This Easter, we’re talking about resurrection, renewal, and what it really means to live from a place of love.

Dorothy and Jason welcome Mike Morgan of Bel-Air Presbyterian in Los Angeles, a longtime spiritual guide and someone Dorothy knows personally as her son’s former youth pastor. This conversation is warm, honest, and full of the kind of perspective we all need right now.

🙏 In this episode, we explore:

• Why Easter is more than a holiday, it’s a reminder that Sunday is coming
• The power of presence and listening in a distracted world
• What it really means to love people who don’t think like us
• A powerful image of Jesus as a gardener cultivating new life after the resurrection
• Why we struggle to feel loved—and how to finally rest in it
• Relationships, marriage, and the truth about trying to “fix” people

💬 A moment to sit with:
“Jesus doesn’t just rise from the garden… He rises as the gardener cultivating new life in us.”

🌼 Whether you’re celebrating Easter with faith, tradition, or just a basket of jelly beans… this episode is about hope, renewal, and learning how to love better.

⭐️ If you love what you hear:

• Leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating
• Write a quick review (it helps more than you know)
• Share this episode with a friend who could use a little hope

📲 Join the conversation:
Follow us on Instagram and share your faith story—come chase faith with us.

This week on Chasing Faith with Dorothy Lucey, we sit down with KTLA anchor-reporter Samantha Cortese for a conversation that goes way deeper than headlines.

From covering the Pope as a devout Catholic to getting criticized for wearing a cross on-air to reading the entire Bible during COVID, Samantha opens up about what it really means to live your faith out loud in a world that isn’t always comfortable with it.

We talk about:
🔥 Faith inside a newsroom
🔥 Grief, family, and how God shows up in crisis
🔥 Social media overload and “media fasting”
🔥 Identity after career success
🔥 Why belief isn’t something to hide

This one is honest, raw, and surprisingly practical. If you’ve ever struggled to stay grounded in your faith while living in a loud, chaotic world… this episode is for you.

👉 Listen now and tell us what hit you.

And if you like what we’re building here:
⭐ Leave a rating
📝 Write a review
📲 Share this episode with a friend

That’s how this podcast grows. That’s how more people find it.

Come chase faith with us.

#ChasingFaith #FaithInAction #KTLA #PodcastLife #ChristianLife #MediaFasting #FaithJourney #HolyWeek #PalmSunday #SpiritualGrowth #PodcastRecommendation

This week on Chasing Faith with Dorothy Lucey, Dorothy and Jason welcome Emmy-winning actress Patricia Heaton for a funny, heartfelt, and deeply honest conversation about faith, grief, purpose, and her decision to stop drinking.

Patricia opens up about two profound spiritual encounters that changed her life, how losing her mother at 12 shaped her view of God and suffering, and why scripture feels more alive to her now than ever before. She also shares the personal story behind giving up alcohol and launching her alcohol-free wine brand, Solubrae.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation filled with wisdom, vulnerability, humor, and the kind of truth that stays with you long after the episode ends. 💫

In this episode, Dorothy, Jason, and Patricia talk about:
✨ Patricia’s powerful encounters with God
🙏 Growing up Catholic and returning to the Catholic Church
📖 Why the Bible became more personal and real to her
💔 Losing her mother at a young age and how it shaped her faith
🎭 Her remarkable career on Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle
🍷 Why she stopped drinking and how that changed her life
🌿 The story behind her alcohol-free wine, Solubrae
🇮🇱 Her work supporting the Jewish community after October 7
💬 Why faith matters more than ever in a chaotic world

Memorable moments from this episode:

· Patricia describing a holy moment while rocking her infant son during a thunderstorm

· Her hilarious and moving take on Peter’s “What about him?” moment in scripture

· A candid conversation about alcohol, aging, identity, and clarity

· Dorothy and Patricia bonding over Dry January and the ritual of the wine glass

· A reminder that God uses imperfect people, again and again

Mentioned in this episode:
🍷 Solubrae alcohol-free wine
📱 Follow the podcast on Instagram: @ChasingFaithPod

Next week:
Dorothy and Jason welcome Samantha Cortese, who shares how she deepened her faith during the pandemic and read the Bible from beginning to end. 📚🙏

Enjoying Chasing Faith?
Please help us grow by leaving a 5-star rating, writing a great review, and sharing this episode with a friend who could use some encouragement. Your support really helps more people find the show. 💛

Hashtags:
#ChasingFaith #DorothyLucey #PatriciaHeaton #FaithPodcast #ChristianPodcast #CatholicFaith #SobrietyJourney #AlcoholFreeLiving #Solubrae #BibleStudy #FaithAndCulture #EverybodyLovesRaymond #TheMiddle #SpiritualJourney #PodcastRecommendations

🎙️ This week on Chasing Faith with Dorothy Lucey, Dorothy and Jason kick things off with a lively conversation about Botox, plastic surgery, Ozempic, vanity, Lent, meditation, and the challenge of becoming more authentic.

Then they welcome Greg Cootsona, Executive Director of AI & Faith, for a fascinating conversation about the intersection of technology, Christianity, science, and truth.

Greg shares his unlikely path from a nonreligious upbringing in Silicon Valley to becoming a Christian at UC Berkeley, a Presbyterian minister, and now a leading voice in the conversation around faith and artificial intelligence. He explains why science and religion are not necessarily in conflict, how neuroscience can deepen our understanding of love and community, and why the church should engage AI instead of simply fearing it.

Dorothy and Jason also ask the questions many people are wrestling with right now: How will we know what’s true in the age of AI? Should pastors use AI to write sermons? Can technology be used in ways that actually support faith rather than undermine it?

It’s a smart, thought-provoking episode about truth, authenticity, human connection, and where God fits into a fast-changing world.

In this episode:

· Dorothy and Jason react to the Pope’s comments on cosmetic procedures and Ozempic

· A Lent update on kindness, patience, and a surprisingly peaceful DMV visit

· Dorothy shares a powerful meditation experience and a revelation about her name

· Greg Cootsona’s journey from Berkeley student to pastor and faith leader

· Why science and Christianity may not be in conflict after all

· What Greg’s work at AI & Faith is trying to accomplish

· The growing fear around AI and whether that fear is justified

· Why truth, credibility, and trusted sources matter more than ever

· Whether clergy should use AI in sermon preparation

· How faith communities can help shape the ethics of AI

About Greg Cootsona
Greg Cootsona is the Executive Director of AI & Faith, a multi-faith organization working to bring theological and ethical insight into the development of artificial intelligence. He is also a pastor, teacher, writer, and speaker whose work explores the intersections of faith, science, culture, and technology.

Subscribe and follow
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Come chase faith with us.

Next episode: Patricia Heaton

In this episode of Chasing Faith, Dorothy and Jason welcome Natalie Mejia, a singer who has lived multiple lives in one career. From performing as a teen in Los Angeles to becoming part of the Pussycat Dolls and touring with some of the biggest names in music, Natalie experienced fame early. But the story doesn’t end there.

Natalie shares how stepping away from the spotlight, becoming a mother, and encountering God reshaped her life, her music, and her sense of purpose.

Her new album, “Holy Exodus,” reflects a deeply personal spiritual journey moving from the chaos of fame toward a life centered on faith, family, and meaning.

Along the way, the conversation explores fame, motherhood, prayer, grief, and what it means to follow a spiritual calling in the middle of Hollywood.

✨ In This Episode

🎤 Natalie’s early career performing across Los Angeles at just 12 years old
💃 Life with the Pussycat Dolls and the pressure of fame at 19
🎶 Touring with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and more
🙏 The moment she says she encountered God and began a spiritual transformation
👶 Choosing motherhood over a major music opportunity
🎧 The inspiration behind her new album “Holy Exodus”
🕊️ How grief after her grandmother’s death reignited her music
💡 Why prayer, wisdom, and morning routines shape her daily life

Natalie’s story is about leaving one life behind and stepping into another—with faith leading the way.

💬 Memorable Moment

Natalie describes fame as reaching a goal she thought would bring happiness… only to realize something was still missing.

Her spiritual journey, she says, became a kind of “holy exodus” leaving the familiar behind to search for deeper meaning.

🙏 Join the Conversation

If this episode inspired you, moved you, or made you think…

⭐ Give us a 5-star rating
📝 Leave a review (it helps others discover the show)
📲 Share this episode with a friend who might enjoy it

And as always…
Come chase faith with us.

#ChasingFaith #DorothyLucey #NatalieMejia #FaithJourney #ChristianPodcast #HolyExodus #FaithAndMusic #SpiritualJourney #PodcastRecommendation 🎧✨

He calls himself the friendly neighborhood priest but don’t let the warmth fool you. Joseph Yoo is funny, candid, and uncommonly clear about the hard stuff: resentment, boundaries, justice, reconciliation, prayer, and what it actually takes to stop the negative thought-loop before it takes over your day.

In this episode of Chasing Faith, Dorothy Lucey and Jason Ball start with a Lenten challenge (speaking only “loving kindness,” even in your own head) and open the door to a bigger conversation: forgiveness that doesn’t erase accountability, and joy that doesn’t ignore reality.

Joseph is an Episcopal priest, writer, self-described professional overthinker, and a fresh voice online who manages to be both deeply faithful and genuinely human. You’ll laugh (yes, there’s Rickrolling), but you’ll also leave with a better framework for how to forgive without surrendering your dignity.

In this episode:

• How to interrupt the “negative thoughts on repeat”
• Why “forgive and forget” can be harmful (and what to do instead)
• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
• Why reconciliation requires justice and truth-telling
• The “rat poison” line: what resentment does to us
• Online criticism, thick skin, and choosing what deserves your energy
• Parenting, neurodiversity, and the holiness of joy
• When the Beatitudes get labeled “liberal” (and how Joseph responds)
• A brutally honest take on prayer: even pastors struggle
• Joseph’s new book-in-progress: reclaiming love from control and fear

Follow / Connect:

• Joseph Yoo (“Friendly Neighborhood Priest”): find him on Instagram
• Chasing Faith with Dorothy Lucey: subscribe for more episodes

If you enjoyed this conversation, like, subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend.
And come chase faith with us.

#ChasingFaith #DorothyLucey #JosephYoo #FriendlyNeighborhoodPriest #Forgiveness #FaithPodcast #Episcopal #Prayer #Boundaries #Reconciliation #Joy #Mindfulness

This week on Chasing Faith, Dorothy and Jason cover a lot of spiritual ground — from Lent and complaining (yes, counting them 😬), to the 400th anniversary of St. Peter’s Basilica, to a reality TV star whose life mantra might be the best faith advice we’ve heard all year: “Faith it till you make it.” 🙌✨

💭 Faith in Everyday Life

Dorothy and Jason check in on:

• Their Lenten commitment inspired by the Pope: give up angry words, practice loving kindness ❤️
• The “complain game” study showing we complain 15–30 times a day (and how it literally raises cortisol) 😬
• The idea of “baseline happiness” no matter what happens, we tend to return to our natural level of joy

Is it possible to raise your baseline?
Does less complaining actually deepen faith?
Can kindness change your internal climate?

🏛️ 400 Years of St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is celebrating its 400th anniversary and it took 120 years to build. Dorothy shares what it’s like standing beneath the altar where the bones of St. Peter are believed to rest (while a Pope says Mass above you 😳). Jason shares how the Vatican is now using AI technology to create a 3D digital twin of the Basilica to preserve it for future generations.

Ancient faith. Modern technology.
Stone, history, and the reminder that some things are built to last.

🌟 Guest: Lateshia Pearson (OWN’s Belle Collective)

Entrepreneur. Motivational speaker. Founder of Women Branch Mississippi. Reality TV star.

After responding to a social media post from producer Carlos King, Lateshia’s idea became the #1 reality show on OWN. But her foundation isn’t fame. It’s faith.

She shares:

• Growing up Southern Baptist in a small Mississippi town
• “Faith without works is dead”
• Why she writes down her prayers and “makes it plain” 📝
• The difference between praying over something and praying on it
• Why asking God for “more” isn’t about money it’s about peace, patience, and discernment

Her advice?

✨ Just do it.
✨ Serve first.
✨ Chase purpose. The money will follow.
✨ If it’s for you, it won’t miss you.

💬 Quotes That Stuck With Us

“Faith it till you make it.”
“If it’s for you, it won’t miss you.”
“Chase the purpose and the money will follow.”

⏭️ ComingNext Week

Dorothy tries not to fangirl as we welcome Episcopalian priest Joseph Yoo — thoughtful, funny, and just sarcastic enough to keep it interesting.

🙌 Help Us Grow

If this episode meant something to you:

⭐️ Leave us a 5-star rating
📝 Write a quick review (it really helps!)
📲 Share this episode with one friend

And come chase faith with us on Instagram. We’d love to hear your story and your journey. 💛

#ChasingFaith #StPetersBasilica #Vatican #FaithItTillYouMakeIt #LateshiaPearson #BelleCollective #FaithInAction #PurposeDriven #WomenInBusiness #Lent #Gratitude #PodcastLife #RateReviewSubscribe #ShareWithAFriend 🎧✨

Episode theme: Giving up negativity for Lent • Compassion in practice • Mending Kids and “faith as action”

Dorothy and Jason kick off with a Lent challenge from Pope Leo that isn’t about giving up chocolate or wine. It’s about giving up negativity, the hostile words, the sharp comments, the reflexive complaining that quietly poisons our days. Dorothy brings in a study that links complaining to stress (hello, cortisol), aging, and even weight gain, and the two decide they’re not waiting for Ash Wednesday to start. They’re pregaming Lent, practice starts now.

From there, the conversation widens to compassion on a larger scale: the monks who walked from Texas to Washington, D.C., and the reminder that peace in the world starts with loving-kindness in a single person. Jason takes a fun “woo-woo” sidebar detour into the significance of the number 108 in Buddhism and how the monks’ 108-day journey might be more meaningful than it looks.

Then the heart of the episode: Mending Kids the tiny-but-mighty organization Dorothy has supported for nearly two decades. Dorothy shares how it began (a “coffee invitation” that changed everything), how the model evolved from bringing children to the U.S. for surgery to sending surgical teams around the world, and why the organization commits to multi-year missions that train local doctors so communities can sustain care long after the team leaves.

Dorothy shares unforgettable stories: a boy from Ethiopia who arrived with massive tumors and later grew into a thriving adult working at the very hospital that saved him; the remote Panama mission where the team unexpectedly “mended” a blind baby calf; and Dorothy’s own journey as a host mom to a child who lived with her family for four months then disappeared from her life for years, only to reconnect later through Facebook with a new family of her own.

Dorothy introduces Isabelle Fox, Executive Director of Mending Kids, an accomplished storyteller with a Hollywood background (yes, including a Patrick Dempsey moment), who found her purpose through a single luncheon and one brave “yes.” Isabelle shares what missions are really like (economy flights, questionable food, life-changing impact), why “no” doesn’t define her (“no just redirects me”), and how her spirituality deepened through witnessing survival, grief, and hope across cultures and faiths.

The episode closes with a call to action: support the work, show up, volunteer and take Lent’s challenge seriously by choosing words that heal instead of harm.

In This Episode

• Pope Leo’s Lent invitation: give up negativity
• The idea that complaining may spike stress and age us
• Monks walking to Washington, D.C., and the practice of compassion
• Jason’s deep dive into 108 (and why it matters)
• Dorothy’s origin story with Mending Kids
• How Mending Kids works: training local doctors, sustainable missions
• Powerful mission stories (Ethiopia, Panama, hosting a child at home)
• Isabelle Fox’s turning point: one event, one bid, one “yes”

About Mending Kids (as discussed)

Mending Kids organizes medical missions around the world by pairing surgical teams with local partners providing surgeries, supplies, and training so communities can keep treating children long-term.

Events & Ways to Help

• Mending Kids Fundraiser: March 21 at the Skirball Center
• Learn more, attend, or volunteer: mendingkids.org
• Annual hike (5 miles) to honor the distances many families walk for medical care

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this episode, rate and review the show, share it with a friend, and join the conversation on Instagram. And if you’ve got your own “faith in action” story, send it in.