Curious Living

Today's world is incredibly divisive. And that's to be expected, to some degree, because we are all unique individuals with differing opinions. However, we have lost the ability to still like one another if we disagree. In some cases, we see violence erupt due to this divisiveness. So why can't we get along even when we disagree? What's the science behind that? And, how can we do a better job of getting along with others and even tolerating those who can't seem to get along with others? Find out in this episode!

Rev. Dr. Mark Young is an ordained Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church with a Ph.D in Pastoral Counseling. After practicing in Maryland for 20 years he relocated to Mooresville in 2006 and started Wellhaven Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy. He offers counseling to the general public for individuals ages adolescent through adulthood, as well as couples and family counseling.

Reverend Darcy R. Hunt is an ordained Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. She served in parish ministry there for almost 20 years until she went on disability leave due to health issues. She became the Practice Manager of Wellhaven Counseling when they moved to Mooresville. Over the years she has led a number of retreats and offered classes in the areas of prayer, Christian meditation and spiritual growth.

**This is part 2 of a 2-part series

Our human nature is to judge others within seconds of meeting them. Depending on the circumstances, we deem them a "good person" or a "bad person" based on how they look, their behavior, or their past actions. We ponder this question today as we see more and more hostility in the world, name calling, and inappropriate assumptions being made about people. And, what would (or should) be the Christian response to this question? Are Christians not held to a higher standard when it comes to how we view (and love) others? This episodes dives deeper with questions regarding how we judge and see those who have been imprisoned.

Our guests in this episode are the leaders in a local ministry that supports men who are released from prison by providing housing and recovery. The Foundry House is located in Statesville, NC and is slated to open its doors on September 1, 2020.

Chip McGee is a pastor and leader in the non-profit sector due to his core values that people matter and there's always hope for a future greater than the present. Formerly a high school math teacher educated at North Carolina State University, he now serves as a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church as he completes his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. Chip also leads an initiative that hopes to lower overdose and recidivism rates in Iredell County by providing housing, workforce development, and a pathway to recovery from addiction through "The Foundry House." He loves living in the heart of Statesville and enjoying life with his wife, Lindsey, and their three children.

Brian King is a building contractor in North Carolina and lives in the Statesville area with his wife and daughter. He is a licensed local pastor under appointment at Christ Church in Hickory, NC as their Recovery Pastor. He and Chip are the co-founders of the Foundry House ministry.

Our human nature is to judge others within seconds of meeting them. Depending on the circumstances, we deem them a "good person" or a "bad person" based on how they look, their behavior, or their past actions. We ponder this question today as we see more and more hostility in the world, name calling, and inappropriate assumptions being made about people based on the color of their skin. And, what would (or should) be the Christian response to this question? Are Christians not held to a higher standard when it comes to how we view (and love) others?

Our guests in this episode tackle this question from two perspectives: (1) from the perspective of having lived a life of "judgement" and (2) from the perspective of a clergy person who teaches redemption and tries to lead by example.

Our Guests:

Rev. Joe Precht is the Associate Pastor for Worship, Witness, & Young Adults at Williamson's Chapel UMC. Joe has a B.A. in English from the University of Florida and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Having served in a wide array of contexts––from the Democratic Republic of Congo to rural North Carolina––he is continually awed by the variety of God's grace. In high school, kneeling at the Communion table, he received his call to pastoral ministry. His deepest desire is to bring others "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection." Joe is married to Mackenzie. They have two young children, Lillian and James.

Duke Taylor was raised in the Catholic church and surrounded in the Baptist and Methodist culture. He's a gamecock from South Carolina and worked for a time with YMCA and in NC with the YMCA Camp Seafarer and Camp Seagull on the coast of NC. Today, Duke works as Sr. Proposal Manager in San Diego, CA California, after recently moving from Arlington, Virginia to take care of his dad who had a successful kidney transplant. He loves to volunteer in areas where Christians have an opportunity to generate peace and redemption in the world. Please take time to read reflections from Duke in the attached PDF.

In these days of COVID-19, quarantine, and uncertainty, we are all wondering what happened to our "normal" lives. When will we be able to dine out without masks again? Will our kids go to school like normal? Will I still have a job in six months? For many of us, our lives have literally been turned upside down. This type of stress can affect us in many ways - spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Connor Donoghue about ways we can take care of our physical health - even when we are stuck at home, can't go to the gym, and are sitting more than we have before. Connor gives some great advice on caring for our physical selves - and how our physical health is directly tied to our spiritual and emotional health. We can't neglect any of these areas and caring for our physical health can help us strengthen our spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

Dr. Connor Donoghue graduated from Elon University with a B.S. in exercise science and graduated with honors from Sherman College of Chiropractic. He now works at ChiroLife Wellness Center in Mooresville, North Carolina. They are one the largest Chiropractic practices in the Lake Norman area. They are Wellness chiropractors that put an emphasis on improving the function of nerves that control our organs, glands and blood vessels in addition to the nerves that control our musculoskeletal system. They use state of the art technology to analyze the impacts that lifestyle stressors have had on our patients health and restores peoples health all naturally. They believe that God created the body with an incredible capacity to heal itself and the care they offer facilitates that process by removing interferences/imbalances in our nervous system. "Nature needs no help, just no interference."

Show Notes:

ChiroLife Wellness Center, Mooresville, NC

In these days of COVID-19, quarantine, and uncertainty, we are all wondering what happened to our "normal" lives. When will we be able to dine out without masks again? Will our kids go to school like normal? Will I still have a job in six months? For many of us, our lives have literally been turned upside down. This type of stress can affect us in many ways - spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

In this episode we will talk to Vincent and Laura Ketchie, licensed counselors from Mooresville, NC. They share some great suggestions for remaining emotionally healthy during this crisis or any other crisis. They also provide some very helpful tips for parents who are trying to navigate these circumstances with their children. You won't want to miss this episode!

Vincent and Laura are both licensed professional counselors. They own Christian Counselors of Mooresville in Mooresville, NC. Vincent specializes in marriage counseling, and Laura specializes in women's issues. For more information on counseling, visit their website ccofmooresville.com.

Show Notes:

Vincent and Laura have a wonderful podcast called Relationship Helpers that can be found on most podcast platforms. You can also check out their website HERE.

In these days of COVID-19, quarantine, and uncertainty, we are all wondering what happened to our "normal" lives. When will we be able to dine out without masks again? Will our kids go to school like normal? Will I still have a job in six months? For many of us, our lives have literally been turned upside down. This type of stress can affect us in many ways - spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

In this episode we will talk with Rev. Jan Brittain about how we can ensure that our spiritual life remains healthy - even when we are under the stressors of COVID. Pastor Jan has so much wisdom to share with us as well as some great tools we can use to remain faithful in the face of this crisis (and any other crisis we may find ourselves in).

Rev. Jan Brittain has served as the senior pastor of Williamson's Chapel United Methodist Church since 2011 and has been serving the church for over 40 years. Pastor Jan has a passion for preaching and teaching and a special love for her sweet grandson and puppy, Josie B. You can watch Pastor Jan's sermons by clicking HERE.

This episode is full of lively conversation with a pastor from Mooresville North Carolina who is bringing white and black churches together for the purpose of finding common ground and a unified message of anti-racism. Pastor Lawrence is incredibly wise and provides some powerful insights not only as a black pastor who serves a racially diverse congregation, but as a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Lawrence Williams is a native of Queens, New York and accepted Christ and became heavily involved in youth and adult ministry at an early age. In 2004, Pastor Lawrence and his family relocated to Mooresville, North Carolina. In December 2005, he founded and established Lake Norman Christian Outreach Church and in 2015 the ministry transitioned into Higher Purpose Church.

Show Notes:

Racial Equity Institute Workshops mentioned in the podcast

https://www.racialequityinstitute.com/ourservices

**NOTE: This is part 2 of this podcast conversation with Dr. Lucretia Berry. Please make sure to listen to episode #01 as well to hear the full interview.

This is one of the most important questions we can ask right now. Engaging in conversation surrounding the subject of racism is critical if we want true societal and systemic changes to take place. This is not an easy conversation to have, though. It's especially hard for the white community because it often causes discomfort.

Dr. Lucretia Berry has a heart for those looking to begin this conversation. In this 2-part podcast episode she helps us understand where to start and how to keep the conversation going. Her wisdom and background provide a safe and comfortable place to begin.

Lucretia is the creator of Brownicity.com, a contributor for (In)courage.me, and a TED and Q Ideas speaker (Charlotte). As a wife, mom of 3, and former college professor, her passion for racial healing led her to author What LIES Between Us: Fostering First Steps Towards Racial Healing .

Show Notes

If you'd like to join Lucretia for her virtual 5-Week anti-racism educational course on Tuesdays from 8:00pm to 9:30pm starting June 16th, 2020 please click HERE.

Lucretia's organization, Brownicity, has other opportunities for learning and growth as well. Click HERE to learn more.

This is one of the most important questions we can ask right now. Engaging in conversation surrounding the subject of racism is critical if we want true societal and systemic changes to take place. This is not an easy conversation to have, though. It's especially hard for the white community because it often causes discomfort.

Dr. Lucretia Berry has a heart for those looking to begin this conversation. In this 2-part podcast episode she helps us understand where to start and how to keep the conversation going. Her wisdom and background provide a safe and comfortable place to begin.

Lucretia is the creator of Brownicity.com, a contributor for (In)courage.me, and a TED and Q Ideas speaker (Charlotte). As a wife, mom of 3, and former college professor, her passion for racial healing led her to author What LIES Between Us: Fostering First Steps Towards Racial Healing .

Show Notes

If you'd like to join Lucretia for her virtual 5-Week anti-racism educational course on Tuesdays from 8:00pm to 9:30pm starting June 16th, 2020 please click HERE.

Lucretia's organization, Brownicity, has other opportunities for learning and growth as well. Click HERE to learn more.

What are you curious about? What questions do you find yourself pondering? I bet many of use ask the same questions, so let's engage in dialogue and explore these curious questions together.