• #163 Rambling about life with Jesus
    Nov 4 2024

    This conversation has the fun encouragment we all need to get us through election week. We ramble about Halloween, Daylight Savings Time, Union Homecoming, Athena the owl, and Christmas tree cakes. Our spiritual segment includes a recap of Amy Ragon's episode and the power of noticing. We sure don't want to miss what the Lord is doing in our lives! We pray this conversation will put a smile on your face. We love you and love serving you each week through this podcast!

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group, Instagram & TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    42 mins
  • #162 Rambling about Jesus, Discipleship, and Life with Amy Ragon
    Oct 28 2024

    Our precious friend Amy Ragon is back by popular demand! We love Amy for many reasons, especially her ability to have the deepest, richest conversations in the most relatable way. We talk about what it means to leave a legacy (shoutout Reading Rainbow!) and how to evaluate who we are becoming. Amy shares what the Lord is teaching her, including some powerful encouragement for anyone in a waiting season. We talk about discipleship and how we misunderstood what it actually means. We talk about confessional community and how to identify and confess the deeply rooted sin in our life, plus how teach all of this to our children. We consider the difference in listening vs. hearing and how to honor God well in our interactions with others. This converstion is so packed and so powerful and we are grateful for it! Thank you, Amy, for always making us feel seen, heard and valued!

    On legacy:

    "Who are you becoming?"

    "What is available and waiting for us if we just have eyes to see it?"

    On discipleship:

    "The gospel is always present in every conversation, even if it's not spoken. Do we have ears to hear it?"

    "Every day we have to choose: am I going to follow Him with my life?"

    On confession:

    "When I can name my sin, it takes the power away from the enemy."

    "If the devil can isolate you, he will influence you."

    The Desire Chart by Paul David Tripp

    Centrality of the Gospel and Identifying Idols Worksheet by Tim Keller

    "Do we believe God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do?"

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group, on Instagram & TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    47 mins
  • #161 Rambling About All Things Trips, Sports, and Jesus
    Oct 21 2024

    This conversation is all about our recent trips, sports and Jesus! Fran shares details from her Fall Break trip to the Big Apple and Angela recaps her trip to the mountains. We talk Tennessee football (Go Vols!), the adorable kid who danced his way into our hearts, plus our favorite ways to support disaster relief from the horriific flooding in East Tennessee and North Carolina. We wrap it all up by answering our favorite questions: "What's the condition of your heart right now? What is the Lord teaching you in this season?" Let us know your thoughts after you listen. We love hearing from you!

    Learn more about the magnifier disguised as a beautiful necklace here

    Cozyband headband wireless headphones

    Support disaster relief in East TN and Western NC when you buy a t-shirt from Old South Apparel

    Follow Cayson Cagle on Instagram here

    Pirate Voyage Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge

    Local Goat restaurant in Pigeon Forge

    You can listen to the Union University "Let's Talk About That" Podcast with Brooke Hampel here

    “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” — Psalm 84:11

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group, Instagram & TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    46 mins
  • #160 Rambling with Fran and Angela
    Oct 14 2024

    If you need a little comedy in your life, parts of this conversation had us laughing until we cried. We ramble about a lot of things including our fall break adventures and whether we are prepared for a natural disaster. Hilarity ensues midway through this episode then we transition into the spiritual segment where we discuss how to be vulnerable and authentic as we pursue the Lord. Who do you want to become as an individual pursuing Christ? What do you want to be known for? How do you want God to use you? What is holding you back? We talk about all of that and so much more, and as always, we pray it will encourage you today!

    Learn more about Rapid Radios

    Find Angela's favorite influencer for news headlines and updates on North Carolina's recovery efforts - Doxielvr on tiktok or instagram

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group, on Instagram & on TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    41 mins
  • #159 Rambling with Fran and Angela
    Oct 7 2024

    This week’s conversation is a little more on the spiritual side, although y’all know us well enough to know there is some ridiculous, too. We loved our time with the ladies at Malesus Baptist Church last month and wanted to share some of that conversation with you. We discuss what it means to grow in Christ and how to know if you are entering a growing season. There is discomfort in growth, and there is discomfort in staying the same. We will never change if we aren’t challenged! We talk about abiding, pruning, watering, and other favorite takeaways from John 15 and Galatians 5.

    Ephesians 1:17-19

    Romans 12

    John 15:1-17

    Galatians 5:22-23

    “It doesn’t matter who plants the seed or who waters the seed. The Lord makes it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

    We aren't commanded to bear fruit. We are commanded to abide. Abiding is doing more by doing less.

    “Some thoughts are seeds that have been planted. Others are weeds born from our own soil. Either way, don't water what you don't want to grow.” Jackie Hill Perry

    “Nothing is more painful to the branch or irresponsible of the Gardner than to avoid pruning.” Beth Moore “Chasing Vines”

    "Sit with women who sit at the feet of Jesus. The conversations are different. You walk away feeling inspired not inferior because those are women who know that this Christian walk is a race to God, but not a competition with others." - Purposeful Women Co

    Angela’s favorite burger joint in The Gulch, Nashville - Burger Republic

    Learn more about the Kenyan ministry for special needs children and their mommas Purposefully Made Ministries

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group, on Instagram & on TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

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    43 mins
  • #158 Susie Said So Fall Edition
    Sep 30 2024

    Our favorite guest is back for Susie Said So Fall Edition! You will love this conversation about fall trends in fashion and beauty, including the colors and patterns we need in our closet this season (yay for the return of the leopard print!). We talk about jean, boot and skirt styles, nail colors, hostess gift ideas, and Susie's thoughts on a new hair growth supplement. Susie also shares the sweetest update on their three grandchildren (including new baby Oliver!) plus Callie Oliver's top 5 "must haves" for new mamas.

    camo pants from Walmart - so cute & just $16.99!

    Divi hair vitamin and supplement, grow & thicken

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you in our Facebook group & on Instagram & TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    46 mins
  • #157 Rambling with Fran and Angela
    Sep 23 2024

    This conversation is full of classic rambling including Fran's trip to Chicago, Gen X reminiscing, what we are learning on Tiktok, and our new low-level goals. We also have updates on Fran's new neighborhood adventures and Angela's shopping probation (and how she was motivated by a mouse!!!). We wrap it all up with Galatians 6:9 and what the Lord is teaching us in this season. We hope this episode puts a smile on your face. We love y'all and hope you have a great week!

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you! Find us on Facebook •Instagram and TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    49 mins
  • #156 Rambling about Gen X and Jesus
    Sep 16 2024

    This conversation begins with a blast from the past! We are talking all things Gen X including the Brat Pack actors we loved as teenagers. We discuss the Brats documentary on Hulu, the power of being labeled by others and how it impacts our identity. We also share what we are learning from Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer including contemplative prayer and the small habits crucial to our spiritual formation. This book has reshaped our undertanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and we consider it a "must read" for us all!

    You can also watch this week's episode on our YouTube Channel!

    Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips Teeth Whitening Kit

    LifeCell Anti-Aging Teeth Serum

    Hokas Stinson 7

    2048 game

    Brats documentary on Hulu

    • All I wanted in life was to be seen, but I felt like I wasn't being seen.
    • We give words the power to either help us grown or to harm us

    Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

    • Learning how to pause and simply "look at God looking at you with love."
    • Gaze at the beauty of the Lord. We become like what we gaze at.
    • The most important thing that happens between God and the human soul is to to love and be loved by God
    • Contemplative prayer - spending time with Jesus - enjoying and being with God. There's a kind of knowledge you can only get by direct person to person experience.
    • May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.

    The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

    Proverbs 16:24: "Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

    We LOVE connecting with you on Facebook & Instagram • Follow us on TikTok

    If you want to learn more about Union University, check out the website www.uu.edu or email Fran at fthomas@uu.edu - we also have a fee waiver fee if you plan to apply! Simply use the word TALK on the application.

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    43 mins