That Makes Total Sense!

Talking with psychologist, Dr. Tiffany G. Townsend was truly a joy! One of the reasons I think I enjoyed it so much is because (by my own admission and maybe my husband’s observations, lol!) I can be a bit of a Debbie Downer sometimes. Meaning, when confronted with the realities of the world’s problems, it … Continue reading Episode 356 – Tiffany G. Townsend

MaryAnn McKibben Dana gave me words, in this conversation and her new book Better Than Normal, that I have been searching for. When questions arise like – What makes this the standard? or How can I fit in here (or is that even necessary)? we sometimes don’t realize that we are actually questioning what is … Continue reading Episode 354 – MaryAnn McKibben Dana

Editor of Sojourners magazine, Rose Marie Berger, sat down with me to talk about the magazine’s recent edited volume, Light for the Way (which is phenomenal, by the way!). This collection is compiled from essays published in the magazine over the decades and yet, it is amazing how many of them feel like they were … Continue reading Episode 354 – Rose Marie Berger

I’m already intrigued by anyone who has a skydiving story (that will *never* be me!), and Adriel Booker’s is (literally) one for the books! She opens her fabulous volume, Tethered to Hope with a story of jumping from a plane, secured to an instructor in her early twenties and the harrowing moments that followed. The … Continue reading Episode 353 – Adriel Booker

This conversation with Aimee Byrd was personal and powerful for me. Even though it has not been easy, I am so grateful to Aimee for sharing her story of the abuse she suffered in the church circles she was a part of. Her newest book, Saving Face, is a beautiful reflection not only on what has happened to … Continue reading Episode 352 – Aimee Byrd (re-release!)

Have you ever heard a phrase that sticks with you? So much so, that you find yourself turning it over again and again in your mind, discovering its relevance to new situations in your life? Sometimes those brief sentences can have massive impact on how we think and interact with the world. Well, from my … Continue reading Episode 315 – Amar Peterman

Author and scholar Jared Stacy joins me for this episode to talk about conspiracism and evangelicalism in the United States. Many of us have probably noticed that these two seem to walk hand in hand, but have we stopped to ask ourselves how they are connected and in what ways that connection might be true … Continue reading Episode 350 – Jared Stacy

Third time’s a charm with psychologist, Dr. Kelly Flanagan! (Though the first two recordings with Kelly were amazing as well!) His newest book, The Road Less Triggered, is phenomenal. We talked a lot about how to have the posture of an open heart, especially at moments when we’re so tempted to close it off. This … Continue reading Episode 349 – Kelly Flanagan

Growing up in Oklahoma (read 12 years of public school history classes), you’d think I would have taken in droves of information about our nation’s history with Indigenous peoples. After all, Oklahoma has one of the highest populations of Native Americans in the U.S. and, if you understand some of the basic history, you’ll know … Continue reading Episode 348 – L. Daniel Hawk

Happy Easter! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend with you and yours. Since we took some time to rest and celebrate (new episode coming next week!), we thought we’d share this favorite again. Enjoy! To say I enjoyed this conversation *and the book it was centered on* is an understatement! Dr. Amy Peeler, … Continue reading Episode 347 – Amy Peeler (re-release!)

What a joy it is to welcome Sara Billups back to the podcast! We talked about a subject that is or has been near to each of us – anxiety. Sara has written a book that brings in her experiences with anxiety, as well as many of those of her family, and how they connect … Continue reading Episode 346 – Sara Billups

Kristen Lee‘s voice is such a gift! She an incredibly gifted author (and physician! – which we totally didn’t even touch on in this conversation), and I am so thrilled she has chosen to bring her experiences and research to us through her text, We Mend with Gold. She has written the book she wishes … Continue reading Episode 345 – Kristen Lee

Talking with Laura Baghdassarian Murray was truly a delight! Even though the subject of this episode is hospitality, which is a topic that’s super familiar to me, our conversation took us through some territory that was a bit unexpected for me (that happens often when I talk to a spiritual director!). In this episode we … Continue reading Episode 344 – Laura Baghdassarian Murray

This was one of my absolute favorite conversations! I am so thrilled to be able to share it – again! Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is a professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University. AJ is a Jewish scholar and has written extensively on the New Testament and on Jesus. Her most recent book is Jesus … Continue reading Episode 343 – Amy-Jill Levine (re-release!)

Jenn Suen Chen‘s story is so very different from mine and also holds many similarities. Her new book, Dim Sum and Faith, is one to slow down with, letting the words and ideas simmer like a wonderfully rich broth (one that can also bring some healing with its warmth). She shares about her experiences as … Continue reading Episode 342 – Jenn Suen Chen

Tatum Tricarico‘s book, Blessed is the Body, is an amazing devotional! I read it almost every morning (sipping my coffee with my beagle curled up beside me) preparing for this interview. Not only did I learn a ton, but I also connected with God in super meaningful and surprising ways. In this conversation, we talk … Continue reading Episode 341 – Tatum Tricarico

Oh my goodness! Chris and Danny were such a joy to read – and even more so to speak with! We covered super important topics like Chris’s drum circle debacle (supposedly available online somewhere), the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Canada (and what we can learn from the process of our neighbors to the north), … Continue reading Episode 340 – Chris Hoklotubbe & Danny Zacharias

Sitting down with author and anthropology professor Christine Jeske was a joy! We talked about her newest book, Racial Justice for the Long Haul, which is all about why white Christians (the small number of them who do) participate in racial justice work and how they stay committed. For this work, Christine spent hours and … Continue reading Episode 339 – Christine Jeske

I am so thrilled to welcome *back* to the podcast, Dr. Terence Lester! (In case you missed his other appearances, they’re here, here, and here – with his daughter, and co-author, Zion!) During this conversation, we discuss race-based educational injustices in the U.S., along with Terence’s own story of experiencing the educational system as a … Continue reading Episode 338 – Terence Lester

For Christians, the topic of loving our neighbors is a familiar one. Many times, at least for me, the phrase is *so* familiar that it sometimes becomes difficult to effectively pause, reflect, and investigate what it actually requires from us in real life. Chanté Griffin brings her unique perspective to this vibrant and ongoing conversation, … Continue reading Ep. 337 – Chanté Griffin

Producer’s Pick! For MLK Jr. Day, I asked my husband and producer, Seth, to choose an episode he wanted to re-release and without hesitation, he said, “What about Malcolm’s most recent one?!” Done and done! Here ya go! That Makes Total Sense! regular, the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, is back on the podcast and I could … Continue reading Episode 336 – Malcolm Foley (re-release!)

I am truly grateful for the work of Dorothy Greco. Her most recent book, For the Love of Women tackles several areas where misogyny has, and continues to have, great impacts. Trained and having worked as both a journalist and a pastor, she brings a unique perspective to patriarchy and misogyny and how our whole … Continue reading Episode 335 – Dorothy Greco

I am embarrassed to admit how recently I started to realize the effects of empire on my life. It probably wasn’t until I entered seminary that vocabulary like empire or colonialism entered my everyday consciousness, and even when it did, reckoning with it is something that still evades me most days. It’s difficult to see … Continue reading Episode 334 – Kat Armas

Producer’s pick! We’re all still recovering from holiday fun this week, so I asked my sweet husband and producer to choose an episode he wanted to re-release and he picked this favorite with Zach Lambert. Enjoy! And happy week between Christmas and New Year’s! This conversation with fellow(?) Texan (I don't exactly claim the label, … Continue reading Episode 333 – Zach Lambert (re-play!)

The birth of Jesus was, and is, disruptive to our lives. Though, with all the familiarity surrounding Christmas, sometimes it’s hard to remember how true that is. Listen along for a short, Christmas week reflection from That Makes Total Sense! host, Alexis Busetti, as she discusses how the Incarnation was and should continue to be … Continue reading Episode 332 – The Disruptive Birth

This one is becoming an annual favorite! Just this week, a friend texted asking for the name of this book – the one I gifted to about a dozen of my girlfriends the year it was released. Each year, Scott Erickson helps bring the season a little closer to home with the ideas heard in … Continue reading Episode 331 – Scott Erickson (re-play!)

This advent book (and conversation!) is not just for the Christmas season. I promise you will be blessed by Kelley Nikondeha‘s words all year long (including in our recent conversation on Jubilee)! Her new book, The First Advent in Palestine tells of some of the forgotten stories surrounding Jesus' birth. We know he was born in first century … Continue reading Episode 330 – Kelley Nikondeha (re-release!)

My friend, Collin Cornell, is back! And, I have been *waiting* for this conversation (okay, in some ways, I’ve been waiting, and in some ways, it’s been ongoing). Collin has finished his newest book, God Draws Near, and it is a game-changer; I’m so thrilled he’s here to talk with me about it! This incredibly … Continue reading Episode 329 – Collin Cornell

Lisa Colón DeLay and I had so much fun talking all about the desert elders! (I admit, there was a time when that sentence wouldn’t have made sense to me, but today, I am all about learning more from our fore parents in the faith.) Even though our world and our lives look very different, … Continue reading Episode 328 – Lisa Colón DeLay

To say I enjoyed this conversation *and the book it was centered on* is an understatement! Dr. Amy Peeler, professor, author, and pastor, shares insight from her years of research culminating in her incredible book, Women and the Gender of God. In this episode, we explore God as Father, but not gendered, Mary, the mother … Continue reading Episode 327 – Amy Peeler

As I type this, it almost feels like fall in the hill country of Texas (and I hear it’s gonna stay that way for about 48 hours, lol!). The cooler weather and the wind, as temporary as they may be, remind me of seasonal changes, and it makes me glad. The chill in the air … Continue reading Ep. 326 – Claude Atcho

One of my favorite podcast guests is back to talk about his new book! David Swanson's Plundered is absolutely beautiful. In it, he explores the history of environmental and racial injustice in the U.S. and how they are intertwined. He also shares some of his own personal and communal journey, inviting us to imagine what living in ways more … Continue reading Episode 325 – David Swanson (re-release!)

The topic of jubilee is one that sometimes has me feeling a bit…skeptical. It’s not that I don’t like the concept, I do. It’s just that it’s a tough one to talk about it in a way that seems faithful to the biblical texts and practical for real life. Enter Kelley Nikondeha! She is a … Continue reading Episode 324 – Kelley Nikondeha

Every time I catch a news headline with something tragic happening in the world, or close to home, I have a sense of grief, many times accompanied by a sense of helplessness. What can I do? is the question that haunts me. I’m not a community organizer or a formal advocate and even in the … Continue reading Episode 323 – Charon Hribar

When I think of individuals and organizations who have their work cut out for them, always, but especially with our current times, I think of Matthew Soerens and World Relief. For those who may not be familiar, World Relief is a Christian humanitarian organization who serves people who are in crisis all over the world, … Continue reading Episode 322 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Matthew Soerens

Chats with Jenai always result in wisdom for me, so I am grateful for our conversations! (This one is no exception!) Jenai is an author and of an amazing book called Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized and is a cohort leader at Made for Pax. (Our first … Continue reading Episode 321 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Jenai Auman

For many Christians who have struggled with mental health challenges, either personally or accompanying loved ones, the church has often been a place of conflicting messages. Do we just need Jesus or can therapy help? Are we allowed to talk to God in that way or about those things? Am I weak or sinful? Questions … Continue reading Episode 320 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Bianca Hughes

Oh my goodness! I had a great time talking with Kristel Acevedo! We continue our series on conversations centered around the Made for Pax / InterVarsity Press bible studies with this one on Kristel's contribution Liberated at the Cross: Peace and Reconciliation in God's Kingdom, available in English and Spanish. We talked about cruciformity, peace, … Continue reading Ep. 319 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Kristel Acevedo

Any time I get to talk with Drew Jackson, it is a complete joy for me! And, as you may have guessed from that opening statement, Drew is no stranger to the podcast (I highly encourage you to catch our other conversations about his books of poetry on the coming of Christ and the Gospel … Continue reading Episode 318 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Drew Jackson

When I say this conversation was fun and meaningful, that is truly an understatement! Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, co-author of Migration: Experiencing God's Care for Immigrants joined me for this episode and we shared from our hearts what our hopes are for the study and how working on it impacted us. Each of us come from families … Continue reading Episode 317 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun & Alexis Busetti

It was so great to have Dorcas Cheng-Tozun back on the podcast! For this series, Dorcas will join me twice – once as author of Mental Health: Experiencing God's Care for Our Mind, Body, and Spirit – A 6-Week Interactive Bible Study and another time as co-author of the study we worked on together on … Continue reading Ep. 316 – IVP / Made for Pax Series: Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

I am so excited to kick off this special series of the podcast with Tiffany Bluhm, executive director of an amazing organization called Made for Pax! She's been on the podcast before and it was an incredible conversation. This time, we are setting up what will be an eight-part series where we will discuss each … Continue reading Ep. 315 – IVP/Made for Pax Series: Tiffany Bluhm

This conversation with fellow(?) Texan (I don’t exactly claim the label, but my guest has lived here all his life), Zach Lambert was super fun! And I don’t say that only because I’m a theology nerd, I say that because Zach has a way of presenting themes from the Bible in new and helpful ways … Continue reading Episode 314 – Zach Lambert

So many of us would count ourselves as leaders in one area of our lives or another. Many of us would also count ourselves among those who have experienced some kind of trauma, whether it was early in our lives or later. And, as you would suspect, those groups have significant overlap. That’s where Sheila … Continue reading Episode 313 – Sheila Wise Rowe & Nicholas Rowe

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of graphic violence and genocide. This interview is a unique one for the podcast. Professor and author, David Toole, has written a book on the life of his friend, Maggy Barankitse, who is an advocate, currently living in exile. Maggy is a Burundian survivor of one of the genocides … Continue reading Episode 312 – David Toole

Getting the chance to meet and talk with Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew was a time of pure light! She is as kind as she is wise and insightful and so much of her newest book, Front Porch Wisdom, will no doubt continue to impact how I view and navigate situations of leadership as a BIPOC woman. … Continue reading Episode 311 – Froswa’ Booker-Drew

Diving into Nicole Martin‘s newest book, Nailing It, was a complete joy! Nicole comes at the complicated subject of leadership with curiosity and humility, as a learner, sharing insights that draw both from biblical and experiential wisdom. This book is neither a how-to nor a how-not-to, but an exploration on some common aspects of leadership … Continue reading Episode 310 – Nicole Massie Martin

What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you do for a living? Where do you work? These questions are common from childhood to cocktail party, but how do they actually relate to our vocations? Our callings? Karen Swallow Prior wrote an exquisite book offering wisdom and clarification (not a step … Continue reading Episode 309 – Karen Swallow Prior

For weeks, it seemed that everywhere I looked, I was seeing something about Isaac Villegas’s new book, Migrant God. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, and I was not disappointed once I did! With everything happening in the U.S. right now surrounding immigration, this text and conversation are right on time. Don’t … Continue reading Episode 308 – Isaac Villegas

This conversation with Aimee Byrd was personal and powerful for me. Even though it has not been easy, I am so grateful to Aimee for sharing her story of the abuse she suffered in the church circles she was a part of. Her newest book, Saving Face, is a beautiful reflection not only on what … Continue reading Episode 307 – Aimee Byrd

Maybe because my life is currently in flux (and has been that way for a hot minute), I was honestly a bit hesitant to read my friend Michael O’Donnell‘s new book. I’m not exactly sure why I was nervous, but it did sit on my shelf for weeks (okay, maybe even months) before I finally … Continue reading Episode 306 – Michaela O’Donnell