Let's Be Real with Nicole Unice

After 100 episodes and 2.5 years of Let's Be Real, it’s time to take a break. In this farewell episode, we discuss the importance of ending things intentionally and revisiting the reasons behind why something was started. This helps us create space for new beginnings.

On today’s episode we’re throwing it back to one of the earliest episodes with Aundi Kolber, licensed professional counselor and author of Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress and Survival Mode--and into a Life of Connection and Joy. She has such a compassionate, gentle approach to helping people come into abundant life through healing from "big T" and "little t” traumas, and I think you’ll love this episode.

Aundi teaches us about how even "little t" traumas can accumulate and wound in a way that keeps us from staying authentic to ourselves.  How we all have a "window of tolerance" and what it means to stay within that window  Aundi walks me through a guided exercise to stay with and then release hard feelings especially in times where we feel like we can't cope. 

"the harder life is, the softer we need to be.” 

Today’s episode is from the How to Study the Bible Podcast. We are kicking off a new Advent series there, looking at the women in Jesus’ lineage in a God of Our Mothers series. In Matthew 1, we get a genealogy of Jesus’ family. Genealogies are put in place because the people matter to the story, and there are several women named in his family line.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Matthew 1:1-3:

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar…”

Genesis 38 – Who Is Tamar?

1. She is not an Israelite

2. She is unwanted

3. She is mistreated

4. She is seeking justice

5. She is shrewd

(Don’t forget how Judah’s mom came to have him--also veiled and in disguise)

Genesis 38:26 is the turning point in the story. Judah confesses his unrighteousness, and we see that Tamar is brought into his family and one of her twin sons becomes part of the lineage that leads to Jesus (Perez).

WHAT IS THE BACKSTORY

After Joseph is sold into slavery, we get this graphic story in Genesis 38. We see the wickedness of Judah as a foil to Joseph’s righteousness. But eventually, we’ll see Judah take a righteous turn. First, though, he marries a Canaanite, and they have three sons. One of these sons marries Tamar.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. God colors outside the lines.

2. We are never defined by our past.

3. God sees the marginalized.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?

Matthew 9:10-12:

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On today’s episode we are joined by Blaine Hogan. Blaine is an actor, artist, director and author of Untitled and Exit the Cave. Blaine shares the stories that shaped him while exploring how our relationship to our past defines how we imagine the future and live in the present.