The Speakeasy

Merry (belated) Christmas and welcome to "dead week"—that weird, quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is… and honestly, it's kind of wonderful. This is the final Friday of the year, which means we're wrapping up the Ending Well series—seven weeks of looking back at 2025, redeeming the hard parts, and hunting down the goodness God planted along the way. Today's episode is where everything comes together. Not as separate lessons—hearing God, going a different way, pruning, embracing the ordinary, releasing usefulness, becoming the wife and woman I want to be—but as integration: when revelation becomes rhythm. When what God taught you doesn't just live in a journal… it starts living in your nervous system, your choices, your peace, and your presence. We talk about what it means to become the same person everywhere—at home, at work, in conflict, in rest. Not the performing self, people-pleasing self, or defensive self—but the authentic self God created. The shift from constantly feeling "split" to finally feeling rooted. From Romans 7 ("why do I keep doing what I hate?") to Psalm 1—steady, nourished, bearing fruit in season. This episode is a testimony: God is big enough to change you. To grow self-control. To cultivate peace. To help you stop showing up to every battle you're invited to—and still keep your courage when it's time to stand firm. The fire of 2025 didn't leave me untouched, but it refined me. And the fruit is showing up: steadier peace, clearer discernment, deeper roots, anchored hope, and—maybe for the first time—actually liking who I'm becoming. If you feel stuck, scattered, or like you'll never change… come with me. The water's a little scary, but it's good. Sponsor: PreBorn A woman considering abortion is twice as likely to choose life if she can see an ultrasound or hear the heartbeat. PreBorn provides free ultrasounds and continues supporting moms with resources, classes, and aid—up to two years after birth. 💛 It's $28 to fund one ultrasound. Give at preborn.com/speakeasy and help give the gift of life.

Every year of my life, my dad Earl has read the classic book the Cajun Night Before Christmas. I'm thrilled this year to bring it to the podcast so that it can not only live forever for myself and my family, but so that the culture we love can live on as well. Gather up your kids for a quick reading of my favorite Christmas book!   Sponsor: PreBorn A free ultrasound can double a woman's chance of choosing life. PreBorn provides ultrasounds and ongoing support for moms in crisis. 💛 $28 sponsors one ultrasound. Give at preborn.com/speakeasy and help save a life.

  As the year comes to a close and Christmas draws near, this episode is an invitation to slow down and rethink what actually makes a year meaningful. If you're ending the year feeling like you didn't do enough, didn't accomplish enough, or didn't have any big, flashy "banner moments," this conversation is for you. What if the ordinary years—the quiet, unseen, seemingly mundane ones—are actually where God does His deepest and most transformative work? In this episode, Blake reflects on a lifetime of big dreams, ambition, and achievement, and how this year gently (and sometimes painfully) reshaped her understanding of purpose. From dreams of being a lawyer and living a "big" life, to seasons of stay-at-home motherhood, to years in podcasting and political commentary, God has repeatedly drawn her close enough to the spotlight to ask the question: Do you still want this? This year, the answer surprised her. God invited her into a slower, simpler, more ordinary rhythm—one that prioritized home, children, marriage, nervous-system healing, and time in Scripture. What felt at first like a downgrade or a pulling back revealed itself as protection, formation, and deep peace. Scripture itself is filled with ordinary faithfulness: farming, shepherding, raising children, waiting, wandering, and quiet obedience. The big miracles were never the whole story. Blake shares how stepping away from constant digital noise, limiting headlines, embracing small rituals, practicing audacious gratitude, and finding beauty in everyday moments has reshaped her identity. Faithfulness, not flashiness, is what God values. Bigger burdens don't always mean bigger blessings—and sometimes the most impactful work is the work no one sees. If your life feels small, overlooked, or slower than you hoped, be encouraged: nothing surrendered to God is wasted. The ordinary is holy ground, and God meets us there. "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." – 1 Samuel 16:7 Sponsor: CrowdHealth Health insurance shouldn't feel impossible. CrowdHealth is a healthcare alternative that puts power back in your hands. Pay a monthly fee, get bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions and labs, and community coverage after the first $500. ✨ Get started for $99 for your first three months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com/speakeasy. (CrowdHealth is not insurance.) Sponsor: PreBorn A free ultrasound can double a woman's chance of choosing life. PreBorn provides ultrasounds and ongoing support for moms in crisis. 💛 $28 sponsors one ultrasound. Give at preborn.com/speakeasy and help save a life.

As we hit the halfway point of December, this episode is a deep breath and a reset. In a season that pushes hustle, consumption, and constant motion, this conversation invites us to slow down and reclaim awe, wonder, and expectancy—especially as we approach Christmas. Hannah Brencher joins the Speak Easy Podcast to talk about Advent, rhythms, mental health, and what it looks like to resist hurry in a world that rewards burnout. Together, we explore why slowing down can feel so uncomfortable, how noise steals our awareness of God's presence, and how intentional practices—stillness, margin, and presence—help us actually experience the season instead of racing through it. This episode is for anyone feeling overwhelmed, behind, or spiritually distracted. Whether you're new to Advent or returning to it again, this conversation reframes December as a cool-down, not a ramp-up—and reminds us that peace has a pace. "Expectancy grows when we make space to notice God." Sponsors 🌾 Sunrise Flower Mill Organic, heritage wheat your body actually remembers. Get a FREE 2-lb bag of Heritage Flour with your first order using code SPEAKEASY at sunriseflowermill.com. 💛 PreBorn A free ultrasound can double a woman's chance of choosing life. $28 funds one ultrasound and provides ongoing care for moms. Donate at preborn.com/speakeasy. 🩺 CrowdHealth A healthcare alternative that puts community first. Get started for $99 for your first 3 months with code SPEAKEASY at joincrowdhealth.com (not insurance). 💆‍♀️ Nutrafol The #1 dermatologist-recommended hair growth supplement. Get $10 off your first month + free shipping at nutrafol.com with code BLAKE. Slow down. Make space. Don't miss this season.

Ending Well: A Pruning Deep Dive  This is week six of the Ending Well series, and we're talking about something a lot of us are living through in real time: pruning—the cutting away, the stripping back, and the strange mercy of God doing holy surgery on our lives at the end of a hard year. "Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." – John 15:2 ⏱ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Intro + Why open enrollment and health insurance feel like a bad rite of passage 03:00 – CrowdHealth: what it is, how it works, and why it's different from insurance 06:00 – Week six of Ending Well: why pruning is the theme of this year 09:30 – Defining "pruning," "fruit," "wilderness," and "discipline" (without the Christianese) 15:30 – John 15 and how Blake accidentally prayed for pruning this year 20:00 – Wilderness seasons: dry, slow, hidden growth, and deep dependence on God 25:30 – Seven "flavors" of pruning Blake walked through this year 30:00 – Loss and closed doors: when God rips things out of your hands 36:00 – Being forced to slow down or stop: "You can't heal on the battlefield that broke you" 41:00 – Loneliness, isolation, and when God clears the table so you can hear His voice 46:00 – Idols exposed: productivity, performance, and the golden statue God started tearing down 52:00 – When God prunes even good things (like the gym, routines, and rhythms you love) 57:00 – "Show me the purpose, Lord": praying for clarity in the middle of the mess 1:02:00 – How pruning makes you more like Jesus and prepares you for the "next level" 1:08:00 – Toy bins, clutter, and why fewer branches can mean more joy 1:12:00 – How to walk through pruning differently next time: slow down, surrender, obey faster 1:17:00 – Being honest with God instead of stuffing frustration and disappointment 1:21:00 – Why opening your Bible became survival, not a checkbox 1:25:00 – Friendship breakups as pruning: betrayal, loneliness, and healing with a limp 1:30:00 – Counting the fruit at the end of a brutal year What This Episode Is Really About In this deep dive, Blake unpacks pruning not as a punishment but as proof that God cares too much to leave you overgrown and exhausted. You'll hear about: How this year's pruning looked like: job pivots relational shifts homeschooling struggles closed doors and changed direction Why pruning is always connected to fruit, but not the kind the world celebrates Not achievement, numbers, or hustle But love, joy, peace, wisdom, humility (Galatians 5:22–23) The difference between: Punishment vs. discipline Chaos vs. God's clarifying love (Hebrews 12:6) Seven "flavors" of pruning Blake walked through: Loss of things she thought she needed Doors slamming shut at the last second Conviction and refinement in hidden places Being forced to slow down or stop entirely Loneliness and isolation when life got too loud Idols exposed—especially productivity and performance The trimming of even good things to make room for better Blake also shares how her prayer shifted from: "God, why are You doing this?" to "Show me the purpose, Lord." And how that shift opened the door to real trust, deeper Bible hunger, and new fruit she couldn't see while God was still hacking away at the branches. Sponsors & Special Offers CrowdHealth – Take Your Power Back This Open Enrollment Health insurance can feel like you're paying a ton and still not actually covered. CrowdHealth is an alternative to traditional insurance that's built on community and transparency. With CrowdHealth, you: Pay a monthly fee Get a team that negotiates your medical bills Access lower-cost prescriptions & lab tests Use a vetted doctor list When something big happens, you pay the first $500, and then the crowd steps in and covers the rest Listener Offer: Get started for $99 for your first three months using code SPEAKEASY. Go to joincrowdhealth.com/speakeasy to join. Note: CrowdHealth is not insurance, but it is a way to opt out of the old system and take your power back. Sunrise Flour Mill – Heritage Wheat Your Body Remembers If you have a gluten sensitivity (or just feel awful after eating modern wheat), this part is for you. The wheat most of us eat today is not the same wheat our grandparents ate. Sunrise Flour Mill is farmer-owned and brings back organic heritage wheat—pre-1950s varieties that many sensitive folks find they can tolerate again. People are discovering they can enjoy: Chocolate chip cookies Bread Pasta …without feeling wrecked afterward. They also make it easy with recipes and thoughtfully packaged products. Special Offer for listeners: Go to sunriseflourmill.com and use code SPEAKEASY to get a FREE 2lb bag of Heritage White Flour with your first order. Eat wheat your body remembers.  PreBorn – Help a Mom Choose Life So many women walk into abortion clinics scared, alone, and convinced they don't have another option. PreBorn steps in with: Free ultrasounds for women considering abortion The chance for moms to see their baby and hear the heartbeat A doubled chance that she will choose life Ongoing support: counseling, classes, and financial assistance for up to two years after birth It costs $28 to fund one ultrasound. PreBorn has seen over 38,000 babies saved this year alone. ✨ If you're passionate about the pro-life movement and want a tangible way to make a difference: 👉 Go to preborn.com/speakeasy Give $28 (or more) and literally help change a story—and possibly save a life.