Guest: Reverend Britt Skarda, M.Div. I am joined by Reverend Britt Skarda, a retired United Methodist pastor of thirty-four years who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. We discuss how Jesus would encourage conversation about the need for many Christians, and the Christian Church overall, to return to the essence of his teachings: to love God and love our neighbors. We discuss the importance of expanding the conversation around issues such as abortion, women’s rights, the idea of a male God, and political narratives that are being used to divide in the name of Jesus.

Guest: Reverend Kirby Ingram Reverend Kirby and I discuss: The concept of spiritual consciousness, or knowing ourselves as spiritual beings on great human adventures, has been around for centuries. Expressing as our divine self in everyday life is the fundamental goal of all world religions. We know we are living as our conscious/awake self each time we live the Golden Rule and treat others and all life as we want to be treated. The result is a life of joy.

Guest: Lauren Haze, Professional Dancer and Wellness Expert We discuss the important ways breathing deeply adds to the quality of our life.  We talk about being mindful and connected with both the present and our bodies, to help eliminate stress and anxiety. How the simple act of calling in light energy and love frequency with our breath reminds us that our bodies are home to our eternal soul. And that we can, with mindfulness, be our best selves in every moment.

The goal of all world religions is the pursuit of truly knowing who we are and our reason for being. We are physical beings capable of fantastic feats of strength and endurance. We are intellectual beings who create scientific, medical, and technological marvels. We are emotional beings with an extraordinary capacity for sensitivity. We experience ourselves and our surroundings through the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. In addition to the physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities and the senses by which we perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside our body, a higher wisdom exists within us.

Guest: Johanna Bruner, Nurse Practitioner We discuss that different types of viruses are found in different parts of the world and they don’t spread without us. Such as the case with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease found in Africa that can spread throughout the world from one person. We discuss the science behind the development of vaccinations and the desire of scientists to prevent the spread of disease, because scientists want for other people what they want for their own families.

Guest: Steve Hasenberg, spiritual psychotherapist Empathy is our Jesus-like superhero power because when we are empathetic we know what it feels like to be afraid, or to have joy, or to grieve. But empathy is not the same as sympathy. Sympathy is easy to express because it is a concern for others that is more from the head, while empathy is a heart-connection to what other people go through. When we are empathetic, we put ourselves emotionally in another’s shoes. Like Jesus did.

Guest:  Janice Janice and I discuss:  how childhood abuse shapes our feelings of unworthiness; the importance of being honest with ourselves about our behavior; the role faith has in taking our power back from abuse and addiction; how, by being the observer of our thoughts, we can stop being mean to ourselves and others; and why, by healing ourselves, we help heal the world.

Guest: Catherine Catherine and I discuss her brother, Owen’s, suicide. She candidly speaks about the impact that had on her, the reasons behind why she believes Owen took his own life, and how she has kept his memory alive. We have a joy and love-filled conversation about a timely and important topic.

I’ve been making lasagna for many years. I should be really good at it by now, because with practice we do get good at whatever we invest our time and energy in. But just because we get really good at something doesn’t mean we’ve perfected it. No matter how skilled we are at whatever we’re skilled at, we can always find ways to improve. And that is why it’s healthy to focus on becoming proficient (getting it right more often than not) rather than being perfect.

Guests: Edie and Bill In this episode, Edie and Bill, parents of two sons, join me to discuss: the idea that to love one another, it is important to let go of the expectations we have for how others should be; the most important aspect of who we are and who our children are - our character. In other words, how we live the Golden Rule in daily life; the responsibility parents have to teach children to be empathetic and accepting of themselves and of others; and the need for parents to be the example of responsible behavior and attitudes that will help form the way their children treat themselves, other people, and all life.

Guest: Dr. Gail Simon-Boyd, Psychologist Dr. Boyd and I discuss: why one of the strongest things we can do for ourselves is to ask for help healing emotional trauma; how sharing with someone, whether a professional, friend, or spiritual guide, is a positive way to release wounding; the importance of realizing that healing is a journey of self-love and respect; and why healing involves learning to master a mind with a mind of its own, which often keeps us stuck in patterns of negative, self-sabotaging thinking.

Does admitting I have not only seen a UFO but also have been visited by little grey and majestic white (alien) forms of life make me crazy, weird, or just plain delusional? Or does it simply mean I have had experiences that are not the same as other peoples? I ask us to consider that we don’t and can’t all have the same experiences in life. Which means we can be open and understanding of what other people go through, rather than simply discounting their experiences because we haven’t had the same ones.

Guest: Dr. Paula Stone Williams Dr. Williams, and I discuss: the importance of sharing our stories with the goal to find common ground.  For the first 60 years of her life, Williams identified as male; after bravely coming out as transgender she was swiftly fired from a position as an evangelical Christian leader; the male privilege she once had, and how she's being treated now as a woman; and equality and equity are two different things.

Guest: Reverend Britt Skarda Reverend Skarda and I discuss: ancient and deeply rooted attitudes of God being male helped create and continue to perpetuate damaging male/female dynamics; centuries after Jesus’ death, these dangerous and misguided dynamics are profoundly ingrained within both genders; why many people who say they love and follow an inclusive Jesus believe patriarchal dominance through female subjugation is among God’s family values; and, how the world will be different when we stop assigning a male gender to God by simply referring to God, as God.

Guest: Tina Rubin We discuss: how, as young girls and women, we were programmed to fit into the box established by a society that viewed men and boys differently than women and girls; the opportunity men and boys have to elevate women’s access to equal standing in the workplace, in religious institutions, in government, and society in general;  the way strong, empathetic, and respectful fathers and male role models help empower strong women and girls; and how the old paradigm of limiting females is changing as society undergoes a gradual process of recognizing inequity so that both women and men grow stronger together.

Guest: Christopher Pelch We discuss: the importance of men and boys being willing to make adjustments to their personal mindsets and perceptions about women and girls; the idea that what we learn from the entertainment industry and society about gender dynamics is not how life plays out, if we desire to create healthy, equality-focused relationships; the difference between wanting to BE right and trying to GET it right;” and that although men and women are different, as emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual beings we have many similar needs.

Guest: Rose In this episode, Rose, who had an abortion sixty years ago, joins me to discuss a woman’s right to choose. She found herself pregnant after allowing her boyfriend to pressure her into having unprotected sex. She was twenty and unmarried. At the time, abortion was illegal in the United States. She had to go to Mexico and endure a barbaric and painful procedure. For the first time, she speaks publically about her experience and why it is critical for women to have reproductive rights.

Guests: Revs. Roger Paynter and Tim Moody We discuss: what Christ, overall, would think of Christianity; why Christianity must be focused on love; why Christians must lead the way to help the marginalized, the forgotten, the abused of society; and why Christianity and Christians must be universally focused on how to love ourselves, others, and all life, as Christ loved.

Guest: Reverend Tim Moody We discuss: whether the small world of our beliefs reflects the vast world God created by: returning to a time over 2,000 years ago when Christianity began; examining the origins of the Bible and Christianity; recognizing that Jesus questioned and challenged those in authority who were abusive and controlling; investigating why we’re subjected to fear-based indoctrination in Christ’s name, rather than love-based teachings; and exploring why we have a tendency to view ourselves, other people, and the world around us through the lens of what we already believe to be true.

I’m gay. So was Leonardo da Vinci, whose masterpieces Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are revered around the world as representations of our best artistic expression. Michelangelo was also gay. His fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and sculptures of the David and Pieta are also considered among humankind’s best works of art. These two men made huge contributions to the world. They did so in tribute to God, who didn’t care about their sexuality and doesn’t care about mine or yours, either.