Resting Merry with Duane Montague

It's the most romantic and loving day of the year! But what if you don't feel loved? What if you have zero romance? What if you have no Valentine? How do you celebrate a day dedicated to love and stay filled with joy and peace? Find out on this episode, where host Duane Montague shares some honest truths about love, romance, and why you can still rest merry, even if your mailbox is as empty as Charlie Brown's.

In the first episode of 2024, Duane highlights the struggle he faced in 2023 when he lost his inspiration. In a personal and honest recounting, he shares what happened when he gave up Facebook and Instagram, and the re-igniting of his passion thanks to journaling, scripture, time with his family--and a really great episode of the show The Bear.

After a hiatus, the Resting Merry podcast returns with exciting news, some joyful encouragement for a world desperately needing it, and a few reminders on what joy can be. Grab your coffee and join host Duane Montague for a brand new episode.

On today's episode, find out what a major accident and the assassination of James Garfield have to do with one of life's hardest lessons: not holding on to the wounds of life. Host Duane Montague shares some personal insight on how #acceptance can bring joy and peace, even when we have pain in our past. #SaturdayThoughts #encouragement #ChristianLiving #family #honesty

After nearly 24 years of parenting four very different kids, host Duane Montague and his wife Robyn accidentally discovered three rules that have worked for them. Whatever your situation or style, these three rules may be just what you need to help you family hold on to joy and peace as your kids grow up. #fanily #parenting #lifewithkids #dadthoughts #parents

On today's episode, host Duane Montague reflects on the record winter storms California has had recently--and how they mirror the rainy days of life. When all the rain ends, what do we get? If what he discovers on a morning walk are any indication, good things are ahead.

One of Walt Disney's biggest movies of the 1960's, a 1940's song by Johnny Mercer, and a passage from the Apostle Paul all remind us how to rest merry by putting our thoughts and minds on what matters most. Whether you're feeling glad, positive, or thinking on things that are admirable or lovely doesn't matter--what matters is finding something in every moment of every day that keeps your mind in the healthy place God intended for it.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://duanesm.com/2020/01/15/think-pollyanna/

A key to finding joy and peace in your everyday life is focus. What are you thinking about most often? Do you dwell on the past? Do you worry about the future? In today's episode, Duane Montague shows how resting merry is all about what you're looking at, and whether you're spending too much time in your garage.

One of the biggest things we face is a nasty little thing that does nothing but steal joy and peace. Whenever you face uncertainty or a storm in life, this little thing sneaks in, robs you of your time, your happiness, your health--but it doesn't have to. In today's episode, Duane Montague shares insight about something he's faced far more often than he'd like to admit--but that he's still learning not to give in to. Hakuna Matata? No, Peace--be sill!

After a break, host Duane Montague returns with a personal reflection on that struggle we face when things happen and we want to know why. What do an old Christian comic book, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber, and the Bible have to do with all of that? Find out in the latest episode.

Even happily married couples fight. We are humans, after all, and how can we argue or disagree without doing permanent damage? On this episode, host Duane Montague shares some secrets to healthy fighting that he and his wife Robyn have learned after 24 years of marriage.

On this special Christmas Day episode, host Duane Montague encourages you to find your joy, celebrate, let your heart be filled, and remember the GOOD NEWS and GREAT JOY which is for every single one of us. What a great and glorious day to rest merry together!

As we narrow the days until Christmas Day, it's good to be reminded that no matter how your holiday goes, joy is still yours. In today's episode, host Duane Montague refers to two of his favorite authors, one incredible word, and the wonder that joy is already given to you--the "good ending" you may be waiting for has already been written!

Sometimes life is going great, and sometimes it's--not. Wherever you're at today, host Duane Montague offers hope and honesty about why the word "Emmanuel" is more than just part of a Christmas carol, and why it matters to you. He doesn't offer platitudes or generic "Christian" phrases, because what God offers is far greater.

While A Christmas Carol is a great book and a fantastic Christmas book, it's about so much more. On this episode, host Duane Montague reflects on how Charles Dickens' best-loved book helped him find joy and peace through making amends and letting go of bitterness. Maybe we have a lot more in common with Ebenezer Scrooge than we realize--and maybe, like Scrooge, we can change and "keep Christmas" better than anyone else. 

Are you facing an impossible situation this holiday season? Do the struggles of your everyday life seem like they are too difficult to overcome, that your problems are too big to get around? Welcome to one of the best things about Christmas: it's all about the moment when the most impossible thing ever in the history of humanity becomes possible. Or, as the Fairy Godmother sang in the Broadway version of "Cinderella," "It's possible!" Join host Duane Montague for an encouraging look at one of the most overlooked reminders in the Christmas story.

The jolly man in the red suit can be one of the most controversial conversations in homes this time of year, but one of the secrets of Resting Merry is understanding why Santa--and none of the traditions we cherish most--really matter at all. In this episode, host Duane Montague shares an honest truth--he doesn't really care how you feel about Santa Claus.

As we kick off December and the official start of reading Resting Merry, host Duane Montague shares the story behind the book, where the idea of "resting merry" originated, and why you can be encouraged as the countdown to Christmas begins.

On a brief holiday episode of Resting Merry, host Duane Montague offers a bit of encouragement as we sit down to dinner with people who may not agree with us.

It seems like we've been living in uncertain times since long before the pandemic, and when it's the "worst time ever," how can we rest merry? Host Duane Montague shares some thoughts on why "the times are just the times" and why that matters.

When we live in a time of such high emotion, when everything can be shared or felt in an instant, host Duane Montague reminds us that sometimes the better thing may not be obvious. If we stop the reposts, stop the retweets, and just pause for a moment--we may discover how even in an emotional world, we can still rest merry.

In a world where influence and power seem to be the two main draws for humanity, it can be hard to rest merry. In this episode, host Duane Montague remembers a conversation with a co-worker, quotes from J. R. R. Tolkien and the film adaptations of his works, and reminds us how to live in a merrier world.

Ever felt like today was just too overwhelming? If you have felt like giving up and throwing in the towel, today's Resting Merry may be what you need to hear. Host Duane Montague offers encouragement and a bit of wisdom from one of his favorite songwriters. 

As parents, we are quick to stop our kids when they start to obsess over something because we know it distracts them from schoolwork, friendships, and other things. But what about us? Can we ever have too much of a good thing? Host Duane Montague reviews why parents need to remember what happens when we lose our focus, too.

On this episode, host Duane Montague shares why resting merry involves far more than the holiday season--and why it's important to look for it in things like family, relationships, books, movies, moments--and why it can take the pressure off of December and the holidays.

In this inaugural episode of Resting Merry, author and host Duane Montague explains why the phrase "rest you merry" is far bigger and greater than just a wish for a bunch of gentlemen (and women) during the holidays. With characteristic warmth, honesty, and humor, Duane invites you to experience what "resting merry" can mean in your life.