Feeling Beings Who Think

Ambition & Humility

"Ultimately, the only things I have control over are my intentions and attitude." That is so true, especially when we take risks! My returning guest today is The Rev. Steve Paulikas, I asked him back to talk about ambition, courage, and vulnerability. Steve was recently a candidate for bishop in the Diocese of NY in the Episcopal Church.  And whether or not the church is a part of your life, I believe you will resonate with our discussion of naming your values, setting intentions, and how we prepare and practice discernment when making big decisions. 
I want to thank Steve for sharing so personally about this experience. I want to thank you for listening and, if I may ambitiously ask, for taking a moment to share this podcast with someone in your world. 
Bio - The Rev. Steven Paulikas is the rector of All Saints’ Church in Brooklyn. His opinion writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, and others, and his essay on the political response to evil is featured in "Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments: A Stone Reader." Prior to attending seminary, Steven was a journalist based in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Being With Joy and Grief

Change = loss = grief. That equation was an epiphany for my guest today, Mabeth Hudson, who believes passionately in the spiritual well-being of people and organizations. She designs and leads innovative programming on two emotional realities rarely discussed at work: grief and joy. We talk about both, and I hope this conversation offers you new ways of thinking about these feelings that impact what we are thinking and how we are doing - every day.  Thanks for listening and sharing.
Bio -
Mabeth Hudson is passionate about spiritual well-being in people, organizations, and our world. In 2002, she felt called to leave the practice of law and, after an intentional discernment process, co-founded Well for the Journey, a non-profit that encourages spiritual wellbeing through innovative programming and resources.
She designs workshops, classes, and retreats tailored to the needs of individuals, groups, and organizations. Her favorite topics include living joyfully in stressful times, navigating transition, strengthening resilience, and practical spirituality for daily living. Programs incorporate accessible tools for daily life, emerging science, and relationship building. 
Mabeth also integrates her spiritual and legal experience to empower people of all ages to explore end-of-life issues well before the end-of-life. She facilitates communication, contemplation, and clarity around the taboo topic of death to bring healing and peace. 
She holds a JD from Emory University School of Law and MA in Spiritual Care from Loyola University Maryland.

Our Desire for Relationship

"I help people talk about God," is how my guest, The Rev. Glenna Huber describes her calling and vocation to the priesthood. And in this episode, she shares what drew her into this work and the experiences that have shaped her relationship with God, the church, her family, and the people she pastors.  I hope this conversation is of support and encouragement and helps you see the experiences that have and continue to shape your relationship with who and what matters - what I would call holy - in your life.  Thanks for listening.
Bio
The Rev. Glenna J. Huber is the 15th Rector of the Church of the Epiphany in downtown Washington, D.C.  Before joining Epiphany, she served as Vicar at the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Baltimore. She has also served as a consultant for urban congregations on the efficacy of community organizing in congregational development.For the past 21 years, Rev. Huber has served in a number of ordained pastoral roles in Baltimore and Atlanta, including ecumenical and educational positions. Her positions have allowed her to offer pastoral care and counsel to teachers, seniors and parents, and students from preschool to high school. 
She has experience working in a variety of communities ranging from suburban affluent neighborhoods to underserved and economically depressed environments. In relationship to her capacity within the church, Rev. Huber is a sought-out lecturer and has addressed subjects ranging from leadership in the church and in the community to faith and justice and systemic injustice, including urban poverty, education, housing, redlining, and how the church can respond to issues affecting our community, to racism and reconciliation.
Rev. Huber received a Master of Divinity degree from The General Theological Seminary (New York) and her undergraduate degree in history from Spelman College (Georgia). She is married to Richard, and they have two children – Jonas and Adayah.

Expanding Our Beliefs

"I live my life in widening circles" quotes my guest The Rev. José Roberto (Berto) Gándara-Perea as he shares his love of Rilke's poetry, which speaks to his desire for an expansive life and faith. Berto has been ordained for thirty years, first as a Roman Catholic priest, now Episcopalian. We talk about the reasons for that, what catholic (note the small "c") truly means, we go deep with seeking to put words around what is hard to talk about: love, vulnerability, awe, yearning - words that in the Christian tradition, are part of the story we are about to celebrate. A story and an invitation to give birth to love and light. I hope this conversation meets you wherever you are and expands the circles in your life. Thanks for listening!
Bio - The Rev. José Roberto Gándara-Perea, or Berto as he is better known, was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. In 1983 he entered the Redemptorist Congregation, a Roman Catholic missionary order, where he made vows in 1986. Berto completed a BA in philosophy with the Dominican friars in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and then a four-year master’s degree in theology in the national seminary in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was ordained a priest in 1992. In 2004 Berto began a process of discernment concerning leaving the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood and entering The Episcopal Church. He obtained a Diploma in Anglican Studies from The General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City and, after much prayer, he made the decision to "swim the Thames" in 2006.
Berto worked for three years as program director, case manager, and mental health counselor at Harlem United Community AIDS Center. He also worked at GTS as Director of the Hispanic/Latino Theology Program, adjunct professor, and Field Education Director. In 2009 he was received as a priest in The Episcopal Church and served for four year as priest-in-charge at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York City. For the last eight years Berto has served as the rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Orcas Island, a small island of the Northwest coast of Washington state.
Berto has shared his life for the past sixteen years with his spouse, the Rev. Hugh McPhail Grant, also an Episcopal priest and psychotherapist from Atlanta, Georgia and their two amazing dogs: a tripawd called Ava and Bruno.
 

Wondering about Wonder

"I wonder..." This simple beginning is an invitation to deep conversation and connection. My guest today is Sally Thomas, creator of the Wondering Together Project.  Her experiences as a nurse, chaplain, busy mom, and Sunday school teacher led her to create a practice for families based on this invitation. I hope this rich conversation prompts wonder and possibilities for strengthening connections in the relationships that matter to you this time of year. Thanks for listening! 
Sally Thomas Bio - Since her children declared their innate theology as tiny sage ones, Sally has been attuned to the spiritual questions, and wisdom children spontaneously offer in this wondrous world. A chaplain in Portland, Maine, Sally recently completed a Doctorate in Ministry from Eden Seminary. The WonderingTogether Project – the fruit of her doctoral and ongoing research - focuses on how sharing our stories daily (simple, mundane, messy, and real) enhance our connectedness to one another in our digitally complex world. Sally has been sitting with circles of children and their families in ministry settings for 20+ years andenjoyed working as an RN and Nurse Practitioner, and Chaplain.

Being Held and Holding Space

My guest today is Kristofer Lindh-Payne, who wears a few titles (and a clergy collar, like me). He beautifully shares early experiences of being invited into religious traditions in ways that honored his curiosity and piqued his interest. The way we described this feeling is "being held", or, when we know we are seen, heard, and loved so it is safe for us to ask questions and challenge inherited belief systems - because they aren't being imposed. This continues to inform how Kristofer works in the world today inviting others into relationships for building up the common good. 
The Rev. Dr. Kristofer Lindh-Payne (he/him/his) serves as Canon for Congregational Vitality in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, as well as Co-Rector of St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center in Timonium. He has a doctorate in congregational development from Bexley-Seabury, a master in pastoral care from Loyola, and a master of divinity from Seabury-Western. Kristofer is a friar in the Anglican Order of St. Francis (OSF), and is deeply formed in the Francis-Clarian tradition. A native of Baltimore, he was ordained in the Diocese of Maryland as deacon in June 2009 and as priest in January 2010. 

What A Funeral Taught Me

Most of us don't think about funerals until we have to. In this short episode, I share a personal story. It's the story of the funeral I walked through that changed all my thoughts and feelings about what my role at a funeral, as a priest, is for. I hope you find support, resonance, or encouragement in whatever way you, and we all have to at some point, are or have navigated loss in your life.
Here is the piece I reference, "Why I Like a Good Funeral."
Thanks for listening.

Grief and Gratitude

How do you love people the way they need to be loved? My conversation partner today, Erin Weber Johnson, brings us full circle to that question. This is the second time Erin has joined me on this podcast. The first was "Being Connected." We continue to talk about connection in our relationships and with ourselves. Are we able to recognize our self-imposed sense of responsibility and choose to do something courageous? Ask a question! Something as simple as, "What do you need?" 
We laugh about food and feelings, share our holiday plans and how we're grappling with the grief in the world alongside our feelings of gratitude at the beginning of this holiday season.  Thanks for listening!
You can learn more and connect with Erin here.

Belonging To Yourself

How often do you change who you are to meet the needs of others? Do you belong to yourself so much that taking care of yourself empowers you - without guilt- to take care of others? In this episode, I share some reflections on Brené Brown's definition of belonging. Belonging as a feeling, an awareness, a choice that supports the lifelong work of "adulting"! And I connect my understanding of Brown's wisdom to what I teach and preach - particularly around the holidays. I hope you enjoy this solo episode. Thanks for listening.

Transitions and Change

Change is hard. Yes, and - neglecting our feelings about the transitions change brings can make change harder still. Today I’m talking with Mike Coe, a Master leadership coach who works with leaders who want more creativity, creatives who want more leadership, and anyone navigating change in their life. Mike specializes in coaching Veterans, military, and spouses through their inner transition as they reenter civilian life. 
We talk about the feelings that change brings, the learnings that we gain from difficult changes, like divorce, and how humor and the framework of improv, are creative ways to accept change when it happens - whether we like it or not.
I hope this conversation prompts resonance, laughter, and encouragement to look inward and get curious about how you might support yourself through the transitions that change brings in your life. Enjoy!
www.coach.net
www.vetsatease.com.