It seems that there are few places, if any, where vulnerable can be protected from abuse. Whether or not an abuse was preventable, it is vital that the victim is given the proper tools with which to process what they have gone through. My guest for this episode, Rachel, was abused as a child, but she says that the real trauma didn't come until she was old enough to wrestle with the moral and spiritual implications of what happened to her based on her homeschool education and Evangelical Christian upbringing. The Bible she was told to read led to her to believe not only that she was responsible for what happened to her but that it was a sin that she deserved punishment for. 

This is part 2 of an ongoing series featuring stories of the #MeToo movement.

If you have feedback for me, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream them online at AndAnotherThing.show

You can find Rachel's salty blog at GrowingFiercely.weebly.com and on Twitter and Instagram @GrowingFiercely

Convicted pedophile, Dr. Larry Nassar, has had many headlines dedicated to him after his ongoing court hearings and the testimonies of his victims. Hearing the specifics of his crimes has elicited extreme responses from many, most notably Randall Margraves, a father of three of Nassar's victims who lunged at Nassar during an emotional day in court. Was that attack the outpouring of righteous anger and the sign of a loving father? Was it a selfish act that distracted from his daughters and the other victims and put his family through yet another traumatic experience? The responses to such evil can be very personal. Sarah joins me on today's episode to share her #MeToo story. She describes how her past trauma informs how she responds to stories of abuse and the lingering effects she is still coping with. 

If you have feedback for me, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show on your podcast player for future episodes or stream them online at AndAnotherThing.show

The way we interact with technology today is quite different from what it was like 10 or 20 years ago. With so many advancements there is both excitement and some concern about how the world is going to change in the near future. The British TV series Black Mirror feeds into those fears and each episode features a scary new piece of tech that humans could be using to their own detriment very soon. Ashley Vogt joins me to discuss each of the season 4 episodes, the fears that these episodes bring to the surface, and a ranking of all 19 episodes thus far. 

If you have feedback for me, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show on your podcast player for future episodes or stream them online at AndAnotherThing.show

You can find Ashley on social media, but she might not want you to after watching so much Black Mirror. 

Depression is a particularly difficult illness to live with because it typically doesn't manifest itself physically. There is a temptation while depressed to remain quiet and avoid conversations with others. My guest for this episode is my wife, Katie Estabrook, who has dealt with depression and anxiety for basically her entire adult life. She sometimes finds strength in vocalizing what she goes through, but this conversation is not primarily about fixing anything. It is Katie having the platform to describe as best she can the way she feels on her darkest days. My only agenda was to listen. 

If you have feedback, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream at AndAnotherThing.show

You can follow Katie on Instagram @Kestabrook and her art/lettering @HappyLetterCo

The election of the 45th President of the United States was a rather shocking event with some calling it the biggest upset to ever take place in American politics. The surprise of that night hit people in a lot of different ways but most would agree that they definitely felt the impact right away. For this episode I am doing things a little differently. This episode features several short conversations I had with people centered on how they felt as the election unfolded a year ago. 

If you have feedback for me, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show on your podcast player for future episodes or stream them online at AndAnotherThing.show

People tend to have very strong opinions about Hillary Clinton. This could be a result of many things, including indoctrination. Melissa returns to the podcast once again and we discuss how we were trained at a young age to despise Hillary Clinton and people like her. She recently released a book chronicling her firsthand experience of one of the biggest political upsets in American history and many people just want her to keep her mouth shut. We discuss the continued toxicity of political discourse, the misogynistic way women are silenced, and how we hope to see more people attempt to connect with and understand people who think differently. 

If you have feedback, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream at AndAnotherThing.show 

If you are interested in the thoughts of a politically minded statistician, you can follow Melissa on Twitter @MelWardP

Trigger warning: while this conversation does not go into detail there is mention of sexual assault, child pornography, and rape. 

Sophie returns to the podcast to discuss topics related to her post-graduate work with people convicted of sexual offenses. We discuss some firsthand experiences she has had with her clients as well as the laws that are in place for when they attempt to reenter society. Without claiming to know all the answers we do discuss some questions that are on our minds.

What rights does a person who committed a crime have after they have served their prison sentence?

How long can someone be seen as a victim if they have also committed an offense?

What are the actual steps that need to be taken to keep children and those who are vulnerable safe?

If you have feedback, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a closed Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream at AndAnotherThing.show

You can find Sophie on Twitter @PhilliesFemme and read the article we mentioned at:

https://thecrimereport.org/2017/05/04/sex-offender-registration-why-fear-isnt-smart-policy/

There is no such thing as a normal family. There are obviously all sorts of variations when it comes to number of children, how many parents, the ages or genders of each family member. Sometimes there is a temptation to believe that a "normal" family could exist. The pressure to feel normal is probably strongest during high school. My guest for this episode is my sister in law Carly who is about to start high school and joins me to discuss her experience of being adopted at a young age, how being adopted impacts her relationships at school, and how she connects with both adopted and birth parents.

If you have feedback, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream online at AndAnotherThing.show

Carly is in high school. Don't follow her on social media. 

1-800-273-8255

That is the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I recently called that number during a moment of panic and desperation. I'm very glad that I did. I don't have any guest on this episode. It's just me talking into a microphone hoping that if I describe what I experienced that it could help someone else in their moment of need. There is always someone willing to listen. 

If you have any thoughts to share you can email me at [email protected] 

The following sentence is an understatement. Life is hard. Dealing with work, school, friends, family, and loved ones can be incredibly taxing, especially given how connected people typically are through social media and cell phones. Is there a way to combat this common stress or even larger issues of depression and anxiety through small gestures? Serena joins me on this episode to discuss how self care gives one the opportunity to reflect on themselves, disconnect from modern social pressures, and assuage mental burdens. We share our experience with a new form of self care- eating an orange while taking a shower. Can this potentially silly act really have such a positive outcome? In a word, yes. 

Just try it.

You're welcome.

If you have feedback, you can email me at [email protected] and find me @AnotherXtian on Twitter and Instagram. Send me a message if you would like to join a Facebook group to discuss the topics covered on this podcast. Subscribe to the show for future episodes or stream online at AndAnotherThing.show

Serena would rather focus on self care then keep up with social media, so don't follow her. Just leave her the hell alone.