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Ivan Parke and his parents moved from India to America when he was little, and now he's a college professor, published author, husband and father. He and his wife, Mary Ann, know exactly Who paved the way for them - through marriage, parenting, job changes, and some suffering along the way. 

Ole Miss Baseball Hitting Coach Mike Clement (part of last year's College World Series win) and his wife, Amanda, talk about their journey from College Station, Texas, where they met, to "The Velvet Ditch" of Oxford, Mississippi - a place so comfortable it's hard to leave. They might be at home in Oxford, but spiritually, "We're not called to a place of comfort," Mike says. 

For the fourth year in a row, MCL has taken nominations for Christian Leaders of the Year. This year the five selected leaders met together for a group interview with MCL Editor Katie Eubanks. The conversation was as impactful as anything you’d hear at a leadership conference! Our 2022 Christian Leaders of the Year are: Angela Carson, founder, Pine Grove Association and Carson Consulting Jonathan Lancaster, chief financial officer, We Will Go Matt Nalker, executive director, The Arc Mississippi Preston Crowe, counseling pastor and director of The Center for Hope and Healing, Broadmoor Baptist Church Tom Washburn, minister to senior adults, First Baptist Jackson

Dr. Cathie Phillippi is a married, churchgoing doctor with three kids. But she isn’t perfect. “I think people see this put-together person … with all the things,” she says. “But I often still kind of feel like a fly on the wall." As a troubled adolescent with a broken home, she rejected God - but He did not reject her. Through a godly grandmother, a scholarship, and genuine believers, Jesus pursued Cathie and changed her heart.

Clint and Terri Herring are a successful real estate developer and pro-life lobbyist respectively, with 3 sons, 11 grandchildren, and lots to look forward to. But once they were teenage newlyweds, journeying across the country for a new life that would challenge them in ways they did not expect. 

Mart had a home, a family, and a job he loved, but he lost it all due to his alcoholism. Finally, after stints in several rehab facilities and even the Mississippi State Hospital, "God did for me what I couldn't do for myself," he says. Nearly a year after getting sober, he started dating Holly, his now wife. Listen as they recount God's faithfulness and their hopes for the future.

Deryll Stegall of Stegall Imagery has shot nearly 100 MCL magazine covers over the years. Get to know him and his wife, Sherry, who blended their families after they both experienced divorce - and hear what they've learned about finding happiness and making marriage work. 

Roosevelt & Shay Greenwood had already endured their share of trials when Roosevelt was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer in 2016. But God worked a miracle, and not only has Roosevelt lived more than 3 years longer than expected, but his cancer is now "asleep." Listen as he and Shay share how God has made them #GreenwoodStrong.

Meredith & Joel Travelstead are an OB/GYN and a CPA in northeast Jackson. They share with Katie about marriage, family, and how God has used the "spiritual wrestling matches" in their lives to strengthen their faith in Christ.

Barb Martin, a licensed professional counselor and former columnist for Mississippi Christian Living, talks about setting boundaries and giving grace to in-laws, and even shares some of her own in-law moments! Whether you're married, want to prepare for marriage, or just want to better relate with loved ones in general, this is a good one.

In this episode, Katie talks with Neddie Winters, president of Mission Mississippi, an organization promoting racial reconciliation within the body of Christ. Neddie gives his perspective on current racial tensions that have been amplified in light of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police - and, more importantly, what white and black Christians can do to stand for truth, justice and reconciliation. (NOTE: At one point our recording cut off in the middle of the podcast, and we had to start a new one. Our apologies for the brief "Can you hear me now?" moment!)

Stevie Franks had an unstable and sometimes scary upbringing with his single dad, who often took Stevie to work with him at nightclubs in Charleston, Mississippi. But through an aunt and uncle, a special coloring book, FUGE camps and more, God led him to trust and serve Jesus. Now Stevie ministers to teens as a student pastor in Jackson - and he is a big believer that anybody can impact a child for Christ.

Just over a year ago, Kellye Smith got the worst headache ever - and that was only the beginning. A few months later, God told her, "This is about to get worse, but I need you to trust Me." He has helped her do just that. 

In 2011, Amy Bates and her husband, Cliff, were 37 years old, with two sons and zero plans to add to their family. Then they were called to adopt. They prayed for a year, and then realized they had to obey no matter what lay ahead. Walking by faith, Amy said, was the hardest part. But, spoiler! They now have a 7-year-old adopted son named Levi, and they can't imagine their lives without him.

Jacksonian and Thimblepress owner Kristen Ley chats with Editor Katie Eubanks about how we can make the most of a pandemic, prioritize our time, and even find ways to celebrate life's little moments while sheltering in place. Kristen is a strong believer in Christ. She works mostly out of her studio, located downstairs from her apartment, so she's been "working from home" for a while! As the creator of everything from push-pop confetti to colorful coffee mugs, beach towels and greeting cards, Kristen believes in bringing people joy in the everyday.

At 17 years old, Jan Schaefer prayed for "true love," and in a matter of weeks, she met a fireman named Rick May. But Rick's impact on her life would be far bigger than a romantic relationship. She was about to learn about true love in more ways than one.

Welcome to "A Closer Walk," by Mississippi Christian Living! Each month, MCL Editor Katie Eubanks will record an informal conversation with someone featured in the magazine. It could be anybody - from the person on the cover to a columnist or someone who shared their testimony.So why is the show called "A Closer Walk"? Some episodes (hopefully most of them!) will encourage you to draw closer to Christ. Some will bring you closer to your neighbors as you listen to their stories. Some might bring you closer to yourself as you realize, "Hey, that sounds like me!" And others might just give you a closer understanding of a helpful topic found in the magazine, like the connections between mental, physical and spiritual health.Though the format and topics might change over time, the end game of the podcast - drawing closer to God, our neighbors and ourselves in love - will stay the same.

Neil Woodall Jr. was a natural athlete and a "tough" guy - exactly who he'd been raised to be. Then a freak accident introduced him to prescription painkillers. In MCL's pilot episode of "A Closer Walk," Neil explains how he fell into addiction, and how he met God in a powerful way after finally reaching out for help.