the remind{h}er podcast

Belonging is difficult to define; it's a big concept, and there are plenty of nuanced layers and levels and lenses to consider. Though there will always be more to say, on the surface, I think of belonging as acceptance, inclusion, the feeling of being at home. If I dig a little deeper, I find I long to belong because, when I do, my most authentic self is safe and secure.   And if I dig deeper sti...

Today, we turn to a simple reading of Psalm 84. This psalm is known as a pilgrimage psalm and was often sung by people traveling to Jerusalem to worship. As we enter into these summer months, when trips and travel are common for many, I thought this particular psalm might be fitting. Throughout the episode, you are invited to listen and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll off...

When there is someone I don't like, someone I don't understand, someone I don't agree with—I have a tendency to assume the worst of them. I dig in my heels and keep them at arms length. After all, there's no possible way we could relate. And if Jesus wants something to do with me, he couldn't possibly want anything to do with them…right? And so I become a sort of gatekeeper rather than stepping as...

Today, I'm offering a simple reading from the Gospel of Luke. This particular passage tells the story of Jesus and his encounter with a man named Zacchaeus. This might be a familiar passage for you {maybe you're even humming an old familiar tune?}; or it might be totally fresh and new. Either way, you are invited to listen and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few q...

Where is God? That's the question we're exploring today.  When the difficult diagnosis isn't cured, when the prayer remains unanswered, when the loneliness is unbearable, when tragedy strikes, when a person or people are treated as "less than," when war wages on, when our hearts are broken, when there is no end in sight. In circumstances like these, Where is God is a reasonable question.   When th...

Today, as we return to our regular schedule with brand new episodes, I'm offering a simple reading of Colossians 3:12-17. If you are listening in real time, we just wrapped up our first ever Circle Back series, where we returned to previous remind{h}ers that aired at some point over the past six years. In the most recent Circle Back episode, we went back to the very beginning. And in that very fir...

Today, we are circling back to the very beginning with remind{h}er 01: You Are a Reminder. This episode aired six years ago, at the beginning of April 2020.   I remember being so excited, so very nervous, and so so certain that this podcast was something I was being called to offer. I can hear all of that in my voice {my voice! It sounds SO different!}, and I am so proud of that version of myself...

Today we are circling back to remind{h}er 133: Remember Who You've Been. This episode originally aired March 26, 2025, and it is the most recent episode we will circle back to in this series. Even though it's only been about a year, I couldn't NOT circle back to this one because it ties in so well with our circle back theme. When we intentionally circle back, we are invited to remember previous ve...

Today we are circling back to remind{h}er 67: God Can Handle Our Anger. This episode originally aired on March 16, 2022.   I remember writing and recording this episode back then and I remember feeling very vulnerable while doing so. When I think of anger, I think big and loud and intimidating and obvious, kind of like the personified version of Anger in Pixar's Inside Out. And while that can cert...

Today, we are circling back to remind{h}er 112: Remember We Are Dust. This episode originally aired two years ago, on February 14, 2024, which happened to be Ash Wednesday that year. If you are listening in real time now in 2026, today is Ash Wednesday, too.   Similar to our last Circle Back episode, two years later it seems this message still rings true. It's a reminder that continues to haunt me...

Today, we are kicking off our first ever Circle Back series. If you aren't sure what that is, I recommend listening to remind{h}er 152: Circle Back to hear a little more about the heart behind the series. We're starting with a remind{h}er from five years ago—remind{h}er 38: A Spirit of Hospitality. If you've listened to this episode before, it might be interesting to consider how your understandin...

All throughout our lives, forward progress is praised. Life is a line from point A to point B with lots of markers and milestones along the way. As we journey along, we try to avoid backsliding and dread the idea of being stuck. Our days are defined by how far we've come. I'm learning, though, that life with God isn't always linear. Because life with God isn't really about where we're going; it's...

Today, I'm offering a simple reading of a passage of Scripture that shares a grounded perspective on time and life with God. I find this to be a helpful passage during seasons of transition, and as we move from one calendar year to the next, it's certainly fitting now. As I read, you're invited to listen and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few questions for reflec...

Darkness often gets a bad rap. We tend to associate it with fear, danger, disorientation. For many of us, it is a space or experience that makes us feel vulnerable. And when darkness feels like a threat, we're convinced we need to steer clear. However, I'm learning that darkness is not necessarily synonymous with evil; that it's not all bad; that not all darkness needs to be feared or avoided; tha...

Well, friends, believe it or not, we are already in the middle of the Advent season. In light of this, in this episode I'll offer a reading of a pretty familiar and traditional Advent passage, followed by a few questions for your reflection. I hope this simple reading can be a kind companion for you in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the season.   Feel free to pause, to rewind, or even revi...

So often, we live distracted, anxious, and on edge. Our souls grow depleted and discouraged.   And we find ourselves unable to function faithfully. That is certainly the case in my own life—maybe you can relate? One thing I'm learning is that when overwhelm is my reality, worship is my rescue.  What does that mean? Listen in. remind{h}er 147: Psalm 138 Sign up to receive my monthly letter, The Re{...

Today, I'm offering a simple reading of Psalm 138. It's one of several psalms in Scripture considered to be psalms of thanksgiving and praise. And as we move toward the official Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., I thought a psalm like this might be fitting. After the reading,  I'll also offer a few questions for reflection. As always, I hope they serve you well! Listen in. Sign up for the Re{...

When we are presented with new information, when our ideas and understandings and opinions are challenged, when we discover a new perspective from a different lived experience, when God shows up in a place or in a person or in a way that is unexpected or unfamiliar, how are we to respond? That's the question we're considering in today's episode. Listen in! remind{h}er 144: Mark 7:24-30 + Matthew 1...

Being bothered—feeling unsettled, irritated, aggravated—is part of the human experience. And, if you're like me, it's a part of the human experience we tend to avoid, if at all possible. It's often easier to look away, stuff down, work around. And yet, I'm learning how important our willingness is to lean toward the discomfort, to move through the disturbance, to pay attention to what bothers us....

Today, I'm offering a simple reading of not one but TWO passages from Scripture. They both tell the same story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. However, there are subtle differences and unique details in each. Basically, I couldn't choose between the two, so we're considering both together :)   Listen in. Sign up for my monthly letter, The Re{collection} Work with me as a spiritual director...

We're taught from a young age, that if we say the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, our words will "work."  As silly as it seems, sometimes, I find myself treating prayer in a similar way. Prayers are these words I say, and if I say them at the right time, in the right way, and with the right amount of frequency, well, they just might work. Maybe you can relate? It's easy to believ...

Today, I'm offering a simple reading of one of Jesus' teachings on prayer, found in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. As I read, you're invited to listen in and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few questions for reflection, as you consider the reminders God might have for you in this passage. I hope it serves you well! Sign up to receive my monthly letter The...

It's interesting to consider what makes a bad day, bad. What makes a good day, good. To mark the circumstances that contribute to what we would consider a good or bad life. It's also interesting to consider how often I equate the state of my circumstances with the presence and love of God. If things are good, God must be present and active in my life, right? And if things are bad, well, the opposi...

Today, as we slowly begin to settle into new routines after perhaps a slower, more spacious summer, I'm offering a simple reading of the Beatitudes, found at the very beginning of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. As I read it, you're invited to listen and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few questions for reflection, as you consider the reminders God might have for you...

I've been reminded recently that natural light makes a difference. Sunlight aids growth. It improves mental and physical health. It enhances overall well-being. Good, natural light helps us flourish.   In a similar way, the light and presence of God offers hope, endurance, compassion, peace, joy, and love. It is bold without being flashy. It is soft, though not insignificant. It sees the overlooke...