Coming to the Table with Nothing

How do you talk to your kids or loved ones about God when you feel like you don't have all the answers? When you have big questions of your own? How about when the story books and church lessons don't seem to fit with what you know about faith, and God, and Jesus? Author Matthew Paul Turner began writing children's books because he faced those same challenges in talking to his own kids about God and faith. Listen in as we hear his story, and talk about some great ways to engage discussions of faith for our kids, and even ourselves! What if we weren't afraid of questions? What if we embraced the idea that God delights in us? What if we were curious? What if we stepped into a bit of whimsey? On a personal note, our whole team and our kids have been blessed by Matthew's books. We highly recommend them! And... We say it every time, but this was such a good convo!  Don't miss it. :)

And don't miss Matthew's latest book: What is God Like? , co-written by the late Rachel Held Evans.

Check out Matthew's other books at matthewpaulturner.com
Find Matthew on social media @matthewpaulturner

How much to you think about breathing? If you're like the Uncommon crew you are about to find out the answer is: not enough! This week we are joined by our friend – and Breath Work Facilitator – Meghan Pattison. In addition to hearing about her work in wellness and healing through breath, we also talk about the spiritual side of it all. And before you think "this is too woo-woo for me", take a listen. Because we also dive into the science of breath, and talk about some amazing theological parallels between breath, faith, and the Spirit of God. And we have a lot of fun along the way. So come to the table as we explore how walking in faith can be as simple as taking a breath...

Find Meghan on Instagram @megcp
Here's the main book she mentioned: Breath by James Nestor

Have you ever had one of those weeks that just keeps getting worse and worse? Like, no matter what you do, the crazy just keeps coming... Well, our guest, Carlos Whittaker had a wild week like that. And it ended with some wild WILD hope. You will not believe what happened after one of the worst week's his family has ever experienced. We also talk about the power of community and a phrase Carlos uses often: "Don't stand on issues, walk with People." Carlos is one of our favorite voices on the interwebs. He uses his Instagram platform to bring hope, have important conversations, and welcomes everyone to the table with love and respect. This was a great conversation and we are so stoked to share it.

Find Carlos on Instagram @loswhit
Buy his latest book: Enter Wild  

Watch this episode on Youtube
This week we sit down with the leader of the #factrevolution, shepherd of the #governerds, a and host of the Sharon Says So Podcast, Sharon McMahon. Better known on Instagram as @sharonsaysso. We cover a lot of ground! Including Sharon's story, her huge fundraising efforts for people in need, debunking conspiracy theories, how to find truth, how to have helpful conversations with people we disagree with, and... our favorite part... hope of a bright future for humanity. Do. Not. Miss. This. Episode!

Find Sharon here:
@sharonsaysso on Instagram
www.sharonmcmahon.com 

Is anyone really doing okay right now? Maybe its okay to not be okay. Maybe if we acknowledge that we are not okay, it actually helps others be real about how they are doing. Maybe, just maybe, showing up as our authentic, messy selves is exactly what the people in our lives need... so that we can all feel less alone in this crazy time. And maybe, choosing to sit and keep each other company in hard times is kinda like what Jesus did. Meeting people where they are, and keeping them company. Let us know how you are doing! Email hello@uncommongoodsd.com

Here's the Jen Hatmaker Episode we mentioned

Here's the Brene Brown video on Empathy

Okay! Every once in a while we find a kindred spirit who speaks our language and has been through some of the same stuff we have. Just a couple of minutes into this convo we knew we had found just that. Author Kristen LaValley shares about the hurt she and her husband experienced which led them out of the church walls to find God in the "wilderness". Which in their case is an RV traveling across the country... with three kids and another on the way! Kristen drops some wisdom on us about how to reconnect with God after your faith gets turned upside down, how to be spiritual leaders in our families, and what she thinks is the #1 problem the Church in America is facing. Don't sleep on this episode, guys!

Find Kristen on IG @kristen.lavalley
Check out her website: www.kristenlavalley.com
Buy her books: Kristen LaValley on Amazon

A few days after the attack on the Capitol Building on 1/6/2021, we sat down with Charles Clemons, author of the book Undivided: A Biblical Response to What Divides U.S.
Not only was it a timely convo for recent events, but it also is a perfect launching point for our focus this year: TwentyTwentyONE, where we will be talking a lot about unity in these very divisive times. We're stoked to dive in! Now here's some more info about our guest and where to find him...

Charles Clemons has served as a youth pastor and lead pastor for African American and multi-ethnic churches. Additionally, he has worked in relief and development for a Christian charity organization with programs in Africa. During the last decade, Charles has worked with families in crisis in hospitals and, currently as a chaplain. Learn more on his website.

Buy Undivided on Amazon

When we find ourselves in a whirlwind, we have a few choices... get angry, play the victim, or... ride the storm, and hopefully make peace with it... Such a great convo with our friend, author, mom, creative, and yes... Beach Tennis Pro, Laura Haver. We talked about the fun things she's been doing with her family during the pandemic, Netflix, self-forgiveness, her upcoming book, and a little thing called Hedonic Adaptation... And if you're like us and didn't know what that meant, you need to! Plus we filmed this one so you will get to watch us on the Youtubes.

You can find Laura on her website: laurahaver.com
And on Instagram @lauramhaver

Most of us love the idea of grace for ourselves. In theory, it's great for others, too. (Until we have to give grace, that is). But have you ever thought of grace as scary? Well, we think a real understanding of grace can be frightening for those of us who love to control and measure our own growth and progress. Join the team as we struggle through this concept of scary grace...

We also mention our new Uncommon [good] Spotify Playlist.
It's a collection of songs that have been meaningful for us in this 2020 life. AND it's collaborative, so you can add songs to it! We'd love to hear what songs have been keeping you sane and giving you hope these days. Go add some to the playlist!

Do you feel like you have nothing to bring to the table these days? Between homeschooling, trying to work, staying healthy, and just managing life in 2020, we sure feel spent at the end of the day. Kinda like we have nothing much to offer. Well, in this episode, Ryan springs a topic on us (after we start recording) and something sure comes from nothing.