Episode theme: faith
“To be sane is to have faith in something. Whether it’s the whisper of the wind through the trees, or the breath of a prayer when we long to be found, faith reminds us that we matter, that our lives can be a gift to others. —Laura Joyce Davis
Episode 83: the enthusiast
“There's also the challenge that no matter what I'm doing, it's going to be misinterpreted by somebody.”
Sevens are often referred to as "the fun number" on the Enneagram. But their continual search for contentment through the next great experience can also make them scattered and unreliable. Oakland pastor Marco Ambriz, who calls himself "a hard seven," has learned how to lean on others and slow down, turning his weaknesses into strengths.
Episode 75: the helper
“It just doesn't occur to us not to meet a need until we are utterly exhausted, and our bodies or spirits start screaming. This is something I wish that people in my life understood.”
Hilary Davis is a hospital chaplain who enjoys helping people have what she calls "a good death," and who brings equal enthusiasm to her work fighting climate change. She's also an Enneagram 2, the type often called "the Helper," because they're quick to help those around them and to work with endurance to better this world. They're the unsung heroes of our world, whose greatest challenge is helping others at the expense of themselves.
Episode transcript
Episode 74: the challenger
“I don't think it's supposed to be a feel good tool that indulges us in our egocentrism and just pushes us further down that road. I think it's supposed to inspire us to transform.”
The Enneagram 8 is often described as "the challenger." Addiction therapist Jen Sheedy has been speaking truth to power all her life, but this time has brought with it challenges she never could have foreseen, choices that are pushing her to be more courageous than ever before.
Episode 66: what’s going on
“Your sense of self should not reside in people or a job or a career or things or accomplishments, but that's how I spent so much of my life”
James Jones has been carving his own path for a long time--as a musician, a voiceover artist, a podcaster, and a Black man in the Mormon church. He shares how taking the leap to follow his dreams have included some falls, but ultimately landed him exactly where he needs to be.
Episode transcript
Episode 24: in defense of doubt
“This family is built on grit and persistence—but it is so important that we don’t stop unpacking our luggage. Self work today helps our families tomorrow.”
On the 22nd anniversary of a beloved family member's death, Laura reflects on the critical role doubt has played in her own journey, and how continues to guide her during this time of uncertainty.
Episode transcript
Episode 64: blues for almost forgotten music
“We have holidays to honor the dead who have been lost in war. Why don’t we have holidays to honor those whose lives have been lost to the evils of racism?”
Award-winning poet Roxane Beth Johnson shares poems to help us remember the music of life, and talks about how this time has taught her to to live a quieter life and find hope in the small moments.
Episode transcript
Episode 56: story Saturday (bent toward hope)
“I think there's part of me that's always kind of searching for this legitimacy.”
In this very special Story Saturday edition, Laura talks with award-winning author Kirin Khan, who began this time of sheltering in place in a firestorm of tragedy, but through it all has found her way to hope and grace.
Please note: this episode mentions suicide.
Episode transcript
Episode 47: tell the kids
“I’m concerned that each time one of these situations arises and I don’t address it with my kids, I’m teaching them it doesn’t matter. Or that I don’t care. Or that silence in the face of injustice is acceptable.”
In this second episode of lament over Ahmaud Arbery's death, Laura faces the hard reality that her kids may not have the view of equality that she thought they did. She looks to two leaders in the church who are crying out against injustice in a new way, one that includes sharing our grief with our kids.
Episode transcript
Episode 22: in solidarity
“I learned from our women friends how to love myself not for the things I could accomplish or the way others saw me, but because of what I was capable of extending to others, that reflection of the divine.”
Laura gets a message from a friend in Manila talking about how COVID-19 has affected those in the Philippines, and reflects on the lessons her year in Manila taught her a decade ago.
Episode transcript
Episode 61: do not be afraid
“What you feed yourself drives whether you're going to be cynical or whether you're going to be hopeful. I want to create art that people will come back to that will drive them towards the hopeful as opposed to the cynical.”
Laura talks with Nashville Singer-Songwriter Christopher Williams about how making music for twenty-five years has taught him how to not be afraid--even when everything around us is crumbling.
Episode 37: abundance
In this third installment of a week dedicated to dreaming big crazy dreams and being grateful, Laura confronts her own cynicism about generosity, and how a recent study showing a link between gratitude and generosity and Laura's own experience of her family losing their source of income has pushed her to think about generosity in a new light.
Episode 32: be still
“I think what feels so different about this time of unemployment is that we no longer have the illusion of control.”
Today, Laura shares some big news in this little episode. As her family faces the reality of unemployment and a future they can't control, Laura considers what it means to sit in this moment of fatigue and uncertainty while staying focused on the things that matter.
Episode transcript
Episode 18: seasons
“I’ve spent the past few days thinking about success--and the almost-success that feels more like failure.”
It's Holy Week, the final week of the season of Lent. Laura reflects on growing up in a place with extreme seasons, and how learning about the rhythms of Lent, Passover, and Ramadan have helped her during this season of shifting from our pre-COVID-19 lives.
Episode transcript
Episode 3: burning bush
“You will know your path
not by how it shines
before you
but by how it burns
within you”
On day three of the Bay Area Shelter in Place mandate, Laura gets news that a family member might have been exposed to COVID-19. In the wake of this news, she reflects on what life is like for those in medicine right now, and what the rest of us can do to support them.
Episode transcript