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Loving the Imperfect
Welcome to Loving the Imperfect podcast, a show for spiritual seekers and skeptics. I’m your imperfect host, Brianne Turczynski.
For ten years I’ve studied offerings from holy teachers and holy texts. I’m a teacher and a journalist who has listened to the stories of many people throughout the years. So I thought it was time to share a story or two about my journey and my thoughts on scripture and holy work from different faith traditions and practices: mostly from Sufi teachers, Buddhists, and Christian mystics.
So, join me as we imperfectly and clumsily make our way through each day mustering up compassion for the hours ahead.
Thank you for stopping by Loving the Imperfect! New episodes are uploaded bi-weekly!
For more information about me and my work please visit
www.brianneturczynski.com
Episodes
45 episodes
Wordplay With Robert MacFarlane: An Important act of environmental and social justice
Welcome to Loving the Imperfect. Thank you for being here! This week's episode I discuss the importance of Robert Macfarlane's book
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Do you know what turgid means?
Welcome to Loving the Imperfect! Thank you for being here. Today I'll talk about turgidity (I had to look it up too) and nourishment in our lives with a little help from Vita Sackville-West, Isak Dinesen, and Rolanda (a w...
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How to Cultivate Creativity and Newness: A life lesson from the Honeysuckle Climber
Hello and Welcome to episode 4 of my fourth season: Lessons from Vita Sackville-West. How do we or our communities represent the old, established bush? What are the secret yearnings of our soul(s) that would promote creativity a...
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What the Milkweed Helped Me Remember
Hello and welcome! This episode is about what we may call a weed, but if we look closer, we can come into a relationship with the plant or with our neighbor that looks beyond names and reputations. Check out pictures and...
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Who was Vita Sackville-West: A teacher of transformation
Thank you for joining me. This is the second episode of my garden posts featuring the writings of Vita Sackville-West. You can see pictures and follow me for more posts at
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Something I Noticed About Hollyhocks: A Lesson in Thriving for the Lonely Ones
Hello and welcome to Loving the Imperfect. Today I'm going to try something different. Years ago, I managed a blog called Miss Sissinghurst on WordPress, which is now my website www.brianneturczynski.com. It was a garden blog bas...
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A SPECIAL EPISODE FOR LENT AND GOOD FRIDAY: St. Therese of Lisieux and The Holy Face Devotion
Welcome to Loving The Imperfect. This is a special episode for Lent or Good Friday. We will begin by talking a little bit about St. Therese of Lisieux, the 19th century mystic. And afterward I will talk a little bit about what mysticism is beca...
Writing Retreat: Healthy Rhetoric featuring the work of Lech Walesa
Hello and welcome! This is a virtual writing retreat featuring the work of Lech Walesa. Rhetoric is everywhere, from what we read to what we hear and see. In this retreat we will work with a few different meditations, from artwork, to the work ...
What is the Divine Feminine? Featuring the work of Mirabai Starr
Today we'll talk about the work of Mirabai Starr, an Inter-spiritual teacher, writer, and translator of the mystics. Mirabai is a well-known teacher of the divine feminine. She has written several books and her translations of St. John of...
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Modern-Day Prophets: Featuring Spoken Word Poet Kae Tempest with Brianne & Erin
Welcome to season 3 of Loving the Imperfect!Thank you for being patient with me over my long break. Join me this season along with my kindergarten classmate, Erin Grossi, as we introduce and discuss some modern-day prophets, p...
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Season 2 Finale: What Blessings May Come in the Mess of Life with Terry Gonda
Hello and welcome to Loving The Imperfect. Today we'll hear from Terry Gonda, a devout Catholic, who was fired from her position as a music director at a local Catholic church because of her marriage to a woman. Join us tod...
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Father Eric Williams: A Life in the Priesthood
Today we'll hear from Father Eric Williams, the priest of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Rochester. He's going tell us about his journey being an Episcopal priest. This interview is more of a conversation, so you'll hear a lot more of me in t...
Positive Experiences in Vietnam
Today we'll hear from 90-year-old Dr. Daniel White, a local physician in this area, well known and well-liked by everyone.He was drafted into the Vietnam War as part of a MILPHAT team and spent some time in Vietnam with the civili...
A High School Student's Journey with All Things Celestial
Today we will hear from a 17-year-old local high school student who wishes to remain anonymous. He is very interested in space, and as of right now, he wants to be an astrophysicist. Despite all you'll hear in this interview, this s...
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Giving Back with Dr. Rick Maibauer
Welcome back to Loving the Imperfect. Today, we'll hear a story from Dr. Rick Maibauer. He is the first person to perform a total joint replacement in Ghana, West Africa. So, we're going to hear his story today. Another exercise, again, in deep...
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A Lifetime of Service with Ged Youngman
Hello and welcome to this week's episode! Born during World War II in England, Ged Youngman tells the story of her life as a nurse attending both dying children and healthy babies as a midwife. Later in the United States, she spent much of her ...
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* Advent Special * Blessings from Kenya: A Mother's Love and Sacrifice
Hello and welcome to Loving the Imperfect. Today we are hearing a story from Kenny Asewe. Kenny is the founder of At Home Music here in Rochester, he is going to tell us a really touching story ...
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Featuring Liturgical Music Composer Gregory Norbet
Today we will hear from respected music composer, spiritual leader, singer and retreat director, Gregory Norbet, who also spent 21 years as a Benedictine monk at the Weston Priory in Vermont. I'm honored to be able to speak with him today. I ho...
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald: Featuring Michigan Shipwreck Explorer, Ric Mixter
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a tanker that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10th, 1975. It was carrying 29 crewmen and 26,000 tons of taconite pellets. According to Mr. Mixter, the storm that evening wasn't the worst to hit the ...
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Featuring World-class Figure Skater, Nancy Jones & Romans 8:38-39
Hello and welcome to Loving the Imperfect. Today we will speak to world-class figure skater Nancy Jones about her decision to quit skating for the U. S. team with the faith that God was leading her in a different direction. In 1961...
Keeping the Faith: Featuring Rad Jones, Retired Secret Service Agent to Six US Presidents & Isaiah 41:10
Welcome to the first episode for Season Two of Loving the Imperfect, a show for seekers of deeper contemplation. I'm your host Brianne Turczynski. For 10 years, I've been studying offerings from holy teachers and holy text...
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Resounding Praise: Season One Finale with Psalm 150
Thank you for joining me again for season one's finale episode. Today I'll read Psalm 150, the very last psalm in the book of Psalms and I will share why I started this podcast. I will take a break for a few weeks while I work on some writing p...
Entering the Mystical Path: Spain's Golden Age & W. Somerset Maugham with Psalm 143
In this episode, we explore what the beginning of a mystical path can look and feel like. I am speaking from my own experience, so please know that your experience might be different from mine. My journey began when I read W. Somerset Maugham's...
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Mantras: An Aid in Meditation with Psalm 136
In this episode, we explore different mantras that can be used in meditation and how meditation might be useful for us as our contemplative nature grows. This episode includes a reading from Psalm 136.Media mentioned in this episode...
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Approaching Our Past: Explaining Sankofa & What It Can Teach Us with Psalm 129
What do we need to retrieve from our past so we can advance in peace, likewise, what do we need to address or deal with from our past to promote a healthy future? Sankofa is a word that when translated means return and fetc...
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