Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

Today on the Unhurried Living Podcast, we’re talking about the spiritual practice of silence. We’ve heard lots of authors and spiritual writers talk about how important the practice of silence is, but a whole lot of us struggle to figure out exactly how that might work in our actual lives.   We feel too busy. Or we feel there’s too much to do to spend any significant time alone and quiet. But the practice of silence is a place where we learn how to listen well, how to be more present to God, to others and to our own actual thoughts and intentions. It’s a place where we let the swirl of thoughts and feelings that fill us to gradually settle until we can be just a little more receptive, attentive and responsive to God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today I’m offering five simple dynamics to engage as we move into 2022. And, I know, I’ve used a corny rhyming pattern for them, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m hoping this helps you retain what I’m sharing. It’s time to…FeelGet realKneelHealMake a deal I told you it was a corny rhyme. But there is nothing corny about taking care of yourself, body, mind and soul.   Follow Gem on IG @gemfadling or learn more about her work at Unhurried Living (maybe even join her in a community or coaching group). Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Well, we’ve made it through 2021. I don’t know about you, but this year seemed to fly by compared to 2020. Time is funny, isn’t it. It’s actually moving along at the same pace all the time, and yet our perception of it shifts.   We haven’t figured out how to stop time…yet, but I’d like to offer a practice that can help you capture more meaning out of the time you have. This is a great end of the year process and it’s very simple.   A few years ago I was listening to an interview with public radio personality, Ira Glass. He was talking about the process of good storytelling. And it all came down to two words: ACTION and REFLECTION This makes sense, right? We do something and then we reflect on it. We act and then we ponder the action’s meaning. But here’s the thing…we aren’t a very reflective society and most of the time reflection falls by the wayside. Learn more about Gem  on the Unhurried Living website and follow her on Instagram.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Love is our focus as this is now the fourth week of Advent. I trust over the course of our Advent weeks together you have enjoyed sinking further into the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Is your heart a little more ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Today I simply invite you to enjoy another imaginative prayer. We’re going to picture ourselves at the beach, my favorite place. And we’re going to engage the invitation to drink deeply of God’s all-encompassing love. Learn more about Gem  on the Unhurried Living website and follow her on Instagram.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the last chapter of An Unhurried Leader, I talked about the difference between our working for God and working with God. There is a way for us to do our work in a way that imagines God is elsewhere, assigning us work to do but mostly waiting for us to do it ourselves.   It’s a beautiful thing to realize that whatever our work, paid or freely given, we can do our work with God. We aren’t alone in the work we do. Our work is simply one more way we can live our lives in collaborative friendship with God.   That's where we are headed on this week's episode of The Unhurried Living Podcast. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is the second week of Advent and our focus is peace. Over the course of Advent I’m sharing one helpful spiritual practice per week to help us stay centered on the season. Today we are going to try on a practice called SLOW. SLOW stands for stop, linger, observe and wonder. You can use SLOW right there in the middle of a busy day. This idea first came to mind when I would catch myself feeling stressed but didn’t really know why. Sometimes it’s just a habit I carry. So I would stop, drop my shoulders and try to become present in the moment. SLOW emerged from my own need to choose a different way to make my way through my day. As we focus on peace this week, I do pray that SLOW will help you lower your shoulders, as again, we learn to let go and receive what the Prince of Peace offers to us.   Let’s try SLOWing together.Learn more about Gem  on the Unhurried Living website and follow her on Instagram.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is the first week of Advent and for the next few weeks, we’ll walk together toward the birth of Christ, culminating on Christmas Day.For this season of Advent, I thought it would be good to share a few helpful spiritual practices. So we’ll engage hope, peace, joy and love in this way for the next four weeks. More than teaching these practices, we will experience them together. On today’s episode we’ll experience the Practice of Unpacking.Enjoy this and the entire Advent series.  I also invite you to connect with me via social on Instagram and at the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome Sister Joan Chittister to the Unhurried Living Podcast where we are talking about her latest book, "The Monastic Heart" where she offers simple, practical, deep wisdom. You know when someone has lived truth well when they can make things so very easily understandable. Sr. Joan Chittister is an internationally known author and lecturer, and the executive director of Benetvision, a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality. She is past president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Her books include:The Gift of Years The Breath of the SoulCalled to Question Following the Path She is also a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Unhurried is about making time in our lives for what matters most. The irony is that when we are frantically busy, we often run past what (and who) matters most in our lives. We can learn to slow down to remember and do what matters most to us and to God. Today I talk with dear friends John Freeman and Jeb Shore on how we take this simple idea and live into it's reality for our living and leading. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, I’m sharing a great conversation I had recently with Stephen Arterburn about a book he and David Stoop have written: The Soul of a Hero. This theme is so prevalent in our culture. So many of our most popular movies are rooted in the hero’s journey. There is something noble and beautiful that we can aspire to in the heroic way of Jesus himself. Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries, the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling, and treatment ministry. He is also host of the New Life Live! radio program that airs on more than 180 radio stations, SiriusXM radio, and television. Steve is a nationally known public speaker and has been featured in media such as Oprah and Good Morning America. He is a teaching pastor at Northview Church in Indianapolis and resides with his family in Indiana. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.