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Episode 98: An Interview with Christen Clark

The Valley of Grace Podcast
The Valley of Grace Podcast
Episode 98: An Interview with Christen Clark
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Have you ever felt called to children’s ministry? What about the worship team? Or does a traveling worship team sound exciting to you? Listen to the interview that I had with children’s ministry director, music major, and podcast host of The Collide Kids Podcast show, Christen Clark to find out about all those things and more.

Biography

Christen Clark is the host of The Collide Kids Podcast that she started in 2020, a faith-based, interview-style show for kids and families to enjoy together.  She has been in vocational ministry for over 15 years in various churches serving as worship leader, choir director, bible teacher, and Children’s Ministry director.

Christen is currently pursuing her Masters degree at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is a wife and mother of 2, and lives in Cumming, Georgia. She loves being busy (obviously), meeting new people, and Mexican food.

In case you missed last week’s episode with Confidence and Money Mindset Coach, Eston Swaby, click here. Be blessed!

Podcast Topics

  • Her Life Story
  • How Healed and UnHealed Brokenness Affect Your Work
  • Commnunity’s Work in Healing Brokenness
  • Challenges in Children’s Ministry
  • Benefits of Children’s Ministry
  • Burnout in Children’s Ministry
  • Podcasting
  • Worship
  • Music
  • Fun Questions

Memory Verse

and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 6:7

Sign up for the Collide Kids Podcast!

At Valley of Grace, we believe in thriving. In order to thrive, we have to begin grounding ourselves in our identity. The first step in making this happen, is dealing with the effects of our childhood wounds. Click here to get started in Online Therapy today.****This is an amazon affiliate link where a commission is paid to offsite the cost of providing this information to you.

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Episode 73: An Interview with Model, Songwriter, Performing Artist Timothy Horton on Brokenness, Blackness, Balancing Creativity with Authenticity, Studying Languages, Being Homeschooled, & Music

The Valley of Grace Podcast
The Valley of Grace Podcast
Episode 73: An Interview with Model, Songwriter, Performing Artist Timothy Horton on Brokenness, Blackness, Balancing Creativity with Authenticity, Studying Languages, Being Homeschooled, & Music
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On yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview Timothy Horton. This young man is special because number one, he is a child of God, and then number two, he is my son. When I say that we left no table unturned in our talk, I do mean it. As Timothy mentioned, and we believe at Healing Our Brokenness podcast, “Everybody has a story to tell”. You may laugh some, cry some, and listen attentively as Timothy shares openly about several things, including, but not limited to, the songwriting process, brokenness, music, blackness, relationships, and traveling. In case you missed last week’s podcast episode, you can click here to take a listen.

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Timothy Horton

Episode 73: Podcast Outline

  • Childhood
  • Relationships
  • Important Relationships
  • Blackness
  • Being Homeschooled
  • Music
  • The Effects of the Pandemic
  • Foreign Languages and Communication
  • Mission Trips
  • Traveling
  • Mentors and Mentees
  • Brokenness
  • Unhealed Brokenness
  • Reading of Poetry

Bible Verses to Meditate on:

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

Zechariah 4:10, NLT

Until next time,

Katina

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Episode 72: An Interview with Valetta Brinson on Teaching, Fear, Loss, Singing, Relationships, Mentoring, & Brokenness

The Valley of Grace Podcast
The Valley of Grace Podcast
Episode 72: An Interview with Valetta Brinson on Teaching, Fear, Loss, Singing, Relationships, Mentoring, & Brokenness
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We all benefit from the wisdom of a mentor/important person in our lives. Has this ever been an opportunity of yours, and if so, what made that person important? Studies have shown that for every negative influence, we need five more positive influences to counteract those effects. The bible also teaches us the importance of having older women and men take the younger generation under their wings. I have done this myself, as well as having been mentored within the last eight years, and it has truly blessed me. I have learned that the older people get, the more authentic they become when they allow God to take the lead.

Yesterday, I was graced with the opportunity to interview Valetta Brinson, An Associate Professor at Southwest Tennessee Community College, A Performing Artist, and Business Owner of Brinson Music Group. Click to listen in on her mentor/mentee experience and much more!

Valetta Brinson Podcast Outline

  • Childhood
  • Relationships
  • Music
  • Singing
  • Blackness
  • The Pandemic
  • Her Career
  • Her Advice
  • Definition of Brokenness
  • Her Brokenness
  • Advice on Dealing with Brokenness
  • Unhealed Brokenness
  • Home

Relational Bible Passages to Focus on :

Joel 2: 25-32

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [a]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.

God’s Spirit Poured Out


29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 â€śAnd I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be [b]saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be [c]deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

Titus 2: 3-8

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Have a blessed week!

Katina

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The Music Aspect: Living With & Healing From Trauma

Today, I am featuring another aspect in the “Living With and Healing from Trauma on a Daily Basis” series. This aspect is that of music. Music can have several effects. It can make you go from feeling relaxed to nervous, anxious, and scared, and then switch over to anger, frustration, and sadness in a heartbeat.

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Photo by Samantha Hurley

Whether you are suffering with trauma/PTSD or not, listening to music can take you back to twenty years of memories that can feel like it was yesterday. Our emotions get stirred, and if we are not careful, we can start riding the waves. You can start thinking about old relationships and all sorts of things.

When it comes to music and PTSD, it can be both a good and bad thing, depending upon the situation. If the music is loud and harsh, with screaming involved, it can cause you to have the trauma symptoms of irritation, dissociation, and anxiety.

Unfortunately, I have experienced all of these. About five years ago, my son was listening to some metal Christian music. I had to ask him to turn it down, then off. It was just too much. The screaming caused the Fear Aspect of Trauma to settle in. I started to feel unsettled in my spirit, along with feeling agitation and anxiousness.

Whether you are listening to loud or soft music, if you haven’t processed memories that are associated with a particular song, you may not be able to tolerate that song or style of music for a while. You’ll usually know if you can tolerate the song/style because you will be able to listen to it without any problems. If the song is intolerable, you usually end up with bad flashbacks or dissociation.

Just recently, I realized that I am fully able to enjoy gospel music again. Starting in 2013, it became hit or miss. Gospel music is associated with attending a missionary baptist church as a kid, leading the choir with my ex-husband, praise dancing, and my roots in general. In order for me to truly appreciate it again, I had to process the important events that this genre held close to my heart. The events weren’t just from one particular time period. They were spread across years.

Recently, my friend invited me to two gospel concerts she performed in. I felt like I was back in the church that I attended as a kid. I knew that this genre had helped me to place the piece of puzzle of my identity in this area back to where it belonged.

Music from the 70s and 80s is also some of my favorites. When I listen to this music, it causes ambivalence. Why? This time period represents a life of simpler times. I have relatives that were alive then, and no longer alive. Community was food, dancing, talking, and enjoying one another’s company. Sometimes, I find myself dancing and crying at the same time.

The more I listen to it, the better it gets. However, I still have moments of extreme grief from trauma, as well as joy at the same time because these memories will forever be in my heart.

How has the music aspect affected your PTSD? Would love to hear your thoughts!