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Life got you down? What if you could laugh anyway? Christian comedian Tracy DeGraaf (along with her bff Cathrine) will drop weekly episodes (Wednesdays) on topics you care about like how your marriage can survive your husband’s loud chewing, how you can laugh about your kids driving you nuts, and how to scoff off those lady whiskers and not worry about your Howdy Doody sleep wrinkle. Tracy and Cathrine have been next door neighbors and besties for over 20 years. They survived the Great Recession, teenage years, disappointment, health crisis, depression and other stuff that sucks. They have truly learned the secret of Life Happens Laugh Anyway. At the end of each episode, the ladies will point you to faith in Jesus Christ as the ultimate answer regardless of how weird life gets.
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
Have you wondered how Halloween became a thing?
https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
The origins of Halloween go back a few thousand years and there's plenty of "goopety gop" thrown in.
FUN FACTS
We share lots of fun facts such as...1/4 of all the candy sold annually in the USA is purchased for Halloween. And, more people (especially millennials) are buying costumes for their pets. Curious about how Americans celebrated Halloween in the middle of Covid19? Did they buy candy? Tune in to find out. Also, Cathrine reveals what she does with her leftover candy and Tracy is appalled.
THE DEBATE TO CELEBRATE FOR CHRISTIANS
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/should-my-family-celebrate-halloween/
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Summary: We cover the TRUTH about the funk that "Covid 19,20,21" has delivered to all of us. Before the pandemic, we used to travel most of the month of October bringing comedy and inspiration to Breast Cancer Awareness events across the USA. I share how all of that started.
WHY should you get screened for breast cancer? Early detection is your best friend when it comes to breast cancer. The sooner cancer is detected, the better your odds of beating it. Take care of your health ladies. You matter. You matter to your family, friends, coworkers, etc... GET ON IT GALS.
WHO should get screened?
HOW can you overcome common objections to getting screened?
Obstacle #1: COST
Cost is a big obstacle to cancer screenings. Call your local hospital and find out if there are government assistance programs to help reduce or absorb the cost of your breast cancer screening.
Obstacle #2: DON'T WANT TO KNOW
Another obstacle can be women who just don't want to know if they have cancer so they avoid getting a screening altogether. This is a valid obstacle, however, cancer doesn't care about your feelings on screenings. Cancer has a job and it's to grow, multiply, divide. Cancer will just keep doing that until it's caught. Get your screenings friends!
OBSTACLE #3: PAINFUL
Mammograms hurt. This can also be an obstacle. Get your mammogram anyway. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it's not as painful as looking into the eyes of someone you love and telling them you have late stage cancer. Get your screenings friends!
Tracy share's her story about getting her cancer diagnosis (she's now five years cancer free, so PRAISE THE LORD!)
INSPIRATION FROM SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:10
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/
https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/screening-recommendations-by-age.html
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Birth
Summary: Birth has been around forever. Right? Of course it has. On this episode of The Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast, we talk all things BIRTH. Yay! Ladies, you have to listen to the part about “twilight sleep,” a barbaric method previously used to sedate women during birth. Cra cra….for real and just be grateful that this is no longer done, at least not in the USA. However, we also cover women who want to give birth to their human baby with dolphins (you have to hear this because you won’t believe it) and women who give birth and then carry the placenta around until it falls off naturally (and you thought your belly button was odd). There are women who use crystals and such as prenatal care….for real. Just trust me, listen to the whole episode. In the end, like always, we share a little spiritual encouragement.
How have things changed over the last 30 years with birth?
Science has increased the opportunities for babies to be born: In vitro fertilization, epidurals, C-section. Infant mortality rates have gone down and more women are breast feeding now. A surprise to us because we thought there would be more women breast feeding in the old days rather than now. Things have really evolved with growing and delivering humans. So awesome.
Our experiences with birthing 8 children (Tracy 5 and Cathrine 3)
With eight births between us, we’ve been through some stuff! Tracy had two births with no pain relief (NOT by choice), Cathrine had back labor that made her want to have a "backectomy" and she gave birth to a blue baby….a very serious situation requiring open heart surgery on her newborn. Yikes! Happily, all's well that ends well and it all ended well….so far that is.
You will also learn some tips on how to say NO to grandparents who want to be in the room while you give birth and what NOT to eat if you’re the dad.
The Miracle of Life
Cathrine references the PBS film “The Miracle of Life” that takes viewers literally on the inside. We still don’t know how they got in there, but it’s a documentary film covering the miracle of birth from conception to “It’s a BOY” or “It’s a GIRL.” It’s a combination of photography, music and graphic art helping to tell the story of how it all happens.
Full Disclaimer: We are Christians and as such, Creationists meaning we believe that the miracle of birth comes from our Creator, God. We don’t know exactly how it works, but we have faith and believe God made it. All of it. Others have other opinions. However, for the record, we give all credit where credit is due and that is God for the miracle of birth. (We also thank Him profusely for the invention of epidural which is extremely helpful.)
There are a number of videos on Youtube containing the Miracle of Life. Below is a link to one of them:
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Psalm 139:13-16.
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Pros and Cons of getting a pet.
Summary: Mom, are you being pressured by multiple tear-filled eyes begging you for a dog? Cat? Or some sort of family pet. Is someone in your family an animal lover, but you not-so-much? Cathrine and Tracy both share their own experiences and opinions on pets from acquiring fury friends out of total mom-guilt to a beta fish committing suicide to Tracy having to confront a literal cat burglar....the stories are real!
What do the studies show? Yes! It is a fact that the pros of pets is a thing. There are many health benefits to owning a pet including stress relief, blood pressure regulation and more. However, there are also cons like the added mess and stress of pet care. We go over all the pros and cons to help you think about everything before you add a four-legged family member. We cover ALL of the questions one MUST ask themselves before making the huge commitment of pet ownership.
The Centers for Disease Control website is linked below that covers keeping pets and people healthy.
The Webmd link below covers health benefits of pets.
https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-of-pets
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Genesis 1:28.
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Football Season and Marriage
Summary: Does your hubby LOVE football, but you don't? Welcome to the club. Even though 45% of the football fanbase is made up of women, there are still those who don't. This episode is targeted to women who don't give a fiddler's fart about football. Prepare yourselves because we get the giggles going on this one.
Focus on the Family link: How to Resolve Football Season Woes in Marriage by Jim Daly https://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/how-to-resolve-football-season-woes-in-marriage/
Cathrine confesses that she sometimes sulks when Kenny is watching football (she's a football widow). This article recommends...
- Be respectful when your spouse is watching football.
- Sacrifice and watch a game.
- If you can't bean 'em join 'em
- Do self-care
- Turn the game into a social event
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Philippians 2:3-6.
Call to action: Be a good sport. Fake it 'til you make it. You've done it before. ;0)
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring (when she can) comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Home Security & Safety
Summary: Is your home secure? Do you know the most vulnerable points of your home for an intruder to get in? In this episode we share lots of security awareness, safety tips and encourage you to come up with a plan to keep you and your stuff safe!
Security Awareness: One of the most dangerous thoughts a homeowner can have when it comes to a burglary is “It will never happen to me.” You let your guard down and BAM you’re a target. Don’t let that happen to you. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of “not getting your home broken into.”
Catherine shares about her camper being broken into: Yes, it’s true, criminals will actually break into vehicles, campers, garages, sheds and homes. They’d probably break into an egg if they thought they could sell the yolk.
Tracy shares how a criminal took her last $300: A stressful day became even more stressful after moving, visiting our friend’s sick child in the hospital and forgetting my purse at a restaurant. Of course when I returned to get it, the purse was there but the money was gone.
Cat’s Home Security checklist:
Cat’s stats on burglaries:
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/burglary-statistics/
Tracy’s link on home security:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/06/14-ways-to-make-your-home-more-secure/index.htm
Extra door security that bolts to the floor. https://nightlock.com/door-security-devices/residential/nightlock-original/
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Job 11:18.
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring (when she can) comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Should adult children pay rent?
Summary: Getting those “baby birds” to fly is a thing. It’s a process for both parents and their grown children. What are parents to do if their children continue to live at home? In this episode, we will dive into that important topic.
Should you or should you not charge rent? That’s the question of the day and it’s a big one. The bottom line is a resounding YES, they should pay rent. This was the overwhelming consensus of all of our research. (Even though Tracy’s son swears that she and Muffin are the ONLY parents who charge their grown kids rent. Ha ha.) The internet says “Tracy and Muffin are correct.”
When should you charge rent? Should they pay up on their 18th birthday? Well, not quite. Every situation is different. So the answer is….it depends! It depends on the son or daughter. Are they still in school? Do they work? Are they able to support themselves financially even in part? Or maybe they are in school full time and work part time.
We realize that circumstances vary, so here’s a rule of thumb: definitely charge rent before age 25. If your son or daughter isn’t in school, but is working, they probably should be paying rent.
How much should they pay? Such a great question. My (Tracy’s) personal opinion is that the rent should be motivating but not exasperating. It should be enough to make them want to move out but not enough to empty their bank account.
Our research showed a percentage of their income is recommended. That percentage is 10-25%. I suppose it might depend on your son or daughter’s other expenses and whether or not you want to help them with that as to which end of the spectrum you choose.
So...there ya have it. Yes! Charge them rent. Do so somewhere between 18 and 25 (the sooner you let them know this is the expectation, the better) and charge them anywhere between 10 and 25% of their income. Sounds like a plan. Now, are you going to do it? Let us know in the comments.
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Romans 13:8.
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring (when she can) comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At church shows she points the audience to Jesus. At hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Popular Phrases and Idioms
Summary: Have you ever wondered about the origin of popular phrases and idioms? There are hundreds of them in everyday language. Idioms are a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light ). In this episode of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast, we dive into these fun and funny sayings.
- Break a leg.
- Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
- Off the cuff.
- Put a sock in it.
- Raining cats and dogs.
- Rule of thumb.
- Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
- Don’t burn bridges.
- Ball’s in your court.
- Beat around the bush.
- Bite off more than you can chew.
Idioms we grew up with:
- Make a mountain out of a molehill.
- I give you an inch, you take a mile.
- Let’s went.
- Leave it for “dogsbody” Doreen.
- Six of one half a dozen of another.
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
- Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
- Birds of a feather flock together.
- More than one fish in the sea.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- Can’t hoot with the owls if you want to soar with the eagles.
- Time waits for no one.
Be mindful to NOT be insulting with words: With idioms (and all language) we have to be so careful to make sure we aren’t insulting others.
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Proverbs 18:21
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT COMEDIAN TRACY DEGRAAF***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, combining two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At the end of church shows she points the audience to Jesus, and at the end of her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings. For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Is it too late for a big change?
Summary: Did you go to college, but for whatever reason, didn’t finish? You’re not alone. One study says that 40% of people are in that boat. This episode of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway Podcast talks about what steps to take if you’re feeling the itch to make a switch and possibly go back to school.
Should you make a major career change? That’s the big question and it’s also the first question that needs to be answered BEFORE anything else. Find your “why.” Why do you want to pursue a change? Check out http://www.crossroadscareer.org for more info. It is a non-profit faith-based organization helping people find their purpose through work and pointing everyone to faith in Jesus Christ.
Need money to go back to school? 7 Ways You Can Afford to Go Back to School can help.
- Fill out the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA).
- Take advantage of tax breaks.
- Open a 529 College-savings plan for yourself.
- Look for nontraditional scholarships.
- Call your financial aid office.
- Take a free or low-cost course online.
- Take an 9n-person college course.
Going back to college as an adult? Here’s what you need to know.
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Psalm 32:8
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings. For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
APPS, MAPS and MISHAPS: How to have stress free road trips.
What you'll get out of this episode...
- APPS that'll make your road trip stress free!
- GPS not working? This episode tells you how to be prepared for that.
- Plus, we share what NOT to do on a road trip. Wink. Wink. NEVER agree to look at a stranger's clawfoot tub and don’t trust people who tie their dogs to a tree with a rope. True story.
7 apps we won't travel without.
These are great navigation apps and also help in planning fuel and food stops and random shopping trips to Goodwill if you happen to be addicted to...ya know, thrift shopping. (See Episode 7 of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway Podcast for more on thrifting.)
Remember paper? As in paper maps? Also known as an atlas?
What if something happens and you can’t get a wi-fi signal? What if your battery dies on your phone, and your vehicle doesn’t have GPS? How will you get to your destination? A good old fashioned paper map can be a life-saver. Our suggestion is to purchase a new atlas that has current roads and keep it in your vehicle so you have a back-up. Look at the route you are planning to take before heading out so you have a rough idea of how you’re getting to your final destination. We didn’t mention this on the broadcast, but a compass might come in handy as well.
MISHAPS: Getting lost, shady garage sales and road side flea markets, and plenty of car trouble...because nobody wants to hear about uneventful road trips.
In the MISHAPS portion of this episode, we share from our many road trip adventures like the time we ended up in St. Louis, but we were trying to get from Illinois to Alabama. And the time our two GPS devices were disagreeing with each other and one voice was male and one was female. Classic!
Then there was the time we stopped along the road to buy stuff from what looked like a pop up flea market and a different time when we saw junk outside of someone’s house and we thought it was a yard sale, but when the man came out and we noticed his dog tied to a tree with a rope we decided umm, to leave!
Plus, we discuss car trouble, taking pictures of the engine and sending them to Muffin (Tracy’s husband) for repair advice, praying for Jesus to help us with the car that would stop randomly at the most inopportune times. That car also decided that it wasn’t looking back anymore and it would only go forward. There was no reverse. Let’s just say you become very mindful of where you’re going to park when you drive such a vehicle.
Our spiritual encouragement comes from Deuteronomy 31:8.
Thanks for tuning in!
Tracy and Cathrine
P.S. The goal of the Life Happens Laugh Anyway podcast is to present our audience with a relevant topic weekly in an entertaining way followed by some spiritual encouragement. #lifehappenslaughanyway #tracydegraaf
***MORE ABOUT TRACY DEGRAAF COMEDY***
Tracy DeGraaf is a U.S.A. national touring (when she can) comedian based in the Chicago area working primarily with churches and hospitals on outreach events. She is a Christian and a breast cancer survivor, so she combines two of her passions: Jesus and Mammograms into her comedy ministry. She loves Jesus, but doesn’t want women to meet Him just yet. At her church shows she points the audience to Jesus at the end and at her hospital shows she encourages all to get and stay current on cancer screenings.
For more information go to TracyDeGraaf.com.
Check out Tracy’s social media. Facebook Youtube Instagram