Plain Values Podcast

In this bonus episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin and Carson Combs—a city planner for Licking County, Ohio—discuss the growth and multiplication of data centers across the country and the questions and concerns that they raise. How will these data centers impact resources such as water and energy now and in the long-term? What is actually true and what is still unknown about these centers? What about noise pollution?

Acknowledging the many unknowns, Carson and Marlin approach this conversation with caution, concern, and curiosity, seeking to distinguish between what is true and what is simply unclear.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/https://plainvalues.com

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When you hear the name RuthAnn Zimmerman you think of homesteading. In today’s episode of the Plain Values Podcast, we hear the full story behind RuthAnn and Elvin’s journey to becoming one of the leading voices of influence in the modern homesteading movement.

Long before social media and RuthAnn’s millions of followers knew of her, both Elvin and RuthAnn grew up in Pennsylvania in the Old Order Mennonite church, though they did not meet there. As teenagers, both Elvin and RuthAnn seemed to have rebellious spirits and their parents decided it best to send them away for a time. The two rebel hearts connected in Iowa and were soon baptized and married in the church there.

RuthAnn was a school teacher for a few years there, so once they had their own children, she had the know-how to homeschool. She soon became friends with some non-Mennonite women in her homeschool group and she started to see things a bit differently. The Holy Spirit was calling Elvin and RuthAnn into a real relationship with Him.

One particular weekend, they both had a revelation that if Jesus was here today, He would not be allowed into their own church. Jesus was calling them to follow Him, but they were scared to lose their community.

Already feeling on the fringes of their church because of their liberal thinking and uncommitted rule following, the decision came to a head when RuthAnn was denied communion in front of the church because of an incident with her frizzy hair.

Though they left the Mennonite church and embraced the modern conveniences of the world for a time, they quickly saw consequences. They all felt worse than ever from the grocery store food and their daughter especially became quite sick. So they turned back to the skills they learned from their upbringing and grew their own food again. They knew, though they had the freedom to choose any convenience they wanted, they could choose the simple lifestyle without the religious oppression.

Today, Elvin and RuthAnn are intentional about teaching their children to follow Jesus even if it goes against the world, their community, or even their parents. The freedom to choose our lifestyle and to choose a relationship with Jesus is the gift of the Gospel for everyone on earth.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/https://plainvalues.com

In today’s bonus conversation from the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin talks with Carson Combs about AI, the danger it poses, and the consequences it brings.

Carson questions the power that AI uses just to have information at your fingertips. It’s like any tool, the user’s intent dictates whether AI is used for good or evil. His long-term concern is that AI is another way for people to isolate and stop communicating in face to face conversations.

The conversation then turns to busyness. Carson asks, “What are we really doing in our life, and how does that tie back to what the Bible says?” It’s not just about the “stuff” we collect, it’s also about how we’re filling our time. When we don’t take the time to pause, we don’t realize how far removed we’ve become over time.

Our culture has been fed the lie that AI will help us have more time to slow down and connect with people again because we’re not focused on the details. And nothing could be farther from the truth. The advancing technology has only sped our lives up, causing us to work harder to keep up, and most of us just burn out. Carson shares that if we don’t put boundaries in place, we’ll never be free.

Everything comes down to priorities and intentionality. Are we living for the world or are we living for God?

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin sits down with Brian Troyer of Hope Bridge for a conversation about fostering communities and how Brian’s life led him into foster care ministry.

They begin the conversation talking about Brian’s upbringing in a Hartville Mennonite family. At the age of 21, Brian lost a friend in a tragic softball accident. This experience woke him up to the life he was living, and he soon found himself breaking up with his girlfriend and requesting time off from his place of work to join Reach, a mid-term missions program.

Brian’s time with Reach was formative to say the least. It was there that he met his wife, Brittany, and later where they together saw the huge need for foster care in the world. When they moved back to Hartville after five years with Reach, they immediately began their journey with fostering. They fostered for seven years and are now working with Hope Bridge who builds up fostering communities in Ohio.

One common rejection of foster care is how it may negatively affect a family’s other children. For Brian, he has seen the opposite effect in their son, Malachi. He loves to tell people he has 14 siblings and that his favorite day ever is the day they adopted his younger brother.

Not everyone should foster, but everyone should do something. Everyone can be involved in some way. Fifty percent of foster families drop out after the first year, and 80 percent after the second year, with the number one reason being lack of support. When a foster family has a supportive community around them, the chances of the family lasting over two years rises to over 95 percent. This is why Hope Bridge exists. This is the call to the church.

What can you do to support a foster family in your community today?

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/https://plainvalues.com

🔵 Guest Bio and Links …

https://hopebridgeohio.org

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

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🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield

Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH

Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/

🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

#plainvalues #hopebridge #fostercare #fostercommunity #reach

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin sits down with Rachel Baker of the 99+1 Foundation. Rachel grew up in Holmes County but now lives in Oklahoma where she works for a foundation caring for young people who are aging out of the foster care system.

If a child enters the foster system above the age of ten, there is a very low chance of being adopted, and a very high chance of them ending up homeless, in prison, or dead within three years of aging out of the system. The 99+1 Foundation exists to change that story.

The Foundation cares not only for the young aging out, but also for widows who may be in need of a place as well. This creates a beautiful dynamic of the older mentoring the younger.

Neurofeedback is an exercise for the brain that helps calm the central nervous system. Rachel uses Neurofeedback to work with young and old people who have experienced trauma and has helped correct anything from poor sleep to seizures.

Like George Mueller, the ministry often runs on prayer alone. Meals show up out of nowhere when needed. Buildings get renovated. Needs are met. The heart of the Father is not to disregard the broken, but to take what is there and restore it to something beautiful. This is the story of the 99+1 Foundation.

If you want to learn more or support this ministry restoring the Kingdom, go to http://www.99plus1.foundation.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/https://plainvalues.com

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - Rachel's Backstory

03:29 - Hardships of Aging Out of Foster Care

07:02 - Education Challenges for Foster Youth

10:02 - Unconditional Love and Trauma

11:46 - Neurofeedback and its Huge Benefits

17:00 - 99 Plus 1 Foundation: Restoration and the Father's Heart

22:35 - Coffee Shop Initiative: Job Skills and Community Outreach

24:31 - Trusting God Just Like George Müller Did

26:15 - Don't Forget the Wise Older Generation

27:29 - 99 Plus 1 Today

28:29 - How to Support 99 Plus 1

29:42 - How Can We Pray for You?

🔵 Guest Bio and Links …

https://99plus1.foundation

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

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👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

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🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield

Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH

Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/

🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

#plainvalues #fostercare #agingout #neurofeedback #restoration

In this Minute With Marlin, Marlin is joined by his friends, Jerry and Lynn Wright, all the way from “the bad half of Washington.” They met at a homesteading event a few years ago and hit it off quickly once they realized they had something in common—they both had loved ones with Down syndrome.

The golden nugget of wisdom in this episode comes from Jerry as he shares what his father told him when he was a young teenager, “Dad said he was going to be getting dumber over the next few years, and then in my twenties he’d be getting smarter again.”

Looking back at the words his father spoke into his life during those “dumb” years, Jerry found this to be true. His dad never became dumber or smarter, but his perspective of the wisdom he shared changed over the years and impacted him differently.

Do you have people in your life you’ve found to get smarter as you grow older?

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

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In this episode of the Plain Values podcast, Dawn Combs joins Marlin for a conversation covering all the Big Corps–Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Chemical, Big Tech and beyond.

Being practically neighbors with Scott’s and Nestlè corps, Dawn says she lives “ in the belly of the beast.” Then, just on the other side of Columbus sits Licking County which has drawn the attention of Big Tech. Data Centers drink up to 50 million gallons of water a day and the large aquifers there have them drooling for the land. Dawn’s husband Carson happens to be the sitting City Planning Director within Licking County. Being a Christian man and advocate for holistic, regenerative ag and stewarding creation, Carson believes he has an opportunity to show the world how we can move forward alongside technology in a responsible way.

Ethnobotany is where folklore and science meet. It’s the study of how certain cultures made use of the indigenous plants in each region, with the aspect of understanding the science behind why it worked. Due to its pagan nature, it’s not a subject many christians find themselves in, but Dawn has been drawn to it all her life, seeking the truth within the lore.

Marlin and Dawn dive deep into the subject of the western infertility world which Dawn experienced for three years before she fired her doctors and diagnosed herself. Treating herself with herbs and teas, she went on to naturally have two children. Not only did she heal herself, but she healed a broken generational pattern within her family. Dawn explains, “Our best healing remedies mimic God’s design… in the western mindset it’s all about controlling the body and making it do what you want it to.” They continue discussing western medicine and processed foods and the “treadmill” these keep us running on.

Big Ag and Big Fertility are essentially doing the same thing. They are forcing infertile soil to produce life beyond its capacity. They are bypassing God’s design and forcing their will upon it, without any thoughts of the repercussions. Dawn says there’s a better way, and she’s dedicated her life to discovering it.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/https://plainvalues.com

In this episode of Minute with Marlin, Marlin traces the origins of the podcast all the way back to when his dad died, 15 years ago.

A few months after Marlin’s dad passed, he, his brother, and his mom visited Arthur, IL for a large family reunion. Inevitably at some point, the stories of his dad began to flow, and Marlin wished the day would never end.

Marlin’s vision when he began the podcast in 2025 was to recreate that day of storytelling and connection, so stories and moments like those could live on. It became wildly clear how real that vision was soon after he sat down in the studio with his uncle “Monk” along with some cousins to record a four-hour conversation. Unexpectedly, just three weeks later, they lowered Monk into the ground and said goodbye.

This is why the Plain Values Podcast exists. Capturing the stories for the next generations. If you have a story worth capturing, send us an email at reachout@plainvalues.com.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast Marlin meets Ben Garrett, a woodworker (though he failed at that), pastor, writer, podcaster, and bigfoot researcher. Ben is the pastor at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah, the co-host of the Haunted Cosmos podcast, and author of the book Killing Lust: Fighting for Purity in a Pornographic Age.

Ben begins the episode talking about how he came to Utah and Refuge Church. They discuss childhood, family, and parenting. Then they jump into the deep end discussing the spiritual realm, Bigfoot, mythology, scary stories, and what these should mean to us today.

What do we gain by talking about scary stories? Ben answers this question first by cautioning against an unhealthy fascination with the ugly. He goes on to say, “When you (in a measured and sober minded way) are exposed to the ugly, it gives you a greater appreciation for the beautiful. When you make adequate eye contact with the terrible lie, it gives you a much greater appreciation for the truth.”

Ben talks about “the cababasis of man.” The descent of man into death or the underworld, and the ascent out. In stories the character grows and learns something that could only come through that descent. Ben and Marlin also discuss materialism, AI, and Ben’s newest book, Killing Lust.

This book was written to be worked through alongside a mentor. Not an “accountability partner” or group of guys on the same level of maturity as the addict, but someone further along the journey who can call them out when needed. Anyone who struggles with lust, if they are in church, already has all the tools they need to overcome this sin. This book reminds us of those tools.

They close in discussing Milton’s Adam in Paradise Lost and how even after his sin, he may have been the most joyful man who ever lived because he saw Christ and tasted salvific grace.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/

🔵 Where to find Ben:

@tompawnbadil (X)

newchristendompress.com/killinglust

http://thehauntedcosmos.com

Ben is the senior writer at New Christendom Press, Co-host of the Haunted Cosmos podcast, and Pastor at Refuge Church in Ogden, UT.

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength

Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family.

Learn more:https://rusticstrength.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard

Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point.

Learn more:https://www.azurestandard.com/

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/

👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

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🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield

Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH

Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/

🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

Where does the name “Plain Values” come from? The magazine was started 14 years ago within the Plain Community. Marlin himself was born Amish and still has many Amish family members. Though Marlin is no longer Amish, these “plain values” are rooted deeply within him and the brand he created.

While reading in Romans, Marlin had a “light bulb” moment where he realized that God is always revealing to us new things and connecting new dots. Sometimes it just takes us a little while to see the bigger picture that He is painting.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/

👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast Marlin finally sits down with Daniel Salatin—son of “the most famous farmer in America.”

The conversation begins with Marlin asking Daniel about his childhood. Daniel reminisces of his very normal years on the farm, long before fame and documentaries placed his dad in the spotlight. His dad's love of literature, as well as his many roles in the massive chicken butchering operation, played a part in shaping Daniel's life.

The conversation moves on to some of the different programs Polyface has each year. Their Steward program brings many interesting people from all walks of life (including Veterans) to the farm, creating plenty of memorable stories.

Daniel’s favorite routine farming work happens in the cattle corral. He loves to see how certain farming methods, like the low stress technique and others, have been scientifically proven to bring about health and healing.

Daniel is a farmer and doesn’t think a whole lot about Artificial Intelligence, but he says, "You can't Google experience." AI gives facts but cannot give you the context of "talking story," which largely affects those facts.

Daniel and Joel ask for prayer for the legacy of Polyface Farm. Not for the Salatin name but for the practices of healing and restoration of the land.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength

Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family.

Learn more:https://rusticstrength.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard

Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point.

Learn more:https://www.azurestandard.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001

If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living.

Learn more:https://homesteadliving.com/invited-collection-001/?referrer=grok.comhttps://plainvalues.com/invited

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/

👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

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🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield

Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH

Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/

🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

Do you have a story to tell? A story of miraculous nature or of ordinary faithfulness? A story of life and love, of grief and pain? The Plain Values podcast is here for stories such as these. Stories from people who have been through it, and despite the odds come out grateful on the other side.

If this story is yours, or if you know someone who Marlin should meet, please email us at reachout@plainvalues.com.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

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A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/

👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

In this episode of the Plain Values podcast, Marlin sits down a second time with Joel Salatin to discuss several cultural hot potatoes like Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big tech, and how Christians should think about these things. They also discuss several Christian mandates around business, animal care, the elderly, and how we should view death.

They begin by discussing what Joel considers to be the biggest crisis in America–our tendency to accept without question the narratives that are fed to us. Joel shares his belief in the Christian mandate to question the given narrative and discover for ourselves the truth behind the lies.

Continuing on, they also discuss the rise and danger of communism in America, how Joel thinks about money, and his philosophies for growing his business.

Does God care about the happiness of farm animals? If you’re a Christian, the answer is of course, yes. Joel poses the question, “If God cares about the chicken, how should this affect the way we raise them?” Christians are the salt of the world and are meant to stand out. From the way we raise our animals, to how we run our business, and all the relationships in between, we should look different from the world.

In issue 145 of Plain Values magazine, Joel wrote an article called “Postponing Heaven.” Marlin and Joel discuss this article and all the ways we ignore the realities of death in our culture. They close out the episode discussing life and death, and what Joel would like to do with his remaining time on earth.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength

Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family.

Learn more:https://rusticstrength.com/

🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷

🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard

Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point.

Learn more:https://www.azurestandard.com/

🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷

🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001

If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living.

Learn more:https://homesteadliving.com/invited-collection-001/

🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷🔹🔷

A great way to show support is to hit LIKE / SUBSCRIBE on this video, and most importantly, join the conversation in the COMMENTS below. We’d love to hear from you.

👉We have a beautiful magazine called Plain Values, sent quarterly ($49/year): https://plainvalues.com/pv-magazine-yt

👉To receive our FREE Plain Values emails: https://plainvalues.com/

👉To find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainvalues/

👉To find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainvalues/

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🎵 Hold My Hand - Sam Burchfield

Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH

Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/

🎵 Other music - Soundstripe

318EAKWK3YLRWQIK

XGP2ONZKO2TOQJQV

#plainvalues #joelsalatin #lunaticfarmer

Marlin had never shot a deer before. His friend took him hunting for another chance at his luck. They were talking, laughing, and rattling some antlers to try to lure the deer in.

They must have been doing more talking than hunting for they didn’t even notice when they had brought in a nice shooter buck. They only noticed when Marlin finally laughed a little too loud and the buck took notice of them. The buck spooked and ran away, and Marlin missed another chance at a nice buck.

Marlin reflects on this story and realizes he has no regrets about losing out on that deer. He decides he treasures the memory of sitting in a tree stand with his cousin, laughing and losing a buck, more than he would antlers on a wall. He chooses relationships over trophies.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

A tech company is scanning millions of old, rare books and then destroying them in the name of technological advancement.

What happens when we destroy real things and replace them with digital versions? We will never again know the originals.

Marlin shares of his love of books and the libraries that hold them. The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world with 164 million items preserved in its walls.

Marlin hopes to walk amongst those pages one day and would love to know which of his listeners have already been.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com/

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin continues his conversation with Larry from Pure Gift of God. What began as a simple fundraising and mentoring effort in 2013 has grown into something far deeper… therapy services, TBRI training, family support groups, and practical help for adoptive and foster families who refuse to walk alone.

Larry shares how the hard parts of adoption rarely end when the paperwork is signed. Ongoing struggles surface, and Pure Gift responded by building a therapy center and bringing in trusted practitioners.

Larry explains how trauma rewires a child’s brain and why traditional discipline often fails. The work is not about fixing kids with a magic tool. It is about helping parents understand the need behind the behavior, lower unrealistic expectations, and raise their acceptance.

He is honest: even those who know the principles still only get it right part of the time. Grace is required on every side.

They talk about the loneliness many families feel, the weight on marriages, and the simple ways the wider community can show up (meals, respite, laundry, presence) without waiting to be asked. Larry’s dream is larger still: more space, educator training, and a community strong enough that fewer children age out without a family.

The work is hard. The timeline is long. But the God who provides is still working on our behalf.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:55 - Relying on God's Provision

12:26 - Funding the Mission

16:27 - What is TBRI?

23:50 - All Behavior is Explained With Enough Information

36:54 - Larry's Favorite Story

50:55 - Finding Healing by Lowering the Mask

1:03:07 - Remove the Pedestal

1:09:37 - The Fall Festival at Walnut Creek

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S PREMIERE SPONSOR: Rustic Strength
Rustic Strength is the real deal. This hardworking family-owned company in Missouri makes high-quality, non-toxic laundry, home, and body care products in small batches… completely free from harsh chemicals, dyes, and synthetic junk you don’t want around your family.
Learn more: https://rusticstrength.com/

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Azure Standard
Our friends at Azure Standard have been quietly setting the standard for clean, wholesome food since the 1970s. Family-owned and values-driven, they make it simple to fill your pantry with organic, non-GMO groceries, bulk staples, and household essentials delivered straight to your door or a convenient local drop point.
Learn more: https://www.azurestandard.com

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🤝THIS EPISODE’S FEATURED SPONSOR: Invited: Collection 001

If you're craving stories that restore faith in hard times, Invited: Collection 001 is a handpicked "best of" from Plain Values magazine… uplifting accounts of triumph, simple joys, adoption beauty, homesteading wisdom, and gospel-centered living.

Learn more: https://homesteadliving.com/invited-collection-001/

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In 2023, we joined forces with Homestead Living. There’s some pretty cool stuff going on there, as well.

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🎵All music by Sam Burchfield (intro)
Sam Burchfield - Hold My Hand
Recorded Live - Plain Values - Winesburg, OH
Learn more about Sam: https://www.samburchfield.com/
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On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, friends and neighbors gathered at Plain Values HQ in Winesburg for an intimate house concert with singer-songwriter Chris Slaten, known as “Son of Laughter.”

The evening was intentionally small and cozy, the kind of night where the music feels personal and the stories land deeply. Chris filled the space with thoughtful, theologically rich songs that explore faith, redemption, longing, and the quiet beauty found in everyday life.

With coffee and homemade treats ready, and the Black Willow food truck serving before the doors opened at 6:00, the room settled into the kind of shared stillness that makes these nights special.

By the end of the evening, the songs had done what they do best: connected hearts, reminded us of the ache and hope of being human, and left people encouraged and refreshed.

Even if you missed the live event, you can watch the whole thing right here.

This concert captures exactly what we hope to cultivate with the Plain Values Podcast and our house concert series: telling stories that matter and bringing us closer together at the table.

If this evening filled your coffee cup, we’d be grateful if you’d leave a thoughtful comment, hit Like, and Subscribe so more friends can find these gatherings. We’re always looking for more friends.

Looking forward to the next one…

In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast, Marlin sits down with Chris Slaten (better known as Son of Laughter) a Chattanooga musician, English literature teacher, husband to Lindsay, and father of three. What unfolds is a rich, unhurried conversation about art, grace, storytelling, and the quiet work of faithfulness.

Chris traces the origin of his stage name to Sally Lloyd-Jones’s Jesus Storybook Bible and the story of Isaac: the child born in spite of his parents’ cynical laughter, a pattern that runs throughout Scripture of God creating beauty and new life out of human doubt.

That same tension fuels his music. Christian artists, he notes, get to work on the broadest possible palette… more cynical about the human condition than Quentin Tarantino, yet more hopeful than Walt Disney.

The conversation ranges widely: the slow, repetitive craft of songwriting; the joy of discovering intricate patterns in literature (and in Genesis) with high-school students; the humility of realizing how little we know; and the invitation to rest in a God who sees us in secret. Chris shares about a long-gestating musical on the life of Jacob, a character whose depths and heights perfectly embody the complicated canvas of grace.

Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, an artist, or simply someone carrying more than you can manage, this episode offers the steady reminder that the story is not over. The day’s demands are for bigger hands. The God who sings over His people is still writing, and still inviting us into the secret meeting under the blanket of His attention.

Learn more about Plain Values athttps://plainvalues.com/

Have you ever heard the phrase “no two snowflakes are alike”?

Marlin shares the fascinating story of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, a self-educated farmer from Jericho, Vermont.

In 1885, Bentley became the first person to successfully photograph a single snow crystal. He went on to take thousands of photographs of individual snowflakes and never found two that were exactly the same.

His work was published in magazines and universities around the world, and he became known as Snowflake Bentley.

Marlin wonders: What beautiful things can we discover if we slow down and take a closer look at the world around us?

These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick moments of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement… perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters.

Learn more about Plain Values at https://plainvalues.com/