Breaking Bread Podcast
Around the meal table, needs are met. As participants we celebrate the common solution to our physical need - bread. While we do so, bread of another type is broken as well. Help, hope and encouragement are shared to meet the needs of our struggles, heartaches and questions. Breaking Bread is reminiscent of these life giving conversations. This podcast strives to meet some of our common needs through our common solution – The Bread of Life.
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Tech & Kids: Understanding AI
11/10/2025
Tech & Kids: Understanding AI
It has always been hard to stay on top of technology. It seems artificial intelligence (AI) has just raised the ante. In this Breaking Bread podcast episode, David Virkler helps demystify AI. In so doing, some down-to-earth advice is given on how to parent our kids in this world of AI. Show Notes: A few things to understand about AI. Artificial Intelligence is an expansive field with many applications. It includes everything from machine learning to neural network AI engines and large language models like ChatGPT. Large language models respond to inquiries by generating text by using probability models for selecting the next most probable word. In so doing, sentences are created and intelligence is mimicked. AI platforms are trained on a body of data made available to them. Some use the data we input into it when we use it. Others do not. The source of data from which AI draws its information depends on the platform being used. Some AI platforms pull from all available data on the internet. Others pull from a closed data set according to the specs of the developer. AI is only physical. It is made up of circuits, elements and processors with the capability to find and sort data. AI is powered and thereby limited by the earth’s resources. A few things to be cautious about. AI has no metric for truth when generating content. Rather, it uses probability to guess what the user wants. Be aware, when by your use, you are contributing to the data pool AI will learn and draw its information from. When using AI understand your level of personal privacy or lack thereof. To determine the trustworthiness of the AI tool, understand where the tool is sourcing its data. Is it sorting through all the data on the internet or is it sorting through a smaller, more reliable data set? AI can mimic human qualities such as emotion. AI companions can be influential and misleading. AI will have an influence on our personal formation. Our habits, creativity, critical thinking skills, and more will likely be affected. A few questions to get us talking. What makes AI less than human? AI runs on circuits and processors. It is physical and non-living. It has no soul as the human made in God’s image has. What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? AI has made knowledge ready and easy. How to apply that knowledge lies with the user. Is speed and ease always better than time and struggle? AI completes tasks quickly with very little effort on the part of the user. While this efficiency is appealing, healthy human formation seldom comes quickly and easily. Rather, God uses time and friction to develop our minds, hearts, souls and bodies. Who do we want speaking into our life? AI can mimic human companionship. However, human connection has been God’s design for the community that best cares for the human being. Has AI made God old fashioned? AI will provide many answers for us. It will push society forward. With it will come questions. As has been the pattern in the past, Christ and the Scriptures will be relevant in new and important ways. A few things to be enthused about. AI is really good at writing and summarizing. If used well, it can be a very helpful tool as a note taker in a meeting. AI is really good at analyzing patterns in large data sets. When used well, it can provide tremendous insights quickly make connections and offering helpful suggestions based on data. AI will be a strong educational tool. It has the capacity to tailor education modes and means to the uniqueness of the learner. AI is becoming very good at language. Real time translation is a powerful asset for those trying to communicate across language barriers.
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Hidden Rules of a Great Conversation
10/27/2025
Hidden Rules of a Great Conversation
It’s not uncommon for communication between two individuals in a relationship to go sideways. And when the pattern is sideways for many years, it becomes even more challenging to set right the cart. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer and Brian Sutter explain how to do just that. Show notes: The speaker/listener model is a structured approach for communication that enhances understanding between two individuals or parties. When do you use it? When communication is not working and understanding is not being reached. How does it work? Roles are determined. One party is the speaker, and the other is the listener. The speaker succinctly expresses a message. The listener responds by telling the speaker what they said. The speaker determines if the listener understands. If yes, the speaker continues. If no, the speaker tries the message again. Appropriately, reverse roles. What does it do? It slows down the conversation. It promotes understanding between the parties. It helps clarify what should be communicated. It gives a chance for communicative trust to grow. It gives the space for individuals to regulate their emotions during the conversation. What are the prerequisites for success? Participants need to be able to take on another person’s perspective. Participants need to be able to regulate their emotions. Participants need to be able to play by the conversation rules.
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Celebrating 10 Years of Breaking Bread
10/13/2025
Celebrating 10 Years of Breaking Bread
Join us in the studio as we celebrate 10 years of Breaking Bread! In this celebratory episode, Arlan Miller, Katie Miller and Brian Sutter turn the tables and interview Breaking Bread host Matt Kaufmann. They go behind the scenes of the show, telling stories and reminiscing. Most importantly, they pay tribute to the devoted listenership of Breaking Bread.
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Celebrating 10 Years of Breaking Bread
10/13/2025
Celebrating 10 Years of Breaking Bread
Join us in the studio as we celebrate 10 years of Breaking Bread! In this celebratory episode, Arlan Miller, Katie Miller and Brian Sutter turn the tables and interview Breaking Bread host Matt Kaufmann. They go behind the scenes of the show, telling stories and reminiscing. Most importantly, they pay tribute to the devoted listenership of Breaking Bread.
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Beyond Symptom Reduction
09/29/2025
Beyond Symptom Reduction
Nothing motivates treatment quite like pain. We want it to stop. Too often, when the pain has past, we are not motivated to continue the important work of personal growth that lies beneath the pain. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr explains the hope that lies beyond symptom reduction. Show notes: Symptom reduction is only half of the journey to health. There are four questions that point to the important second half of the journey...a journey worth finishing. Is my predominant outlook on life joy? Are my relationships healthy and satisfying? Is my relationship with God unhindered and growing? Do I know what my spiritual gifts and talents are and am I actively engaged in using them? Answers to these questions lead us to important spiritual, relational, psychological and physical growth.
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The Life Curve
09/15/2025
The Life Curve
We enter life with no ability to control. As we grow, we acquire more and more faculty to control. If our life takes its natural course and we age into the sunset years of life, we gradually lose our ability to control. Finally, we will leave this life having the same capacity to control as when we entered, little to none. Join us as Matt Kaufmann discusses this life curve with his father, Denny Kaufmann. Control, the ability to rule, make choices, make determination in our surroundings and direct people, transitions over the span of life. The transition is a function of release. Ease of release is a function of confidence in the predecessor and ability to live with God into the future. Release to the predecessor is helped with a view that God is in control and uses people separate from us. The ability to live with God into the future is helped by learning to find satisfaction in his presence apart from the satisfaction that the power of control affords. Living healthily will require that we know where we are on the life curve and live accordingly.
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Navigating Marriage Through Busy Seasons
09/01/2025
Navigating Marriage Through Busy Seasons
In seasons of busyness, it can be easy for marriages to drift towards disconnection. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer encourages simple ways to maintain connection as well as a framework for thinking about marriage amid the busy. Show notes: Demands on our time and attention can ebb and flow over the calendar year. When marriage is involved, these seasons of busyness impact the marriage. If we are not vigilant, disconnection can result. Communication becomes challenging. Irritations can set in, and spouses can drift apart. Couples who wish to weather these seasons well need to be thoughtful about how they remain connected. A few examples follow: Connect with your spouse by having regular “check in’s.” Take time to update your spouse and be updated on the life of the other. Connect with the life your spouse is living. Try to understand the demands he/she is under. Have a goal to visualize their day-to-day. Connect with your shared roles by growing your appreciation for the career of each. Understand the uniqueness of the profession and what it means to your family. Connect by establishing shared rituals through the season. Celebrate the season by infrequent significant moments of connection that bind marriage and family amid the season. Connect by establishing frequent small moments of connection during the season. Connect with the larger shape of marriage. A life for which a season is that - a season. Connect with the larger intention God has for challenges in marriage. The intention to grow you up into Christ-likeness.
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Mental Health and the Church: The AC Story
08/18/2025
Mental Health and the Church: The AC Story
ACCFS is a mental health service that supports the Apostolic Christian Church. This unique connection between church and mental health agency has a storied history. To tell it, Ron Messner and Ted Witzig Jr are interviewed by Matt Kaufmann on this episode of Breaking Bread. Show notes: Caring for people spiritually has given way to the need to care for them mentally. This led to the following statement of belief and consequently, the carrying out of counseling services at ACCFS. Based on scripture and extensive experience, we are complex beings with three overlapping and integrated parts to our being: physical, spiritual and mental. These cannot be separated, but each part can be affected by separate factors including biological, spiritual, psychological, or social influences. Each needs to be assessed, and any dysfunction needs to be treated or addressed based on the cause or causes of the dysfunction. This may include repentance, prayer, spiritual counseling and teaching, medication, other health interventions, and/or psycho-social counseling.
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The Crisis of Connection
08/04/2025
The Crisis of Connection
In an era that boasts the most human connectiveness in the history of the world, we struggle with isolation and depression in epidemic proportions. Evidently not all human connections are equal. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Katie Miller and Isaac Funk take on this crisis for connection directly. Not only do they identify the problem but also provide a vision for hope. Show notes: What do we mean by human connection? Human connection at a minimum is intersecting with another human being in physical or thought space. Human connection at a maximum is deeply knowing and being known by another. What is at stake with poor human connection? Isolation, depression and insecurity are some of the fees we pay for poor human connection. Often poor connection with people translates to a poor connection with God. What are the elements of healthy human connection? Healthy human connection requires time and space with people. It requires giving of oneself. The setting requires dynamic communication back and forth in real time. What are the elements that we are competing against for healthy human connection? Technology often promotes a shallow connectivity rather than deep community. It is engineered for the transfer of data rather than facilitating robust human fellowship. It is primarily designed for ease, speed and enjoyment, all three of which are not realistic expectations for deep human connection. Our western culture of individualism promotes self-reliance, putting people head-to-head in competition rather than shoulder-to-shoulder in shared need. The economics of money and promotion tend to assert themselves in our decision making over and above community and the need for human connection. What vision of hope does healthy human connection have? As humans created in God’s image, we are designed for embodied human relationships. Relationships that linger in time and space, suffering long with others. Overcoming isolation and shame with reception. Connection with others plays on the basic elements of life: living together, eating together, sharing needs, living together with a family or living together as a church family. When we live well together with people, we are at an advantage to live well together with God.
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Escaping the Drama Trap
07/21/2025
Escaping the Drama Trap
Drama sells in the box office, newsstands, social media feeds and more. It draws an audience because it is interesting. Yet, because drama often plays on relational conflict, it is painful. Because we are relational beings, we unfortunately find ourselves too often on drama’s stage. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Craig Stickling peels back the layers of drama and helps us escape its trap. Show Notes: Drama defined: Interesting relational or situational conflict. What is drama’s ill effect? It can provoke us to poor behavior. It can divide relationships. What elements does drama play on? Drama draws an audience. Drama grasps for sides to be drawn. Drama is fueled by unregulated emotion. Drama tempts us to be disingenuous about the truth. How do I know if I induce drama? I like the exhilaration of conflict. I like attention. I am easily offended and sensitive. I don’t regulate my emotion. How can I calm the drama? Don’t gossip. Regulate your emotion. Resist impulsivity for patient, measured responses. Seek the whole truth. Keep healthy boundaries.
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Elroi: The God Who Sees Me
07/07/2025
Elroi: The God Who Sees Me
She was useful until she was not. She was a victim of abuse and mistreatment. She was an abandoned outsider of God’s covenant people. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer and Matt Kaufmann linger on Hagar’s story. At her most desperate moment, God loves her really well. So struck by the encounter, Hagar names God Elroi, the God who sees me. Show notes: In her desperation, God finds Hagar abandoned to the wilderness. He calls her by name - “Hagar.” Even though her name meant “stranger”, his use of it meant she was not a stranger to him. In fact, she was known, not by association, but on her own terms. He asks her questions - “Where did you come from and where are you going?” Even though he knew these answers already, he gets her talking. God is a God who listens. He gives her a promise - “I will make a mighty nation out of your son.” Even though Ishmael’s lineage would rival Isaac’s, he is a God of blessing.
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Creative Spiritual Disciplines
06/23/2025
Creative Spiritual Disciplines
God has created us with the ability to connect with him. In fact, we are most satisfied when we do. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Isaac Funk explains that spiritual disciplines are ways through which we walk with God. Yet, at times, our spiritual disciplines may seem dull, flat or tired. It is in times like these that we need to think creatively about the activities we regularly engage in that train us in connecting with God and growing more into his likeness.
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Before "I do"
06/09/2025
Before "I do"
A lot of health for marriages lies in the prework, before the marriage happens. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer and Arlan Miller speak about the pre-contemplative, contemplative and engagement phase of marriage and the great deal of promise these stages hold. They bring to bear resources and advice for both singles and the supportive community that surrounds them. Show Notes: The health of the marriage is what individuals bring into the marriage to create it. For this reason, attention to oneself is a critical starting point for future marital health. Singles should consider the following: Walk with God in healthy discipleship. Develop a healthy Christ-centered identity. Grow in healthy self-awareness. Learn to cope with uncertainty or unmet expectations. Nurture a community that will provide godly counsel. Gain realistic expectations for marriage. Steward a healthy understanding of intimacy. Engagement is a unique and time-bound stage for engaged couples. If not stewarded well, wedding preparation can overshadow marital preparation. Couples should consider the following: Develop healthy connections with each other. Grow in friendship. Learn to honor each other. Establish a practice of proactively stepping into issues that arise in the relationship. Establish healthy rhythms that will carry over into the marriage.
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The Story of Mental Health
05/26/2025
The Story of Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness month. Like most matters that get highlighted with a month’s recognition, there is a story to be told. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ron Messner and Ted Witzig Jr. join to tell the story. A story that has loving as Jesus loves at its center. The story of mental health can be told from two perspectives: a societal understanding of mental health and the care that comes from that understanding.
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Receiving God's Blessing
05/12/2025
Receiving God's Blessing
God was very thoughtful and intentional about how to bless his people. “Do it like this” he told Aaron. His blessing (captured in Numbers 6) is beautiful poetry. Not only is it beautiful to the ear, but it is also health to the heart and soul. In this episode of Breaking Bread, let’s learn together about how God chooses to bless us, how to receive His blessing and how to bless others with our Father’s words. Show Notes: We live in a world of cursing. God knows this, so he has thoughtfully chosen to bless us carefully. And when he does, he confers abundant, flourishing life on us. Receive God’s blessing in Numbers 6.
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Emotional Dependency & Enmeshment
04/28/2025
Emotional Dependency & Enmeshment
The capacity for emotion sets us apart from all things living. It gives us the capability for healthy, deep and intimate relationships. What does it look like when our relationships are too enmeshed emotionally? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter and Kathy Knochel teach us about enmeshment and the dangers of being too emotionally dependent on others. Show notes While we are to receive and give support to others, we are not to take ultimate responsibility for other's wellbeing. Unhealthy emotional dependency can happen when two or more individuals lose their independence and identity to the relationship. Individuals assume unhealthy responsibility for the feelings of others. Often it is marked with overwhelm and exhaustion on the part of one and deeply felt need on the part of the other. When this occurs in the family system, it often goes by the term enmeshment. However, emotional dependency can occur between unrelated friends also. Finding health for individuals in emotionally dependent relationships will require some action. First there needs to be a recognition of emotional dependency. Second, boundaries will need to be put in place to promote safety between the individuals. Third, individuals will feel a mixture of guilt and loss. Working through these emotional realities is necessary. Finally, reengaging in the relationship at the healthiest level possible.
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Are We Too Fragile in Life?
04/14/2025
Are We Too Fragile in Life?
There is a lot of offense these days. Probably not more offending than normal as people have acted badly for a long time. But it seems people are quicker to call foul when they are hurt by others. “Trauma”, “emotional hurt”, “abuse”, “bullying” are household terms and sometimes we drop them when the opportunity is right. Have we become connoisseurs of the offenses against us? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter and Ted Witzig Jr give us some important tips on living in a world of offense. “Trauma”, “hurt”, “abuse”, and “bullying” are too real to get wrong. Show notes: Living well in a world of offense will require a healthy view into our hurt and a healthy view out of our hurt. A healthy view into our hurt: Acknowledge the offense against you whether great or small. Welcome others into it. Seek perspective so you can size it correctly. Engage in the work of healing. Pursue forgiveness. A healthy view out of our hurt: Have a realistic and broad understanding of the offenses that many in this world face. Have a biblical understanding of the world we live in. Understand both its brokenness and beauty. See God’s intention for a coming reconciliation. Seek joy and wholeness in Christ.
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Emotional Affair
03/31/2025
Emotional Affair
We are built for relationship. There is a yearning, need and desire within us for emotional connection with others. In the marriage relationship this can be both an asset and a liability. In this episode of Breaking Bread, marriage and family therapist Kaleb Beyer helps us understand the signs, offense and repair of emotional affairs – when emotional intimacy outside the marriage compromises the covenant of marriage. Show notes: Three stages of emotional affairs: 1st Emotional intimacy with another person outside of marriage. Deep connection at the heart and emotional level. 2nd Secrecy Walls are built between spouses and access to the illicit relationship is sought and protected. 3rd Sexual tension Physical relations may or may not be happening. However, there is growing openness to them. Recovery from emotional affairs. 1st End the illicit relationship. The betraying spouse needs to cut off the illicit relationship at any cost. 2nd Boundaries are set. The betraying spouse takes full responsibility for the affair. Boundaries are set that will help the betrayed spouse feel safe and stable. 3rd The betrayer grieves their relationship loss. The betrayer closes the door on the illicit relationship emotionally. This is done through grieving the loss. This grieving process is best walked through with a friend or counselor and not his/her spouse. 4th Cultivate friendship and emotional intimacy with spouse. Over time, with relational repair, trust and emotional intimacy with spouse increases. 5th As a couple, reflect on the context of their marriage. The couple learns from the painful experience. What individual and couple dynamics provided the context for an emotional affair? Moving forward, how do we wisely live together to prevent it from happening in the future?
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Habit Formation
03/17/2025
Habit Formation
We are creatures of habit. Rhythmic, repetitious actions that are triggered almost without notice. For good or bad, these habits shape us in profound ways. To help us wield the power of habit for good, Kathy Knochel and Brian Sutter take up the topic of habit formation in this episode of Breaking Bread. Show notes: Habits are reinforced by the positive feedback we experience when we do them. Typically, bad habits form naturally with immediate favorable reinforcement. For example, scrolling on your phone becomes a habit when it seems to cure momentary boredom. Typically, good habits form intentionally with long term favorable reinforcement. For example, practicing scales on the piano habitually forms muscle memory that will produce a good piano player in the future. Tips for Intentional healthy Habit Formation: Identity: See your habit as evidence that you are the type of person you want to be. For example, Sandy wants to be a thankful person so she begins to understand herself to be a thankful person. When she journals two things she’s thankful for each day, it reinforces her identity. Make the habit accessible: Build the structure that will make your habit easier. For example, Todd wants to exercise in the morning. By setting out his running clothes the night before, he makes the first step in exercising, that is getting into his workout clothes, accessible. Use habit stacking: Pair a desired habit with a habit or routine that you already have established. For example, Jake wants to be a prayerful person. He decides to pray while he brushes his teeth, a habit he has already formed. Make yourself accountable: Let others know you are forming a habit and ask for their accountability. For example, Jenny wants to move her body more. She asks a friend to keep her accountable that she walks 8,000 steps each day.
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Anxiety and Our Youth: Instruction (Part 2 of 2)
03/03/2025
Anxiety and Our Youth: Instruction (Part 2 of 2)
Generation Z has been dubbed “the anxious generation.” Any adult who has the opportunity to walk alongside these anxious ones knows how painful it can be. Sometimes we need someone who has walked this road in both directions to provide light and insight. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Nichole Suvar, an anxiety and depression survivor, speaks from her own journey of anxiety and illumines a path forward for the anxious - both young and old. Show notes: Nichole Suvar is an anxiety and depression survivor and Intentional Living Strategist who speaks and writes on the intersection of mental health, faith, and God’s design for mental wellness. You can access free resources and sign up for her free weekly email devotional at .
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Anxiety and Our Youth: A Story (Part 1 of 2)
02/17/2025
Anxiety and Our Youth: A Story (Part 1 of 2)
Generation Z has been dubbed “the anxious generation.” Any adult who has the opportunity to walk alongside these anxious ones knows how painful it can be. Sometimes we need someone who has walked this road in both directions to provide light and insight. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Nichole Suvar, an anxiety and depression survivor, speaks from her own journey of anxiety and illumines a path forward for the anxious - both young and old. Show notes: Nichole Suvar is an anxiety and depression survivor and Intentional Living Strategist who speaks and writes on the intersection of mental health, faith, and God’s design for mental wellness. You can access free resources and sign up for her free weekly email devotional at .
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Six Keys to Better Brain Health
02/03/2025
Six Keys to Better Brain Health
Just as there are aspects of our physical health we can improve, there are ways we can improve our brain health. Many of these are quite simple and attainable. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. proposes six ways we achieve better brain health. Show notes: Six keys to better brain health: Physical Exercise: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days each week. Food & Nutrition: Mediterranean and MIND diets are brain and heart healthy. Olive oil, nuts, salmon, leafy greens, vegetables, etc. Cut out alcohol and smoking. Medical Health: Engage in regular, proactive check-ups/physicals with your healthcare provider. Learn the medical history of your extended family. Know your numbers. Blood pressure Blood sugar Cholesterol Weight Sleep & Relaxation: Sleep between 7-9 hours per night. Deal with common sleep conditions such as insomnia and sleep apnea. Mental Fitness: Keep it logically sharp with activities such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku’s. Keep it artistically sharp with activities such as music and creativity. Be a lifelong learner. Social Interaction: Stay connected with other people in relationships.
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Relational Wounds: A Block to Marital Intimacy
01/20/2025
Relational Wounds: A Block to Marital Intimacy
Husbands and wives want healthy attachment, intimacy and oneness. Yet, sometimes it can be elusive. In this episode of Breaking Bread, marriage and family therapist Kaleb Beyer helps us see one barrier to intimacy – relational pain. Fortunately, there is a path forward but be forewarned, it will require going backward before going forward. Show notes: Intimacy has cleverly been defined as “into me you see.” This is a good definition and a wonderful intention for marriages. It is not uncommon, however, for “blocks” to exist that prove intimacy difficult. One common “block” to intimacy is relational pain. By relational pain we mean the pain that comes when relational attachment is damaged. That is, safety, security, trust, and vulnerability are compromised. Often this relational stress is not intentional. Sometimes it happens without us putting words to it. However, it often happens in high stakes moments and seasons of transition. When couples go through moments of loss, disruption and transition in such a way that safety, security, trust and vulnerability are damaged, relational wounds can result. This pain is a block to intimacy. To move forward, it will be necessary to go back to the past and visit these moments. Healing is often found in putting words to the fears, sadnesses and hurts that these moments ushered into the relationship. Further, soothing the fears, grieving the sadnesses and healing the hurt will be an objective in moving forward and growing in intimacy.
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Welcoming Correction as a Disciple of Christ
01/06/2025
Welcoming Correction as a Disciple of Christ
Of the 12 disciples, Peter seems to be corrected the most. And yet, so much teaching surfaced out of his mistakes. Peter, in this way, exampled for us what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus. Recognizing and embracing his need for correction. In this episode of Breaking Bread, teachers Katie Miller and Isaac funk encourage us to share in Peter’s mindset. After all, the transformation from fishmen to apostle was remarkable in Peter and holds promise for each of us as well. Show notes: Being corrected is fundamental to the learning process. Every person in progress needs correction. Yet, to our own detriment, we too often resist and avoid correction. Four qualities the person who wisely receives correction possesses. Humility: They place themselves under an authority for whom they trust guidance. Vision: They see themselves as a person “in progress.” Wisdom: They understand that correction is necessary. Healthy Identity: They don’t over identify themselves with negative criticism.
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Walking through Disappointment with Our Kids
12/23/2024
Walking through Disappointment with Our Kids
As the saying goes, “we are as happy as our least happy adult child”. Parents get this. How do parents walk with their kids through disappointment? In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter gives us thoughtful cautions and helpful suggestions. Show notes: Our kids have disappointments. Disappointments such as: being excluded, being mistreated, unhappy with circumstances, unhappy with themselves, failure to excel, failure to succeed, losing a job, losing a spouse. Parents feel their pain. Often, we are as happy as our least happy adult child. Unfortunately, sometimes parents service their own pain when trying to help their children. Healthy separation between parent in child is needed in navigating child disappointment. There are some things parents should not do when helping children through disappointment. Parents should not: miss it, talk kids out of their feelings, rescue kids from their feelings, convey that unwanted emotions are bad. There are some things parents should do when helping children through disappointment. Parents should: help kids grieve, help kids manage stories, help kids with their identity, help kids with their God image, give kids hope.
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Understanding ADHD in Adults
12/09/2024
Understanding ADHD in Adults
ADHD has been well understood in the classroom. For a long time, ADHD has been well understood in children and treated for optimal growth in their maturing years. What about adults? What does ADHD look like later in life? How should we understand its effect on life and relationships? How do we treat the disorder for optimal living in the mature years? Show notes: What is ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a brain disorder. Individuals with ADHD might find it difficult to focus, stay on task, calm and quiet themselves. What is the neuroscience behind ADHD? ADHD is a delay in brain development. When certain neurotransmitters are unable to be balanced in the brain, ADHD will result. Two significant neurotransmitters out of balance in the ADHD brain are dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine promotes focus, motivation and reward. Norepinephrine regulates judgement and control. When does ADHD show up? When ADHD is present, it will show up in childhood. However, the disorder does persist into adulthood. How ADHD is manifested through the aging process differs. For example, hyperactivity which manifests itself outward in youth is still present in an adult but is often experienced more inwardly. ADHD adults have an advantage over ADHD children because they have more control over their environment. For example, the classroom is imposed on the life of a child but a career conducive to an ADHD adult is within their control. How is ADHD diagnosed? ADHD can be diagnosed at any point in a person’s life. Two methods for diagnosis are available: A clinical diagnosis happens when a professional evaluates the presence of the disorder by interview. Through a holistic battery of questions to the client as well as those who live and work closely with them an ADHD determination can be given. A neuro-psychological evaluation can be given by a professional. This approach includes cognitive skills assessments. It is important to note that before “ruling in” ADHD, many things need to be “ruled out.” There are many confounding matters such as anxiety and depression that conflate the ADHD diagnosis. If someone suspects ADHD, should they get a diagnosis? Yes and no. Knowing what is contributing to pain is helpful in working through and finding remedies for it. If what an individual suspects to be ADHD is causing ongoing pain in their relationships and responsibilities, a diagnosis has purpose. If very mild ADHD is present but not causing ongoing life disruption and pain, then a diagnosis may not be necessary. What are some “helps” for those with ADHD? Two routes can be taken for assisting those with ADHD: Therapy can be helpful in learning good coping, lifestyle management and relationship skills. These skills can help mitigate the pain ADHD can cause. Because ADHD is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, medication is available to help bring balance where imbalance is present. Is having ADHD only negative in a person’s life? Fortunately, many have lived well with their ADHD. Their brain is able to take in a lot of stimuli at the same time. Their activated state can produce many benefits such as creativity and ambition.
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Know Your Body
11/25/2024
Know Your Body
The thyroid gland is the master gland of the body. From this command center, hormones are dispatched. Those hormones send marching orders for our bodies to follow. The marching orders orbit closely to those matters that preserve and propagate life. While this bustle of activity happens beneath the boundary of our skin, effects surface in our thoughts and emotions. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Lynne Streitmatter, a professional in women’s hormonal care talks with Kathy Knochel a clinical therapist about the intersection of our bodies with our emotional, relational and spiritual lives.
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Solid Foundations: Building a Love that Lasts
11/11/2024
Solid Foundations: Building a Love that Lasts
A lot goes into a thriving marriage. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer uses the research of Dr. John Gottman to place his finger on the components of a marriage that not only lasts, but flourishes.
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What Do We Crave? - Understanding Supernormal Stimuli
10/29/2024
What Do We Crave? - Understanding Supernormal Stimuli
What is normal? In a world of air brushing and curated content, it can be illusive. Yet, having a good compass toward knowing normal goes a long way toward good mental health. Studies have shown that supernormal stimuli can have a damaging effect on our brains. In this episode of Breaking Bread, addiction specialist, Jacob Feucht, teaches us what supernormal stimuli are, how to spot them and unwind their influence. Show Notes: Definition: Supernormal Stimulus – Exaggerated characteristics in normal stimuli. Problem: Studies have shown that humans can begin to crave what is not natural or real at the expense of what is natural and real. Examples: Diet: We can crave unnatural foods at the expense of natural foods. Attention: We can crave unnatural rapidity of stimuli and addict ourselves to distraction because we resist the “slowness” of reality. Pornography: We crave sexual stimuli and addict ourselves to unnatural characteristics at the expense of healthy biblical sexual relations. Healthy living: Seek after, linger in and live in the real world. Learn to love what God created and what He created them for.
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Bullying
10/14/2024
Bullying
Bullying is as old as the hills. Yet it has gained more thoughtful attention in recent days. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Craig Stickling, a middle school counselor, provides much needed insights into this broken relational posturing between people.
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