The Nature of Hope

To see photos and videos, visit the website: https://www.lauriekehler.com/podcast/shininghopefarms Despite the name of this episode, it's not actually called "horse therapy," the medical and technical term is "hippotherapy." And hippos is the Greek word for horses. With their rescued, donated, and trained horses, Shining Hope Farms helps children with developmental delays make tremendous strides f...

Bats! Personally, I can't stand them! But this is one of people's favorite chapters in my new book, "Nature at Night - Finding Faith, Wonder & Resilience After Dark." Find out why I collapsed to the pavement when under a tree of bats in Australia. Discover what my brother did when he found one in his hair one night. And learn how my mother used her tennis skills to rid our house of them. Oh, a...

Raccoons teach us how to adapt to scary and uncertain times. While most of us just think they are cute and wash their food, they can teach us so much more about adapting to new landscapes in our lives. Head to the website to add your thoughts to the "Nature Insights" session here: https://LaurieKehler.com/raccoon. Learn from others how to see God in nature more!

A last minute gift guide for the nature lover! Whether it's the holidays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or a birthday, sometimes we need a gift QUICK. And we want it to be cost-effective, nature-focused, and original. This list of ideas will serve you well. Some of these ideas are DIY, some are small but useful, and some are free! (You can download the free bird-themed planner at: Lauriekehler.com...

We all use a compass in life, whether we realize it or not. In this podcast I read the Compass chapter from my latest book, This Outside Life - Finding God in the Heart of Nature . I really love this chapter because I think it’s so relatable. Both for me, and people I meet who are seeking direction for their lives. View the website page for more details here.

There are many tips and tricks out there to plan your perfect garden. And this is the best time of year to do so! Catalogs abound with delightful offerings. I talk about what a perfect garden looks like, sources for creating one, and what a perfect life looks like. (I don't think you'll be surprised—you already know this!) Make sure to download the free resource for planning your perfect garden at...

Do you feel comfortable approaching God? Do you think He wants to hear from you? Learn about the bold little chickadee—about whom Emerson said was a, "scrap of valor" for his bravery. And how this little bird is the most likely to eat out of your hand! You'll also learn how to support these small little birds during the winter so they survive the tough conditions. We then talk about how the Bible...

Peck, Peck, Peck. It's just so darn easy and fun to do! And I've noticed it's easiest to peck at the people we don't even know. Maybe they've made a big stand on social media about a moral issue you don't agree with. Maybe they seem to be absolutely flouting God's word and darn it, it really bothers you. Take for example, the “Christian Kardashians” of our world. They're incredibly famous, they ha...

Today we are talking about aromas. Favorite smells. Like coffee brewing, bacon on a cold morning, lilacs in spring, and the top of a baby's head. Heavenly aromas! Everyone has their favorite smells, and so does God. We will talk about the science of smell , and why aromas trigger memories. And why dogs can smell so much better than us, and how aromas can tell us whether we are lost or found. And h...

God has your name inscribed on the palm of His hands. And it's not the name that kids have teased you with. It's not the name your family gave you, or the name you call yourself ("I'm such an idiot.") We talk about the power of your name, the power of His name, and the Red-Winged Blackbird. Read the podcast notes on the blog/podcast page at: LaurieKehler.com/red-winged-blackbird.

Starfish . That name is beguiling and it kind of hints at magic—as if they had spent their allotted time in the heavens and then retired and fizzled down to a sparkling plunge in the sea. Why do they want to trade neighborhoods? Is the ocean a more inviting place than space? Occasionally starfish wash up on shore so we can look at their helpless estate. Their rosy and golden hues make them look li...

The last thing we want, is to be on the receiving end of a big dump load of manure. But it happens. People cut us off, walk out the door, ignore us, attack us, accuse us, thwart us, and generally just dump on us. Or we do foolish things to ourselves. And then it hits the fan. But God. Two of the most hopeful words—but God. But God can transform all this #$%* into a wonderful growth medium, from wh...

Have you ever scrolled through social media and saw something that you wanted really badly? Something that caused you to feel feelings of envy, jealousy, (shame for feeling that way) and covetousness? I have! In fact, one time, it caused me to burst into tears. I was fixating on what I didn’t have, what I thought would make my life “perfect,” as opposed to the blessings I did have. Which of course...

Tree rings tell a tale. They tell the story about the life of a tree. Every year, the tree lays down another ring of growth. Were there times of drought and disease? Those rings will be tight and narrow. Were there times of ample water and plenty of nutrients? Those rings will be fat and wide. But trees also tell their tales centuries later. Art historians can date paintings on wood by testing the...

Like everyone, I have favorites. Favorite flowers (I’m looking at you wisteria and peonies!), views, food, and songs. We all have our favorites. And we all want to BE somebody’s favorite person. To know you are someone’s unique, called-out, favorite person is a delicious feeling. And the disciples fought over who would be the favorite of Jesus—right in the middle of the Last Supper! Two thousand y...

Minimalism, Marie Kondo, decluttering...we know we need it, but why is it so hard? And what about our spiritual lives? How do we unstuff all the useless junk that's holding us back? I talk about my messy closet, my eating habits, and spending habits and more. All the ways we act like a chipmunk and stuff stuff stuff our lives because of a mistaken sense of lack. We learn about the chipmunk and why...

How do you find the bluebird of happiness for your life and your yard? Is there a secret to inviting these beautiful birds to fly by? How can we have this "bluebird of happiness" in our hearts? Is it even possible when everything is falling apart? Listen while I give you the secrets to luring bluebirds to your home and your heart. You can learn more by visiting LaurieKehler.com for resources, note...

This is an excerpt from my new book, This Outside Life-Finding God in the Heart of Nature . I walk through the science and data on how important nature is for our well-being. We learn about how kids benefit too, socially, physically and emotionally. I talk about how God feels about the world He has made and what He has said about it. I give you simple ways to combat "nature blindness" and get awar...

Although I have another podcast ( This Outside Life ) I got requests for a podcast that reflected my love for the outdoors and my spiritual life. So, in the spirit of my nature books ( Gardening Mercies, Wings of Mercy and This Outside Life- Finding God in the Heart of Nature ) here is The Nature of Hope podcast. My hope and prayer is that you find hope and encouragement for your daily walk. This...

Do you have a body part you hate? I bet something came to mind quickly, didn't it? But what about the parts you love? Can you name several parts of your body that you're grateful for? Isn't it interesting that the second question takes more time? We are so used to finding flaws with our bodies, even hating them. But nature is full of "flaws," and that's what makes it varied, interesting and beauti...