PODCAST

The Desert Sanctuary

Life is hard some times! People often long for safe places where they can express their grief, confusion or even anger. Whether you are deconstructing, questioning, or doubting, you are welcome and valued here. When many of us venture out to find healing or relief or adventure, it can often feel like walking out into the Desert. Welcome to our Sanctuary in the Desert. You are welcome to share your thoughts and what you are producing while you are processing. We will endeavor to lean toward the

religion & spirituality

All Episodes

28:07

384 – Good Questions – Did My Tradition Get it Right?

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2025/01/29

My deconstruction began when I started asking questions. The questions weren’t the regular softball questions we asked Sunday school teachers, which propped up what the teacher was already trying to assert. These questions caused the rest of the class to groan, mumble, and, most likely, talk about me behind my back. I continue to ask […]

62:35

377 – Guy Stephens – Doing Better than Seclusion &...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/12/16

Guy Stephens is a passionate advocate and a nationally recognized expert on restraint and seclusion. In 2019, Guy founded the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR), a highly respected national nonprofit organization. AASR’s mission is to inform changes in policy and practice to reduce and eliminate the use of punitive andexclusionary discipline and outdated behavioral […]

49:17

372 – Evolving From Religious Trauma – Parenting in...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/12/11

Parenting is a daunting endeavor. I always felt like it was the most monumental task I ever attempted, yet I had the least training of anything else. There were classes and books available, but they were all over the place regarding theories and practices. My parents got some interesting advice from their religious peers, which […]

362 – Karl and Laura – Elections

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/10/04

Check in with us as we talk about elections. Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward, Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity. He is the creator of The Desert […]

361 – Ex-Pastor’s Daughter – Bex

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/09/30

We continue our series on Ex-Pastor’s wives and daughters with Bex. How Religion Lowers our Expectations The World I Want to Live In What Kind of Father is the Christian God? Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward, Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me […]

360 – Ex-Pastor’s Daughter – Sarah Caton

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/09/23

Sarah Caton grew up in a small Mormon town in Utah. Her family wasn’t Mormon, though. Her parents were there on a mission to convert Mormons into fundamentalist Baptists. As a young child, she whole heartedly believed in the family faith and even wanted to become a missionary when she grew up. She taught Sunday […]

359 – Ex-Pastor’s Wives – Jessica Jane

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/09/16

Jessica is a DV survivor and advocate, as well as a recovering people pleaser (still working on that one). She is currently homeschooling her three kids and is in the beginning stages of becoming a birth doula. Jessa is passionate about advocacy for women, especially survivors of abuse within the church. In her spare time […]

358- Ex-Pastor’s Wives – Karen Mathson

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/09/09

Former Pastor’s Wife