Impossible Beauty

Katy Rose is committed to creating “art to reflect the beauty of light illuminating the darkness.” Trained in psychology and art, Katie desires to bring depth and meaning to each of her paintings. She is also a contributing author for the “Love God Greatly Bible” published by Thomas Nelson in 2020 and has illustrated and written upcoming projects in children’s literature. Katie lives in Texas with...

This episode is all about beauty ideals, our relationship with our bodies and food, and social media. I can’t think of better conversation partners for this one than Lisa DeKam and Jacquie Danz, the founders of the Axia Project. Lisa is a physical therapist who works in the field of eating disorders and Jacquie is the mom of two teenage girls, who is committed to changing the narrative that a fema...

Haejin Shim Fujimura is a seasoned lawyer and the founder and managing partner of Shim & Associates, located in both New York and New Jersey. Haejin is also the CEO and co-founder of Embers International, an organization committed to protecting, restoring, and empowering victims of injustice with the goal of ending intergenerational exploitation and preventing human trafficking. She also serves as...

In this week’s episode, I had the privilege of interviewing renowned author, Philip Yancey. In his books, Philip has explored the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith, including award-winning titles such as The Jesus I Never Knew, What’s So Amazing About Grace? and Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? He currently has more than 15 million books in print, published in o...

For months I looked forward to my interview with author, hospital chaplain, and former atheist, J.S. Park. When it comes to the tension of beauty and brokenness, what better person to talk to than someone who literally sits at the precipice of life and death, crisis, and suffering every day? Furthermore, J.S. is an honest voice, speaking candidly about his own struggles with depression and his jou...

Nine years ago, Taylor Hughes decided to chase a dream he’d had since he was seven years old. On his 7th birthday, Taylor’s parents bought him a magic kit and he fell in love with the art of illusion. He wanted to be a magician. For years he had encouraged others to live out their passions and chase their dreams, but he had not done the same for himself. Now, more than 3,000 shows later, Taylor ha...

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...