Guided: Hearing God's Voice in a Noisy World

What if you don't need a grand spiritual moment to know Christ is near? In this episode, I share the simplest ways I experience God. A 5:30 sunset. A whispered prayer when my body hurt. That quiet sense of being called "beloved" in the stillness. This one is for you if you've ever wondered whether your experience of God is spiritual enough. It is. Your relationship with Christ is...

Before listening to this episode, please read my “Safety and Abuse Disclaimer” below. My heart had moved on. But God had not released me yet. For almost three years, I stayed in a space I had already outgrown. I felt unseen, misaligned, and quietly certain it was not my long term place. Then the chapter ended. I exhaled for the first time in years. This story reflects a work and vocational context...

Nobody told me 54 would feel like this. They mentioned the hot flashes. They did not mention the freedom. This episode is my list: eleven things I know at 54 that nobody told me at 34.  My body. My joy. My no. My rest. My prayer. My belovedness. My ancestors at my back. I save the sweetest part at the very end of the episode: a dedication to someone special who made every lesson possible.  Subscri...

Fair warning: this episode is going to feel awkward. We're actually going to practice saying no together, out loud, right now. Ready? Say it with me: "No." Again, louder: "No." How does that feel? Rude? Uncomfortable? Like you're breaking some unspoken rule? Perfect. That discomfort is exactly what we're working with. Because if you can't say no without a 47-min...

Friend, have you been playing small? We often do, not because we're weak, but because being small feels safer than being seen. This episode names what playing small actually protects you from: being "too much," disappointing people, conflict, responsibility, success, and your own power. And it names what playing small costs you: your voice, your aliveness, your freedom, your life. Fo...

Something is wrong in our nation. Not just politically. Something is wrong at the level of our shared humanity, and we can feel it in our bodies. In Minneapolis, and across Minnesota, recent violence, shootings, and immigration enforcement have left communities shaken and grieving.  This episode is not commentary - this is shelter. For anyone asking,  “What is mine to do?” while carrying the weigh...

"I don't even know what I want anymore." So many women whisper this to me-quietly, apologetically, like it's a confession. But hear me: not knowing what you want is not a failure. It's a symptom of survival. When you've lived through trauma, carried responsibility too young, and been told your desires are selfish. Your wanting doesn't disappear. It goes underground. T...

If you keep comparing your life to others, it will be hard to hear God clearly. In this episode, we name what is really happening when you feel behind, unsure, or pulled in too many directions. It is not just pressure. It is comparison shaping your decisions. We talk about: why comparing your life to others creates confusion how cultural expectations can pull you away from what is true for you why...

You're waiting for a burning bush. A voice from heaven. A sign so obvious you can't miss it. Meanwhile, God's been speaking to you all day in at least eleven different languages...through your body, your desires, that random song on the radio, your aunt who always knows things. Spoiler: clarity can be rare, but conversation is constant. Let's explore what we've all been missing...

I used to believe God's will was outside of me, waiting to be discovered. Like a cosmic Easter egg hunt where getting it wrong meant missing my destiny. That God exhausted me. So let me tell you everything I no longer believe: that God is testing me, that my desires are suspect, that there's only one right path, that I can fall out of God's will is like falling out of bed. The truth is...

When it feels like God goes quiet, the silence can feel unbearable. In this episode, Brenda sits with the ache, the questions, and the weight of the quiet moments we can’t explain. No quick fixes, just being present with the ache of deafening silence. Subscribe free to my newsletter:  ⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/hiV8TH⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.brendabertrand.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠brenda@brendabertrand.com⁠⁠

I’m going to go out on a limb and say discernment isn’t about getting it right, clarity, or even decision-making. In the middle of all the noise, we’re gaining something else that transforms everything. And we’re learning about it together. It may not be what you think.  Subscribe free to my newsletter:  ⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/hiV8TH⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.brendabertrand.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠brenda@brendabertrand.com⁠⁠

My grandmother used to say, “God will speak to you your whole life long. You just gotta learn to recognize the voice.” That’s what this podcast is about: learning to listen. Because right now, in all this chaos and noise, the world doesn’t need more certainty. It needs people who can listen deeply. To God. To themselves. To what’s being born in this moment.  Welcome to Guided: A Podcast about Disc...