Becoming the Oak: Rooted in Christ

Kendra George
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Spirituality
  • Updated Weekly

Real Women. Real Faith. Real Growth. Becoming the Oak is a Christ-centered podcast for women who want peace and joy not because life is easy, but because their hearts are rooted in Jesus. Each episode features honest conversations with women who share real stories of faith grown through life’s challenges. If you’ve ever felt weary, spiritually stuck, or unsure how to stay grounded, this podcast is for you. Together, we explore what it means to remain planted in truth, strengthened by grace, and anchored in hope — even when the winds rise. New Episodes Weekly

  1. 3d ago

    He Goes Before You | A Testimony That He Already Knows, He Already Loves, and He Has Already Prepared

    Enjoying this episode? What we talk about today is exactly what we are going deeper into in my upcoming workshop — Rooted Not Rattled. Registration is now open. Details below.What if the hardest season of your life was already accounted for before it began? In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kathryn Larsen Spagnolo shares her remarkable testimony of a God who goes before us — through job loss, a house they could not afford, two children in mental health crises, and a husband whose health continues to decline. From the moment she discovered that losing their income had actually made it possible to afford the mental health care their children desperately needed, to the basket of gift cards handed through a car window, to the cash arriving in the mail from people with no return address — Kathryn's story is one of the most vivid and tender illustrations of God's foreknowledge and provision you will ever hear. He already knew. He already loved. He had already prepared the way. In this episode: How job loss, a house they could not afford, and two children in mental health crises all hit at the same time — and what God had already put in placeWhy humbling yourself enough to receive help is sometimes harder than giving itThe phrase I will go before your face and how it became the thread running through Kathryn's entire storyWhat a book called God Comes to Women taught Kathryn about how God meets women differently than menHow looking for sunflowers changes everything you are able to seeFeatured Scriptures & Talks: President Russell M. Nelson — Confidence in the Presence of God, April 2025 General Conference — "As we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy"President Nelson — "Seek and expect miracles"Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — on prayer and the angels waiting to serve usGod Comes to Women by Heather Farrell and Jen Mabry — on how God meets women where they areThe scriptural pattern of I will go before your face — Moses, Abraham, Joseph Smith, Nephi, the brother of JaredThis episode is for you if: You are in the middle of something hard and wondering if God sees youYou have ever struggled to accept help when you needed it mostYou want to be reminded that God arranges things in advance — before you even know you need themYou need practical encouragement for finding joy and miracles in the middle of an impossible seasonYou are carrying job loss, mental health challenges, medical uncertainty, or financial hardshipResources mentioned: God Comes to Women by Heather Farrell and Jen MabryThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishop's Storehouse — available through your local bishop for those in needNAMI — National Alliance on Mental Illness — nami.org — for mental health support and resources ROOTED NOT RATTLED — Virtual WorkshopAugust 27, 2026 | 11:00 AM PDT | 90 Minutes | $30 Enter ROOTED in the Discount Code and get $10 off thru August 18th. Everything we talked about in today's episode — the roots, the soil, the process of becoming — is exactly what we are going to dig into together in this workshop. We will look at it all through the lens of nervous system regulation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is where the becoming gets practical. Register here! : I would love to see you there. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    He Goes Before You | A Testimony That He Already Knows, He Already Loves, and He Has Already Prepared

  2. Aug 10

    Beyond Her Prayers | How Despair Became the Doorway to Miracles

    What do you do when you are doing everything right and still not seeing results? In this beautiful and deeply layered episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Nancy Boyer shares her journey through deep despair, career loss, infertility, financial uncertainty, and the internal wrestling every mother faces between calling, career, and what it truly means to nurture. From the moment a scripture in Alma 58 spoke peace to her soul in the middle of unanswered prayers, to the Old Testament story of Abigail that became a symbol of Christ's compensating blessings, to the day God answered her prayer for a baby with twins — Nancy's story is a powerful reminder that God not only hears our prayers but exceeds them in ways we never could have imagined. And the miracles? They are not waiting on the other side of the hard. They are right there inside of it. In this episode: How a season of deep despair after losing her career led Nancy to one of the most specific answers to prayer she has ever receivedThe Old Testament story of Abigail that became a profound symbol of Christ's compensating blessings in her lifeThe internal wrestling every mother faces between calling, career, and what it really means to nurtureWhy repentance is not just about sin — it is about turning again to Christ every single dayHow shifting from this is happening to me to this is happening for me changes everythingFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Alma 58:11 — "The Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us. Insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls"Sister Camille Johnson — Invite Christ to Author Your Story, October 2021 General ConferenceMatthew 11:28-30 — on being yoked with Christ and finding restThe story of Abigail and Nabal — 1 Samuel 25 — as a symbol of Christ's compensating blessingsThis episode is for you if: You are doing everything right and still not seeing the results you are praying forYou are wrestling with questions about motherhood, career, and callingYou feel like joy is far away or like God is taking too long to answerYou need to be reminded that the miracles are not waiting on the other side of the hard — they are right inside of itYou want practical and honest encouragement for turning back to God when fear and overwhelm take overConnect with Nancy: @lilyandolivecoBooks - Draw Near Unto MeA Christ-Centered Easter CelebrationConnect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    Beyond Her Prayers | How Despair Became the Doorway to Miracles

  3. Aug 3

    Pick Up the Oars | A Military Wife's Journey From Lost to Rooted in Christ

    What happens when you spend years letting life happen to you instead of choosing it? In this vulnerable and powerful solo episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra George opens up about one of the most personal chapters of her life — being a military wife. From the day her husband deployed to Iraq for fifteen months, to the quiet chaos that followed when he came home changed, to the years she spent trying to keep everyone happy while slowly losing herself in the process — Kendra shares the raw and honest journey of a woman who finally picked up the oars and started choosing her life. If you have ever felt depleted, resentful, or like life is just happening to you, this episode will meet you right where you are and send you forward with faith. In this episode: The rowboat analogy that perfectly captures what it feels like to drift through life without intentionWhat happened when my husband came home from fifteen months in Iraq and everything quietly changedHow I lost myself trying to keep everyone else happy — and didn't even realize it was happeningThe moment I finally picked up the oars and started choosing my life instead of just surviving itWhat Richard G. Scott, Sister Camille Johnson, and Randall Ridd taught me about faith, agency, and living with real intentFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Richard G. Scott — The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing, April 2003 General Conference — "God uses your faith to mold your character"Sister Camille Johnson — "Life is hard. And we can make the hard holy by incorporating Jesus Christ"Randall Ridd — on living with real intent and asking yourself whyPhilippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"This episode is for you if: You are a military spouse or love someone who isYou have ever lost yourself trying to keep everyone else happyYou feel like life is happening to you instead of being chosen by youYou want to be reminded that agency is one of God's greatest giftsYou are ready to stop drifting and start rowing toward the life you want Connect with Becoming the Oak:I'd love to hear your story: Click Here to apply to be a guest. Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    Pick Up the Oars | A Military Wife's Journey From Lost to Rooted in Christ

  4. Jul 27

    Nobody Gets to Decide | One Woman's Journey Home Through Abuse, Doubt, and Redeeming Love

    What do you do when the faith you grew up with no longer feels like it fits — and the life you built is crumbling underneath you? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Amy Herbert shares her courageous and tender journey through twenty-six years of emotional abuse, resigning her church membership, a devastating divorce, and the darkest moment of her life sitting by a lake not wanting to live. From the words God whispered to her in the temple years before her life fell apart, to the fluffy dogs He sent her on the worst day of her life, to the moment she stood before the Christus statue and heard her husband whisper welcome home — Amy's story is a powerful testament to the God who never stops reaching, never stops speaking, and never gives up on His children. Nobody gets to decide whether you are too far gone. Nobody but Him. In this episode: How twenty-six years in an emotionally abusive marriage slowly eroded Amy's sense of who she wasThe moment she resigned her church membership — and what God did nextThe day she sat by a lake not wanting to live and what God sent her in her darkest momentWhy she does not regret leaving — and what she found when she came backWhat Amy would say to any woman who feels like joy is far away from her right nowFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Elder Gilbert — Come Home, April 2026 General Conference — "Because of our covenant with God, he will never tire in his efforts to help us and we will never exhaust his merciful patience with us"2 Nephi 32 — on the doctrine of Christ and feasting on the words of ChristPresident Russell M. Nelson — on God's merciful patience and covenant loveThe hero's journey and the doctrine of Christ — how God tells the same redemptive story across every culture and every ageThis episode is for you if: You have ever felt too lost, too broken, or too far gone for God to find youYou are walking through a faith crisis or asking hard questions about what you believeYou have loved ones who have left the church and you are trusting God with their pathYou need to be reminded that God speaks to us in the language of our understandingYou are walking through or recovering from an abusive relationship Have a story to share? I'd love to have you as a guest. Click Here for an application. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    Nobody Gets to Decide | One Woman's Journey Home Through Abuse, Doubt, and Redeeming Love

  5. Jul 20

    Something Was Still Missing | Finding the Faith I didn't know I was Looking For

    Have you ever felt like something was missing but couldn't quite name what it was? In this beautiful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Melissa Weatherby and Alexis McKenzie share their mother-daughter conversion story — a journey that began with a quiet spiritual ache, was sparked by a single Instagram message, and ended with an entire family being baptized while a daughter watched via Zoom from her mission field. From Alexis's struggle with identity and an eating disorder in her freshman year of high school, to Melissa watching her daughter's light grow brighter every single week, to the moment a husband said yes at the kitchen table before his wife could even finish her thought — this episode is a powerful reminder that God is always working, always orchestrating, and always drawing His children home. In this episode: How a single Instagram message set off a chain of events that changed everythingWhat Melissa and Alexis each describe as the missing piece they didn't know they were looking forThe difference between feeling the Spirit in strokes of lightning versus carrying a constant lightHow a daughter's joy and light drew her entire family to the gospel of Jesus ChristWhat both women would say to anyone sitting in the darkness right now wondering if there is moreFeatured Quotes & Talks: The power of one — how one friendship, one dinner, and one set of missionaries changed an entire family's eternal trajectoryThe Holy Ghost as a constant companion versus strokes of lightning — understanding the gift of the Holy GhostMoses 6:63 — all things testify of Christ, including the stories we carryThis episode is for you if: You have ever felt that quiet spiritual pull toward something moreYou are curious about faith but don't know where to startYou love a powerful conversion story rooted in real life experiencesYou want to be reminded that God is orchestrating things in your life even when you can't see itYou know someone who is searching and needs to hear they are not alone Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak I'd love to hear your story. Click Here to apply Be still. Believe. Become.

    Something Was Still Missing | Finding the Faith I didn't know I was Looking For

  6. Jul 13

    "I Trust You" | Three Words That Anchored One Woman Through Infertility and Loss

    After a devastating miscarriage, Erin Price knelt down and asked God why. Three words came back clearly into her mind: I trust you. In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Erin shares her deeply personal journey through PCOS, years of infertility treatments, embryo adoption, miscarriage, and a late-stage endometriosis diagnosis that finally gave her the answers she had been searching for. From a shocking spiritual prompting early in her marriage that redirected her entire path, to a sacred temple experience that gave her the courage to keep going, to the moment three words from God changed everything — Erin's story is a testament to what it looks like to choose faith when the path makes absolutely no sense. If you are walking through infertility, unexplained health issues, or a season where God feels silent, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. In this episode: How a shocking spiritual prompting early in Erin's marriage set the stage for everything that followedThe sacred temple experience that gave her the courage to keep going when she wanted to quitThe three words God spoke to her heart after her most devastating miscarriageHow embryo adoption became an unexpected and deeply sacred part of her journeyWhat Erin would say to anyone who is suffering and wondering if God even sees themFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Jeremiah 29:11 — "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — Waiting on the Lord, October 2020 General ConferenceElder Jeffrey R. Holland — "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."Carl Heinrich Bloch Christ and the Young Child, referenced as a sacred temple experienceThis episode is for you if: You are walking through infertility, miscarriage, or unexplained health issuesYou have followed every prompting and still find yourself in the middle of lossYou want to know how to support a loved one going through infertilityYou need to be reminded that God sees you, trusts you, and is leading you somewhere goodResources mentioned and Other Resources about Endometriosis: Erin's article on supporting a childless friend or family member: https://exponentii.org/blog/guest-post-how-to-support-a-childless-friend-or-family-member/Fertility treatment scholarships and grants: https://resolve.org/learn/financial-resources-for-family-building/fertility-treatment-scholarships-and-grants/Erin received her grant through the Cade Foundation: https://cadefoundation.org/familygrantEndometriosis surgery, excision vs. ablation: https://endometriosisnetwork.com/endo-hub/surgery-a-guide-for-people-with-endometriosis/Infertility support groups (many larger fertility clinics also offer their own): https://resolve.org/get-help/support-groups/Another Article Erin wrote about her Journeyhttps://swhr.org/erin-prices-pmos-and-endometriosis-journey/National Alliance on Mental Illness — nami.orgEmbryo adoption information — reproductivescience.com Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Have a story to share? Click here to be a guest Be still. Believe. Become.

    "I Trust You" | Three Words That Anchored One Woman Through Infertility and Loss

  7. Jul 6

    All Things Testify Of Him | How Your Personal Story Becomes a Witness of Jesus Christ

    What if your story — even the ordinary, messy, everyday parts of it — is one of the most powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ you will ever offer? In this solo episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra explores why personal stories matter, what they do for our faith and our roots, and how sharing them authentically can bring others closer to the Savior. From a mountain biking rescue gone wrong in Bryce Canyon to the science behind redwood trees, Kendra weaves together scripture, statistics, and real life experience to make the case that no story is too small, too ordinary, or too simple to matter — and that someone out there is waiting to hear yours. In this episode: The mountain biking story that taught Kendra everything she needs to know about being rescuedWhy people can question your faith but never your personal experience with GodHow sharing stories builds the kind of deep roots that hold us together like redwood treesFour practical steps for sharing your story with authenticity and purposeWhy Sister Camille Johnson says Christ should be the author of our storyFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Moses 6:63 — "All things are created and made to bear record of me"Alma 30:44 — "All things denote there is a God"Sister Camille Johnson — October 2021 General Conference, Invite Christ to Author Your StoryThis episode is for you if: You have ever wondered whether your story is worth sharingYou want practical tools for sharing your testimony with confidenceYou are looking for a reminder that God can use your experience to help someone elseYou want to build deeper roots of connection and community in your faith Be a Guest and Share Your Story. Click here for the application Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    All Things Testify Of Him | How Your Personal Story Becomes a Witness of Jesus Christ

  8. Jun 29

    Love Never Stops Looking | Trusting God With What You Can Not Control

    What do you do when you love someone you cannot save? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Liz Morrill shares the decade-long journey of loving her son Mark through mental illness, addiction, and homelessness — and the quiet, sustaining peace that only Christ could provide through all of it. From the miraculous prompting that led Liz and her husband to find Mark on the streets of Seattle, to learning how to pray in a way that honors agency, to the transformative power of choosing our thoughts — Liz's story is a testament to what it means to hold on to the rope when everything around you is unraveling. If you are loving someone through something you cannot fix, or trusting God with something you cannot control, this episode will meet you exactly where you are. In this episode: The decade-long journey of loving a son through mental illness, addiction, and homelessnessThe miraculous moment Liz and her husband were prompted to find Mark on the streets of SeattleWhat holding onto a rope taught Liz about staying tethered to Christ in the middle of chaosWhy God is a planner — and how that changes the way we pray for the people we loveThe power of our thoughts and how choosing what we believe can lead us back to joyFeatured Quotes & Talks: Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — on trust, the Spirit, and the power of creationElder Hall — I Glory in My Jesus, and Nephi's testimony: "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell"The power of covenant keeping and temple worship as a daily tether to ChristThis episode is for you if: You are loving someone through addiction, mental illness, or homelessnessYou are trusting God with an outcome you cannot controlYou are struggling to find joy in a season of prolonged grief or heartacheYou want to be reminded that God is a planner — even when you cannot see the planConnect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

    Love Never Stops Looking | Trusting God With What You Can Not Control
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Real Women. Real Faith. Real Growth. Becoming the Oak is a Christ-centered podcast for women who want peace and joy not because life is easy, but because their hearts are rooted in Jesus. Each episode features honest conversations with women who share real stories of faith grown through life’s challenges. If you’ve ever felt weary, spiritually stuck, or unsure how to stay grounded, this podcast is for you. Together, we explore what it means to remain planted in truth, strengthened by grace, and anchored in hope — even when the winds rise. New Episodes Weekly

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