Holistic Christian Life - Worshiping God - Mind, Body, Soul

Join Cynthia this week for a lovely interview with Kh. Randa Khoury Azar.  Khouria Randa is an iconographer, and together they help the listener to understand more about the wonderful gift the Church has given Christians to enhance their life in Christ, and bring them closer to God.  This is a great primer for those new to icons, and for those who wonder why they are so dear to Orthodox Christians. Khourieh Randa Khoury Azar is a professional iconographer and a faculty member at the Antiochian House of Studies. An excellent blog post on her work and teaching: https://apennedpoint.com/khourieh-randa-decodes-the-language-of-icons/ https://traditionalorthodoxicons.info/index.html Is it time to make some changes in your life? Do you want to stop the madness and get on track with your health? Maybe coaching is right for you. I've helped many people gain their health back over the years, and would love to talk with you. Just reach out with the link below to get on my schedule. From time to time I have openings fo

Cynthia and Krista Fedorchak talk about their shared interest in helping others develop a healthy relationship with food and their body.  Too often we get caught up in how we are “supposed” to look, and transfer blame onto ourselves when we eat what we know we shouldn’t.  We are not a bad person if we eat “bad” food.  And, is there such a thing as “bad” food?  Find out today! Krista Fedorchak is an Orthodox Christian, a wife, and Registered Dietitian offering faith-based insights into caring for body and soul alike. Informed by the non-diet, intuitive eating approach and rooted in the wisdom of the ancient Christian faith, Krista works together with clients on a path towards healing their relationship with food and accomplishing health goals through small, sustainable lifestyle changes. Is it time to make some changes in your life? Do you want to stop the madness and get on track with your health? Maybe coaching is right for you. I've helped many people gain their health back over the years, and would love t

Cynthia and Dr. Ioana Popa will help you start a journey of rejuvenation and renewal today.  How do you maintain a life of daily self-care that allows you to be all God created you to be?  Where do you even start?  Not only will Cynthia and Dr. Popa explain the purpose and the process, but Dr. Popa also has some great resources for you! Dr. Ioana is the co-founder of the Team For The Soul TM. Team for The SoulTM  supports passionate leaders, healers, educators and caregivers on their life and soul journey to achieve the highest potential while doing what they love toward the betterment of humanity. Dr. Ioana is not only a physician and life coach, but also an educator, workshop presenter, speaker and program developer. She recently launched an online digital course: The Renewal In Action TM. This course is a unique transformative and practical program designed from the inside-out to help leaders, healers, educators and caregivers regenerate, prevent burnout, connect with their core values, integrate mind, bo

Life Coach Russelyn Williams is Cynthia’s guest today.  They talk about her book The Wholeness Action Plan, and Russelyn’s journey that led her to helping young people and women discover their personal value and embracing their identity no matter where God has led them...even if it’s somewhere different than where they expected to be.    Russelyn Williams is a Christian Life Coach, Author, and Blogger. She has over 9 years experience speaking to young people and women about their personal value, worth, and benefits of saving sex until marriage. Currently, she helps single Christian women walk in wholeness and confidence through her books, blog posts, speaking, classes and inspirational posts on social media. Russelyn has been transparent about her personal testimony being a single Christian woman into her 30s. She has put off the shame of feeling like there was something wrong with her for being single and embraced her identity as a confident single woman who models wholeness. Outside of Russelyn’s work with

Come along for the ride as Cynthia talks with radio personality Kiki Vale about her Kefi Life website, podcast, views on food, essential oils...and all things wellness!  Today’s interview is fun and inspiring, and well, full of kefi!   Kefi Life Website   www.kefilife.com Kefi Life Podcast https://kefilife.podbean.com Radio personality, award winning voice-over talent, seasoned speaker and emcee, Kiki Vale thrives on the microphone and in front of a live audience. She is the first female airborne news/entertainment and traffic reporter in Chicago, and remains mesmerized by those pre-dawn sunrises witnessed during her morning shift in the early nineties. Kiki’s on-air career spans work on 15 formats, leading to the role of writer for various weekly newspapers. In 2000, Kiki founded her brand Kefi L!fe, a lifestyle which creates harmony in the mind, body and soul, the Greek way! As a journalist, entrepreneur, lifelong learner and recent graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, she inspires one and

Cynthia is joined by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith today, the author of Sacred Rest.  Did you know that there are seven types of rest?  Today is a good day to reflect on your self care and if you are allowing yourself to use your gifts and be everything that God created you to be. Once an exhausted doctor and mother to toddlers, Dr. Dalton Smith will show you the tools that worked in turning it all around! Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a board-certified internal medicine physician, work-life integration researcher and the author of the successful book Sacred Rest. She shows high-achievers how to optimize their time and effort without sacrificing their happiness and relationships both personally and professionally. She has spent 20 years in clinical practice after receiving her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Georgia and graduated with honors from Meharry Medical College in Nashville. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Baker College and Davenport University in Michigan teaching courses on health, nu

Today Cynthia is joined by Lisa Millet from Professional Botanicals.  Professional Botanicals is a company Cynthia found out about just recently that offers products based on centuries old herbal recipes from around the world.  Cynthia and Lisa talk about many different ways to get to the root cause of health issues.  If you know there is something going on with you, but your conventional medicine test results come back “normal” you’ll want to listen today.  There is hope, and there are many modalities that can help. After minoring in Foods and Nutrition at SUU, Lisa returned to Weber State University for degrees in radiology tech, herbal medicine, and a physical therapy and exercise science certificate. Lisa met and married Allan Millet, whose interest in natural health lead him to a career as a Chiropractic physician. Together they established a thriving functional wellness practice that helped tens of thousands of patients achieve results with natural means. This led them to them purchasing Professional B

Ever wonder what health and nutrition coaches talk about when they get together?  Today Cynthia is bringing back Chelsea Blackbird, also known as “The Christian Nutritionist.”  They talk about one of their favorite books “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” by Elaine Gottschall.  This book has been key for healing so many people, even reversing Chelsea’s own infertility.  They also get into stress management, and other struggles even health coaches have! Chelsea Blackbird - aka The Christian Nutritionist -  is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who works with Christian women to optimize metabolic flexibility and find food peace. She uses Biblical guidance and simple strategies to keep busy women focused on more God and better health. She also uses functional testing to help clients determine underlying root cause issues of gut dysfunction, food sensitivities and hormonal imbalance.  Chelsea lives in west Texas and is married to a grass-fed cattle rancher, has 3 kids and does a weekly podcast called The Christian Hea

Barbara pappas joins Cynthia today to talk about our calling.  There are two...secular and spiritual.  How do we meld the two, and why is this important?  Today you will get an idea of how constructing our life around our spiritual purpose is the key to contentment. Barbara Pappas has a Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, with a concentration in early Church Fathers.  She also holds a Master of Arts in Applied Orthodox Theology from the University of Balamand, in association with the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology & the Antiochian House of Studies in North America.   She is the author of three books:  Are You Saved?: the Orthodox Christian Process of Salvation, now in its sixth edition & 10 languages, with two more in process. First & Second Corinthians: a study of Paul’s Letters.  a verse-by-verse commentary based on writings of St. John Chrysostom & other Fathers of the Church. Includes “Food For Thought” questions & comments. God’s Bubbly,

Today Cynthia hosts Fr. Samuel Seamans, creator of the private Facebook group “Orthodox Christian Anxiety and Depression Support Group.” They talk about the importance of connecting with others who share the same burden, and allowing yourself to be supported.  Cynthia shares her experiences, and some things you may want to have checked out from a physical perspective.  There is healing out there waiting for you.  If you feel alone, ashamed, or confused...you will want to check out this important resource. Fr. Samuel Seamans is a priest in The Ukrainian Orthodox Church USA and serves as the rector of St. Thomas the Apostle Orthodox Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He is a retired police officer, EMT, and deputy coroner. He is also the creator and moderator of the Orthodox Christian Anxiety and Depression Support Group on Facebook. The group now has over 2500 members. He is married to Olga, a native of the Czech Republic, and they have two children, Sami amd Tomas. He is a private pilot and enjoys flying, co

Cynthia sits down for a chat with Becca Ehrlich, also known as the Christian Minimalist.  They talk about the significance of a Christian being a minimalist, why her blog post on Marie Kondo’s methods went viral, and her experience wearing the same dress for 100 days!  You’ll be inspired by Becca’s journey, and you may even want to get rid of 60% of your belongings after this! Becca Ehrlich is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a doctoral student with a focus on Christian Spirituality. A Christian minimalist in a consumer society, she got rid of 60% of her personal possessions in six months, took part in a year-long shopping fast, and moved into a smaller home. She blogs about minimalism from a Christian perspective at www.christianminimalism.com. Her book, Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living, just came out! Is it time to make some changes in your life? Do you want to stop the madness and get on track with your health? Maybe coaching is right for yo

Cynthia is excited to present her interview with Robin Phillips, author of the Holistic Christian Life book of the year for 2020 “Gratitude in Life’s Trenches.”  Robin talks about what led him to write the book, and why he feels it was such a success on Amazon...ascending to best seller in it’s category in only a couple of days after it’s release.   If you haven’t read the book yet, they also go chapter by chapter to give you an idea of it’s content...plus more.  Robin is as insightful in an interview as he is in his book.  Gather your pen and paper and settle in for this inspiring episode.  Robin Phillips is the author of Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How to Experience the Good Life Even When Everything Is Going Wrong (Ancient Faith, 2020). He has a Master’s in history from King’s College London, and is currently completing a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Oklahoma. He works as a freelance author for a variety of publications and operates a blog at www.robinmarkphillips.com. Is it time t

Cynthia talks with Teresa about her weight loss journey, her sugar addiction, and how figuring out her relationship with God was one of the keys to her success. You will be inspired today, and may finally understand why kicking the sugar habit can make all the difference in the world to your health. Teresa Shields Parker has lost more than 250 pounds, more important she is keeping it off. Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds is her sixth and most powerful book. In 2013 she began the journey to becoming an author. Her first book, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor, quickly became the number one Christian weight loss memoir on Amazon and stayed there for at least five years. Her books are designed to help those struggling in what she calls the hell of carrying extreme weight.  “My passion is helping people with extreme weight issues,” Teresa says. “I love coaching Christian women through the process of total lifestyle transformation body, soul and spirit. It is one of my

Join Cynthia today as she welcomes Fr. Nicholas Louh to the podcast.  They discuss how to discover your purpose, understand your mindset, look closely at your thoughts, and the importance of routines.  Sound familiar?  Father Nicholas is a man after our own heart here at Holistic Christian Life.  Together with his wife Dr. Roxanne, they wrote Renewing You, which is an excellent resource for going even deeper into these topics. The Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was raised as a member of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church, the same church he has served as a senior pastor since 2007. He shares daily inspirational messages on sports radio and television and is a member of “The God Squad,” a local public radio program featuring members of the clergy of other faiths for discussions of ethical and moral issues. His daily inspirational messages on social media have attracted thousands of followers from all over the world. He is Chaplain of the Jacksonville Sharks of the

Cynthia has an enlightening talk with Parenting Coach Rachel Norman from A Mother Far From Home.  Rachel is a Language of Listening coach and an Infant & Child Sleep Consultant, so they talk about everything from routines to mindset to sleep.  We know that self care routines are life giving here at Holistic Christian Life, but it turns out routines are life giving to your children also!  All of you frazzled moms out there, you’re going to love this! Rachel is an Infant & Child Sleep Consultant, Language of Listening parent coach, and mom to 5 kids. She lives in the Florida Panhandle with her Australian husband and writes about family rhythms, routines, and boundaries in motherhood and family life.  Check out her Baby Sleep Course, and Sample Routines for all age groups at www.amotherfarfromhome.com Is it time to make some changes in your life? Do you want to stop the madness and get on track with your health? Maybe coaching is right for you. I've helped many people gain their health back over the yea

Dr. Randa Anderson is Cynthia’s guest today as they talk about the impact the pandemic has had on mental health.  What steps can you take when you feel terrible? Randa is involved with the Mental Health Task Force of the Assembly of Bishops, and they talk about the projects that are being worked on.  There is also a new directory that can be accessed through https://www.assemblyofbishops.org/directories/mental-health/ Dr. Randa Anderson is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who treats adults, adolescents, and children in her private practice located in Gurnee and Park Ridge, IL. She is a member of the Orthodox Christian Counseling Institute, a network of mental health professionals providing services to Orthodox Christians in the Chicagoland area. Dr. Anderson completed her Ph.D. in Psychology at The University of Chicago and her clinical psychology training at The University of Chicago Hospitals and Michael Reese Medical Center. Dr. Anderson feels passionate about integrating concepts from psychology and Orth

Dr. Aristotle (Telly) Papanikolaou is Cynthia’s guest this week.  Get out your pens and prepare to think about truth telling in your own life.  It’s a healing practice on so many levels.  They talk about confession and trauma in relation to telling the truth to yourself, others, and your priest.  Dr. Papanikolaou also shares some wonderful book recommendations you may want to check out. Aristotle Papanikolaou is professor of theology, the Archbishop Demetrios Chair of Orthodox Theology and Culture, and the Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. He is also Senior Fellow at the Emory University Center for the Study of Law and Religion. In 2012, he received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in the Humanities. Among his numerous publications, he is the author of Being with God:  Trinity, Apophaticism, and Divine-Human Communion, and The Mystical as Political: Democracy and Non-Radical Orthodoxy.  He is also co-editor of Political Theologies in Orthodox Christ

Today Cynthia talks to Cherie Calbom, aka “The Juice Lady.”  Also known as Mat. Cherie for those who know that she is the wife of last week’s guest, Father John Calbom.  Together they are what Cynthia considers a “Dream Team.” Based on many books, retreats, and work they’ve done with cancer patients, Mat. Cherie talks with Cynthia about nutritional therapies for cancer and how juicing and detoxing play a role. Cherie Calbom, M.S. is a leading authority on juicing for health and detoxification. Known as The Juice Lady, TV chef and celebrity nutritionist, she has helped in pioneering the fresh juice movement around the world. Cherie writes a juice column for Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine and is the author of 35 books including her bestseller Juicing For Life with over 2 million books sold. She holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University where she sat on the Board of Regents for five years. Cherie has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards and was also awarded Juicing Exp

This week Cynthia interviews Father John Calbom on discovering the dreams in your heart, and how to live them fully.  What is your vision for the future?  How do you align yourself spiritually, psychologically, and physically so that you can fulfill the reason you were created?  You’re going to love this interview! BIO: Fr. John Calbom is an inspirational speaker, corporate chaplain, consultant, certified HeartMath trainer, and a Russian Orthodox priest with degrees in theology and psychology. He is co-author with his wife, Cherie, of three best-selling books including The Complete Cancer Cleanse, Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life and The Coconut Diet.  He co-founded St. Luke Medical Center—a comprehensive, integrative program for preventative medicine, pain, and stress management. He integrates insights from neuropsychology, cardiac psychology, and behavioral medicine as part of his workshops and seminars. Fr. John offers dynamic seminars for a variety of organizations, consulting for persons in relig