The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

• 1KHO 634: Our Souls Crave to be Seen | Toni Collier, Don't Try This Alone

  If you’ve ever felt like the “strong one” who secretly wishes someone would notice how tired you are, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Ginny sits down with author, speaker, and “Still Coloring” podcast host Toni Collier to talk about her new book, Don’t Try This Alone: How to Build Deep Community When You Want to Hide From Your Pain. Toni shares her story of walking through two divorces, betrayal, and deep heartbreak, and the radical difference it made when she finally had a circle of people who knew the whole story. Together, Ginny and Toni unpack the idea of a “confessional community,” what it means to be truly seen instead of just “busy and surrounded,” and why it may not be the pain that takes us out, but trying to carry it by ourselves. This conversation is packed with practical, courageous steps for building real friendships in adulthood and helping our kids do the same. Toni talks about the bravery it takes to say, “Do you want to be my friend?” again, how to move beyond surface-level small talk, and why even simple moments, chatting with another parent at the park, asking your server how you can pray for them can change lives. You’ll hear tender stories of friends who showed up in tangible, unforgettable ways, how to help kids experience healthy community earlier than we did, and why broken crayons still color. If you’re lonely, exhausted, or longing for your people, this episode will remind you: you were never meant to do this life alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 1KHO 633: When Your Stuff Steals Your Joy | Joshua Becker, The More of Less

  When Joshua Becker looked up from a garage packed with stuff and saw his five-year-old swinging alone in the backyard, everything changed. In this lively, hopeful conversation, Joshua joins Ginny to share how one offhand comment from a neighbor launched his journey into minimalism, and eventually his global platform, Becoming Minimalist. They talk about how our possessions don’t just fail to make us happy; they actually pull us away from the very things that do bring us joy: time with our kids, meaningful work, time outside, community, and faith. Joshua shares his favorite “29-day experiments,” from hand-washing dishes to owning just 33 items of clothing, and shows how small, playful trials can reset our habits and free up time, money, and energy for what matters most. Ginny and Joshua also dig into the deeper forces shaping our cluttered lives: targeted advertising, influencer culture, generational fears about security, and the endless, shifting dollar amount we think will finally make us “safe.” They explore why retirement as pure leisure doesn’t show up in Scripture, why relationships are a better safety net than underground bunkers and overstuffed basements, and how comparison so often focuses on cars and clothes instead of character and generosity. Joshua shares about his nonprofit, The Hope Effect, which helps children move from institutional orphanages into families, and offers a sneak peek at his upcoming book Uncluttered Faith. The episode wraps with a sweet childhood memory of backyard wiffle ball, and an invitation to all of us to experiment with owning less so we can live, love, and play more, especially outdoors. Get your copy of The More Of Less Preorder your copy of Uncluttered Faith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 1KHO 632: Joy is a Skill | Max Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts

  In this life-giving conversation, Max Lucado joins Ginny Yurich to talk about something every overwhelmed parent and anxious teen quietly craves: a way out of “stinking thinking.” Drawing from his new book Tame Your Thoughts, Max shares how a 20-year-old “converted drunk” became a pastor, bestselling author, and grandfather who now spends his days helping people rewrite the ruts in their minds. Together, he and Ginny dig into the reality that we think around 70,000 thoughts a day. About 80% of those thoughts tend to be negative yet both Scripture and neuroscience insist we are not stuck. Our brains are changeable, our patterns can be retrained, and joy is not a personality trait you either have or don’t. It’s a learnable, repeatable skill. For families trying to raise kids in a world of social media, materialism, and nonstop mental noise, Max offers concrete tools: “picky thinking,” uprooting lies and replanting Scripture, anchoring kids’ hearts with simple practices, and getting outside to actually look at the birds and lilies Jesus talked about. Through vivid stories Max shows how God can use even disaster as the start of a better story. If you’re weary from worry, buried under guilt, or watching your child struggle with anxiety, this episode will help you tame your thoughts, plant tiny daily “seeds” of truth, and discover that joy really is a skill you and your children can practice for a lifetime. Get your copy of Tame Your Thoughts here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 1KHO 631: Your Marriage is One-of-a-Kind | Dustin and Melissa Nickerson, How to be Married

  Dustin and Melissa Nickerson are hilarious and surprisingly profound about what it takes to stay married in this day and age. In this episode, they tell the story of getting married as teenagers, building a “big family small business,” and learning that no one hands you a rule book for a one-of-a-kind marriage. Dustin shares why most marriage advice fails when it turns into a formula, and why the real work is becoming a student of your person. Melissa adds some truths about midlife: the sandwich-generation pressure, kids launching, parents aging, and the blessing of a partner you can still laugh with when the stakes get high. Play, movement, and games show up as marriage glue. From backyard volleyball to made-up family games to their confession that hiking beats fancy date nights every time, they show what it looks like to stop performing “good marriage habits” and start doing what actually works for you. It’s tender, it’s funny, and it’s the kind of episode that makes you want to grab your spouse, get outside, and remember you’re on the same team. Check out Dustin’s book How to Be Married (to Melissa) their podcast Don’t Make Me Come Back There and Dustin’s stand-up tour dates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 1KHO 630: No One Hands You a Rule Book for Belonging | Leland Lucky Vittert, Born Lucky

  In this unforgettable conversation, NewsNation anchor and instant New York Times bestselling author Leland “Lucky” Vittert pulls back the curtain on a childhood that included late speech, crushing loneliness, and a school world that often met neurodivergence with cruelty instead of care. But Born Lucky isn’t an autism “how-to.” It’s a father-son love story about what changes when one adult refuses to give up. Lucky shares how his dad chose a radical path: not removing adversity, but walking him through it—teaching character, work ethic, and the kind of social “tools” that slowly turn isolation into connection. The result is deep hope and a reminder that kids aren’t doomed by their hardest circumstances. Ginny and Lucky also dig into the practical magic of a hands-on childhood: flying lessons at eight, rowing, scuba diving, Michigan summers by Lake Michigan that all provided real risks, real effort, real confidence earned. Those experiences didn’t just fill time; they built transferable skills and a resilience that later carried Lucky through war-zone reporting and prime-time journalism. Along the way, you’ll hear about the quiet heroes like Mr. Mick whose belief became a lifeline. If you’ve ever worried your child won’t find their place or wondered if you’re doing enough this episode will steady you, strengthen you, and send you back outside with fresh courage. Now through December 1st get your copy of Born Lucky for 25% off HERE Watch Lucky’s show On Balance with Leland Vittert on NewsNation (weeknights at 9 p.m. ET) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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