Where Do We Go From Here?

What does it actually mean to "honor your parents" when the relationship is strained, distant, or painful? In this thoughtful and nuanced episode, we explore the tension between faith, family expectations, and lived experience. We unpack cultural and biblical interpretations of honor, distinguish it from obedience and access, and offer a compassionate framework for navigating boundaries, estrangement, and healing. This conversation makes space for complexity—acknowledging grief, validating emotional realities, and encouraging self-awareness—while offering grounded insights into how respect and integrity can coexist with necessary distance. We invite our listeners into a more spacious, honest understanding of family relationships—one that allows for both compassion and clarity. Honoring your parents doesn't mean abandoning yourself. It may, instead, look like living truthfully, setting wise boundaries, and choosing dignity for everyone involved—including you. Email: [email protected] Instagram: @wheredowegopod Patreon: patreon.com/wheredowegopod Key Themes & Topics Reframing Honor: Moving beyond simplistic definitions to understand honor as dignity, integrity, and non-dehumanization—not blind obedience or unlimited access. Scripture: A brief look at Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1–4, and Colossians 3:21, including the often-overlooked responsibilities of parents. Boundaries as Healthy & Necessary: Understanding that boundaries are not rejection, but clarity—creating space for sustainable, honest relationships. Psychological Realities of Family Dynamics: Discussing attachment patterns, emotional distance, enmeshment, and the long-term impact of early relationships. Estrangement & Cultural Shifts: Examining increasing trends in low-contact relationships and generational differences in how family, duty, and emotional health are prioritized. Compassion Without Excusing Harm: Holding empathy for parents while still naming personal truth and honoring lived experience. Grief, Healing & Self-Awareness: Making room for mourning the relationship you hoped for, while moving toward acceptance and growth. WWJD article: https://thefaithfulcitizen.substack.com/p/where-did-jesus-go?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1pgj0j&triedRedirect=true Estrangement articles: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12898 Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents https://bookshop.org/p/books/adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents-how-to-heal-from-distant-rejecting-or-self-involved-parents-psy-d-lindsay-c-gibson-psyd/c76b830ed14fe568?ean=9781626251700&next=t The Place We Find Ourselves - 4 part series called "Engaging with Someone Who Has Harmed You" (episodes 93 to 96) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zk8LNivIxf2vH0bj4q1V8?si=8ed69a76f0af407c

In this deeply insightful and expansive conversation, Chantal McKinney shares her journey through spiritual deconstruction, healing from church harm, and reimagining faith beyond traditional structures. Drawing from her experiences as an ordained priest, mystic Christian, and community builder, Chantal invites listeners into a vision of church rooted in love, inclusion, and the divine feminine. Together, we explore the impact of systemic misogyny in faith spaces, the power of prayer and inner authority, and what it means to co-create a more compassionate and expansive spiritual future. This episode is a powerful resource for anyone navigating faith shifts, seeking healing, or longing for authentic, liberating community. Petition mentioned: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/los-women About Chantal McKinney Chantal McKinney is an author, mystic Christian, and visionary leader dedicated to supporting those on the margins of traditional church spaces. A former Episcopal priest, she is now the founder of Root Thrive Soar, Founding Pastor of Christ's Beloved Community, and founder of Contemporary Mystics Publishing. Through her work, Chantal creates supportive networks for those impacted by church harm and for spiritually expansive individuals seeking new expressions of faith. She lives in North Carolina with her family. Chantal's book: Following Jesus Beyond Church Walls: A Catalyst for Your Spiritual Growth available here: https://a.co/d/01oNjK8R Learn more: chantalmckinney.com rootthrivesoar.com contemporarymysticspublishing.com Petition: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/los-women Key Themes & Topics Spiritual deconstruction and faith reconstruction Healing from church harm and systemic misogyny The divine feminine and reimagining God The role of prayer and Christ's example Reclaiming inner authority and spiritual autonomy Building authentic community outside institutional church Co-creating the future of Christianity The mass "exodus" from traditional church structures Reframing angels, demons, and spiritual language Spiral fractals as a model for spiritual growth Jesus' spiral prayer in John 17 reflects both spiritual growth and interconnectedness—like fractals in nature: o Begin with praying for yourself o Extend prayer to family and friends o Move outward toward the broader community, your state and nation. o Pray for the world

In this insightful and empowering conversation, educator and domestic equity expert Laura Danger joins us to unpack the invisible systems shaping our homes, relationships, and sense of fairness. With over a decade in education and a background in special education, Laura brings a practical, inclusive lens to topics many families struggle to name—let alone solve. As the creator of That Darn Chat and the author of No More Mediocre, she helps people navigate burnout, emotional labor, weaponized incompetence, and the unequal distribution of care work. Together, we explore how societal expectations around gender and parenting continue to influence family dynamics—and what it actually takes to build more equitable, supportive partnerships at home. Laura shares actionable strategies for discussing redistribution of labor, reducing resentment, and moving toward intentional, egalitarian relationships—without perfectionism. What We Cover The differences between physical, emotional, and mental workload Emotional and mental loads are real, measurable, and often unevenly distributed The estimated monetary value of a care worker, particularly a parent The impact of gender roles in parenting and partnership Navigating relationship challenges while striving for equity The cultural pressure of motherhood and its consequences Why many online parenting spaces center "motherhood" over inclusive "parenthood" Domestic engineering and social reproduction We are all carers and care work is essential labor Egalitarian relationships require intentional conversations not assumptions How to recognize incompetence versus weaponized incompetence Negotiating who is competent to complete various tasks as care givers in one household Mental health challenges in care work New family structures Community support plays a crucial role in sustainable change About the Guest Laura Danger is an educator and domestic equity expert helping individuals and couples navigate household labor, mental load, and relationship dynamics. She is the creator of That Darn Chat and author of No More Mediocre, and her work has been featured in major outlets including HuffPost and Business Insider. Connect with Laura: Website: lauradanger.com Instagram: @thatdarnchat

In this special bonus episode, we're giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what a typical month sounds like on the Where Do We Go From Here? Podcast. You'll hear: An excerpt from our March RomCom Recap Sneak peeks from two upcoming April interviews Clips from EDJ's conversation with Dr. Kevin Jenson on the Epstein files A teaser from March News & Views A timely reminder from February's No Hard Feelings discussion This episode is designed to give both new and longtime listeners a feel for the range of conversations we explore—from pop culture and media analysis to deeper discussions on power, purity culture, and sexual ethics within deconstruction spaces. Supporting the Podcast Some of our content is free for all listeners, while other episodes are available exclusively through our Patreon community. For just $3 USD/month (roughly $4–5 AUD/CAD or just over $5 NZD), paid subscribers get full access to: The complete RomCom Recap Full News & Views episodes The Epstein Files deep dive All interviews This episode also breaks down where your support goes and shares additional ways you can help sustain the podcast. www.patreon.com/wheredowegopod A Note from the Hosts We deeply appreciate every listener. We know transitions can be challenging, especially as we move from the original hosts, Devi and Jessica—who built something truly meaningful—to our current host: EDJ (Eady Jay / Evangelical Deconstruction Journey) Our hope is that you'll continue with us as we: Learn and grow together Engage thoughtfully with faith deconstruction Explore topics like purity culture and sexual ethics And keep asking the question: Where do we go from here? Stay Connected Follow, rate, and comment Find us on Instagram @wheredowegopod Review the podcast and share episodes with friends Join us in the Green Room March 31st (April 1st AUS / NZ) & April 28th/29th Join us on Patreon for full access and bonus content: www.patreon.com/wheredowegopod

Does church still have a purpose when you're questioning everything you were taught? · EDJ, Emily and Kristen share their current relationship with church and one word (or a few) describing their deconstruction season. · They discuss what church actually is and what they find important about a church or spiritual community. · They suggest that podcasts and online communities are ways of doing and being "church." · They explore questions around why people leave church and why people stay, particularly during deconstruction. Some of the reasons mentioned for leaving have to do with panic attacks or anxiety, burnout, LGBTQIA+ concerns or disagreements. Reasons for staying vary from relationships, to worship practices, to wanting to give children exposure to other opinions about God, to quality discussion with others and more. · The hosts delve into the gender (sex) of people attending church and why in the past this has been more feminine, but in the present leans more masculine. Naturally, they look at patriarchy and hierarchical issues, women preachers, pastors and leaders, and gender equity. · Kristen, Emily and EDJ, question the future of church and what it could evolve to become. They discuss Denominations that might be considered "safer" or more "progressive," and some denominations they would no longer attend. · Finally, the hosts discuss two Reddit questions for their unsolicited advice section: 1) I wish I didn't start deconstructing & 2) Parents keep asking me to go to church · Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheredowegopod/ · Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wheredowegopod