Becoming the Oak: Rooted in Christ

Kendra George
  • 5.0 (4)
  • 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. 5d ago

    When You Get Real With God | Survival, Identity, and the Moment You Finally Ask Your Own Questions

    What does it take to stop going through the motions and finally get real with God? In this powerful and joy-filled episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Samantha Rowe shares the near-fatal car accident at fifteen that cracked open her borrowed faith and sent her on a journey to ask her own questions for the very first time. From the blessing that stopped emergency brain surgery, to the hallway hello that convinced her she mattered, to the day God put spiritual goggles over her eyes and she saw every person the way He sees them — Samantha’s story is one of the most vivid accounts of a mighty change of heart you will ever hear. If you have ever coasted on someone else’s testimony and wondered what it would feel like to have your own, this episode is your invitation to find out. In this episode: The near-fatal car accident at fifteen that sent Samantha from lukewarm to fully on fire for ChristWhy she believes you cannot truly change until you get real with God — and what getting real actually looks likeThe hallway social experiment that taught her she mattered more than she ever believedWhat it means to see people through God’s eyes — and how that one shift transforms everythingWhy your truest self and your most unique self emerge when you actually live the gospelFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Revelation 3:15-16 — on being lukewarm and what it means to finally be hotMoroni 10:4 — asking with real intent and a sincere heartMatthew 5:46-47 — on loving those who are hardest to love as the true test of ChristianityMoses 1 — seeing the inhabitants of the earth the way God sees themPatriarchal blessings — as a mirror for who God always knew you wereThis episode is for you if: You grew up in the church but have never really asked your own questionsYou have been coasting on borrowed faith and wonder what your own would feel likeYou struggle with shyness or feeling like you do not matter or make a differenceYou need to be reminded that no bad experience is ever wasted with Jesus ChristYou want to hear one of the most joyful and honest accounts of a mighty change of heart you will ever findConnect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak

  2. Oct 12

    A Fourth Watch God | Waiting, Trusting, and Staying Rooted Through the Darkest Hours

    What do you do when you have done everything right and God still has not answered the desire of your heart? In this deeply moving episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Desiree Osguthorpe shares her decades-long journey of waiting — from a teenage girl who planned to be married by twenty, to a thirty-four-year-old bride, to a woman who navigated infertility, two miscarriages, and IVF before welcoming her daughter at forty-three. Along the way she discovered what it means to have a Fourth Watch God — the God who shows up in the coldest, darkest, final stretch of the night right before the dawn. If you are in your own fourth watch right now, this episode will give you the courage to trust the anchor and stay. In this episode: What it means to have a Fourth Watch God — and how that concept changed the way Desiree understood her waitingHow she stayed rooted and avoided bitterness through years of singleness, wedding after wedding, and unanswered prayersThe two miscarriages, failed IUI cycles, and IVF journey that tested everything she believed — and the small miracle that made it all possibleWhy the story of Jairus and his daughter became her anchor through the hardest seasonsWhat she would say to any woman whose joy feels far away and whose desires feel endlessly deferredFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Mark 6:48 — Jesus saw them toiling and rowing and came to them in the fourth watch of the nightGenesis 30:22 — And God remembered RachelJohn 6:68 — Where else would we go? Thou hast the words of eternal lifeElder Jeffrey R. Holland — on boarding the good ship Zion and coming to stayThe story of Jairus and his daughter — on trusting the Savior’s timing even when the journey takes longer than you hopedPresident Russell M. Nelson — joy has little to do with the circumstances of our livesThis episode is for you if: You are waiting on marriage, a child, healing, or any desire that feels endlessly deferredYou have ever wondered why God has not answered the righteous desires of your heartYou have watched everyone around you receive what you are still praying forYou need to be reminded that a Fourth Watch God is still coming — He always doesYou want the courage to trust the anchor even when you cannot feel it holdingA note from Kendra:Desiree said this was the first time she has publicly shared her journey through singleness and infertility. I am so grateful she did. Her story is a gift to every woman who is still waiting. You are not forgotten. God remembers you. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become.

  3. Oct 5

    Stop and Be Still | What Rest and Reflection Taught Me About Goals and Grace

    Have you ever worked so hard toward something good and still felt like a complete failure? In this honest solo episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra George opens up about a week when everything fell apart — her health goals, her business momentum, and her sense of self-worth — and what she learned on the other side of it. Drawing on Elder Kearon's Education Week talk Peace and Rest Even Now, Kendra explores why tying our identity to our productivity is a trap that robs us of peace, what it means to look at the gain instead of the gap, and why rest is not a reward for finishing everything on the list but a commandment built into the very law of creation. If you have ever felt like you are doing everything for Christ but not enough with Him, this episode will slow you down in the best possible way. In this episode: Why tying your self-worth to your productivity is a trap that keeps you from peaceThe difference between looking at the gap versus looking at the gain — and why it changes everythingWhat Elder Kearon's Education Week talk on peace and rest taught me about goals and graceWhy rest is not laziness — it is part of the law of creation and Christ modeled it constantlyHow to take a life inventory and slow down enough to move from doing for Christ to being with HimFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Elder Kearon — Peace and Rest Even Now, BYU Education Week — on tying self-worth to productivity and the commandment to consider the liliesPsalm 46:10 — "Be still and know that I am God"Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 — on doing all in our power and then standing still to see the salvation of GodIsaiah 30:15 — "In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be your strength"Preach My Gospel — on goals as the desires of our hearts and the vision of what we can accomplishThis episode is for you if: You are going ninety miles an hour and running on emptyYou have ever felt like a failure because your goals are not happening on your timelineYou find it easier to do things for Christ than to simply be with HimYou need permission to slow down, take inventory, and give yourself some graceYou want to be reminded that your accomplishments do not define your worth — everQuestions to sit with from this episode: Where do I need to rest right now?Am I looking at the gap or the gain?Am I doing a lot for Christ but not enough with Him?What does the Lord actually need me to do today?Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak

  4. Sep 28

    Care But Don't Carry | Releasing While Finding Rest, Joy, and God in the Stillness

    What happens when you have spent your entire life being the glue — the one who holds everything together for everyone else — and one day you simply cannot carry it anymore? In this deeply honest episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Sara Wolfe shares her journey through losing everything in the 2008 real estate crash, raising four children through homelessness and food stamps, navigating the end of a 25-year marriage, and the faith crisis that followed when everything she had built her identity on suddenly fell apart. Sara opens up about the season she wandered away from God, how He kept wooing her back gently and persistently, and the phrase that changed her life — I can care but I do not have to carry. If you are the woman holding everyone else together and wondering when someone is going to hold you, this episode is for you. In this episode: How Sara's family lost everything in 2008 and what her faith looked like in the middle of homelessness and food stampsThe 25-year marriage that ended and the faith crisis that followed — and why she needed to wander before she could truly come homeWhat it means to have a God consciousness all day long rather than just at scheduled prayer timesThe phrase that changed everything — I can care but I do not have to carryWhy rest and stillness — not effort and striving — is where she finally found her joy againFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Psalm 46:10 — "Be still and know that I am God"Isaiah 49:16 — I have engraved you upon the palms of my handsPhilippians 4:13 — I can do all things through Christ who strengthens meThe concept of God consciousness — a continual conversation with God throughout the day rather than only at scheduled prayer timesThis episode is for you if: You are the person who always holds everything together for everyone else and are running on emptyYou are in a season of questioning your faith or wandering and wondering if you can find your way backYou have experienced loss — of a marriage, a home, a community, or an identity — and are rebuildingYou want permission to put down what was never yours to carry in the first placeYou need to be reminded that God never stops wooing you back — no matter how far you have drifted Sara's Book: https://sarawolfe.global/ A note from Kendra: Sara and I are not of the same religion — but we both believe in Jesus Christ. And I love that this podcast is a place where that is enough. No matter your denomination or background, if you are rooted in Him you are welcome here. Connect with Becoming the Oak: Website: becomingtheoak.com Email: kendra@becomingtheoak.com Instagram: @becomingtheoak

  5. Sep 21

    Honest, Free, and Whole | Letting Go, Living Intentionally, and Finding Yourself Through Christ

    What happens when you have spent twenty years carrying everything on your own — and then one prayer on your knees changes everything? In this powerful episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Jess Hardiman shares her remarkable journey from a childhood marked by divorce and constant moving, to raising her two younger sisters as a young adult, to earning her doctorate and building a career in international humanitarian work — all without a conscious connection to Jesus Christ. Until a breathwork session, a grandmother's pink hand-sewn scripture case, and a quiet prompting to open the scriptures brought her all the way home. Jess opens up about honesty, identity, grace, and what she calls spiritual hygiene — and why choosing Christ intentionally every single day has given her the most grounded and whole version of herself she has ever known. In this episode: How Jess carried years of loss, responsibility, and resilience without realizing Christ was already with herThe moment she got on her knees for the first time and felt the weight physically liftWhy honesty — with God, with others, and with herself — became the most transformative gift of her conversionHow letting go of shame and embracing grace changed the way she sees herself and everyone around herWhat spiritual hygiene means and why it is the foundation of everything elseFeatured Quotes, Talks & Scriptures: Alma — the scripture that made Jess sob the first time she opened her grandmother's quadMatthew 22:37-39 — love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourselfSister Kristen Yee — October General Conference talk on the swords we are not yet willing to buryAgency and the atonement as double A batteries — keeping them charged every single dayPresident Kimball — on how God answers prayers through other peopleThis episode is for you if: You have spent years carrying everything on your own and are ready to give it to GodYou are in the middle of a faith transition or coming back to Christ after time awayYou struggle with honesty — with yourself, with God, or with the people around youYou want practical tools for living more intentionally and protecting your spiritual capacityYou need to be reminded that you are never too far gone and He was already there the whole timeConnect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Ready to share your story? Click here for the application Be still. Believe. Become.

  6. Sep 14

    Choose the Better Story | What Postpartum Depression Taught Me About Presence, Grace, and Choosing Christ

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains an honest discussion of postpartum depression, thoughts of not wanting to be here, and a dream involving self-harm. If you or someone you love is struggling, please know that help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime. The Postpartum Support International helpline is also available at 1-800-944-4773. You are not alone. What do you do when the darkness of postpartum depression strips away everything you love — and all you have left is a choice? In this deeply honest and courageous episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, playwright and mother of four Katherine Perrone shares her raw journey through postpartum depression across four pregnancies — and the faith that kept her choosing to be here. From the rare hormonal condition called dysphoric milk ejection reflex that she experienced while nursing, to the seasons so dark she did not want to be alive, to the dream that became her anchor and the phrase from Life of Pi that changed how she thinks about faith — Katherine's story is one of the most vulnerable and powerful conversations this podcast has ever held. She talks about what it means to choose the better story when you cannot feel anything, why presence in the darkest moments is where the atonement of Jesus Christ becomes most personal, and why being honest with the people around you is one of the most healing things you can do. In this episode: How Katherine recognized the pattern of postpartum depression across four pregnancies and what she did with that knowledgeThe rare hormonal condition called dysphoric milk ejection reflex — and why naming it changed everythingWhat the novel Life of Pi taught her about faith, agency, and choosing the better storyWhy presence — even in the darkest moments — is where the atonement of Jesus Christ becomes most real and personalWhat she would say to any woman who is holding on by the thinnest thread right nowFeatured Quotes, Talks & Resources: Life of Pi by Yann Martel — choose the better storySister Yee — October 2025 General Conference talk on ministering and communityThe healing power of honest vulnerability and letting people show up for youPostpartum Support International — psi.org — for postpartum depression resources and support988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 anytimeThis episode is for you if: You are navigating postpartum depression or maternal mental health challengesYou have ever been in a season so dark you could not feel God, joy, or anything at allYou are a perfectionist mother who holds yourself to impossible standardsYou need permission to be honest about where you really are and let people show up for youYou want to be reminded that the darkness does lift — and that choosing to hold on is always worth itA note on the content of this episode:This episode includes an honest discussion of postpartum depression, thoughts of not wanting to be alive, and a dream involving self-harm shared in a faith and healing context. If you are personally struggling with any of these things right now, please reach out for support. Crisis Resources: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 — available 24/7Postpartum Support International — 1-800-944-4773 — psi.orgCrisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741 Connect with Becoming the Oak:Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become. SHARE YOUR STORY: Click here for application

  7. Sep 7

    The Wind Can't Touch Roots | What Fifty Years Taught Me About Grace, Grit, and Growing Deeper in Christ

    What does fifty years of living teach you about faith, grace, and growing deeper in Christ? In this heartfelt solo birthday episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, Kendra George shares eight of the most important lessons she has learned across five decades of life — and why the storms that tried to break her only made her roots stronger. From giving herself the grace she so freely gives others, to letting go of judgment and comparison, to what she would tell every young mother about being present, to why failure is not the opposite of success — this episode is an honest and personal reflection on what it truly means to become the oak. Not all at once. Not without storms. But root by root, lesson by lesson, one faithful attempt at a time. In this episode: Why grace — given to yourself — is one of the most underrated spiritual practices there isThe moment she realized judgment and comparison were robbing her of connection and joyWhat she wishes she had known as a young mother about presence and finding joy in small momentsWhy failure is not the opposite of success — it is a faithful attempt in learningHow living with intention completely changed the way she moves through her lifeFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Brother Brad Wilcox — Worthiness is Not Flawlessness — on grace and what God actually asks of usElder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — "God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their heart and a willing mind"Philippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"The Oak Tree poem by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr. — the poem that anchors the entire Becoming the Oak brand1 Thessalonians 5:18: Gratitude in all things — New Testament teachings on being grateful in every circumstanceThis episode is for you if: You are too hard on yourself and need permission to extend a little graceYou are in the thick of a hard season and wondering if you have what it takesYou are a young mother who needs to hear that the small moments matter more than you thinkYou want practical and honest encouragement for living with more intention and less fearYou need to be reminded that the wind will always blow — but it cannot touch your rootsConnect with Becoming the Oak:Want to share your story? I am always looking for guests. Click Here to apply Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak

  8. Aug 31

    Both Things Can Be True | Grief, Identity Loss, and Turning Outward

    What happens to your identity when the person who has been your anchor your entire life is suddenly gone? In this tender and deeply honest episode of Becoming the Oak Rooted in Christ, certified life coach Cathi Chisholm opens up about losing her mother just months before recording — and what grief has taught her about identity, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and the surprising healing power of turning outward. From the way her mother was the first of every one of her five senses, to the identity shift that came with suddenly becoming the family matriarch, to the profound truth that immense grief and deep peace can coexist — Cathi's story is one of the most honest and layered conversations about grief, faith, and healing you will ever hear. In this episode: How losing her mom shifted Cathi's identity in ways she never expectedWhy immense grief and deep peace can coexist — and what that actually feels likeThe morning routines and grounding practices that have carried her throughHow turning outward — even in small, simple ways — became the most healing thing she could doWhat Cathi would say to anyone who feels like joy is completely out of reach right nowFeatured Scriptures & Talks: Philippians 4:7 — the peace of Christ that passes all understandingElder Stephen C. Barlow — Lovest Thou Me, October 2025 General Conference — on how God speaks to us in ways we individually can recognizeElder Dieter F. Uchtdorf — Grateful in Any Circumstances — on finding gratitude in the situation not about itThe healing power of morning routines, breathing practices, nature, and intentional scripture studyThis episode is for you if: You are grieving the loss of a parent or someone deeply close to youYou have ever felt your identity shift after a significant lossYou are struggling to find joy and cannot see any light on the horizon right nowYou want honest, grounded encouragement from a woman who is still in the middle of itYou need to be reminded that both grief and peace can be true at the same time — and that Christ can hold all of it with youA note for anyone struggling:If you are experiencing grief, depression, or feelings of hopelessness and need someone to talk to, please reach out. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. The Crisis Text Line is available by texting HOME to 741741. You are not alone and support is available. Connect with Becoming the Oak:Share Your Story: Guest Application Website: becomingtheoak.comEmail: kendra@becomingtheoak.comInstagram: @becomingtheoak Be still. Believe. Become. The content offered by Becoming the Oak is neither made, provided, approved, nor endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the services or workshops offered by Kendra George are solely those of Becoming the Oak and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Both Things Can Be True | Grief, Identity Loss, and Turning Outward
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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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