Behind The Mirror

With recent events including the loss of Rachel Held Evans and the legal case my family has been involved in, I have felt overwhelmed by dark. Where is God in any of it? How can I even say that "God is in control" or that God is even good? In this episode, I peel back the layers of my thoughts and questions and share where I believe God is - and where my faith manages to rest inside of tragedy. No matter what heavy situations you are carrying, I promise that God is not behind the pain, loss, abuse or trauma. God is light, not dark. God is life, not death. God is safety, not fear. And where there is darkness, there is always light; today, we choose to chase after light. Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

For most of my life, I chased after my "calling". Believing my purpose was to minister, be a pastor and evangelize was what I thought I was supposed to be about. After all, isn't that the Jesus way? But, after having much of my "callings" stripped away, I realized one's purpose must go deeper. Having taken another look at Jesus, I realized that to follow his life meant letting go of preconceived ideas of a "calling" or purpose. It asks you to look inward and discover what is really inside and what you are to do with that sacred gift. Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

I hear many people say that they can't wait to get to heaven - to be in their "forever home" with their forever family. But, if heaven is the ultimate destination, why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave? Why did he weep at his tomb? Why did Jesus himself rise from death? No matter how much one says they want to "get to heaven", instinctively we all have a desire to stay here and live; it is built into the fragments of our DNA and our natural instinct. The story of Jesus isn't merely his death on a cross and his coming back to life - that was the final chapter of a continual picture of dead things coming back to life. The story of a life to the fullest, cups running over and a life filled with more. Of dead hopes being reborn, social stigmas being removed and of things we think we will never see coming to life being reborn. This is the story of nature, the story of Jesus and story of me.  Anna's website: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

Whether in a friendship, partnership, spouse or community, sometimes the season changes and it's time to move on. Recognizing when it is time to let go can be difficult - especially if you have experienced any trauma or abuse in your life, you may experience feelings of shame, guilt or fear and often stay in a relationship way past it's expiration date. Learning to embrace a mentality of a God of "more" rather than a God of "lack" was a game changer for me in this area. It freed me from the belief that I had to hoard things from the past out of fear of not having more - and rather it pushed me to be thankful for the relationships from behind while opening myself up to embrace the ones that lie ahead. Blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

The story of Lazarus is one that continues to grip me. In this episode, I cover the story of Lazarus, his death and how this Jesus character showed up and wrote a different ending. No matter if your story includes divorce, being LGBTQ, a single parent or anything else that has landed you (or someone you love) on the outside, your story isn't over. Whether you have been outcasted, labeled as dead or pronounced "unclean", I promise there is an alternate ending.     Anna's website: www.justajesusfollwer.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel Recent blog: Valuing relationships over theology, culture and loads of other stuff  

For most of my life I assumed my reactions to certain things were normal - after all, it's just "how I am". But, lately I've been rather introspective about my reactions. Like what makes me fly off the handle at random or what throws me into panic mode. I started wondering if maybe those reactions weren't all that normal. After a conversation with a wise soul, I had a revelation about childhood trauma that completely changed the game.  It set me on a path to not only identifying why I react certain ways, but how to heal from it (like within 10 minutes).   Website: www.justajesusfollower.com

In this episode I talk about the discovery of my inner emotions mirrored in the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall. I parallel how nature, animals, plants and even the story of Jesus tell the same story of death, rebirth, drought and preparation. All of creation adheres to the natural order of seasons. Humans, however, seem to be the only ones who fight the changing of our personal seasons. I share stories from my own grief and personal winter and how I've learned to embrace and recognize the seasons when they come.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

I invite seminary graduate Robert Arnau, to talk about homosexuality inside the Christian faith. This is one of my favorite conversations this season. Having preached at many churches, Robert is invited to speak on panels regarding the LGBTQ+faith topics. We discuss his personal journey of trauma in conversion therapy, demonic exorcisms and how he wrestled with the commonly known anti-homosexuality passages in scripture. Robert explains these passages including context and varying interpretations. Our conversation is full of warmth, encouragement and clarity for those wresting on both sides of this subject.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel Robert Arnau: www.thelatinogaychristian.com

With so much tension inside denominations and churches, I decided to share my own experiences and journey within church. From being a kid in the pew every week to being a lead pastor, I talk about my journey from inside the church to venturing outside. I compare the ideas of community built on an agreed set upon beliefs versus a community built on differences and diversity. This episode includes loads of encouragement for those who have been hurt by their church, considering changing denominations or those who have left church all together.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

I invite one of my soulmates onto the show to talk about all things relationships. Kirby is a world traveler, ghost writer and honorary psychologist (at least she writes like one;)). Kirby shares the psychology of change - why we struggle to make big changes even if they're good for us and the shame we often encounter when we change "too much". Included in our chat, is a huge boost of encouragement if you're going through a big change such as divorce, relationship struggles, church exit, faith shift or even friendship issues. Kirby offers loads of wisdom and humor - this is one you don't want to miss! Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel Kirby Carol: http://kirbycarol.com/

As my faith deconstructed, so did other things. One in particular was my belief about love. I was taught that real love meant laying down your life for someone. But, the practice of laying down my life inside my marriage, friendships and parenting led me to an unhealthy (and rather unhappy) place. In this episode, I share how the foundation of what I thought love was impacted all of my relationships. I equally share how I deconstructed that foundation and built a new one on what love really is and isn't.   Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com

This week has been a crazy one in the media. Like many of you, I've been bombarded with stories in the news. One story however, stood out - the story of the attack on Jussie Smollett (Empire) gripped me. In this episode, I share my candid thoughts on racism and the church. I dig into the history of racism inside the Christian faith and how it continues to play an active role inside the western world. I also share how I believe Jesus would respond, with a current take on the Good Samaritan.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com NY Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/arts/television/empire-jussie-smollett-attacked.html Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel

Well, let's be honest - I like being in control. I like being "right". I like winning. And I like knowing the outcome. As much as I believed this offered me the upper hand, this last year I learned how much power actually rests in surrender. I haven't historically embraced surrender - it's often been something I avoided (in arguments, board games, grief, pain and just about anything I put my hand to). I used to believe that surrender meant failure - or that I had "given up". But, what I've learned is that surrender is the ultimate prize. It is not only a gift to your soul but is the core of spirituality; it is the true ticket to a free and authentic life.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

Love and fear can't share the same space - and yet, I spent a lot of my life fearing many things: hell, disappointing God, the power of the "enemy" - I lived in a tightly constructed box with a narrow view of the world on the outside. There were "others" and there were those like me. As I have ventured through a deconstruction of faith, I have let go of many of those fears and yet, the cycle of fear continued. This episode explores many reasons why we are afraid, the affects of a life built on fear and steps we can take to step outside our walls. You were made for a full life - one with freedom, joy, peace, love and limitless possibilities. You were made for a life free from fear. Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel Facebook Group: www.justajesusfollower.com/podcast/podcastgroup  

I invite Rachel Parsons, host of the show The Peregrine Dame (PBS and Amazon), to talk about her perspectives and experiences as a solo world traveler. Rachel shares how she has broken through cultural, language and religious barriers throughout her journeys and the love she develops for the people who welcome her. She offers insight into ways we can overcome our fear of people who are different than us and steps we can take inside our own cities to bridge cultural/religious gaps.  Rachel Parsons: http://theperegrinedame.com/ Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

Given this is the first episode of 2019, I thought it would be fun to introduce you to my kiddos: Bria, Lyla, Viola & Noa. We discuss ALL THE THINGS (and I promise, they hold nothing back - including a laughing fit from Viola and a personal confession from Lyla). I ask them what grown ups should understand about kids and also their thoughts about church and God. They answer questions directly from the facebook group and they give a personal thank you to each Patreon at the end. Happy New Years! And I hope you enjoy :) Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patron: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

So much of my life has been spent avoiding hard conversations. I have tried to keep people happy, relationships tension free and everyone I care about free from being upset or angry. But, what ended up happening, is that I was unhappy and full of tension and anger. Because, we all need to feel heard - we also need to be fully known and understood. But, that doesn't happen when we avoid being honest with ourselves and with those closest to us. In this episode I explore the reasons why we are dishonest; I also talk about how to navigate honesty in kindness and love inside our friendships, marriage, parenting and careers.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

If you have a history of relationships with broken trust, trying to trust people again can feel like an attempt to climb Mount Everest. If this has been your story, most likely you want to crawl into a hole and hide - vowing to never trust again. I SO GET IT. In this episode, I share my own story of broken trust and expose the dark loneliness I landed in after closing myself off to wanting to trust anyone again. I break down why we stop trusting people (including God) and offer steps to heal and create lasting, healthy trusting relationships.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

In this episode I open up about my struggles with the holiday season: the loneliness and the empty spaces that just feel like they should be filled. This year, I am viewing the story of Jesus a bit differently. I explore the wilderness journey and the striking similarities that Mary faced during her own wilderness. I also dig into the genealogy of the four (rather scandalous) women the Bible says Jesus comes from; all of it painting a rather different picture than the one I often heard about during Christmas.  Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel  

I invite writer and author Bonnie Kristian to talk about her recent book, A Flexible Faith, Re-thinking what it means to follow Jesus today. Bonnie is a political writer as well as a seminary graduate from Bethel University. We talk about embracing diversity in theology and politics and how we can love eachother while disagreeing. Bonnie offers insight into the loneliness you experience when you are the "outsider" in your community as well as offering permission to leave your denomination when needed. One of my favorite parts of our conversation was her list of 5 things she considers when looking for a new faith community or church. She is a wealth of knowledge and insight and I loved every minute of picking her brain.  Bonnie Kristian: http://bonniekristian.com/ Anna's blog: www.justajesusfollower.com FB Group: www.justajesusfollower.com/podcast/podcastgroup Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/annadimmel