Unhurried Living

When we find ourselves in a hurry, one of the dynamics that grows thin is intentionality. We can find ourselves rushing from task to task, meeting to meeting in a kind of mindless autopilot. It’s not what we want, but it can be what happens.  Today, I’m sharing a recent conversation with Glenn Packiam about a book he wrote with his wife, Holly, titled The Intentional Year. In it, they share their regular practice of retreat as a couple to cultivate greater intentionality about five key spheres of their lives, their family and their vocation. Those five spheres are prayer, rest, renewal, relationships and work. For many years now, they set aside a week at the end of the year to reflect on how God has been gracious in the previous year, and how God’s grace might be inviting them forward in the new year. I know you’re going to appreciate the insights Glenn shares.  Connect with Glenn on YouTube,  Facebook or Instagram.Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcast

When it comes to difficult circumstances, we’ve all heard the platitudes: “No pain, no gain.” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But if we spend our lives trying to be “the strong one,” we become exhausted, burned-out, and disconnected from our truest selves.What if it were different? Could there be a different way to be strong? Could strength mean more than pushing on and pushing through pain, bearing every heavy burden on our own? What if, instead, true strength were more like the tide: soft and bold, fierce and gentle, moving together as one powerful force? Today I am talking with Aundi Kolber on her latest book, Strong Like Water as we look at strength and pain and where our strength truly comes from. Follow Gem on Instagram and grab a copy of her new book Hold That Thought. You can also join her in the Replenish Community. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we were to only believe the 24-hour news cycle, we would think there is very little peace in the world. Yes, there are dramatic and traumatic things going on around the planet. But right in the middle of all that, many people are simply living their lives--loving their families, working hard and serving others. We can choose to be people of peace right in the middle of a contentious, distracted and overwhelmed culture. And I would argue this is absolutely necessary. Today we’re looking at a scripture passage that gives us beautiful counsel for extending peace to everyone, no matter the circumstance. And there’s a surprising twist that generously benefits us as we do.  I’m Gem Fadling and it’s time for ICDT.________________________________________________Follow Gem on Instagram and grab a copy of her new book Hold That Thought. You can also join her in the Replenish Community. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We’re living at a time in which our capacity attention may be our most valuable asset. If this is true, than our great liability is distraction, and the ways in which we are training ourselves in distraction. Paying attention to the purpose of our lives, and to where God may be inviting us to give of our energy and time is a beautiful opportunity.The world around us is happy to provide us with lots of attractive options for surrendering our attention to mostly meaningless amusements. But God’s purpose for you is gentler, quieter, less flashy and more substantial. God’s Spirit would love to train you how to pay attention to his presence in your every moment. My guest today, Paul Angone, has written a book to help us with all this, Listen to Your Day. He wants to help us stop drifting, stop worrying, and stop living distracted. I’m looking forward to sharing our recent conversation with you in a minute. Paul Angone is a trusted and sought-after voice to college students, young professionals, and those going thr

Here at Unhurried Living, we care about the souls of leaders. We are interested in spiritual leadership that attends to the souls of others. This is at the heart of the calling of Jesus in our lives to follow him, to let him shepherd us well, and to learn how to join him in the care of others around us. Cultivating the spiritual growth of others has been at the heart of our work for more than 30 years. And this Fall, we’ll be launching a new training in leadership and soul care called PACE. PACE is for you if you want to engage your leadership with more intention & presence, but:You haven’t found a mentor to help guide the way, You don’t have the skills to lead formationally,You feel distracted by all your current demands. Maybe you are well aware of your need to prioritize the care of your own soul, but:You're feeling unfocused  or overwhelmedYou don't believe you have the time to devote to these practicesYou struggle to experience the connection between your soul and your leadership. You know you could

We begin with a reading from 1 Thes 5:14:“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thes. 5:14) It would be easy to simply gloss over this, ignoring the relational nuances or to turn it into some rigid formula for the control freak within. Rather than either of those, I like to think of this as wise counsel for truly seeing others and responding in ways that might actually help them make their way. We’ll simply take each phrase on its face as we move through the verse. Connect with Gem on Instagram or visit her at the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the first two chapters of An Unhurried Life, I share a bit about my first experience with solitude and silence in a group retreat setting. That was in January 1990. It’s hard to believe that was 33 years ago. I have often shared how transformative the regular rhythm of retreat has been in my life, my marriage, and my leadership over the years. Today, I’m so happy to be talking with Ruth Haley Barton about her book Invitation to Retreat. It’s such a wise, practical resource to help us cultivate the regular practice of spiritual retreat. I can highly recommend it! Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Seminary) is founding president and CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve. For over twenty years, she has ministered to the soul care needs of pastors and leaders based upon her conviction that the best thing we bring to leadership is our own transforming selves.Ruth is the au

There is one place in the gospels where Jesus specifically describes himself. Remember this passage from Matthew 11? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Jesus describes himself as gentle and humble in heart. I wonder to what degree we imagine these as primary aspirations in our own discipleship to Jesus. Harshness and pride seem to be reigning nearly everywhere in our world today, and too often even among those who would call themselves followers of Christ. That’s why I’m so glad to be talking today with Brenda Quinn and Richard Foster about his latest book, “Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue.” Humility is more than a virtue that we should practice. It is actually the pathway to the abundant life Jesus has come to lead us into!  Brenda Quinn is a pastor of spiritual formation in the Fo

The second most listened to episodes in the nearly five years of this podcast is titled “Working for God or Working with God,” episode #205. A key insight there is that our work or our ministry is not so much something we do for God, and then hope for his blessing after the fact. Our work is a gracious collaboration with the God who initiates and is already at work. Today, I’m talking with Dr. Roger Parrott about his book Opportunity Leadership. In it, he makes what some leaders will consider a radical proposal: Many of our assumptions in long-range organizational planning are misguided. He wants to argue for a way of leading that is paying attention to opportunities God’s Spirit is bringing across our paths now rather than projecting futures we can’t possibly predict. Certainly Covid-19 showed us that long-range plans don’t predict the future for any of our lives or our organizations. Dr. Roger Parrott is one of America’s most experienced college presidents and was named among the 10 Most Visionary Education

Awhile back, during an overnight retreat, I chose to peruse the notes from my first spiritual direction training. I had two folders with worksheets, practices, and handwritten notes from multiple lectures. My plan was to read through everything, so I could remember and glean from the spiritual wisdom contained in those pages. I made it through only half of one handwritten notebook. I barely scratched the surface. Reading through my notes in a soulful way turned out to be a much slower process than I had anticipated. That time was so rich. I was able to soak in the goodness of God and reflect on how he had used those teachings to carry me through the next ten years. The lessons I reflected on were like a rototiller, cultivating the soil of my soul’s garden. I was ready to receive what was offered, and it truly prepared me for all of the work that followed over the decade since then. I thought I would share with you ten seeds of wisdom from my notes. My hope is that one or two of these ideas will connect with y

We’ve talked often here about the continual challenge of how our devices tend to train us in hurry and distraction. In episode 103, “Managing our Omnipresent Smartphones,” I shared the story of an eight-day retreat where I found myself wrestling with how attached to my smartphone I’d become. You might enjoy going back to that episode after you’ve finished listening to this one. Today, I’m talking with a new friend, Heath Wilson, who is the co-founder of a company called Aro. They’ve developed a resource and app that will help you manage how you engage as a family with your smartphones. It’s designed to help us reduce screen time by making it easy and fun to put down our phones.Aro is built on the principles and science of habit formation, and gamifies the experience of being off your phone. The Aro smart-box is beautiful, tech-packed, and acts as the visual cue for you to put down your phone. I hope you’ll take time to explore this resource further.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and

We live in a world where limits are seen as curses, but maybe good limits are God-given gifts. Only God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere. It’s good news that I don’t have to try to be any of these things because I simply can’t. Today's Unhurried Living Podcast episode is an interview with Kelly Kapic, author of "You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News." I love how Kelly and I are able to talk about and share the intersection of his message on limitations the Unhurried Living message of unhurry. Kelly M. Kapic is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He is the award-winning author or editor of more than 15 books, including Embodied Hope , The God Who Gives , and Becoming Whole with Brian Fikkert. Kapic is also part of a John Templeton Foundation grant studying “Christian Meaning-Making, Suffering, and the Flourishing Life.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising oppor

Near the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, I spoke with Jay Kim about his book Analog Church. It was a great conversation that you can go back and listen to--episode 131. In his follow-up book, Analog Christian, Jay continues to address how we relate to technology, our devices, and our apps. He talks about how we think we’re using our devices, but don’t realize that our devices are also using us. I love the wisdom he shares in this book. By the way, Analog Christian was recently given The Gospel Coalition Award of Distinction in Christian Living.  Jay Y. Kim serves as the lead pastor at WestGate Church in the Silicon Valley and on the leadership team of the ReGeneration Project. His writing has been featured in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Missio Alliance, and Relevant Magazine. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and two children. In addition to Analog Christian, Jay has written Analog Church, 40 Days through the Book of Colossians, and is a contributing author to a number of other p

Today I’m talking with Dr. Kristi Gaultiere and we’ll be discussing our journey toward emotional and spiritual growth.I’ve known Kristi for many years. She and her husband have a ministry called Soul Shepherding and their mission is similar to Unhurried Living. They care for and train Christian leaders with a focus on pastors and spiritual directors. Kristi and her husband are both therapists and authors and I’m delighted to share this conversation on transformation over a lifetime. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As the 2023 Unhurried Living Podcast season begins, I’m pleased to be talking with Jen Pollock Michel about her latest book, In Good Time. As I read it in preparation for today’s conversation, I had so many “Amen” moments. I’m grateful for Jen’s deep-rooted and wise message about unhurried time. Jen Pollock Michel is a writer, speaker, coach, and podcast host. She is the author of five books: A Habit Called Faith, Surprised by Paradox (winner of Christianity Today’s 2020 Award of Merit for Beautiful Orthodoxy), Keeping Place, and Teach Us to Want (winner of Christianity Today’s 2015 Book of the Year).  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Most of us have no idea how others see or process their experiences. And that can make relationships difficult.  Understanding the motivations and dynamics of our different personality types can be the key that unlocks sometimes mystifying behavior in others―and in ourselves.   Suzanne Stabile’s book, The Path Between Us looks at the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships.   Today I’m sharing a portion of my Replenish conversation with Suzanne. We all desire healthier relationships and Suzanne can help point the way. The question I asked Suzanne for this I Can Do That! Podcast episode is this: What is a unique challenge for each Enneagram type in relationships? Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and the Replenish Community.Learn about her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As was typical of a season long ago, there was a pile of little boys in the back of my red minivan. We were driving down the street toward our home when I noticed some unusual dark grey storm clouds in the sky. Behind the clouds was a glowing blue sky, with splashes of pink and gold.It was the beginning of sunset, and, evidently, my then 4-year-old son had never seen a sky exactly like that before.“I never saw today!” he exclaimed as he peered out the van window, reacting to the sky.The wonder in his voice floored me. The only way he could think of to describe this amazing sky which he had never seen before was, “I never saw today!”What did his exclamation do for my mama’s heart? We’ll that’s where we’re headed.I’m Gem Fadling and it’s time for ICDT. Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and the Replenish Community.Learn about her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about

As a part of my living room décor, I have two bowls of rocks. Of course this is lovelier than it sounds. The bowls are glass antiques from my Aunt Ruth’s collection and the rocks are all polished and colorful.But these aren’t just rocks. They represent a bowlful of treasured memories created with my dad. Markers of time spent together.I’m Gem Fadling and it’s time for ICDT.  Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and the Replenish Community.Learn about her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Last week, I shared some of the origin story of my latest book with InterVarsity Press, A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions for Unhurried Living. In this episode, I’m going to share the essence of three of the daily readings from A Year of Slowing Down. I want to give you a feel for the resource. In this episode, I’m going to share the essence of three of the daily readings from A Year of Slowing Down. I want to give you a feel for the resource. So, for Day 29, I wrote about Psalm 33:5, which reads,The Lord loves righteousness and justice;  the earth is full of his unfailing love.If you’re going to learn to slow down to the pace of God’s kingdom, one of the realities you’re going to learn to trust is that the earth is full of God’s unfailing love, and that God loves making things right. He loves to restore attitudes, thinking, and ways of relating and living so they are what he intended. This is the fruit of communing with the God who does everything well. When we align ourselves more closely with God, he

In our book, What Does Your Soul Love?, I shared a few nuggets of wisdom from one of my mentors, Abbot David Geraets. But there’s one nugget I didn’t put into the book, and I’d like to offer it to you today.  A nugget about silence. Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living websiteLearn about her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.