139 | Unraveling & Rebuilding: My Journey Through Faith, Politics, and Personal Growth

Wild & Waking

Healing isn’t just about unlearning old beliefs—it’s about giving ourselves permission to ask hard questions, challenge ingrained narratives, and rebuild our understanding of the world. In this deeply personal episode of Gather in Growth, I open up about my evolving relationship with faith, politics, and self-trust—and why I no longer feel the need to fit neatly into the boxes I once lived in.

If you’ve ever felt torn between the beliefs you were raised with and the truth you’re uncovering within yourself, this episode is for you. I share my personal experiences growing up in a small-town church, navigating ideological shifts in college, marriage, and motherhood, and ultimately finding freedom, faith, and alignment in places I never expected.

This conversation is not about changing anyone’s mind but rather holding space for curiosity, nuance, and personal transformation. My hope is that this episode encourages you to explore, question, and trust your own journey—wherever it leads.

In this episode, I cover:

• How my experiences in a small-town Christian church shaped my early belief system
• The tension of deconstructing religion while still feeling deeply connected to faith
• Why my spiritual connection has deepened outside of organized religion
• The intersection of faith, patriarchy, and systemic disconnection from intuition
• How my political beliefs shifted through different seasons of life—from college to marriage to motherhood
• Why I no longer feel at home in a single political party and how I evaluate political issues today
• The impact of social circles, environment, and real-world experiences on my evolving perspective
• The intersection of religion and politics and how they have shaped cultural narratives
• Why unlearning old beliefs can feel unsettling—but is necessary for growth
• The internal conflict of questioning faith and politics when they no longer feel aligned
• How I stopped outsourcing my beliefs to external authorities and learned to trust myself
• Why curiosity is not rebellion—it’s self-awareness in action
• How to engage in hard conversations without internalizing others’ perspectives
• The importance of being in community with people who hold different beliefs
• Why we must be willing to challenge our own biases and perspectives

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Resources and Links:

• Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven’t Tried Yet
• Gather in Growth Sponsorship Inquiry
• Book me as a speaker for your next event
• Gather in Growth podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting