Hello again,

How do we have a childlike faith and a heart of adoration in the boring, mundane moments?

Why are we tempted to glamorize and accent certain parts of our lives while glossing over others?

But is there also value in having precious moments shine above others?

Scripture to ponder:

-Luke 18:17 & Mark 10:15

-Philippians 4:8-9

Thanks for listening.

I've got an instagram but I'm not doing much with it:

@rooted.and.wrestling

Hello Again,

Today's episode is all about the book of Revelation, as I just wrapped up studying it this year with BSF (Bible Study Fellowship International).

Why do people hesitate to go into Revelation?

-I think the fearful doom and gloom preaching tactics have left a bad taste in people's mouths.

-I also think the proud studiers who make end times claims based on the signs has left a bad taste in people's mouths.

My experience?

-I came to faith in my 20's and I share how structure and certainty was very inviting compared to the chaotic internal life I had lived and experienced before Christ.

-I read Revelation in my mid-20s and I left it just completely not getting it. I wanted to take things literally but the imagery was so dense that it was a struggle and seemed like a twisted nightmare.

-Reading Revelation this year was challenging and refreshing.

-BSF titled the Study of Revelation as "The Hope" and I held plenty of reservations on how I was going to connect the dots and leave this study with a sense of hope.

-Sure enough! I actually "get it" and I see where I can have a sense of Hope for what is ahead.

Which leads me to my last point:

We can come back to scripture time and again to grow and gain new perspective. These living words reveal depth and mature us as we continue going back to it. It is worth our pursuit.

Thanks for listening.

I've got an instagram, though I'm not doing anything on it!

@rooted.and.wresting

Share the show if you enjoyed it. Thanks friends.

Since good ol' Chat GPT helped me rebrand the show (go listen to episode 83 if you want the full story there) I had the thought that I should reflect on the ways that Rooted comes up in the Bible for an episode.

So here it is:

In the New Testament, two occasions of Paul writing this concept of being rooted in Greek (rhizoo)

Ephesians 3:16-19

Colossians 2: 6-8

And in the Old Testament, the Hebrew work like rooted (sharash).

Isaiah 37:31

Jeremiah 12:2

Psalm 80:8-9

When we consider the literal meaning or rooted, and the figurative meaning of rooted, may we ultimately see the beauty behind this concept and being rooted on the right foundation to flourish in Christ.

Hi there,

Do you know what your worldview is?

Do you know how you view God, theology?

And do you consider how your Worldview and Theology play into how you engage in culture and what you think?

And how much or how little should the church engage in current relevant or hot topics?

Sexuality?

Women in Leadership?

Racism?

Politics and who should be president?

A quote:

“In Essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in allthings, charity. “

Podcast shoutout:

Java with Juli: Can Biblical Churches be LGBTQ-friendly?Fully worth your listen if you want to know more about this particular topic.

I think there is BOTH kindness in clarity and space to not fixate or overly prescribe a stance at your home church on the cultural hot topics. It's not easy, and it's something that has to be wrestled through. And I'm so thankful NOT to be in church leadership. I am CERTAIN no one takes these conversations lightly and wants to misrepresent or misunderstand their neighbor.

Thanks for listening!

Bill joins me this week to discuss something he's been thinking about, when do we baptize our kids?

Really, this could have been the 5 W's of Baptism had we planned it better, because we do touch on the Who (can do it), What (is baptism), When (should we baptize), Where, and Why (do we baptize).

We chat a little about the Infant baptism within Catholicism, and if you are not of that belief, then when do we baptize children? I share a passage in Acts 13:24: Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel, which leads me to see a component of Baptism being repentance, or the conscience decision to turn toward God and receive forgiveness and a cleansing of the conscience.

Later in the episode we share of personal stories of Baptism. And ultimately, we see this as a not fully answered, prescriptive topic, that people much brighter than us have warred over for 2,000 years. We are indeed wrestling through it and don't have neatly figured out.

Thanks for listening!

Tamar is a story you probably didn't learn in Bible School growing up. It's a hard one with death, deception, sex, but ultimately God continuing to work with broken people to fulfill his purposes. Tamar and her son Perez are in the lineage of Jesus. And yet, the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 could read like a TLC reality show or an HBO drama.

Though nothing explicit in this episode, the topic could be sensitive to little ears. Use discretion and tune in first.

Scripture to Reference:

Matthew 1:2-3

and

Genesis 38

Thanks for listening!

Do I pray with precision? Or do I hold back the details thinking they aren't important, or afraid that God will not answer my request? Hmmm....

Shoutout to Lifeway Bible Studies, in particular, this thought came about while working through a study called Devoted, following 30 women through the Bible.

Interested in the health book I mentioned? It's called Sleep Drink Breath by Michael Breus.

Scripture referenced:

-Genesis 24 (Abraham's servant going to town of Nahor to find a wife for his son, Isaac. He prays a very specific prayer and immediately it is answered just as he prayed with Rebekah).

-Matthew 6:7-8 (...the Lord knows what you need before you even ask)

-Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 (ask and it will be given... seek and you will find... knock and the door will be opened to you)

Thanks for listening.

Instagram is @Rooted.and.Wrestling

Welcome to Rooted and Wrestling,

Today's kick-off conversation begins with doubt that leads to deconstruction. (Scripture referenced: Ephesians 1:13 and John 10:27-29 NIV version).

AND then

We go into a couple examples in the Bible where doubt did not stop God from being faithful.

I recap Genesis 3 and Eve's doubt leading to eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and then finish by digging into Thomas doubting Jesus after his resurrection in John 20.

Ultimately, the bible is FULL of people falling short to fully believe and trust in God. Yet God is still sovereign and working out his plans for the world and us, humanity. We all have the opportunity to surrender our hearts and minds to God and trust him even in our unbelief and doubts. To doubt does not guarantee we will deconstruct, but may be the very thing to refine and strenghten our faith to boldly see God and be rooted to a firm foundation.

Thanks for listening!

Follow on instagram: @rooted.and.wrestling

Hi guys,

REBRAND!

Please tune into this episode as we say "good-bye" to Nuanced Beauty and "hello" to Rooted and Wrestling.

Podcasting takes some effort, and we've dropped off since last fall. I thought we were done-done. Sorry we left everyone hanging with no good bye. But a few noteworthy interactions led me to realize that this isn't the end. However, a shift in WHAT I'm talking about felt needed.

Rooted and Wrestling will be focused on my faith walk and the many "both-and" moments I wrestle with. Think about Truth AND Love. Mercy AND Justice. You matter AND you aren't the center of the universe. You can wrestle with hard questions AND remained rooted in your faith.

That's where things are going.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for being here and tuning in. I hope you'll continue tuning in as things move forward.

Stay tune for new episodes dropping this spring.

Hi guys,

Short and sweet, this nuanced beauty episode is to just say that we think joy and sadness can exist after a natural disaster. We're relatively grateful that our area did not feel a lot of impact from either week of the hurricanes, meanwhile, others in this region are facing heavy despair. We don't have to downplay those who are joyous and make them feel guilty or provoke survivor's guilt, while we also don't have to downplay those who are grieving, because they both can be.

Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.

-Christina & Bill