Deconstructing Mamas

"I’m writing the story Bible I wish to see in the world. Not just for my daughter, not just for girls, but for all kids. Because when it comes to the love of God, everyone belongs.” Mariko Clark Our episode this week is with the author and illustrator of the new and wildly popular children's Bible story book, The Book of Belonging , Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor. Their passion to provi...

"We never had certainty we just thought we did. We convinced ourselves we could absolutely be sure. Now we know the truth and the next step is to find peace in that uncertainty and maybe even be happy about it, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." Marla Taviano in her new book “Whole” (with a nod to words by Rilke)  Our epis...

"Our fight is not against men but against the systems of imbalanced power that keep women and nonbinary people from flourishing in the fullness of our gifts and offering this world the best we have to offer.” Liz Cooledge Jenkins  Our episode this week is with Liz Cooledge Jenkins, preacher, writer and author of the book, Nice Churchy Patriarchy . Liz has a gentleness, yet brilliance about he...

“If I widen the lens and see this concept from a new perspective, then yes, I do matter. I do have purpose. I’ve just redefined my view of purpose. I’ve taken the pressure off. And I’ve started to find fulfillment, contentment, and gratification in small actions that matter." Sarah W. Bragg  Our episode this week is with Sarah W. Bragg, mom of two teens, author of the new book, Is Everyone Ha...

“Christian Nationalism is harmful to both Christianity and the country.” April Ajoy  Our episode this week is with April Ajoy, author of the new book, Star-Spangled Jesus , former Christian Nationalist, podcast host and deconstructing mom of two. April has a fierce passion to recover from the wounds of toxic Christianity and how it plays out in the political arena and to help others do the same. I...

“Your soul is waiting for you to say yes to it again.” Rachel Marie Martin  Our episode this week is with Rachel Marie Martin, the ever-popular social media site called "Finding Joy."  She is the author of three books, the biological mom of seven, the bonus mom to four and the daughter of church planters. Rachel has a fierce passion to be vulnerable and tell her story in all its "ra...

Body and spirit marry in the chapel of the soul. They marry every minute of every day, in all activities and in all inactivity, in all thoughts and in all actions, or they marry not at all. (If) They don’t marry, we do not know sexuality with soul, and therefore our sexuality remains incomplete and insufficiently human. We do not find the soul of sex by spiritualizing the body but by coming to app...

I found the freedom to take up space instead of trying to conform to a mold forged in the fire of the empire. The truth is that to become comfortable in my skin and with my scars, I had to leave a place where scars had to stay hidden. In the space of the wilderness, I learned to like all that was OTHER about me. And I hope you give yourself permission to like all that is OTHER about you, too. Jena...

One purpose of healing is to be able to experience joy. Our subconscious seeks what is familiar. Joy without guilt is not familiar to many. (Chelsea Haines) We start off Season Six (can you believe it?) with Chelsea Haines, otherwise known as @yourgutsygal and the founder of the Gut Health Agency. So many of you have asked "what do we do now" to move into a healthy and wholistic body/spi...

We tend to look for answers outside ourselves. From books. Church. From friends or family. Even from society. We are called deeper, to sink down inside ourselves, where what we need is intertwined with what the Divine has to offer us. The place where we can trust and rest and then go and do. (Esther Goetz) Our guest this week is our very own Esther Goetz. Esther is a deconstructing mama of four, a...

“We are meaning-making machines. Chaos is uncomfortable, and thinking that everything that happens to us is due to random chance feels cold and impersonal. The brain seeks out patterns and order when they are not necessarily present.” Sarah Henn Hayward Our guest this week is Sarah Henn Hayward. Sarah is a mom of two, an author and our first self-proclaimed agnostic/atheist on the podcast. To say...

Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate. - Malynda Hale Malynda Hale, mom, activist, singer, author and actress, is our guest this week. Malynda uses her voice through her music and social media presence as an educating activist to effect change within social justice, female empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, the Black Lives Matter movement, Antisemitism and Progressive Christianity. On th...

The Church needs to be called out and take responsibility for the damage it has done to people. The survivors should be heard. So no, I don't always talk about the good. Because until the darkness is exposed, and more people are removed from power that absolutely should not be in it, I will not be quiet. - Amber Schultz Amber Schultz, founder of Fundie Freed, a webcast devoted to telling reli...

Deconstruction invites us to become really honest about what we believe, why we hold those beliefs sacred, how they influence the way we relate to our creator, and who is actually served by our beliefs. If we trust the process enough to lower our walls and honestly engage with our questions, deconstruction promises to reveal undiscovered bias, limiting beliefs, and any flawed doctrines that active...

The question we need to ask is this one: Am I being pushed by fear or led by love?  (Emily P. Freeman) We are absolutely thrilled to have Emily P. Freeman join us on the podcast this week. Emily is a New York Times best-selling author, a mom to three, a spiritual director and podcast hostess. Her most important work is to help create soul space and offer spiritual companionship and discernment for...

I want to be a voice for the invisibles.  (Leslie Nease) What do a Survivor contestant, deconstructing mama of four bigs, former Christian radio broadcaster, life and faith transitions coach, author and newly-minted podcast hostess have in common?  They are all named Leslie Nease, our podcast guest this week. Leslie is quick-witted, well-spoken and passionate about coming alongside of people in th...

*trigger warning* “My passion is to have a kinder and gentler world for our little people in faith spaces.” (Matt Shantz) Meet Matt Shantz, husband, dad, social worker in child and adolescent mental health, and spiritual mentor. Matt is our podcast guest this week and we are so grateful to have had one of the most complicated, difficult and needed conversations we've had on the podcast to dat...

I’m trying to be in alignment with what I understand what the true principles of love to actually be. (Stephanie Stalvey) The passionate and kind Stephanie Stalvey is our guest this week on the podcast. Stephanie is a deconstructing mama of one, high school art teacher, and painter writer and comic book artist extraordinaire. She loves music and animals and going to the beach when its cold. She&ap...

“God is like a fort, strong and secure with walls that are mighty and safe. Inside, there are hidden places to hold you when you’re scared or need a quiet place to rest.” What is God Like (Matthew Paul Turner & Rachel Held Evans) The spunky and amazing Matthew Paul Turner is our guest this week on the podcast. Matthew is a dad of three, New York Time's best-selling children's author,...

“You aren't going to mess up your kids' theology." (Sarah Swartzendruber)   The brilliant Sarah Swartzendruber is our guest this week on the podcast. Sarah is a mama, pastor, kid's faith curriculum creator (Zippee) and cohort leader for Parenting After Deconstruction.  Most of the parents who reach out to her know what they don't want to teach their kids, but they have no...

“Self-discovery is the goal. Self-compassion is the vibe." (Trisha Wilkerson) We start off Season Five with Trisha Wilkerson as our guest this week on the podcast. And it's really good! Trisha is a deconstructing mama, author, former pastor's wife turned certified Nutrition Coach. She works with individuals and groups, guiding a behavioral change process towards increasing overall w...

“Chronic trauma can overwhelm our internal coping resources. Trauma disrupts the same system that regulates our body’s stress response causing a hyperactive fight-or-flight reaction. It’s not just all in our head. It’s in our bodies too. (Brittany Moses)  Guess what??? The guests on our podcasts this week are...drum roll please... us. We are closing out Season Four with a conversation with just th...

“Admitting we could be wrong about the things we are most convinced of, that are so fundamental to who we are, is painful and becoming someone new is scary.” (an excerpt from Godbreathed, Zack Hunt) Zack Hunt (sometimes known as Zaack Hunt around the internet, a deconstructing dad, former pastor, prolific author and BBQ magician extraordinaire, is our guest this week.  Zack has spent the last deca...

“My love, God is here when you choose goodness and are living from your heart. When you follow the path of love, God is with you from the start. And God is there when you mess up, if you make a choice that isn’t best. It  doesn’t mean you’re bad; it just means you’re human-like all the rest.” (an excerpt from My Love, God is Everywhere ) Victoria Robb Powers and Cameron Vickrey, also known as the...

"I would hope never to feel so confident in my theology as not to be willing to correct a wrong view once presented with compelling evidence." Chad Bahl (Deconstructing Hell) Chad Bahl is our podcast guest this week. Chad is a theologian, step-dad and author. Chad is also a kind, humble, deep, brilliant soul who is on a personal mission to seek the whole truth no matter what the cost. On...