What are your plans this summer?

There’s something about the middle of the year that makes me want to pause for a minute and look around. Maybe it’s just realizing we’re almost halfway through 2026 and GENUINELY I’m not sure how we got here. Before our team heads off for our Summer Sabbath break, we thought it would be fun to take a quick look back at what has been filling our days and conversations these past few months. From the podcast episodes you’ve been listening to on repeat, to the books you can’t stop talking about, these are some of the favorites that have risen to the top so far this year.

Consider this your mid-year snapshot of what our Spiritually Stronger community is loving right now.

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Top 5 That Sounds Fun Episodes from the First Half of 2026

1. Letting God’s Yes Be Enough When You Don’t Understand the Why with Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins (Pt. 1) – Episode 1031

2. Living the Yes: Spiritual Battles, Healing Prayers, and a Stronger Faith with Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins (Pt. 2) — Episode 1032

3. Becoming a Prayer Warrior: Hearing God and Trusting His Voice with Lauren Tomlin- Episode 1033

4. Walking with God Through Physical Recovery and Daily Faith with Beth Moore- Episode 1026

5. Discernment, Meekness, and the Power of a Yielded Life with Jen Lilley- Episode 1038

Want to read the substack posts that go with each episode? Here’s:

1. When Prayer Complicates Things

2. What Do You See When You Pray?

3. Walking with God

4. How to Make Prayer FUN

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Top 5 Books/Studies From Guests You Can’t Stop Buying

1. Transformed By the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel

2. Walking with God by Beth Moore

3. Wake Up Your Faith by Jen Lilley

4. Bringing Heaven Here by Brad Nelson and Brad Gray

5. Waking Up to the Goodness of God by Susie Larson (coming to the podcast later this year!)

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Favorite Moments from the Team from the First Half of the Year:

1. Ashley: I was kinda undone by the Fasting Practice Day in April and how many of us got to take part in that together, especially how many friends stepped into fasting for the first time. (The Fasting Practice Guide can be used any day that you want to use it!) What God’s doing in us as a community through Spiritually Stronger…sheesh. So grateful.

2. Lillian: When Milo Ventimiglia was on the podcast with Tim Timmons earlier this year, they both came to the studio to record the episode with Annie. It was so fun getting to meet Jess from Gilmore Girls/Jack from This Is Us in real life! And have y’all seen his new show I Will Find You!? It’s SO GOOD!

3. Katy: I loved going on the Buddies Tour with Annie & Eddie and getting to see so many of you out on the road. Plus, it’s impossible not to laugh when you’re around those two. If you weren’t able to make it out to the tour, this was one of my favorite Annie & Eddie episodes this year!

4. Jenna: We went to the zoo for our pre-sabbath adventure, and my kids had the best time. Top 3 favorites were the flamingos (shout out to the DannyGo! song), the giraffes (duh), and the tiger!

5. Taylor Ann: Besides how much my kids love to pop into staff meetings on zoom and give their thoughts on all the big decisions, I have to say that the miniBFF Podcast episode about getting spiritually stronger through fasting was a really, really special one.

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If you’re taking some time off soon or just have a Saturday to rest and play, here are a few more ideas of things to do that we’ve collected for you!

🎧 Listen to this sermon

🎵 Listen to this song

🧩 Do this puzzle

🎨 Work on this craft

📺 Watch this show

Work hard. Pray hard. Rest hard. Play hard.

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