"You Are Not a Machine" with Joy Marie Clarkson

Joy Marie Clarkson holds a PhD in theology from the University of St. Andrews and is the author of two books, Aggressively Happy and, most recently, You Are a Tree. She is also a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London and the books editor for Plough Quarterly.

In our time together, Joy shares about how teaching a course on the idea of beauty in Western Theology has shaped her views on the topic, as well as her study of how art can prepare us for death. Joy also explains the power of the metaphors we use. In our discussion, and in her latest book, You Are a Tree, she helps us move away from impersonal, productivity-oriented metaphors to help us live into more life-giving and generative ways of being human.

"Worshipping Thinness" with Heather Creekmore

Heather Creekmore is a podcaster, mom of four, body image coach, and author. In our time together, Heather describes what inspired her to write her latest book, The 40-Day Body Image Workbook, as well as why she’s so passionate about guiding women out of diet culture and into truth.

Heather also describes what has helped her improve her own relationship with her body, she exposes lies associated with diet culture, and helps us reframe aging in a helpful way. If you have ever struggled with body image or beauty ideals, my hope is that Heather’s story and authentic reflections will help you feel less alone and bring you greater freedom.

Melissa KucharskiApril 15, 2024heathercreekmore, dietculture, bodyimage, impossiblebeauty, impossiblebeautypodcast

"Social Media, Body Image, & Body Dissatisfaction Among Boys" with Dr. Charlotte Markey

Dr. Markey is a body image expert, professor of psychology and director of the Health Sciences Center at Rutgers University-Camden. She has authored several books, including The Body Image Book For Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless, Being You: The Body Image Book for Boys, and the forthcoming Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life.

In our time together, we talk about recent trends related to social media use and body image, how to build body confidence in ourselves and the next generation, as well as what’s behind the increasing rates of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among males.

"Knowing God Through Creation" with John Van Sloten

John Van Sloten is a Calgary-based writer, teacher, and pastor who is passionate about helping people engage God everywhere. Over the past ten years he has preached dozens of creation and Bible-based sermons on topics like radiation therapy, river hydrology, chemical catalysts, tree branches, human knees, and DNA repair mechanisms.

In my time with John, we talk about his latest book, God Speaks Science: What Neurons, Giant Squid, and Supernovae Reveal About Our Creator. John teaches that we can not only learn about God through the Bible, but through creation as well. John also shares how his conversion to following God caused him to change his vocation, as well as about the new journey God is leading Him on.

“Everything Sad Will Come Untrue” with Amy Baik Lee

In today’s episode, we consider how looking heavenward can breathe new life into the present. Amy Baik Lee is the author of This Homeward Ache: How Our Yearning for the Life to Come Spurs on Our Life today, a literary member of the Anselm Society Arts Guild, and a contributing writer at Cultivating Magazine and the Rabbit Room.

In our time together, Amy unpacks what she calls our homeward ache, those moments of beauty or peace that cause us to long for a world we haven’t yet experienced. In Amy’s view, these moments are piercing hints of heaven that reveal “the great promise of a coming restoration.” Amy helps us understand why this homeward ache matters, how it has altered every area of her life, and how it helps her live more fully in the present.

Melissa KucharskiFebruary 12, 2024amybaiklee, thishomewardache, sehnsucht, impossiblebeauty, impossiblebeautypodcast

"How Technology Is Shaping Our Souls" with Felicia Wu Song

Felicia Wu Song is a cultural sociologist, speaker, and author who studies how social media and digital devices alter the family, community, and organizational life. Felicia has studied History, Communication Studies and Sociology at Yale, Northwestern, and University of Virginia.

In my conversation with Felicia, we discuss her latest book, Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence and Place in the Digital Age. Felicia helps us better understand how social media is shaping our relationships, our understanding of beauty, and how we engage beauty. She also unpacks how we can engage digital technologies in ways that don’t feel all-consuming, as well as how we can help safeguard the kids in our lives from the negative impacts of social media.

"The Power of Words" with Kimberly Wilkerson

Kimberly Wilkerson is a speech language pathologist, as well as the founder of Token Clothing Co. At Token Clothing Co., Kimberly has fused her passion for language with her interest in fashion, to give women an experience that helps them overcome limiting beliefs and negative self-talk.

In our time together, Kimberly and I discuss the impact of our self-talk on our brains and bodies. Kimberly also shares about her process of discernment when starting Token Clothing Co., as well as what she learned about beauty when participating in the Miss America program. My hope is that this conversation may not only help us become more aware of our self-talk, but also encourage us to speak words of truth and life over ourselves and others.

"Detoxing from Diet Culture: The Holiday Edition" with Lisa Diers, RDN, LD, E-RYT

Lisa Diers is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified yoga teacher who specializes in supporting eating disorder and body image recovery. Lisa has a combined over 20 years of experience in nutrition and yoga services and previously served as the National Nutrition and Yoga Director for a large national eating disorder treatment program.

In our time together, Lisa and I discuss the prevalence of disordered eating, as well as what a balanced relationship with food actually looks like. Lisa also explains how nutrition and yoga can be instrumental and complementary in reconnecting with our bodies, why “carbs” and sugar aren’t the fear foods diet culture makes them out to be, and offers guidance for those struggling with body image this time of year.

"The Nearness of God" with Kristi McLelland

Kristi McLelland is an author, professor at Williamson College, and a biblical culturalist who teaches the Bible in its historical, cultural context. Kristi’s most recent book is entitled, Rediscovering Israel: A Fresh Look at God’s Story in its Historical and Cultural Contexts. Kristi’s study trips to Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Greece, as well as her in-person and online resources, position Westerners to discover the Bible within the Middle Eastern context in which it was written.

In my time with Kristi, we talk about what she experienced in Israel that helped her encounter the goodness of God in a new way. Kristi also talks about her reflections on the current situation in Israel, the relevance of the Bible in our lives today, why she believes the Bible is the greatest story there is, and how God is a God who sees his children and acts on their behalf.

"Reclaiming Body Trust" with Dana Sturtevant, MS, RD

Registered dietitian and author, Dana Sturtevant, believes that society has ruptured our relationship with food, movement, and our bodies. Food has become something to restrict and our bodies a project to tweak and “perfect.” But Dana believes it doesn’t have to be this way. She has spent more than 15 years helping people let go of chronic patterns of dieting and disordered eating and move into a more authentic, sustainable way to occupy and nurture their bodies.

Dana Sturtevant is the co-author of Reclaiming Body Trust: A Path to Healing and Liberation and the co-founder of the Center for Body Trust. In our time together, Dana discusses the origins of the Center for Body Trust, how diet culture so often gets in the way of trusting our bodies, how “health” has become an aesthetic, and how to engage joyful movement versus toxic fitness culture.

"The Beauty of Bread" with Kendall Vanderslice

Kendall Vanderslice is a professionally trained baker, speaker, and author, including her most recent title, By Bread Alone: A Baker’s Reflections on Hunger, Longing, and the Goodness of God. Kendall is the founder of the Edible Theology Project, and holds a master’s degree in Gastronomy (Food Studies) from Boston University and a Master’s of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School. Both personally and professionally, Kendall explores how God meets us in preparing food and sharing food with others.

In today’s episode, Kendall shares how she has come to love bread, how being a baker has shaped her faith, how what we do with our bodies shapes us spiritually, and how she has come to see food as a gift, after experiencing a disordered relationship with food.

"Rethinking Aging" with Deb Benfield, MEd, RDN/LDN

Deb Benfield has helped hundreds of women heal their relationship with food, eating, and their bodies in her 35-year career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Deb works with middle-aged women and beyond to help them feel vital and free of culture’s stifling diet and movement rules.

In my time with Deb, she names and disproves unhelpful myths about the aging process, discusses the prevalence of disordered eating in middle-aged women and beyond, the energy that is available to us if we aren’t trying to white knuckle our bodies, and why elderhood is the time to emerge as our truest self.

"Misconceptions about Health, Body Image, & Type 2 Diabetes" with Donetta Floyd, MS, RDN, LDN

When it comes to societal messages around food and our bodies, we can often be left with the feeling that we aren’t doing it right. In today’s episode, registered dietitian, Donetta Floyd helps dispel unhelpful ideas and misconceptions regarding our relationship with food, our bodies, as well as Type 2 Diabetes.

Donetta is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who works with clients to help them find freedom in their relationship with food, using a Health at Every Size®, Intuitive Eating, and non-diet approach. In our time together, we talk about how Donetta became passionate about working from a non-diet approach, markers of disordered eating, and misconceptions about “health” having a certain look.

"Why the Song 'Skinny' is Getting So Much Attention," with Emmy Russell

Emmy Russell is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who has been performing for the majority of her life. Touring on the road with her grandmother, country legend Loretta Lynn, Emmy started singing on stage at the age of two.

Most recently, Emmy released the song, “Skinny” with The Song House, detailing her struggle with an eating disorder. The song has received a warm reception and has been widely shared, getting over 300k likes on Instagram. In our time together, Emmy shares about her struggles with disordered eating, the pressures of image in the music industry, and how she’s moved toward healing in her own journey.

"Letting Go of Societal Scripts" with Gaelynn Lea

Gaelynn Lea is a professional musician and sought-after public speaker. She has opened for numerous artists including the Decembrists, composed the music for Macbeth on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig, and her perspectives have been shared on outlets such as On Being With Krista Tippett and PBS NewsHour.

Having been born with brittle bone disease, Gaelynn has had to navigate the world differently. Such life experiences have shaped her perspectives in important and meaningful ways, including becoming an advocate for disability rights and accessibility. In our time together, Gaelynn shares about the beautiful insight that disability can bring. She also discusses the transcendence of music, how she is able to hold life’s beauty and pain, and how she broke free from lies associated with societal beauty.

"Finding Purpose in All Seasons" with Grace Wabuke Klein

From fleeing Uganda under the reign of Idi Amin as a child to having her prayers to get married answered at the age of 42, Grace Wabuke Klein has had a full life. In her new book, Flourish: Finding Purpose in the Unknown and Unexpected Seasons of Life, Grace gives a fresh perspective on the winter seasons we all go through, as well as practical steps to not just survive but to find purpose in the unknown and unexpected.

In my time with Grace, she explains how she remained connected to God during her own winter seasons of struggle, what has helped her establish deep roots of faith, and the lies about beauty she has had to shed over the years. Perhaps most importantly, Grace reminds us of our true identity and deep beauty; ultimately, as Grace says it, “we are a reflection of who God is on this earth.”

"When a Dream Becomes Reality" with Grace Casper

The journal Grace Casper began in elementary school has now become her new book, entitled Dear Parents: Notes from a Child of Divorce. Grace Casper is a writer, speaker, full-time elementary school librarian, and the host of the podcast, Divorce: What I Wish My Parents Knew. She graduated from Baylor University and now lives in Waco, Texas.

In my time with Grace, we talk about how her journal entries became a book and the important message she has for parents undergoing divorce or having undergone divorce. We also talk about the beauty of creativity and dreaming, and how we partner with God when we dream. Grace also discusses trends in social media she is noticing in her generation and the generation behind her, as well as her powerful learnings from those in the disability community.

"The Story Behind My Book, ‘Soul-Deep Beauty,’" with Don Pape & Melissa Johnson

In honor of the release of my new book, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless, I have a special episode in store for you. I recently sat down to have a conversation with my literary agent, Don Pape. Don has been a champion of my book and its message for years now and I can’t thank him enough.

In our time together, we talk about how Don ended up working in the publishing business, how he then became a literary agent, and the unique features of his company, Pape Commons. This conversation is a special one, as we talk about my heart and passion behind Soul-Deep Beauty, the need for this message amidst today’s media saturated culture, as well as some of the vulnerabilities and struggles that have come up along the way.

"The Toxic Waters of Beauty and Diet Culture" with Christie Dondero Bettwy

In this episode, Christie Dondero Bettwy, helps us name some of the toxic beliefs and messages that we are being fed, so we might be freed from them. Christie is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery in Arlington, Virginia. Rock Recovery is a Christian eating disorder therapy nonprofit where clients can access low-cost therapy and support groups.

In our time together, Christie talks about her own recovery from a decades-long eating disorder, how her recovery story connects with her faith journey, and her passion for working at Rock Recovery. We also talk about how struggles with food, body image, and exercise may go unnoticed or undiagnosed because of how normalized disordered messages around food and body image are. Christie and I also name how such societal messages around food and our bodies impact all of us to varying degrees and she shares some fresh insights about body image.

"The Wonder of Life Itself" with Catherine Claire Larson

Catherine Claire Larson invites us to see beyond the surface of things; reminding us that each life is a miracle, and that parenting is actually soul formation.

Catherine is an author and the mother of six boys. Her most recent book is called, Watching in Wonder: Growing in Faith During Your Baby's First Year. Catherine writes to encourage moms, reminding them of the importance of their sacred role and work. Her devotional series invites moms and moms-to-be to see the wonder of new life and into a deeper relationship with God.

In my time with Catherine, we talk about wonder; what opened her up to embracing wonder in the world and how we might do the same. She also offers us fresh and life-giving perspectives on pregnancy and parenting and the importance of living with curiosity and in the present moment.