Plain Values

Plain Values A Magazine on a Mission to Find Joy in the Simple Things. Faith Centered Simple Living

05/11/2026

Some things should never be rushed past.

Things like grief, loss...
And burying a child.

There are words people reach for in moments like that—
easy ones, tidy ones, the kind that try to wrap suffering up too quickly.

“Just move on.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”

But the people who are actually helpful in those seasons?
They don’t try to fix it.

They sit.
They listen.
They stay.

They understand that love this deep leaves a silence that words can’t fill.

Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is not speak at all—but to weep with those who weep.

This conversation reminds us what real presence looks like.

Listen to the full episode of the Plain Values Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

plainvalues.com/podcast

05/08/2026

“Time heals all wounds.”

It sounds comforting.
It also isn’t true.

Time doesn’t heal anything on its own.
It just gives space for what’s already there
to either harden… or be made whole.

Because grief doesn’t disappear.
It changes shape.
It settles into the places love once lived.

And if you’ve ever lost someone, you know—
the pain doesn’t vanish.
It returns in waves, in memories, in quiet moments you didn’t expect.

Grief is not something to “get over.”
It’s something you carry.

And somehow, by the grace of God,
it becomes something you can carry.

This conversation doesn’t rush past loss.
It tells the truth about it.

Listen to the full episode of the Plain Values Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

plainvalues.com/podcast

05/06/2026

Some stories don’t resolve quickly.
They hold you in the question a little longer.

“What do you do when it all burns?”
“When it feels like too much… again?”

And sometimes, the answer doesn’t come as a clearer picture.
It comes as people.

A hand on your shoulder.
A neighbor who shows up.
A community that builds when you can’t.

This is what it looks like when faith is lived out—
not in theory, but in the middle of loss, in the middle of rebuilding, in the middle of ordinary people doing extraordinary things together.

This conversation stays with you.

Listen to the full episode of the Plain Values Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

plainvalues.com/podcast

04/27/2026

There are moments you only understand later.

People coming and going.
Situations you didn’t choose.
A sense that you’re just trying to get through it.

And then—years later—you realize
you weren’t as unprotected as you thought.

Provision doesn’t always look obvious.
Sometimes it looks small.
Even accidental.

A name.
A moment.
A detail you almost miss.

But it was there.

And maybe it still is.

→ Watch the full episode to hear the whole story.

plainvalues.com/podcast

Save this for the day you need to remember you’re not walking in it alone.

04/24/2026

There’s a version of faith we don’t talk about very often.

The kind that doesn’t feel inspiring or easy in the moment.
This kind of faith asks you to walk away from a life that works… for one that only makes sense in obedience.

For some, it looks like planting roots and investing locally.

For Aarons dad, it looked like going when it would be easier to stay..

Either way—it carries weight.

If you’ve ever wrestled with that tension…
you’re not alone, and your faith isn’t failing.

It might be deeper than you think.

→ Watch the full episode to hear the whole story.

plainvalues.com/podcast

Save this for the day obedience feels heavy.
Share it with someone walking through a hard yes.

04/20/2026

Linda shares her journey from a small-town Catholic upbringing in Tuscarawas County to becoming one of the youngest judges ever elected in Ohio. She reflects on the weight of responsibility she felt the day she was sworn in, the exhausting good days and excruciating bad days in juvenile court, and how she learned to lean heavily on prayer and the support of fellow judges and staff.

The conversation touches on the deep impact of seeing the worst of human nature… and the hope that still remains when someone steps in to protect a child. Linda opens up about the spiritual moments that confirmed her calling, including a powerful sense from God that this was the work He had for her.

She also talks about her marriage to Kevin, raising their family, and the many mission trips they’ve taken together, especially to Haiti, where she witnessed both heartbreaking suffering and profound moments of human connection and compassion.

Throughout the episode, Linda’s quiet faith, steady wisdom, and deep compassion shine through. From the courtroom to the mission field, her life has been marked by a willingness to show up, serve, and trust God in the hardest places.

This honest conversation offers encouragement for anyone walking through difficult seasons or seeking to live out their faith with integrity and courage.

Listen to the full episode now.

plainvalues.com/podcast

04/16/2026

In this episode of The Plain Values Podcast … Marlin invites listeners into a warm, wide-ranging conversation with his friend Brian Dahlen.

Brian spent 17 years hosting live radio for Moody Radio in Cleveland and Chicago. Known for his quick thinking and kind presence behind the microphone, he joins Marlin for breakfast and shares stories from his life … from growing up in Minnesota, teaching high school social studies, to the unexpected journey that led him into radio.

The two friends talk about everything from European travels and Renaissance art to the challenges of family life, raising children (including a daughter serving in the 82nd Airborne), and the deep questions of faith, manhood, and what it means to follow Christ in a complicated world.

Brian opens up about the spiritual tension of live radio, the beauty and brokenness of family relationships, and the importance of humility and honest conversation in the Christian life. The discussion touches on pain as God’s invitation to grow, the reality of human depravity, and the freedom found in surrendering our own ideas to Scripture.

Whether you’ve ever felt the pull between city life and a quieter calling, wrestled with big theological questions, or simply enjoyed thoughtful dialogue between friends, this episode offers encouragement and reflection.

Full episode is available now.

plainvalues.com/podcast

04/06/2026

Tom and Ferree Hardy both lost their spouses in 2000.

Two hearts shattered by grief, hundreds of miles apart, each raising children and learning to breathe again in a world that suddenly felt empty.

Then, in 2002, their paths crossed. What began as a simple connection grew into a marriage that has now spanned more than two decades of blending families, navigating job changes, multiple moves, and discovering God’s faithfulness in the most unexpected places… including a few backyard chickens along the way.

Ferree, author of Postcards from the Widow’s Path, has spent years walking alongside other widows through her writing.

Tom, with his steady presence and quiet strength, has been right beside her in that calling.

In this tender, honest conversation, you’ll hear real talk about the long road of grief, the surprising joy of a second chapter, and the everyday faithfulness that carries a family through both the hard and the holy.

Whether you’ve walked through loss yourself, love someone who has, or simply need to be reminded that God redeems even the deepest valleys, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

plainvalues.com/podcast

Address

PO Box 201 2106 Main Street
Main Street, OH
44690

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13306016106

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Plain Values posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category