Hole in My Heart Podcast

We laughed a lot on this one. We cracked up, and went to deep heart places with Nate Collins, special guest, author, and president and founder of the Revoice Conference. We chatted about starstruck moments (who almost got taken down by Francis Chan's security team, hmmm, LAURIE?!), vulnerability, and giving the historically Christian LGBT+ conversation a new voice.   //: Highlights: "The way the gospel is good news for me now," Nate said, "is by living transparently. When that requires vulnerability, then being vulnerable. I've experienced so much grace in being known. And shame in being not known. [I was] put in the shadows, or ran to the shadows myself because I was afraid of transparency or vulnerability."   //:  Do the Next Thing: Find out about the Revoice Conference here For More 

So...shocker: Parenting is hard. Also, life is hard. Today, we follow up with the brutally honest "Episode 24: Is There Hope for Us?" as well as discuss how we, as bleeding-heart parents, can be on mission (to make disciples) with our kids without hurting their hearts...   //: Do the Next Thing: Laurie's post: The Day I Became Wonder Woman Psychology Today: 10 Reasons Why Today's Teenagers Are So Anxious For More 

We have another guest! Dr. Branson Parler! To go with his movie star name and phD, Branson is FULL OF WISDOM! This was one of those conversations where Producer Steve, Matt, and I looked at each other while recording with our jaws dropped. ​He answered a lot of questions we had about the relationship between sexuality, married people, single people, and the Church.   //: Highlights: "Paul can say, 'Stay single,' ...because the church is functioning as a family." "Our bodies matter. Matter matters... The way God communicates his love to us is not just through this intellectual message that bounces off of us, the Word became flesh." "Whether people are married or single, what everyone needs is a healing of our broken sexuality. It's not that marriage is this proper outlet for our lust. It is that lust needs to be killed across the board."   //: Do the Next Thing: Branson's Blog A super helpful (and well-liked) catechism he wrote on sexuality Branson on The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender For More 

How can you be a helpful friend to someone in pain? How can you be a helpful person in pain to your friends? How does co-dependency relate to this? We talk about it on the podcast with a guest, Tammy Perlmattur! Tammy Perlmutter is founder and curator of The Mudroom, a collaborative blog encouraging women to speak truth, love hard, and enter in with each other, and co-founder of Deeply Rooted, a biannual worship, arts, and teaching gathering for women in Chicago. Tammy is a member of Redbud Writers Guild, an urban beekeeper, and lives in an intentional Christian community in Chicago. We also talk lent, awkward clothes we used to wear (victorian lace boots? mullets? chopsticks in your hair?), favorite foods growing up (a whole loaf of bread on the table?), and women/friendship and same-sex attraction. ​   //: Do the Next Thing: Tammy wrote about her journey with her sexuality here on her Mudroom Blog site. You can also find her here: The Mudroom Deeply Rooted Facebook Twitter For More 

"Love... does not demand its own way" (1 Corinthians 13:5). This... this one is gritty. And beautiful. And sounds like two people pursuing God and each other in the midst of pain. It sounds a lot like real life. Today, on our nine-year anniversary, Matt and I open up about the last year-and-a-half of walking through the effects of trauma with a person. May it only bless you.   //: Do the Next Thing: For More 

We talk birthday, which childhood movie traumatized you, and what have you said to friends when they say they can't "feel" and/or hear God's voice? Here's good ol' Francis laying it down per usual: “I hear people complain that they don’t feel Jesus with them, they don’t experience the Holy Spirit. I usually ask them: Are you busy making disciples? ...​ If I want to find my friend Andrew, I can usually find him a​t the gym. If I want to find Adam, he’s probably at the beach. If I want to find Lisa, she’s probably at Target. If I want to find Jesus, I should share the gospel with someone. That’s where He will be. He is on the battlefield. He is pursuing the mission" (Chan, 100). How can we pursue it, too--no matter our marital status?   //: Do the Next Thing: For More 

​Matt, Producer Steve, and I (Laurie) have a guest! We asked last week for feedback on this marriage book and conversation from single people, and my friend Joie VanHolstein answered the call! We chat about how we have seen Jesus romance us lately, and which game show (or reality show) we would unquestionably win (and which we would undoubtedly fail). The Heart of the Matter focuses on fighting through humility, how people who have been affected by trauma can "die to self" without getting re-traumatized, and taking your hands off of your of your own throat as you are in process.   //: Podcast Extra: I quoted this: "If you want to build something significant for the Kingdom of God on earth, don't build a ministry, build a family." --Jeremy Riddle   //: Do the Next Thing: Read or listen to the book for free here (Or just download the "You and Me Forever" app.) For More 

Matt Krieg, Producer Steve and I (Laurie) chat about chapter two of Francis and Lisa Chan's book "You and Me Forever." Per usual, deep and silly conversations ensue including: What's up with drivers in California and in the Midwest? {and} What would our marriages look like IRL if the gospel was on display in them?   //: Podcast Extra: I refer to "Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas, and this podcast about why God made us sexual by Dr. Juli Slattery   //: Do the Next Thing: Read or listen to the book for free here (Or just download the "You and Me Forever" app.) For More 

Do people in mixed-orientation marriages have a different Bible they live by? Do they have a different set of marital guidelines? In a word: No. We don't. It only seems that way because we--married and single--have been missing the point not only of married life but of LIFE. Life isn't about us. Is isn't about our happiness. It isn't about communication. It isn't about more dates. It isn't about fulfilling our needs. Life is all about Jesus. F or the next seven weeks we will be walking through Francis and Lisa Chan's book, "You and Me Forever," to see how we have missed this. We will get gritty and honest about real-life marital pain, but we hope to laugh and leave these weeks encouraged to build the Kingdom together: married, single, dating--however God has called us.   //: Do the Next Thing: To read the ebook or listen to it along with us for free, visit youandmeforever.org and download the free app. For More 

We go a bit off the rails with this one. Matt, Steve, and I (Laurie) talk about our best Christmas presents ever, and then we devolve...yet again...into angst/joy about Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you've never listened to us, this is a great start to see if you like us. Merry Christmas!   //: Do the Next Thing: For More