The Three Doors: Testing Your Thoughts Before You Act

Welcome to the Deep Water Podcast’s new home, new look, and a brand-new year. With a fresh recording platform and a refreshed visual space, Jackie McCown and Christi Eaton step into 2026 the same way they always do — with honesty, grace, and a deep breath of mercy. And in this opening episode of the year, they gently ask: What if “New Year, New You” isn’t an invitation to fix yourself … but an invitation to be kinder with yourself? Together, they explore: • Why “new year, new you” can quietly breed condemnation • The Super Mario effect of failure and what it teaches us about grace • Why God’s mercy is not seasonal—it’s daily • How clarity, not shame, leads to healing • What it means to reroute instead of restart • And why loving God matters more than becoming “better” With Scripture, humor, motherhood wisdom, and spiritual honesty, this conversation reminds us that failure is not a finish line — it’s simply a moment that invites us back to the Father. If January already feels heavy… If you’re tired of striving… If you’re wondering whether you’re behind… This episode is for you. ✨ “The righteous fall seven times and rise again.” ✨ Your GPS doesn’t shame you. It reroutes you. ✨ God isn’t asking you to become someone better — He’s asking you to love Him. Welcome to 2026, Deep Water style. Clean slate. Gentle mercy. Holy rerouting. 💧 Subscribe for weekly conversations about faith, grace, and finding God in everyday life. Bye for now.

It’s snowing in Cincinnati. There’s a Christmas tree mug involved. And somewhere between Amazon returns, pine needles on the floor, and one more school pickup line, a holy question sneaks in: Is ordinary life beneath God’s notice … or exactly where He loves to meet us? In this episode of The Deep Water Show, Jackie and Christi linger in the beauty and tension of ordinary days ... the small, unseen moments we’re tempted to rush past in a world that glorifies bigger, faster, louder. Together, they explore what it means to develop a spiritual discipline of noticing. In this conversation: 1. Why our culture has trained us to dismiss the ordinary as dull 2. How hidden faithfulness shapes a deeper sense of meaning in life 3. What Scripture means when it tells us not to despise small beginnings 4. Why the Kingdom of Heaven looks suspiciously like a mustard seed 5. How a smile, a breath, a chipped mug, or a quiet pause can become sacred ground From Alaska winters to kitchen lights in the middle of the night, this episode is an invitation to slow down and discover that God is not waiting for the extraordinary — He’s already present in the everyday. Because when you learn to notice the small things, you don’t just find meaning. You find Him.

If your body is tired, your emotions are thin, and your soul feels like it’s blinking low power mode—this conversation is for you. In this week’s episode of The Deep Water Show, Jackie and Christi sit honestly in the exhaustion many of us feel as Christmas approaches. Finals, travel, illness, to-do lists, expectations ... and the quiet shame that whispers, “Shouldn’t I be handling this better?” Together, they explore: 1. The three intertwined forms of depletion: physical, emotional, and spiritual 2. Why exhaustion often feels like failure -- but isn’t 3. How performance sneaks in where presence was always meant to be 4. Jesus’ gentle invitation in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me… and I will give you rest” 5. What it means to experience Emmanuel—God with us—especially when we are weary This episode is a reminder that Christmas isn’t powered by our capacity. It’s powered by His presence. If you’re longing for rest that doesn’t have to be earned, permission to slow down, and a faith that meets you right where you are, curl up with this one. Blanket optional. Grace guaranteed.

Hey friend. This one’s for the soul that’s been running on empty. Jackie and Christi sit down — both dressed in red, both wrapped in autumn — to talk about the sacred stillness of nature and what it reveals about the heart of God. From the blaze of Midwest maples to the hush of the night sky at sea, they explore how creation itself teaches us order, gratitude, and peace.They unpack what it means that “stillness isn’t the absence of noise, it’s the presence of order,” how even the rocks cry out in praise, and why gratitude changes the way we see both the falling leaves and the seasons of our own lives. Whether you find God best in the woods, on the water, or simply through your kitchen window, this episode invites you to breathe, behold, and remember: you are part of something far bigger — and far more beautiful — than you think.

Have you ever quietly slipped out of a gathering, not because you were bored or rude, but because you were certain no one would notice you were gone? In this episode of Deep Water, Jackie and Christi talk about what it means to live an “Irish exit” in life — how old wounds, small lies, and quiet doubts about belonging can pull us toward the door before grace ever has a chance to reach us.They unpack the roots of rejection, the ache of invisibility, and the beauty of a God who counts every hair on your head (even when you feel like background noise). From middle-school memories to grown-up faith, this conversation is for anyone who’s ever wondered if they truly belong. Spoiler alert: you do.Explore the podcast

This week on The Deep Water, I’m joined by my dear friend (and fellow A-team member) Mary—a woman whose story reminds me how God weaves our lives together with threads we could never plan.We talk about divine design, friendship that sanctifies, and the surprising holiness of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. There’s laughter (and yes, a few snorts), a bit of 1 Corinthians 12, and a whole lot of grace.It’s a conversation about how we need each other to be whole—and how God, in His goodness, keeps bringing the right people to walk beside us.Grab your coffee and come sit with us.

Mac’s back — and we’re diving deep (again).We talk about how his pilot training taught him to trust the instruments even when the sky turned to fog, and how that translates to faith when life doesn’t go according to plan.There are dogs barking, mugs clinking, and a lot of laughter — but mostly, there’s grace.Because even when our best-laid plans unravel, God’s still holding the map

This week, it’s me and the Mac — yes, the one who quotes Churchill and thinks duct tape can fix anything. We’re diving into the deep water (floaties and all) to talk about what it really means to live marriage as a sacrament. Not just in the big, church-sanctioned sense, but in the everyday — the dinners, the laundry, the laughter over wings and a beer.We talk about distraction and stillness, the Mary-and-Martha dance, the way our phones pull us away from what matters most, and how grace meets us right where we are — in the ordinary rhythms of life together.If you’ve ever wondered how to find depth in the daily, this one’s for you.Topics we cover:Marriage as a lived sacramentThe spiritual cost of distractionDoing vs. being (Mary and Martha revisited)Finding grace in the ordinaryWhat it means to be still againPull up a chair, bring your coffee (or your floaties), and let’s wade into the deep together.Subscribe for more conversations that make faith feel like home.#Marriage #Faith #Grace #Stillness #DeepWaterPodcast

Hey friend! Ever had an idea that just won’t leave you alone? Maybe it feels like a passion, a calling, even something holy—until you pause and wonder, what if it’s not from God at all? In this episode, Jackie and Christi unpack what Jackie calls the “Three Question Thought Check”:Does it align with Scripture?Does it bear the fruit of the Spirit?Does it glorify God—or just me?From marathons to ministry, we explore how good desires can get distorted and why discernment matters in a noisy world. Join us as we talk about passion, temptation, and how to keep our focus on the One who guides us into truth.

Hey friend! In this episode of Deep Water, Jackie and Christi dive into an unexpected but powerful conversation about supplements—both for our bodies and for our souls. From fish oil to faith, green juice to grace, they reflect on how daily habits nourish us physically and spiritually. Along the way, they explore what Scripture calls our “daily bread,” the courage to admit doubt, and why hope may just be the most important ingredient of all.If you’ve ever wondered how to strengthen your spiritual “immune system,” this conversation is for you.