MIDDLE GROUND - Real Conversations on Faith, Identity & Becoming — Through Brynne's LDS Lens of Curiosity, Love and Doubt

You Don't Quit, You Start Again: Being Your Own Cheerleader Through Every Season — A Pep Talk

In this Pep Talk, I pulled over in my car to tell you something important. I've started a new health and wellness phase again, and that's the whole point. You don't quit. You start over and over and over again. Life gets hard, complicated, busy, messy. There will be seasons when you pause. But you keep trying again and again. Find people who support you through it all, and when someone says "you've already tried this," you say "yeah, and I'm going to try it again." You know who can be there for you unconditionally? You. You can be your biggest cheerleader 100% of the time. You've got your entire life to work on this. The person you already are is enough, worthy, lovable. You don't have to change a single thing. But discovering who you want to be and taking the next step makes life more invigorating. I'm on your team. You've got this. Brynne’s Social: Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355] Instagram: @brynne_erickson https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/ [https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/] Threads: @brynne_erickson https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== [https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]

You're Not Beyond Help: Whole Person Change After Addiction & Homelessness — Jackie & Jeff

In this episode, I sit down with Jackie and Jeff from the Other Side Academy and Village, a nonprofit helping people coming out of incarceration, homelessness, or addiction through a two and a half year program focused on whole person behavioral change. Jackie shares 25 years of on and off homelessness, introduced to drugs young, losing her daughter, and finding relief when arrested because she'd have a bed and meals. Jeff talks about living in canyons for six years after getting stabbed, calling cops on himself to go to jail, and writing a letter to the Academy. They explain real community means people holding you up while also expecting your best, not accepting you as lesser. They discuss misconceptions like homeless people don't want help or are dangerous. Both are now coaches helping others discover who they want to become. The Academy is self-sustaining through Other Side Moving, thrift stores, and donuts. Brynne’s Social: Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355] Instagram: @brynne_erickson https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/ [https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/] Threads: @brynne_erickson https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== [https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] The Other Side Academy and Village Donate - https://www.theothersideacademy.com/donate [https://www.theothersideacademy.com/donate] https://theothersidevillage.com/donate-now/ [https://theothersidevillage.com/donate-now/] More information - https://www.theothersideacademy.com/ [https://www.theothersideacademy.com/] https://theothersidevillage.com/ [https://theothersidevillage.com/] Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Other Side Academy and Village 04:34 Understanding Real Community 10:34 The Journey to Acceptance and Change 16:30 Personal Stories of Transformation 24:12 The Impact of Upbringing on Life Choices 30:08 Reflections on Drug Use and Recovery 33:52 Embracing Mistakes and Unlearning Behaviors 37:24 Focusing on the Present and Building Foundations 39:19 Roles and Responsibilities in the Community 39:40 Common Misconceptions About Homelessness 42:11 Understanding Fear and Misunderstanding 44:54 The Balance of Acknowledging and Embracing Brokenness 46:17 Reframing Regrets and Learning from the Past 49:39 Redefining Purpose and Self-Discovery 55:35 The Goodness of People and the Power of Change 57:17 The Importance of Love and Compassion 59:27 Social Enterprises and Community Outreach

Feelings Are Information, Not Identity: Processing Emotions Without Shame

In this mini episode, I talk about how feelings are just information. Having a hard day doesn't mean you're failing. Crying in your car doesn't mean you're falling apart. Feeling angry, sad, or overwhelmed does not mean something has gone wrong. It means you're alive and paying attention. I share a story from my guest Mindy Cope who got a spider bite that made her foot swell up purple and black. Instead of spiraling, she wrote a poem about the spider and found gratitude in the colors. Her husband walked in and offered to help beautifully. What she thought was happening to her was actually happening for her. Negative thoughts and feelings are like an alarm bell signaling you've started believing something untrue about yourself. The alarm is a gift from your inner knowing saying let's get curious. Your affirmation: I can feel this and still be okay. My feelings are information, not my identity. Brynne’s Social: Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355] Instagram: @brynne_erickson https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/ [https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/] Threads: @brynne_erickson https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== [https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Chapters 00:00 Understanding Feelings as Information 03:46 Reframing Negative Emotions 05:00 Embracing the Complexity of Emotions

You Are Enough Right Now: Faith, Perfection & The Spark of Christ Within — Jennifer Roskelly

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Jennifer Roskelly for a deep conversation about faith, scripture, and the spark of Christ within each of us. Jennifer shares her journey from age 15 asking "If Joseph Smith can see God face to face, why can't I?" to discovering profound truths in literal scripture interpretation. She explains how perfection actually means complete or whole, not flawless, referencing how God called Job a perfect servant. We discuss the biological spark of light when sperm meets egg, how the heart is the first organ formed and grows the brain, and Jennifer's belief that our bodies can change through faith to endure Christ's presence. She shares her one rule for truth: if it excludes anyone, it's not of Christ. Her message to the world: you are worthy, you are enough, let the light inside yourself define who you are. Brynne’s Social: Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355] Instagram: @brynne_erickson https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/ [https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/] Threads: @brynne_erickson https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== [https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Jennifer's Resources: The Parables of Jesus - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=parables+of+jesus [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=parables+of+jesus] Lost Gospels of Thomas - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lost+gospels+of+thomas [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lost+gospels+of+thomas] Pistis Sophia - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pistis+sophia [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pistis+sophia] The Doctrine of Christ - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual] The Lost Gospels of Mary Magdalene - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lost+gospels+mary+magdalene [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lost+gospels+mary+magdalene] Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Friendship Origins 03:58 Jennifer's Spiritual Upbringing 06:47 Questions and Doubts in Faith 09:56 Seeking Enlightenment and Connection 12:50 The Role of Faith and Personal Growth 15:39 Understanding the Nature of Christ 19:00 The Concept of Earning Salvation 22:02 The Journey of Self-Discovery 24:49 The Future of Humanity and Faith 27:56 Finding Truth in Scriptures 31:33 Understanding Worth and Value in Faith 32:58 The Concept of Life and Death 34:55 The Role of Dreams and Spiritual Insights 37:03 The Spark of Christ Within Us 40:08 Abraham's Test and Symbolism of Faith 42:33 The Science of Life and Spirituality 44:58 Becoming Like Christ 51:49 Judgment, Mercy, and Faith 54:35 Worship and Community 56:22 The Message of Worthiness

Giving Biblical Women Voices: Inner Authority, Wholeness & Divine Feminine — Kristi Garcia

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Kristi Garcia to talk about her poetry book Women Who Knew, which gives voices to biblical women telling their own stories. Kristi shares how the book poured out of her in three months lying in bed next to her toddler, starting with a poem called "Mary's Response" to the song "Mary Did You Know?" She reads Sarah's Heartache about infertility and waiting. We discuss how God meets women where they are (in the kitchen, at the well, rocking babies) versus calling men to mountaintops, and how women's bodies were designed on purpose with heightened senses to meet God through physical presence. Kristi introduces her concept of inner authority and higher authority being the same power in two different channels, like a lighthouse's upper and lower lights. She's writing a new book called Feminine Discipleship about reclaiming wholeness without losing yourself to find God. Brynne’s Social: Facebook: @Brynne Erickson - my public page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573316550355] Instagram: @brynne_erickson https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/ [https://www.instagram.com/brynne_erickson/] Threads: @brynne_erickson https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== [https://www.threads.com/@brynne_erickson?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Kristi’s References:  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kristigarcia.speaks/ [https://www.instagram.com/kristigarcia.speaks/] * Join her poem of the month club, newsletter and buy her book “Women Who Knew,” via her link on Instagram.  📕Women Who Knew - https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Knew-faithful-fearless/dp/B0FLLHC2CB [https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Knew-faithful-fearless/dp/B0FLLHC2CB]  Key Topics Feminine discipleship and biblical women The power of poetry in spiritual growth Inner authority and trusting oneself in faith Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kristi Garcia 04:08 Balancing Life and Priorities 07:06 Empowering Women Through Poetry 10:19 Exploring the Theme of Infertility 13:01 The Heroine's Journey 15:52 The Power of Female Experience 19:00 Writing Process and Inspiration 22:00 Lessons from Women in Scripture 25:02 Reclaiming Female Spirituality 27:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 32:23 Exploring Faith and Divine Communication 34:58 The Journey of Self-Trust 37:49 Feminine Discipleship and Inner Authority 42:43 Reclaiming Wholeness in Faith 48:34 Navigating Organized Religion and Personal Beliefs 55:51 Understanding God’s Love and Authority