We’ve all heard the phrase “just bounce back,” like we’re rubber balls instead of actual human beings with hearts, brains, and tear-stained sweatshirts. But real resilience? It doesn’t look like a movie montage or a perfectly curated Instagram comeback story. It looks like crying on your living room floor, knitting through the quiet, whispering prayers you’re not even sure God can hear… and showing up again anyway.

What if joy isn’t about feeling good all the time? In this episode, Melie sits down with Charlie Engelmann—educator, speaker, and PhD candidate studying joy—to unpack what joy really is, how it’s different from happiness, and why adversity is actually essential for building a joyful life.

In this honest and heartfelt episode, Melie gets real about what it looks like to rebuild a life after heartbreak. She opens up about the unexpected path her life has taken post-divorce—wrestling with rejection, untangling old expectations, and learning to heal from the inside out.

Welcome back to Diamonds in Dumpster Fires! In this special (and slightly spooky) 13th episode, we’re tackling a topic you might not expect on a faith-based podcast—superstitions, luck, and how they intersect with faith and resilience.

Life throws curveballs, but resilience is the key to bouncing back stronger. In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires, we dive into The Resilience Blueprint—a practical, faith-based guide to developing resilience when life gets messy.