Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley believes that we can live fully alive in the way God created us to live- physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. She believes we can thrive. Dr. Peters-Tanksley, or “Dr. Carol,” as she is called, is a licensed OB-Gyn physician and Reproductive Endocrinologist, an ordained Doctor of Ministry, an author, speaker, and personal coach. She also produced a regular radio program, “The Dr. Carol Show,” with her husband, Al, from 2009 until his death in 2016. Dr. Carol has seen how many people struggle to find the help they need in the church for the struggles they encounter: broken relationships, mental or emotional struggles, or toxic religion. She desires to come alongside those undergoing such brokenness to find healing and transformation so they can live more fully.

In our time together, Dr. Carol shares how God transformed her own mental/emotional struggles and grief into growth, meaning, and joy. She also talks about the common struggles around beauty and body image she encountered as an OB-Gyn and tells the story behind why she chose to pursue ministry, in addition to being a physician. Dr. Carol also deeply encouraged me by talking about finding purpose in midlife and beyond and reminded me, and us, that “God will not stop until everything is made right.” My deep hope is that Dr. Carol will encourage you as much as she did me.

On this week’s episode, I talk with enneagram coach and co-leader of the non-profit, 40 Orchards, Stephanie Spencer. 40 Orchards creates safe spaces for people to learn about and wrestle though biblical texts using the ancient Jewish concept of Midrash. Stephanie had a first career as a pastor and now facilitates Scripture Circles in the Minneapolis area and, remotely, around the world. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their two adolescent sons.

In my time with Stephanie, we talk about how reading the Bible in a new way “opened up the world” to her. She also discusses how we have been made to delight in the world around us and highlights the common thread of feeling like we don’t measure up when it comes to beauty standards and so often in the life of faith as well. Perhaps most importantly, Stephanie reminds us that God is not a God who stands far off but is, instead, intimately involved in each of our stories and that He sees us as beautiful, good, and rejoices over us, even now.

Katy Rose is committed to creating “art to reflect the beauty of light illuminating the darkness.” Trained in psychology and art, Katie desires to bring depth and meaning to each of her paintings. She is also a contributing author for the “Love God Greatly Bible” published by Thomas Nelson in 2020 and has illustrated and written upcoming projects in children’s literature.

Katie lives in Texas with her husband and four children. She and her husband have made it their mission to serve foster children and under-served populations around the globe. Her fine art business was originally launched for that purpose and continues to exist with that guiding principle.

In our time together, we talk about how creating beauty and reflecting light in the world is actually an act of rebellion against the darkness that we so often encounter. Katie also talks about why she believes creativity is pivotal for children, how art has brought healing and redemption in her own life, and she encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones to experience unknown beauty on the other side.

As you listen today, I hope you are encouraged to see more beauty around you, feel any nudges for using your agency in your own corner to bring about more light, and, to be reminded that whatever we are invited into, we don’t go alone.

This episode is all about beauty ideals, our relationship with our bodies and food, and social media. I can’t think of better conversation partners for this one than Lisa DeKam and Jacquie Danz, the founders of the Axia Project. Lisa is a physical therapist who works in the field of eating disorders and Jacquie is the mom of two teenage girls, who is committed to changing the narrative that a females’ appearance is the most important thing about her. Together, Lisa and Jacquie have founded the Axia Project, an organization seeking to teach women that life is more than your appearance and help women build skills to actively live their God-given worth.

In this episode, we talk about the prevalence of disordered eating and body image struggles, tips for bringing up the next generation in an image-saturated world, and why beauty ideals are not only damaging but get in the way of living out our purpose in the world. This is a must listen episode, calling out the breadth and depth of the fallout of cultural beauty standards, impacting females’ mental and emotional health, their relationship with food and their bodies, with others, and so much more. We also highlight how we go about making change. Please listen, and then, help us change the narrative!

Haejin Shim Fujimura is a seasoned lawyer and the founder and managing partner of Shim & Associates, located in both New York and New Jersey. Haejin is also the CEO and co-founder of Embers International, an organization committed to protecting, restoring, and empowering victims of injustice with the goal of ending intergenerational exploitation and preventing human trafficking. She also serves as the Team Leader of NYC Advocacy & Mobilization Team of International Justice Mission, the largest anti-slavery organization in the world.

Haejin is married to renowned contemporary artist, Makoto Fujimura, with whom she leads the “Beauty + Justice” movement. One initiative within that movement is Kintsugi Academy, of which Haejin is the President.

In our time together, Haejin reminds me that we are all artists, with the power to create beautiful things in our own corner of the world. She also helps me see that justice is ultimately about creating beautiful relationships, that love is generative, and that we can all create something new amid broken realities. This is a powerful episode, reminding us that we are not helpless onlookers of the brokenness in the world or in our own lives. Instead, we are all artists, empowered to infuse more beauty, love, and goodness into the world and into the communities we are a part of.

In this week’s episode, I had the privilege of interviewing renowned author, Philip Yancey. In his books, Philip has explored the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith, including award-winning titles such as The Jesus I Never Knew, What’s So Amazing About Grace? and Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? He currently has more than 15 million books in print, published in over 50 languages worldwide, and his books have garnered 13 Gold Medallion Awards from Christian publishers and booksellers.

Philip began his writing career as a journalist in Chicago, where he worked for about twenty years, writing for a wide variety of magazines including Reader’s Digest and Christianity Today. As a journalist, he interviewed people such as President Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, and Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement.

In my time with Philip, we talk about his new book, Where the Light Fell, and why he believes it is the one book he was put on earth to write. We also talk about how his life story has shaped his writing, how beauty transformed his faith and relationship with God, and how his experiences around the world have shaped his views on beauty. This conversation was such a gift to me. My hope is that Philip’s wisdom and words might bring so much light into your life as well.

For months I looked forward to my interview with author, hospital chaplain, and former atheist, J.S. Park. When it comes to the tension of beauty and brokenness, what better person to talk to than someone who literally sits at the precipice of life and death, crisis, and suffering every day? Furthermore, J.S. is an honest voice, speaking candidly about his own struggles with depression and his journey from atheism to faith. He is a suicide survivor, Korean American, and loves Jesus. J.S. also recently released his book, The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise.

In my time with J.S. we talk about the idea of calling and what inspired him to become a hospital chaplain, his journey from atheism to faith, his experience as a chaplain, and how even in the midst of so much suffering, he believes beauty exists and still wins. I can’t wait for you to hear from him today.

Nine years ago, Taylor Hughes decided to chase a dream he’d had since he was seven years old. On his 7th birthday, Taylor’s parents bought him a magic kit and he fell in love with the art of illusion. He wanted to be a magician. For years he had encouraged others to live out their passions and chase their dreams, but he had not done the same for himself. Now, more than 3,000 shows later, Taylor has become known for his signature style of Magic Storytelling. He is a bestselling author, a highly sought-after keynote presenter and his comedy magic special '“Chasing Wonder” is streaming now on Apple and Amazon Prime. Taylor also regularly performs at various Bob Goff events throughout the U.S.

In my time with Taylor, we talk about what it’s like to tune into your own passion and intuition to chase the dreams God has shaped within you, the deception and misdirection Taylor sees in marketing and cultural ideas of beauty, and how to start seeing your own story through the eyes of wonder. This is such a fun episode. And like Taylor’s new book, Road to Wonder, our time is filled with both laughter and so much of Taylor’s wisdom. My hope is that this episode might deeply encourage you, inviting you to embrace the beauty in your own unique story and become more attuned to invitations to embrace wonder every day.

Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee who has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Sandra’s music has also been featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Sandra is also a published author, contributing a regular column in Christianity Today and recently released her first book "Send Out Your Light" in September 2021.

My conversation with Sandra was so encouraging. In our time together, we talk about her new book’s invitation to see the Light God has given each of us and what it looks like to send that Light back out into the world. We also talk about how Sandra has experienced God’s Light in her own seasons of darkness and what encouragement she might give to those of us are feeling a little worn out after the experience of the past-year-and-a-half. If you are feeling weary or are needing a reminder of God’s working in your life, even if you can’t see or feel it, this one is for you.

When it comes to messages about food and our bodies, our society gives us some pretty warped ideas. On today’s episode, I talk to registered dietitian nutritionist, Megan Hadley, who is fiercely committed to counteracting such dangerous messages and helping clients find freedom in eating and acceptance of their bodies. Megan currently provides one-on-one nutrition therapy and coaching for individuals in North Carolina and engages with clients in an online community called Fork the Food Rules, a membership program that offers courses, groups, and online coaching.

In our time together, Megan and I talk about how she sees diet culture being a barrier to living fully and freely, how diet culture is like the air we breathe, the beauty of body diversity, and in what ways the church has adopted diet culture. My hope is that all of us might find more freedom in our relationship with food and our bodies and that we might together swim upstream against a culture that works against that freedom.