In a world of selfies, social media, and self-promotion, the virtue of humility isn’t getting much airtime these days. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of discussing this all-important virtue with Richard Foster and Brenda Quinn. Richard Foster is the founder of Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation, a nonprofit that helps people in becoming more like Jesus. He is also the author of several foundational books on spiritual formation and the Christian journey of faith, inclu...
Jan 23, 2023•50 min
In a world filled with both beauty and brokenness, perhaps the greatest brokenness we experience is death. On today’s episode, we tackle this brokenness head on with author, Sarah Berger. When Sarah Berger’s nineteen-year-old son went to heaven in an inexplicable single-car accident, Sarah found herself plunged into deep grief. Having journaled her experiences in the wake of that event, Sarah shares her insights with us in her book, Hope in the Eleventh Hour: A Mothers’ Journey Through Grief wit...
Jan 16, 2023•49 min
Life is all about connection. As humans we seem to thrive most when we are deeply connected to God, other people, ourselves, and our sense of purpose in the world. On today’s episode, I talk with Beth Davis all about deepening our connection with God, other people, and even ourselves. Beth Davis is the Director of Ministry Advancement for an international sisterhood of women called Blessed Is She. This online and in person community seeks to help women deepen their prayer life and foster communi...
Jan 09, 2023•46 min
Every year, when Christmas rolls around, I try to wrap my mind and heart around the significance of Jesus coming to earth. The far-reaching impact of God coming in his fullness to restore and redeem the entire world is a hard one to fully grasp. In today’s episode, author and Bible teacher, Hannah Anderson, helps us explore one often-overlooked aspect of the Christmas story, inviting us to take a closer look at the created world. In her new book, Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Reflections to Bring J...
Dec 19, 2022•55 min
Have you ever been stunned by a night sky or deeply moved by the expansiveness of the universe? If so, today’s episode is for you. Dr. Deb Haarsma is an astronomer, experienced research scientist, and the president of BioLogos. She has studied large galaxies, galaxy clusters, the curvature of space, and the expansion of the universe using telescopes around the world and in orbit. Dr. Haarsma completed her doctoral work in astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and previously s...
Dec 13, 2022•42 min
Dr. Chinwé Williams is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), the founder and owner of Meaningful Solutions Counseling & Consulting, and an Executive Coach. She also recently co-authored the book, "Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through the Power of Connection." Dr. Williams’ clinical expertise lies in the areas of stress/anxiety management, trauma recovery, the intersection of faith and mental health, and youth and women’s wellness. In today’s conversation, we talk ab...
Dec 06, 2022•51 min
Jennifer Tucker leaned into breath prayer out necessity. Amid anxiety and a family crisis, it became a lifeline. Jennifer Tucker is a mom, artist, and graphic designer, primarily working for Ann Voskamp. Jenn is also the author of Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul. As Jenn puts it, “I create art to remind my own soul that God is with us, that we are loved and held and never alone.” In today’s conversation, we talk about how both Jenn and her daughter’s str...
Nov 21, 2022•46 min
Justin McRoberts has a way with words. He has a way of breathing new life into familiar topics and inviting us to out of the box thinking that inspires the mind and heart. As Justin puts it, he creates to provide language for the process of faith and life. In official terms, Justin is an author, musician, host of The @Sea Podcast, retreat leader, and leads workshops on the creatives process. He lives in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children and has been teaching, stor...
Nov 15, 2022•49 min
We live in a world fraught with disconnection and distraction. In today’s episode and in her book, The Connected Leader, Montana-based psychotherapist and author, Karen Hardwick, shares all about how to re-connect with our true selves, our purpose in the world, our connection with God, and with other people. Karen Hardwick is a clinically and spiritually trained psychotherapist-turned-leadership coach, podcast host, and speaker. She helps others awaken, courageously lead, and unlock the power of...
Nov 07, 2022•54 min
This is a big week for Tori Hope Petersen. On October 18th Tori’s memoir entitled "Fostered: One Woman’s Powerful Story of Finding Faith and Family through Foster Care" will release. Then this coming weekend, Tori will be hosting the Survivors Thriving and Writing Workshop in North Carolina. It is Tori’s desire to help survivors of human trafficking, foster care, and abuse tell their story; to know they are heard and that they deeply matter. The writing retreat is part of the Beloved Initiative,...
Oct 17, 2022•47 min
Liz Wienke wanted to help others find healing in their relationship with food and body image in the same way she had. Her own journey of finding intuitive eating changed her life and she wanted to help others break free from diet culture. Liz Wienke is a therapist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and a fellow Minnesotan, working at Venture Therapy in White Bear Lake. In today’s episode, Liz talks about why she gave up dieting, what intuitive eating is and why she’s so passionate about bein...
Oct 10, 2022•51 min
After spending a decade as a radio personality in markets that included Las Vegas, Cara Whitney found herself longing for the simple life. Having grown up on a cattle farm in Northern Wisconsin, she found her way back to the country, this time a horse farm in Nebraska. That is where Cara now lives, along with her husband Dan, known as “Larry the Cable Guy.” Cara is the author of the bestselling books Fields of Grace and Unbridled Faith. Her latest book is called Country Soul: Inspiring Stories o...
Oct 03, 2022•41 min
I am guessing we all want to be healthy, right? In today’s episode, I talk with licensed clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist, Dr. Colleen Reichmann all about the trends of wellness culture and clean eating. Dr. Reichmann helps us see how, through the lens of diet culture, our ideas on health and wellness may be a bit warped. In addition to being a licensed clinical psychologist and eating disorders specialist, Dr. Reichmann is the founder of Wildflower Therapy LLC, and the coaut...
Sep 26, 2022•49 min
On today’s show, I welcome Dr. Curt Thompson back to the podcast. If you remember Curt from Episode 33, you already know that the conversation ahead is a special one. Dr. Curt Thompson is a psychiatrist, author, speaker, and the host of The Being Known Podcast. Curt’s work largely lies at the intersection of interpersonal neurobiology and spiritual formation, connecting our intrinsic desire to be known with the need to tell truer stories about ourselves. Curt desires to show us how to form deep ...
Sep 05, 2022•58 min
Manda Carpenter is an author, speaker, advocate, and the co-host of A Longer Table Podcast, alongside her husband, Eric. Manda has written two books, the most recent being Soul Care to Save Your Life. Manda is very passionate, about “Seeing people own their full identity and do their inner work,” as she puts it. And that is exactly the kind of beautiful work she models and invites others into in her latest book. Foster care is also not only part of Manda’s family's life, but a large part of her ...
Aug 29, 2022•49 min
On today’s episode, I talk with Registered Dietitian, Dylan Murphy, all about breaking free from societal lies and ideals around beauty and body image. Dylan received her Food Science and Human Nutrition Degree from Clemson University, completed her Dietetic Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and has provided individualized nutrition coaching for hundreds of clients. Her specialty areas include eating disorders, disordered eating, Intuitive Eating, body image concerns, peri- and ...
Aug 22, 2022•51 min
Today’s episode is a big one. Today we are celebrating 100 episodes with Bob Goff. Back in Episode four, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bob at Dream Big at Magnolia in Waco, Texas. It was actually at that event that I decided to take the official plunge into podcasting and Bob helped me get things rolling. For those who may be new to Bob, he calls himself a “recovering lawyer,” is a New York Times bestselling author, hosts the popular Dream Big Podcast,” is co-owner of The Oaks retreat cente...
Aug 08, 2022•27 min
Jo Saxton is an author, speaker, International Justice Mission Ambassador, podcast host, leadership coach, and a fellow Minnesotan. Jo invests in women leaders in a number of ways, including an initiative called the Ezer Collective, an event held to invest in and catalyze attendees’ leadership. Jo is especially passionate about helping women realize and live into their God-given identity. In today’s conversation, Jo talks about her own struggles with beauty growing up and the impact of not seein...
Aug 01, 2022•56 min
What if the truest thing about us is that we are loved beyond what we can imagine? In her work and in our time today, that is the reality Elizabeth Peterson invites us into. Elizabeth Peterson is a certified spiritual director and yoga instructor, with fifteen years of experience working in retreat ministry. Elizabeth seeks to create safe and sacred spaces for individuals and groups to reflect on their own lives, become more aware of God’s presence, and live from their truest identity as Beloved...
Jul 25, 2022•47 min
Dr. Dale Gentry wants you to know that faith and science are not enemies. More specifically, he believes you can be a Christian and deeply care for creation and connect with God in the study and experience of the natural world. Dr. Dale Gentry is the Conservation Manager at Audubon Minnesota and the founder and director of Disciple Science, a podcast and video series helping people connect with God through creation. He has a M.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Atmosphere, Environment and Water Resour...
Jul 18, 2022•51 min
On today’s episode, Pastor Mike Kelsey speaks to two distinctives of the true beauty reality that God invites us into, a life of joy and justice. Mike Kelsey is a Campus Pastor, and a member of the Teaching Team at the McLean Bible Church near Washington D.C. Mike is a third-generation pastor in the D.C. area. In our time together, Mike explains how witnessing true joy changed the trajectory of his life, the challenges and gifts of leading a multi-ethnic congregation, how justice is central to G...
Jul 11, 2022•51 min
In today’s episode, I talk with physical therapist, Lisa DeKam. Lisa has worked as a physical therapist for twenty years and in an eating disorder treatment setting for 12 years. As Lisa describes it, she loves “exploring meaningful movement, embodiment, and the incredible ways that our bodies work.” Lisa also co-founded the Axia Project, alongside Jacquie Danz, which we talk all about back in episode 73. In this conversation, Lisa helps us see the joy and helpfulness of moving our bodies, beyon...
Jul 05, 2022•58 min
Megan Hadley is a registered dietitian nutritionist with her Masters in Nutrition. She is also the owner and founder of Simple Nutrition, where she and two other clinicians provide in-person or virtual, one on one, nutrition therapy and coaching using Health At Every Size® and Intuitive Eating informed practices. Megan is passionate about helping clients find freedom in eating and acceptance of their bodies so that they can turn more attention towards living. In today’s conversation, we talk abo...
Jun 20, 2022•51 min
In today’s episode, Pastor Scott Sauls helps us conceive of beauty in such a refreshing, counter-cultural way. Author and pastor, Scott Sauls, currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, Scott was a lead and preaching pastor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, where he worked alongside Dr. Timothy Keller. He has also planted and pastored churches in Kansas City and St. Louis. In his new book, Beautiful People Don't Just ...
Jun 13, 2022•43 min
I am thrilled to have therapist, New York Times bestselling author, and the president and founder of Wild at Heart Ministries, John Eldredge, on the show today. It was John who first helped me see the Bible, or the story of God, not as dry history, but as a dynamic and unfolding adventure that we are invited into. John continues to be a voice of encouragement and inspiration, reminding me and so many others, that the life of our hearts deeply matters, that God tirelessly pursues us, and is deepl...
Jun 06, 2022•43 min
Nicole Baumann is a sophomore and the Chief of Staff of Student Government at the University of Notre Dame. This past February, Nicole shared an original poem she wrote on social media, entitled “May Our Daughters Break the Curse.” In powerful words and images, Nicole addresses the prevalence and dangers of the normalization of disordered eating. In her poem and in our conversation, she discusses how disordered eating thrives on the widespread acceptance of the notion that a woman’s worth is int...
May 31, 2022•48 min
Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on personal, spiritual, and social healing. She has authored four books and her writing has appeared in outlets such as USA Today, Christianity Today, and Washington Post. Amy Julia’s most recent book is To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She also holds a bi-vocational license with the Evangelical Covenant Church. Amy Julia h...
May 23, 2022•50 min
Kellie Haddock is a self-proclaimed hope giver. The kind of hope Kellie exudes is not naïve or shallow, but real and hard won. Kellie is a singer, songwriter, wife, and mom. She is also a former widow who has lived through tragedy and found hope and joy on the other side. To learn more about Kellie’s story of living through the tragedy of losing her first husband, please check out our conversation in episode 41. In that episode, Kellie talks about The Thank You Project, a short film featuring Ke...
May 16, 2022•50 min
This week’s guest lives and breathes Attachment Theory. In today’s show, I am thrilled for him to share how our early-learned blueprint for relating impacts our adult relationships and even our relationship with God. Krispin Mayfield is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Oregon, where he and his wife live with their two children. Trained in attachment-based emotionally focused therapy, Krispin has served for over ten years in church-based trauma recovery programs. In his wr...
May 02, 2022•52 min
We all have something beautiful to bring to the world. Simply being who we are or creating from a place of authenticity, we have the opportunity to bring good and beautiful things into being. Today’s guest is doing just that and, in her work and in her words, she inspires others to do the same. Jena Holliday is a Minneapolis-based graphic artist, children’s book author and illustrator, wife, mother, and the founder and Director of the online shop and platform, Spoonful of Faith. Her work can be ...
Apr 26, 2022•49 min
