Best Melissa Lent Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 154: Micha Boyett- Living Into the Dream of God 51:17

3d ago51:17

51:17

Words have the power to form us. And that has indeed been the case for author, youth pastor, and podcaster, Micha Boyett. In today’s conversation with Micha, she explains how living with the beatitudes, while raising her son with Down syndrome and autism, has deeply formed her. In our time together, she talks about the Dream of God, a reality in wh…

1
Episode 153: Molly LaCroix, LMFT- Love Lives in Us 46:18

18d ago46:18

46:18

In today’s conversation, I was blown away by how a popular therapy model demonstrates the image of God in each of us. More specifically, author and marriage and family therapist, Molly LaCroix helps us see the relevance of the Internal Family Systems therapy model on the journey to healing and wholeness. In our time together, we talk about her late…

1
Episode 152: Alice Baker, MSRD CEDS-C LMHC LPC LDN - Living Counter to Diet Culture 37:20

1M ago37:20

37:20

So often diet culture disconnects us from our bodies and from having a peaceful relationship with food. In today’s episode, I talk with registered dietitian and therapist, Alice Baker, MSRD CEDS-C LMHC LPC LDN, about shedding unhelpful beliefs from diet culture. Alice Baker has over 27 years’ experience in the field of eating disorders. She current…

1
Work it Out Ep. 11: "Joyful Obedience" 43:30

1M ago43:30

43:30

Butker and Vocation, Compliments and Calves, Methodists and Possibilities, and Job and Howard Thurman.By Rev. DeAndre Johnson and Rev. Michael Jarboe

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Episode 151: Dr. Jason Nagata- Why the Rise in Eating Disorders Among Boys and Men? 39:02

2M ago39:02

39:02

Dr. Jason Nagata is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and is an expert in eating disorders, particularly in boys and men. He has published over 300 articles in academic journals and serves as Senior Editor for the Journal of Eating Disorders, on…

1
Episode 150: Joy Marie Clarkson- You Are Not a Machine 41:49

2M ago41:49

41:49

Joy Marie Clarkson has learned the art of seeing goodness, truth, and beauty in our midst and she helps us do the same. In case you are new to Joy, she holds a PhD in theology from the University of St. Andrews and is the author of two books, Aggressively Happy and, most recently, You Are a Tree. She is also a research associate in theology and lit…

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Work it Out Ep. 10: "India.Arie Loves Our Podcast!" (ft. Rev. Melissa Maher) 57:20

2M ago57:20

57:20

Description: Easter 2050, The Mystic Songwriting of P!nk, United Methodist Hope at General Conference, and The Wisdom of SirachBy Rev. DeAndre Johnson and Rev. Michael Jarboe

1
Work it Out Ep: 9: "The Architect" 47:18

2M ago47:18

47:18

The Path of Totality, Kacey Musgraves, The Lost Art of Community, and Lamentations Verses/Versus Taylor SwiftBy Rev. DeAndre Johnson and Rev. Michael Jarboe

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Episode 149: Heather Creekmore- Worshipping Thinness 45:26

3M ago45:26

45:26

Heather Creekmore is a podcaster, mom of four, body image coach, and author. In our time together, Heather describes what inspired her to write her latest book, The 40-Day Body Image Workbook, as well as why she’s so passionate about guiding women out of diet culture and into truth. Heather also describes what has helped her improve her own relatio…

1
Episode 148: Dr. Charlotte Markey-Social Media, Body Image, & Body Dissatisfaction Among Boys 59:26

3M ago59:26

59:26

In today’s episode I talk with Dr. Charlotte Markey about body image pressures impacting us and the next generation. Dr. Markey is a body image expert, professor of psychology and director of the Health Sciences Center at Rutgers University-Camden. She has authored several books, including The Body Image Book For Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fe…

1
Work it Out Ep. 8: "Get Lent-y" 48:16

3M ago48:16

48:16

80-Year Old Brains, Church Without Livestream, Exhaustion Era, and Walter Brueggemann Wisdom.By Rev. DeAndre Johnson and Rev. Michael Jarboe

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Episode 147: John Van Sloten- Knowing God Through Creation 1:07:17

4M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

John Van Sloten is a Calgary-based writer, teacher, and pastor who is passionate about helping people engage God everywhere. Over the past ten years he has preached dozens of creation and Bible-based sermons on topics like radiation therapy, river hydrology, chemical catalysts, tree branches, human knees, and DNA repair mechanisms. John is a regula…

1
Episode 146: Diane Summers, MS, RDN, CD- Lent, Fasting, and Diet Culture 52:00

4M ago52:00

52:00

Diane Summers, MS, RDN, CD is the founder of Hope Nutrition Therapy and a nationally registered and state certified dietitian. Diane has treated the full spectrum of eating disorders and concerns since 2004, has been supervising eating disorder dietitians since 2009, and works with clients and consultees around the world. She is also a Certified In…

1
Work it Out Ep. 7: "10% Discount at Slowpokes" 40:05

4M ago40:05

40:05

Fast Cars, Houston's Coffee Scene, Warthogs named Waylon, and 7 Trends that will Disrupt Churches in 2024

1
Episode 145: Amy Baik Lee- “Everything Sad Will Come Untrue” 48:25

5M ago48:25

48:25

In today’s episode, we consider how looking heavenward can breathe new life into the present. This consideration is not a practice of escapism, but an opportunity to take a step back to see the larger story of humanity, where we’ve been and where we’re headed. Thankfully, today’s guest is a gracious and thoughtful guide. Amy Baik Lee is the author …

1
Episode 144: Felicia Wu Song-How Technology Is Shaping Our Souls 56:18

5M ago56:18

56:18

Felicia Wu Song is a cultural sociologist, speaker, and author who studies how social media and digital devices alter the family, community, and organizational life. Felicia has studied History, Communication Studies and Sociology at Yale, Northwestern, and University of Virginia and her expertise has been sought by organizations such as BioLogos, …

1
Episode 143: Kimberly Wilkerson-The Power of Words 55:50

6M ago55:50

55:50

Kimberly Wilkerson believes in the power of language; how it impacts us and those around us. Kimberly is a speech language pathologist, as well as the founder of Token Clothing Co. At Token Clothing Co., Kimberly has fused her passion for language with her interest in fashion, to give women an experience that helps them overcome limiting beliefs an…

1
Episode 142: Lisa Diers, RDN, LD, E-RYT- Detoxing from Diet Culture: The Holiday Edition 53:33

6M ago53:33

53:33

With the start of the new year, we find ourselves in a season inundated with diet and fitness-related ads. We are being saturated with and sold the message that now is the time to change, reshape, or perfect our bodies or food intake. My hope is that today’s guest will help us all detox from the current flurry of diet culture messaging and be remin…

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Work it Out Ep. 6: "Christmas Special" (ft. Rev. Jenny Veres-Schrecengost) 41:48

6M ago41:48

41:48

Advent Calendars, Unlocking Our Potential, Intermissions in Movies (or Unlearning to Pee During Films), St. Berné Brown's Image of Hope, and Theological Endurance.

1
Work it Out Ep.5: "Shout Out!" 38:53

7M ago38:53

38:53

Resilience and Reality for the Unhoused, Cultivating Awe, "Movin' On Up to the East Side," and Advent wonder.

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Episode 141: Kristi McLelland- The Nearness of God 43:29

7M ago43:29

43:29

In 2007, Kristi McLelland went to Israel and realized that God is better than she ever knew. After studying in Egypt and Israel in 2007, Kristi’s life took a turn, and she began leading biblical studies trips to Israel in 2008. Kristi is an author, professor at Williamson College, and a biblical culturalist who teaches the Bible in its historical, …

1
Episode 140: Dana Sturtevant, MS, RD- "Reclaiming Body Trust" 56:16

7M ago56:16

56:16

Registered dietitian and author, Dana Sturtevant, believes that society has ruptured our relationship with food, movement, and our bodies. Food has become something to restrict and our bodies a project to tweak and “perfect.” But Dana believes it doesn’t have to be this way. She has spent more than 15 years helping people let go of chronic patterns…

1
Work it Out Ep.4: "Power of the Remix" 51:20

7M ago51:20

51:20

Ancient versus Modern in Morocco, Swifties changing Brazil, Kirk Franklin's "Father's Day," and Hip Hop Music as a way of Hope.

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Episode 139: Kendall Vanderslice- The Beauty of Bread 36:42

8M ago36:42

36:42

All too often these days, bread gets a bad rap. In many ways, diet culture has taught us to fear “carbs” in all forms. Today’s guest, however, helps us see bread in a new way. She not only invites us to see bread as a gift, but as a sacred reminder of God’s presence and provision. Kendall Vanderslice is a professionally trained baker, speaker, and …

1
Work It Out Ep.3: "This One Time at Oxford" (ft. Dr. Dallas Gingles) 48:35

8M ago48:35

48:35

Listening to Palestine and Israel, Death Row hope, the Golden Bachelor's grief, and finding Light in the darkness.

1
Episode 138: Deb Benfield, MEd, RDN/LDN- Rethinking Aging 53:25

8M ago53:25

53:25

Deb Benfield has helped hundreds of women heal their relationship with food, eating, and their bodies in her 35-year career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. In her own aging journey, she became frustrated by how difficult it was to find well-researched advice on aging with vitality that was not related to managing weight or youthful appearan…

1
Work It Out Ep.1: "Drop My Theme Music" 31:37

8M ago31:37

31:37

Online Voting, Artificial Intelligence, Tiny Desks, Image of God

1
Work It Out Ep.2: "To Infinity and Beyond" 36:42

8M ago36:42

36:42

Bey vs. Tay, Trekkies, The Synod of Synodality, Sky Diving Grandmas, and the Mystery of Grace

1
Episode 137: Natalie Runion- Not Giving Up on the Beauty of the Church 36:34

9M ago36:34

36:34

Several months ago, The Atlantic reported that forty million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years, representing the largest concentrated change in church attendance in American history. In today’s episode, I talk with pastor’s kid turned pastor, Natalie Runion, about the trend of diminishing church attendance. Natalie Runion…

1
Episode 136: Donetta Floyd, MS, RDN, LDN- Misconceptions about Health, Body Image, & Type 2 Diabetes 43:37

9M ago43:37

43:37

Donetta Floyd’s compassion and perspectives are so refreshing. When it comes to societal messages around food and our bodies, we can often be left with the feeling that we aren’t doing it right. In today’s episode, registered dietitian Donetta Floyd helps dispel unhelpful ideas and misconceptions regarding our relationship with food, our bodies, as…

1
Episode 135: Emmy Russell- Why the Song "Skinny" is Getting So Much Attention 30:25

10M ago30:25

30:25

Emmy Russell is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who has been performing for the majority of her life. Touring on the road with her grandmother, country legend Loretta Lynn, Emmy started singing on stage at the age of two. Years later, Emmy sang with Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas, at her grandmother’s memorial. This special performance was nominate…

1
Episode 134: Gaelynn Lea- Letting Go of Societal Scripts 49:42

10M ago49:42

49:42

Gaelynn Lea is a professional musician and sought-after public speaker. She has opened for numerous artists including the Decembrists, composed the music for Macbeth on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig, and her perspectives have been shared on outlets such as On Being With Krista Tippett and PBS NewsHour. Having been born with Osteogenesis imperfect…

1
Episode 133: Leslie Schilling, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-S-Diet Culture in Our Safe Places 53:17

10M ago53:17

53:17

Societal notions of “beauty” and our relationship with our bodies and food have been deeply influenced by diet culture. Author and registered dietitian Christy Harrison defines diet culture as: “a system of beliefs that equates thinness, muscularity, and particular body shapes with health and moral virtue; promotes weight loss and body reshaping as…

1
Episode 132: Grace Wabuke Klein-Finding Purpose in All Seasons 42:12

10M ago42:12

42:12

Grace Wabuke Klein has had her share of ups and downs. From fleeing Uganda under the reign of Idi Amin as a child to having her prayers to get married answered at the age of 42, Grace has had a full life. She has also learned, and now encourages others, that we can find purpose even in difficult days and seasons of waiting. In her new book Flourish…

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Episode 131: Lacy Finn Borgo- Faith Like a Child 40:37

11M ago40:37

40:37

Some of life’s greatest lessons come from unexpected teachers. For Lacy Finn Borgo, some of her greatest teachers have been children. In Lacy’s new book, Faith Like a Child: Embracing Our Lives as Children of God, Lacy invites us to consider what we might learn from children. Moreover, could welcoming our child selves draw us deeper into wholeness …

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Episode 130: Grace Casper- When a Dream Becomes Reality 45:45

1y ago45:45

45:45

You never know where things will lead. For Grace Casper, a journal she began in elementary school has now become her new book, releasing this week entitled, Dear Parents: Notes from a Child of Divorce. Grace Casper is a writer, speaker, full-time elementary school librarian, and the host of the podcast, Divorce: What I Wish My Parents Knew. She gra…

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Episode 129: Don Pape & Melissa Johnson- The story behind my book, "Soul-Deep Beauty" 38:03

1y ago38:03

38:03

In honor of the release of my new book, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless, I have a special episode in store for you. I recently sat down to have a conversation with my literary agent, Don Pape. Don has been a champion of my book and its message for years now and I can’t thank him enough. In our time togeth…

1
Episode 128: Christie Dondero Bettwy- The Toxic Waters of Beauty and Diet Culture 41:49

1y ago41:49

41:49

When it comes to societal messages around beauty, we’ve all been swimming in toxic waters. On today’s episode, Christie Dondero Bettwy, helps us name some of the toxic beliefs and messages that we are being fed, so we might be freed from them. Christie is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery in Arlington, Virginia. Rock Recovery is a Christian e…

1
Episode 127: Catherine Claire Larson- The Wonder of Life Itself 46:21

1y ago46:21

46:21

Catherine Claire Larson invites us to see beyond the surface of things; reminding us that each life is a miracle, and that parenting is actually soul formation. Catherine is an author and the mother of six boys. Her most recent book is called, Watching in Wonder: Growing in Faith During Your Baby's First Year. Catherine has her masters in biblical …

1
Episode 126: Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS- The Dangers of Wellness Culture 56:32

1y ago56:32

56:32

“Whole,” “natural,” and “clean” are just some of wellness culture’s buzzwords. On the surface, wellness culture can be so enticing, perhaps seen as the pathway to optimal health and wellbeing. In today’s episode, however, Christy Harrison unpacks some of the dynamics and potential dangers of wellness culture; helping us see why we should think twic…

1
Episode 125: Elena Rossini-Social Media, Teen Mental Health, and the Over-Saturation of Unrealistic Beauty Ideals 51:10

1y ago51:10

51:10

Elena Rossini noticed a disturbing trend; she observed a cross-generation epidemic of body dissatisfaction. Not only was the trend across generations but it was manifested in similarly distressing ways across diverse cultures. Elena Rossini is an Italian film director, producer, editor and public speaker. Her work focuses on issues of social justic…

1
Episode 124: Jasmine Holmes- The End of Shame 46:25

1y ago46:25

46:25

Shame is that all-encompassing, embodied, sinking feeling that we are wrong or bad. It’s not just a sense of guilt over something we did, but the wrongness of who we are. And shame has all kinds of occasions to creep in; the perceived wrongness of our body, our relationships status, our parenting, our career, and the list goes on. In today’s episod…

1
Episode 123: Cleere Cherry Reaves- Miracles Are Everywhere 54:19

1+ y ago54:19

54:19

Cleere Cherry Reaves had an experience that changed how she viewed everything. When Cleere’s son was born three months prematurely, Cleere and her husband watched as their child fought for his life, developed, and began to thrive. In today’s episode, Cleere tells us the lessons she learned from that experience, how her faith was transformed, and wh…

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Episode 122: Amanda Held Opelt- We Don't Grieve Alone 47:29

1+ y ago47:29

47:29

Amanda Held Opelt got a lesson in grief she never wanted. After a series of miscarriages, the loss of her grandma, and then her beloved sister, Amanda found solace in an unexpected place, in exploring ancient grief rituals in practices. In her first book, A Hole in the World: Finding Hope in Rituals of Grief and Healing, Amanda explores how such an…

1
Episode 121: K.J. Ramsey, MA, LPC-Held by Love 54:29

1+ y ago54:29

54:29

In today’s episode, K.J. Ramsey reminds me that “We are held by this web of love,” the love of God and the love of others. Those words and others like it shifted something in me. Instead of having to nervously earn or find God’s love, it is a reality that always surrounds me. A reality I can rest in. A reality we can rest in. K.J. Ramsey is a traum…

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Episode 120: Jessica DeFino: "Beauty Standards are Devastating Us" 53:52

1+ y ago53:52

53:52

The Sunday Herald calls today’s guest, Jessica DeFino, “the woman the beauty industry fears.” That’s because Jessica, a beauty reporter and beauty culture critic, has seen the inner workings of the beauty industry and didn’t like it. More than that, Jessica now spends her time dismantling beauty standards, debunking marketing myths, and exploring h…

1
Episode 119: Sandhya Oaks- "Light Will Win" 41:09

1+ y ago41:09

41:09

How do we live life fully alive? For Sandhya Oaks, living fully alive entails being courageous enough to go to places of brokenness and shame, so we might find healing. While trauma or hurt stunts our capacity for fullness of life, healing leads to an increased ability to love and live abundantly. Sandhya Oaks is a Ministry Leader, Spiritual Direct…

1
Episode 118: Brittany Braswell, MS, RDN, LD-Self-Deprivation, Disordered Eating, & Fasting as a Spiritual Practice 49:01

1+ y ago49:01

49:01

We are approaching Lent, a forty-day period of preparation for celebrating Jesus’ resurrection at Easter. It’s a time rich with spiritual significance. It also happens to be a time when the ideas of self-deprivation and fasting can get emphasized in faith-based circles. The tricky part is that both diet culture messages and faith-based messages at …

1
Episode 117: Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S-Making Peace with Food & Body through Intuitive Eating 55:05

1+ y ago55:05

55:05

In a world where beauty is so often equated with thinness and weight loss with health, willpower, and virtue, Intuitive Eating gives us a different framework-one that emphasizes the beauty of body diversity and makes food freedom possible. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with one of the co-creators of Intuitive Eating, Elyse Re…

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Episode 116: Richard Foster & Brenda Quinn-The Beauty of Humility 50:07

1+ y ago50:07

50:07

In a world of selfies, social media, and self-promotion, the virtue of humility isn’t getting much airtime these days. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of discussing this all-important virtue with Richard Foster and Brenda Quinn. Richard Foster is the founder of Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation, a nonprofit that helps pe…

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