It's no secret that the more so-called connections we make through technology- the more algorithms show us what we want and what most of us want is to be surrounded by people who provide some comfortable ideological validation. And it’s easy to think that people who think differently than us are a little crazy. Think of family gatherings during the holidays when we sit around the table with folks we haven't seen for awhile and recognize that not everyone has become as enlightened as we are! Whatever the issue, it's part of our current culture to label the other side toxic and begin stereotyping them. But what if instead we talked with each other? What if we listened to one another? So I host a Christian podcast where I try to have the first episode of every month be a conversation with a young woman and myself. And (this I got from doing it wrong by the way) she gets to tell her story (whatever her background) and I try just to listen. She shares her questions or objections about Christianity. And in doing so- in sharing her story and questions- she's bridging a gap for some people who maybe don't know how to talk with their loved ones- who don't know how to have empathy instead of anger. And that's in a small way, I believe, helping to make the world a better place. So to recap, the #1 reason why you might want to cohost the Finding Something REAL podcast in Season 7?  You know the world is a mess and you recognize that division is part of the problem.

Listen, CS Lewis the guy who wrote "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" said that "if Christianity is false it's of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." CS Lewis was an intellectual atheist until he started actually exploring the claims of Christianity. Maybe you're not ready to explore Christianity right now, but hey- you do have time for a couple Zoom calls. The commitment bar is pretty low here. It's one call to get to know each other and see if it's a good fit- and one call to record that first episode. And so maybe you think- what's the harm? Maybe at some point in your life you'll be in a place where you're genuinely searching and come back to the follow-up episodes and listen. But if not, you wasted an hour or so- which if you're anything like me-could have been just as easily wasted scrolling through other people's reels or watching a mediocre Netflix series.  Although I've heard there's some good stuff on Netflix right now. I digress. So number #2- "Why not?" 

This year on the Finding Something REAL podcast I'm hoping to have conversations with young women who identify with some of the following: 

Someone who doesn't believe in God at all.

Someone who is genuinely seeking but still skeptical.

Someone who wonders how Science and Faith coexist.

Someone who grew up in Church but has questions.

Someone who likes to experiment with Tarot cards and crystals.

Someone who thinks most Christians are haters.  

Someone who thinks God hates them.

Someone who thinks Jesus is one of many ways to Heaven.

Someone who's been hurt by Church people.

Someone who is having a lot of fun right now and Christianity is not super relevant.

Someone who is questioning their identity.

Someone who is looking for restoration

Someone who wonders how trusting Jesus impacts mental health/self harm.

Someone who has questions about other religions or faith expressions.

Someone who struggles with wondering why God would care about her love life

Someone who doesn't know where she belongs.

I used to have a job where I advocated on behalf of other women in crisis. My job was to be their voice in the middle of a cumbersome system, to stand before a crowded room of people, and speak on her behalf. I did not consider myself a public speaker at the time. But I felt emboldened knowing that I was speaking on someone else's behalf. Maybe you would never tell your story on a podcast, but you could if you knew that by telling your story, you were representing many others who just wanted to be heard? #3 You like the idea of advocating for other people.

You may not be at a point in your life right now where you want to explore your faith questions. And you don't have to be willing to do that right now. But, most of us have questions about life and God. I know I do! And one of the beauties of Finding Something REAL is the opportunity to have your honest questions addressed by someone who has wrestled with the same questions you are asking. The way the Finding Something REAL podcast works, is a young woman sits down and has a conversations with me- she shares her story, her experience with faith, and she shares her objections or questions about Christianity or faith in general. We record that interview over Zoom or a similar online platform- and her story then curates the entire month's content. Because during the following episodes of the month, we invite Christian guests to come on and address the questions my co-host brought up. My podcast co-host is always invited to those conversations. And if she chooses not to come, she can always listen later and in those cases, I try to advocate for her with the guest. #4 You actually have some faith questions and you recognize this is a unique opportunity.  description

You recognize that this isn't about a performance. It truly is about finding something real.  You don't have to use your last name or have your video shown if you'd prefer people don't know it's you. I get it. I probably would have never wanted people to know all my stuff. But I would have loved an opportunity to represent others and also get some insight into the way other people tackle big life questions. All you need to do is show up and be honest about your story and questions. #5 You can show up as you are.