Shalom Sessions

Latest Episodes:

Episode 13: Shalom Book Club, "Esperanza Rising" May 29, 2016

Show notes

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances–Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

In this episode, Cara and I chat about, "Esperanza Rising" by Pam Munoz Ryan.

I feel like Sanda Sherdin, a listener said in the hangout sums up everything we loved about the book:

I really loved the perspective on the era, immigration, the struggle of migrant workers, and prejudices. Stories like this are huge at developing empathy for people in positions we otherwise wouldn't even know how to imagine. More than anything though, I loved the identity story. Esperanza first found her identity in her father, her status, and her pretty things. When those were sadly and undeservedly stripped away, she began to learn and reveal who she really was all along: a beautiful girl, inside and out, full of fight and hope! She discovered and revealed that her richness had nothing to do with her circumstances after all.

We both loved the change of pace with choosing a middle grade book and we found so many parallels between Esperanza's story and many people in our country who are either undocumented or navigating an immigration system that's full of gaps. We both felt so energized to learn and explore the ways we can seek shalom for the foreigner. So next week, I've invited my friend, Sarah Quezada, the author of A Life with Subtitles to share tell her story of falling in love with a man who is an undocumented worker.

We also give an announcement that we're changing our summer books. We're still reading, "Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God" by Lauren Winner, but we're changing the July and August books.

We hope you pop over to the hangout and share your thoughts on Shalom Sista Hangout and to get the skinny on the new books we've chosen for July and August.

Grab your copy of, "Wearing God" and join us next month.

Also, have you downloaded your FREE #SummerofShalom Guide yet? No? Well you can do that here.

Shalom My Sistas,

Osheta

Episode 12: Celebrate Shalom! May 21, 2016

Show notes

Hey Sistas,

Toady's episode is all about celebrating the ways you're practicing Shalom in your everyday lives. I'm joined by my friend, Abby Perry and we share the ways we've seen Shalom in the media this past month, we cheer on our listeners who shared their stories of Shalom, and we introduce our really fun #SummerofShalom Instagram Challenge!

Abby is the writer behind the blog, "Joy Woven Deep". She's a mom of two in College Station, Texas who loves Jesus, personality types, books, television, and movies! She kicks off the episode by sharing her primary practices of Shalom, is caring for her boys, supporting the foster care community by offering them date night childcare through the "childcare pantry", and leading a local cohort of "Be The Bridge to Racial Unity", a community of people with a common goal to see healthy dialogue around the topic of race.

Abby told us about, Runway of Dreams:

Runway of Dreams is a nonprofit organization working with the fashion industry to adapt mainstream clothing for the differently-abled community.

Partnering with top brands and retailers, Runway of Dreams works to integrate wearable technology and design modifications into clothing, making it adaptive and wearable for all.

As a mom of a boy with special needs, this company is close to her heart. They just partnered with Tommy Hilfiger to create a stylish and fun line. Check it out: If you remember, I interviewed Margot Starbuck about her neuro-diverse community on the podcast. So this company is just ONE MORE WAY God is asking me to be more aware and passionate about differently-able persons. I was all kinds of tearful about a certain reunion duet from the Broadway musical "Wicked". The original stars of Wicked reunite for a new, stripped-down take on the show's touching final duet as part of the "Out of Oz" series.

We had LOTS of women share with us what Shalom looks like in their lives, so we had a good time celebrating two different, Sistas, Sarah Elizabeth Finch, Sabrina, and a special voice message from a listener named, Jill.

From Sarah Elizabeth:

I'm practicing shalom by celebrating differences and unique perspectives with my "Marked By" series. It's something I believe in doing daily with my community group and "mom" friends. I love making people feel special for the things that distinguish them from others, and I hope that I keep making this a priority in my circles of influence.

From Sabrina:

This week I've been trying to just give where I can to offset the feelings of lack I've been wrestling with. So, I bought some Gatorade/saltines/soup to an employee out with the flu yesterday (she lives alone). When my favorite cashier rang me up at my local Shaw's and asked me for the 1 millionth time do you want to donate to Muscular Dystrophy today, I said YES. Darn she's good. When a client calls for someone else and that someone else is busy, I take it on myself. Abundance is everywhere and all around us, I'm breathing it in and saying yes this week. It feels so good

And a sweet listener named Jill shared her inward practice of Shalom by attending therapy and then her outward practice of shalom that steamed from the recent death of her friend to domestic violence. How it's inspired her to think about that community and ask, "how can I help".

If you or someone is suffering from domestic abuse, DON'T SUFFER ALONE. Please call the National Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Abby and I are both on Instagram and WE LOVE IT! So, I couldn't think of a better co-celebrator than Abby to introduce my #SummerofShalom Instagram challenge.

Reserve your free hard copy of the print here and join us for a summer full of practice of Shalom.

http://bit.ly/SummerofShalom

Thanks for listening, Sistas!

~Osheta

Episode 11: Perfect Day in Austin May 13, 2016

Show notes

Today's episode is short and sweet. An Annoucement and answer to a listener named Heidi about Kristin Schell's perfect day in Austin...what happened to it? It wasn't in her episode. Well I explain what happened and then play it for you in this episode.

I also give a fun announcement.

Check the link to Kristin's episode for the recipe for the Chicken Marbella

http://shalominthecity.com/2016/03/30/podcast-episode-o5-meet-shalom-sista-kristin-schell/

See ya next week with our Celebrate Shalom episode with Abby Perry!

Signup for the "Shalom in the City" Newsletter

here

shalominthecity.com

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https://www.instagram.com/oshetam/

Episode 10: Meet Shalom Sista Jessica Kelley May 06, 2016

Show notes

My guest on the podcast this week is Jessica Kelley. Jess is a dear friend of mine who share with us her story of loss. When her son, Henry was five years old, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Within the year, he passed away. Jess share with us that her primary practice of shalom, seeking wholeness where there is brokenness in to share a picture of God in the midst of our suffering that's altogether lovely, beautiful, and good. Jess and I laugh, we're vulnerable about our own losses and we cry. It's just like if we were sitting on my couch talking about being Mamas in a broken world and I really hope you take a listen. Jessica Kelley is a writer, speaker, and survivor of child loss. She has a B.S. in Psychology, a M.S. in Counseling & Human Development, and experience as a School Counselor. Born and raised in the South, Jessica now lives with her husband and five-year-old daughter in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She survives the absurdly long winters by going to the gym, dreaming about the beach, and eating copious amounts of chocolate. You can find her processing her faith journey at JessicaKelley.com. We talk about our own grief, yes, but we also talk about how to be a faithful comforter to those around us in grief, and Jess gives us these fantastic "Shalom Steps" I want to give away a copy of this book. It's a powerful testimony of God's love for us when we're in pain and it's beautifully written

You can follow Jess:

JessicaKelley.com LordWillingBook.com @JessInProcess https://www.facebook.com/jessicalkelley https://www.instagram.com/jessicalkelley To win your copy of "Lord Willing", pop over to Instagram, follow me, and on Mother's Day, I'll give one copy away. Shalom my Sweet Sistas, Osheta

Shalom Book Club #2: Bad Feminist Apr 29, 2016

Show notes

Hey Sistas,

Cara and I had a blast talking about "Bad Feminist" written by Roxane Gay on the podcast today.

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.

"Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I'm not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue."

We talk about how Sarah Bessey's book, "Jesus Feminist" prepped us to read this book from a whole place. We share our favorite essays (yay), and the ones that didn't quite speak to us, (nay...or more accurately.. meh), we touch on the differences between feminism and womanism, and, of course, Cara sings

We give shout outs to the Sistas who shared their thoughts of the book over at the Shalom Sista Hangout.

Ashley Ford's thoughts were SO SPOT ON!

I love the grace in it. For ourselves and each other. She's unequivocal in her declaration of how necessary the peace-making practice of feminism is, while also holding that it, and she, is no perfect. She won't let that stop her march toward wholeness though. And it's an encouragement not to let it stop us either.

You could, of course, extrapolate that idea out to any practice of shalom, which I think is the greater truth here.

It was a fabulous conversation and we hope you love it too!

Don't forget to get your copy of, "Esperanza Rising" for next month's book club from the Shalom Bookstore*.

BTW...Doesn't this cover give you, Beyonce's "Hold Up" vibe from "Lemonade"?

We hope you pop over to the hangout and share your thoughts on, "Bad Feminist" and if you're reading, "Esperanza Rising" with Cara and me let us know.

Your thoughts and questions are super important to our conversations.

Join us in the Hangout here

Get your copy of, "Esperanza Rising" here

A Raising a tall glass of Lemonade to you my Shalom Sistas,

Osheta

*Affiliate link...your purchase in the Shalom Book Store will help keep the podcast lights on

Episode o8: Meet Shalom Sista Kori Williamson Apr 21, 2016

Show notes

My guest on the podcast this week is Kori Williamson. I learned so much from her. She’s thoughtful, kind, and you’re going to wanna run out to Lowe's and get a compost bin. You know, tomorrow is Earth Day and I never know what to do! I know that when we think about Shalom, we think about wholeness in our relationships, in systems, and the Earth itself, but that last part feels so inaccessible to me. What does recycling and conserving water have to do with wholeness? And more than that, how can I work it into my life without being all or nothing! By the end of my conversation with Kori, I not only felt like I could do something to care for the Earth as a practice of Shalom but I felt so much grace for the moments I forget to recycle or my garden is a huge failure. I'm actually excited about tomorrow I hope you'll listen to today's episode and get excited too. We have a great time talking about creation care, documentaries, and of course, "The Lorax"!

Kori Williamson is passionate about creation care. By day she's a social worker, and when she's not in her garden, she the writer behind, "Steps of Intent". Kori is about to embark on a new adventure: Urban Homesteading in her city of Indianapolis. Kori is married to her amazing husband Brent for almost 7 years. She's the mama of one sweet little boy, Teddy, and a fur mama to a house full of rescued pets: 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 bird permanently; and she also foster animals (they used to foster children as well, but are currently taking a break). I love this article, "Just One Thing" from Kori on doing just one thing for Earth Day in which she gives a few more Shalom Steps. Which I SO encourage you to check out! I hope you love today’s episode and if you do let me know by leaving a review on iTunes. Did ya’ll know “Shalom in the City” made New and Noteworthy last week? It did! I’m so thrilled. The more weeks it can stay on the list, the easier it’ll be for fellow shalom sistas to find the show. So, pop over and leave a review when you get a chance. Shalom and Shopping for A Compost Bin, Osheta

Episode 07: Shalom Book Club with Cara Meredith Apr 18, 2016

Show notes

The first episode of the Shalom in the City's books club episode. In the book club episode, Cara and I discuss, "The Light of the World", by Elizabeth Alexander.

In THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, Elizabeth Alexander finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband. Channeling her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid price, Alexander tells a love story that is, itself, a story of loss. As she reflects on the beauty of her married life, the trauma resulting from her husband’s death, and the solace found in caring for her two teenage sons, Alexander universalizes a very personal quest for meaning and acceptance in the wake of loss.

In this episode, we deep dive into the two major themes of the book: death (obs) and identity. We also laugh, share deep, dark confessions, and Cara breaks out into song.

We also answer a question from a listener posted to the Shalom Sistas' Hangout

The passage that stands out most to me is on p.93 about Alexander's parents' response to her husband's death and the quote,

"To be a parent is to be terra firma, to stand, is to be planted in the earth." Having dealt with grief myself as a parent, I've wondered how much I should shelter my kids and how much to share. How do we help them with their own grief without traumatizing them with ours?

Over all we have a great time and can't wait to jump into our next book selection, "Bad Feminist"

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.

“Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I’m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue."

We hope you pop over to the hangout and share your thoughts on, "The Light of the World" and if you're reading, "Bad Feminist" with Cara and me let us know. Your thoughts and questions are super important to our conversations.

A Bookish Kind of Shalom to you my Sistas,

Osheta

Episode: 06 Meet Shalom Sista Margot Starbuck Apr 13, 2016

Show notes

My guest on the podcast this week is Margot Starbuck. I love Margot so much. She’s funny and whip-smart and you're going to love my conversation with her about her community, "North Street Neighborhood", a neuro-diverse community built around person with disability. We break down some terms and she gives us the most incredibly Shalom Steps. You know, I sometimes feel so out of depth when it comes to being a good friend to persons with disabilities. But by the end of my conversation with Margot, I was so empowered that I rallied my kids to go to the upcoming Special Olympics and..y'all...IT WAS AMAZING! I hope you take a listen because there's some good stuff for everyone of us in this episode. Plus, we laugh...a lot!

I've known about Margot for a little bit now because I review books for one of her publishers, Herald Press.

Margot Starbuck is passionate about effective communication. She's the author of seven books and a quiet collaborator on others. She speaks to audiences across the country about living the revolutionary Jesus way in the world today. In 2016 she's sharing about living from the solid place: #livebeloved365 Which I SO encourage you to check out! She's passionate about equipping folks to love our (sometimes unlikely or overlooked) neighbors and that's what we dig into in this episode of "Shalom in the City" Shalom Steps

Books/Authors Mentioned in the Episode*

*As always, if you use the links to the "Shalom Bookstore" to purchase your books, then a few pennies will be kicked over to me to keep the podcast up and running.

Margot mentioned a fun video of an impromptu concert with her neighbors and friends from Urban Promise in the show. Here's that video:

I seriously wanna move to Durham, y'all! Wait...what am I talk about? I love LA, I need to come alongside a Friendship House here and help create shalom through dancing and singing just like this.

I hope you love today's episode and if you do let me know by leaving a reaview on iTunes. Did ya'll know "Shalom in the City" made New and Noteworthy last week? It did! I'm so thrilled. The more weeks it can stay on the list, the easier it'll be for fellow shalom sistas to find the show. So, pop over and leave a review when you get a chance.

Eeep!

You can learn more about the North Street Neighborhood on their site. You can find Margot on her site, Margostarbuck.com or follow her on Facebook.

As always, you can continue the conversation in the Shalom Sistas Hangout.

Shalom in your earbuds, y'all!

~Osheta

Episode 05: Meet Shalom Sista Kristin Schell Mar 30, 2016

Show notes

My guest on the podcast this week is Kristin Schlle. Y’all. She’s kind and welcoming and incredibly generous, not just with her time, but her encouragement too. I hope you take a listen because she's also incredibly practical on the topic of hospitality which is the practice of Shalom she's most passionate about.

You may know Kristin as the "Turquoise Table Lady", she's the founder of the Turquoise Table movement. She put a picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting neighbors, friends, and even strangers, to hang out and do life together at The Turquoise Table. A new concept of hospitality unfolded in her neighborhood, and before long The Turquoise Table led to a movement of Front Yard People—ordinary people who long to create community right where they live.A gatherer at heart, Kristin brings people together for delicious food and stories at her table and online home www.kristinschell.com.

She also shares with us a recipe for this amazing dish which she says is a crowd-pleaser and what she'd cook my husband and me if we visited her in Austin. I haven't made it yet, but I am going to the market today so maybe I'll grab the ingredients for Chicken Marbella:

Shalom Steps:

Every episode, I ask our Shalom Sista to give us 2-5 practical next steps to help empower us if we feel inspired to share in her Shalom Practice.

Here’s Kristin's:

We're also hosting an Instagram giveaway this week. Pop over to my Instagram and find this picture, and tag one friend you think would love to learn more about the podcast, hospitality, or recipes.

You can find Kristin on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Shalom my Sistas,

Osheta

Visit shalominthecity.com for show notes on this and every episode. Find us on Facebook Shalom Sistas’ Hangout or @oshetam on Instagram!

Episode 04: Meet Shalom Sista Kathy Escobar Mar 15, 2016

Show notes

My guest on the podcast this week is Kathy Escobar. Y'all. She is wise and funny and so, so thoughtful. You're going to love everything she has to say about having hard conversations with people we disagree with and what peacemaking is (and is not). We both share a passion to take big concepts (like Shalom, like unity, like reconciliation, you know...so meta ;)) and making them practical so that we can actually live them out.

She tells us about a recent video series she did with The Work of the People, "Different Not Divided: A Third Way" with her co-pastor, Karl Wheeler about how they've navigated living together in unity while still honoring their differences at their church, "The Refuge".

From the "The Work of the People" website:

When we love our theology more than our brothers and sisters we are usually left with only two options: 1. Create increasingly larger, theologically monolithic and homogeneous churches, or 2. Disintegrate, fracture and eventually close the doors and lose relationship with each other.

For almost 10 years in The Refuge community, we have tried to practice a third option--a Third Way--where instead of fighting for our positions or fleeing for the safe haven of a group that looks, thinks, and believes like us--we live in the tension of our difference.

We are different, not divided.

And because practical application and providing awesome resources to the Body is something Kathy and I love to do, we've teamed up with Travis Reed over at "The Work of the People" to provide Shalom in the City listeners access to the videos and discussion guides. Normally you'd have to purchase these from the site, but we want to empower you, Shalom Sistas with this amazing resources to bring Shalom to your hard conversations and messy communities!

Just make sure you're subscribed to the "Shalom in the City Newsletter"

here:

shalominthecity.com

Shalom Steps:

Every episode, I ask our Shalom Sista to give us 2-5 practical next steps to empower our Shalom practice in our everyday lives.

Here's Kathy's:

1: Read the Beautitudes every day.

2: Practice Being Brave.

3:Show up. Tell the truth. Trust God. Let go of the outcome.

Perfect Day in her city: Denver:

1: Travel in her car.

2: Go to Snooze for brunch