Unlikely Friendships: The Story of Turtle Heart – Episode 020

Sattler College — Fri, 30 May 2025 23:33:54 +0000

Don’t miss a future episode. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts! In President Johnson’s final podcast episode as president, he interviewed former Sattler student Lucinda Kinsinger. Luci shares how her love for writing—nurtured by a quiet childhood and a bold leap into blogging—led to the publication of two memoirs and two children’s books. She reflects on her time at Sattler College and the unexpected friendships that shaped her most, especially her relationship with an Ojibwe woman whose story inspired Turtle Heart. Now a stay-at-home mom, Luci speaks candidly about the challenges and joys of balancing motherhood with creativity, offering a moving testament to pursuing one’s calling, embracing each season, and forming deep connections across cultural lines. Learn more about studying at Sattler College. Mentioned in this episode: Chapters: 0:00 Introduction to Luci Kinsinger 2:13 Luci’s Writing Journey and Passion 5:38 Balancing Writing with Motherhood 9:54 Embracing Singleness Before Marriage 11:28 Impactful Friendships Across Cultures 21:27 Luci’s Books and Creative Works 23:21 Developing Unlikely Friendships Transcript This transcript has been auto generated and likely contains errors. Zack Johnson: 0:02 It is May 8th. It’s still May 8th, 2025. And I’m here with Luci Kinsinger, who actually was one of Sattler’s inaugural students. Can you remember, Can you believe it’s been like how long has it been, Luci? Luci Kinsinger: 0:20 Well, we’ve. You know, we had our 50 year anniversary, so it must have been like six years. Zack Johnson: 0:27 That’s right, that sounds about right, but I think Luci came to August in 2018, the fall of 2018, and spent two semesters here. And then, luci, where are you right now? Luci Kinsinger: 0:39 I’m in Oakland, Maryland. It’s like the little triangle on the very end of Maryland’s tale. Zack Johnson: 0:46 Well, first of all I’d love to hear about maybe rewinding a little bit when were you at when you decided to spend that year at Sattler and then how did things unfold in your life? And maybe just try to catch me up so I know sort of a timeline. And maybe just try to catch me up so I know sort of a timeline, and usually I love to ask people their general stories so that people know who you are before you came to Sattler and those kinds of things. Luci Kinsinger: 1:16 But I’d love to love to be filled in. So before I came to Sattler I was really just kind of hungry for some higher education. I always loved school and when I saw Sattler it kind of just hit something in me like this sounds really cool Going to this, going to Boston, interacting with professors that had been educated in places like Harvard and that had been educated in places like Harvard and the, especially the, the kind of niche worldview, not necessarily Anabaptist but yet having that early. Christian perspective. Zack Johnson: 1:59 Right, I was like I really, really liked it and and before. I think you’re still. Your claim to fame here, at least in my mind, is you’re the only student that’s maybe written a book before showing up as a student. And and I’d love to just talk a little bit about where did your, you know, where did you develop a habit or a passion to write and then we can follow up with at this stage in your life, how do you fit writing in with all the other things that you’re passionate about, and I’m sure your life has changed since you were here in Boston with that. Luci Kinsinger: 2:40 Yeah, it’s changed a lot. I’ve always loved. When I was a little girl, I loved reading. I would just, I spent my whole childhood just reading, reading, reading, and you know, I guess it’s kind of a natural. I was a shy person and so I would. I would vent by writing and I learned to love writing on that way. And then I started, I started a blog and it was very scary, publishing my first blog post and having people, actual people, read what you wrote. You know that was so terrifying. But then it was also really thrilling when you got good feedback. You know, people read this and they’re like I really like it, and so it was kind of intoxicating, I guess, and just, it was a way that I could. I still feel that way that I can express myself. Maybe parts of myself that I would not probably verbalize, I can express through writing, and so I just it’s just part of me, um, a creative part and an expressive part, that that is my art, I guess all right. Zack Johnson: 3:41 So since, since, uh, marrying and children, how do you fit writing and how do you keep that alive as a passion at this stage? And being a? I think you’re, I think I saw that you wrote yours you can say you’re a stay at home mom. I always, I always joke with my wife about better titles or alternative titles, but it’s a very important, one of the most important roles, so how do you fit it in now? Luci Kinsinger: 4:08 So I fit it in where and when I can. Sometimes it’s when I can’t sleep at night, sometimes it’s in the early morning, sometimes it’s over nap time, sometimes it’s with a child on my lap, just here and there. And it’s really hard now to find that quality time, that time where you can just focus and zone out. And I think the very best time that I actually get that is when Ivan has the children, for you know, maybe he’s working outside or something and they’re with daddy and then I. That’s the then. I love it. I come out of those times so happy because I actually got some some writing time, some real writing time, where you’re in a different world of your own. Zack Johnson: 4:49 I’ll make […]

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Unlikely Friendships: The Story of Turtle Heart – Episode 020