Discovering Our Scars

In Episode 35, Steph and Beth have an honest conversation with software engineer and DIY Blogger, Ashley Basnight, about #BlackLivesMatter. Recognizing that they, as two white women, definitely do NOT have all the answers, Steph and Beth reached out to Ashley with their uncomfortable questions. The three have an authentic conversation about why All Lives Matter is an insensitive and inappropriate...

In Episode 34, Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about anxiety. Steph shares about a recent panic attack and how it was different from what she’s experienced in the past. Although anxiety and depression sometimes occur together, that isn’t always the case. Steph shares what’s on her “Anxiety List”— her go-to strategies when she experiences another panic attack. Her healthy toolkit include...

In Episode 33, Steph and Beth return to their regularly scheduled programming after an 8-week series about the coronavirus pandemic. This episode is an honest conversation about why it’s important to be the authority on yourself. It’s important, but also difficult. Self-awareness takes courage! Steph and Beth talk about times they lacked the courage to really know themselves and what helped move t...

In Episode 32, Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about what the pandemic has done to them ... in a good way. Why did it take a pandemic for Beth to feel rested? Why did it take a pandemic for Steph to truly enjoy her porch? How has the pandemic let you go of things you thought were non-negotiable or absolutely essential, like eating in restaurants? Steph and Beth even realize it took a pa...

In Episode 31, recorded on May 6, 2020, Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about states reopening in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Why are we acting like this is all over when … it isn’t? If reopening is important, isn’t it important that we do it well? Can’t we all agree that masks are just pants for your face and everyone should be wearing one in public? Full transcript and show...

In Episode 30, recorded on April 29, 2020, Steph and Beth are joined by Charlene Garrett of Global Outreach and GOinnovation. Charlene works with missionaries and NGO’s in several countries throughout the world. She joins Steph and Beth for an honest conversation about how this pandemic is impacting everyday life globally. As we all stay “safer at home,” our perspective can be severely reduced. Ne...

In Episode 29, recorded on April 22, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Five+ weeks in, we’ve all endured a significant amount of change. Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about how shocking it all is, what habits this time has helped them break, and what new habits they hope will continue post-quarantine.  Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us...

In Episode 28, recorded on April 15, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Four (or more?) weeks in, with so many of us living under shelter-at-home orders, we seem to be losing track of time. Most of what distinguished Monday from Friday has been lost as our routines have been dismantled. In the midst of this on-going pandemic, we find ourselves asking, what day is it any...

In Episode 27, recorded on April 8, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the outbreak in the US, when states started issuing stay-at-home orders, social media posts suggested everyone was planning to be VERY productive during this time. Three (or more?) weeks in, Steph and Beth are just wondering, is it okay to not be okay?  Full transcript and show no...

In Episode 26, recorded on April 1, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss sorting through the volumes of information that area available and the challenge of knowing which information is trustworthy. They also discuss concern over trusting people—who is a source of contagion and who is it safe to be around? This episode’s Questions for Reflection invite you to...

In Episode 25, recorded on March 25, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about their experiences during their first week of #socialdistancing and trying to stay home as much as possible. Steph asks Beth how she, as a pastor, reacts to the idea that people don’t have to take precautions because God will protect them. Also, is this a judgment from God? (Spoiler Alert: Beth said it isn’t.) This episode’s Quest...

In Episode 24, recorded on March 18, 2020, Steph and Beth talk about their experiences traveling during the earliest days of the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Steph shares her experience of being in Nashville as things in the US started to close. She was especially rocked by the news that Disney was closing. As a former Disney employee, she understands how unprecedented an extended cl...

In Episode 23, Steph and Beth talk politics. They share their stories of registering to vote—one a Democrat, the other a Republican. In spite of their differing party affiliations, they find they agree on most things. If the whole country could speak honestly about their political opinions, would we find more agreement? To practice the art of political disagreement, Steph and Beth discuss the lega...

When Emily was about a year old, she had a surgery that left her with a permanent physical impairment. In this episode of Discovering Our Scars, Steph and Beth have an honest conversation with Steph’s longtime friend Emily about what it’s like to have a disability everyone can see. What do people say? What do people avoid saying? It will make you wonder—what’s the first thing people notice about y...

Back in 2002, Beth and her husband found out they couldn’t have biological children. Their adoption journey became an international adventure that ultimately required four trips to Russia and thousands of dollars. This is an honest conversation about Beth’s journey to motherhood including talk about why she didn’t adopt from her own country, why she travelled with thousands of dollars in US curren...

A lot of people say they want to write a book one day, or that they wish they could be self-employed. Other folks talk about making a career pivot. Steph and Beth dissect their experience with these challenges to discover how they made courage more than a concept. It was courageous for Steph to write a book, but Steph didn’t see it that way until Beth pointed it out. It was courageous for Beth to...

Every January, lots of people make New Year’s Resolutions and other goals. We hear lots of chatter about physical goals, but people rarely (ever?) talk about their mental health goals. People go for annual physical check-ups, but no one seems to talk about going for an annual mental health check-up. Why is it easier to talk about our physical health? People would rather talk about a colonoscopy th...

It’s a song for children, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But, it isn’t something we all know. In fact, there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians who don’t seem to really understand that Jesus loves them. Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about what they believe when it comes to Jesus loving them, and why. Full transcript and show notes here: https://dospod.us/e18

Every December, parents start telling their children that Santa is watching. Parents tell children they need to behave to make it onto the Nice List. No one wants to be on Santa’s Naughty List! But, isn’t this a lie? Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about the role Santa Claus plays in our culture. Steph says Santa is a lie. Beth says Santa is a metaphor. They talk about how they viewed S...

We all know we need margin (or, in Christianese, Sabbath ). And yet, we still give into societal pressure to fill our days. Important people are valuable people. Important people are also busy. Therefore, busy people are valuable. Busy-ness has become an excuse, a crutch. Steph and Beth mine their own lives to understand where this idea comes from. Was it TV? Did we learn it as children or did we...

About the same time Steph and Beth started planning the podcast, Steph adopted a greyhound she named Mac. Adopting a dog was a big responsibility, but Steph was ready! Even with all of her research and preparation, Steph could not have predicted the amount of joy and emotional health Mac brings to her life. It turns out that having more responsibility in her life has made Steph less stressed. In t...

Listen in as Steph shares her story at a Celebrate Recovery meeting. Steph explains what brought her to use Non-Suicidal Self-Injury as a coping mechanism, how the trauma of being admitted to a mental hospital resulted in PTSD, and how her mustard-seed sized faith led to a transformation. When she discovered she was sexually abused as a child, she knew she didn’t want that to define her life or he...

We all have invisible scars. Sometimes we think that because no one can see them, we don’t need to deal with them. Other times, they remain invisible to us even as they impact our relationships, our sense of self-worth, and more. In this episode, Steph and Beth welcome special guest Lori K. who facilitated their first 12-step study. The three talk about the painful reality of invisible scars and h...

What’s it like to have dyslexia? What’s it like to have dyslexia and then decide to write a book? Steph shares some about her experience, including the anxiety she already feels about being put on the spot to read her book in public. Dealing with dyslexia has taught Steph about perseverance and hard work—skills that serve her well today as an online content creator. They also discover that Beth wo...

Welcome to the Discovering Our Scars podcast, where we have honest conversations about things that make us different. Hosted by Steph & Beth. Visit dospod.us for more episodes!