Spark - podcast cover

Spark

Missio Dei Community Church - SLCspark.captivate.fm
In our Spark, Pastor Heather Thomas hosts conversations with different people about their spiritual practices and habits that help them cultivate deeper love. Listen in and let it spark ideas for how you can cultivate your own practices in everyday life.

Episodes

Abby Ampil and her everyday life!

Abby works as a Pediatric physical therapist in early intervention. Today she talks about her everyday life working in this field and also highlights models of disability which provides insight for how we might practice deeper love.

Jul 27, 202342 minSeason 3Ep. 5

Everyday life with Anahi, Kyle and Santiago Uhlig

Anahi spends her time as an educator specifically an instructional coach at a title 1 school. In the fall she'll transition to the role of intern assistant principle. Kyle works as a charge nurse and together they also spend time with Santiago, who just turned two!

Jul 12, 202345 minSeason 3Ep. 4

Amanda Lingle and her everyday life!

Amanda works at BD medical as an engineer on vascular catheters but is a Femtech enthusiast. She, along with a team, recently won impact.51 's first innovation program. Impact.51 is now providing funding among other resources to help her project develop into an actual company.

Jun 21, 202325 minSeason 3Ep. 3

Krysti Nellermoe and her everyday life!

In this series we are listening to different stories from people in the community about how what they do in their everyday lives connects to God's loving and renewing work in the world. Krysti talks about the International Rescue Committee and you can find how to volunteer here

Jun 07, 202334 minSeason 3Ep. 2

Jordan Moss and his everyday life!

In this series we are listening to different stories from people in the community about how what they do in their everyday lives connects to God's loving and renewing work in the world.

May 24, 202346 minSeason 3Ep. 1

Belonging: being sensory inclusive.

Megan Raby (@author.meg.raby) is the author of My Brother Otto, a picture book, illustrated by Elisa Pallmer, about the love, acceptance, and understanding of differences a young crow has for her brother, who is neurodivergent and nonspeaking, specifically he is autistic Meg holds a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology with a certification in Autism Spectrum Disorders from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and has several years of experience working with autistic children ages 2-1...

Jun 15, 202244 minSeason 2Ep. 4

Practices toward security and connection

Virginia Brewster is a licensed professional counselor. Her work finds her with kids and also people with criminal behavior. The latter have often caused damage to relationships and have usually had damage in their relationships from the past. Virginia loves to talk to people about learning to trust and how to feel safe and learn to be safe for others. This podcast gives us some really practical tools for how we can develop trusted connections both with God and others.

Apr 07, 202243 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Insights for developing security with others and God

Johanny Mulvilhill joined me this week. Johanny is from the Dominican Republic where she practices as a licensed clinical therapist. She recently moved to Utah and shares her personal story as a way to encourage us toward deeper, more secure relationships. She is passionate about this topic in particular because of how much it has helped bring healthy change to her personal relationships.

Mar 30, 202232 minSeason 2Ep. 2

Learning security in relationships.

This week I am joined by Robyn Ray to talk about developing security in relationships. Robyn is currently an Adjunct instructor at the University of Utah where she teaches classes about infant and child beginnings and also intimacy and love. She comes with a great deal of understanding about secure attachment and how to develop it.

Mar 23, 202231 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Farming and Nursing Inspiring Our Habits at Work

Katrina is a 3rd generation female farmer, fermenter, and nurse practitioner. Weaving these practices together fills Katrina’s life with joy and meaning. As a business entrepreneur she diversified the family farm opening up a wedding venue , brewery , cidery , tasting room (with the most epic pizza) and planted a vineyard. Katrina’s great-great grandparents founded a vineyard in Switzerland and later immigrated to Helvetia, Oregon (1905) where they planted Yungen Vineyards. Continuing the tradit...

Mar 02, 202237 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Practices of Community

Daniel is passionate about people–deep and thoughtful while also being fun, playful, and having a skill for accents. He’s spent considerable time at the Mission, a homeless shelter and recovery program located in downtown SLC. He first joined the program in June 2015, graduating in November 2017. He rejoined the program last year and is set to graduate in the next month or two.  His decision to choose and stay in community for his own growth is powerful and courageous. Today, Daniel will be...

Feb 23, 202236 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Learning Stability and Rootedness Through a Community of Monks

Today Heather talks to Michael O'Brien. Michael earned a Government/Theology degree from the University of Notre Dame. Attended law school at the University of Utah and is a catholic writer and lawyer who lives here in Salt Lake City.  After reading his book, Monastery Mornings, it made sense to me to have him along for a conversation about stability and rootedness. In his early adolescence he found an unlikely family in the company of monks at Holy Trinity Abbey, in the mountains of Huntsv...

Feb 16, 202239 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Habits and Practices of Justice

Dr. Olivia Scott is a university Psychologist who has the belief that faith and psychology inform one another in meaningful ways that transform lives. She is an athlete, likes Star Wars and enjoys having a good laugh. She also has a passion for promoting stories and visibility of those who are underrepresented. She’ll be talking to us today about the practices and habits related to justice.

Feb 09, 202248 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Befriending Hard Places by Practicing Lament

Apricot Irving is the author of The Gospel of Trees, a lyrical meditation on ecology, loss and the tangled history of missions in Haiti. She reported on post-earthquake recovery efforts in the north of Haiti for the radio program This American Life. She has taught literature and writing in many contexts and countries. As a writer she has spent a great deal of time interviewing and listening to the stories of others. For her memoir she also had to do a lot of listening to herself. With the listen...

Feb 02, 202240 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Story and Gospel

This week Heather is talking to Dr Stephanie Gehring-Ladd who is a theologian, poet and artist. She has an MFA in poetry from Cornell and a PhD from Duke. As an artist and theologian she has spent a great deal of time thinking about how to communicate truthfully, honestly and with beauty. She's also spent time thinking  about truth and storytelling and what they mean for the practices and habits of listening to and speaking about God to oneself and to others.

Jan 26, 202228 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Learning to Pray in Prison

In this Episode Heather is talking to Chelsea. Chelsea spent eight years in prison, three of those in maximum security, which is where she learned to pray. She was first arrested at 16 for environmental activism then went to prison twelve years later for actions of property destruction with the Earth Liberation Front. She is talking about how she learned to pray and walks us through a helpful prayer practice for our everyday lives.

Jan 19, 202236 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Spark Introduction

In our new podcast, Spark, Heather will be hosting conversations with different people about their spiritual practices and habits that help them cultivate deeper love. Listen and subscribe here.

Jan 12, 20223 min