Friends for the Journey

Once upon a time, 
When I found m’self lost 
In a tizzy & a flurry,
I met this person, Laurie. 

Laurie Curtis is happy to wear a collection of hats in her work with her clients and in her life.  In our conversation, we dive deep into the topics of hope and resilience, trauma, and the confluence of them all in the journey in our lives.

 Early in our conversation, I tell Laurie that I just wanted to “dive into the deep end.” With grace and insight, Laurie and Kathrin swim easily into the depths of heartfelt conversation, and rise back up to the surface together, ready to welcome you along the way.

Some links to share: 

CurtisEase Coaching
Laurie Curtis’ Traumatic Incident Reduction page
Laurie Curtis’ Character Strengths page
Life Stress Reduction Program 

Laurie’s equation for resilience: Resilience = Hope + Action
Laurie’s acrostic of CHANGE
C – Clarify
H – Hope
A – Action
N – Navigate
G – Growing
E - Expand

Barbara Frederickson
             Positive emotions 

Traumatic Incident Reduction Association of America
Traumatic Incident Reduction Institute of Maine 

Family Systems Theory
An Introduction to Genogram, the symbols of family systems theory

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:

              Ministering to Ministers
              Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
             Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
              Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
             Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

 Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

There are many different expressions of and words for prayer.  And, I think, everyone has an idea of what prayer means in their own life. 

Regardless of what it means for you, I offer a prayer for anyone who’s listening. I offer it in love and hope for the space between us to be blessed with peace and health. 

Some links to share:
Some Resources from LearnReligions.com about different perspectives on prayer:
Judaism:
    Guide to Jewish Prayer and Worship
    The Kaddish Prayer
Ecumenical:
      A Parent's Prayer for Teens
Islam:
     The 5 Muslim Daily Prayer Times and What They Mean
      Islamic Prayer Beads: Subha
      The Adhan: The Islamic Call to Prayer
Sikhism
       Mala Rosary Beads in Sikhism
Hinduism
       Praying in Hinduism
Christianity:
       5 Types of Prayer
       The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Pagan
       How to Make Pagan Prayer Beads
        The Role of Prayer in Paganism 

Ministering to Ministers Foundation Prayer Ministry:  Have a Prayer? Let us know. We will pray for you.

And, of course, Ministering to Ministers: We Are Here for You 

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:
Ministering to Ministers
Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

As promised, Kathrin and Roberta sit down for another fantastic conversation, this time diving into the intersection of hope and cynicism, what forgiveness means, and why each person deserves the chance to make their own choice about forgiving someone who has caused harm.

While both Roberta and Kathrin share stories during their conversation, each one humorous and poignant in turn, Roberta reflects on the story she’d shared as a clinical facilitator at Wellness Retreats provided by the Ministering to Ministers foundation. 

As the friendship between Roberta and Kathrin grows during this episode, they invite you to join them.  Welcome, friend. It’s great to have you with us for the journey.

Some links to share:
Why Memorizing Stuff Can Be Good for You (Forbes, by Natalie Wexler, 2019)

Memorizing Poetry:
Why You Should Be Memorizing Poetry (Medium, by Benya Clark, 2018)
Got Poetry (by Jim Holt, New York Times, 2009) 

The origins of cynicism: TedEx video: https://youtu.be/Utzym1I_BiY
One perspective on cynicism from The School of Life
                 (Here is the link to The School of Life YouTube channel.)  

Sources about the Jerzy Bielcki & Cyla Cybulska story:
From Haaretz: Former Inmate Recalls Daring, Romantic Escape from Auschwitz
From The New York Times: Jerzy Bielecki Dies at 90 Fell in Love in a Nazi Camp
From Yadvashem, The Stories of Six Righteous Among the Nations
From Keene State College, Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies   

Roberta’s Website: RobertaDamon.me
Books authored by Roberta:
A Voice Beyond Weeping
Dear Mrs. Noah: Letters to Unnamed Women of the Bible
Roberta’s Introduction to Dear Mrs. Noah on YouTube
Dear Abishag: Letters to Little Known Women of the Bible
Theirs Is the Kingdom
Roberta M. Damon, PhD, recipient of the Ministering to Ministers’ Campbell-Wallace Award
Interested in Contacting Roberta? Send her a note here. 

Also:
Lewis B. Smedes’ book, Forgive & Forget, Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve   

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:
Ministering to Mi

Traditions are a part of the human experience. Some traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Others appear in our lives as a result of a deeply meaningful experience, either shared with others or in one’s own life. Ultimately, traditions provide a stable place by which we trace the passing of seasons and the course of our lives and relationships.

And occasionally, something forces a fundamental change in the tradition on which we’ve come to rely because of an illness, death of a loved one, a move to a different country or city, maybe even a global pandemic. This change could impact one single traditional event, or it could completely upend our personal understanding of what this tradition has meant and could mean to us in the future. 

Sometimes we need to reinvent a tradition. Other times we need to reclaim it. In order for either of these things to happen, we need to be willing to ask “what does tradition mean to me?”

Some links to share:

S. Bear Bergman, an award-winning writer, storyteller, and educator, wrote Make Socially Distanced Holidays Fun and Special. https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dpm9d/make-socially-distanced-holidays-fun-and-special

The Importance of Keeping Up Holiday Traditions During Covid-19 published on EVOLVE Teen Treatment Center’s website (https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/holiday-traditions-covid/ )

Adapting Holiday Traditions During Coronavirus accessed from PBS, https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/adapting-holiday-traditions-during-coronavirus 

Almost every healthcare agency, both private and public, has at least one article about navigating traditions in changing times. It might be worth it to see what’s being published in your area.  Here is an article by the national healthcare coordinator, Solv: 16 COVID -Takes on Holiday Traditions  https://www.solvhealth.com/blog/covid-takes-on-holiday-traditions

And traditions can become even more meaningful sometimes. FeedingAmerica has these suggestions in their article, Start These 5 Covid-Friendly Holiday Traditions That Give Back    https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/start-these-5-covid-friendly-holiday-traditions-give-back 

And, of course, Ministering to Ministers: We Are Here for You

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:
Ministering to Ministers
Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

Kathrin sits down with colleague and friend Gregory Reinauer, who introduces beautiful perspectives about music, conversation, and actively engaging hope in our lives. A bass musician trained at Berklee College of Music, Gregory shares how good ears support an understanding of the foundation that unites all the different strains of music within our lives.  Together, Gregory and Kathrin explore new possibilities of creativity, music, faith, and – as Gregory says - that there’s something here that we have not yet seen that is here to emerge for all of us and to be interested in that.  (A tip o’the hat to Gregory!) 

How do we face the challenges and trials of the world? Gregory stands at the edge of that question and does not flinch during a heart-warming, thought-provoking dialogue about the faith that we are part of a universe that we cannot fall out of. 

Join us for a conversation rich with laughter and inspiration.  You are in the right place, friend. Welcome.

*PostScript: I realized after our conversation that I’d mistakenly attributed “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well” to Teresa of Avila rather than Julian of Norwich. There I go being human again!

Some links to share:

Gregory Reinauer Creative Action Coaching
Crash Course for a Resilient Life
Berklee College of Music in Boston
The Casket of Dr Caligari
Joanna Macy
Teresa of Avila 

And Please note, Kathrin misquoted the phrase “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” This, along with many other fantastic quotes, is attributed to Julian of Norwich, not Teresa of Avila. (Heavens to mergetroid!)

Original links to the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) source for Rabbi Tarfon’s quote,  “It is not your duty to finish the work of perfecting the world), but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.”

George Kao (link to the Friends for the Journey episode) https://www.buzzsprout.com/1363012/5525260 

Dag Hammarskjöld (Link in Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/946904.Dag_Hammarskj_ld)  “For all that has been, thank you. For all that is to come, yes.” https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/35474-for-all-that-has-been-thank-you-for-all-that 

Gregory recommends the music of Melodeego. Thank you, Gregory!

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:
Ministering to Ministers 
Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination<

How much silence do you notice in your day?  In your mind? One of the most common complaints about the modern world is the lack of silence, and it’s easy to project a longing onto the past and think: oh, the past had space for silence, and there’s no silence in the modern world.

But there’s one constant throughout all of history: people. And there’s nothing silent about people. 

In today’s reflection, Kathrin poses the question: how do you notice silence?

Some links to share:

The natural world provides much calming support. Of course, we’re not always able to get back to nature when we’d like to, so here’s a little bit of the natural world for you:

      Monterey Bay Aquarium: Moon Jelly LiveCam
      Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay LiveCam
      Monterey Bay Aquarium: Live Ocean Sounds from Monterey Bay
       Vancouver Waterfront
       Driving through Washington State, USA
      An Afternoon & Evening in Chernihiv, Ukraine 

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:

     Ministering to Ministers 
     Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
      Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
      Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
     Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books 

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

Kathrin gets to share some wonderful conversation and laughter with her friend, Michael Chittum, who has walked alongside Ministering to Ministers in their service to others and been a Friend for the Journey to many over the past twenty-five years.  Michael’s years as a pastor and leader have culminated in this work as the Executive Director of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, which is most often abbreviated to simply “N.A.”.  During their dialogue, Michael shares how he’s been guided throughout his journey, what matters most to him, and how these inform his life. 

Welcome, Friend. It’s great to have you with us.

Some links to share:
John Killinger’s profile
         A listing of books by John Killinger.   
         The novel Michael mentioned: Jessie 

The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC)  

The origins of the Triquetra symbol are unclear, but it has remained a constant throughout the ages. If you’re not sure what a Triquetra looks like, here are two examples here.

Henri Nouwen
          Books written by Henri Nouwen
         The Wounded Healer, available to review on Goodreads 

Parker Palmer
        Books by Parker Palmer

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:
Ministering to Ministers
Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books 

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

At the time of this recording, voting has just ended for the Presidential Election, a pandemic is currently sweeping across the planet, extreme weather events continue to cause record flooding, drought, and wildfires, and hundreds of species of animals of every size face extinction every day.

There’s a lot happening in the world.

And that’s just in the world. What about what’s happening in your own life?  

When an event – any event – alters our lives, we have to keep going on. And that’s hard.  

But sometimes when our lives become upended because of the actions and decisions of other people, as in a forced termination or a medical separation from your career, or the thoughtless words of another person, or the discrimination and prejudice because of how you look or who you love, that altering event becomes even more complicated and painful.

And that’s worth looking at.  Because you matter, that’s right, I’ll say it again, You Matter. 

You’re not alone. Below are resources to use and share:

            Veterans Crisis Line
            National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
            National Domestic Violence Hotline
            National Child Abuse Hotline
            The Trevor Project
            Trans Lifeline
             RAINN Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
             Immigration Advocates Network
             American Addiction Centers Alcohol & Drug Hotlines
            Ministering to Ministers: We Are Here for You 

The natural world provides much calming support. Of course, we’re not always able to get back to nature when we’d like to, so here’s a little bit of the natural world for you:
                 Monterey Bay Aquarium: Moon Jelly LiveCam

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:

            Ministering to Ministers
            Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
            Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
            Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
            Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

Kathrin gets to sit down with Dr. DJ Kinney, a historian who looks into dangerous chapters in history without flinching, to talk about hope and cynicism in a changing world. DJ Kinney researches, produces and hosts The Cold War Vault podcast, which looks at this secretive period of history and peels back the curtain to reveal the humanity within.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. No matter when you read this, something is going on in the world. Maybe there’s something shaking up your life. Maybe your world has undergone a slow, tectonic shift over several years or a sudden, massive upheaval.  Yet however change happens around us, we are left trying to find our way through the history we remember, the present we might not recognize, and a future we can hardly imagine. Yet we keep going on, hoping that we can look back on our lives to understand what has transpired. 

Here are some links to what we discussed in our conversation:

About The Cold War Vault
The three-part series of the Cold War Vault, The Otters of Amchitka:
                     The Otters of Amchitka, Part 1, 2 & 3

 Clay Lamps through history at the Milwaukee Public Museum:
                Oil Lamp Classifications
                Image of Byzantine slipper lamp

Pliny the Elder & Pompeii:  “A Voyage into Catastrophe: Pompeii and the Roman Navy” by Will Mather, Western Australia Museum
"The Destruction of Pompeii, 79 AD," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1999)
The “Great Man Theory” of History
“Is There Still Value in ‘Great Man’ History?”, Four articles about the Great Man Theory of history in History Today

“The Great Man Theory”, Villanova University 

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” Fall 2018 Ohio Wesleyan University Feature by Richard North Patterson  

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation.
 Ministering to Ministers
Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination
Ministering to Ministers: The Problem
Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request

It’s that familiar feeling that never feels good: that realization of making a mistake, overlooking something important, missing a deadline, speaking when listening might be the better option…

There we go, being human again. 

I first heard this phrase from a wise woman I met who, upon hearing me berate myself for an oversight, said There you go, being human again...did you think you were immune?

That Oh no! feeling: 

• during those last inches of empty space after missing the last step while going downstairs...
• as your hand knocks against something on the counter that begins to whirl and tilt... 
• hearing the thoughts that had been rolling around inside your own head coming out of your mouth at the point when a conversation transforms into an argument…
• realizing what day it really is after a bad (or good) night’s sleep...
• losing time in the whirlwind of news stories, bad stories, epic tales, or a lovely conversation…

That moment...it’s universal for all of us...there we go, being human.

Some links to share:

Call them what you will, everybody experiences them now and again: meltdowns. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-art-of-the-meltdown-11602015018 

From the Iona Community, this short, prayerful meditative prayer soothes and comforts: https://youtu.be/iMU1k845KuE

The natural world provides much calming support. Of course, we’re not always able to get back to nature when we’d like to, so here’s a little bit of the natural world for you:

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Moon Jelly LiveCam

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay LiveCam

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who produce and support this podcast.  Please check out the resources available through this fantastic foundation:

Ministering to Ministers

Ministering to Ministers Wellness Retreats

Ministering to Ministers Resources: Forced Termination

Ministering to Ministers: The Problem

Ministering to Ministers Resources: Books

Music for this episode has been legally purchased from AudioJungle. License available upon request