Ditching Perfection

By Carly BartlettReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Ditching Perfection episodes

January 31, 2023Episode 44 | Faith, Doubt, and God's Mysterious Timing | Laurie Polich Short
Have you ever asked any of these questions:
What in the world is God doing?

Where is God?

How does this challenging season fit into the bigger picture of my life?
If so, today’s episode is for you!
My friend, Laurie Short is here — and she wrote a book about how to hold onto faith when things don’t seem to be adding up. And today is so special because her book, “Faith, Doubt, and God’s Mysterious Timing” comes out today!!
Laurie Short is a speaker, author, wife, and stepmom. She is a graduate of Fuller Seminary and has served on staff at four churches over the last thirty years. Laurie has spoken to more than 500,000 people at conferences, colleges, and churches around the country. Her popular studies on Right Now media have over half a million views.
To connect with Laurie, visit laurieshort.com.
59 min
January 24, 2023 Episode 43: Naps and Snacks | Reading 1 Kings 19 with Carly
Have you ever found yourself totally knocked down by something unexpected? It may be a text from a friend, or feeling ghosted by another friend. Maybe it was just one piece of constructive criticism from your boss that sent you over the edge? I’ve been there, and surprisingly, what we need most in those moments are some snacks and a nap!
We are talking all about this as we look at Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19. Today, I am going to share with you Week 6 of my Bible study, “The Gift of the Unexpected,” because I think this particular topic hits home for a lot of us: unexpected anxiety. The surprising invitation that God offers to us in those moments is unexpected rest. In Elijah’s case, when he was at the end of his rope, God sent an angel that gave him something to eat and told him to lay down.
I hope this conversation reminds you that your physical well-being is intertwined with your spiritual well-being. In our go, go, go culture, we often forget that, but it is truly essential that we take care of ourselves physically so that we can be healthy spiritually.
If you were encouraged by this episode, check out the rest of “The Gift of the Unexpected” series! The eight-week video Bible study is created for both individuals and groups. Check it out at carlycommunicates.com/resources.
Are you looking for a speaker for your next conference, retreat, or church event? If so, I'd love to chat about how I could partner with you in that way! Send me a note at carlycommunicates.com/contact to tell me about what you've got cookin'!
As always, I love connecting with you on instagram. You can find me @carlycommunicates.
34 min
January 17, 2023 Episode 42: The Tables Have Turned... Mike Is Hosting the Pod This Week!
To kick off 2023, my husband, Mike, is hosting the show and interviewing me! In this episode, we chat about Top Golf, my *slight* (okay, maybe not so slight) obsession with brightly colored clothes, and how trying new, hard things is a necessary part of our spiritual growth. We are excited to invite you to the Bartlett fam table for this conversation!
Check out my new Bible Study, "The Gift of the Unexpected," at carlycommunicates.com/resources.
Are you looking for a speaker for your next conference, retreat, or church event? If so, I'd love to chat about how I could partner with you in that way! Send me a note at carlycommunicates.com/contact to tell me about what you've got cookin'!
As always, I love connecting with you on instagram. You can find me @carlycommunicates.
57 min
December 20, 2022 Episode 41: “This AND That” Week 4 | Tearing Down AND Rebuilding | Reading Isaiah 7:10-16 with Kat Armas
I am very excited to introduce you to our guest today: Kat Armas. Kat holds a Mdiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is the host of the Protagonistas podcast, where she highlights stories of everyday women of color. She has written for Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, and Missio Alliance. She also speaks regularly on race and justice.
Kat wrote a book called “Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength.” I read it and have been going through it chapter by chapter with a class at our church this fall. It has been challenging for me in so many good ways. Kat’s writing has reminded me to be aware of the lenses through which I view Scripture, and to do my best to read Scripture in a way that honors the whole the story — not just the parts with which I am familiar or most comfortable. Throughout her research and writing, Kat also reminds us that God lifts up women to be world-changers and culture-shapers. We see this in Scripture, in the lives of women throughout history, and in the lives of women today.
To connect with Kat, you can find her on instagram @kat_armas or on her website katarmas.com.
59 min
December 13, 2022 Episode 40: “This AND That” Week 3 | Tension AND Peacemaking | Reading Isaiah 11:1-10 with Christine Youn Hung
The last couple of years have been marked with such division and polarization. Almost everyone I know has had relational tension because of politics, current events, and differing worldviews.
Today, on the podcast, my wise, thoughtful friend, Rev. Christine Youn Hung is here to talk with us about the THIS AND THAT of necessary healthy tension and peacemaking. As we dive into Isaiah 11:1-10, she and I discuss the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking, what it means for the wolf to live with the lamb, and how Isaiah’s vision in chapter 11 can change the way we view Christmas this year.
Rev. Christine Youn Hung is a pastor, writer, speaker, and the Director of Pastoral Development for the Northern California District Church of the Nazarene. Prior to joining the Northern California District Staff, Christine served as pastor of Trinity Church Rowland Heights Campus, a multi-site, multi-ethnic church serving in the Los Angeles area. Christine also served as a missionary teacher in Taipei, Taiwan for three years. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Ecclesial Mission and Leadership. Christine is the founder of NOW Movement, a grassroots initiative coordinating efforts of Nazarenes in USA and Canada who are emboldened by the Spirit to pursue racial justice. She is a frequent guest speaker for conferences, workshops, college campuses, retreats, and pastor-training days. Christine takes deep joy in her husband, Albert, and their 4 amazing children.
1 hr 9 min
December 06, 2022 Episode 39: “This AND That” Week 2 | Grief AND Hope | Reading Isaiah 35:1-10 with Nancy Hicks
Christmas is often thought of as the season of joy. There are twinkly lights, joyous carols, and delightful sweets around every corner... but for many, this season brings about different emotions: frustration, loneliness, or sadness. If you aren't feeling so "sparkly" and joyful this season, you aren't alone. Jesus has come to meet you right where you are... in the middle of this AND that.
Today, my friend, Nancy Hicks is here to share with us about holding both grief AND hope. Nancy lost her son, David, at the age of 28, about 18 months ago. She vulnerably shares with us about her grieving process, the questions she's asked of God, and the thread of hope she's clinging to.
Nancy Hicks is a dynamic, relevant Christian speaker, teacher and writer whose passion is to ignite women to confidence and power in Christ.
Nancy has been in professional communication her entire career. From singing on the main stage in concert and musical theater across Canada to spokesperson on QVC, she has used these gifts of communication to serve her local church through preaching, teaching and leading.
After earning her master’s degree in theology from Palmer Seminary of Eastern University, Nancy launched her international speaking ministry, Nancy Hicks Live. Today, Nancy inspires women by equipping them to be grounded in Jesus Christ while wrestling with the often uncomfortable intersection of faith, organized religion and the realities of this world.
The author of Meant to Live: Living in Light of the Good News, Nancy has been featured on Hallmark’s Home & Family, The Jesus Calling Podcast, Trinity Broadcast Network, 100 Huntley Street, as well as in Relevant Magazine, Propel Women, Publishers Weekly, The Christian Post, Christian News Journal, Philadelphia Weekly and more.
She and her husband, Cam, have been married since 1990 and have two sons—Aaron, who is married to his darling wife, Rachel, and their beloved David who now lives in heaven after a long, courageous battle with cancer.
For more information:
Visit nancyhickslive.com
Like her on Facebook @nancyhickslive
Follow her on Instagram @nancyhickslive
1 hr 8 min
November 29, 2022 Episode 38: “This AND That” Week 1 | Brokenness AND Restoration | Reading Isaiah 2:1-9 with Carly
On the podcast this Advent season, we are going to be diving into the weekly Old Testament lectionary passages from the book of Isaiah. As I've been reading and researching for this series, I've noticed that there are contrasting images and themes throughout the passages:
Dark and light
Joy and sadness
Conflict and peace
Brokenness and restoration
Wastelands and wildflowers
Most of the seasons of our lives aren't defined by “This OR That" but “This AND That.”
So, during this Advent series, we will be discovering how to hold the tensions of both the hardships and the gifts of life. I hope that you will make it part of your Advent season to tune in each week to the Ditching Perfection podcast. Let's learn to live together in the messy middle… and to find the beauty of “This AND That.”
To sign up for Carly's weekly email, visit carlycommunicates.com/resources.
Are you interested in having Carly come speak at your church or event? You can connect with her at carlycommunicates.com/contact.
38 min
November 22, 2022 Episode 37: Enneagram 9 | Share the Idea, Verbalize the Vision, and Name the Band | Matt Chitwood
It is our last installment of the Enneagram series, and my friend, Matt Chitwood is there to chat with us about:
💡 What it is like to be an Enneagram 9,
💡 How his time living in rural China taught him that loneliness is not to be feared, and
💡 How God has helped him see that healthy conflict can actually foster closer connections.
Matt is a writer and speaker focused on U.S.-China relations, economic development and communications. He spent fifteen years living in China, including two years researching rural issues while living in a remote village of 350 tea farmers in Yunnan. He has written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy and the Los Angeles Review of Books and worked in international trade, public health and higher education, including with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and, currently, with Edelman Global Advisory as Director of China and Global Voice. He studied economics at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and business at Northwest Nazarene University, and speaks native English, fluent Mandarin and proficient Spanish. Matt lives in the Pacific Northwest where he plays pickleball, hunts hot springs and — like any good "Type 9,” — avoids conflict with his wife of two months, Liza.
Are you interested in more resources from Carly? Visit carlycommunicates.com/resources.
Do you want to take a free Enneagram assessment? Visit https://coach.yourenneagramcoach.com/karissa-harrison
1 hr 8 min
November 15, 2022 Episode 36: Enneagram 7 | Sprinting After Adventure | Liberty Fleming
This week, we are diving into a conversation on the Enneagram 7, with my friend, Liberty Fleming!

Liberty will be chatting with us about:
💡 What it is like to be an Enneagram 7,
💡 How questioning the status quo has paved a way for a life of adventure, and
💡 How learning from people from different cultures all over the world has deepened her understanding of God.

Liberty Fleming is the founder and creative director of a marketing agency, The Freelance Market. She recently launched All for All, a travel photography magazine inspired by her love for travel and human connection. She learned the word “entrepreneur” in the fourth grade and always knew that would be the route she would take! When she's not hopping on a plane, you can usually find her playing a pick-up sport, creating with friends, or reading a philosophical book.
Liberty Fleming Instagram: @libertyfleming
All for All Co. on Instagram: @all.for.all.co
How We Love by Milan and Kay Yerkovich
1 hr 11 min
November 08, 2022 Episode 35: Enneagram 6 | How God WITH Us Compels Us To Be WITH Others | Zach McCauley
This week, we are diving into a conversation on the Enneagram 6, with my friend, Zach McCauley!
Zach shares with us about:
💡 What it is like to be an Enneagram 6,
💡 How “God with us,” compels us to be with others, and
💡 What wake surfing has taught him about living in the present (rather than withdrawing in fear).
Zach McCauley is an industrial engineer, avid reader, and urban farmer from the Pacific Northwest. Originally from the Seattle area, Zach spent a large portion of his childhood on the mission field in Thailand, where his family ran a home for vulnerable girls, protecting them from the threats of human trafficking. After graduating from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in linguistics, Zach spent nine years working with homeless youth and pastoring in downtown Seattle. A few years ago, God invited him to pivot and be on mission in a new vocation: engineering. Zach and his wife, Melissa, have three amazing kids, eight chickens, and two cats.
1 hr 6 min

About Ditching Perfection

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the “Ditching Perfection” podcast with Carly Bartlett. Each week, this podcast will help you pursue wholeness in Jesus rather than trying to have it all together. Along the way, you will…