Welcome to our Pursuing Uncomfortable Family!
Pursuing Uncomfortable with Melissa Ebken

Pursuing Uncomfortable with Melissa Ebken

This weekly podcast addresses the issues that keep us awake at night. Am I a good enough mom/dad/spouse? Am I living up to my potential? Am I giving my kids what they need to be successful in life? What will my parents need from me as they age? Am I a good co-parent? How can I handle confrontations better? All of these things make life difficult and uncomfortable! Let’s lean into all the uncomfortable and yucky stuff to find a path forward to a life we really want to live. (Music by Joe Calindrino, “September’s Realm”)

Recent Episodes

Nov. 29, 2023

Pursuing What's Next with Melissa and Gretchen

Melissa sits down with Gretchen Cromwell, who does all the transcripts for the podcast. Gretchen and Melissa discuss what surprised them along the way, some memorable guests, and what's next for Pursuing Uncomfortable. Sign u...

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Nov. 22, 2023

Pursuing the Truth with Judy Foreman

Join host Melissa as she interviews accomplished author and journalist, Judy Foreman. In this episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable, Judy shares about her experiences with chronic pain, passion for exercise, and her journey from ...

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Nov. 15, 2023

Pursuing the Meaning of Your Dreams with Megan Mary

Megan has been fascinated by dreams since she was a child. She had both incredible flying dreams and disturbing nightmares, always wanting to understand their meaning. She would look up dream dictionaries but found them unsat...

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Nov. 8, 2023

Pursuing a New Career at 50 with John Tarnoff

On this episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable, Melissa welcomes career transition coach John Tarnoff to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by mid to late career professionals. They delve into the statistics of job loss for individuals over 50, John's personal …

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Nov. 1, 2023

Pursuing Bella Santini with Angela Legh

Welcome to another episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable! In today's episode, we are joined by the incredible Angela Legh, a children's author who has created something truly special with her Bella Santini Chronicles. Angela's bo...

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Oct. 25, 2023

Pursuing the Happiness Habit with Kara Payton

Welcome to another episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable! In today's episode, titled "Pursuing the Happiness Habit with Kara Payton," our host Melissa is joined by special guest Kara. They dive into the power of internal conversations, the impact of subconscious beliefs, …

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Oct. 18, 2023

Episode 102: Pursuing Writing Romance with Liv Arnold

Welcome to another captivating episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable! In today's episode, we have the talented and insightful Liv Arnold joining us to talk about her journey as a romance writer and the powerful themes she explores in her books. Liv …

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Oct. 11, 2023

Episode 101: Pursuing a Less Stressful Life with Prof. Pete Alexander

In this episode of Pursuing Uncomfortable, host Melissa welcomes special guest Prof. Pete Alexander, a multi-talented individual with a wealth of knowledge and experiences to share. Prof. Pete discusses the power of laughter as a stress relief technique and how …

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Oct. 4, 2023

Episode 100: Pursuing Courageous Vulnerability with Justin Brien

Welcome to a special episode of the Pursuing Uncomfortable podcast. Today, we are joined by the incredible Justin Bryan, a mental health advocate, speaker, transformational coach, and author. Justin's journey is one of immense courage, vulnerability, and ultimately, triumph. From …

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Sept. 27, 2023

Episode 99: Pursuing Sober Living with Megan Webb

In this episode of "Pursuing Uncomfortable," host Melissa is joined by guest Megan Webb to discuss the journey of pursuing sober living. Megan shares her personal story of addiction, recovery, and finding her purpose in helping others on their own …

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Sept. 20, 2023

Episode 98: Pursuing Healthy Boundaries with Sheryl Green

Welcome back to Pursuing Uncomfortable, the podcast where we dive deep into challenging topics to fuel personal growth and self-discovery. In today's episode, "Pursuing Boundaries," we have the incredible Sheryl Green joining us to share her journey towards establishing healthy …

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Sept. 12, 2023

Episode 97: Pursuing Creative and Successful Thinking with Wayne Faul…

In this episode of "Pursuing Uncomfortable," host Melissa interviews Wayne Faulkner, an author and coach, about his journey as a writer and his unique approach to thinking and creativity. Wayne shares his four-step process of thinking, creating, meditating, and journaling, …

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Recent Blog Posts

Pursuing Uncomfortable: Reflecting on 100+ Inspiring Stories

Welcome to the Pursuing Uncomfortable Podcast, a show dedicated to encouraging listeners to lean into the uncomfortable aspects of life. In this episode titled "Pursuing What's Next with Melissa and Gretchen," host Melissa Ebken and transcriber Gret…

Unraveling Uncomfortable Truths with Judy Foreman on the Pursuing Uncomfortable Podcast

In the latest episode of the highly acclaimed Pursuing Uncomfortable podcast, Melissa sits down with a remarkable guest, Judy Foreman. As an accomplished author and journalist, Judy's work primarily unfurls the thematic realities of chronic pain, ex…

Title: Decoding the Language of Dreams: Unveiling the Power Within

Dreams have fascinated humans for centuries, offering a mysterious realm where the boundaries of reality and imagination blur. In this blog post, we delve into the captivating world of dreams with the guidance of dream analyst Megan Mary. Drawing fr…

About the Host

Melissa EbkenProfile Photo

Melissa Ebken

Podcaster, Pastor, Author, Coach

Melissa was called into ministry, much to her surprise, after becoming a biologist and serving for ten years in the IL Army National Guard as a utility helicopter mechanic, the first woman to do so. She has served in Illiopolis and Niantic since 2001.
Melissa is at home in the difficult spaces of peoples’ lives, willing to listen and to walk with those who struggle and suffer. She is a trained coach and has consulted with churches in conflict. Her current pursuits include founding a Virtual Assistant training academy, forming a ministry co-op to better serve small churches, supporting nurses to thrive in stressful climates through building emotional intelligence, and guiding people who are ready to lean into and overcome difficult challenges and experiences in their lives.
She authored a book Teach Us To Pray: An Ancient Model For a Modern Day, and has a podcast called Pursuing Uncomfortable.