"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 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.

"Faith Like a Child" with Lacy Finn Borgo

Some of life’s greatest lessons come from unexpected teachers. For Lacy Finn Borgo, some of her greatest teachers have been children. In Lacy’s new book, Faith Like a Child: Embracing Our Lives as Children of God, she invites us to consider what we might learn from children.

Lacy teaches and provides spiritual direction through Renovaré, Mercy Center Burlingame, Companioning Center, and with children at Haven House. She holds a doctor of ministry degree in leadership and spiritual formation and a certificate in spiritual direction from Portland Seminary. In our time together, Lacy and I discuss what it means to welcome our child selves. We also consider the importance of tending to childhood wounds, how to remain open to wonder amidst life’s griefs and brokenness, and why imagination is pivotal in the life of faith.

"Held by Love" with K.J. Ramsey, MA. LPC

K.J. Ramsey is a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and is the author of three books, including her latest title, The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments. K.J. writes at the intersection of theology, psychology, and spiritual formation to guide us in recovering the rhythm of resilience through nervous system regulation and the wonder of communion with God.

In my time with K.J., she talks about her most recent book and the communal nature of courage; how “we need the presence and words of others to bring us from confusion to hope and faith.” She also discusses how being disabled and encountering various physical struggles have formed her faith and her prayer life.

"Light Will Win" with Sandhya Oaks

Sandhya Oaks is a Ministry Leader, Spiritual Director, leads Kintsugi workshops, and does Story Work. Born in India and adopted as a Transracial Adoptee in the Midwest, Sandhya now walks with others through identity reclamation and creating experiences that restore shalom within the human heart. She holds two Certificates in Narrative Focused Trauma Care from The Allender Center, a Certificate in Resilient Leadership from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and recently completed her Trauma Care Group Training Certificate through The Art of Living Counseling Center.

In this episode, I talk with Sandhya about the power and freedom that can come from finding healing in our own stories, how she stays grounded in God’s goodness and beauty amidst life’s brokenness, and how she’s come to see beauty in unexpected places.

"The Beauty of Humility" with Richard Foster & Brenda Quinn

Richard Foster is the founder of Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. He is also the author of several foundational books on the Christian journey of faith, including Celebration of Discipline, which has sold over two million copies worldwide. Brenda Quinn is Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Living Way Fellowship in south Denver and helped with idea development behind Foster’s latest book.

In this conversation, we discuss Richard’s most recent title, Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue. In our time together we talk about what spiritual formation is and why it’s important, why humility is considered a foundational virtue, how we can cultivate humility in our life, and how humility is tied to beauty of the soul.

"Meant to Live Fully Alive" with Justin McRoberts

Justin McRoberts is the author of six books, a musician, host of The @Sea Podcast, retreat leader, and leads workshops on the creative process.

In our time together, Justin expands and deepens the ideas of happiness, creativity, and art. He also shares his desire for people to live fully, allowing our souls to actively participate in the world around us. He reminds us that each of us is an essential element in our communities and in the world and that our creative decisions done in love at home and at work deeply matter.

"Beauty Will Save the World" with Dr. Curt Thompson

Dr. Curt Thompson is a psychiatrist, author, speaker, and the host of The Being Known Podcast. Curt desires to show us how to form deep relationships, discover meaning, and live integrated, creative lives.

In today’s conversation, Curt explains why beauty makes all the difference in our lives; how we can put ourselves in the path of oncoming beauty, and why it’s so important to do so. Curt also names the importance of community in helping us see beauty in ourselves and envisioning beauty amidst the chaos of our own lives. Perhaps most importantly, Curt reminds us that God is a God who wades into the chaos of the world, and the chaos of our lives, and not only sees beauty but is intimately involved in bringing that beauty about.

"Engaging the Body in Spiritual Formation" with Elizabeth Peterson

Elizabeth Peterson is a certified spiritual director and yoga instructor. 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.

In this conversation, Elizabeth explains how engaging God through yoga helped get her through a very difficult season, why she engages spiritual direction and yoga in her work and how they complement each other, and she highlights the importance of connecting with our bodies in our spirituality and overall wellbeing.

"Connecting with Our Bodies, Connecting with Each Other" with Tara Owens, CSD, CSDS

Tara Owens is the founder and executive director of Anam Cara Ministries, where she has been accompanying others in their journeys with God for 15 years as a certified spiritual director and supervisor. Tara holds a Masters of Theological Studies in Spiritual Formation, combined with a certificate in Death, Dying & Grieving, from Tyndale Seminary, and the Advanced Certificate in Supervision from the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University.

In my conversation with Tara, we talk about soul friendship; what it is, how it impacts the world, and how it plays a crucial role in resisting culture. We also talk at length about Tara’s book, Embracing the Body. Tara helps us move away from cultural trends of objectifying or criticizing our bodies, to instead befriend our bodies and see them as good.

"What If It's Wonderful?" with Nicole Zasowski, MS, LMFT

Nicole Zasowski is a licensed marriage and family therapist, author, and speaker. In her new book, entitled What If It’s Wonderful? Nicole invites readers to trust joy and find the courage to celebrate when we have endured seasons of disappointment and despair.

In this conversation, Nicole invites us to open our hearts and minds to joy and celebration in authentic and grounding ways. She also makes a psychological and spiritual case for the importance of embracing joy and celebration, even when it feels scary, and discusses tangible practices to help us move from worry and “what ifs” to embracing the vibrancy of the present moment.