Hey guys, I'm literally sitting in a Walmart parking lot composing this episode with Stanley, my Great Pyrenees, and he's got his head out the window doing what he does best—seeking discovery. And it got me thinking in the neurodivergent spaghetti of my mind about wonder, about a tiny wooden piano from Christmas 1979, and about how we've lost the art of unwrapping presents in God's presence. This episode is part childhood nostalgia, part theological deep dive, and part dog-inspired revelation. And to be honest, it might be one of my favorite conversations I've had with myself in a parking lot.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome to parking lot theology with Stanley
[00:45] Christmas 1979 and the Holy Trinity of childhood desire
[02:00] The wooden piano that changed everything
[03:15] Stanley's posture of wonder (and why it matters)
[04:00] Unwrapping presents in God's presence (the wordplay that broke me)
[06:00] When the miraculous becomes mundane
[06:45] The astronomer, the Star of Bethlehem
[08:00] Why science doesn't ruin the miracle
[09:15] God made photosynthesis (so stop apologizing for your questions)
[10:30] The box that never runs out
[11:30] When wooden pianos end up in the attic
[12:30] Prayer: Help us keep our heads out the window
[13:30] Stanley needs me to hurry up and end this

Amber Weigand-Buckley is an award-winning author, podcaster as well as editor and art director for Leading Hearts magazine. She is also co-host of Coffee Chat with Amber & Lisa. Be on the lookout for her May 2026 release #sisterhoodoftheshortyellowpencils: Mental Health Mayhem, One Sticky Note at a Time. Follow her @barefacedgirl on socials for more.