Journal Gently: Spiritual Formation for Christian Women

We all need moments when we pause to reflect. When we consider deeply what we have been feeling and experiencing. When we can ask God about the things stirring in our hearts and souls. If you were part of the Writing with God retreat, you know that it's important for us to pay attention to the things going on around us, to pay attention to the things going on inside of us, to pay attention to wher...

Today, we get to talk with Bible teacher Mariel Davenport about how to tend your soul, especially during difficult seasons of grief and hardship. You'll hear a bit of her story as we get started in our conversation together, but just know that Mariel was an atheist who was transformed by the Word of God, and she teaches women how to turn to God's Word to tend to their soul. Now, if you listen to a...

Bonus episodes are designed to be a space for us to explore some spiritual practices together. And these are so important for us, whether we are the ones caring for others, or we are the ones going through a difficult season. We need to cling to the Lord, to seek Him in the midst of the hurt and the pain. One spiritual practice is written prayers—reading prayers that others have written. I've foun...

As women, we've had this metaphor held up before us. As a thermometer, we read the temperature, as it were, of the room we're in. We can tell who is having a good day, who is having a bad day, and the general atmosphere of the room—whether we're at home with our family, at church for Bible study, or at work in a meeting. Often, we've been encouraged to be thermostats, especially in the home. Inste...

What happens in those seasons where you feel like you don't have anyone there for you? Or when it seems like nobody cares? When your friends move away? When your trust has been betrayed? When you've asked for help but haven't received it? When you've asked for prayer and no one prays with you? When you don't even know how to express what you're feeling inside? What happens if you're a ministry lea...

Hey, my friends. Welcome back to Let's Encourage One Another. Today, we are going to talk about one of the most common things we experience when we have a friend who is hurting. "I don't know what to say." It is a problem we all struggle with when someone we care about is hurting. We're afraid of being the one who messes it up. We don't want to be the person they remember as saying the off-handed...

Today I am talking with fitness coach Carmen James about her journey with cancer and how she has—or has not—experienced God through it. Perhaps you're a bit taken aback by the combination of the words "cancer" and "fitness coach." And Carmen was, too. It was never something she thought she would have to face. Yet it was something that came knocking on her door anyway. Throughout our conversation,...

Today we are going to talk about something that all of us deal with, and that is fear and anxiety. I have to admit that there are times when I get so afraid of something that my thoughts just start going crazy. I can start thinking about all kinds of scenarios that just get me worked up even more, afraid and anxious and restless, and it just is not good. Perhaps for you, it's worrying about a medi...

Today, we are going to talk about a problem that so many of us struggle with—and it's actually a two-fold problem: saying no to someone's invitation to help and then also accepting no as an answer to your offer of help. But why are we talking about this in the first place? I mean, do we really have a hard time saying no to others when we need to? When they offer something we don't really need? Are...

Some of my favorite episodes on other podcasts are when coaches let you listen into a live session. You can hear them as they are talking with someone about an issue or problem that they want to figure out. And I knew that this was something that I would love to incorporate on my own podcast as a spiritual director. What better way to give you a taste of what it's like than to let you listen in to...

There are times when we are caring for others—or when they are caring for us—when something rubs us the wrong way. Maybe they say something to us. Maybe it's their tone of voice when they say something to us. Maybe we can't even identify what it is, exactly, but we know it doesn't sit well with us. Let's be honest… this happens even when we're not caring for others, right? But I've found that when...

I mentioned last week that I have been meeting so many amazing gals online and I can't wait to introduce you to them all. Today is one of those conversations. Eva Kubasiak is the host of the Bible Study Made Simple podcast and is passionate about breaking down barriers to Bible study so beginners can learn and love God's Word. But there was a time when anxiety had Eva questioning God and her relat...

Today's guest is blogger and writer Celia Miller, and she and I met on Instagram. We both follow one particular writer, and somehow or another, we found each other and realized pretty quickly that we're both passionate about Christian spiritual practices, especially the more contemplative ones like prayer and journaling. As Celia and I have gotten to know one another, I knew I wanted to introduce...

I know that many of us think about more traditional spiritual practices like Bible study, Bible reading, prayer, and service. But what I'd like propose to you is that almost anything can be a spiritual practice—if you invite God into it. Washing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Caring for your kids. Today, I want to introduce you to a spiritual practice I have been trying to incorporate into my dail...

Have you ever made a decision that you knew was the right one for you, that you felt was aligned with God's will and calling for you, and then found yourself worrying about it or second guessing yourself in the days and weeks—maybe even months—following it? I think we all face times when we wonder, Did I make the right decision? Or maybe, Did I hear God correctly? Is this what He wanted me to do?...

If I had to pick one author who has most deeply impacted me and taught me about life with God, I daresay it is Sharon Garlough Brown. The way she is able to weave spiritual insight into a story format resonates with me, and I am able to connect not only with her characters but also connect more deeply with God. And that is just one of many reasons why I am excited to share this conversation with y...

It seems like the moment I finally settle into a good rhythm or routine, there is a changing of the seasons. Something comes up that requires me, that invites me, to make adjustments. We are contemplating a pretty big change in our family and that has left me praying about these very things. I'm thinking about priorities and schedules and what God has called us to and weighing it all before the Lo...

Most of us, throughout our lives, will have someone who is struggling with something really heavy. And we want to be there for them. We really do. But when we think about being able to help them or care for them, we feel completely lost and overwhelmed. And I think a lot of that boils down to the fact that we try to do too much on our own. Think back to episode 49, about finding your stretcher bea...

In this episode, we are going to go through a liturgical prayer together that was written for those who have experienced a loss and are about to leave that time of marked grieving and return to daily living. To go back to school, back to work. To start paying the bills again or resuming whatever schedule we had prior to the loss. It is a difficult season to be in—still grieving, yet required to st...

What do you do when you feel like you don't have a purpose? Or maybe let me ask it this way, Do you feel like you are living life on purpose? Do you struggle to find meaning with the work you do—whether that's a traditional job, a ministry you lead, or even caring for your own family and loved ones? I have seen, time and again, that when people feel purposeless, they struggle to have hope. They st...

Today, I am going to be sharing with you a session I led at the Women's Ministries Conference offered by Small Church Summits. I spoke specifically to women's ministries leaders about ministering to the gals in their church who were going through a difficult season, such as grief, depression, anxiety, or caring for an aging parent. This is a true heart-to-heart conversation. I want so desperately...

Today I want to conclude a sort of mini-series about journaling and reflection with a reflection of my own, and it's going to center around a personal retreat I took a couple of weeks ago. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 27:8 (NLT), which says, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'" And to me, that speaks of an invitation from God and...

This week, we are going to dive deeper into our conversation about journaling and reflection as I talk with business strategist and podcast host Elizabeth McCravy. As I have listened to Elizabeth's podcast episodes, I have seen how she so naturally incorporates reflection and journaling into her everyday life, both personally and for her business. It is just something that she does so well. And so...

For those of us who are drawn to journaling, whether we are new to it or have been at it for years, there are still some obstacles and questions that come up. I don't have time to journal. I don't know what to write about. Writing by hand is hard for me. Is there a way to journal where I don't have write it out by hand? I started journaling, but it's hard for me to make it a regular practice. What...

This is another bonus episode, where we tend to focus on spiritual practices and faith. And in today's episode, I am sharing a message I gave a couple of weeks ago at my church. As you can see from the title, this focuses on Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, and it piggybacks on what we are learning in the Soul Care Group this month. We are looking at this passage and we are exploring t...