Breaking Bread Podcast

Both the secular and the religious tout mindfulness and meditation. It’s no wonder, because they promise a great deal of health to the one who practices them. Does mindfulness and mediation, however, look the same across the secular and religious worldviews? To answer this question, Kaleb Beyer and Isaac Funk speak to both the therapeutic and Christian uses of these practices.  

Show Notes: 

• Mindfulness – attentive to the present moment. 

• Meditation – focused attention. 

• Therapeutically these practices help a person have cognitive flexibility. The freedom to allow more into their experience than the one painful script that is running. In this way, mindfulness and meditation help a person uncouple themselves from mental distress in such a way that allows for a felt reality that is informed by accuracy and truth.  

• Spiritually, in a Christian sense, this uncoupling allows for a recoupling with God. The goal is not a disembodied state nor an abandonment of self. It is not an emptying but a filling. Not defined by absence but by presence. It allows for a life to be lived with God in the body and in the mind. 

Sadness is a universal emotion that touches every life. Life's challenges often bring moments of deep sorrow. As Christians, how can we navigate these feelings while staying anchored in God's promises? Whether you're in the midst of sadness or supporting a loved one through their struggles, this episode offers encouragement as you seek to find God's light in the midst of dark days. 

• Sadness is an uncomfortable emotion that alerts us of a loss.

• Sadness is an important emotion that prompts us to grieve. 

• Grief is the process we walk through to make peace with our loss. 

• Grief is unique to the individual but has a few common elements. 

• • Protest – fighting with the loss. 

• • Despair – mourning the loss. 

• Grief ends with acceptance of the loss.  

• Healthy living includes walking forward with both the loss and the sadness. Alowing these to be a lifegiving present feature in your life.   

Children love to grow. They know it is slow. They know it is for the better. Adults sometimes lose the growth mindset that children have. We forget that growth is for us too. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Isaac Funk and Arlan Miller reinvigorate the growth mindset for the spiritual life. 

• Spiritual Growth – Becoming more like Jesus.
• Growth Mindset – Understanding our responsibility and capability to improve.
• Spiritual Growth Mindset – Understanding our responsibility and capability to improve into more Christlikeness. 

Words said, cannot be unsaid. They remain. When these words come from a place of goodness, this has beautiful consequences. However, when they come from a place of malintent, they can have devastating consequences. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Craig and Jacki Stickling take up the topic of gossip and give us timely warning and instruction.

Show notes: 

Bridling the tongue is a learned skill. It is a matter of deep transformation in our hearts. The mature believer learns how to THINK before they speak: 

• T – speaking Truth. 

• H – using words that are Helpful. 

• I – using speech to Inspire. 

• N – saying those things that are Necessary. 

• K – always being Kind. 

The truth was too shameful, and the feelings were too painful. So, Mark and Marti locked up their teenage secret in a box never to be opened. But as Christ so lovingly does, he has been gently opening the box and letting his light in. The effect has been beauty and healing in the most unlikely place. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Mark and Marti Teubel share their post-abortion story. 

Show notes: 

• Post-abortive care includes caring for the living victims of abortion – Mom and Dad. 

• Many moms and dads carry the wounds of loss, regret and shame for decades after their abortion. 

• The unique pain that moms and dads carry is the hindered ability to grieve loss and heartache in their families. They erroneously tell themselves, “I can’t grieve this loss because I caused that loss.” Or “This pain is retribution for my actions.” 

• Abortion influences how moms and dads parent. They desperately want to prove that they are “good” parents. 

• Good post-abortive care is available. Deeper Still is one such resource. 

• • Deeper Still | find freedom from your abortion wounded heart 

• Learn more about the Haven Retreat mentioned in the podcast at the link below. 

• • Home | HAVEN Retreats 

When Jesus stooped to embrace the children, it was quite shocking to his disciples. That Jesus would give his precious time to this subgroup was quite remarkable. And then he said the unthinkable... “you must become as these.” By this statement, Jesus was saying that we should not only stop and acknowledge the children, but moreover, look up to them! Esteem them as God image-bearers that have a lot to teach us adults. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Amy Mammadov and Brian Sutter teach us what these little ones can teach us. 

Show notes: 

Children have a lot to teach us. 

• Where adults can become ridged, children remain flexible - teaching us to “let go.” 

• Where adults can become high maintenance, children remain bless-able - teaching us how to receive blessings. 

• Where adults can be pretentious, children remain genuine - teaching us how to live honestly in the world. 

• Where adults emphasize usefulness, children emphasize enjoyment - teaching us how to live joyfully. 

• Where adults have an eye toward “doing”, children have an eye toward “being” - teaching us how we should view ourselves. 

Play lies at the center of life for a child, and it should. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Amy Mammadov, a speech language pathologist, along with Brian Sutter, shine light on this important aspect of human growth and development. Additionally, parents should encourage, teach, evaluate and share in the enjoyment of play with our children. 

Show notes: 

Encourage Play: 

• Play is critical in the development of language, thought and human relations.  

Teach Play: 

• The norms and technology of the day have stunted play. Some children need to be taught how to play.  

Evaluate Play: 

• Not all play is equal. Many toys and forms of amusement today are adult directed play. Child directed play, on the other hand, provides rich areas of growth and potential. 

Utilize Play: 

• Playing with your child gives you insights into where they are developmentally and provides an opportunity to model healthy reasoning. 

Share in the enjoyment of play: 

• Shared enjoyment is key. If play is anything at all, it is fun. Parents are encouraged to connect with their children at the level of shared fun. 

Exploration is a prerequisite to having a settled identity. For parents with kids unsettled and exploring, this can be a frightening time. What role do we play in the exploration process? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Brian Sutter will help us sort it out. 

Show notes: 

Identity: 

• Is the sense of self – Who I am and who I am not.  

Identity Formation: 

• Starts with exploration and ends with commitment. 

• Exploration is trying, investigating, experiencing, researching. 

• Commitment is being settled, resolved and grounded. 

Identity Culture in “the west”: 

• It is constructed individually. This means that the community has a limited influence on placing an identity on an individual. Rather, the individual has the ownness of discovering and embracing their identity.  

Challenge: 

• Our young people are saddled with the task of sorting out their identity for themselves. 

Angst: 

• Watching young people explore their identity. 

Opportunity: 

• Support and guide exploration in community.  

• As possible, try not to rigidly force closure on those in the exploration phase. Rather, have dialogue that prompts healthy exploration. Thoughtful open-ended questions, and critical thinking prompts are necessary to guide wise investigation.  

• Have patience in the process with a goal to maintain relationship. 

Fear: 

• Suppose an unwise identity is chosen? 

• Remember: Where there is life, there is experience. Where there is experience, there is exploration. Where there is exploration, there is hope yet for a good commitment. 

We all know that the body is made up of different members. Members one of another. The hand needs the foot. The eye needs the ear. But even more profound than these examples is the uncommon humility that my non-dominate left hand has with my dominate right. Similar in frame and made to do everything the right hand can… it performs well, but not as well. Yet it serves my body selflessly and without dissention. In this podcast we will listen and learn from our non-dominate hands a lesson on cooperation and being a member one of another. 

An Imagined Interview with my Left Hand: 

Me: When did you learn that I was going to be what they call “right-handed?” Left-hand: I learned this early. I noticed you were using the right hand to lead and do the more sensitive tasks. 

Me: Do you compare yourself with the right? Left-hand: I don’t. My right hand does his job so well, and I’m glad. I do my job well.  

Me: What do you understand your job to be? Left-hand: My job is to be a good left-hand complement to the right-hand.  

Me: How do you understand your relationship to be with the right-hand? Left-hand: I don’t see myself separate from my right-hand. We are of the same body. Everything we do separately or together comes from you and is for you. You get the credit for anything we do, and you should. 

Me: Do you get jealous of the right hand? Left-hand: No, not at all. I know you are pleased with me and that’s all that matters.  

The Christian life has music interwoven into its fabric. We use it to worship God. We are instructed to sing. It should not be surprising then to learn that music has the potential to benefit the mind and emotion. In this episode, music therapist Nick Lanz gives us tips on how to use music therapeutically. 

Show notes: 

Music Therapy: The clinical & evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.  

What do music therapists do?​ 

• Assess emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses. 

• Design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using various musical interventions. 

• Participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow up.​ 

Music therapy interventions for mental health can address a variety of healthcare & educational goals: 

• Develop healthy coping skills 

• Identify/express/explore emotions 

• Process trauma 

• Improve depressive symptoms 

• Decrease anxiety/agitation 

• Promote relaxation 

• Promote positive thinking/self-esteem 

• Develop sense of belonging/community 

• Promote positive social interaction/group cohesion 

• Address loneliness, grief, loss and stigma that persist despite treatment 

• Develop independence/decision-making skills 

• Manage stress 

• Promote wellness 

“Music therapists use music to accomplish non-musical goals.” 

There are four main approaches: 

• Receptive 

• • Music listening 

  • Song discussion/lyric analysis 

  • Music-assisted relaxation/progressive muscle relaxation 

• • • Can also include music for sleep 

• • Movement & music 

  • Bonny Method of Guided Imagery & Music (requires post-graduate training) 

• Re-creative 

• • Instrument instruction 

  • Instrument playing 

  • Sing-along 

• • Recording sessions 

• Compositional 

• • Therapeutic songwriting (multiple methods) 

• Improvisational  

• • Instrumental/vocal improvisation 

  • Drum circle/instrumental circle (groups)