Dancing With Skeletons

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Paul began to feel that something within The American Christian Church was just not right. He didn’t really have a word for what he was feeling, but now he would call it “deconstruction”. He stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh and taking in the right-wing media that had helped to form his way of thinking. Spiritual deconstruction is hard and it involves losing friends and family you never thought y...

Today Debi shares the calm and joy she recently experienced when she spent the weekend at a Yoga retreat with her daughter Karter. In today’s climate, isn’t finding peace in the storm of life something we all want? We’re all doing our best to move forward with the lessons we’ve learned and the growth we’ve experienced. www.dancingwithskeletons.net

“Love means never having to say you're sorry" is a catchphrase based on a line from the Erich Segal novel Love Story and was popularized by its 1970 film adaptation starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal. But, is that really what love looks like?

Everyone is talking about the “new normal”. Have you found yours? We’re definitely still trying to navigate through the murky waters of post-pandemic reintroduction to community and life. The heart and body wants to heal. Liz and Debi are open to finding that healing in some non-traditional places like bar planks, stalled cars, torn shirts, and small towns. Today we celebrate the wisdom and healin...

We want you to know there is always the light of hope. If you find yourself struggling and thinking of suicide, please reach out to someone you can trust or the suicide hotline at 800-273-8255. https://www.dancingwithskeletons.net https://www.fresnomusicacademy.com https://debiruud.com

Both Debi and I have been able to slowly get back to some of the creative outlets we had before the pandemic. Oh how we’ve missed getting together with people who have a yes/and outlook on art and life. We may not all agree on politics, religion, mandates, or other social constructs, but when we approach relationships with a yes/and heart we open ourselves to new knowledge, thoughts, relationships...

Debi lost her beloved dog Bella this past week. Bella was the most loyal pet Debi had ever had the privilege of loving and she often called her the “Jesus dog”. If you’ve owned a pet, you know what loyalty REALLY looks like. They give more than they take and they love you unconditionally. The past year and a half has been really hard - it’s been a panDAMNic and we’re ready for it all to be behind...

In today’s podcast episode we talk about who we wanted to be, what got in our way, and how we overcame some of the obstacles. We pay homage to some of the people who encouraged us, recognized our gifts, and gave us the courage to pursue our dreams. In this episode, Debi asked Liz to talk about a post she put up on Facebook. In the moment, Liz managed to mangle it all up, but below you’ll see the i...

Religion is for people who are trying to avoid hell. Spirituality is for people who’ve already been there. www.dancingwithskeletons.net www.fresnomusicacademy.com www.debiruud.com

People come into our lives to teach us lessons about life, the world, and ourselves. Liz and Debi believe that our own kids are born into this world to teach us and expose our weaknesses and biases. Of course we as parents mold and guide our kids, but let’s not miss the lessons they teach us! We boycott and cancel everything from television shows to dish soap, to coffee shops. To what end? While w...

Liz and Debi have both worked for people and organizations whose leaders regularly berate and talk down to their employees and team members. For them, that seems to work. But does that type of leadership grow a strong and healthy work environment? Leaders must figure out what kind of team members they want and how to draw those people in. The best leaders lead with their head, heart, and hands.

Secrets always come out. The longer they’re held, the more difficult it will be when they are finally revealed. Today, we’re dancing with secrets.

We know we’ve come to the end of our rope when the smallest thing causes our emotions to tip into crazy. If you’re not the one who has lost a job in the midst of Covid-19, you know someone who has. If you’re not the one who has been sick or hospitalized, you know someone who has. Ignoring life’s challenges and detours only puts off the inevitable. Are we at the “new normal” yet, or is there more t...

When someone cries out for prayer on social media, we promise “thoughts and prayers”, but what does that really mean? I’m guessing it means different things to different people. For us, prayer means we throw positive energy out into the Universe. God knows what we need and He wants to reveal the answers to us. For us, prayer is the act of connecting to God, the Divine, and the Universe and we need...

In today’s podcast episode Liz and Debi discuss the shootings in both Atlanta and Colorado. There are no easy answers, but we want to give space to share our collective sadness and grief. It is our desire to be a source of light and love. Dancing With Skeletons is sponsored by Fresno Music Academy and Arts.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and at any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.

Miss Teen California Pageant Miss YOLO County

2020 was a VERY difficult year for people of color here in America. Allison Lanford never imagined that racism would be a part of her regular life or that she would be faced with having “the talk” with her very young son.

Liz gets weepy in today’s episode when she discusses the beauty and hope depicted in the Broadway show, Come From Away . The show is based on the true story of the passengers from 38 planes that were diverted after the attacks of 9/11 to Gander, Newfoundland. The airspace was closed and people from all over the world suddenly found themselves in a strange place being cared for by strangers. Come F...

What happens when we believe we’re in a safe place, but that space becomes toxic? We often give our heart and love and friendship to people with whom we share our life and orbit. Brene’ Brown says, “genetics loads the gun; environment pulls the trigger”. When we know our genetics might not be on our side, we seek healthy environments so that our families have the best chances at success. But thing...

Some of our friends and family have said and done incredibly hurtful things over the past year of unrest. Opinions, fear, anger, and misinformation can cause us to say unhealthy things in the moment. What happens after we say something unkind or hurtful and then somewhere down the road we find ourselves in a different place and a different mindset? Can we or should we apologize to the people we hu...

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Each one of us deal with stress differently, but deal we must. In today’s podcast episode Liz and Debi talk about how they process anxiety. A therapist once told Debi that “homicide is healthier than suicide”. In other words, it’s so often easier to blame others for what’s going on around us than it is to take personal responsibility for the struggles we face.

Our hearts are hurting over broken relationships, lost moments, misinformation, and a new and growing willingness to cut people out our lives over minor disagreements. I doubt we’re alone in our sadness and we want to check in with all of you today. How are you? What’s on your heart today?