25 Jan 2021

Alison Cook-episode 260

Alison Cook joins me on the podcast to talk about a variety of topics stemming from her book Boundaries for Your Soul. She is a prolific poster on Facebook and a thoughtful blogger as well. We discuss love of self and love of God and how they interconnect. We talk about spiritual bypassing as well as what it means to develop and speak your voice. An insightful conversation that I think you will appreciate and learn from.

Find Alison in the following places:
• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
 

 
Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases….Read More

18 Jan 2021

Ryan Casey Waller-episode 259

Ryan Casey Waller joins me on Faith Conversations to talk about something very important. Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About is the name of his book. What makes the topic even more compelling isn’t the fact that Ryan is a pastor and a therapist, but the fact that he is a co-sufferer in the conversation.

Coming off of 2020, a year like no other, and entering into 2021 that many of us already want to return to sender, this is a topic that needs discussing. I highly recommend Ryan’s book and know you will appreciate this important conversation.

Find Ryan in these places:
• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
 

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases….Read More

11 Jan 2021

Michelle Van Loon-Episode 258

Michelle Van Loon is back with me as promised last week. This week we delve into the topic of regret as Michelle has written If Only: Letting Go of Regret. But first we talk about the unbelievable events of this week as the Capitol building was under siege and filled with insurrectionists. It seemed right out of the pages of fiction or the happenings in a Banana Republic and not The United States. Unfortunately it was all too real.

Find Michelle in these places:
• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
 

 
Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases….Read More

04 Jan 2021

Michelle Van Loon-episode 257

Happy New Year, Faith Conversations family! Michelle Van Loon joins me as we kick off a new season of podcasts. We take a look back and a look forward as well as talk about our favorite books of 2020 that might become favorites of yours in 2021. We tease next week’s podcast that will center on Michelle’s book, If Only, which is all about regret.

Hafiz Poem:
I am
A hole in a flute
That the Christ’s breath move through–
Listen to this
Music.
Elderly friend’s pieces of wisdom:

I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:

1 After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2 I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3 I hav…Read More

21 Dec 2020

Mike Murphy-episode 256

Mike Murphy joins me for my year-ending podcast where we focus on his most recent “Friday Rumblings.” Part social commentary, part spiritual introspection, a worthy weekly read that Mike posts each Friday on his Facebook page. Follow or Friend him here.

I will be taking a break next week. See you on January 4.

Here are the Rumblings we focused on from 12/18/20:

1.“Are you breathing?

Are you here?

Did you just take a breath?

Are you about to take another?

Do you have a habit of regularly doing this?

Gift. 

Gift. 

Gift. 

Whatever else happened in your life – failure, pain, heartache, abuse, loss – the first thing that can be said about you is that you have received a gift…

A truth courses through the veins of all our bumps and bruises, and it is this: We have received. 

You’re here,

you’…Read More

14 Dec 2020

Melinda Schmidt-episode 255

Melinda Schmidt joins me on the podcast to talk about perseverance. As we release this podcast during Advent, I realize that the theme of perseverance is pervasive in the Christmas story. Certainly it’s a theme of 2020. But where in your life, prior to this calendar year, can you point to perseverance as a kind of memorial marker that can help you soldier on in the pandemic, in a time of such great loss of human life, in a time that may include job loss for you? Praying this conversation can encourage you on your journey.

Find Melinda:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
 …Read More

07 Dec 2020

Dan Kimball-episode 254

When How (Not) to Read the Bible came across my desk, I took a second look because of the parentheses. Then I saw the subtitle: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, Pro-Violence, Pro-Slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture. I decided I needed to talk with author Dan Kimball. My small group had just finished looking at some of the Old Testament female characters in Scripture and we encountered some scary stories. Most I’d read before but a couple I hadn’t remembered. More likely I’d blocked them out thinking this can’t be right. Dan poses a question, which certainly shows up online in various forms, “Is reading the Bible the fastest way to lose your faith?” His answer is no, but check out this week’s podcast to hear why!

Find Dan in these places:
• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram…Read More

30 Nov 2020

Melinda Schmidt-episode 253

Melinda Schmidt joins me this week on the podcast to talk about waiting. We’ve been in a difficult year that has been all about waiting. We haven’t done it particularly well as a country or in our churches. As we enter the season of Advent, the very theme of waiting is front and center. I hope you will consider with us how you have been waiting and how we might wait together in this season.

We mentioned and recommend The Critical Journey by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich.

Also mentioned and read is the poem Patient Trust by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the l…Read More

23 Nov 2020

Melinda Schmidt-episode 252

Melinda Schmidt joins me again as we look at wrapping up 2020 with our year end observations. We are hoping to spark your thinking about your year and give you time before the actual end of the year. As you can imagine, lots of Covid-19 references as well as things that helped feed our soul during this difficult year.

Find Melinda:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram…Read More

16 Nov 2020

Kathy Escobar-episode 251

Kathy Escobar is a favorite guest of mine. She is copastor of The Refuge, a Christian community and mission in North Denver, and a trained spiritual director. I’ve talked to her on the podcast about her books Faith Shift and Practicing. This time we focus on a new advent devotional Kathy has penned that helps us honor our struggles during the holidays. The devotional is titled, A Weary World: Reflections for a Blue Christmas. Kathy has been leading her church community through “Blue Christmas” experiences for nearly a decade, and just experienced her bluest season of all following the sudden death of her son. 2020 has been a year of struggle for most. I think all will identify with this week’s conversation.

Links mentioned: Blue Christmas Event & A Weary World Digital Downloads

Find Kathy here:
• Website
•…Read More