Impossible Beauty

Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee who has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Sandra’s music has also been featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Sandra is also a published author, contributing a regular column in Christianity Today and recently released her first book "Send Out...

When it comes to messages about food and our bodies, our society gives us some pretty warped ideas. On today’s episode, I talk to registered dietitian nutritionist, Megan Hadley, who is fiercely committed to counteracting such dangerous messages and helping clients find freedom in eating and acceptance of their bodies. Megan currently provides one-on-one nutrition therapy and coaching for individu...

Sometimes the resilience of humans astounds me. On this week’s episode, I talk with author and speaker, Bonnie Gray, who is an incredible model of resilience and persevering faith. In her most recent book, Sweet Like Jasmine, Bonnie recounts her past, growing up as a Chinese American daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy working in San Francisco Chinatown. Though Bonnie’s early years were fr...

Dr. MaryKate Morse is the executive dean of the Portland Seminary and lead mentor for the Leadership and Spiritual Formation Doctor of Ministry track. She leads the seminary and serves on the Executive Academic Leadership of the university. Dr. Morse began her ministry living in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru, then studied at Western Evangelical Seminary, where she received a Masters in B...

When Tyler and Lydia Lund met Jenn Corral, they didn’t know it would change their lives. Tyler and Lydia live in Salina Kansas, along with their four kids, hosting foster children and working their day jobs: Lydia, a Clinical Therapist and Tyler, a Sales and Marketing Director for a farm equipment supplier. Even though life was full, Lydia and Tyler also wanted to serve their community; not in a d...

Scott Erickson, also known as Scott the Painter, is an artist, author, and performance speaker. In his work, Scott seeks to demonstrate that the story of God is not just a story that happened thousands of years ago, but it is also a story that’s happening right now, in your life and mine. Scott’s work has appeared on CNN, in National Geographic, and in various magazines, newspaper outlets, and boo...

In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Maggie Meyers. Maggie is a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Maggie has worked with clients with various diagnoses and struggles; however, much of her work has been in the field of eating disorders. For years, she worked in various levels of care and in leadership roles at a nationally re...

Last week I had the privilege of interviewing Pastor Mitchel Lee of Grace Community Church in Fulton, Maryland. It was a conversation that deeply encouraged me. So often, it can be easy to equate life circumstances with the goodness of God. And to wonder how do we connect with and trust God amid life’s trials and brokenness? Pastor Lee recently released a book, entitled Even If, that addresses thi...

From the first time I heard Jason Gray’s music I was drawn in by its relatability and its ability to convey a hope that doesn’t feel superficial or naive, but grounded and deep. And that is why I am thrilled to have Christian singer/songwriter Jason Gray join me on the show this week. Jason is a two-time ASCAP Performance Award winner, has scored two Top Ten Christian chart hits, and landed on the...

Gabi Kahn is a non-diet dietitian and owner of Method Nutrition. After recovering from a lifetime of harmful dieting, Gabi earned her MA in Clinical Nutrition from NYU and has now made it her mission to protect the next generation from diet culture. More specifically, Gabi seeks to help moms find peace in their relationship with food and learn to love their bodies, so they can protect their young...

Molly LaCroix is a licensed marriage and family therapist, author, and speaker. As a therapist, Molly knows that we need loving relationships when we are struggling with life’s challenges. However, she noticed that, due to fear of vulnerability, people often struggle with being a supportive presence in one another’s lives during times of suffering. And that’s exactly why Molly wrote her book, Rest...

Bruxy Cavey is the senior pastor at The Meeting House, a church for people who aren’t into church. The Meeting House is a multisite Anabaptist congregation in Ontario, Canada where thousands of people connect to God and each other through Sunday services, online interaction, and a widespread house church network. Bruxy is also author of the bestselling book, The End of Religion and his new book, (...

Jess Connolly is an author, church leader, and coach. She’s also a woman who has experienced decades of shame and pain in her body. She’s been on a journey to break free from body shame using God’s truth and now she is inviting women to join her. As she puts it, she’s obsessed with the freedom that is ours for the taking. Today’s episode is a little different. For one, we’re going to jump right in...

Hope Carpenter is a pastor, author, wife, and mom. Along with her husband Ron, she pastors Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina and San Jose, California. She has also authored two books, The Little Pink Book, and most recently, The Most Beautiful Disaster. When Hope is not helping her husband lead Redemption or spending time with her grandchildren, she often travels to Pakistan, Dominic...

These days the concept of self-love is tossed around a lot. And often, it can be assumed to be a shallow, abstract, or even self-indulgent concept. For that reason, and so many others, I am so glad I have Karlyn Benn on the show today. Not only does Karyln give us a helpful definition and understanding of this concept, but she explains how it has transformed her own life. Karlyn Benn is licensed p...

Abby Turner is a food blogger, speaker, and writer. Born into a large family, she grew up in Central Arkansas, where she learned the importance of community and hospitality at a young age. After obtaining her master’s degree from Baylor, Abby lived in 6 states in 5 years and learned how essential community is to wellbeing and faith. Abby’s passion is to encourage women to stop wasting time waiting...

Do you ever wonder how such incredible beauty and such profound brokenness can coexist in the world? And in the midst of those seeming competing realities, what does that mean about God and his goodness? It’s questions like these that today’s guest has studied, struggled with, and recently written a book about. Sarah Clarkson is a writer and theologian who currently lives in West Sussex in England...

Katherine Wolf is a survivor, communicator, and advocate. After giving birth to her first son in 2008, Katherine miraculously survived a catastrophic stroke. Since that day, Katherine and her husband, Jay, have committed their lives to champion the truth that suffering and joy can coexist in your good/hard story. In that pursuit, Katherine and Jay have written two best-selling books (Hope Heals an...

Melanie Penn is a gifted singer/songwriter who writes pop songs at the crossroads of faith and culture. Melanie began formal vocal training at a young age and eventually moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. After years of being a mainstay in New York City’s theater scene, including a run of playing Sandy Dumbrowski in Grease for a Broadway touring company, Melanie decided to tran...

Christyna Johnson is a Dallas-based, Non-Diet Registered Dietician whose nutrition philosophy is rooted in the social justice framework of Health at Every Size (R) and seen through the lens of Intuitive Eating. After years of personally struggling with negative body image, disordered eating, and anxiety, Christyna is thankful that she has now come to find a flourishing relationship with her body a...

Daron Babcock is the founder and executive director of Bonton Farms near Dallas, Texas. Starting as a garden in a small lot, Bonton Farms has grown into two fully functioning, organic farms, one in the Bonton community and a separate 40-acre farm south of Dalllas. Before the Farm’s presence Bonton was what was considered a food desert. The mission of Bonton Farms is “to restore lives, create jobs...

My time with Allen Arnold was such a gift. He totally breathed new life into the concepts of creativity and living life as a true adventure. Allen Arnold is an author (The Story of With and Chaos Can’t) and speaker. He is also the Executive Producer of Content for John and Stasi Eldredge’s ministry, Wild at Heart. In short, Allen’s passion is awakening people’s hearts to pursue their dreams and cr...

Today’s episode is a little different. Back in Episode 18, I shared a little about my story and why I’m so passionate about beauty and why I even started Impossible Beauty in the first place. In today’s episode, I share a bit more about why I care so much about this topic and why I hope you’ll join me in redefining beauty and seeking after true beauty. So please sit back and I hope you enjoy part...

Can I just say that Ginny Owens is amazing?! For years, I have listened to and loved her music and in our time together, I experienced firsthand how very authentic and beautiful her heart and her faith are. For those of you who are new to Ginny Owens, she is a singer/songwriter and speaker, who was named the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year. Ginny has also won 3 Dove Awards,...

My conversation with Bunmi Laditan was so refreshing. Bunmi is simultaneously hilarious and full of wisdom. She also has the invaluable gift of putting you completely at ease in her presence. Bunmi is a writer living in Quebec, Canada whose work ranges from the humorous to the poetic, including titles such as The Honest Toddler, Confessions of a Domestic Failure, Dear Mother, and her most recent b...