Quiet on Purpose

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just one day a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the third week of Advent - a season of...

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the second week of Advent - the anticipat...

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar and beginning a 4 week series on Advent - the a...

As we anticipate celebrating Thanksgiving this week, today's episode is even shorter than our usual episodes, but still provides a few minutes of intentional quiet to specifically focus on ways to worship God. Listen in! Today's questions: Is God nudging me to find a church family to worship with communally? Can our homes, schools, and places of employment also be sanctuaries? Can our car, the gro...

One of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions is what we call our "Thankful Basket." Our time in Psalm 118 is coming to a close, and in today's episode we take a look at how this entire Psalm is kind of like a thankful basket! Then,  we spend some time giving thanks! What better way to spend a few minutes of your time? Listen in! Read today's verse for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Questi...

Sometimes I struggle to be present in today. I think we all do. But this is the day the Lord has made, and we're called to rejoice and be glad in it! There must  be a reason for that! I think it's because every day is a gift from God and it is good and He has good things in it for us! Although we might credit Grand Master Oogway (the elderly Galapagos tortoise) in Kung Fu Panda with this quot...

I have a confession today - I hate admitting weakness and I hate asking for help! I know not everyone suffers with this malady, but I also know I'm not alone! So, if you, like me,  struggle with admitting you are weak, listen to this episode! As it turns out, there is a deep beauty in weakness that we will miss if we insist on projecting strength. And besides that, let's just be honest - some...

Isn't it our tendency to long for relationships with people who understand us and will always have our back? And isn't it our experience that we are often disappointed in those expectations? Whether we put our trust in someone who ultimately betrays us, or we just struggle through the reality that we often misunderstand one another in relationships, eventually we all experience the let down I'm re...

I don't think any of us would argue that the past 2 1/2 years have been years of increased fear and anxiety in many ways. But what if we actually knew , in the deepest part of us, that God was for us? What if we had absolute confidence that, no matter what, we would be ok, because the King of the Universe has our back? Would it make a difference? I'd like to suggest it would. And we can! Listen in...

We have all been in situations we would call "distressing" before. Maybe you're in one now. The Psalmist said when he called to the Lord in distress, the Lord answered him and put him in a spacious place; so why don't we always feel like that's happening for us? I think there's a key to "unlocking" that spaciousness we desire. It isn't necessarily easy, but it IS in our possession! Listen in! Read...

Gratitude gets a lot of nods from a lot of sources, but in today's episode of Quiet on Purpose, we're considering, is there a foundational element to gratitude that makes a difference? What does it look like to have rooted gratitude? Listen in! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Questions from today's episode: Do you believe that God is good? Do you believe His faithful love for you endures i...

In the fast-paced, multi-tasking, "you can have it all!" world in which we live, it is difficult for us to slow our pace down and seek just ONE THING! The Psalmist in today's verse says there is just one thing he wants from the Lord, just one thing he seeks after. And it's not what you and I might be most inclined to seek, but I do believe it's what we most need. Listen in for an invitation to sim...

We tend to judge our circumstances based on what we can see with our own eyes. Our perspective is pretty limited when it comes down to it. How cool is it that the God of the universe is actually at work in all of our circumstances, causing them to work out in exactly the way that will be for our absolute best in the long run?! This is not some trite thing we tell ourselves in order to pull ourselv...

This week is the fourth and final week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode about God's love fill your heart with hope, peace, joy and love. Merry Christmas! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Questions from today's episode: God’s great love only begins to make sense when w...

This week is the third week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode breathe joy into your Christmas celebrations this week! God bless you! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Questions from today's episode: When was the last time that God’s forgiveness for you caused giddy, ove...

This week is the second week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode breathe peace into whatever life circumstances you are experiencing today! God bless you! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Questions from today's episode: What situation, person, or set of circumstances thr...

This week begins the season of Advent! Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are anticipating his second arrival. May this episode breathe hope into whatever life circumstances you are experiencing today! God bless you! Read it for yourself at Bible Gatewa y! Questions from today's episode: Does hearing this passage cause your heart to well up with...

This week, in the U.S., we're celebrating Thanksgiving! So this episode, which is even shorter than usual, is simply here to help us each think about the many things we have to be thankful for. That's it. Just thankfulness here today, friends. Listen in! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

Some days are just harder than others. Sometimes our cares multiply and sadness or anxiety overwhelm us. It's ok to have feelings! Today's episode is all about where we find comfort when those feelings are hard. Listen in for what God's invitation might be for you on the hard days! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway! Questions from todays episode: When you are filled with cares, where do you tu...

Have you ever known, or been, someone who refuses to go see the doctor, even when it's clear that you need one? I am totally guilty of this! Listen in today to hear my story, and how it relates on a spiritual level to Jesus' words in our verse today, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."...

Sometimes our first assumption, when unwelcome circumstances present themselves in our lives, is that we're being punished for something. We may whine, complain, and ask God or ourselves, "What am I being punished for?" as if God is some unpredictable and unfair parent who relishes the opportunity to inflict pain on His children. This isn't the image of God we're presented with in the Bible. In fa...

This verse was given to me at a time in my life when I was so ready to receive it's message: return and rest. Although my life circumstances are not nearly as dramatic today as they were on that day, I still find myself in need of this message! Maybe you do too. Also, special announcement in this episode, so make sure you listen in! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! The questions from this e...

While we've heard it before and we know it's a good idea, to "be still and know that He is God" is easier said than done! What does it look like? What about when we're trying to practice it but we keep getting distracted? Today's episode is a great mix of the spiritual and the practical. Listen in! Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway ! https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+46%3A10&a...

With the world opening back up again, we are once again inundated with opportunities to fill our calendars. Maybe, like me, you don't want to just fill your calendar with "all" the things. Maybe you're looking for a way to be intentional about the things you choose to put on the calendar. Today's episode is about having a prayerful, listening posture when choosing where we say "yes"  and when...

Our natural tendency, when faced with our own brokenness, is to isolate, to hide, and to cover it up. But, throughout the Bible, we see an invitation, instead, to return to relationship. In this episode, we find the courage to look our brokenness in the eye and listen carefully to God's loving invitation to move forward in relationship with him. Listen in!  Read it for yourself at Bible Gatew...