In this episode, Ariana and Alicia take the time to chat with Sheila Wray Gregoire. Sheila is a wonderful person and is actively working to bring healing and understanding to couples on the topic of marriage and sex. Sheila has been working to bring clarity on this topic for over 17 years and cares deeply about building strong relationships. Sheila has written over 9 books, created several courses, and hosts the Bare Marriage podcast alongside her daughter and husband. She has many great resources available - which you can find on her website. Sheila has also created a course with her daughters called The Whole Story where they dive into how to talk about puberty with our kids. If you have any questions or comments on this episode, or need further clarification on anything you’ve heard, please don’t hesitate to reach out in person or contact us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Instagram, and reviews on iTunes are always welcome! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ariana welcomes Alicia deVries as a co-host to the show! They chat about Alicia's story and her journey to becoming who she is now. They discuss how their views have changed over the years, and dive into what shaped them growing up. There are passion buttons pressed and we get to hear what makes Alicia get riled up. Alicia will be a regular voice on the show and you will get to be a part of the thoughts and discussions her and Ariana have regularly. Ariana and Alicia both grew up in and around Kitchener-Waterloo, went to the same church for much of their growing up lives, were both homeschooled, are both Enneagram type 9s, married brothers, and love spending time with people having meaningful conversations. Alicia is a mom to three beautiful children and a gentle soul. She is learning to speak up against harmful belief systems and is bravely joining the Active Listening team! If you have any questions or comments on this episode, or need further clarification on anything you’ve heard, please don’t hesitate to reach out in person or contact us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Instagram, and reviews on iTunes are always welcome! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ariana chats with Selam Debs about how racism is affecting our brothers and sisters of colour, how we as white folks are a part of perpetuating problematic systems, how she is using her voice to speak truth to power, and how we can all raise anti-racist children. Selam was born in Amman, Jordan, and grew up around Toronto, Ontario. She is a single mom, active in the community fighting for Black liberation and justice, owns the Juici Yoga studio teaching wellness, and is a singer, poet, and writer. Selam has created several workshops where she speaks about anti-racism and provides insight to those searching. You can find Selam on Twitter and Instagram. If you are interested to learn more, you can find her courses and workshops here. If you have any questions or comments on this episode, or need further clarification on anything you’ve heard, please don’t hesitate to reach out in person or contact us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Instagram, and reviews on iTunes are always welcome! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Ariana talks with Matthew Mikkelsen about the ways in which modernization is affecting our world and us as individuals; causing a noise pollution crisis. There are few places on Earth which are untouched by manmade sounds for extended periods of time. Matt is a sound recordist, audio engineer, and documentary filmmaker. He is the co-founder of Spruce Tone Films, serves as the Executive Director of Wilderness Quiet Parks, and is on the board for One Square Inch, which works to protect Olympic National Park from noise pollution. He loves the outdoors and hopes to inspire others to care for the earth; preserving natural soundscapes. If you have any questions or comments regarding this episode, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] OR you can find us on Instagram and Twitter.

In this episode, Ariana chats with Dr. Rachel Kowert, a psychologist studying the science of gaming. Rachel works to debunk many of the myths surrounding video games. We deep dive into all of the stereotypes, misconceptions, and questions that today’s online world presents. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to video gaming. Rachel is the Research Director for Take This (a non-profit providing mental health awareness), and the Founder of Your Own Castle. She is the mastermind and face behind the Psychgeist youtube channel, and actively works to bring more awareness about the world of online gaming; especially for parents. If you have any questions or comments regarding this episode, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] OR you can find us on Instagram and Twitter.

*We recorded this conversation several months ago, and we've come a long way with the progression of a vaccine. However, our numbers are still climbing and the need for vigilance is even greater! Take care and follow the guidelines set in place for the protection of everyone so we can get on top of this.* In this episode, Ariana chats with Cynthia Carr, an Epidemiologist from Winnipeg, on the Coronavirus pandemic. She shares great insight into how to fight the virus as well as why this year has been so hard. Please listen carefully! We know Christmas is just around the corner, and it's not going to a normal or easy year of celebrations. However, it's up to all of us as individuals and communities to stop the spread, create new memories and traditions, and care for others as this crazy year comes to a close. If you'd like further information on COVID-19, start off by visiting your public health website. You can visit Cynthia’s Facebook page or her website to find out more. The links listed below also provide great information. Public Health CanadaCenter for Disease Control & PreventionHow Science Beat the VirusCNN PodcastDr. Tom Frieden Public HealthCoronavirus Explained - KurzgesagtAdditionally, if you have any questions or comments regarding this episode, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] OR you can find us on Instagram and Twitter.

In this episode, Ariana discusses something we are all being greatly affected by right now - whether we live in the United States or not - politics. Arlie Hochschild is our guest today and she offers great insights into the role human emotion plays in our politics. She is a sociologist and seeks to understand people beyond the decisions they make or the words they say. She wrote a deeply impacting book called Strangers in Their Own Land which helped to bring understanding to the stories of anger and mourning of those on the American right. If you would like to read more by Arlie, there's a great article here and an interview here. She also wrote another book called The Managed Heart. If you have any questions or comments regarding this episode, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] OR you can find us on Instagram and Twitter.

In the intro episode of the season, Ariana shares the heart and vision for season 2. She doesn't shy away from talking about where we were hoping to take it and where it's ended up. This has been a year for the history books and all of our lives have been affected in dramatic and subtle ways; challenging our very way of life. The world seems to be flooded with crisis upon crisis and it can be overwhelmingly uncomfortable to stop and think about even one of those things. Hopefully this season's guests and stories will help provide clarity in some areas and cause us all to encounter discomfort within ourselves; allowing us to create a community of empathy.

In this final episode of the Church &____ series, Ariana discusses what it's like to deconstruct with Phil Drysdale. Phil shares what his experience was like with deconstructing his faith and how that affected him. He also dives into many of the myths and stereotypes associated with a those who are questioning and deconstructing. We know this is a buzz word for many, but it is also very real. It affects the way we live in community, our mental and emotional well-being, as well as our spiritual life. Our own deconstruction journey inspired us to start the Active Listening podcast. We hope this has been a safe place for you to sit with the stories and questions of others and help guide you along the road of life. We are so grateful to all of our listeners who have joined us at the table. The adventure isn't over! We look forward to the next season with you called Bad Vibes: Purposely Uncomfortable. Join us for more conversation deep dives into topics that may just push you to start deconstructing for yourself.

In this conversation, Kathy Hogarth shares with Ariana what it truly means to be a lover of justice and an ally for the BIPOC community. She offers insight into loving people as complete humans - not as objects or stepping stools - within our communities and especially our churches. Kathy is a professor, chairwoman, advocate for immigrants and marginalized people groups, as well as a wife and mom. She desires to help others understand the place that racism has in our society and cares deeply about justice; living it out in every day life. To see more from Kathy, you can visit her Twitter or read her articles. If you have any questions or comments regarding this episode, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] OR you can find us on Instagram and Twitter.