Life + God Podcast

Mental Health Roundtable | Worry & Stress

Le Tang and Jeff Green are our panelists tonight, and both of them have experienced situational stress. Le's 17-yr-old sister recently had a cancer scare and Jeff is a new adoptive dad of two boys. Both of them share how recent stress and worry has manifested emotionally and physically.

Leave The Abbey

Jennifer Kilpatrick compares her experience of depression, anxiety, and spirituality to the scene in The Sound of Music when Maria leaves the abbey.
Jennifer is a self-proclaimed "recovering" attorney who practiced law for 20 years before she went to seminary at Perkins. She will graduate from seminary on Mary 14 and is scheduled to be commissioned as a Provisional Elder in the North Texas Conference in June. She is a single mom to an amazing 14-year old son named Jack (who attended more Perkins classes than some of her actual classmates). They live in East Dallas and have a dog named Scout. She has experienced anxiety and depression (two sides of the same frustrating coin) and regularly sees a wonderful therapist.

Overcoming Depression

Dr. Justin Barringer is a pastor, consultant, writer, editor, and has his PhD in Religious Ethics. He has published numerous books and essays, and along with his wife he co-founded and now directs Diapers Etc., North Texas' largest diaper and hygiene pantry, at Owenwood Farm and Neighbor Space where he also serves as Director of Social Outreach. Justin also suffers from treatment-resistant anxiety and depression, and is learning to find his voice as an advocate for all folks struggling through mental illness.

You Can’t Fake It

Sean Ray is 27 years old and identifies as a queer person with the pronouns of they/them. They have been managing depression and anxiety for the past 2-3 years. Sean tried hiding their depression for a long time because they were afraid of the stigma and that people they love would see them differently. Learn more about Sean and get more mental health resources at TMUMC.ORG/wellness.

Mental Health Roundtable | Depression & Anxiety

Pastor Doug leads a conversation with Justin Barringer, Jennifer Kilpatrick, and Sean Ray about depression and anxiety. All three of tonight's panelists have experienced depression and anxiety and are at different places in their journeys.

Get Back Up

To kick off our mental health focus, Alyssa Robinson had the privilege of talking to Dr. Monique Thompson, DHA, LPC, LPC-S. In today's episode, Dr. Thompson shares the strength of human resilience and our ability to get back up time and time again with the hope and love that Christ gives us. Mental wellness is an ongoing journey that each of us has to decide to start for ourselves. Are you ready to explore the question, "Which way is up?" TMUMC.ORG/wellness
Dr. Thompson is a mental health counselor in private practice north of Dallas/Fort Worth in her 20th year of practice. She has supervised to licensure 14 counselors in Texas. Her specialties are adult survivors of sexual trauma, couples recovery from affairs, PTSD and Bipolar Disorder. She was recently picked up by publisher, Callisto Media and published a workbook, Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples: Tools and Exercises to Rebuild Your Relationship which has ranked in the top 100-200 Dating Books on Amazon.
Dr. Thompson is in her 19th year as a consultant for Southern Methodist University (SMU) Perkins School of Theology. She is Associate Faculty with the University of Phoenix where she was nominated for Faculty of the Year, 2020. She was recently named a 2021 History In Heels Honoree.
Dr. Thompson serves the community through a nonprofit Whatsoever Is Good, Inc. that she and her daughter Tamia Thompson established. She works with middle and high school students across the U.S. offering the Zero Debt College Project which aims to help students develop effective scholarship strategies and avoid student loan debt. The program strategies helped Dr. Thompson's daughter Tamia with getting 10.5 million in merit scholarship offers and acceptance to over 160 colleges. Dr. Thompson is the first black woman on the school board in Little Elm having won the 2020 election with 11 out of 14 precincts. Her term began December 14, 2020.

Christ is Risen, Indeed!

Happy Easter! Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Easter when we do? Did you know Christian used to celebrate Easter every week? Rev. Daniel Humbert shares some insight into our Easter celebration and the Good News that Jesus was raised from the dead and brings us new life. Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed.

Waiting In The Tomb

Rev. Karen Chraska is our Assoc. Pastor of Worship Arts and leads us in beautiful song every Sunday. Holy Saturday is a day of Holy Week that we don't typically honor with a worship service in the Methodist tradition because there are so many differing views on what Jesus is doing the day before resurrection. Pastor Karen shares some thoughts for us to reflect on today as we prepare our hearts and minds for the risen Christ.

What’s Good About Good Friday?

Rev. Bill Mauldin is Assoc. Pastor of Youth Ministry, and he shares the meaning behind Good Friday with us. On a day focused on darkness and mourning, why do we call it "good?" Why is it necessary to honor Good Friday? Pastor Bill answer's these questions and more in today's episode. 

Our Dirty Feet

Rev. Doug Meyer is Assoc. Pastor of Caring Ministries at Trietsch, and today he shares the meaning behind Maundy Thursday. He finds this story of Jesus's last night with his disciples so meaningful because we get to see the humanity of Jesus in a way we hadn't seen before. Where have your feet been? If Jesus offered to wash your feet today, would you let him?