Impossible Beauty

This week's episode is a little different. I realized that after 17 episodes I haven't told you much about who I am, my story, and how I got to be so passionate about beauty. So, this week I take some time to tell you about my own experience of beauty: what's brought me life, what's been toxic, and how I'd love for you to join the Impossible Beauty movement.

Steve Wiens is a spiritual teacher, writer, and pastor who has authored three books, entitled "Beginnings," "Whole," and most recently "Shining Like the Sun: Seven Mindful Practices for Rekindling Your Faith." Steve also hosts a weekly podcast called This Good Word. Wiens is a gentle companion in the journey of spiritual development and loves coming alongside people in reconstructing their faith w...

Hannah Rose Thomas is a gifted English artist, who has found a way to integrate her art and humanitarian work, largely painting portraits of those whom have been persecuted. She desires to use art as a tool for advocacy, bringing a voice to the voiceless into places of influence in the West. She has organized art projects in Jordan with Syrian refuges, with Yezidi women in Northern Iraq who had es...

Marissa Knox is a PhD candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She also works as a research assistant to Kristin Neff. In her work, Marissa focuses on exploring how self-compassion acts as a source of resilience for healthy body image and stress management. Her dissertation, in particular, examines whether or not a self-compassion writing intervention helps college...

Rob Bell has authored ten books, including the New York Times bestselling titles, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God," "The Zimzum of Love," "Love Wins," and "What Is The Bible?" Rob also hosts a weekly podcast called The Robcast. He has also toured with Oprah, has been profiled in the New Yorker, and in 2011, was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in Time Magazine....

For years I have connected with the heart, beauty, and honesty of the Grammy-nominated band, Gungor. I recently had the chance to speak with Lisa Gungor of the musical duo. Lisa is a gifted singer/songwriter who now writes music for her solo career, “Isa Ma.” Lisa also recently released her first book entitled "The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen: Opening Your Eyes to Wonder." In her book, Lisa det...

Julia Attalla, D. Min, is the Executive Director of After Hours Ministry in south Los Angeles, California. Julia also serves as the Director of Ministry Program at Fuller Theological Seminary. Above all, I see Julia as an advocate for hope. In our time together, Julia taught me the pivotal role of hope and bravery in the midst of life’s brokenness. And how when we persevere in hope and bravery, be...

A leader sets the tone for the culture of a community. A leader models the ethos of a place and of a community. This could certainly be said of Dr. Donna Harris, president of Minnehaha Academy, a private K-12 Christian school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On August 2, 2017, unexpected tragedy befell the over century-old school when an explosion leveled the middle portion of the Academy’s high school....

Allison Fallon is a gifted writing coach, author, and founder of Find Your Voice. She has written over a dozen books, including her most recent title "Indestructible: Leveraging Your Broken Heart to Become a Force of Love and Change in the World." I met Ally at a writer’s conference she was hosting in Nashville, Tennessee. There, she brought back to life some pivotal things within me. She reminded...

Becca Stevens is an Episcopal priest, speaker, author, social entrepreneur, and founder and president of Thistle Farms. Simply put, Thistle Farms makes natural bath, body, and home products. But this beautiful initiative does so much more than that. Thistle Farms employs and empowers female survivors of trafficking, violence, and addiction. The organization provides free housing, medical care, the...

I was 23-years-old when I was first introduced to Erin Gruwell’s story in the 2007 feature film Freedom Writers. I remember being enamored with Erin’s story; how she used writing as a tool for healing and bridge building in a Long Beach, California English classroom filled with at-risk youth and racial tensions in light of the Rodney King riots. Not only did 100% of Erin’s students go on to gradua...

Mako is a leading contemporary artist. His art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world and is represented by Waterfall Mansion in New York City and Artrue International in Asia. Fujimura is also an arts advocate, speaker, and has written several books, including Refractions, Culture Care, and Silence and Beauty. He is recognized worldwide as a cultural influencer and currently...

I had so many “aha” moments interviewing Hillary McBride, it’s hard to know where to begin summarizing our time together. Hillary is a Vancouver-based researcher, therapist, and doctoral candidate. She is also the author of Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves As We Are and is featured on “The Liturgists” podcast and the CBC podcast “Other People’s Problems.” If you have...

Jennifer Moore comes alongside women in crises at Tandem in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tandem is an organization that provides a community of hope and practical help for women undergoing a variety of struggles. The work Jennifer does is so important, coming alongside women during some of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives. What's even more amazing is how Jennifer does her work, the heart she...

Bob Goff is a self-proclaimed “recovering lawyer” and author of two New York Times best selling books: "Love Does" and "Everybody Always." He also hosts conferences worldwide to encourage people to find and follow their dreams and has established Love Does the organization, dedicated to helping change the lives of women and children around the world. Bob enacts the kind of beauty I’m talking about...

Katelyn Beaty is an advocate for women, helping them take hold of their true identity. She is the author of "A Woman’s Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World", she was Christianity Today’s youngest and first female managing editor, and Katelyn launched a website for the magazine called Her.meneutics, created for female writers. Katelyn’s voice is articula...

Sarah Groves is an extremely gifted singer, songwriter, and recording artist who has been nominated for 7 Dove Awards. Sarah also works alongside International Justice Mission, advocating for victims of human trafficking. Sarah's beautiful voice has this amazing way of speaking to the soul's deepest longings, struggles, and hopes. In this episode I talk with Sarah Groves about beauty and what it m...

Greg is a recognized theologian, teacher, pastor and co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has authored or co-authored 22 books. While Greg’s credentials are impressive, what has most impacted me is his belief in and teaching on the unconditional and incomprehensible love of God. So, if beauty truly is “the life of God at work in us and around us,” it makes all the differ...