In this thought-provoking episode of the Flying Free Podcast, I sit down with author and essayist Liz Charlotte Grant to explore the complexities of faith, scripture, and healing after spiritual trauma. Liz’s debut book, Knock at the Sky, delves into the questions many of us grapple with during deconstruction and offers an artistic, fresh approach to reading the Bible.

If you’ve ever felt disillusioned by literal interpretations of scripture or struggled to reconcile the Bible with the harm inflicted by its misuse, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

1. Faith as a Journey, Not a Destination
   • Liz encourages listeners to embrace uncertainty and approach the Bible with curiosity rather than fear.
   • Faith isn't about having all the answers; it's about walking into the unknown with Jesus as your anchor.
2. Permission to Wrestle and Question
   • Deconstruction doesn’t signal a loss of faith but rather an act of trust. Asking questions shows a desire for authenticity in our relationship with God.
3. Survivor-Centric Bible Reading
   • Survivors of spiritual abuse can reclaim agency by approaching scripture in ways that feel safe and healing. It’s okay to prioritize certain passages while setting others aside.
4. Diverse Perspectives Enrich Understanding
   • Liz emphasizes the value of exploring interpretations from scholars across cultures and disciplines to deepen our understanding of scripture.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Liz Charlotte Grant’s book: Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible
• Liz Charlotte’s website: lizcharlottegrant.com
• Follow Liz Charlotte on Instagram
• Recommended episodes: Episode 283, “A Closer Look at Spiritual Abuse,” and Episode 291, “The Deconstruction Books That Have Changed and Healed My Relationship with God.”

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist whose first book, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible, released in January 2025. She explores a wide range of ideas in her writing, including exploring the heartbreak of Elisabeth Elliot's third marriage, her own surprise disability, and the discovery of dark matter.

In today’s episode, we’re continuing my conversation with life coach Diana Swillinger on parallel parenting. We’re diving into some of the tough questions you’ve sent in, like how to manage parallel parenting without falling into parental alienation, what to do when parenting styles and rules differ across homes, and how to handle situations where your kids prefer one parent and refuse to visit the other.

We also talk about creating emergency plans to keep your children safe—both emotionally and physically. Whether you’re separated, divorced, or just trying to navigate a difficult co-parenting situation, this episode is full of insights to help you create a healthy, stable parenting environment for your kids.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Missed last week’s episode? Don’t worry! We introduced the basics of parallel parenting in Episode 311.
• Check out Diana Swillinger’s podcast, The Renew Your Mind Podcast for more on healing and emotional growth. I recommend episodes like “Staying Out of Family Drama.” and “Accepting What Is.”
• Check out Diana’s website.
• Follow Diana on Facebook and Instagram.
• You might also be interested in listening to Episode 233. In this episode, Jessica Nagy shares practical techniques for helping your kids regulate their emotions and build resilience. Learn how to support your children, co-regulate alongside them, and model healing so they can thrive despite the challenges of having a harmful parent.

Diana Swillinger is a life and business coach, host of The Renew Your Mind Podcast, and founder of the Renew Your Mind Institute Coach Training. After decades of trying please God, be a good person and do the right thing, she ended up exhausted and discouraged. Desperate for a solution, Diana went back to school, joined personal development programs, and more, then took what she learned and created mind renewal tools that let her love life in every situation no matter what comes her way. Over the past 5 years she has empowered thousands of women with those same tools to heal themselves, get back to who God created them to be, and build a life they love.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the topic of parallel parenting—what it means, why it matters, and how it can empower you as a mother to create a home filled with love and stability, even when co-parenting feels like a battlefield.

We explore how to rise above emotional manipulation, operate from a place of peace and truth, and model resilience for your children. Whether you’re navigating parallel parenting or seeking emotional clarity, this episode is full of practical wisdom and hope.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Love Diana? We have another episode with her here: The Importance of Empathy for Yourself.
• Check out Diana’s website.
• Follow Diana’s podcast, The Renew Your Mind Podcast. Some of her best episodes include “Staying Out of Family Drama,” “Have To Vs. Choose To,” “When People Are Wrong About You,” “When People Are Right About You,” and “Accepting What Is.”
• Follow Diana on Facebook and Instagram.
• Are you in emotionally and spiritually abusive relationship? You might want to also listen to this episode: Are You Married to a Quiet Covert Abuser with a Hidden Lifestyle?
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods, is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• Flying Free is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.

Diana Swillinger is a life and business coach, host of The Renew Your Mind Podcast, and founder of the Renew Your Mind Institute Coach Training. After decades of trying please God, be a good person and do the right thing, she ended up exhausted and discouraged. Desperate for a solution, Diana went back to school, joined personal development programs, and more, then took what she learned and created mind renewal tools that let her love life in every situation no matter what comes her way. Over the past 5 year she has empowered thousands of women with those same tools to heal themselves, get back to who God created them to be, and build a life they love.