How Redemption and Atonement Theology Harms Our Relationships Jesus paid it all All to Him I owe Sin had caused a crimson stain He washed it white as snow. The theology of redemption captured in the ol' time gospels. Redemption. Defined as "An act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake," or "The ... Read More

Unlearning toxic theology and finding your beliefs I'm often asked what I believe, and I rarely answer for several reasons. The primary reason I don't answer is because our dialogue then becomes about one person proving the other person wrong about what they believe. Or at least that has been my experience. I will often ... Read More

Deconstructing Faith With a Queer, Muslim Unicorn During this interview Rev Karla spends time with Amir Yass, a queer Muslim who actively fights against racism, transphobia, and body shaming in the LGBTQIA+ community. Amir shares that humor helped in combating bullying during his school days, as he was the only Muslim in an all-Christian school. ... Read More

Reclaiming Your Spirituality- Chances Are You Didn't Even Know You Had Lost It Trust the journey. It's one of the first things I say to someone who has just left church and is feeling confused about what happens next. I've written blogs and courses (with more to come!) about the need to deconstruct from indoctrinated ... Read More

I'm convinced my grandmother died with sermons in her heart that she was never allowed to teach. The video is simple in its creation, lending to the overall impact of its message. A young man in his 20's with a handkerchief over his head to symbolize the character being portrayed is a woman. A handkerchief ... Read More

Deconstructing Christianity: An interview with Pastor Paul In this interview Rev Karla spends time with Paul Swearengin, also known as Unconventional Pastor Paul. Pastor Paul is best known for asking questions of the American Christian church and culture that others might not feel free to express. They have the heart to connect people with their ... Read More

Finding God Outside of the Church Walls Find Spiritual Options Outside Church to Connect with God   For many people, the church is the traditional and expected place to find God.* However, for others, the church is not an option, either because of personal beliefs or a lack of access to a church community. Finding ... Read More

When Life Is Smarter Than You Are A Personal Look At The Long Way Around   How's this for a segue? Being pregnant at 16 has its challenges. Now that we have that out of the way, fast forward a few more years. Now with two young children, barely in my 20s, the financial pressure ... Read More

What Exactly Does Deconstructing From My Faith Mean? Deconstructing From Organized Religion Is Not The Same As Denying Your Faith Deconstructing from Christianity can be challenging and sometimes painful, particularly for those who have grown up in a strict Christian home where devotion to church was part of daily life. However, this process can also ... Read More

The Power of Connection The Emotional Toll of Losing Your Church Community "I just miss the people." A version of that statement is often said by people who leave church, and I feel this deeply. It's a heartbreaking by-product of making the decision to leave the place where one has deep roots and relationships that ... Read More

The Difference Between Renouncing Your Faith and Deconstructing From It Can You Keep Community If You Lose Your Religion A simple Google search on "renouncing faith" or "deconstructing your faith" will net you a slew of posts about the tragedy of turning your back on Christ, and how the fault lies with you if you ... Read More

Take Me to the Place Where Faith No Longer Hurts Your Faith Should Feel Like Coming Home, Not Like Being Kept Prisoner It wasn't supposed to be this way. From the very beginning, we humans have gotten it wrong. Survival of the fittest evolved into survival of the whitest. The expanse of time between the ... Read More

Having Tough Conversations Turning Your Tough Conversations into Heartfelt Discussions Confrontation is never easy, especially when you are putting your heart on the line or your identity is being threatened. When you want the other person to listen with deep intention, sometimes that desperate need builds up, and you end up shouting out your needs. ... Read More

Trauma-Informed: An Interview With Marlana Glaeser, Owner Of Gentle Hands Consulting Defining Trauma-Informed "I wonder if you'd be interested in joining me on a TikTok livestream." And with that simple DM, a friendship began with a person who I have come to know and admire greatly for her courage. In this week's podcast episode, Marlana ... Read More

Is Fear Keeping You in the Church Pews Every Sunday? Why the Need for Community Keeps People in the Same Church That Hurt Them If you've followed me for some time, you know I was raised Southern Baptist. I navigated my way through many churches, including progressive ones, until I finally landed in an evangelical/pentecostal ... Read More

Queer Spirituality: An interview with Alejandro Rodriguez, director of Spirituality Network Ministering with communities vs. to Them How does someone who works for corporate America in a Fortune 100 company, leave that job and become the executive director for a non-profit that focuses on social justice issues? On this podcast episode, I had the honor ... Read More

The Difference Between A Welcoming vs. Affirming Church It is important to distinguish between a congregation that values numerical growth and one in which all members are welcomed and loved for exactly who they are.   People desire to be accepted and welcomed into a spiritual community that embraces them unconditionally. I witnessed the pain ... Read More

Using Your Voice for Good Wow, I forgot how much I truly detest the cesspool of comment engagement on Facebook. It was a momentary lapse of reason that compelled me to leave that comment on Heather Cox Richardson's early morning post. Heather, a renowned political historian and author, writes daily about the intersection of the ... Read More

Using Your Voice for Good I'll never forget the day I went "viral" on TikTok. Imagine-me, a boomer who could barely navigate the app to post a video, let alone posting one that would eventually have millions of views. I was frustrated with a writing project, and my business mentor had suggested that I remember ... Read More

The Healing of the Inner Child   It was right after the ceremony. I had just declared Ria and Amber Demiri married in a beautiful ceremony with a picturesque setting made more beautiful by the people gathered to witness this sacred event. The minister is usually the first one to the altar and the last ... Read More

I Wish It Was Over, But It Is Just Beginning I'm writing this blog in the wee hours on Sunday, November 13th. This has been part of my 'normal' for about 8 years. Something awakens me that feels like a spiritual nudge, an invitation to arise, write, then rest. It doesn't happen every night. But ... Read More

Enlightenment Awakening is Happening in the Little Moments of Living A gentle warning: In this writing I share a story about a newborn puppy that was actively dying. For anyone who has held the space of a loved one while they were taking their last breaths, you will discover there is nothing out of the ... Read More

Chasing the Belonging The Lonely Side of Deconstructing Your Faith "Chasing the belonging." She said those words during our podcast recording. We had just spent the last hour together in a conversation that was so comfortable, as if we'd known each other a lifetime. Perhaps our souls did, because there was an ease in which ... Read More