Hey Sistas

Join Jerusalem Greer and me for Shalom in the Home, our monthly conversation on peacemaking at home and in our community. We talk about hospitality and the insecurities we have around gathering the people in our lives.

A Recipe for Maundy Thursday: Chicken and Dumplings

From A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together

Ms. J’s Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is my answer to the Matzo Ball Soup and the Baked or Roasted Chicken that are often a staple of a modified Seder Supper. Not being Jewish, but being Southern, Chicken and Dumplings seemed like the perfect alternative to these traditional Seder dishes. And as for the recipe title, well, that comes from Sweet Man’s nickname for me, in the southern tradition of Miss Ellie from the TV show Dallas.

This is a large recipe—enough for twelve adults. Note: You can use homemade or store-bought chicken stock, or a combination of both.

For the Broth

Bring 15 cups of chicken stock to a boil.

Add the following to the boiling liquid:

3 carrots, peeled, washed, and diced (optional)

3 celery stalks, washed and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon of salt

4 pounds of boneless chicken breast (frozen or thawed)

Once the chicken breasts are fully cooked, pull them out, and set them aside to cool.

Reduce broth to simmer and leave simmering while you make the dumplings.

For the Dumplings

Mix together the following ingredients:

6 cups of flour

3 tablespoons of baking powder

3 teaspoons of salt

Next, cut in 1 cup of solid vegetable shortening (use either a pastry cutter, or 2 table knives, or your food processor).

Once the shortening has been cut in well (creating a crumbly texture), begin adding ice cold water, ½ cup at a time, into the mixture. I use about 2¼ cup of ice water (sometimes I use more, sometimes I use less, depending on the humidity in the air).

Your goal is to create a dough that is soft, smooth, and easy to roll out but is not leathery or mushy or grainy. Next, roll your dough out. These dumplings are Southern-style flat dumplings like we make in Arkansas, not the round fluffy “drop” dumplings that are common in the North.

       Sista’ Tip: My good friend and baking mentor Lynn taught me this great kitchen tip: When rolling out dough, spread out a smooth kitchen towel on your counter (I prefer the flour sack variety) and cover it with a good dusting of flour. This will be your rolling surface, and after you are done, you can simply fold the towel up and take it outside to shake off the excess.

Roll out the dough, using a slightly floured rolling pin, to between ⅛ and ¼-inch thickness.

Next, using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide by 3 inches long.

Finally, bring your stock back to a rolling boil, and tear the cooked chicken breast into bite-size pieces, adding it back to the liquid. Once that is done, begin adding the strips of dumpling dough into the stock. Once all the strips have been added, give the pot a good stir, and cover. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Check every few minutes, stirring gently, until the dumplings are tender and cooked through, about 15–20 minutes.

A Prayer for Maundy Thursday: An old mennonite song makes a wonderful prayer for Maundy Thursday -  Sing the Journey

A Printable for Maundy Thursday - Based on the traditional Seder Supper tradition of having four glasses of wine throughout the meal, each representing the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6-7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take.” Jerusalem has design a printable that you can give to each dinner guest, or print and deliver to neighbors with a jar of jam or bottle of wine. Frame with a dollar store clipboard or inexpensive frame or matte.

To download and print as many copies as you want, click HERE.

A Quote for Maundy Thursday:  (based on Saltproject.org How to Respect Other Religions)

“How can we begin to show hospitality? Eat together. Pray together. Hold each other’s babies.”

You can always visit Jerusalem at  http://jerusalemgreer.com

Want more Shalom in your life?  Follow Shalom in the City on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @shalominthecity. Come join us on Facebook at the Shalom Sistas’ Hangout.  You can find me, Osheta Moore on Twitter @osheta, Instagram @oshetam and Pinterest. 

Hey Sistas,

Join Abby Perry and me for our first episode of My Sista's Keeper: Shalom in the City's Monthly Conversation on Race and Unity. We talk about how each of us came to care deeply about issues of race, justice, and reconciliation, and what it is to approach these often awkward, difficult conversations with a spirit Hopeful Resistance.

The My Sista's Keeper episodes exist to help YOU begin to bring about Shalom in your own community by modeling a conversation between a black woman and a white woman talking about race. In this first episode, we make promises to each other that will guide our discussions, ask probing questions, and press deep into some uncomfortable places to see if there's some unity to be found (spoiler: there is).

We also may break out in hives, or at least a sweat, a few times. But it's that good sweat, ya know? Like when you're exercising and it's hard and it hurts but you know that means it's working. We hope you'll benefit from listening to a bit of heavy lifting (and plenty of laughter, too).

Want more Shalom in your life?  Follow Shalom in the City on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @shalominthecity. Come join us on Facebook at the Shalom Sistas’ Hangout.  You can find me, Osheta Moore on Twitter @osheta, Instagram @oshetam and Pinterest. Abby is on Facebook @AbbyJoyAndersonPerry, on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest @abbyjperry and online at joywovendeep.com.   

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Hey Sistas,

I'm so excited to share this special episode of Shalom in the City because I've been excited to share with you something I've been working on the podcast for FOR MONTHS.  Actually, I've been wanting to provide this for you here on the show since before I started it.  When I dreamed of starting a podcast I knew three things about myself:

 

One: I'm obsessed with talking about Shalom. So I knew my podcast had to be all shalom all the time. And for those of you just joining the show on this episode, on the show our simple definition of  the Hebraic concept of Shalom, is  God's dream for wholeness, goodness, and yes, even peace for you and I right now, right where we are and every episode I invite a woman on who I think is practicing Shalom in some interesting way to share her story with us, our resident Shalom Sista is what we call her and it's been so much fun to introduce to you my friends and their passion projects.

 

The second thing I knew about myself as a podcaster is that I love stories. I love to hear stories, learn from people who live differently than I do, and allow those stories to teach me compassion and give me inspiration for how to practice Shalom in my life. I hope that you've experienced a bit of that in the past year of podcast episodes. 

 

And finally, I knew that I would eventually bring on a panel of regular co-hosts to be our resident experts on different ways we can practice Shalom in our lives.

 

The reason is I'm not an awesome small talker and while I love interviewing people, sometimes when I hang up with a guest, I have so many more questions and would love to invite them back on to keep talking and that's not always practical. Which is why my book club episodes with Cara are always my favorites, she and I have a fun conversations and we love to laugh with each other. Those episodes feel like a monthly check in with a dear friend. Plus, while I know so much about Shalom and I'm actively practicing it in my life, I know there are women who are better in certain areas that i can learn from them and my service to you through the podcast is to let you learn alongside me.

 

Which is why, I'm thrilled to announce that starting in March, I am moving away from the purely interview format in order to learn more from three women who I am honored to call my friends. Each one has modeled wholehearted living in a broken world in unique and accessible ways. They're funny and kind, and intentional. But, they're just not three random women who I love, they're three women who have passions for Shalom in three distinct areas.

There are three areas that I have noticed I think about peacemaking and living wholehearedly the most:

1: At home and in my community

2: In tough conversations around racial reconciliation

3: When I consume media, specifically when I read

So, I had to think, if these are the areas I think about the most and where I need to most encouragement and have the most questions, wouldn't make sense to process these areas here on the podcast? I think so, because if I as your regular host and excited every single time I sit down to create an episode for you, I'll have more energy and it'll be a better conversation, one I hope inspires and encourages you.  As I thought about these areas, it became pretty clear to me who I could have fun and helpful conversation with and I'm so excited to introduce them to you.

The next season of the show and maybe longer, I'll be joined by these three amazing women.

 

1: For Shalom in our Home I'll be talking with Jerusalem Greer, an author, speaker, nest-fluffer, and World Class Pinterest Pinner. Once a month, she and I are going to be talking about what it looks like to live out Shalom in our homes and our communities, thinking about what it means to be wholehearted families, friends, and neighbors. We'll also dig into the ways that intentional spiritual practices and home traditions can produce shalom in our lives and the lives of those around us.  You can find Jerusalem on her site, JerusalemGreer.com and that'll be in the show notes. Our hope is that at the end of the hour, you'll feel excited about loving your family and community, you'll try new recipes, you'll think about your rhythms, and you'll live wholeheartedly right in your home.

2: For Books you already know my book club co-host, Cara Meredith, so there's no change there. Cara can always be found on her site, Carameredith.com. Every month Cara and I will be talking about book through the lens of Shalom, what brokenness is the author address in her book and where do we see wholeness and healing in the book. Our criteria for a book club pick is non-fiction or fiction from woman of color because we know that these women's books often are not picked for book clubs. You can find the book list  and join the conversation in the Shalom Sista hangout and I'll that link in the show notes. We love interacting with you about books and seeing the ways our picks stretch you to learn from authors you may never pick up. 

3: And the last co-host is someone you've met before, Abby Perry. Abby was my guest for our Celebrate Shalom episode and I had always planned to have her come back on share more about the work she does with Be the Bridge, a racial reconciliation ministry lead by Tasha Morrison.  Now, I know you might be asking how does this conversation fit into the show? Well, I deeply believe that we're experiencing racial tension in such profound way in our country. And Abby is uniquely gifted to help me model what does it look to have authentic conversations about race. Every episode we'll talk about our personal experiences with racial reconciliation efforts, discuss news/current events, and break down buzzwords that seem to polarize conversations before they even get started. We'll also be inviting you to submit questions or topics for us to discuss, and oh how I hope you will. This monthly hour exists entirely to be a gift to you, something that does not use its time inside your earbuds to pull you out of your immediate surroundings but to propel you deeper into them. Our prayers is that we will, by God's grace, model a conversation that is defined by charity, truth seeking, active listening listening, and testifying to this fact: Jesus has torn down the wall of hostility, making two groups one (Ephesians 2:14), and we far too often have bricks in our hands, rebuilding barriers when He has called us into open spaces. You can catch up with Abby on her site, JoyWovenDeep.com

Every week I'll talk to one of these women, but the last week of the month I'll reserve for an interview because I do love to hear new stories and meet new women. 

So that's the first big change, the format. The second you might have picked up already and that's I'm moving to seasons. You might remember from my intro episode that I wanted to make sure I paced myself in producing the show because I'm in this for the long haul. Well, one thing I learned about myself is that I work best in short time frames with a small break in between. So, we're going to start our first season in March go through June take the first week of July off, have a mini-summer season from July-August. Again, take another week off and start back up with a September-December Season.  I know that's a lot, so don't worry. I'll let you know when we're going to take break, just listen to the show and you'll know.

So, since we're moving to seasons, I get to do something that again, I've always wanted to do, dive deep into on big idea over the course of several episodes. Y'all am bursting with excitement about this. Every Season, we're going to have an overarching theme that will guide our conversations. Every episode will address this theme in way, shape or form all the way from the rhythms of peace Jerusalem helps us form to the book Cara picks, we'll keep one theme in mind. 

 

We'll announce that them in the hangout, the newsletter, and then here on the podcast. In addition to the episodes, we're also providing a syllabus for the podcast that include further reading, the show notes, Shalom steps, which are our practical next steps, and maybe a printable or two. We want to enrich your listening experience so that your practice of Shalom is easier and more joyful. Those are only available through the newsletter so make sure you're signed up for free and that'll be in the show notes as well. 

So are you ready to hear March's theme? If you're in the hangout, you've probably seen the graphic and wondered what it means. Well, our March-June theme is:

It's Hopeful Resistance.

We're going to be exploring what does hope look like through the lens of Shalom and then how do we resist: division, defensiveness, and despair in a world that feels so chaotic and eager for conflict.  I think we're all exhausted from 2016 and wondering how do we as Paul says in the bible, "not grow wearing in doing good". Well, the co-hosts and I think hopeful resistance is a good place to start and we hope you'll join us in March.

April: Resisting Division (within Hopeful Resistance)

ONE (Deidra Riggs)

May: Resisting Defensiveness (within Hopeful Resistance)

Hallelujah Anyway (Anne Lamott)

June: Despair (within Hopeful Resistance)

LaRose (Louise Erdrich)

Hey Sistas,

Today, Cara and I talk about not one but two books as we discuss our Nos and Yeses of 2017. 

 

 

Books mentioned in the podcast"

The Wangs vs. the World

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life

Articles mentioned:

Real Simple "Say Yes to Saying No"

Hapelujah, Indeed written by our very own Cara

What are you saying "No" and "Yes" this year that you're hoping will bring you Shalom. Come over and share them  in the Hangout:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/960443290670157/

Shalom and Books,

Osheta and Cara

Hey Sistas,

God has been helping me practice Shalom with Body Shame this season and this is what I've learned.

Links mentioned in the show:

Whole Body Pinterest

Friends With Body Instagram Post

Curvy Skinny Denizen Jeans

Gilmore Girls on Pop Culture Happy Hour

Shalom and Shopping and Trying on Outfits in the Family Dressing Room,

Osheta

Today, Cara and I talk about the Roadmap to Reconciliation written by Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil. We also share our candid responses to the question, "how are you doing?" in light of the election of a man who we both feel like has not modeled a heart or desire for racial justice in this country. It's one of the realest and most honest conversations we've ever had on Shalom. I hope you enjoy it.

Here's our Shalom Steps for Racial Reconciliation

1: Prepare your Heart

2: Prepare your Mind

3: Prepare your Community

Books we love on this topic:

Prophetic Lament (Soong-Chan Rah); Rescuing Jesus: How People of Color, Women and Queer Christians are Reclaiming Evangelicalism (Deborah Jian Lee); Embrace (Leroy Barber); America’s Original Sin (Jim Wallis); The Other Wes Moore (Wes Moore); United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (Trillia J. Newbell)

Where to find us online:

The Shalom Sista Hangout: Perfect place to keep the conversation going

Cara is pretty active on Twitter and her website

Osheta is on Instagram (Oshetam), Facebook, and of course the Shalom in the City website.

Shalom and staring racism down,

Osheta

Today on the show, I'm chatting with Jennifer Dukes Lee, story-teller, grace-dweller, wife to a farmer, mama of two and one of my new favorite authors. Today we talk about happiness— the theology of it, the science of it, and the how to embrace it right where we are.

We talk about her new book, "The Happiness Dare" and how true happiness makes space for lamenting. We discuss a quiz she created that has already made me a better mom and we learn about her perfect day in her farm town in Iowa— definitely not a city, but still so much fun!  It's a really great conversation and I hope you listen.

Links we mention in the episode:

Happiness Dare Quiz

Cool Finds Based on the Show:

On Negativity Bias

"Overcoming your Negativity Bias" New York Times article

One Ferguson

"Terrible, Beautiful, Fearless" My reflections after visiting Ferguson

How to Find Jennifer Online

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Shalom and Quizzes, and Embracing My Happiness Style,

Osheta

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Today on the show, I'm chatting with Kacie Feeney, one of the owners and designer of Persimmon Prints.

Persimmon Prints is a faith-based business, which produces ethically-made women’s clothing.  Persimmon’s mission is to help others FIX their hearts on God, FILL their lives with His word, and FIGHT for those in need.

With a percentage of each purchase, Kacie and her husband, Patrick financially support our The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission (Christian-based orphanage) in Banbasa, India.

We talk about more than beautiful and ethically made clothing, though (which we do!) Kacie share with us about her journey with infertility.  After she shares her story, she gives some fantastic guidance on how to love our sistas struggling with infertility and the ways community was a source of joy for her.  

There's also a chance at the end of the episode for you to win a "choose joy" hoodie (see I told you we talk about beautiful clothing).

It's a fantastic episode and I can't wait for you to hear it.

Links we mention in the episode:

Our Not So Engineered Life

Yada Yada Prayer Group

Follow Kacie and Persimmon Prints:

Instagram

Join the Conversation on Infertility and Shalom in the Hangout

Shalom and Hoodies and Loving Our Sistas Well,

Osheta

On the podcast today is the seventh edition of the “Shalom Book Club” where once a month, my friend Cara Meredith joins me to talk about a book.  Like I said in the first episode of this series this is partly to solve a very real problem I have- I simply can’t work in a book club in my week here in L.A.. This month we read the “Love Warrior" By Glennon Doyle Melton.

Stats:

259 pages, 15 chapters + epilogue, prologue

Author: Glennon is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Carry On, Warrior, and Love Warrior. She is also the founder of Momastery, an online community reaching millions of people each week, and creator and president of Together Rising—a non-profit organization that has raised over four million dollars for families around the world through its Love Flash Mobs, which have revolutionized online giving.

Glennon is a sought-after public speaker and her work has been featured on the TODAY Show, The Talk, OWN, and NPR and in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Glamour, Family Circle, Parents Magazine, Newsweek, Woman’s Day, and in other television and print outlets. Glennon lives in Florida with her family.

Context: LOVE WARRIOR is about infidelity, betrayal and redemption. It’s about how our ideals of femininity and masculinity can make it impossible for a woman and a man to actually know each other. It’s about how to use crisis as a springboard to a truer identity and a better life. It’s about parenting our kids through pain. It’s about friendships that hurt and friendships that heal. It’s about faith that shackles women and faith that liberates women. It’s about how to finally find peace in your own damn skin. It's about shameless sex, God, food, drugs, porn and tenderness—and how the dirt and the divine are so often inseparable.

What We Talk About:

• Pain
• Body Image
• Vulnerability and leadership
• Appropriate vulnerability

Other Books or Media discussed in the episode:

Carry On Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy Beautiful Life By Glennon

Momastery:  Glennon's amazing website

Promised Links:

All things Cara:

Cara's Site:

www.carameredith.com

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Connect with Osheta:

Shalom Sista Hangout

Facebook

Sign up for the Newsletter

Warrioring On and Choosing Subversive Joy in my body, my friendships, and family,

Osheta

I'm so excited for y'all to meet Carrie Wilson. I learned about Carrie and her ministry to women who have been diagnosed with STDs when I heard her on Jamie Ivey's podcast interview with Jamie Golden.  Carries is passionate about create safe spaces for women who struggle with sexual shame in the church, specifically those who have been diagnosed with an STD.  She knows that isolation and shame well, not too long ago, Carrie was diagnosed with HSV 2 and if it were not for loving leaders in the church coming alongside her she wouldn't have been able to find joy and purpose even after her rock bottom moment.  What's subversive about her joy is that historically, the church has not been a safe and kind place who have sexual pasts but Carrie listens to God's call to change that on her church campus, she created "New" a small group for women in her church to find the joy of authentic and kind community. I just love our conversation and can't wait for you to listen.

What we talk about:

Shame in the church

The prayer campaign that started it all

The value of a strong support system.

Go say "hey" to Carrie online

on Facebook

(this is her personal page, so make sure you message her before friend-ing her)

on Instagram

Podcast News:

This month all our episodes will be around the theme "we will choose subversive joy". So this month I have some pretty fabulous shows planned for you:

Oct 3: Carrie Wilson (Joy after hitting rock bottom)

Oct. 7:  Shalom Book Club! Cara and I will discuss "Love Warrior"

Oct. 10: Kelly Gordon (Sabbath: enjoying the life you have)

Oct. 17: Kacie Feeny of Persimmon Prints (Joy after infertility) + A GIVEAWAY!

Oct. 21: The Happiness Dare with Jennifer Dukes Lee (giveaway winner announced)

Oct. 24: Katherine Wills Pershey, "Very Married"  in difficult times and joyful times.

Oct. 28th: Shalom Book Club! Cara and I will discuss  "Roadmap to Reconciliation"

Oct. 31th: GILMORE GIRLS themed show. 

Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss a week of joy on the podcast. 

Keep the conversation going over at the Shalom Sistas’ Hangout where Carrie and I will be answering questions or cheering you on as you consider joining a small group or even starting a group.

If you learned something, laughed, or smile during the episode please leave a review in iTunes, it helps other women find the show.

Shalom in your earbuds,

Osheta

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Today's guest is one of my favorite women, Victoria Tiedemann.  She and I only know each other from online— we're both Anabaptist women bloggers who love fashion and justice...were were bound to meet and become friends.  Victoria is passionate about ending modern day slavery, she's what some call an abolitionist. She tells us about the Justice Network and how she started working with them to educate others about human trafficking and she gives us some VERY SPECIFIC ways we can practice shalom when we shop. You are going to love how practical and fun this episode is. 

What we talk about:

• The Justice Network
• How Target is actually a GREAT PLACE to shop...Glory be Lord.
• Resource Lists for Shopping Ethically:

Non-consumable ethical & Fair Trade list of goods:

https://justice-network.org/resources/fairtrade/

Ethical and Fair Trade chocolate (GREAT for Halloween)

https://justice-network.org/resources/chocolate-companies/

• How her Anabaptist convictions encourage to love and humanize everyone caught in the system of modern day slavery— even the traffickers themselves.
• Her perfect day in Summit, New Jersey

Victoria's blog, "Justice Pirate" is here

Keep the conversation going over at the Shalom Sistas' Hangout where Victoria and I will be answering questions or cheering you on as you practice shalom while you shop.

If you learned something, laughed, or smile during the episode please leave a review in iTunes, it helps other women find the show. 

Shalom in your earbuds,

Osheta

Welcome to the sixth edition of the “Shalom Book Club” where once a month, my friend Cara Meredith joins me to talk about a book.  Like I said in the first episode of this series this is partly to solve a very real problem I have- I simply can’t work in a book club in my week here in L.A.. This month we read the “The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love’ by Sarvenaz “Sarv” Tash.

Stats:

249 pages, 26 chapters

Authors: Sarvenaz “Sarv” Tash was born in Tehran, Iran, and grew up on Long Island, New York. She received her BFA in film and television from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. That means she got to spend most of college running around making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing, including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarv currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. New mom!

Context: Graham met his best friend, Roxy, when he moved into her neighborhood eight years ago and she asked him which Hogwarts house he’d be sorted into. Graham has been in love with her ever since. But now they’re sixteen, still neighbors, still best friends. And Graham and Roxy share more than ever - moving on from their Harry Potter obsession to a serious love of comic books.

When Graham learns that the creator of their favorite comic, The Chronicles of Althena, is making a rare appearance at this year’s NYCC, he knows he must score tickets. And the event inspires Graham to come up with the perfect plan to tell Roxy how he really feels about her. He’s got three days to woo his best friend at the coolest, kookiest con full of superheroes and supervillians. But no one at a comic book convention is who they appear to be ...even Roxy. And Graham is starting to realize fictional love stories are way less complicated than real-life ones.

Other Books or Media discussed in the episode:

Paper Towns by John Green

He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

Princess Bride— the best motion picture ever...well in my biased opinion ;)

16 Candles— errr...this is awkward...I do love me some 80's teen romances. Jake Ryan, Birthday cake and candles, anyone?

Next Month We're Reading...

Cara and I are so excited this book has been sitting our in our to be shipped (or downloaded) queue for months. We both pre-ordered it, pretty much the moment Glennon announced it was ready. 

Buy your copy and get ready for a great discussion on Shalom and Marriage next month on the podcast.

Falling in love, Awesomely 80's references, Comic-Con Dreams, and Shalom

Osheta

On the show today I talking to one of my favorite women, Melanie Dale.

Melanie runs the website, Unexpected where she writes about motherhood, friendships, infertility, adoption, orphan care, and so much more.  What I love about her site is it feels like one big hug and then a completely satisfying belly laugh. Melanie is also the author of two books: Women Are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends and It's Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn't Choose.

We talk about that "It's Not Fair" on the episode since it just released LAST WEEK!  Whoo-hoo!  Go, Mel!

In fact, I loved this book so much I have an extra copy to give away; directions are in the podcast episode.

On the podcast we talk about the Shalom Sista Manifesto point, "We Will Choose Subversive Joy".  She gives is the best advice on motherhood and laughter, she's gives us permission to own our feelings, and she her end of the show quote is spot on!

It was a really great conversation and I hope you'll take a listen.

Practicing the Shalom of Laughter,

Osheta

Cara and I discuss the book the Knock-off, if we feel old (even though one of us, is a true Millennial), and how to have relationships with women and NOT lose our minds.

Join us for next month's book, "The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love"

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Today I have on Jamie Ivey from the Happy Hour podcast. 

I’ve been listening to Jamie’s show several years now and she’s actually a huge inspiration to me so when she said yes to coming onto the show I kinda did a happy dance all across my living room. True story.  The reason why and why you’ll find out soon in our conversation today about her work in a prison ministry with Redeemed Ministries is that Jamie is incredibly genuine, intelligent, and passionate. Her desire to make Jesus known and to offer her support to women in need is infectious.  You simply want to be better after listening to Jamie. Which is why her podcast is a favorite of mine.  Today Jamie share with us sex trafficking opened her eyes to the needs of women in jails, how the book Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson opened her heart to have compassion for people entangled in the justice system, and how Redeemed Ministries is opening doors for her to love and encourage women trying to overcome the hard things in their lives that landed them in jail.  It’s a really inspiring conversation and I hope you stick around. 

Links mentioned in the episode:

Sign up for the Shalom in the City Newsletter to find the Shalom Steps and next steps if you want to seek wholeness for women who are incarcerated. 

http://eepurl.com/bLBUqz

Redeemed Ministries is the organization Jamie works with and they exist  “To bring Christ’s loving redemption and amazing liberation within our communities by providing environments conducive for holistic healing and guiding adult survivors of domestic sex trafficking to healthy, productive and independent living.”

http://redeemedministries.com/

Books* that helped Jamie form this practice of Shalom:

"Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not For Sale: A Memoir" by Rachel Lloyd

Just Mercy A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

*affiliate links

Jamie's end show quote came from a song by Sara Groves

"I Saw What I Saw"

Next week we have Kelly Gordon from Love Well Blog and the Sorta Awesome podcast to talk about self-care, Sabbath, and shalom. 

Until then...

Shalom in your earbuds,

Osheta

From Amazon:

"There are hundreds of metaphors for God, but the church only uses a few familiar images: creator, judge, savior, father. In Wearing God, Lauren Winner gathers a number of lesser-known tropes, reflecting on how they work biblically and culturally, and reveals how they can deepen our spiritual lives."

Exploring the notion of God as clothing, Winner reflects on how we are “clothed with Christ” or how “God fits us like a garment.”

In this "Shalom Book Club" episode, Cara and I discuss "Wearing God" by Lauren Winner.

Have you ever picked up a book and wanted to love it so much but something keeps you from diving in?  Yeah...that's a little how Cara and I felt about "Wearing God" we both love Winner and we both wanted to jump right into the book, but we both had a hard time.  Cara read it last year so it was a re-read for her, I started is last summer and couldn't finish it.  As we chatted on the podcast, we realized that maybe it wasn't the book, but the season.  We both think Lauren F. Winner is the perfect author to read in the cooler months.  So we chat a bit about what happens when you're struggling with a book and how to reconcile the voracious reader in you with that sense of obligation that you must finish a book you start.

We also share our favorite essays, and how we're both finding God in the every bit of our lives— adjusting to gluten-free eating and walking around downtown L.A.

It's a really fun conversation and I hope you enjoy it.

Don't forget to join us later this month when we discuss, "The Knockoff"

The Knockoff: A Novel

Shalom in your Earbuds, Y'all!

~Osheta

I’m so thankful for my friend, Alice Colegrove.

For nearly twenty years, Alice has worked on initiatives to help youth and young adults exit homelessness. She has worked on the issue of homelessness at nearly every level including local direct service, city and state policy initiatives, and national academic forums.  Locally, she has over fifteen years of direct service experience, including street outreach with homeless youth and young adults in Boston and Cambridge, MA, and she is an active member of the advisory board for the Y2Y youth shelter in Harvard Square.

And today she came on the podcast to tell us her story and teach us about homelessness and what we can do to alleviate the suffering of so many people.  This episode was particularly special for me because of the make up of our church, we're so close to Skid Row and oftentimes I feel out of my depth. I know I want to help and I'm moved by the need every time I drive downtown, but I don't know where to being.

Alice really spoke to those concerns and gave me the pep talk I need.  If you've been wondering where you fit in to God's story of shalom for those experiencing homelessness, I know this is an episode you'll love.

I’m amazed at her story; as a young girl in D.C. she had a heart for persons experiencing homelessness.  I loved her person-centered language in “say this not that” segment and how she encouraged us to learn the names of the homeless we meet.

I was so challenged by that!

Alice empowered us with the Shalom Steps of:

I also appreciated her thoughts on when you first start to volunteer at a homeless shelter that go along with Shalom Step #1:

Instead of thinking about what you're doing, think about but you're seeing and let that guide you on what to do next.

When I’m downtown L.A. I want to have courage and compassion to make eye contact and say hello.

On this Episode We Walk About

What a day in the life of a youth experiencing homelessness looks like.

The answer to the question, “Should I give change to a homeless person”

How she balances motherhood and ministry

The biggest needs and challenges for homeless youth.

It was a really important conversation for me, especially since I've been thinking about this putting together the homeless care packages from last episode with my kiddos, but didn't want to do it just to pat myself on the back, I wanted it to mean something.  With Alice's advice to "check my heart" and funnel my desire to help alleviate the suffering of those experiencing homelessness through the lens of Micah 6:8, I feel to energized to seek shalom of homeless youth and young adults.

Shalom in your earbuds, Sistas!

~Osheta

My guest on the podcast this week is Rachel Hollis. Rachel Hollis the brilliant founder of the Chic Site, head of the #chictribe and one of the most authentic women I've ever met.

I've followed her site for almost a year now and I can tell y'all that every single time I read a post or watched a #RachTalk I thought, 'This woman is practicing Shalom in such a profound and important way' so I knew eventually I'd invite her to come onto the show. Then last Christmas, I attended a holiday party with a purpose at the Chic Site's headquarters just minutes from my house and I KNEW I needed to have her come teach us how to #PartywithPurpose and how she practices shalom in her everyday life. It was an incredible conversation.

We talk about everything from her upbringing as a PK  (pastor's kid) and how that inspired her to see the sacred in gathering people together.  She share with us the how the ChicShows Up Christmas Event came to be— which I have to say, y'all was a highlight of our first Christmas in L.A.

What I loved most about the event was that is was crazy festive, (I got my Mariah Carey "All I want for Christmas" sing on, for sure), but it was SHALOM IN ACTION.  All of us worked to create a Christmas care package for families transitioning from homeless into their new homes.

CRAFTS for the babies.  Rachel thoughtfully planned these packages to love on every single person in the family.  What an amazing Shalom Sista!

I was working at the pumpkin pie mason jars station.  I smelled amazing at the end of the event! 

Pier One partner with the Chic Site by providing cute aprons for the care packages. 

Even Rachel's family showed up to party with a purpose. 

Here's Rachel's Shalom Steps to help us ease into gathering and loving people with a purpose. 

On the episode we talk about:

How Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker that changed her life

Her favorite coffee shop is Priscilla's in Burbank, which since we tape the show (back in March) I've visited at least once as week, y'all.  I have a problem :).

She's involved in Door of Hope, a faith-based organization in Los Angeles whose mission is to equip homeless families and rebuild their lives. 

and her book series, "The Girls" was a spark of joy and Jesus' way of saying, "I see you, Osheta.  You need to laugh right now" for me when my mother in law died last fall.

She also mentions these homeless care packages that she keeps in her care.  I'm so moved by the needs of the homeless community and I'm always asking God how to practically care for them, especially in this season of mothering, these were genius. Go to her post on it for a video walk through how to do these packages with your kiddos...methinks there's a #SummerofShalom Instagram party op here...

Finally, we're kicking off the #SummerofShalom Instagram Challenge next Monday so don't forget to download (or claim) your FREE SUMMER GIFT here. Follow me on Instagram @OshetaM to see how I practice Shalom this summer. https://www.instagram.com/oshetam/

Shalom in your earbuds Sistas,

Osheta

My guest on the podcast this week is Sarah Quezada. Sarah and I write for some of the same places and so we've been cheering each other on on the interwebs, but I feel for her over chips and salsa when I was in Atlanta this past fall after the Allume conference.

Sarah Quezada is the author of the blog, "A Life With Subtitles" where she writes about living a multicultural life in Atlanta, GA with her Guatemalan husband and two talkative kiddos!

Today's episode is a follow up to my book club conversation with Cara Meredith on the book, "Esperanza Rising". Since so much of the book focuses on the struggle of the immigrant worker in California during the Depression Era and we see glimpses of the gaps in the  immigration policies in America, I thought it was important to bring on my friend to share her story of falling for an undocumented worker and EVERYTHING they've gone through to secure his citizenship.

Check out  "Immigration Love Story"! It's a fantastic detailing of her love story with Billy in three parts.

Her "Say This, Not That" section was fantastic and I'm so inspired by her Shalom Steps.

Resources Mentioned In The Show:

"Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible" M. Daniel Carroll

"Welcoming the Stranger" by Matthew Soerens

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @MatthewSoerens 

Sarah's Perfect Day in Atlanta:

Brunch Spot: The Majestic Diner

Coffee Shop: Community Grounds 

Urban Oasis: Grant Park

Date Night: Barnes and Noble

Closing Thoughts:

I'm really motivated to learn more about immigration in our country.  I'm taking to heart the words of MLK:

Don't forget to claim your hard copy of the #SummerofShalom printable.  They're going out in the mail on Monday so that you get them in time for the first official day of Summer, June 20th.

You can follow Sarah on her blog and Twitter.

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

Shalom in your earbuds, y’all!

~Osheta

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

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.

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

Follow me on Instagram

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

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

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*. 

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.

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