about: what does it actually look like to disciple your kids in the everyday moments of life? Not in a perfectly curated family devotional time (though no shade if that works for you!), but in the car, at the dinner table, at bedtime, and in all the in-between. We also get into: Why your kids are already theologians (and why that's actually good news) Everyday discipleship habits that actually stick — no perfect family devotional time required How to talk to little kids about sin, salvation, and even hell Why church involvement is a non-negotiable spiritual discipline The contentment truth Lauren would tell her 16-year-old self 📚 Resources MentionedToddler Theology Series — https://amzn.to/4e90dNMYou Are a Theologian (Jen Wilkin & JT English) — https://amzn.to/4uCeasuJesus Kids album (Shai Linne) — https://open.spotify.com/album/5WEtr153uNOBZgHJC7QVkYThe Jesus Storybook Bible — https://amzn.to/3QhYNaEThe Biggest Story Bible Storybook (Kevin DeYoung) — https://amzn.to/43Cnq4NKids in the Bible (Caroline Saunders) — https://amzn.to/4ousCBqThe Good News Family Devotional (Michael & Melissa Kruger) — https://amzn.to/4xvJn3eNew City Catechism (free!) — https://newcitycatechism.com 🔗 Connect with Lauren GrovesInstagram: @lauren__grovesSubstack: https://laurengroves.substack.comToddler Theology Series: https://amzn.to/4e90dNM🔗 Connect with HannaWebsite: https://hannaseymour.comInstagram: @hannaeseymourEveryday Spiritual Habits: https://everydayspiritualhabits.com/