Celebrate Story!

Listen in as Julie Interviews Meghan Fitzgerald about her new book Butterfly Out.  We live life forward and understand it backward and often find the things we go through to be random and Meghan Fitzgerald has written a beautiful book about her journey to finding her purpose.  In her book, she shares intimately about her journey from an eating disorder to true love and care for her body.  And, once again what is most personal is actually quite universal, as Julie relates to much of her journey and discussion on shame, resentment, control, and dreaming.  Listen in while waiting for your copy of Butterfly Out!Continue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

For the past few months, Julie has been working with the SUN project on developing what we hope will be a continuing relationship to tell real stories of moms on a journey of addiction recovery. This is the second of 2 conversations that we have recorded. Enjoy!The SUN Project is a cross-sector, collaborative system of compassionate care that uses best practices to support the health, safety, well-being, and recovery of pregnant patients with a substance use disorder, their infants, and their families. Care coordination, prevention measures, and support services are provided for families through partnerships across multiple sectors and agencies. Eligible participants receive coordination of compassionate, non-stigmatizing, state-of-the-art prenatal care, behavioral health, and social support services to aid the mother in achieving optimal health outcomes and overall well-being.Have you a story that you would like to tell? Drop us a message at www.celebratestorypod.com.Would you like Julie to speak at your event? Click HereContinue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

For the past few months, Julie has been working with the SUN project on developing what we hope will be a continuing relationship to tell real stories of moms on a journey of addiction recovery. This is the first of 2 conversations that we have recorded. Enjoy!The SUN Project is a cross-sector, collaborative system of compassionate care that uses best practices to support the health, safety, well-being, and recovery of pregnant patients with a substance use disorder, their infants, and their families. Care coordination, prevention measures, and support services are provided for families through partnerships across multiple sectors and agencies. Eligible participants receive coordination of compassionate, non-stigmatizing, state-of-the-art prenatal care, behavioral health, and social support services to aid the mother in achieving optimal health outcomes and overall well-being.Have you a story that you would like to tell? Drop us a message at www.celebratestorypod.com. Would you like Julie to speak at your event? Click HereContinue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

Julie runs to conflict.  Steve runs from conflict.  We are all wired differently and have different baggage coming to conflict.  Julie shares her passion for conflict and how it has been healing and surprising.  How can we all work to build a world with more peaceful conflicts?  Without conflict there is no true intimacy.  To access the second part of The Power of Conflict on Marco Polo Sharecast, click here: Live or Later SharecastMentioned in the Episode:Podcast on Nonviolent Communication Continue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

Julie and Steve talk about some of the obstacles to date night. Also a review of Grove Cartel Brewery and the adjoining Meadows @ Grove Cartel. And this week is a twofer, where we also celebrated a friends birthday with a game night!Continue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

Julie and Steve have a conversation about the book The Power of Fun by Catherine Price and what in the book appealed to them for their marriage, parenting and life. Here is the link to the Fun Toolkit mentioned in the episode. Continue the conversation ... you can send us a message or link to our social media pages at The Celebrate Story! Podcast Webpage at https://www.celebratestorypod.com/.

The last Date Night was at Deejai Noodle Bar & Starlight on 22nd (as called in the episode, the Starlight Lounge ... whoops). We also got a story from Julie's recent trip to Atlanta for the Taylor Swift Concert.Here is the West Wing Clip mentioned in the podcast.If you are enjoying all the Celebrate Story! podcasts, please Subscribe, Like and Review in your favorite Podcast Playing App.https://instagram.com/celebratepodcasts?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Part 2 was a labor of grief and love.  Julie and Steve discuss the grief that accompanies  the necessary decision to leave a faith community they loved.  They also discuss what they hope to find in the next faith community and their own baggage that truly effected the unhealthy ways they bonded to their previous church home.Certainty Episode 

We start with a list of memories from our 22 years of marriage. Then stories and reviews of our recent stay at the UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

A new podcast that lets you peak into Julie and Steve's weekly date night. Expect restaurant, brewery and attraction reviews, as well as some witty banter. Enjoy!Music by Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay

Julie and Steve reflect on memories of their childhood church experiences and reflect on how church in adulthood met needs for family and security.  They begin to discuss what the process of re-evaluating their relationship with church looks like and the loss of what they once had.  Listen in for an authentic conversation about the complexity of finding the right church home.

Some thoughts on why people hold certain political ideologies, a conversation with Nick Vincent on how his thoughts have changed and the state of politics today.Nick Vincent's BioLinks from todays Show:A Different Way of Thinking PodcastThe elevator skit from Candid Camerahttps://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-psychology-of-conformity/251371/People tend to change their minds with stories of real people, not factshttps://www.cnn.com/2022/04/06/media/jen-psaki-nbc/index.htmlJesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Steve gives his experiences and thoughts on his time with church over the last 20 + years. Then Steve and David Roberts have a discussion on the state and future of the Christian Church in the US. Hope you enjoy.David Roberts Bio and Social Media Links

This week Steve finishes up a 2 part series of the The Grey of some social issues. This week, we talk race with Dr. Tracey Benson, co-author of the book, Unconcious Bias in Schools and founder of the Anti-Racist Leadership Academy. Please listen with an open mind to this important conversation!More about Tracey - https://traceyabenson.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exploring-race-racism-and-unconscious-bias-in-schools/id1036167679?i=1000473775303https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44788053-unconscious-bias-in-schoolshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVrA24KkotoLinks from info from the podcast:https://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/StudentPlacement/PlanningServices/Documents/2021-22_School%20Diversity%20Report.pdfhttps://universitycitypartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/5-Research-UCity-Demographics.pdf

In the inaugural episode of Celebrate The Grey, Steve will take us back to a turning point in his way of processing the world around him and give a set-up into what the coming weeks of the podcast will be about.Julie Wagner's Podcast Website - www.celebratestorypod.comReference Material:Origin of the Quote "If are given something for free, then you are the product"Article on Intellectual HumilityArticle on Dunning-Kruger effectMusic:Intro and Outro Song - Sexy Fashion Beats by Coma-MediaInterlude Song - Old Photos by Olexy

This week we are talking about Work and Identity with Steve and his good friend Nick Vincent. If nothing else, you need to hear Nick's healthy take on what work means to him. Worth the listen!About Nick Vincent - Self Proclaimed, Approachable NerdNick Vincent is a longtime friend of the Celebrate Story! podcast team. Nick is a father of two living in northern VA with his wife, Rebecca. He is coming to terms with his athleticism and no longer competes but coaches ultimate frisbee. Nick also serves as a senior director at the nation's largest passenger railroad company after spending most of his career on Wells Fargo's stagecoach. He hopes to move on to modern transportation services in his next career move.If you are enjoying the podcast please make sure you Subscribe/Follow and also leave a Rating and a Review on Apple Podcast ... it really helps the show. You can follow all that is going on at Celebrate the Grey and connect with Steve on Social Media at www.celebrategreypod.com.Reference Material:Article on Dunning-Kruger effectMusic:Intro and Outro Song - Sexy Fashion Beats by Coma-MediaInterlude Song - Old Photos by Olexy

Steve and Julie Wagner discuss their journey through parenthood and the joy, dread and challenge that has presented.If you are enjoying the podcast please make sure you Subscribe/Follow and also leave a Rating and a Review on Apple Podcast ... it really helps the show. You can follow all that is going on at Celebrate the Grey and connect with Steve on Social Media at www.celebrategreypod.com.Music:Intro and Outro Song - Sexy Fashion Beats by Coma-MediaInterlude Song - Old Photos by Olexy

Introduction to a new podcast from Celebrate Story! Steve Wagner presents Celebrate The Grey! We will look at a number of topics that used to feel black and white, but now fall into a Grey space.

Julie speaks with Lisa Sharon Harper who's recently published book draws on her lifelong journey to know her family's history, leading Christian activist Lisa Sharon Harper recovers the beauty of her heritage, exposes the brokenness that race has wrought in America, and casts a vision for collective repair.Enjoy this candid conversation!Link to the book:Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World--and How to Repair It All by Lisa Sharon HarperIf you are enjoying Celebrate Story! please Subscribe, Like and Review in you favorite Podcast Playing App.Outro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

This week, Julie concludes her 3 Part series, 'What is the Church?', with an interview of Brian McLaren( https://www.celebratestorypod.com/guests/brian-mclaren/). Brian is the author of more than 15 books, including Faith After Doubt, Do I Stay Christian?, and A New Kind of Christian, he is a faculty member of The Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. Please enjoy this great conversation between Julie and Brian!Link to Brian McLaren's new book, 'Do I Stay Christian?'To cap off this series we are running a promotion! Please share your favorite episode from the 'What is the Church?' series to social media and tag Julie (links to her socials can be found at www. celebratestorypod.com) for a chance to win the 3 books from this series (A Church Called TOV, The Other Half of Church and Do I Stay Christian?). You can also share to your friends directly by text or email ... just send a screenshot to celebratestorypod@gmail.com.

This week Julie is bringing you a great interview with Michel Hendricks, one of the authors of the book The Other Half of Church. Michel is a teacher, trainer, inventor and author. Drawing from the cross-section of the Bible and brain science, he helps churches and communities implement a relational discipleship that transforms. He is the director of Life Model consulting at Life Model Works and is the co-author with Dr. Jim Wilder of the book The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation. He is a graduate of The University of Colorado, Boulder and Denver Seminary.The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation Paperback by Jim Wilder (Author), Michel Hendricks Continue the conversation on Julie's social media feeds ... you can find links to Facebook and Instagram on the Celebrate Story! webpageOutro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

Recent news is littered with stories of Christian churches acting badly. Laura Barringer and her father Scot McKnight had a front row seat to one of these stories at Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago, IL. They have theorized in their book, A Church Called Tov, that there might be a better way to do church. We hope you enjoy listening to this interesting and enlightening conversation between Julie and Laura.Laura Barringer's BioA Church Called Tov ordering link

In the first episode of Season 2 of Celebrate Story!, Julie reenacts her talk from icuTalks from March.  The theme is Changing the Narrative and Julie shares just a few of the stories from her life that prompted her digger deeper for better answers to the important questions in life. Link to YouTube Video:https://youtu.be/bOp-cZHWeXA 

Introducing Celebrate The Grey, a new podcast under the Celebrate Story! umbrella. Check it out and make sure you subscribe in your favorite Podcast App. Episodes starting March 22nd.

Julie and Steve wrap up Season One with some thoughts on the podcast so far and some info about what is coming up next Season.  Also some info about an upcoming speaking engagement Julie has at icuTalks (www.icutalks.com).Finally an announcement of a new podcast under the Celebrate Story! umbrella … Celebrate The Grey with Steve Wagner, Starting 3/22 and available wherever you get your podcasts

A couple of stories from Julie's weekend away and Steve's weekend at home with the kids leads to a discussion on seeing more than one side to life's events and the people that cross your path during such events. Also, how a trip to a crypt in the basement of a chapel can helps us appreciate sitting with both the joys and the pains of life. Books mentioned on the Podcast Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature by Gerald G. MayThe podcast that spurred the Facebook Battle :)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1871912/9979319-group-therapy-untamedIf you are enjoying Celebrate Story! please Subscribe, Like and Review in you favorite Podcast Playing App.Outro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

Julie and her great friend Bethany sit down to talk about a number of issues revolving around Mental Health, Faith, Motherhood, Sex and Relationships. If you are craving vulnerable, open communication and conversations, you do not want to miss this one.If you enjoyed the Podcast, please Subscribe/Follow and leave a rating and review. It really helps.Past Celebrate Story! Podcasts mentioned:Group Therapy? Untamed!An Interview with Kim Honeycutt (Part 1)An Interview with Kim Honeycutt (Part 2)Outro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

Nobody has it all figured out.  Especially Us (Julie and Steve). But we are putting in the work to strengthen ourselves and our marriage. A lot of that work has involved making our own mental health a priority. After multitudes of difficult spaces in our marriage of 20 plus years,  we are thankful to be learning more tools to process the difficulties we have had in communication. We are doing the work to transform our pain, rather than transmit it to those around us.Podcast with Closet Creatives and Melanee Marshall - Click HereOutro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

Julie and Steve discuss the vision for the remainder of the podcast season and focus on a few points from a book they both read.  They discuss "usefulness" and mental health and Steve shares a little bit about processing his own experiences with mental health.Books mentioned on the Podcast:A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik BackmanHow to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odellwww.celebratestorypod.com

Eavesdrop on a candid conversation with Julie and a few friends about womanhood and how it affects marriage, friendships, faith and self-esteem. Hear where they have been and some ways they are finding their way through, out and toward healing. They speak strongly to women, but say things that everyone, regardless of sex, need to hear!Books mentioned on the pod:Untamed by Glennon Doyle Rage Becomes Her by Soraya Chemaly

Julie and Steve discuss the podcast from last week (Travel for Free with Vincent Van Gogh) adding some new insights and stories to explore the topic of Empathy a bit deeper

This week Julie uses her research and understanding of one of the worlds most famous artist to make a case for the utter importance of giving and receiving empathy in relationship and community.Please Help Us Support Danielle After Job LossLinks to Resources on empathy, mentioned in the podcast:How to start an empathy revolution: Roman Krznaric at TEDxAthens 2013How 40 Seconds of Compassion Could Save a Life | Stephen Trzeciak | TEDxPennThe Naked Now: Learning To See As the Mystics See by Richard RohrThe Empathy LibraryTransform Your Circumstances with ALOK - Love. Period. with Rev. Dr. Jacqui LewisWhat is Alive in Me is Also Alive in You Podcast

A little longer episode this week, when Julie talks to a long time friend, Melanee Marshall about creativity and how she launched a business helping others to create.  They discuss how creativity heals and is universal to each individual.  They also explore Melanee's work with a group she started called Dismantling the Divide which seeks to bridge the racial divide in the church.  Lots of good stories and information during this conversation!If you are interested in Closet Creatives you can contact Melanee on Instagram @closetcreativesIf you are interested in  joining the Dismantling the Divide Zoom meetings, email  dtdconversations@gmail.comYou can reach Julie on social media by clicking on the links at http://www.celebratestorypod.com

Parenting and the Pandemic strips away so much control we thought we had.  Julie shares a few stories from her own life and her wrestling with the concepts of Influence and Control.  She explores the relationship with technology and the impact it has on our expectations for control.River of Integration (Control vs Chaos), can be found in this book:Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation  By Daniel J. Siegel  Brene Brown Power Over vs Power With Example can be found in this free PDF:https://brenebrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Brene-Brown-on-Power-and-Leadership-10-26-20.pdf

Words can be windows or walls.  Julie explores a few stories that have brought healing and pain and the associated needs and feelings identified as a path for self compassion and compassion for others.Browse and Order Noonday Products HERE Needs and Feelings tools mentioned in the podcast:Nonviolent Communication - NEEDS WHEELNonviolent Communication - FEELINGS WHEELMarc Brackett - Mood Meter Grid   Books mentioned in the podcast: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhDFaith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It by Brian D. McLarenOther References on the podcast:One Voice - The Wailin' JennysRob Bell - The RobCast - 900 Ligaments Outro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

A conversation between Julie and her husband and producer Steve about how the older they get and the more they see and experience, the less they are certain about things in life.Browse and Order Noonday Products HERE  (https://juliannewagner.noondaycollection.com/)Book References from the Episode:Strangers and Sojourners: A Novel (Children of the Last Days) by Michael O'Brien The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs by Peter EnnsOutro Song: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica Watson. Contact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.com

As Steve and I have discussed the path forward on the podcast in relation to advertising and monetizing, one thing has remained constant. We only want to work with and highlight companies and products that we use or can easily get behind their mission.When Corey Travaglini contacted me about possibly spotlighting or partnering with Noonday, I jumped at it. Corey is interning and in school to become a licensed community chaplain by day and is a Noonday ambassador on the side to support her families extra expenses. I invited her over to the podcast studio AKA my bedroom and we talked a little bit about Noonday and her experiences as a chaplain and one the story collection.Show Links: Introducing Storyline by Noonday CollectionBrowse and Order Noonday Products

This week Julie will explore the connection of Grief and Joy, Sorrow and Celebration. Also, we will share some Original Music by our friend Jessica Watson. Her music holds a special place in our hearts!  Original Music: Young Spirit, Old Soul (A Letter to My Family) by Jessica WatsonContact Jessica about performances and bookings at decentpeoplemusic.comWritings/quotes mentioned this week:The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis WellerA Return to Love by Marianne WilliamsonHenri Nouwen on Suffering and Joy by Henri NouwenLearning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor 

This will wrap up Julie's interview with Kim Honeycutt, Psychotherapist, Author, and Founder of icuTalks, a mental health speaking ministry. This is a wide ranging interview, covering topics such as mental health, intimacy, connection, faith and church. Kim is a voice that the world needs to hear right now! Enjoy! Resources from Kim Honeycutt: www.kimhoneycutt.comwww.icutalks.com Kim's Podcast – Flip Your Lid with Kim HoneycuttKim's Book – But Your Mother Loves You: How to Overcome the Cycle of Toxic Love and Live Your Life Without Shame By Kim B. Honeycutt LCSW LCASOther References made during the podcast:The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation By Jim Wilder and Michel HendricksTo Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings By John O'DonohueThe Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being By Dan J. Siegel M.D.Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find – and keep – love By Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller Adult Attachment Inventory – www.dianepooleheller.comMother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance By Kelly McDaniel Resources on the EnnegramThe Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships By Suzanne StabileThe Enneagram Journey Podcast with Suzanne Stabile

This week Julie sits down with Kim Honeycutt, Psychotherapist, Author, and Founder of icuTalks, a mental health speaking ministry. This is a wide ranging interview, covering topics such as mental health, intimacy, connection, faith and church. Kim is a voice that the world needs to hear right now! Enjoy! Resources from Kim Honeycutt: Kim's Podcast – Flip Your Lid with Kim HoneycuttKim's Book – But Your Mother Loves You: How to Overcome the Cycle of Toxic Love and Live Your Life Without Shame By Kim B. Honeycutt LCSW LCASwww.kimhoneycutt.comwww.icutalks.com Other References made during the podcast (some are from Part 2):The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation By Jim Wilder and Michel HendricksTo Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings By John O'DonohueThe Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being By Dan J. Siegel M.D.Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find – and keep – love By Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel HellerAdult Attachment Inventory – www.dianepooleheller.comMother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance By Kelly McDanielResources on the EnnegramThe Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships By Suzanne StabileThe Enneagram Journey Podcast with Suzanne Stabile

Comparison is the thief of Joy? Fake it ‘til you make it?  Julie shares a few stories (some hers, some from inspiring books she has read) to tackle the question of what motivates her to move, what motivates her to exercise. The reason is probably not what you think (spoiler … physical health is not high on the list). Visit celebratestorypod.com for links to Julie's social media pages.Books Mentioned on the Pod:On Living by Kerry Egan Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run by Kirstin ArmstrongSpark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Paperback by John J. Ratey, MDRosie Swale Pope's Story:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/human-race/id1098770084Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes by Rosie Swale Pope 

Introduction to a new podcast from self proclaimed "Narratologist", Julie Wagner! First episode drops November 9th!