Interracial Marriage: Questions and Support with John Nunes and Pam and Tom

The 1960’s film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? opened conversation about interracial dating and marriage in circles where the topic hadn’t been discussed much until then. Now, according to a report from the Pew Research Center, one in seven new marriages in the U.S. is interracial or interethnic. Those stats would seem to tell us it’s more acceptable these days. Or is it? We explore the tensions and the benefits of interracial relationships this week with John Nunes, president and CEO of the worldwide humanitarian organization, Lutheran World Relief, and with the parents of a daughter in a successful interracial marriage.

My guests are well informed, open about the facts, their personal experiences, feelings and the struggles and successes of their own race relations. This energetic visit brings a whole new perspective to the word “interracial” and on how people -- all created by the same God and who can share blood transfusions -- have more in common than not in common!

This candid show can help us examine our own feelings about interracial relationships as we hear how it’s approached by and affects those involved -- both individuals and families. How much do race and ethnicity matter in your everyday life? And what about interracial marriage? How do your feelings play into that mix, so to speak? Although interracial marriage is on the rise in the U.S., it still remains highly unusual. Unusual enough that interracial couples face some added stressors for their relationship to succeed. I hope you’ll join us to look at interracial marriage, as well as some very basic race issues. John Nunes’ work takes him around the world and immerses him in global issues. Hence he is able to articulate observations that can help us better appreciate and understand the globalization of America, which is happening whether we want it to or not! You’ll be surprised at how he discovered he’s “a person of color”!

Tom and Pam have three adult children and live in Ann Arbor, Mich., a multi-cultural community. One of their daughters opened the door to their understanding of interracial relationships when she became friends with and then dated a person of another race. They share this story with her permission, BTW! The couple tells us when they included neighborhood kids from different races in their family events, it came as no surprise the kids would all get along, paying no attention to differences among themselves. We’ll hear how that relationship developed and continues. How do they deal with their uniqueness as a bi-racial couple? What about grandchildren?

I appreciate, respect and learn from Nunes’ theological insights on the question “Is there even such a thing as race? How does he propose we engage for success in getting along together?” The Pew Study, published February 2010, quotes scholars who say examining interracial marriages is important, as they act as a barometer of sorts for race relations and cultural assimilation. And what again is The Golden Rule when it comes to relationships? What does God have to do with interracial issues, anyway? The Bible makes it clear God holds us accountable for how we treat each other. Hopefully, this show can help us get on track with that in the area of race relations!

“Sing Your Song” with Vocalist/Songwriter Jetty Rae and Jason Stewart

Sometimes a Woman to Woman show introduces itself to me before the guest even knows it! That happened with this Valentine show. When Jetty Rae performed last fall for the 14th annual Women’s Retreat at Camp Arcadia, Mich., she not only sang her heart out, she grabbed ours with her personality, her message and her tunes! I invited Jetty and her husband/manager Jason Stewart to meet you on this week’s show because when you learn a young couple’s first meeting was through an online search and then you see how beautifully it’s working out, well, that’s some serious W2W talk!

Jetty, a singer-songwriter based out of Ann Arbor, Mich., released her first full-length album Blackberries in 2007; in November 2009 she released her first EP entitled Nobody. She’s been the focus of music entities like OurStage.com who flew her to New York to perform during JetBlue’s opening of the new Terminal at JFK. Oh yeah! Then MTV.com interviewed her for its Needle In The Haystack series. Her song “I Love You” was selected for a free download of the week and featured on MTV’s up-and-coming artist blog. Most recently, Jetty shared the stage with Sarah McLachlan, Miranda Lambert and the Court Yard Hounds at Lilith Fair in Detroit, where she was selected by Sarah McLachlan and Terry McBride as the featured local artist.

With us, you and me that is, Jetty and Jason talk about all of that and more. I figure everyone has a song; most of us just don’t know how to sing it! She sets an example for that, as she serves the Lord with her “song” in pubs, on main stages, at church youth groups and camps! You’ll hear how she and Jason met and reconciled their differences early on. She comes at life from a Christian perspective. He, on the other hand, wanted no part of that until … You’ll find out where she gets her inspiration, how her mom’s acting company got her started. This show is full of ideas on how to harmonize with those we love musically, spiritually and otherwise. These two tune each other up. Find out how that works … this week on Woman to Woman!

“Overcome Emotions That Destroy” with Dr. Becca Johnson

Dr. Becca Johnson, with a private practice in Washington State, has been counseling as a licensed psychologist for 20 years. She writes on guilt and child abuse. She co-authored Overcoming Emotions that Destroy to offer practical help in dealing with those angry feelings that trash our relationships. She says we can turn anger into a choice and explains how to overcome anger to use it positively. She’ll walk us through how to accept our anger, examine where it comes from, be honest about how we use it, be open to change and willing to forgive … even to forgive ourselves and, then, and this is brilliant, be willing to feel something besides anger!

The biblical advice found in Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Do not be easily provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” We can actually teach ourselves to minimize our stress and maximize God for the combination that stifles anger. Dr. Johnson reports that all of us have anger issues, so how’s that for leveling the playing field! Bring those issues to our Woman to Woman chat this week. Your relationships will thank you. So will your calmer self!

Here are a couple of quotes on anger to keep in mind in this month of hearts and loving!

“The greatest remedy for anger is delay!” ~ Seneca

“If you let anger get the best of you, it will get the worst of you.” ~ Anon.

Choose To See!

When you have tears in your eyes, in your heart, does your worldview have to be tear-stained, too? Pain and sorrow are a part of life we can’t avoid, although we spend a lot of energy trying to. There’s not a person on this planet who will escape sorrow, but this pain can be useful to us. Now we have a peek into the benefits -- the very real, life- saving benefits -- of all of that. It comes from Mary Beth Chapman, the wife of GMA Dove Award-winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Together they run Show Hope, a non-profit organization that raises awareness of the orphan crisis around the world and provides financial assistance to families wishing to adopt. Mary Beth spent last fall on tour with her family and speaking for “Women of Faith” conferences. The Chapmans have 6 children -- one of whom is in heaven.

Mary Beth joins us this week to describe the nitty gritty of how wrestling with God after the tragic loss of their five-year-old Maria has taught her how to trust Him even more. Her book, Choosing to SEE, proves her point that God is good, even when things seem bad. She believes that no tears are wasted, because God hears a mother’s pain and sorrow and responds with hope and healing, as He daily helps us see His plan for good in the midst of evil.

I hope you'll set aside time just for this thirty minute visit with Mary Beth, with as few distractions as possible. She will speak truth to the deepest part of your soul, as she places your hand in the hand of God for the most difficult part of your journey.

Secrets to Measuring Up Kevin Leman, PhD

If you could understand why you’re so critical of yourself, you’d be surprised how simple it is to lighten up and enjoy life a whole lot more! This is such a favorite topic of psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Kevin Leman that he writes about it in his latest book, Why Your Best Is Good Enough. Dr. Leman is a former consulting psychologist for Good Morning America and a frequent guest on The View and the Today Show. So right away, you know you can expect a lively chat with him this week on Woman to Woman®!

You will sit up and take notice when Dr. Leman insists, “No matter what’s happened in your life, you are not a failure.” He means it and can prove it, and you can hang your hat on what he says to be true! You’ll leave this show with useful ideas to help you be comfortable with who you are and move on to believing that God had a great idea in creating you with the gifts -- and even the idiosyncrasies -- you have. Find out why it’s great to be you; you might be surprised! You’ll definitely want to listen twice!

Peace of Mind or Mind in Pieces?

Think about this verse -- Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety in a [woman’s] heart weighs her down.”

You know that what rolls around in your head can keep you on edge and anxious. As women, generally speaking, we tend to take messages in, regardless of whether they’re true or not. Then they take on a life of their own and we’re off and running -- usually running into something we didn’t bargain for! We make mountains out of molehills and dissect a perfectly good situation until we can’t put the pieces back together again.

This week you’ll meet Debbie Holley who’s been encouraging women for thirty years. She describes us as “mental hoarders” -- but also says we have options to change! Debbie knows women; she knows we’re hard on ourselves. So she came up with a teaching series, part of which she’ll share with us Woman to Woman®. Debbie explains how we think and how to monitor ourselves when the thoughts cycling through our heads are counterproductive in our lives. Consider what’s going on in your life right now…and then tune in and learn how to choose which way to live -- with a mind in pieces or with peace of mind!

Chance to Start Over

If you were offered a chance to start over again, would you take it? Or does that seem like finding a genie in a bottle, just make believe? For those of us who experience addictions, a second chance is exactly what we need. It’s what this week’s Woman to Woman® guest, award-winning vocalist and songwriter Sonia Lee, used to overcome her battle with alcohol. She’s changed her personal choices and her tune since she discovered God is the Lord of second chances. She’ll share all that -- and sing for us, too!

Alcohol isn’t the only addiction her solution addresses. Whatever grabs more of your devotion than it should, whatever drives your bus onto the wrong “highway” of life, whatever consumes you is an addiction. Hear about the possibilities for alternatives to that, how to one-up that addiction with something even more satisfying through a relationship with Jesus Christ, this week on Woman to Woman!