Episodes

Send us a text Most of us tend to have specific ways that we’re used to connecting with God, and those things serve us to some degree, giving us a sense of belonging and security. But in today’s podcast, we also talk about the benefits of exploring a variety of ways to connect spiritually. Join us as we nerd out about words and talk about how we can lean into the expansiveness of our spirituality. Additional Resources Book: Spiritual Life: The Foundation for Preaching and Teaching by Jo...

Send us a text Our culture is always talking about self-care, and so today we ask: Can the contemplative life help me with this? Many of us are so easily plagued with self-doubt: Am I doing enough? Am I doing it right? Is this the meaningful life I was hoping for? And so today we take a moment to talk about the tell-tale signs of needing a little self-love. We talk about how to practically engage without dysregulating the rest of our lives. And we land on some really good news: We don’t have ...

Send us a text We all come to those moments in life where we find ourselves asking: Is this it? What’s the most I can hope for? Thankfully, many people today are feeling evermore empowered to tackle these questions. Just because we’ve been headed down one particular path doesn’t mean we can’t make adjustments. And so today, we talk about living into our meaning, about finding that meaning a little bit at a time, and about putting ourselves in settings that help us explore all of t...

Send us a text If ever there was a tricky situation to be in, it’s got to be this one: Sometimes, we’re operating out of our conscious mind – things we know we’re thinking about. And sometimes, we’re operating out of our unconscious mind – things we haven’t yet become aware of. And yet, our unconscious selves are still affecting us! A tricky situation indeed. Today we look gently at our lives from the perspective of the ego and we talk practically about what we do have control over and when i...

Send us a text A lot goes on, both within ourselves and in the world around us. And all of that can leave us feeling very unclear about how to engage. We often want to show up with a spirit of generosity, but we just don’t know how. Today’s episode breaks down 4 specific ways of being compassionate that can help us engage in manners that feel healthy and sustainable. Join us as we have a concrete conversation about the notion of “what is ours to do.” For Transcript: Go to the "Transcript" Tab....

Send us a text Today we talk about the Enneagram as a way to help us understand how we - and those we interact with - show up in the world. We may hear ourselves asking sometimes: Where does that come from? Why does that happen? Or we may even feel confused about why so many of us aren’t entirely consistent and predictable. The Enneagram helps us with these interactive questions and can help us have more success in our day-to-day experiences. Join us as we explore three unique ways to engage ...

Send us a text Today, Wendy Porterfield and Liz Kravitz join us to talk to us about how running has evolved into a spiritual practice for them – a place where they can release and let go, where they can process, and where they can connect with others in a sense of meaning and accomplishment. Join us as they tell us their stories of overcoming struggle and discovering personal retreat, inner strength, and freedom. Additional Resources Liz Kravitz Coaching Website: https://lizkravitz.wix...

Send us a text Interspirituality is a new term for many of us, but broadly speaking, it’s the experience of finding the common ground between our faith traditions and appreciating the ways in which those traditions compliment each other. In this episode, we dive into four different ways of being Interspiritual, and we consider how we’ve seen these ways of being emerging in our own lives and in the world around us. Join us as we explore the beauty of sharing our inter-connectedness. &nbs...

Send us a text It happens to all of us. We reach that fated moment in life where we’re expected to behave like “a responsible adult,” where all the mundane tasks of life suddenly become ours to do. Did “being an adult” sneak up on you? Do you find yourself agonizingly asking, “Why is this happening?!” In this episode, we ask: Can contemplative practices and lifestyles help us in navigating the mundane (and sometimes overwhelming!) aspects of our lives? Join us as we talk about the benef...

Send us a text Many of us have picked up ideas – and ideals – about everything and anything. Ways that we think people *should* be, the ways in which we think things *should* be done, even ways in which we think God is likely to act and behave. And when the world doesn’t act the way we want it to, we tend to have feelings about that. In this episode we talk about the Images that have come to be in our lives – where they serve us, how some of those images have left us walking through lif...

Send us a text One of the great things about music is the power it has to move us – to draw us out, to speak to us, to help us become more receptive – both to our experiences and to our feelings. In this episode, we “sing the praises” of music, pointing out how helpful it can be in interfaith settings and how easily it can be paired with other contemplative practices. So join us as we talk about the mysterious and mystical as it relates to music. Additional Resources: Music Playli...

Send us a text Today we are joined by Grace Schmelzer, co-leader of numerous online contemplative groups and soon-to-be spiritual director. She shares with us today the struggles she’s experienced in being an extrovert approaching contemplative practices. But take heart! She also shares with us what has been enjoyable to her as well as what she was surprised to find enjoyable. May all of our extroverts out there feel invited to the contemplative table! #Extrovert #Silence #Solitude #Retreat&n...

Send us a text We all know that how we process – or don’t process – our emotions can affect our lives in big ways. What’s more, many of us haven’t been given a whole lot of help in figuring out how to process what we might view as “negative emotion” in our lives. And so in today’s episode, we explore any number of contemplative practices that have been useful in helping us move through some of the more challenging emotions and energies that we experience. #Feelings #FeelingsWheel #MoodMeter ...

Send us a text In today’s episode, we spend some time talking about the how-to’s of meditation and what some of our personal preferences are, all through the lenses of our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. Do you sometimes wonder: Am I doing this right? What does it even mean to meditate? Join us as we tackle some of meditation’s big questions together. #MeditationForChildren #CenteringPrayer #Journey #LettingGo Additional Resources: Spiritual Companion: Mary Reynolds Podcast Episode:...

Send us a text Ep 31 Second Naïvetés and Spirituality Second Naïvetés are the act of returning to our experiences and beliefs with fresh eyes and new outlooks, and it’s a common story for many in seasons of questioning in particular. In today’s episode, we spend some time specifically talking about how each of us has seen our prayer practices evolve as we’ve come in contact with the contemplative and why that evolution has felt so important to us. Two big questions we’ll ask as we look at the...

Send us a text Ep 30 Exvangelicals Exvangelicals are people who come from evangelical traditions but who no longer identify as such. Many have begun speaking out rather than quietly moving on. And so today we talk about it: How do we live into new spaces as we experience change in our lives? Where do we turn as our ideas about our faith lives evolve? What do I do with the grief and the angst that comes up in me sometimes? #evangelical #mystical #companion #evolution For Transcript: Go ...

Send us a text Today, instead of examining “what am I thinking,” we take a moment to ask, “What am I feeling, seeing, smelling, touching, tasting?” In other words, how does wonder open up our awareness – aka – our contemplative experience? Our senses offer us so much – calm, delight, awe…May we all find ourselves going out and being invigorated by our sensory experiences! #Smell #Touch #Senses #Nature Additional Resources: Author, Teacher, Spiritual Companion: Lacy Finn Borgo Boo...

Send us a text Today we talk about our stories, why they matter and how we’re changed as we interact with both our own stories and the stories of others. As it turns out, research and experience show that sharing our stories helps us overcome pain, adversity, and struggle. But sadly, many of us suffer from the inability to even know what our story is. In this episode, we’ll explore a few ways to get back in touch with all of that as well as take some time to talk about what it takes to accept...

Send us a text Today we talk about rest! As we begin to move towards post-pandemic life, some of us have questions: Do we like our old pace? Are there rhythms we’ve enjoyed that we want to keep? Today we talk about the many benefits of rest. Because let’s face it, productivity is great! It’s caused lots of advancement in our society. But what would healthy rhythms look like for us personally? #FourQuadrants #Sabbath #LifeStages #Seasons Additional Resources: Image: Four Quadrants...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about things we can do in order to boost that sense of joy in our lives, for which, the contemplative can really help us on this front because, it just so happens, that the contemplative is a great teacher of things like “the gifts of savoring the moment” and “living with intention.” And the best news in all of this is, even if finding the gratitude points in our lives doesn’t come naturally, thanks to neuroplasticity, we have our entire lives to learn...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about burnout and how contemplative spirituality can help us. First, the good news: Burnout isn’t necessarily a bad place. And in fact, it could even be a great place. Find out why in this episode. #RuleOfLife #Retreat #Wilderness #Awareness Additional Resources: Book: A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer Book: Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittisster Book: Joy Unspeakable by Barbara A Holmes For Transcript: Go to the "Transcript" Tab. If y...

Send us a text Today we’re talking about some of the many ways in which Nature seems to have the power to bring us in touch with The Divine, allow goodness to flow in our lives, and even help us navigate our more difficult seasons. How we interact with nature may change depending on the season of life we’re in. But somehow, it would seem that Nature can often speak to us like nothing else can. Join us for this exciting conversation. #SaintFrancis #Indigineous #Seasons #NatureMetap...

Send us a text Today’s podcast is a continuation of a conversation that began after we had officially ended last week’s podcast. The questions that kept us talking: Is a conversation about Vocational Discernment for the privileged? Or is this a universal conversation that spans many walks of life? And from there the questions kept coming: What if our current jobs can be stepping stones towards our dreams? What if even the small things about what we enjoy mean something to u...

Send us a text Sometimes it’s hard to admit we’re having questions about our work. But on the other hand, maybe these moments are invitations from The Divine that can help us along in our journeys. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how the contemplative can help us even in the midst of our vocational questions: What can today teach us? What about today is serving the greater good? We’ll talk about journey and the power of micro-adjustments. And we’ll talk about how seasons of life wil...