Unhurried Living

Our guest today is Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Emily P. Freeman. Her latest book is called The Next Right Thing, which just happens to have the same name as her podcast. Through her podcast and books, Emily helps create space for the soul to breathe, offering fresh perspective on the sacredness of our inner life with God. Welcome to the Unhurried Living Podcast. We talk with Emily about the intersection of decision making and an unhurried life. She shares how she deals with hurry in her life and work, and how she views time and makes her way toward freedom in her schedule. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast. Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen. Thank you for listening. If you’d like a copy of Inhaling Grace, you can visit unhurriedliving.com/grace to purchase your book. You have three options: an eBook, a paperback, or you can get a discount on five copies or more. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today we share with you a note from a leader in her mid-30s: I struggle to set priorities. It feels as though there is a lot to juggle between raising children, nurturing my marriage, training others, participating in a missional community, working with refugees, serving at church, managing my home, extra-curricular activities, etc. - and still have time to pursue physical and spiritual health. I know that these are important but just what balance is optimal? I don’t know about you, but I got tired just reading that list. My guess is many of you can relate to this person’s life. But is balance the goal? How do you decide how to prioritize your life? And are these even the right questions to begin with? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the Fall of 2018, we published our first Unhurried Living devotional called Inhaling Grace. We’ve appreciated the encouraging response we’ve received since then. Over the next few months, we’ll share the devotional here as an audiobook. We’ll have more to say about that in a moment on the Unhurried Living Podcast. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We often talk here about how a hurried soul costs us more than we realize, and that an unhurried soul is a way of following the genius of Jesus’ way of life and work. But there is a hurry that is actually holy, and there is a way of being unhurried that is actually unholy. We’ll tackle this pair on today’s episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast. • Unholy hurry is that variety of soul hurry that we must ruthlessly eliminate as Dallas Willard urged us. • Holy unhurry is that variety of unhurry that we see in the manner and way of Jesus that we want to follow. This is our core message at Unhurried Living. In this episode, we will focus on the other two, which we don’t talk about as often but are nonetheless very important. We will say just a little bit about holy hurry because we think it’s a fairly straightforward idea. We’ll have much more to say about the challenge of Unholy Unhurry. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/conta

In his book, "The Sacred Enneagram", Chris Heuertz states, “Real transformation takes place when we pair the self-awareness that the Enneagram stimulates with the silence of contemplative practice. Then our unique path to spiritual growth emerges, and we will never be the same.” I could not be more thrilled to have Chris Heuertz as my guest today. What he is bringing to the Enneagram conversation is crucial. In his own unique way, he shares the integration of the practices of solitude, silence and stillness and how they are key to transformation. Many of you are now familiar with the Enneagram and I wanted you to have a vision for taking this to the next level. Chris Heuertz was first introduced to the Enneagram in the slums of Cambodia. Since then he has trained under some of the great living Enneagram masters including Father Richard Rohr, Russ Hudson, Marion Gilbert and Helen Palmer, and now teaches the Enneagram in workshops and retreats around the world. Chris is an International Enneagram Asso

In his book, "The Sacred Enneagram", Chris Heuertz states, “Real transformation takes place when we pair the self-awareness that the Enneagram stimulates with the silence of contemplative practice. Then our unique path to spiritual growth emerges, and we will never be the same.” I could not be more thrilled to have Chris Heuertz as my guest today. What he is bringing to the Enneagram conversation is crucial. In his own unique way, he shares the integration of the practices of solitude, silence and stillness and how they are key to transformation. Many of you are now familiar with the Enneagram and I wanted you to have a vision for taking this to the next level. Chris Heuertz was first introduced to the Enneagram in the slums of Cambodia. Since then he has trained under some of the great living Enneagram masters including Father Richard Rohr, Russ Hudson, Marion Gilbert and Helen Palmer, and now teaches the Enneagram in workshops and retreats around the world. Chris is an International Enneagram Asso

Much of our lives are lived by habits. Some of them are bad ones and tend to be life-draining. Some of them are good and help us really live. In today’s episode, Alan will share a recent conversation with Justin Whitmel Earley, author of the recently-released InterVarsity Press book, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction. A rule of life provides a structure of practices that enable us to live and work rooted in the life of God’s kingdom. It helps us enter into Jesus’ rhythm of work and rest. Today, Alan shares a recent conversation with Justin Whitmel Earley, author of The Common Rule. Alan had the treat of serving as an endorser for this book. This is what he wrote about it: “Creation is full of holy rhythms of life. There is a way to live that honors and embodies these rhythms. The Common Rule is a beautiful, inviting resource that helps us do just that. It is an important guide to living more deeply-rooted in God’s life-giving kingdom.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio

I enter today’s conversation with great anticipation. I’ve recently read Mindful Silence by Phileena Heuertz and cannot wait for you all to learn from her. She’s such a wealth of wisdom and heart. In addition to Mindful Silence, Phileena is the author of Pilgrimage of a Soul and a founding partner of Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism. For nearly twenty years she and her husband, Chris, codirected an international nonprofit. As a spiritual director, yoga instructor, public speaker, retreat guide, and author, Phileena is passionate about spirituality and making the world a better place. Phileena also wanted to share this resource with you: This is a rare and vulnerable conversation. Join her as she reflects on the themes of her book, Mindful Silence. Eight, inspiring mini films (10-20 minutes in length) edited by Travis Reed of The Work of the People, accompany each of the eight book chapters. Each video draws you into Phileena's heart, where you discover your own. Let these films support you along t

Have you noticed that there is a lot of anxiety out there these days? Whether explicit and obvious, or implicit and underlying, many of us are feeling anxious or stressed. But we follow Someone who is called the Prince of Peace. Maybe that could make a difference in how we deal with challenges, troubles, hardships that cross our path. Maybe peace could actually become our operating system. When we talk about an operating system, we mean the basic underlying software that helps a computer or a smartphone operate. Unless you're a tech nerd like I tend to be, you don’t think very often about the operating system of your device, that is, unless it stops working properly. When we call peace an operating system, we’re saying that it is possible to learn how to allow peace to be the underlying framework of our lives. Peace might even become something unconsciously trusted rather than frantically sought. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaud

We can’t help ourselves. We are going to join the conversation on Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. If you haven’t seen the Netflix show or read the book, that’s ok. We’re going pass through the subject on our way to a deeper dive into why we’re tempted to cling to things and how letting go can help our souls. Marie isn’t teaching this directly, but I’m seeing people sink down further into these two questions: What do I really need? What do I really want? Most people live on such a surface level, purchasing items without thought. They collect “stuff” until they are overwhelmed not only outwardly, but inwardly. Pruning thoughtfully, one piece at a time, helps people dip down into the deeper place of true desire. And the term “spark joy” is one way to go there. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Living more faithfully into our following of Jesus involves saying the right “Yeses” and the right “Noes.” In a little less than a month, Christians around the world will be saying “No” in some particular way as they practice Lent. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about observing An Unhurried Lent together. Today, we’re talking about something that Gem and I are going to be doing together beginning in about a month. We’re calling it An Unhurried Lent. We’ll start by talking a little about Lent in general, then we’ll unpack the more specific idea of An Unhurried Lent. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A few years ago we spent a long weekend in a beautiful home on a vineyard. While visiting the Napa region of CA, we had the treat of being hosted by a master gardener. We ate beautiful food and drank amazing wine while seated at a picnic table overlooking the rolling hills and fruit-laden vines. We talked, laughed and shared all the way up to sunset. As you can imagine, it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. I could go on forever about the beauty of the setting but what does this have to do with spiritual formation? As we strolled the vineyard and spoke with the gardener he educated us on the pruning process of the grapes and how to make the best wines. What I found fascinating was the most unremarkable part was where the vine met the branch. The familiar words from John 15:5 echoed in my mind. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus said, “You are the branch.“ Hmmm. I am the branch. Which me

A new year full of plenty of new opportunities. However, with opportunities also come some common obstacles that can get in the way of making real, productive progress. That’s where we are headed today on the Unhurried Living Podcast. In this episode, we’re talking about four common barriers to leadership effectiveness. These aren’t the only four barriers to leading well, but they are four big ones. And these insights aren’t just for people with very visible leadership roles or positions. We see leadership as a much larger category than that. Leadership is about holy and fruitful initiative in life as well as in work. The four barriers are: Anxiety Fear Self-doubt Insecurity We will unpack these barriers using the following questions: What does this barrier look like in my life and work? How does it hinder my progress? What does it look like when I overcome or move through it? What is the alternative movement to each one? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertisin

A few months ago we were in Germany leading a conference for Navy Chaplains. And as I pondered and prayed about our time together a phrase came floating up from my memory banks: “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” I had heard that phrase one time as I listened to a movie star talk about training for his role in an upcoming blockbuster. But what does “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast” have to do with looking ahead to 2019. Research revealed that Navy Seals (per navyseals.com) have understood this concept for decades with the dynamic of slow, smooth, fast--and also crawl, walk, run. Here's a brief excerpt to explain: “In The Way of the SEAL, we are striving to navigate that journey with increasing awareness and power. Once you set foot onto this path, you begin to find extraordinary results through doing ordinary things extraordinarily well—and it eventually comes naturally. That is mastery.” (Mark Devine) At Unhurried Living, we have taken on a similar way for ourselves and our work. Spiritual practices are

Alan and I take walks a few times a week. And most of the time we have these amazing conversations that lead to me saying, “We should have been recording this! This could have been a podcast!” We’ve never recorded a walk talk, but in this episode we are sharing from a couple of those conversations about contentment and anxiety. And we frame all this in the practice of a year-end-examen. As you listen, be sure to download the FREE resource from Isaiah 61 at http://unhurriedliving.com/isaiah61 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A common approach to living the Christian life is to focus on our own faith, our own practices, our own faithfulness. The emphasis in the story of scripture always begins with God—God’s great faithfulness, God’s mighty works, God’s generous grace. Today, we’ll talk about a key question Jesus asks in the gospels that captures this inviting dynamic. One of my favorite words lately has been the word “invitation.” It feels good to be invited to a meal or a gathering by someone you like. Or, even better, by someone you admire! There is something very full of grace when someone else takes the first step towards us. This is the nature of grace. This is the way of God. Invitation is how Jesus approaches us. In today’s episode, we are talking about the story of Jesus and Bartimaeus in Mark 10, and how the question Jesus asks that is sheer invitation and changes how we look at grace. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to today's podcast on rest, a conversation with author and theologian, A.J. Swoboda. Our conversation stems around the idea of rest and how it is built into the very fabric of God's beautiful creation. Without giving too much away, here are four of of the nine questions A.J. and I discuss in this podcast. A.J.'s book is entitled “Subversive Sabbath.” In what ways is Sabbath a subversive practice? A.J., please share the story of your own experience of discovering and entering into the gift of Sabbath. In your own practice of Sabbath, what have been some of the boundaries you’ve observed (the “I won’ts”) and the engagements you’ve enjoyed (the “I wills”)? How might someone who has an unpredictable weekly work schedule practice Sabbath? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever felt embarrassed, humiliated or ashamed? That’s a silly question. We have all felt that way at one time or another. Today, we’re looking at the vulnerability that accompanies those dynamics and how Jesus himself can meet us there. When we think about this question of identity, we envision a simple dot in the center of a dotted circle going around it’s periphery. The dot at the center is our actual, simple identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. The dotted line that looks like something orbiting around that center point represents everything we attempt to make an identity of our own. We try to do enough, acquire enough, impress enough people. But it’s just going in circles. We hurry around, orbit after orbit, seeking for a sense of meaning and purpose “out there” in achievements, acquisitions and accolades. But the spiritual reality of finding our identity already in place in our friendship with God through Christ lies at the simple center of who we are. Being rooted in Jesus at the center

In this episode we look at community and what it means to be mentored within the communities in which we engage, live, work, and play. How does the posture of that community impact our spiritual growth as a leader. Today we are offering details and insight into the Unhurried Collective, a two year mentored community group learning how to Rest Deeper, Live Fuller, and Lead Better. We've had many questions on what an Unhurried Collective is and we thought this would be a great opportunity to share information on this impactful two year community leader program, how it came to be and what you could expect when discerning to apply. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.