Rev. Chrissy Ruehl and Rev. John Ruehl are dedicated ministers in Savannah, Georgia, They have a passionate commitment to serve their community. They will share their perspectives as a married couple from different faith traditions who share common goals about the possibilities of community change. They will share how they use and integrate the Community Resiliency Model and Asset-Based Community Development. Join us as we discover how you can change your community using what’s already there. Listen in and learn how one community used what they had to change the landscape for children, families, and school systems during and after the pandemic and how you can do it too!

What do resilience and leadership look like for women of color? Women of color comprise about 18 percent of the U.S. population, yet only 4 percent of C-Level positions in 2018, falling far below white men (68 percent) and white women (19 percent). Why? Rising to power is a gendered and racist journey. Women of color don’t face a glass ceiling. They face a concrete ceiling. Unlike a glass ceiling, it’s impossible to see through a concrete ceiling or envision how to get past it. Elaine and Analiza discuss what women of color face, how to bust through myths, and how to rise so we can get a seat at the table and help create a more just world.

New Hanover County faces many natural crises due to their location on the coast of North Carolina and the numerous hurricanes that have occurred over the last few years. New Hanover County adopted biologically-based resilience practices from the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) with the goal to create a trauma-informed and resiliency-focused practice toward each person in public service, sharing a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system. The implementation is integrated as core measures for professional development and as a means to permeate the county’s culture.  This is not only imperative in the aftermath of community disasters but also for prevention. Bo Dean and Mebane Boyd will discuss how resiliency strategies were implemented through community partnerships and in conjunction with the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force.  They will discuss how their resiliency programs emerged throughout the county and discuss their challenges and successes.

Dr. Lise Van Susteren, a recognized authority in the realm of climate change's physiological and psychological impacts, will enlighten us about her advocacy efforts. She aims to provide insight into these incidents' cumulative effects on children and adults. Dr. Van Susteren will delve into the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the context of climate change, elucidating pathways for the recovery and healing of individuals. Moreover, she will share her perspectives on how we can all contribute to preventive solutions, fostering the betterment of our communities. Climate events are happening with more frequency throughout the globe. In August of 2023, children and adults witnessed a series of climate-related occurrences. These include the heatwaves along the Midwest and East Coast, a hurricane impacting the Southwest of North America, and devastating firestorms in Lahaina, Hawai'i, and Washington State. The aftermath of these events has taken a toll on the physical and mental health of children and adults. Dr. Susteren's wisdom and experience will help us all learn how to become more involved in advocacy and healing.

As a nation, we are heartbroken about the destruction of Lahaina and all the lives lost. The community of Butte County, California, experienced similar destruction and loss in 2018 as a result of the Campfire. The community mobilized and is recovering. Members of their community wanted to share what they learned and the wisdom that was gained. They hope that their discussion on Resiliency Within can help the Lahaina community's recovery process. Erin Kennedy and Scott Dinits, who were deeply embedded in the communities affected by the Camp and other fires, will share what they learned personally and professionally. They were direct responders after the 2018 Campfire that devastated Butte County Communities and the town of Paradise, California. As Boys and Girls Club employees, they will share what is important to help children and adults heal. Both Erin and Scott are trained in the Community Resiliency Model and will share how this model and other interventions helped their community. They will also address what was not helpful even though it was extended with good intentions. They will discuss the challenges, hope, and healing as they journey through the aftermath of this tragedy and destruction. Resiliency Within’s intention is to highlight their insights and lessons learned that could help the community in Lahaina, Hawai’i.

Resiliency Within celebrates in this episode the bonds of sisterhood during this National Sister Month. Today's show is dedicated to the concept of sister-friends—those special individuals who support us through life's ups and downs. Whether they share our DNA or are sisters of our choosing, these connections are invaluable. Sister-friends love us unconditionally, standing by us even when we're not at our best, and offer judgment-free support whenever we need to confide in them. These foundational relationships have the power to illuminate our lives, providing light in times of darkness. Many adults reflect on their past and may recall negative childhood experiences, often referred to as adverse childhood experiences or ACEs. Such experiences encompass physical and emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and exposure to substance abuse or violence in the home. Research conducted by Dr. Christina Bethell from John Hopkins reveals that individuals who report more ACEs are more likely to face various physical, mental, and social challenges. However, there is hope, as positive childhood experiences can act as buffers against the impact of adverse events. Dr. Bethell's research identifies seven positive childhood experiences that can make a difference: 1. The ability to openly communicate feelings with their family. 2. The feeling of unwavering support from their families during difficult times. 3. Having at least two non-parent adults who genuinely care about them. 4. Feeling safe and protected by an adult at home. 5. Being supported by friends. 6. A sense of belonging in high school. 7. Active participation in their community. Positive reports of any of these experiences correlate with lower rates of mental health problems and higher rates of having supportive adult relationships. In this episode of Resiliency Within, we delve into a personal story shared by our host, Elaine Miller-Karas. Despite growing up in a family with high ACEs, she was fortunate to have several positive childhood experiences. Among the key factors that buffered the impact of her ACES were her sister-friends. On this journey, she will be joined by her childhood friends, Mary Ann Tummillo Koue and Katie O'Neill Arken, who have been friends for over 50 years. Together, they explore the profound and caring relationships that helped mitigate the adverse childhood experiences, remaining steadfast through life's joys and challenges. The friendships forged during difficult times are examples of our adversities not defining our destiny.

Dr. Joy Miller will join Resiliency Within to talk about her remarkable work with global resilience. Miller created a new forum for training in the area of resiliency. Resiliency Productions became a gift of love to the global world, offering free access to mental health techniques for those struggling with the pandemic, loss, grief, anxiety & depression. Dedicated to offering personal empowerment & resiliency strategies to global participants, Miller created the remarkable event, Resilience 2023, bringing together global leaders to speak about resiliency. This amazing free event will take place on September 8, 2023. Her vision is joined by like-minded celebrities, global influencers, musicians, noted clinicians, and professionals who donate their time and talent, sharing their voices and messages to help our global community grow, heal and thrive. She has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, Sally Jessie Raphael, Montel Williams, Geraldo, and many radio and podcast presentations throughout the years. She hosted a mental health segment on ABC and NBC affiliates for 25 years and hosted her own radio show for four years. She will again share her wisdom about Resilience. She will share her definitions of resilience. In addition, she will share her vista about the upcoming September event and why it is essential for all of us to attend.

Vanessa Kettering and Rhonda Rodgers, co-founders of Way of Well-Being, will share their experiences with the life-changing work from the early days of the Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) to translating the skills for others in their community to find peace and resilience in a world full of heteronormative ideas and sometimes hostile or misinformed views. Their connection with TRI, tools of contemplative practice, and positive psychology have not only transformed their work in higher education and the private sector but also continued to inspire them on their personal journeys toward healing and self-acceptance. The two have been in a committed relationship for over a decade and have navigated romance, business, travel, pet parenthood, and more.

This show is a story of hope, resilience, and love. Resilience is sometimes the outcome of some of the darkest moments in one’s life. My guests, a mother, Sue Borrego and her daughter, Kelsey Bunker Robertson, had very different experiences following Sue’s coming out when Kelsey was 9. Sue was occupied by the fear of losing her children and job and moving through the generational shame of her sexuality. Kelsey became a fierce advocate, proud of her parents and much less touched by the shame her mom felt. Sue gave birth to her children, Kelsey and Bryce in the 1980s. When they were toddlers, it became clear to Sue that she was a Lesbian. Nothing about her life and work had space for her truth. She was married to a man and working successfully at a Christian University. She chose to live closeted until she could no longer live so incongruously. Sue needed to find a different job and initiate divorce proceedings. Initially, Sue was not public about her sexual orientation. Ironically, Kelsey’s dad came out several months later. Together they lived as a “non-traditional” family in a very traditional town. Sue, consumed by the worldview of sexual orientation she grew up with, was terrified of costing her kids a “normal” life and losing the world she had carefully built.As an “emancipated minor” she had carefully constructed a world that she thought would protect her future. Kelsey continued to develop her sense of justice and love. She was a guest on panels, an advocate at school and an educator in her life. Today Kelsey is a mom of 6 and Bryce a father of three. Both of their parents are married to their partners and have lives filled with joy and love. There are many LGBTQ+ parents who wonder about the impact of their lives on their families and LGBTQ+ young adults who wonder about their futures. The culture wars, with vitriolic rhetoric and attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals, are taking their toll. They will share their journey of love, hope and resilience.

Welcome to Resiliency Within and part 2 of my discussion with the Rev. Dr. Keith Menhinick of Emory Univesity's Candler School of Theology. Part 1 aired on July 3, 2023. Today's show will explore Queer Theology. Rev. Dr. Keith Menhinick will discuss his views about Queer theology, and the course he teaches at Emory University. Sexuality and spirituality are often pitted against each other in religious community and doctrine. In sociological and psychological research on LGBTQ+ folks, religion is often cited in terms of stigma and risk factor for a variety of poor health outcomes. How might we understand LGBTQ+ spirituality beyond an association with stigma, trauma, and exclusion? Can we imagine a world in which sexuality and spirituality are not opposed, but rather intimately interrelated? It would be a world in which we are not asked to diminish parts of ourselves, but rather bring the fullness of our lives (our bodies, dreams, longings, and loves) to explore questions of gender, sexuality, and faith formation together in community. Queer theology is about questioning what is considered “normal” for humans and “orthodox” for religion. By historicizing and politicizing the labels we use to understand ourselves and the divine, queer theology exposes the power relations at the heart of the ways that we claim identities, organize society, and do theology. We learn from both queer theology and resilience studies that there is more freedom, justice, and compassion than we have yet to live into.