Pray for Micah

Micah hosts a special guest, Jessica Horton, who was his former life and health coach! “Jes” is a certified health and wellness coach, personal trainer, and photographer with a passion for creating lasting memories through The Tin Roof Studio photo & coaching co. since 1998. Her journey into wellness began with overcoming personal challenges like Crohn's disease and lifestyle depression, leading her to obtain certifications as a wellness coach and personal trainer. She's dedicated 3.5 years to supporting patients and medical teams, emphasizing sustainable changes and guiding individuals towards balanced lifestyles. Alongside her coaching work, Jessica finds solace in nature and aims to extend its connection opportunities through BondFire, creating portable campfires and rituals. She excels in uncovering root causes and fostering connections within herself and others. A single mother of three, she values discipline, spirituality, and authenticity, grounding her approach to coaching and life in general.

Micah and Isaac unpack how global trends toward modern innovation and technological advancement will impact businesses and the mental health of our youth. They also delve into Isaac's personal entrepreneurial journey and the importance of maintaining faith and balance while managing people and money. Isaac Lee Collins is a community entrepreneur, business coach, and most importantly a husband and father of two. He started his entrepreneurial journey fresh out of college at 23 years old. Fast forward twelve years and Isaac has had the honor of owning 7 for-profit businesses and one nonprofit in various industries from brick-and-mortar food, real estate investing, construction, health supplements, yoga therapy & training, to professional services. Currently, Isaac owns three Yogurtini Frozen Yogurt stores and Streamlined Profit Academy, a business coaching company.

On this 40th episode milestone, Micah hosts contemplative musician and woodworking creative, Scott Asbell. Ever playful and ever the student of the Paschal mystery, Scott Asbell dances through dizzying and often concurrent life, death, and resurrection journeys to joyfully and artfully weave his life well-lived. Growing up in the spiritual worlds of Young Life and the Presbyterian Church, Scott now feels most at home in the perennial tradition, including and especially mystical/contemplative Christianity. He is a student of the Enneagram and Integral Theory and credits those energies for initiating and ushering him into the second half of his spiritual life. While business management and entrepreneurship has been a cornerstone of Scott's life from an early age (he even bought and ran a bowling alley at the age of 21!), he considers his creative pursuits and endeavors to be his life's purpose and work. A self taught musician and song writer, Scott writes and releases music under the names Cardinal Folk, Absolute All, and Wander Yonder. His other main creative endeavor is building tiny houses and creating DIY carpentry videos via YouTube under the moniker Slacker Scott.

In Episode 39, Micah hosts Rev. Jason Carle—America's most epic boss on record to have ever supervised Micah Chrisman himself at one point. Jason serves as the pastor of Overland Park Presbyterian Church, where he has dedicated the past 14 years of his ministry. Originally from northern Wisconsin, Rev. Carle's upbringing took an adventurous turn when, at the age of 11, his father, also a Presbyterian pastor, was called to serve as a missionary on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The Carle family spent 5 years on the island before returning to the United States and settling in Blue Springs, MO. Today he is happily married to Melissa Carle, and together, they are blessed with two children, Roslyn (17) and Sam (15). In addition to his passion for open and inclusive ministry, Rev. Carle has a penchant for video games and intricate tabletop games with thick rule books. He embraces a wide range of interests, exploring activities often associated with the term "geek," and he takes pleasure in trying his hand at various geeky pursuits.

This is a unique Pray for Micah Podcast experience where Micah and some new friends from Asheville, NC (Scott Asbell, Elijah "E" Schneidewind, and Luca Rade) decided to bust out the recording equipment to capture a deep conversation they were having while sharing a late-night hookah. They cover a range of topics from human consciousness, artificial intelligence, technological advancements, post-modernism, religious constructs, Christian mythos, and the consequences they have on culture, society, and future generations. About Scott Asbell: Ever playful and ever the student of the Paschal mystery, Scott Asbell dances through dizzying and often concurrent life, death, and resurrection journeys to joyfully and artfully weave his life well lived. Growing up in the spiritual worlds of Young Life and the Presbyterian Church, Scott now feels most at home in the perennial tradition, including and especially mystical/contemplative Christianity. He is a student of the Enneagram and Integral Theory and credits those energies for initiating and ushering him into the second half of his spiritual life. While business management and entrepreneurship has been a cornerstone of Scott's life from an early age (he even bought and ran a bowling alley at the age of 21!), he considers his creative pursuits and endeavors to be his life's purpose and work. A self taught musician and song writer, Scott writes and releases music under the names Cardinal Folk, Absolute All, and Wander Yonder. His other main creative endeavor is building tiny houses and creating DIY carpentry videos via YouTube under the moniker Slacker Scott. About Elijah "E" Schneidewind: Elijah "E" Schneidewind is a dedicated and innovative healthcare professional boasting over a decade of diverse experience across various domains including physical therapy, athletic training, personal training, nutrition coaching, massage and bodywork, and Arvigo therapy. He maintains an insatiable thirst for knowledge and is deeply committed to leveraging integrative and personalized approaches to enhance human health and well-being. E is driven by a mission to instigate positive lifestyle changes and promote overall wellness within his community. His core values revolve around nature, sustainability, justice, equality, peace, and love. Beyond his professional endeavors, E finds solace and joy in spending quality time with his beloved family – his partner, Lizzie, his faithful dog, Terkie, and two adorable cats, CoCo Bean and Daisy May. Together, they immerse themselves in activities such as gardening, cooking, homesteading, and engaging in building projects on their picturesque homestead nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. About Luca Rade: Luca is the founder of Flourish, a platform for everyone to find the guidance, healing, or training they need to flourish. He is the author of The Infinitely Pronged Hunger for Life, an alchemical and prophetic book of poetry, and The Journey of Being Alive podcast series. Having taught Contact Improv workshops and worked as a decision coach in the past, he is now creating Rewilding and Playfight containers in Asheville, NC to enable deep and primal connections between people and with the natural world. He holds a BA magna cum laude from Princeton University. Flourish emerged from Luca's years-long journey of embodying, awakening, grieving, and loving, which brought him into contact with dozens of guides, healers, and teachers and sparked his own explorations in guiding others. He experienced the challenges and confusions of finding and trusting the right guides, healers, and teachers outside of limited mainstream-sanctioned options. He realized that without the right digital platform, the new yet ancient aliveness emerging across the world today will not break through the grip of our society's disembodied and disconnected ways of being. Flourish is the Portal, the Ark, and the Trojan Horse for this emerging aliveness.

The Pray for Micah Podcast starts off 2024 with another special guest and Kansas City friend, Emmy Harr. Ember, AKA Emmy, is a guide, transformational healer, mentor, soon-to-be published author, and a steward. She is the creator of Rippled Vibrations, a suite of group programs for Beings of Sacred Service (BOSS's) to radically expand, connect, and detox their body, emotions, and spirituality through the means of electric living water in order to enter into a more hydrated way of life, and business. After creating her first 6-figure business at the ripe age of 26 through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (the cleansing waters of the body), she knew she needed to hydrate the way she did things. Now Emmy guides others to hydrate the relationships in their lives. As a steward of the land, the body, Money, and children, she often sees life through the interconnectedness of movement, money, and water and brings a childlike ease to those around her. Emmy is passionate about bringing people to nature, as by turning to Nature – we turn to ourselves. She believes by leading with service, this is how we create an entirely new paradigm for this beautiful planet we call Mama.

Join Micah for a 2023 Christmas special where he interviews his parents, Gordon and Shari Chrisman. Experience some their life stories and journeys, from falling in love to starting a family and serving in ministry together for over 40 years. This is pt. 2 of a two-episode series where fans get to hear some Chrisman family lore! Gordon Chrisman, holding his Master's of Divinity and BA degree in InstrumentalVocal music education, has pursued his career in Christian ministry as Music Director/TV producer with Kansas City Youth For Christ, Youth Minister of Plaza Heights Baptist Church, and Senior Pastor of Celebration Community Fellowship. Now in his retirement, he serves part time on staff as Minister of Discipleship at First Baptist Church Grain Valley. A quiet man of deep faith, Gordon would rather enjoy a cup of coffee with a small group of men discussing the pressing issues of life, than to preach to crowds of thousands or be a featured performer on any platform. A humble man, Gordon Chrisman holds the highest honor that any man may attain in this life… he is deeply respected and loved by everyone who has ever known him. Now at the age of 71, Gordon could have comfortably retired, spending his weekends at the lake, and enjoying the fruits of his labors. Instead he has devoted his time to loving God and people in genuine relationships. He and his wife, Shari, have been married 43 years. They have five grown children and nine grandchildren. Shari Chrisman's main claim to fame here on this Pray For Micah Podcast lies solely on the wonderful fact that she is Micah's mom and Chief Prayer Intercessor for him! The true originator of the "Pray for Micah" movement. After a professional career spanning 5 decades, Shari has had a marvelous and totally fulfilling life as: Assistant Manager of the Kansas City Philharmonic, Assistant Manager of KYFC TV50, Drama Director/Writer for Kansas City Youth for Christ, Acorns & Oaks Homeschool teacher & mom, and Agency Manager for Allstate Insurance until retirement in 2021. Currently she devotes her time to travel & ministry with her husband of 43 years, mentoring her five children, enjoying her 9 grandchildren, and building relationships with women, encouraging them and equipping them to love God and others.

Join Micah for a 2023 Christmas special where he interviews his parents, Gordon and Shari Chrisman. Experience some their life stories and journeys, from falling in love to starting a family and serving in ministry together for over 40 years. This is pt. 1 of a two-episode series where fans get to hear some Chrisman family lore! Gordon Chrisman, holding his Master's of Divinity and BA degree in InstrumentalVocal music education, has pursued his career in Christian ministry as Music Director/TV producer with Kansas City Youth For Christ, Youth Minister of Plaza Heights Baptist Church, and Senior Pastor of Celebration Community Fellowship. Now in his retirement, he serves part time on staff as Minister of Discipleship at First Baptist Church Grain Valley. A quiet man of deep faith, Gordon would rather enjoy a cup of coffee with a small group of men discussing the pressing issues of life, than to preach to crowds of thousands or be a featured performer on any platform. A humble man, Gordon Chrisman holds the highest honor that any man may attain in this life… he is deeply respected and loved by everyone who has ever known him. Now at the age of 71, Gordon could have comfortably retired, spending his weekends at the lake, and enjoying the fruits of his labors. Instead he has devoted his time to loving God and people in genuine relationships. He and his wife, Shari, have been married 43 years. They have five grown children and nine grandchildren. Shari Chrisman's main claim to fame here on this Pray For Micah Podcast lies solely on the wonderful fact that she is Micah's mom and Chief Prayer Intercessor for him! The true originator of the "Pray for Micah" movement. After a professional career spanning 5 decades, Shari has had a marvelous and totally fulfilling life as: Assistant Manager of the Kansas City Philharmonic, Assistant Manager of KYFC TV50, Drama Director/Writer for Kansas City Youth for Christ, Acorns & Oaks Homeschool teacher & mom, and Agency Manager for Allstate Insurance until retirement in 2021. Currently she devotes her time to travel & ministry with her husband of 43 years, mentoring her five children, enjoying her 9 grandchildren, and building relationships with women, encouraging them and equipping them to love God and others.

Renowned journalist, Sarah Stankorb, interviews with Micah about her newly released book "Disobedient Women" (Published August 8th, 2023), which is a culmination of her extensive reporting on women who bravely utilized the internet to expose abuse within evangelical communities. The deeply researched work provides long-overdue recognition to these women, who defied societal expectations of submission and silence. Sarah's articles and essays have been featured in prominent publications, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, The Guardian, The Atlantic, CNNMoney—just to name a few—covering a wide range of topics such as politics, the environment, health, technology, religion, and cultural commentary. In June 2018, she was awarded a Society of Professional Journalists' Excellence in Journalism, Best Community Issues Story award for "Rape Culture Lives Here." Hailing from Northeast Ohio, she draws inspiration from her upbringing in what some call the “Rust Belt”. Throughout her career, she has supported causes such as HIV/AIDS, environmental conservation, and workforce development. Sarah's passion for storytelling and understanding of ethics and religion have contributed to her remarkable body of work.

In Episode 33, Micah hosts fellow Kansas Citian, Kyle Hollins. Kyle has traveled a road that is all too common to men and women that come from humble beginnings. He went through homelessness, drug sales, and gang life, which landed him incarcerated for 90 plus months. Today, he is a seminary student, attributed writer, and founder of Exile Promotions and Consulting, along with The Lyrik's Institution. As Chief Executive Office of The Lyrik's Institution, Kyle utilizes cognitive-based programming to support students to master in the Creative Arts and take part in paid internships to become market value assets. Between teaching, public speaking, and using the science of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Kyle is now able to give back to a community from which he felt he took so much from.

Micah has the pleasure of interviewing Michael Camp, author of Confessions of a Bible Thumper, Craft Brewed Jesus, and Breaking Bad Faith. Michael is also the host of the Spiritual Brewpub Podcast. Despite experiencing spiritual abuse and burnout, Michael's path took a transformative turn as he sought answers to the dilemmas of his evangelical worldview. Through rigorous historical research and scholarly exploration, he made startling discoveries that liberated him from harmful theologies, leading him to embrace a vibrant path rooted in reality, historical facts, and the compassionate way demonstrated by mystics and social activists, as he believes Jesus exemplified. Michael's personal journey has inspired others on similar paths, and he now finds purpose in service-oriented organizations like Rotary International, where he spearheads humanitarian projects through Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups in Tanzania and Uganda. While no longer involved in traditional church settings, he recognizes the value of spiritual and service-oriented communities in fostering personal growth and making a positive impact.

Film production, cinematography, and meaningful storytelling are some of the major topics discussed in Episode 31 between Micah and film producer, DeVonte` Brown. As a Detroit native planted in Kansas City, DeVonte` brings a variety of original perspective to every project as a cinematographer and film director. His passion for his craft and the respect he has for every crew member is something he holds dear. Coming from Detroit, MI, DeVonte` had to grow up faster than most. Although he wasn't as well off as others, he made the best of the life he was given. Through all the hardship and life lessons, he has gained a hearty work ethic, a strong spirit, and a bright smile.

In Episode 30, Micah interviews Beto Lugo-Martinez, a co-executive director at CleanAirNow where he serves as an environmental justice organizer. Based in Kansas City, MO, Beto is dedicated to amplifying community voices in the fight against environmental racism and addressing the systemic exclusion of frontline communities in decision-making processes. His own experience growing up near a petrochemical facility drives his work at the intersection of environmental justice, climate, and public health.

Micah has the pleasure of hosting community advocate and colleague, Cornell Gorman, in Episode 29 of the Pray for Micah Podcast. Cornell has spearheaded remarkable increases in clientele and revenue, making a positive impact everywhere he goes. As the Operations Manager at LitFitness, he oversaw a remarkable increase in clientele, leading to a 30% revenue surge. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Fit City, where he attracted over 150 clients during its first summer. He became a content creator, generating content that has reached over 4 million organic views. In addition to this work, he also co-founded Generating Income for Tomorrow (G.I.F.T.), an organization dedicated to community enrichment through grant funding and event management, which has raised over $3 million dollars in its first 3 years. He is also a leader in his church and has inspired and empowered countless individuals to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

In Episode 28, Micah hosts Ingrid B. and they delve into breath work, mindfulness, and meditation practices that help us heal personal wounds and find ourselves through self-love. Ingrid was born in Mexico but raised in Kansas City with dreams to explore the world. Since her documentation status didn't allow her that privilege, she explored as much of the country as she could instead. Her corporate career took her to the NE, West, and PNW. Where she found healing and space to explore her spirituality. She began her spiritual journey in 2016 and has since found inner freedom, self-love and has fully embraced her body. Her life goal now is to help others find inner freedom and joy for life. To learn more about her book, "Live Intentionally: A Guidebook to Living Thoughtfully in 30 Days", and her community work, visit www.awakenwithingrid.com

Micah interviews local creative, Diosselyn Tot, in Episode 27 of the Pray for Micah Podcast. Diosselyn was born in Guatemala but has made Kansas City, Kansas her home. She came to the U.S. at 6-years-old and began volunteering in her community at the age of 12. She is one of the founders of the Art Squad, which teaches art classes on street corners, in parks, and at Urban Station. Since its inception, they have painted over 50 murals in alleyways to abate gang graffiti and beautify neighborhood spaces. Today, Diosselyn sits on various boards in the Latino community with a focus on the arts, voting rights, and affordable housing. She is also a featured changemaker in DocuCourse: Art & Advocacy, a documentary film that follows her life journey as she uses art as a tool to nurture youth and transform her neighborhood.

Micah and Lucy share a lot of laughs in Episode 26 as they discuss a range of topics like marijuana legalization in Missouri, the limitations of science and understanding consciousness, and the nature of God and reality. Lucille Cody is the host of the High & Doing Things Podcast, which is a real-time, unedited, unscripted show where you can hear some funny conversations about herself and other interesting humans. It's also full of singing, interviews, field trips, & random commercials for things that do or do not exist in real life.

Micah celebrates the 25th episode of the Pray for Micah Podcast by hosting poet Jen Harris. She is a writer based in Kansas City, Missouri. A sought-after performance artist, Jen is the founder and host of The Writing Workshop KC, whose mission is to nurture creative curiosity and inspire confidence within prompt-based writing workshops. She hosts weekly classes and offers creative coaching to private clients. Jen is a nationally-certified Recovery Coach and Peer Support Specialist. Through an aggressively vulnerable, trauma-informed lens, she unites strangers who share an interest in creative expression and facilitates the development of active, engaged, supportive, empowering writing communities.

In Episode 24, Micah invites multidisciplinary creative, Jessie Van Der Vyver, onto the show to discuss his work in the community and his 2023 film projects that are in development. Jessie has worked in the commercial/narrative/television industry for over 14 years. He grew up as a "hardcore Christian", but over the past 6 years has made a shift in his beliefs. Together they share about their spiritual journeys, the meditation tools they use for personal growth and self-reflection, and how these practices reveal a deeper understanding of our collective consciousness.

Micah starts off the new year by interviewing Justice Gatson, a Kansas City activist and founder of the Reale Justice Network. The nonprofit is a Black-led group advocating for a range of political and social justice issues that directly impact Black and Brown communities like birth justice, survivor support, participatory defense teams, community housing, "buy the block", and the community bail fund. In the episode, Micah and Justice discuss her upcoming documentary, DocuCourse: A Changemaker's Story—Bails & Bonds, which features her life's work and is set to release in March 2023. They also dive into the community projects and social issues that Justice is currently working on this year.

Micah hosts Katharine Strange in Episode 22 of Pray for Micah and they discuss issues like "in" and "out" groups, political and religious radicalism, and the need for empathy and human connection. Katharine is a writer and activist based in Seattle, Washington. Her writing focuses on questioning received wisdom, particularly around marginalized groups and experiences. Her new Substack, Heretic Hereafter, focuses on spiritual next steps for those transitioning away from Evangelicalism.

In Episode 21, Micah hosts Tim Rymel, author of Going Gay, which is about his personal journey from evangelical minister to self-acceptance, love, and meaning. Tim also authored Rethinking Everything, which examines the foundation on which American evangelical Christianity is based and explains how the relationship between this 300-year-old Christian sect and conservative politics began. He's also a contributor to the academic publication Negotiating Spiritual Violence in the Queer Community. He's written hundreds of articles on the confluence of religion, politics and sexuality for HuffPost, The Good Men Project, Medium, and other outlets.

To celebrate the 20th episode of the Pray for Micah Podcast, Micah hosts a longtime friend, Sharaden Staten, and they discuss his psychology research on the "Sandwich Generation" and the excitement of cultivating a lifelong learner's mentality. Sharaden is a local educator and musician. He's the creator of the Black Stacey band, which brings the spirit of "Electric Church" to the Midwest and pairs subtle notes of R&B, funk, soul, and rock, dramatically blending it into a raw, eclectic mix. At the end of episode, listeners will have the pleasure of sampling Sharaden's music as the two perform an impromptu tiny desk concert in Micah's podcast studio.

Micah hosts a new friend to the show, Dr. Kristin Peterson, who is an assistant professor in the department of communication at Boston College and teaches courses related to the intersections of media and religion. Kristin's research focuses on religious expression in digital media, specifically examining how young people engage with online media sites, images, videos and creative projects as spaces to develop meaning and for feminist activism. She is the author of Unruly Souls: The Digital Activism of Muslim and Christian Feminists (Rutgers University Press, 2022), as well as articles and book chapters on Muslim Instagram influencers, the #ChurchToo, and #MosqueMeToo movements.

Micah records with a new KC friend, Ben Gipson, in Episode 18 of the Pray for Micah Podcast. They discuss Eastern Orthodoxy, spiritual movements throughout history, and the growth they've each experienced since departing protestant evangelicalism. The session also includes a Pray for Micah Story segment involving an epic dance fail. Ben Gipson is a predictably unpredictable man whose life is a sporadic amalgamation of random moments. He is the founder and CEO of Underground Homies, a business focused on connecting the city to its local artists. Everything he does is focused on building community and loving on the new and old faces he meets.

Micah has the honor of hosting his very own brother, Caleb Chrisman, for Episode 17 of #PrayforMicahPod. Together they revisit some of the pain, struggles, and triumphs Caleb experienced while being incarcerated for 7+ years. Despite harsh prison conditions, Caleb also shares how reconnecting with his faith and practicing meditation helped him discover a deeper sense of self and connection to others. Of course, you can't put two Chrismans together in a room for two hours without them telling funny stories and having some laughs.

In Episode 16, Micah hosts Victoria Lynn and they delve into the realms of 'Shadow Work" and Jungian practices for exploring the self and the ego. Victoria is a yoga instructor, martial artist, and life coach who is passionate about embodied healing & freedom. She utilizes Jungian principles like shadow work and subconscious reprogramming to guide her clients in their transformation to unlocking a more conscious life. Through compassionate inquiry, Victoria's purpose is to help people alchemize their life's learnings and remind them of their sovereignty and the medicine found in their own inner wisdom.

Micah hosts a KC friend and colleague, Laela Zaidi, and they explore the similarities and differences of being raised Christian and Muslim in Missouri. Laela Zaidi (she/her) is a Pakistani-American Master of Social Work student and climate justice organizer. She loves traveling, eating good food, playing tennis, and roller skating. Raised in Joplin, Missouri, she now lives in the Historic Northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.

In Episode 14, Micah and Justin Stein, a local activist in Kansas City, delve into their personal stories and share the importance of self-reflection, meditation, and the spiritual journey within antiracism work. They explore what it will take to build a world where relationships of domination no longer exist, which means starting with ourselves.

In Episode 13, Micah discusses salient political and social issues with Justin Stein, a local activist in Kansas City who has been an organizer for twenty years. Justin has worked on campaigns to support and expand union rights, raise the minimum wage, expand access to healthcare, get money out of politics, increase police accountability, and support solidarity for fast food workers fighting for $15 and a union. He's committed to building a world where relationships of domination no longer exist and believes that can be achieved by engaging in (to quote bell hooks) “collective liberation struggle.”

Micah hosts a new friend, Evalyn Ngugi, on the show and they delve into deep subjects, such as the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and how art connects us to the Divine. Evalyn Ngugi is a Kenyan-American poet and visual artist living in Kansas City, MO. Through her work, she tells the many stories that make up her life. The challenges she has faced along with the joys of everyday living. Whether it's paintings, photography, or poetry, she aims to capture the fullness of life in its many forms.

Micah hosts his close friend, Ben Carpenter, for Episode 11 of Pray for Micah. Ben is Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group's Climate Safe Neighborhoods Outreach Coordinator. In his role, Ben explores and communicates the relationship between the climate crisis and institutionalized racism, builds the capacity of residents to self-advocate for the equitable distribution of resources, and helps to organize residents to intervene in policy and planning systems.

In Episode 10 of #PrayforMicahPod, Micah hosts Josiah Duff. As a part-time pastor, Josiah is interested in apologetics, philosophy, economics, personal development, film, music, and art. He's an aspiring writer, speaker, and Christian hip-hop artist. In this discussion, they explore reparations for Black Americans, social justice within the Gospel, and of course being homeschoolers.

Micah had the honor of hosting Pastor Tony Beyer for Episode 9 of #PrayForMicahPod. As a reverently irreverent queer minister, Tony shares his faith journey from being an atheist to fostering his own progressive Christian communities. Tony is always looking for moments of humor, subversion, and reflection and we get all three in this interview. Tony Beyer IG: @reverentlyirreverent Pray for Micah Podcast links: linktr.ee/mjchrisman

Micah hosts his long-time friend, Andrew Sexton, who is a graphic designer and printmaker. After living and working in the Southwest for over 7 years, Andrew recently moved back to the Midwest—to Kansas City, MO, specifically—in hopes of growing further as a local artist. In this episode, Micah and Andrew explore their creative processes and share life experiences that have influenced their work.

Micah hosts Sarah Pickrell in Episode 7 of #PrayForMicahPod where they discuss their sacred practices, personal struggles with behavioral addictions, and creating an economy of love and acceptance. Sarah is a Kansas City artist, spiritual director and yoga practitioner: three distinct practices but all centered on engaging our senses and connecting more deeply with ourselves and the world around us.

In Episode 6, Micah is joined by Kansas City's favorite Nick "Pick" Pickrell, who is a local activist, pastor, and performer. Nick is the founder and organizer of The Open Table, a progressive Christian church in midtown that seeks to be a place of peace and reconciliation in a city divided. They talk about antiracism work, church trauma, punk music, Chinese buffets and spirituality.

In Episode 5, Micah hosts Sean East and they explore consciousness, the human tendency to consume and cause destruction, and of course, sexy bass players. Sean East is a sensitive, overly detailed (to a fault), and hardworking individual who cherishes connection and vulnerability with other people above most things. In his career, he specializes as a gaffer in lighting applications for film productions and enjoys the social atmosphere of working on a set. At home he is a writer, full time thinker/feeler and musician who spends a lot of time dreaming about the release of his next projects that have been years in the works. He's also a fan of good food, emotions, and spending time outdoors.

In Episode 4, Micah hosts Nathaniel Bozarth, a local historian, anti-racist creative, and data scientist. They explore the traumas of White Supremacy, Christian hegemony, and shame culture, as well as discuss ways for restoring our collective Humanity.

Nika Cotton is the owner of Soulcentricitea Tea Room on Troost in Kansas City, MO. She decided to start a socially-conscious business in 2020 that is grounded in womanist practices and activism. Her mission is to provide hope, healing, and restoration to the community. In this episode, Micah and Nika discuss their writing projects, community work, and overall hopes and dreams within the timeline of their lives.

In this pt. 2 interview, Micah and Josh Casey dive more in depth into Josh's spiritual journey and his divergence from the institutional Church. They explore themes in his book, Tracking Desire: A Memoir(ish) Walk Through Faith, Failure, and Finding God Under My Feet, and also hear our first "Pray for Micah Story".

In this debut #Pray4Micah podcast episode, Micah hosts Josh Casey, author of Tracking Desire: A Memoir(ish) Walk Through Faith, Failure, and Finding God Under My Feet. They discuss body image, faith, activism, and also some memories for how they met.