Today on the pod, we have Brad Klausman joining us! Brad (he/him) is a life coach, a father, a former pastor of 20+ years, a purity culture survivor, an explorer of the unknown, and an all around great human. On the pod, he shares how he raised his kids around the church and how a traumatic family event played a role in leaving the toxic system that he was raised in. Brad talks about his decision to leave and publicly share his journey, and he gets into his decision to become a life coach. We talk about his experience with purity culture in the 80s, grooming through indoctrination, his daughter's coming out, and so much more. Brad is such an encouraging human with an impactful story; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I'm so thankful to have Brad on the pod to tell us more of his experience with leaving the label of 'Christian' behind in 2019 after spending 20+ years in pastoral ministry. Connect or work with Brad! Instagram: @brad.lifecoach Website: coachingwithbrad.org Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect! If you are interested in sharing your story on the pod, shoot me a DM, and let's chat!

Today, we have Rebeka Jones on the pod! Rebeka (she/her) is a writer who you may know over on Instagram as @rebekainwriting. She is also a mom and wife, a trans-racial adoptee, an avid non-fiction reader, and a fellow New Girl lover. Rebeka is such a warm person to hear from, and I'm so glad to have her on! She shares a bit more of what began her deconstruction, where she is now, and some of the tools she used to help her navigate motherhood alongside her own changing faith. We talk about her decision to practice gentle parenting and what she saw that made her decide to pull apart the parenting structures that she saw happening in the church. Books talked about: The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns Abuelita Faith by Kat Armas Connect with Rebeka over on Instagram: @rebekainwriting Follow @thedivinemisfits over on Instagram to keep up & connect! If you're interested in sharing your story on the pod, shoot us a DM, and let's chat. If you would like to share your story anonymously and have it featured in our #MisfitMonday stories, fill out the form through this link: https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits

*TW: Discussion of abuse and violence* In today's episode, we have Lu-el Fantroy joining us! Lu-el (he/him), aka @Cult.Spirit, is a creative, co-host of the Alive We Live podcast, an educator, a cult survivor, a husband, and a father. The more I learn about him, the more grateful I am to get to know him, and I am so excited to bring this conversation to your ears! Lu-el shares more of his experience as a child in a cult and how those years shaped how he approached his foundational beliefs and how it has affected his deconstruction. He touches on how deconstructing as an adult has given him new freedom to find himself and his voice after decades in fundamentalism. Lu-el also shares how he has channeled his creativity during his deconstruction and the plans he has to come for the deconstruction/re-humanizing community! Connect with Lu-el on Instagram & support his work: @Cult.Spirit Check out Lu-el's Podcast & more: https://www.helphumans.care/lu-el Follow @Thedivinemisfits on Instagram to keep up and connect. If you are interested in sharing your story on the pod, shoot us a DM, and let's chat!

Welcome back y'all! After a month away, we are back at it! Today we kick off season 2 with Bekah Fantroy, aka @SayWhatIWanna, over on Instagram. She is the person behind the words many of us have related to in our deconstruction over on Instagram, the co-host of the Alive We Live Podcast with her husband, a momma to 5 boys, a former worship leader, and writer. Bekah shares her experience growing up as a pastor's kid, leaving the church with her family, and finding her identity outside the church. We talk about the perspective changes that led her to reconnect to herself outside the church's rules and expectations. Boundaries, friendships, marriage, oh my! We talk about it all on this one. Connect with Bekah! Instagram: @saywhatiwanna // Alive We Live Podcast Do you want to share your story anonymously? You can choose if you like us to share it on our #MisfitMondays or not! https://forms.gle/xPhFjaPoYmR4SvwK7 Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to keep up and connect. If you are interested in sharing your story on the pod, shoot us a DM, and let's chat!

*Putting a TW on the entire episode. Self-harm ideations & abuse mentioned* In today's episode, we have Derek Ziarkowski (he/him) on the Pod! Derek shares his experience of growing up in purity culture in the South, and being exposed to harmful teachings at such an early age put such fear and shame on his shoulders. He shares how his continuous learning and partnership with his spouse helped release the weight of holding onto purity culture and led them to health. We also discuss toxic masculinity and the pressure on men in the church, both by purity culture and the overall system. This episode touches on deep emotions, and Derek shares his experience openly with all of us for an honest conversation. Connect with Derek on Instagram: @thederkmeister Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect! If you're interested in sharing your story with us, anonymously or on the podcast, fill out the forms in our LinkTree (https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits) or DM us!

Today's episode is pretty short and chill! I share a bit about what my personal life has looked like recently and the gratitude that I have felt through the challenging moments. *While still letting myself feel the sh*t I needed to feel in order to move forward.* I express quite a lot of my gratitude for you all in this episode! I also share how implementing rituals of gratitude has impacted greater areas of my life while deconstructing my beliefs. In a time of free-falling, finding things I'm grateful for has led the way to more freedom to explore the curiosity that comes with expansion. I am also hosting a giveaway over @thedivinemisfits on Instagram! Check out our post to learn how you can enter to win Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies, a journal & pen, and crystals! If you are interested in sharing your story with us, anonymously or on the podcast, fill out the forms in our link below, or DM us on Instagram! https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits

*TW: R*pe and Sexual Assault are mentioned* Today I share my experience with purity culture and the shame that I carried from sex and masturbation into my young adult life. I also discuss how purity culture impacted the way I viewed my body and the larger role that purity culture plays on women's expectations in the world. I share how my views have changed since beginning to deconstruct previous toxic thought patterns by stripping shame away from the spaces it should never have been placed in.  This episode is pretty personal, so grab your drink of choice, and let’s get into it! Embodiment & Sex-Positive Accounts I suggest! (There are so many out there! It helps to find people to learn from that make you feel comfortable with yourself! You got this!) @misstarateng @rachelovervoll @youareluminous @shanboody @evyan.whitney Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect! If you're interested in sharing your story with us, anonymously or on the podcast, fill out the forms in our LinkTree (https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits) or DM us!

*TW: Suicidal ideation & depression are mentioned* Today we have Marilla Ziarkowski (they/them) on the pod! They are a writer, dancer, pie baking aficionado, and loves to immerse themselves into learning about psychology and philosophy. Marilla shares their experience of their deconstruction and how the church, family members, and others were a part of their final push to see the patterns of abuse within the theology surrounding them. They also talk about how getting diagnosed with autism has helped them see the broader scope of how they were letting others impact how they existed within their own mind. We talk about the systemic abuse throughout Christianity, how it has affected our lives, and the mental patterns we have changed to experience our full autonomy. After changing their thought processes on living their life from the inside out versus the outside in, they can see the ways that their autonomy has come back tenfold. This episode is full of goodness and so much wisdom. Enjoy! Connect with Marilla on Instagram: @marillathevanilla Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect! If you're interested in sharing your story with us, anonymously or on the podcast, fill out the forms in our LinkTree (https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits) or DM us!

*CW: Brief discussion of abortion* Today we have Becki Beasley (she/her) on the podcast! Known online by the handle Also Your Daughters, with a podcast by the same name, Becki is an artist, a writer, a wife and mother, and a feminist reshaping her world to equality. Becki and I talk about her experience growing up in a conservative Christian home and how she has deconstructed her previous beliefs to embrace the power she holds as a woman. Becki not only shares where she is at on her journey to reclaim her power, but she also inspires those around her to see the freedom that intersectional liberation can bring to everyone. Everyone can benefit from feminism, and Becki reminds us of this with her work in the world of deconstruction. Becki's Book recommendations from the Pod: 10 Lies the Church Tells Women by J. Lee Grady On Her Knees by Brenda Marie Davies (God is grey) Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber Pure by Linda K. Klein #ChurchToo by Emily Joy Allison Connect with Becki! On Instagram: @alsoyourdaughters  Her podcast, Also Your Daughters, is available on all streaming platforms! Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect with us! If you're interested in sharing your story anonymously with us or on the podcast, fill out our forms through our LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/thedvininemisfits.

*TW: Discusses homophobia and conversion therapy* In today's episode, Chandler Benthal (he/him) joins us and shares about his coming out and how he found acceptance and freedom in his sexuality. He gets honest about growing up as a pastor's kid in the Pentecostal church and navigating his sexuality alongside his faith. We discuss his experience of coming out to his family and the aftermath, and from there, what he wishes more Christians would do to show love to the LGBTQ+ people. This episode talks heavily about harmful theology around being LGBTQ+. If you are reading this and have been taught that your sexuality is sinful, please know that is not true, and you are divine as you are.  The Trevor Project Hotline: (800) 788-7386 Connect with Chandler on Instagram: @chxndlr Follow @thedivinemisfits on Instagram to connect! Check out this link if you're interested in sharing your story with us: https://linktr.ee/thedivinemisfits