Thick Girl Theology

Sometimes we’re not hungry. We just want to feel full.Full of comfort. Full of relief. Full of something that tells us, everything is going to be okay.In this episode, we’re talking about what fullness really feels like in the body, why food can feel like safety, and why we sometimes keep going back for more even when our stomach has had enough. And we’re going deeper—into stress, race, misogynoir, body stigma, and the exhaustion of living in a world that keeps asking marginalized bodies to carry too much.Maybe what we’ve been craving all along isn’t more food.Maybe we’ve been craving fullness of joy. Fullness of peace. Fullness of love. Fullness of God.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

If you’ve ever felt like nutrition was just another way to be judged, shamed, or told you’re doing it wrong, this episode is for you. In this final episode of the intuitive eating series, Mia Deneen explores gentle nutrition—learning to care for your body with wisdom, compassion, and faith instead of shame and restriction. She reminds listeners that there is no one-size-fits-all way to eat and encourages a deeper trust in the body God created, where nourishment is guided by listening, grace, and dignity rather than diet rules.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

In this episode, we explore the boundaries God set around human dignity and how culture has crossed them.  From body image and healthcare bias, to racism, colorism, and environmental injustice, we examine how people are often reduced to their bodies instead honored as image bearers of God. #ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Movement was never meant to be punishment. In this episode of Thick Girl Theology, we're exploring the ninth principle of intuitive eating: Movement—Feel the Difference. Together, we'll rethink exercise through a biblical lens, learning how to interrupt sitting, pursue movement that brings joy, listen to the wisdom of our bodies, and challenge ourselves with honor instead of shame. Drawing from 1 Timothy 4:8, we'll discover that physical training has value, but our worth was never determined by our workouts. Your body isn't your enemy—it's your partner in carrying out the calling God has placed on your life.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Have you spent years fighting your body, trying to shrink it, fix it, or force it to become something different?In this episode of Thick Girl Theology, Mia explores Principle 8 of Intuitive Eating—Respect Your Body—through the lens of faith. You'll learn how your body's design, genetics, and protective mechanisms point to a Creator who made you with purpose. Together we'll discuss body respect, gratitude, comparison, body bashing, and why accepting God's work is not the same as giving up on your health.This conversation is bigger than weight. It's about dignity, stewardship, and learning to see your body as God's work rather than your enemy.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Episode 21: Food and Feelings What if overeating isn’t really about food?In this episode of Thick Girl Theology, Mia explores the deeper needs that often drive us to eat when we’re not physically hungry. Food has always been connected to comfort, safety, celebration, and connection, but sometimes we ask it to do a job it was never meant to do. Whether we’re seeking relief from stress, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, or overwhelm, food can become a quick coping strategy that leaves the real need untouched.Together, we’ll examine the difference between feeding your body and soothing your soul, and learn how to invite God into those small, everyday moments when you’re tempted to numb, distract, or comfort yourself with food. Before you eat the cookie, send the text, pour the drink, or reach for another helping, what if you spent just five minutes sitting with your feelings and talking to God?This episode is a gentle invitation to replace coping with food with coping with kindness, curiosity, and God’s presence.Scripture: John 6:35“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Episode 15: The Last SupperIn this episode of Thick Girl Theology, we sit at the table with Jesus and ask a hard question:What does it mean to be fed by God in a world that profits off our hunger?“The Last Supper” is a conversation about communion, consumption, shame, desire, and the deep spiritual ache so many women carry in their bodies. We talk about the difference between being physically full and spiritually nourished. About how dieting culture teaches restriction while Jesus keeps inviting people to eat. This episode explores:● Food as more than fuel● Why so many women are starving for peace, affection, and identity● The connection between body shame and spiritual disconnection● What it means to stop worshipping thinness and start receiving nourishment as holyIf you’ve ever felt at war with your body, ashamed of your appetite, or afraid to take up space, this episode is for you.Because maybe the goal was never punishment.Maybe the table was always open.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Everybody wants confidence… but most people are trying to learn their way into it instead of live their way into it.In this episode of Thick Girl Theology, I’m unpacking how confidence is actually built—not through more information, but through action. From teaching long division to teaching my son how to drive, this is about what happens when you stop waiting to feel ready and start doing the thing.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

Episode Description: Only Believe (Part 2)What happens when belief costs you comfort?In Only Believe (Part 2), we go deeper—past inspirational faith and into the kind of belief that has historically changed lives, challenged culture, and endured suffering.This episode confronts the subtle ways modern culture—even church culture—has taught us that faith should always feel safe, affirming, and convenient. We explore why belief begins to fracture when we expect God to operate on our timeline, prioritize our comfort, or center our happiness instead of His sovereignty.Through history, Scripture, and embodied wisdom, we reflect on:Why belief erodes when culture tells us to walk away from discomfortHow truth has always been costly—from early martyrs to modern faithWhy Jesus is not a method, but the gift HimselfHow waiting, hunger, and surrender are sacred practicesWhy the promise is always greater than the compromiseWe return to the heart of the gospel: Jesus did not come to make us comfortable—He came to give us Himself.If you’ve ever felt shaken in your faith, confused in the waiting, or tempted to abandon belief because it felt too hard, this episode is an invitation to remember what belief really is—and why it still matters.Only believe.#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice 

What do you do when God feels late?In this episode, Only Believe, we explore the sacred tension of waiting—waiting for answers, waiting for healing, waiting for change—and how faith is formed not in clarity, but in silence.From Lazarus raised four days late…to Abraham and Sarah waiting decades for a child…to the Messiah arriving after 400 years of prophetic silence…Scripture reveals a consistent invitation: believe.This episode gently weaves together faith, intuitive eating, and body trust—showing how waiting for hunger, pausing before reacting, and listening with compassion are not just wellness practices, but holy moments of belief.We talk about:Why waiting feels confusing, discouraging, and even painfulWhy believers are called to believe especially when things look impossibleHow Jesus is not a method, but the gift HimselfWhy intuitive eating can be practiced as communionHow God cares deeply about what we’ve been trying to numb with food, busyness, and controlWhy the promise is always better than the compromiseThis Christmas season, we’re reminded that silence is not absence, delay is not denial, and faith grows best in the dark.If you are waiting—and wondering if God has forgotten you—this episode is for you.Key Scriptures ReferencedJohn 11:40, 43 — Lazarus raised from the deadGenesis 18:14 — “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”Luke 1:45 — Blessed is she who believedMalachi 3:6 — God does not changeHebrews 13:8 — Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and foreverJohn 6:29 — This is the work of God: believeMark 5:36 — “Don’t be afraid; only believe”John 11:25 — “I am the resurrection and the life”Genesis 22:14 — Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who providesJohn 6:35 — “I am the bread of life”3 John 1:2 — God desires us to be in healthPsalm 46:10 — Be still and knowProverbs 13:12 — Hope deferred makes the heart sickIsaiah 40:31 — Those who wait on the LordPsalm 34:8 — Taste and see that the Lord is goodGalatians 4:4 — When the fullness of time had comeTakeaway TruthsWaiting is not punishment—it is preparationBelief is not optional for believersJesus is not a way to life—He is lifeHunger cues can be invitations to trust, not fearThe pause between hunger and eating can be holy groundThe promise is always better than the compromise#ThickGirlTheology #BetterThanBeautiful #BodyFreedom #FaithAndFemininity #GodsWork #socialjustice