Black and White and Gold

Norma Thomas’s story weaves in all the layers of duality, creating the most beautiful mix of everything, which is apropos for this woman. She is a force of nature, and her story is continually unfolding. Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Get full access to Black and White and Gold at b...

Listen, Robbie is my favorite, but the man is particular about who he talks to. But this Brad Kelly guy? Brad gets mentioned. This conversation was SO fun, with many layers and the journey through Christianity into Hindu practices, and beyond…let’s just say it’s not your typical Farm Boy from Central Washington story… Thanks for reading Black and White and Gold! Subscribe for free to receive new p...

The word flies around as if we’re all using the same definition…but we’re not. So…let’s talk about the different ways people use the word “truth” and maybe we can be a bit more on the same page in conversation, yes? Thanks for reading Black and White and Gold! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Black and White and Gold at blackandwhiteandgold.substack.com/subscribe

Content warning: This episode discusses infant loss and stillbirth. Please care for yourself accordingly. Join the conversation on Instagram and Substack: https://www.instagram.com/blackandwhiteandgold https://blackandwhiteandgold.substack.com Listen to The Bec Effect on iTunes and Spotify: Follow Becca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_beceffect https://www.instagram.com/thesevenon7th G...

Using Brian McLaren ’s Stages of Faith from his book Faith After Doubt , we explore some of the intricacies of a faith collective from different stages. We talk about what each stage can look like, the ins- and outs- of several facets, and whether moving into different stages (or attempting to force others into them) is even the goal in the first place. Are the stages of faith a new concept for yo...

Content Warning: typically, we will do our best to keep language to a minimum, but this one we kept all the conversation as it happened. If this is something you’re sensitive to, please take care as necessary, but we would invite you to sit with it and listen if you’re open to it, as there’s much to learn from our discussion. You are loved. Hold up - a podcast season on faith transitions and an op...

What began as a thought exercise one day when I was fed up (pun intended) with making ONE MORE meal (actually, it was two) for ONE MORE activity in order to engage with my church community outside of a worship service turned in to a whole 40+ minute episode. We pull at the idea of Cafeteria Mormons (insert any church here, this is just our personal soup), church potlucks, and how to love the margi...

Nikki Revis is a business and energetics coach helping women succeed in all aspects of their lives. She’s tiny, but the woman packs a punch. She was willing to sit with me to talk about her faith journey, being raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and choosing to step away from the church to develop her relationship with God as an adult. I was honored to witness all the differ...

Season TWO, friends! This entire season will be weaving in and through the stories of people who have dealt with complicated religious experiences and how they navigated it. In this intro episode, we are setting the stage to help us all be on the same page for these conversations, with a lot of good things to keep in mind, particularly if you’ve never dealt with a faith crisis/transition/deconstru...

We sincerely hope you are enjoying this episode in comfy jammies and are making lovely memories with family and friends. …but if not, we hope you have peace anyway. We love your guts, and we’ll be back with full episodes on Season 2 in early February. More info to come. Book Links to purchase (affiliate links) and link directly to the Pantsuit Politics Substack (but for real…worth a follow). I Thi...

Thanks for reading Black and White and Gold! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers Pantsuit Politics Crucial Conversations - Our next book club book…get a head start! Get full access to Black and White and Gold at blackandwhiteandgold.substack.com/subscribe

It’s hard to overstate the mood swings felt on the journey of this episode. Maybe some of you can relate? Join us as we talk about nuance through the lens of religion, covid, and politics. Here’s to hoping this minefield helps some of you process too. 🤟🏼 The video referenced about John McCain: Come be social with us: instagram.com/blackandwhiteandgold blackandwhiteandgold.substack.com Get full a...

Many apologies if this is a duplicate post for you…we’re still working out the kinks over here, and *maybe* we figured out the issue? Regardless, this episode is a good one…hope you stay tuned! Growing up in a high-demand religion and teen pregnancy don’t usually mix well. Join us as we talk with Amy and Brenna about how they (and their family!) navigated this unexpected life event. We’ll talk abo...

We love your guts. We’re so grateful for you. Enjoy the weekend the best you’re able to, and we will be back with another convo next week. Book Club Deets: We will be meeting Wednesday, December 4, at 7pm through the link here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlceCtpz0rEtELzgKGvJ-qLDL87fhlsXUh#/registration We'll be reading I Think You're Wrong, (But I'm Listening) (this is an affiliate...

Ahhhh…The Holidays, right? It's a beautiful time for gathering as family and friends to celebrate [fill in the blank] day. However, "holidays" are seen through different lenses by each of us. Some holidays may be difficult to process or get-though because of past experiences, perceived missed opportunities, strained relationships, or complicated history. Thanks for reading Black and White and Gold...

Nothing like a volatile political season to bring out the best in everyone…areweright? As social media feels like a literal dumpster fire mixed with the worst in humanity sometimes, we are pulling at the threads of being wrong…and how it feels exactly like being right. We’re pretty sure we’re right about it too. Are you? Show notes: Join us for BOOK CLUB! Register here for our conversation about I...

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has created quiiiiite a stir…mostly among people who are somehow affiliated with the church in their lives. But the opinions? Oof. They’re ALLLL over the place. We chat a bit about that, and then start a discussion with each other about some of the questions being brought up that weren’t directly stated. We would love to hear your thoughts on it, and any of the oth...

Is there anything scarier that talking about politics? For some, definitely not…so since it’s our last episode before Election Day AND Halloween, it seemed like a fitting thing to jump in to. But we’re gonna do it in a surprisingly neutral way. We will NOT tell you how to vote, but if you need a bit of encouragement on where to go to get helpful information, we’ve gotchu. And regardless of your af...

Kelly is BACK! This time, we have an open conversation about pregnancy loss, pregnancy, parenting, and re-parenting ourselves. Trigger warning: We love you and want the best for you! Please only listen if you are in a position to listen to this topic (pregnancy and child loss) from a safe space. BOOK CLUB! Join us for our book club whilst we read I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah S...

Part 3 of our relationship series ends with us saying a bunch of big words, but words that changed the game for us. If things like “differentiation,” “enmeshment,” and “co-create” are new-ish to you, hopefully there’s something good in this listen for you to take to your own relationships. Join the chat, and let’s talk about what we’re learning together! Join us for our Book Club where we discuss...

There’s a lot of discussion about relationships and vulnerability, but it seems that men have a bit of a bad rap in this particular arena. But what does culture AND the women in their lives have to do with it? Let’s chat about whether or not we want men to even BE vulnerable, and if so, how do we encourage it? Join us for our Book Club where we discuss I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by B...

Why is it that when men are good friends, we have to make it weird? It becomes a “bromance” instead of a friendship. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of men don’t have friends they rely on for emotional support, and we’re gonna chat about it. Links to some of the ideas we referenced: https://www.google.com/search?q=statistics+on+male+friend+relationships&sca_esv=7bed0de0dada41c5&ei=YdDUZq...

At the end of National Suicide Prevention Month, we felt it important to talk about this really hard topic with someone who is doing what she can to alchemize her grief. Lacey is the founder of Play to Stay that raises money to support the mental health and raise funds to help prevent suicides in the community. In this conversation, we get real about this topic and discuss it from many angles. Pla...

Language and words are endlessly fascinating. Humans literally make up combinations of sounds to describe events, concepts, thoughts, emotions, and things, and then we use those words to communicate with each other. Every generation adapts and adopts language to fit the time, and we’re super intrigued by it. Today, we manage to discuss all sorts of language, including swears/cuss words, without sa...

Membership in a high demand religion creates endless opportunities for service and sacrifice. For those of you who may be familiar with such a lifestyle, we imagine you'll relate heavily to this one. For those who don't have first-hand experience here, it's an inside look at some of the complexities that make us grow or perhaps stunt our growth in the struggle. Looking at choice and ag...