In this episode, we dive into what it really means to chase happiness and why God cares more about our joy than we think.

Dorothy opens with a personal story about a time she feels God has “spoken” directly to her through other people. A pastor at Malibu Presbyterian Church points her back to a favorite verse, Philippians 4:6, and tells her to read the verses before and after. That simple instruction becomes, in Dorothy’s words, God’s own prescription for happiness: “Don’t worry, be happy… and meditate.”

From there, they jump into two surprising happiness guides:

• The Dalai Lama – through the new documentary The Wisdom of Happiness, directed by Barbara Miller, who joins the show.
• Pope Leo XIV – and his very relatable list of four favorite films, including It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Life is Beautiful.

Barbara shares what it was like to spend years making a film with the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas: his giggle, his simplicity, his teaching on loving others and loving yourself, why happiness starts with training the mind, and how he holds zero bitterness toward those who exiled him from Tibet. Dorothy and Jason reflect on guilt, anxiety, compassion, climate change, and what it might mean to really see every person as part of one human family not “us vs. them,” just we.

The episode closes with a tease of their upcoming conversation with legendary Los Angeles news anchor Pat Harvey, a woman Dorothy calls “the voice, the face, the heart of LA.”

In This Episode

• Dorothy’s story of God “talking” to her through a pastor and Philippians 4:6
• Why “Don’t worry, be happy” might actually be biblical
• The Bible and meditation: “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely… think on these things”
• Pope Leo’s four favorite films – and why Ordinary People is the surprise gut-punch on the list
• Joyce Meyer, guilt, and why God moves on faster than we do
• Dorothy’s “joy triggers” – ocean views, her son and daughter-in-law, and their dogs
• Director Barbara Miller on:
  
  • Spending five years making The Wisdom of Happiness The Dalai Lama’s giggle and what it reveals about his view of the world
  • Training the mind as the key to happiness
  • Loving others without losing yourself
  • Separating the actor from the action
  • Why he believes the next Dalai Lama could be a woman
  • How archival footage of a young Dalai Lama playing in the snow changes how we see him
  • The idea that there is no “we vs. they”—only we

Scripture & Ideas Mentioned

• Philippians 4:4–8
  
  • “Be anxious for nothing…” (v. 6)
  • “Rejoice in the Lord…” (v. 4)
  • Whatever is true, whatever is noble… think about such things.” (v. 8)
• Joy triggers – paying attention to small moments of joy and inviting God into them
• Loving your enemy by seeing their humanity while still rejecting harmful actions

Films & Resources Mentioned

• The Wisdom of Happiness – documentary featuring the 14th Dalai Lama, directed by Barbara Miller wisdomofhappinessfilm.com
• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
• The Sound of Music (1965)
• Ordinary People (1980)
• Life is Beautiful / La Vita è Bella (1997)

Coming Up Next

Dorothy and Jason sit down with Pat Harvey, longtime Los Angeles news anchor and woman of deep faith and joy. They’ll talk survival in TV news, sharing your heart from the anchor desk, and what faith looks like when the cameras are off.

🎧Chasing Faith in Malibu 🌊

Guest: Pastor Chris Bennett (Malibu Vintage Church)
Hosts: Dorothy Lucey & Jason Ball
Theme: Hearing God, risking comfort, and forgiving for real 🙏

Episode Summary

Dorothy and Jason kick off Chasing Faith in Malibu with Pastor Chris Bennett, the Oklahoma pastor who chased a call all the way to the coast—through uncertainty, cancer battles, and 20 moves with four kids. We dig into what it really means to live by faith, why forgiveness isn’t “letting them off the hook,” and how a church without a building can still catch fire. 🏕️➡️🔥

What You’ll Hear

• 00:03 Meet Dorothy & Jason 🎙️
• 00:55 The Malibu Vintage story ⛪️
• 01:48 Romans 1:17, Reformation revelations 📖
• 03:18 A prayer that sets the tone 🙌
• 04:16 Dad jokes, faith, and joy 😂
• 05:27 “God’s got us”: waiting, trusting, moving ⏳
• 06:53 From Oklahoma to L.A. with nothing but a promise 🚚
• 08:50 Julie’s cancer, perseverance, and grace 💪
• 10:15 An Instagram DM that changed everything 📲
• 12:42 Recognizing God’s voice 🔔
• 14:35 Living by faith even when you’re only 50% sure 🧭
• 17:40 Church as family—what we’re all craving 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• 20:12 “You’re welcome here, no matter where you are.” 🤝
• 21:14 Real forgiveness vs. fake forgiveness 🫶
• 23:53 Letting go of bitterness and keeping your peace 🕊️
• 25:23 Hosea 3:1, a Bible miracle, and radical grace ✨
• 28:08 How to handle the liar (spoiler: say Jesus’ name) 🛡️
• 30:06 Psychics, prophecy & discernment 🕯️
• 31:14 Pastoral burnout, Psalm 23, and rest 🌿
• 36:04 Church on the move—literally 🚛
• 38:00 Worship, music, and showing up on time 🎶
• 39:05 Your favorite houses of worship 🏛️
• 40:20 Next week: The Dalai Lama, joy, and film 🎥

Scripture Spotlight

✝️ Romans 1:17 — “The righteous shall live by faith.”
🐑 John 10 — The Shepherd’s voice
🌾 Psalm 23 — Rest for the weary
🛡️ James 4:7 — Resist the devil and he’ll flee
🤍 Colossians 3:13 — Forgive as Christ forgave
🏠 Psalm 68:6 — God places the lonely in family

About Our Guest

Pastor Chris Bennett leads Malibu Vintage Church and co-authored Fighting for Family with his wife Julie, a powerful story of forgiveness, endurance, and redemption. 📚

Resources Mentioned

• Malibu Vintage Church (weekly services + messages online)
• Fighting for Family by Chris & Julie Bennett
• Dorothy’s favorite Bible app for daily verses 📲

Join the Conversation

Jason’s an architecture nerd and Dorothy’s trying to visit every church in Rome 😅.
📸 DM or tag us with your favorite houses of worship—we’ll feature them on Instagram! #HouseOfWorship

Call to Action

If this episode spoke to you:
👉 Follow/Subscribe to Chasing Faith in Malibu
👉 Rate & Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
👉 Share it with someone waiting on God or wrestling with forgiveness
👉 Send us your stories—what does “chasing faith” look like for you?

Hashtags

#ChasingFaithInMalibu #DorothyLucey #JasonBall #PastorChrisBennett #MalibuVintageChurch #FightingForFamily #FaithInRealLife #Romans117 #Forgiveness #HolySpirit #Malibu #PodcastLaunch #LiveByFaith

Next Week

🎬 Chasing Faith in Malibu welcomes Barbara Miller, the filmmaker who directed the Dalai Lama in a Netflix doc talking joy, laughter, and the art of radical kindness. ✨

In this sneak peek of Chasing Faith, Dorothy Lucey and Jason Ball introduce the heart behind their new podcast: an open, curious, and often funny journey through belief, doubt, and the many ways people live their faith.

Dorothy kicks things off with Chris Bennett, her own pastor and the guest in the premiere episode. She admits she was unexpectedly nervous interviewing him…maybe because when someone’s your pastor, it feels personal. But as she shares, his warmth, honesty, and willingness to be vulnerable make him the kind of leader who draws people in. No wonder their church is literally overflowing.

Other upcoming guests:

· Pat Harvey, the beloved Los Angeles news anchor, opening up about the faith behind her long career in journalism.

· Shelene Bryan, whom Dorothy calls “God’s CEO,” bringing strength, purpose, and maybe a little holy kick in the butt for anyone chasing faith.

· Barbara Miller, director of a documentary on the Dalai Lama, who shares wisdom from hours spent face-to-face with one of the world’s great spiritual teachers.

· Sister Chris Schenk, a radical nun working to transform the Roman Catholic Church from within.

· Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, offering stories of light and meaning from the Jewish faith, just in time for Hanukkah.

· And Marianne Williamson, exploring A Course in Miracles and what it truly means to shift your perception to see the everyday as miraculous.

Dorothy and Jason reflect on Christmas traditions, and why chasing faith isn’t about having answers, it’s about staying open to the journey.

📅 New episodes every Sunday
📱 Follow on Instagram: @chasingfaithpod

🙏 Share your story because we’re all chasing faith together.

Episode One: Chasing Faith in Malibu with Chris Bennett
Sunday, November 16