21: Building a Life Team

Two Proposals?! Lindsay and Lauren share how the proposal continues and how they found safety in breaking all of the rules. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at : www.thewoodspodcast.com

When your engagement gets botched! Lauren tells Lindsay for the first time how her engagement plans went sideways. They share the twists and turns of the big day and how different this experience was for them since leaving the church. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at: www.thewoodspodcast.com

How do you have a relationship when both partners aren’t out? Lauren and Lindsay share the experience of being in a committed relationship when they both weren’t out. How did they manage the tension? In this episode, you’ll hear how they navigated their relationship tension, how they embraced healthy separation, and how they stayed connected in the midst of it all. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at: www.thewoodspodcast.com

What if everything you've ever wanted to accomplish is just a relationship away? It's so easy to get stuck in the "How do I do that?" phase of dreaming. Insert "Design a Life Team" here. In this episode, Lauren and Lindsay share what a life team is, how it gives us the courage to go after what we want, and the power of choosing people to help us grow. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at: www.thewoodspodcast.com

Finding friends after leaving the church can be a vulnerable and lonely process. How do you find new rhythms and people to live life with? In this episode, Lauren and Lindsay share the four different types of friendship, how freeing and healthy this is and how each type is needed for well-being in our lives. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at: www.thewoodspodcast.com

How do you find friends after leaving “automated” friendships in the church? What qualities are important when you are looking for a community? In this episode, Lauren and Lindsay break down the 8 key ingredients in friendship and the power to choose relationships in a fresh way while living wild and free in the woods. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at : www.thewoodspodcast.com

Lauren and Lindsay break down the 6 types of relational needs and how meeting these needs changed their lives. Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at : www.thewoodspodcast.com

It’s season three, and Lauren and Lindsay are focusing on relationships of all kinds and comparing how relationships function in the village (church life) versus the woods (secular life). In this first episode, they explore the great unknown: marriage outside of the church.  You'll hear old Christian journal entries, research from Esther Perel, and their own processing around what they want marriage to look like.  If you want to know more about Esther Perel's Ted Talk, you can find this one and several others from her, here: https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_the_secret_to_desire_in_a_long_term_relationship Get exclusive updates and check out more resources for LGBTQ+ folks and deconstruction at: www.thewoodspodcast.com

What if attaching to others is a matter of life and death? For Lauren it was. Our need for relationships starts the moment we leave the womb. Not everyone attaches the same way and we find this fascinating. We are talking about three main attachment styles today: Anxious, Avoidant, and Secure. We’ll share how these play out in childhood and in our adult romantic relationships. We’ll also share our experiences trying to attach to God and how relationships and attachment change if you jump over the village wall and into the woods.

Motherhood is one of the highest sources of shame for women. Whether you grow up in the Village and live by the religious rules or you run wild in the Woods, Motherhood is tricky to navigate. In this episode, we'll share our own experiences of raising kids in the wild after leaving the almost impossible expectations found in the church.