HI THERE! I'M BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI, FREELANCE WRITER, HISTORICAL RESEARCHER, & PERPETUAL SEEKER OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. WELCOME TO MY SPACE WHERE I SHARE THE BOOKS I'M READING, MY SPIRITUAL FINDINGS, FLOWERS IN MY GARDEN, AND LOST STORIES. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.
Hello and thank you for tuning in! I'm Brianne Turczynsk, a teacher, an author/journalist, a filmmaker, and a student of mysticism in the Christian tradition. Mysticism is the part of all religions and practices that unifies all people and practices breaking down the walls around our beliefs built by religious dogma. In this episode, we … Continue reading Can Ordinary People Be Holy
Welcome to Loving the Imperfect! On this week's episode, I will briefly discuss Sufism and Rumi in this episode since Psalm 73 reminded me so much of some of Rumi's poems. For those of you who don't know what Sufism is, this would be a good episode to introduce you to one of the most … Continue reading Intro to Sufism with Rumi and Psalm 73
In this episode, we discuss the Red Sea crossing and the scientific evidence that proves it may have occurred. It's an episode that asks us to notice the miracles in our lives and the Spirit of Love's subtle nudges to glean meaning from everyday life. Books mentioned in this episode:Epic of GilgameshAngels in My Hair by … Continue reading The Parting of the Red Sea: Myth, Miracles, and Message with Psalm 66
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss Episode Transcript: Hello and thank you for joining me on Loving the Imperfect. I'm Brianne Turczynski. I am your host. I am a teacher, a writer, an author, I'm a documentarian filmmaker and I started this show to have the classroom I always wanted and to share with you some of my stories, some … Continue reading The Story of a Cure: Anxiety, Depression, and Panic with David and Psalm 59
In this tenth episode, I introduce you to Vita Sackville-West, owner and creator of Sissinghurst Castle Gardens in Kent, England. She was my muse and the voice in my head for many years when I was doing a lot of gardening. I'm happy to tell you a little about her in this episode and share … Continue reading Finding Solace in the Garden with Vita Sackville-West
Thank you for joining me today. Please consider sharing or subscribing! In this episode I talk about leaving the crowd, our comfort zones, to seek what the Spirit is calling you to do. It also includes a brief teaching on the art of detachment. I mention several examples from scripture that speak to this. This … Continue reading Finding Your True People
As Easter is approaching I thought we should take a closer look at Pontius Pilate, a man with whom Jesus is forever entwined. This episode offers a different approach to looking at those embedded in the system of unjust decision-making throughout the world and suggests that we muster up compassion in the most unexpected corners, … Continue reading Loving Pontius Pilate
This episode contains a reading of Psalm 31, a psalm that brings to mind the crucifixion of Jesus. I will share a reading from the poetry of Sappho, a Greek poetess of the year 600 B.C.E. I will compare her work to David's and share some history of this wonderful poet. Later in the episode, we will be blessed by the Mission Sisters of the Holy Spirit. A few years ago I conducted several interviews with these amazing ladies and share with you a special moment from my last meeting with them before COVID. They are religious sisters of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan. Thank you for tuning in to the show. Please consider sharing the show with someone you love and especially with those you are learning to love. : ) Books mentioned in this episode: Sappho translated by Mary Barnard For more information about me and my work, please visit http://www.brianneturczynski.com or http://www.lovingtheimperfect.com
Hi Everyone! I haven’t posted in a long time. I just started an inclusive spirituality podcast called Loving the Imperfect!! Season 1 has begun, and I’m covering every seventh psalm in my weekly episodes. They are published every Thursday at 5am eastern time. You can tune in everywhere podcasts are heard and downloaded! Please consider … Continue reading LOVING THE IMPERFECT
When I was in college my mom and I stayed up until 4 am watching the TV series of The Thorn Birds on VHS. We binge-watched before there was such a thing! However, she says now that the book is way better. I’m sure it probably is, but how could you not love watching Richard … Continue reading The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
“One of Thomas Merton’s favorites among his own books—surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit.” I have spent a lot of time in the “desert” or in the “wilderness” this past year. I think many, if not all of us have. But it’s how you move in the desert … Continue reading The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton
I’m so excited for this journey! I have just joined the Anamchara Fellowship as a seeker for Aspirancy. Anamchara is a religious order of disbursed people from all walks of life canonically recognized by the Episcopal Church at large. It is for people who wish to continue their spiritual journey in a community. Together we … Continue reading Intro to the Anamchara Fellowship Community!
This may sound strange, but I’ve been thinking of joining a dispersed religious order for people from all walks of life. That means married people like me can join. This would be a great next step for me in that it would give me a community of folks like me who are intentionally doing everything … Continue reading To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue
Trying to pick a couple easy paperback reads for our trip through spring break. I love travel stories, but the first narrative in this collection is of Mary Rowlandson who, along with her three children, was taken captive by an indigenous tribe while living in Massachusetts in 1675. The first draft was written in her … Continue reading The mystic in all of us…here is an example in a Puritan woman from 1675.
Just started this!! I love St. Teresa of Avila, no one messed with her. If you need human strength, her words can help. I’ve heard this is her book about prayer but as I’m reading it, it seems that it is more about the intentional spiritual journey, the drawing closer to union with God, and … Continue reading The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
Getting into it!! So excited to be reading something beautiful and inspiring again!!My Lenten devotion to meditation is going well, but I had to put down Cynthia Bourgeault’s book on centering prayer, because it was too pragmatic in its thinking about something that really can’t be explained. I think Thomas Keating and she have done … Continue reading Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
Part of my Lenten devotion was to be more intentional with meditation and prayer. Was able to start reading this last night. Looking forward to getting into it more! It always takes me about a week to think about what devotion I will take into Lent. I’m always coming to the show late after thinking … Continue reading Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault
A well known recommendation from poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It fell out of circulation for a while because Jacobsen’s prose was difficult to translate. This translation, however, by Tiina Nunnally has won awards and so far it’s been an enjoyable read and so incredibly deep. This was Jacobsen’s masterpiece written after he was diagnosed with … Continue reading Niels Lyhne by Jens Peter Jacobsen
My book released yesterday and it’s already sold out online at Barnes and Noble, Target and Amazon! This came as a shock to me, but a lot of people told me they preordered it. I hope its success will continue, and it pays honorable homage to the neighborhood and the people impacted by its razing. … Continue reading My book Detroit’s Lost Poletown—sold out already?!!
My work for the last two years has come to fruition…thank you @historypress for believing in this story!! It officially releases in a week! Available for preorder now!!! Link: http://bit.ly/Poletown Poletown was once a vibrant, ethically diverse neighborhood in Detroit. In its prime, it had a store on every corner. Its theater, restaurants and schools … Continue reading New Book Release 👉👉👉Detroit’s Lost Poletown: The Little Neighborhood that Touched a Nation
You can see I marked Isaiah 55: 9-13. I also placed some leaves from that Fall season two or three years ago that my daughter gave me. But that little pen mark by verse 9: I marked it years ago when I first ventured to read the Bible. I thought these markings would distract me, … Continue reading Mementos & Treasures…
Not the most romantic title, but so far I’m enjoying this piece of fiction by George Preedy (actually a pen name for British Author, Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long Campbell). I haven’t read anything in a while that I looked forward to at the end of the day, so this has been such a pleasure. To … Continue reading General Crack by George Preedy
"…'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'and I will return to you,'…" (Zechariah 1:3) Zechariah is another prophet. He and the prophet Haggai (see yesterday's post) are both trying to encourage the people to complete Jerusalem's temple, but the people keep getting distracted by other things. Sounds a lot like when God calls us … Continue reading The book of Zechariah
In what simple way is God calling you to act that would draw you closer to Him? For me it was spending a year to read and study the Bible. . . These are my own contemplative thoughts. If you disagree with the below that’s ok! . . Before Christ, in the Old Testament, under … Continue reading The Book of Esther
Contemplative Vision by Juliet Benner is a book about contemplating religious art with prayer in mind and using it to expand our prayer life by gazing at the face of God through it, seeing His face and meditating about the art’s purpose/story, and the artist’s time creating it. The book discusses using art as a … Continue reading Contemplative Vision by Juliet Benner
Talk about a cozy book for the season! Prairie Avenue by Arthur Meeker is that! Prairie Avenue was a really fancy neighborhood in Chicago in the early 1900’s. This story highlights the world that goes on behind closed doors—really fancy ones—and in rooms—really fancy ones with large stone fireplaces and indoor gardens. Despite what we … Continue reading Prairie Avenue by Arthur Meeker
I have begun to obsess over Polish Cinema. Why this obsession? I feel this intense yearning to watch every film by Andrzej Wajda. The way he portrays women is incredible. They are portrayed like Our Lady Mary-- the Saviors and the symbols of truth, innocence and honesty and usually saving the butts of men, or … Continue reading I’m officially obsessed with Polish Cinema
BRIANNE TURCZYNSKI 