Of Dust & Divinity

Chris checks in with Kaben about sprouted walnuts and the amazing power of the Governerd community. It's been one year since Sharon McMahon shared Tenderlyrooted Sprouted Walnuts on her Instagram stories. Pulling clips from the emotional high from a year ago, we explore what worked, what failed, and where we're going now.

Chris and Kaben explore the concept of greenwashing: who does it, why its done, and the effect it has on consumers and society as a whole. The conversation has more complexity than one might imagine.

Chris and Kaben talk about male initiation rites. Kaben's son, Judah, just recently turned 10, which means he's starting a long series of invitations into an adult world - what the ancients have called rites of passage or initiation rites. Why have we (as humanity) participated in these types of ceremonies and rituals for thousands of years? Why have we so quickly forgotten them in our modern world? Is there anything of value left for us there or should we completely move on? Join us for the conversation and share your thoughts with us.

Chris and Kaben begin a conversation around rites of passage, and then spontaneously invite two amazing woman to join live and share their wisdom and wrestle with female rites of passage. We learned so much from special guests Anita Pebbles and Emily Quandt, and you will too.

Chris and Kaben explore what and how we learn from others as we travel the world, bringing into focus the hope that we carry as humanity to one another, especially in times of great uncertainty and in the midst of the unknown.

Welcome to Season 3, you'll love it here. We want you to engage this season - email us at ofdustanddivinity@gmail.com to join us this season.

Chris and Kaben sit down together and reflect on all the wisdom shared throughout Season 2. If you want a quick overview or a reminiscence of the amazing people and conversations that have transpired over the course of the season, this is the place to be. We are taking a break through walnut harvest and the holiday season, and will be back with you in Season 3 in early 2022.

Jessica takes us on a deep journey into the soil itself - the microbes, the carbon, and the way it holds all our lives every day of our lives. This conversation is both technical (and useful for gardeners and farmers) and whimsical (and useful for humans seeking meaning from this world). This conversation is both as large as the entire cosmos and as intimate as the microbiome in the soil under your feet right now. In the opening episodes of this season, we started with the concept that "you are what you eat." Now, as we wrap up the season, we are circling back around in a newer and more full way. This is not one you want to miss!

Lauren has spent her life immersed in a world where what we say shapes the world we live in. She takes us on a journey of self-discovery and identity, which becomes a story of all of our own discoveries, and how language shapes each piece of meaning that has come into our lives. As we quickly approach the end of Season 2, this deep and meandering conversation is itself a reflection on what the podcast has been to so many of us for so long now.

Have you ever felt like you will never be understood? That your pain or loss or difference will always exclude you from everyone else around you? In this soulful exploration of life in the face of death, Casey Parles takes us on a journey through the most complicated and taboo regions of life to show us a path to greater awareness, the strength of presence, and meaningful change. You don't want to miss this one.

Chris and Kaben pick up after two weeks from the last episode (which was recorded live at Chris's house). We dive into California fire season, Chris's evacuation, and the continued intense threats of fires even after Chris was able to return home. If you're along for the saga of the 1890's jail on Chris's property, you'll want to listen to this one!

Christine and Kaben explore the questions of life through the lens of: does the place make a difference in how we answer the question? Do a farmer and a globe-trotter wrestle with the same fundamental questions about what is a good life and how do we get it? Do two people living on opposite sides of the world have deeply held common ground? And what is it? This episode explores our neighborhoods, parenting, the enneagram, grief, hopes & dreams, and so much more. Enjoy!

What happens when you buy a 100-year-old house that has artifacts on the property that dates back to the 1850s? Chris Quandt (co-host extraordinaire) takes Kaben on a tour of his house, which is exactly that: built in 1921 it celebrates its 100-year birthday this year, and comes with so many more interesting and perplexing items than its age would suggest! If you're fascinated by quirky history, this is your episode!

We go deep into the theological quagmire of building a good life in this episode. Bo Sanders is currently a pastor in Portland, OR, and shares with us wisdom he's gleaned from New York to Los Angeles on how to live an embodied spirituality. We dive into modified theology, earth-awareness, healing springs, and critical race theory. If you want your brain to ooze with heady theological banter, this is your episode.

Chris and Kaben expand on some Instagram stories Kaben did (and saved as a highlight) at the end of April. This episode was recorded the same day the stories were live, so our thoughts are really raw and in-the-moment. We examine the connection between luck and success, why people don't like connecting success to luck, and what drives people to create things in the world with or without luck on their side.

Kendra Williams works for the world's largest search engine and began the organization "Black & Brown In The Middle" (@blacknbrownitm) which elevates and centers non-white voices to bring increasing amounts of beauty and wisdom into the world. Kendra and Kaben went to college together and this conversation gets incredibly vulnerable as we examine the role of tokenism, white supremacy, and spirituality in our own relationship.

Chris and Kaben pick up the second half of their exploration of the human relationship to time, flourishing, and finding meaning in everything. We explore Parkinson's Rule of Work and the Pomodoro Method and tie it into deeper reflections on our connection to the earth and deep time.

Kaben gets together with fellow small business owners Ali (@thewinsomepoppy) and Karen (@lu.and.company) to talk about how one instagram mention from Sharon McMahon (@sharonsaysso) changed the trajectory of our businesses and our future. We talk about life before Sharon, that memorable moment when we saw Sharon with our product on her Instagram stories, and what we're doing now in the wake of all that momentum and hype. Then, about 35 minutes in, Sharon herself drops in on the call!! Sharon spends the second half of the episode encouraging us, listening to us, and offering us valuable insights in how to grow our businesses and how to engage our audiences on social media well. This is one worth listening to all the way through!

Chris and Kaben explore our relationship to time. Why is it that we forget the day of the week on vacation? Does that speak to something deeper in our humanity? Why is it that life seems so long and full as a kid? And how can we begin to participate in life in according to the forms of time by which our bodies are crafted?

Tim Bannister has spent decades living in Kenya, Tanzania, Liberia, and Canada. He's committed to bringing life and health to communities through vibrant soil. In this episode, Tim recounts example after example of how, following a few simple practices which he outlines, marginal soil can be transformed into highly productive and luscious soil. This is definitely one to listen to more than once!

Join us for the second half of our conversation as we explore what freedom looks like now that we have created space between ourselves and evangelicalism.

Chris & Kaben begin to unpack what it was like to grow up in the church, especially examining some of the more toxic elements that we took as completely normal at the time. Then we explore what freedom looks like as we move beyond evangelicalism--and for Kaben, that leads straight into the trees!

Elke Reimer is a powerhouse of joy and gratitude and it flows from her connection to nature. She spends most mornings and weekends in the outdoors -- whether its in the American River canyon or up in the High Sierras, she is at home in the wilderness. Her humanity and groundedness make this meandering conversation a true delight to listen to, and you will certainly come away with a refreshed view after listening.

Remember that one day at the beginning of April when our world exploded in the best way possible? It was all because of the amazing Sharon McMahon and her fantabulous Governerds! This episode was recorded in the moment, and was a surprise to Kaben. We explore the feeling and emotions in real time, as well as providing background insights into the story. We will do a follow up mid-summer to see how things have unfolded!

We could not be more honored to have Alessandra Harris be our premier guest on Season 2! Alessandra is an author of multiple novels and describes herself as a progressive black catholic. She brings so much truth in this episode as we explore the pathway to authorship, the dehumanization of mass incarceration, and why, despite it all, she chooses to remain a Catholic. You can find her online at alessandraharris.net, and she is very much worth following on social media: @alessandrah17

Using Wendell Berry's seminal work, "The Unsettling of America", Chris and Kaben explore what it means to live as a generalist in a specialist's world, the impact of gatekeepers, and the surprising result of dogma.

Chris acts as guide as Kaben takes us on a journey into the origin and meaning of Tenderlyrooted, and especially of the logo and iconography associated within the logo. If you're curious to learn more about the Tenderlyrooted brand and values, this is the episode for you!

Welcome to Season 2! We have some incredible content and amazing guests, and we're so glad you're here for the journey. To kick things off, meet Chris Quandt - now the co-host and producer extraordinaire! In addition to Chris's voice, we are experimenting with a new format: in addition to guest interviews, there will now be episodes (like this one) that are just Kaben and Chris taking a deep dive into something that Kaben's has spent some time thinking about on his tractor ("Tractor Thoughts", anyone?). We have also launched a Patreon page which includes bonus content and rad perks. Can't wait to engage you this season - don't be a stranger!

Join Kaben & Chris as we explore the connection between earth health (spoiler alert

Michelle (@theeverlycollective), Kate (@oddreform), and Kaben explore how creativity connects us to one another and to our own souls. We explore the dark side of doubt and self-criticism, and we emerge on the transforming power of rest and presence in the creative process. This is the end of season one, and so I want to say a very special THANK YOU for listening!

Michelle (@theeverlycollective), Kate (@oddreform), and Kaben dive deep into creativity and what it is: the myths, the challenges, and the sweet, sweet joy of living in the flow of creative power.

Katie, Cheri, and Kaben explore the nexus between meaningful relationships, systemic deficiencies, ancient seeds of white supremacy, and what we'd do if we made our own religion.

Katie, Cheri, and Kaben explore the question, "What is the intersection between what is legal and what is just?" Our exploration takes us through social justice, white supremacy, our own backyards, and through history. It is an absolutely fantastic conversation.

Leila, Heather, and Kaben good deep into personal experiences with death, grief, and loss and share stories of hope and encouragement throughout as well. We explore the intersection of silence, death, the soul, the divine, and life.

Leila, Heather, and Kaben begin a journey toward a conversation on grief, loss, chronic illness, and death. We stop by the topic of "the sweetness of doing nothing" and the hollow allure of technology along the way.

Mimi, Becca, and Kaben explore the nuances of hosting multiple cultures within ourselves and how we carry that sense of hospitality into our neighborhoods and into the national conversation around what it means to be a people who flourish in diversity.

Mimi, Becca, and Kaben dive into what it means to elevate the voices of those so often silenced: refugees and those experiencing homelessness. In a surprise turn, we discover places where adverse childhood experiences overlap and it leads us to reflect on our own place in the world.

Ajira, Chelsea, and Kaben dive deeper into birthing, engaging source through transitions, and the medical-industrial complex: all the wonderful things about modern medicine and also why births don't fix into the matrix of what a hospital exists to accomplish.

Ajira, Chelsea, and Kaben talk about birthing through the lens of power structures, power fragility, and the immense and magical power that comes through giving birth.

Ajira, Chelsea, and Kaben explore what it means to be a birth worker and we get side-tracked into how birth work and the social uprising of protests against systemic racism hold a lot of overlap. This conversation spans multiple episodes, and I highly recommend tuning in to the whole thing.

Elisabeth Bennett (@enneagram.life), Jerrad Lopes (@dad.tired), and Kaben explore the enneagram through the lens of pain, grief, conflict, and our internal motivations (which sometimes are less than admirable).

Elisabeth Bennett (@enneagram.life) and Jerrad Lopes (@dad.tired) take us into their homes and into their lives as we learn how the Pacific Northwest is creatively adjusting to the reality that pour-over coffee is *really* time-intensive and how they stay authentic as they lead tens of thousands of people every week into a deeper knowing of the soul.

Ariel, Jessie, and Kaben touch briefly on the complications of #metoo and the importance of action as well as words. We also talk about mental health, and what it's like to grow up in a house with someone who is famous.

Jessie, Ariel, and Kaben get distracted talking about working in Hollywood, fighting chronic disease (and exploring the conspiracy theories surrounding them), and what it means to choose to love--through thick and thin.

Molly, Isaac, and Kaben deep-dive into Isaac's story of sexuality, spirituality, and freedom. Isaac opens up about what it means to him to be a queer, Christian, man living in America.

Molly, Isaac, and Kaben talk about being your own boss during quarantine, the tragic mis-match of wage vs impact, the guilt we feel when we know we're going to be okay and know that other's won't be, and we wrap up talking about protests, curfews, and the national guard presence in US cities.

Timira, Chris, and Kaben continue their conversation through racism, processing as white people. We dig into how past failures have opened doors to listen, lament, and change during this time of national outrage around systemic discrimination against black people in America.

Timira, Chris, and Kaben talk about racism -- from the perspective of being three white people doing the internal work, together. The social media “to-dos” are talked about, and we also struggle with when (or whether) to unfollow certain people on social media. We close talking about the power of proximity.

Jon, Christopher, and Kaben dig deep into themselves, how being a driver can hurt relationships, and what is behind the urge to perform.

Jon, Christopher, and Kaben talk about life as control freaks, the responsible use of power and how adding friction to the system and lower police brutality, and wrap up talking about implicit bias and how we as white males are doing the internal work of becoming aware and working through it.

Josh, Luke, and Kaben talk about the strangest things that's happened during the pandemic, we question the narrative of "busyness" that defines so much of American value, and we explore how much we're learning from our kids and what might be in the future for society if we listen to the children more.