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Some New Things!
You may have noticed a new look to the website. I redid the color scheme, updated my headshots, and made a few other changes to tie in with my book, Religious Rebels, and with my new podcast and YouTube channel also named Religious Rebels. How fun is that? My Podcast Page has been updated, along with my Speaking Page. You can find links to my YouTube channel and both podcasts on the Podcast Page. My Speaking Page now has links to all of the podcasts where I’ve been a guest. Check out these interviews, meet some fantastic hosts, and find some wonderful podcasts. More will be coming soon! My goal…
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Prayers for 2023
Desires and Hopes for the Coming Year As I enter 2023, I hold these prayers with outstretched hands: May we be people who tell truth—even when it’s hard—from a heart of love and compassion. May we stop hiding sin because we are afraid of ruining God’s reputation. May we become people who humbly admit when we are wrong. May we listen with openness to the opinions of others even if we disagree. May we learn to see one another as precious and valuable regardless of our differences. May our disillusionment with religion drive us to find the Real Jesus who was also unimpressed with outward behavior. May we take the…
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The Tapestry of Faith
Apparently I’ve become a different kind of writer lately. I wrote another poem thing almost two months ago while listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast by Christianity Today. I originally shared it on Instagram, but it feels fitting to share it here as well. The start of Season Five of my podcast, Looking for the Real God, is all about faith deconstruction. I quoted this on the podcast today as I reminded my listeners that it is possible to deconstruct our beliefs without deconverting from the historical Christian faith. More than anything I know that Jesus is Real. But I also know that we have messed…
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Fearful People are Easier to Control
I’ve been pretty quiet for the last few weeks as I watched the COVID-19 pandemic grow. I didn’t want to jump in with just another pat Christianese answer about having faith and not giving into fear. But as the public hysteria grows, I’m done being quiet because there are some things that need said. Yesterday I was working at Meijer as a Shipt shopper. Shipting has been my job for the past three years. If you aren’t familiar with Shipt, I’m basically a personal shopper. I use an app to accept orders which I then shop and deliver. Over and over again every hour while my kids are in school.…
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Healing from Spiritual Abuse
The last few episodes of my podcast have been dealing with spiritual abuse and false teachers. It’s not the most traditional Christmas topic I know. However, if you cut through the decorations, manger scenes, and fuzzy feelings, I think this is exactly what Christmas is about. Knowing our broken human tendency towards religion, power, and control, the Almighty God became a human being. He came in humility and gentleness, without demanding anything from us or exerting any power or control over us. Jesus lived among humankind for three decades, as the exact image of God, showing us the heart of the Father before making the ultimate sacrifice. Rather than demanding…
