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Welcome to the surviving summer series. Some of you have no need for survival. You are going to Greece and laying by pools. We bless you with the love of the lord. Some of you are desperate to laugh, figure out some fun things for yourself and your loved ones, and we are here for you either way. Try not to get too excited, but in this episode we will be talking about summer fashion. We are well aware that no one wants to hear us talk about fashion, but trust us, because we will make you laugh. Topics include: Athlesuire Sweat shorts Sweet socks Thrift and garage sale jeans Books (of course we are talking about books) Everything in between Thanks for joining us for another episode of Why Tho! Read Ashley’s essays on After Hours: www.ashleyabercrombie.SUBSTACK.com Interested in joining Tiffany’s cohort? Sign up here: https://forms.gle/YS7bstwKeENKaPJE6

Week two of SHAMELESS PLUGS does not disappoint. Women matter. Our voices, our bodies, our gifts - what we give to the world is irreplaceable. For fifteen years, Tiffany has devoted her life to empowering and championing women. She shares the path that led her here - from her first mommy blog with a six-week old and pre-schooler in her arms to writing books about story, dreaming, and justice. As a mentor, teacher, and friend, Tiffany is moving into the next phase of her leadership: Resisterhood Cohorts. Hear her heart behind a smaller group of women journeying together for seven months and why proximity is so powerful. Interested in the cohort? Fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1XXnBt-ZxxeYuqbMTxMHhPb10XguseUKz54zRtLj3XV1YEA/viewform Connect with Tiffany on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tiffanybluhm Learn more about her books: www.tiffanybluhm.com

Okay fam, we're allergic to hyping ourselves up and to selling things, but we recognize our stuff is dang good and worth telling you about! In today's episode, Shameless Plug Part 1, Ashley shares her pivot out of twenty years of ministry and ten years of writing and speaking. It led her to start a little internet neighborhood called After Hours. If you're looking for hope in hard places, laughter, and wisdom for your real life, this is for you. We rarely ask our listeners to support our work but today we are. After Hours is less than a latte every month or $50 for the year. Ashley writes about boundaries, grace, current issues like abortion and gun violence and more. It would be a pleasure to welcome you into the community. Sign up here: https://ashleyabercrombie.substack.com/ Want to know if After Hours is for you? Read this: https://ashleyabercrombie.substack.com/about If you don't want to add to your inbox, consider purchasing Ashley's latest book, Love Is the Resistance: Learn to Disagree, Resolve the Conflicts You've been Avoiding, and Create Real Change on Amazon (or wherever you get your books) https://www.amazon.com/Love-Resistance-Disagree-Conflicts-Avoiding/dp/0801094399

Like so many of you, we are crushed over the shootings in Uvalde. Our babies! BABIES! It is difficult to imagine that loss. At the beginning of this episode, we talked about summer plans with our kids and laughed together as we often do. There are too many families who will struggle to do that. We are sick of this. This episode is a "state of the union" style episode, where we process what we see and how it's impacting us and what we can do about it. It is good to remember that we are not helpless and we are not hopeless. We need to hold ourselves and others accountable to voice our concerns to legislators and to organizations that are causing hurt and harm to communities. It's not too late to make phone calls. Find your local, state, and federal legislators here: www.usa.gov/elected-officials Remember that the vast majority of people in government positions actually want to help others. If your heart is heavy over the SBC report, or another issue we didn't mention, consider writing a letter to express your concern or setting up a meeting with someone who has the power to make change. We love a good rant (you know this) but we can't stop at rants. We need to take action. We're proud of you listeners and we love you. Thank you for making change where you are. You're powerful and we're rooting for you! For another resource on better understanding gun violence in America, read this book by gun violence survivor Taylor Schumann: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PSKF4XX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Today’s episode is a special, personal one. We are celebrating AAPI Heritage Month by sharing a few of the Asian women who made a lasting impact on our personal lives. Women who shaped our thinking and our freedom, and taught us how to love and share and be together with others. As the Why Tho fam, we also want to honor Tiffany, as a leader in our lives and in the AAPI community. It’s a blessing to grow together. Support Tiffany’s work by donating to SIP - a weekly table gathering of women to talk about real issues through the lens of faith and justice. You can also order Tiffany’s book Prey Tell on Amazon or wherever books are sold. To connect with the Why Tho hosts, message them on Instagram! Www.Instagram.com/tiffanybluhm Www.Instagram.com/ashabercrombie

How do we learn to stay present? It’s easy to be overwhelmed by work, news cycles, social media, and struggles. Saying 'hello to here' is a practice that can help you settle into the moment. Putting aside distractions, phones, and hustles to stay conscious and connect to the people right in front of you is life-giving. We know there are a million reasons to stay stuck rehearsing the past or worrying about the future. In this episode, we hope to encourage you to find ways to stay present and close to the here and now. Connect with us on Instagram Www.Instagram.com/TiffanyBluhm Www.instagram.com/ashabercrombie

In light of the draft of the opinion written about Roe vs. Wade we thought it was important to share a conversation we had during our Faith and Politics series. One of the most divisive issues in America's Christian communities is the issue of abortion. We felt it was extremely important to cover this difficult topic because this matters to women, to families, and to us. As Sister Joan Chittister said, "I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is." Pro-birth is not enough. We need to care for people from the womb to the tomb, to value all life, every color, nationality and gender, as made in the image of God. Today's episode, while not exhaustive, will focus on women, on thoughtfully considering what it would take to make abortion unnecessary, and what we can do to serve as compassionate people of faith. Shame is never a tool in our tool belt, but love is. As promised during the episode, here are a few videos, podcasts, and articles that will help you better understand the issue, as well as the history of evangelicals and single issue voting based on abortion politics. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/11/731664197/apocalypse-now https://www.facebook.com/1048186335224436/videos/581219142587470 https://www.ashabercrombie.org/old-fashioned-truth-telling/2019/01/25/the-stigma-shame-of-abortion https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a34339956/senator-gary-peters-abortion/?fbclid=IwAR2AL5hEOttv1EYk_xoFAl-R4ePiVpNiRMH7uIcRvLWUcYv3Ivq2hgR2Vyg Read Ashley's full story of abortion by downloading the first chapter of her book for free: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5dd813901bf52c00294a6826 Ashley's essay, "I am a Christian. I have had an abortion. I am pro-life from birth to death." https://ashleyabercrombie.substack.com/p/i-am-a-christian-i-have-had-an-abortion?s=r

Shame hinders us from admitting we have needs and limitations. We are trained from birth to hide or resent our needs, often because the adults in our lives teach us to do that. What if there's a better way? Dr. Amy Kenny, a disabled scholar and Shakespeare lecturer, joins us to teach us that better way. This is a vulnerable, generous, and transformative conversation. It will sit with you and stay with you. Share with friends and get a copy of this book for you and everyone you know!! More about your new best friend, Dr. Amy Kenny: Amy Kenny (PhD, University of Sussex) is a disabled scholar and a Shakespeare lecturer whose research focuses on medical and bodily themes in literature. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The Mighty, The Audacity, and Sojourners. Kenny is a scribe for Freedom Road Institute for Leadership and Justice; serves on the mayor's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce in California; coordinates support for people experiencing homelessness in her neighborhood; and is currently co-launching Jubilee Homes OC, a permanent supportive housing initiative in her local community. Order Amy's book, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church https://amzn.to/3vqJwpm

Disability is part of life. We don't talk about it enough, so we invited our favorite teacher, Dr. Amy Kenny to join us for a two-part episode. We talk about our common worship of productivity and achievement and how that impacts people of varying abilities. Dr. Amy reminds us that disability is not a metaphor for weakness and introduces us to the idea that our needs are too often synonymous with shame. YOU WANT TO SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW. TRUST US. More about your new best friend, Dr. Amy Kenny: Amy Kenny (PhD, University of Sussex) is a disabled scholar and a Shakespeare lecturer whose research focuses on medical and bodily themes in literature. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The Mighty, The Audacity, and Sojourners. Kenny is a scribe for Freedom Road Institute for Leadership and Justice; serves on the mayor's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce in California; coordinates support for people experiencing homelessness in her neighborhood; and is currently co-launching Jubilee Homes OC, a permanent supportive housing initiative in her local community. Order Amy's book, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church https://amzn.to/3vqJwpm

A Why Tho favorite episode about the small things that are keeping us going. Per usual, we are extra typical elder millennials. Prepare yourself for “clearly struggling with life” things like Facebook Marketplace and shoe inserts. Bless our little hearts. What’s keeping you alive and full of hope these days? Send us a message on Instagram so we can add them to our list! As promised here is Tiffany’s tahini dressing recipe: 2 tbsp of each of the following blended together: tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos www.instagram.com/ashabercrombie www.instagram.com/Tiffanybluhm

America might be 50 states (plus Puerto Rico) but it might as well be several small countries. The regional wars are real. Coastal elites, the Midwest, Bible Belt, southern states and the North East unbelievably fit into one nation. Still, we find ourselves divided. Understanding is needed about the people we are, the values we hold, and how geography informs our reality. Here’s what’s cool: America is often portrayed as red and blue, but purple is actually closer to the truth. We’re more connected than we realize. Links from today: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-11-nations-of-the-united-states-2015-7 https://purplestatesofamerica.org Books: The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

It's been a long winter and we are ready for spring. Things are blooming, the weather is warming, and thank God, it feels like we're returning to normalcy. Okay, things are still not normal, but we're getting there. Today's episode is about hope, resilience, making a lot with a little, calming our American behinds down, and finding the light in the darkness of winter. We're with you listeners, and we're for you. You're not alone out there. Now, come and tell us if you prefer Beyonce or Destiny's Child: www.instagram.com/ashabercrombie www.instagram.com/tiffanybluhm