Pieces of Faith

Heather King owes her well-being to prayer. After hitting the rock-hard bottom, she changed her life around – though not immediately. She became a Catholic and adopted the discipline of prayer. She writes about her practice in Holy Desperation. We chatted about: what prayer means the different types of prayer why prayer is for us […]

I’m a 17 year old stuck in a 46 year old body. For real! Luckily, Jennifer Grant feels the same way I do and even though both of us HAVE 17 year olds, it doesn’t change the fact that we are young and everyone around us is old. Ok – I may need a reality […]

I do remember moments of mothering. Big moments. You know – births, first days of school, when they were old enough to stay home alone…things like this. Barbara Mahany remembers the big moments and lucky for us, recorded the small moments. Barbara artistically weaves these memories into a nest of her own snippets, sharing her […]

Something happened to me after I read Blue Ocean Faith. An inner peace I haven’t experienced in a long time washed over me. Instead of anxiety wondering what is right and wrong about the Bible, instead of anger when “Christians” don’t act Christ-like, instead of tension when discussing interpretations of Scripture…I felt “Solus Jesus”. Dave Schmelzer […]

Jason Stellman is drunk. Probably. Maybe. I mean, he does label himself AND his podcast as such. He used to be in ministry. Therefore, he’s a drunk ex-pastor. Jason’s book, Misfit Faith, is a collection of thoughts about God. Not the “Evangelical” God or the “Catholic” God or the “Protestant” God; just God who loves […]

Christine Marchetta can help you communicate with loved ones who have passed from this life. And she may make you laugh while doing it. I have to admit, I don’t know a lot about the Medium profession, contacting those who have died or “spirit guides”. After chatting with Christine, my mind has opened to the possibilities. Listen […]

Maggie Rowe was going to hell. At least that’s what she told herself. From a young age, Maggie couldn’t tell if she loved God enough to save her soul. Publisher’s Weekly endorsed, “Rowe’s fantastic book is a born-again version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” You need no more explanation from me. Listen to […]

Reading a book about depression and mental illness isn’t a first choice for someone who suffers from depression herself. Crossing Myself: A Story of Spiritual Rebirth isn’t about darkness, but rather the light of what Greg Garrett sees in community, history, music, and service. Greg’s voice throughout his story will make you think, will make you […]

Yes. I know. This would have been much more rad if it were “Episode 4”. It’s not. However, I do have “a new hope” for the latest direction of this podcast. I hope you like it and are ready to expand your boundaries. Life is different for me than it was a few months ago. I […]

How lucky am I to have been given the opportunity to host a radio talk show? One of the greatest experiences of my life, I was proud to take my listeners with me via podcast when I left the noontime airwaves last year. Stumptown Christian was my follow up to Rose City Forum. But now, […]

Rev. Katherine Willis Pershey and I talked about sex. Sure, we talked about other things, but when one writes a book called, Very Married: Field Notes on Love & Fidelity, sex is going to be part of the conversation. In fact, it was most of the conversation. Katherine and I talked about: Premarital sex Healthy […]

Suzanne Stabile’s co-author, Ian Cron, describes her as a “ninja level, Mr. Miagi from the Karate Kid, kind of teacher.” I feel like Daniel-son. The Enneagram has fascinated me for the last year, but talking to Suzanne after reading her book, The Road Back To You: An Enneagram Journey To Self Discovery, I think I […]

Mike McHargue is a Fundamentalist turned atheist turned Jesus follower. He now hosts the podcast, Science Mike, co-hosts The Liturgists, and is author of Finding God in the Waves: How I lost my Faith and Found it Again through Science. If you’ve been listening to Stumptown Christian, you know I had my own “turn of […]

Everything about Carrie Newcomer is beautiful: Her voice. Her heart. Her lyrics. Her poetry. The name of her latest CD. Everything. And after listening to this episode, you’ll notice there is no other adjective I could find to adequately describe how I feel about her gifts. Listen to our conversation, get your hands on her […]

I preached twice this summer: once about women in the Old Testament and once about women in the New Testament. In this episode, I’m telling you a little about the information I found while researching and how it’s changed me and my view of “the church”. Listen in and find out how original scripture language, […]

Christian Piatt is an a**hole. No, really. He says so himself! But then again, aren’t we all? Piatt does a bang up job describing what the Bible says and what it doesn’t. Why, oh why, do so many “Christians” stray from the true ministry of Jesus? If you question Christianity or how some “Christians” have […]

I know. You haven’t heard enough politics lately. You want more. I give you: my opinions on the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. You were waiting for this, right? I’m biased. I’m left of center. Some may say “far” left, but those are the folks who don’t know me very well. I […]

Losing a child is the most painful thing I can imagine. For Jessica Kelley, it’s a reality. Diagnosed with brain cancer, little Henry died at age 4. Why does God let these tragic things happen? Is it all according to His divine plan? Jessica answer is, “No.” Lord Willing?: Wrestling with God’s Role in My […]

#AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile In the 48 hours since I interviewed Lisa Sharon Harper of Sojourners about her newest book, The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right, two black men have been killed at the hand of a police officer. These are not isolated incidents. Lisa’s chapter, Shalom and Race will give you […]

I hope you had a chance to catch Part 1 of my conversation with these Biblical scholars. In this episode Eric and Floyd get deeper into the details of the Convergence Lectionary. In Eric’s words, here’s what the curriculum with cover: For those of you unfamiliar with the Lectionary, it’s a group of Bible texts […]

Justice. Peace. Love. The lessons of Jesus lead to these three things. The ways of our world? Not so much. I sat down with Dr. Jim McDonald, President of San Francisco Theological Seminary, Rev. Floyd Thompkins, Director of the Center for Innovation in Ministry, and Dr. Eric Elnes, author and leader of Convergence Christianity and Senior […]

I’ve held off podcasting about the gender bathroom fiasco for a while thinking all had been said. However, since hearing about Brock Turner’s verdict of serving 6 months in county jail after raping a woman because anything longer may “damage his future” – I figured it was time to put my two cents in the mix. […]

It’s almost summer. Are you a Pinterest guru who has already put end-of-the-year teacher gifts together months ago? This episode isn’t for you. If you’re like me and want to buy your child’s teacher something meaningful (read: no mugs), tune in and hear ideas straight from teachers! Also – don’t forget the rest of the […]

Jaqueline Bussie is so full of wisdom, you’ll want to record everything she says. Lucky for me, I did. Lucky for all of us, she wrote a book full of said wisdom. In Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the “Rules”, Jacqueline takes Christian rules and urges us to toss them. I’m not talking about […]

I really need to get to Alaska. I’ve said this before, after interviewing Iditarod musher,Debbie Moderow.  Now after talking with author, Brendan Jones, the pull is even stronger. After reading his novel, The Alaskan Laundry, I can almost feel the frigid air. My interview with this Stegner fellow and current Sitka tugboat resident will appeal to two groups […]

Ethical shopping is a passion of mine. Shoes are a passion, as well. Who new the two would marry together so beautifully? Bethany Tran founded The Root Collective, footwear that is not only super cute, but also creates jobs for so many faced with gang life and extreme poverty. Listen to Bethany tell her story. […]

Peter Walker wrote a book. A picture book. About Jesus. For grownups. (Stacey Chomiak illustrated) Sound intriguing? It is. Sound convicting? Maybe not, but it is. The book, written in Seuss style rhyme, is Downside Up: A Gospel Story, Re-Dreamed. Peter digs into the real meaning of the Gospels and in a way we have […]

Elizabeth Esther was part of a fundamentalist, religious cult. Her book, Girl At The End Of The World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future, captivated me from the beginning. Stories about how families become involved in cults is always interesting/shocking to me. In Elizabeth’s case – the religious organization’s founder […]

Kathleen Peters is the real deal. For real. Really. When Kathleen realized her Facebook feed solely showed shiny, happy people she stepped forward and said a big “UH-UH. That’s not real.” She created the social media group Straight Up Real Mamas just four weeks ago and already membership is exploding. I published a blog post on […]

Did you do your homework? If you’ve listened to Part 1 of this podcast series with Beth McCord, you had an assignment. Do you know your enneagram type? Beth has created a beautiful chart to simplify attributes according to your type: After Beth and I stopped recording, she spent another hour on the phone with […]

The Enneagram is rocking my world. I’m slow to catch up with this personality profile craze. I went my whole adult life explaining myself with the Meyers Briggs terminology ENFJ. Surely all personality profiles are similar, yes? No. In the short time I’ve known about the 9 types of the Enneagram, I’ve learned so much more […]

Chris Guillebeau is an adventurer. The blogger of The Art of Non-Conformity has written books inspiring people all over the world. I mean this literally. Chris has been to every country in the world and hosts World Domination Summit right here in Portland, OR every year. His book, The $100 Start Up, encourages people to follow […]

The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance, a meaningful read written by two women with a heart for loving God’s children. Bethany Hoang has seen firsthand the injustices of the world through her work with International Justice Mission. Kristen Johnson, associate professor of theology and Christian formation at Western Theological Seminary, teaches the thread of justice and […]

I reached out to Amy last year after reading her Huffington Post article 5 Things Every TBI Survivor Wants You To Understand.   I didn’t know the acronym for Traumatic Brain Injury, but I knew the symptoms about which she wrote. As a stroke survivor, my disability is labeled an acquired brain injury and not a TBI, though I […]

Ken Wytsma has done a ton of things. Good things. Things like starting a church. And founding The Justice Conference. And writing books. And presidenting a college. (That’s a verb, right?) And, most importantly, with his wife is raising 4 daughters. Last year, Ken wrote a book which changed my life. On March 1, his latest […]

What happens when you leave a mega-church and denounce all religion in order to follow Jesus? Zac Gandara did just that and now he serves his community by being the best neighbor he can be. His podcast, Losing Our Religion, explores conversations not usually found between church walls. Listen to him here, then subscribe to his podcast. […]

Sometimes you think you’ll know what a book will be about and it ends up being completely different. I knew Debbie Clarke Moderow’s latest work, Fast Into The Night: A Woman, Her Dogs, and Her Journey North on the Iditarod Trail, would be about a race in Alaska. I didn’t know I’d take away lessons […]

I spent a weekend with 28 amazing teenagers. The topic: Love. What does it mean? Why do people do horrible things in the name of love? What if I can’t love myself? On this podcast, I share what we discussed. Do humans have the ability to show agape? Listen in and let me know your thoughts.

Black. White. Brown. Do you see the color of people’s skin? Or are you “colorblind”? If you answered “colorblind”, I’m willing to bet you are Caucasian. There’s a whole world of racism out there. To deny it is to bury your head in the sand. If we truly want racism to be ancient history, it’s […]

What do you think about water? Do you think about water? What’s in your mind as you stand under the shower for 20 minutes, or you let the water run until the temperature is just right, or when you forgo the tap for a $3.99 bottle of H2O? If you’re like me – you probably […]

Is talking about mental illness still taboo? Shattering Stigma with Stories, founded by Tara Rolstad, includes a leadership team and group of speakers encouraging others to shed light on bi-polar disorder, depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders and more. Do you suffer from a mental illness? Does a loved one? Are you in ministry? Do you interact with other […]

2016, I’m ready for you! In this week’s podcast I talk about resolutions vs. goals and quests. Chris Guillebeau’s book, The Happiness of Pursuit, influenced how I’m approaching this new year. I’ll tell you about past “quests” and why I think they are so much better than resolutions. Also, I talk about the Life Changing […]

I dare you to listen to this podcast and not come out a better person. Maura Sweeney, Goodwill Ambassador, travels the world encouraging others to find their inner happiness. Listening to Maura, you can’t help but let some of the bad slide away in order to focus on the good. We talk about the holidays and the […]

I interviewed author, Amy Stewart, about her book, Girl Waits With Gun last September. (In the interview we talk about her book signing – don’t pay attention to that. It’s over. She won’t be there. Stay home.) This part truth/part fiction story tells the tale of Constance Kopp, first female deputy sheriff. Learn how Amy found […]

It’s true. We’re going again. I’ve been to Disneyland more times than I can count and the kids have been to Walt Disney World every other year since they’ve been born. I’m addicted. Listen to the podcast to hear about the madness. Are you a Disney lover or hater? It’s usually one of the two […]

  What if, instead of finding the best bargain on Black Friday, you made a commitment to support a living wage for artisans all around the world? In this episode, I talk about some of my favorite companies supporting fair trade and invite Tori Rask of Noonday Collection and Bethany Tran of The Root Collective to […]

I won’t lie. I’m a little jealous of Reverend Jerry Herships’ ministry, After Hours.  He preaches in bars and feeds homeless people. Really, is there any more to life than this? Jerry used to be “that guy” in Los Angeles – the actor whose face you may recognize but name you can’t place. Fast forward to now…God […]

You matter. If you don’t take anything else away from this post or podcast, I don’t care. You matter. Eric Snyder is the founder of non-profit, Live Again: suicide prevention through community care. Eric believes cultivating stronger communities will bring down our suicide rates. He will come to your workplace, school, church, or dinner party […]

Liz Von Ehrenkrook has a lot to say about religion. And ministry. And church. But not in October. Last month, Liz let others do the confessing. For 31 days, Liz posted anonymous stories from Christians who may sit in the seats next to you each Sunday during worship. We all look good on the outside, don’t we? […]

When I interviewed my friend, Randy Matheny, for Rose City Forum, I asked if I could take the interview for the Stumptown Christian podcast as well. This award winning barista* has a passion for ethically produced and purchased coffee – and I can think of no other commodity more Portlanders are passionate about more. We spoke […]

I’ve been thinking about this day for a long time. Longer, even, than I’ve been on the AM airwaves. When the opportunity came to host Rose City Forum I jumped at the opportunity and let this internet idea slide away. And it was good. Rose City Forum brought me opportunities I’d never dreamed of; interviews […]