Confession, addiction and transformation.

plus the work of two amazing women for you to check out this week!

 First, a word of thanks.

There are a gazillion and 4 podcasts put there, so I just want to thank those of you who listen, subscribe, rate and review The Confessional with Nadia Bolz-Weber. Because of you, it’s been in the top 100 on iTunes since it debuted and I deeply grateful. Here we are, trying to forge out a space in the public conversation that allows for grace, not the easiest thing to do, but thanks for doing it with me. I try to not take the trust you’re having in me right now for granted. Thank you.

Prologue for episode 104:

I’ve never admitted this publicly, but if I’m going to have a podcast called The Confessional, maybe I should go first. 

When I was married, I had what I now consider to be an emotional affair with a friend. It lasted a couple of months and it ended before it turned sexual, so to speak, but the intensity of my desire for this person emotionally and physically was real. And it was torture. I’d wake up every morning and do that self-talk thing because I knew it was dangerous, and so every morning I would swear off the relationship. And I’d say to myself like, today, I will not text them, I will not call them, I will not hang out with them. But then, inevitably, the temptation was too much and my resolve was not enough and I would send them a text or stop by their place because when I did I felt good. Until of course, I felt bad all over again. I’d only ever had that experience of powerlessness, where my will was not strong enough to keep me from doing something destructive with exactly one other thing in my life—and that thing was alcohol. And it was then I realized that all addiction is chemical in some way, because there are these chemicals that wash over our brains when we indulge in our addictions or compulsions. And then, those neurochemicals start dipping down when we feel bad about having indulged ourselves again, and when they hit such a low that we feel like shit about ourselves and our lives, and we start to think, you know what would make me feel good again? And then the whole goddamn thing starts over. 

This week’ episode of #TheConfessionalPod features the beautiful, powerful, Theresa S. Thames Dean of the Chapel at Princeton University. She talks about surviving childhood during the crack epidemic only to realize how much her life is still marked by it in humbling ways. We talk mothers, addiction, secrets, lies and ultimately, transformation.

You can always listen to episodes right from my website

or subscribe on these podcast gettin’ places:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

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• Pocketcasts

Friday May 15th, 5p PST/ 6p MST/ 7p CST/ 8p EST Theresa and I will have a chat live on my Instagram. Just click on the circle with my image on the upper left. I’m sure we’ll dive more into mothers, addiction, secrets, lies and of course, transformation.

Other great stuff you should check out this week:

Kaitlin Curtis.

Kaitlin Curtice - a member of the Potawatomi Nation, has written a lovely book called, NATIVE. Kaitlin and I will have a live conversation about her book on her Instagram Live this Friday 7p EST. Check out her video below:

Emily Scott.

Emily Scott plants churches and works for justice…truly, like it’s not just tweets, she does the work. Her beautiful book, For All Who Hunger came out yesterday!

Below is a link to a video of the Facebook Live event we did with her last night…includes music by Rachel Kurtz, and readings about hunger by myself, the gorgeous Padraig O’Touma, the hilarious R. Eric Thomas and the revered Dr. Emilie Townes (and more!)

https://www.facebook.com/emilym.d.scott/videos/10157593289198026/

Launching creative projects during a global pandemic is rough. Please consider supporting these two amazing women!

There’s bonus content from each episode of The Confessional for paid subscribers to The Corners.

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