Walking The Labyrinth: A Contemplative Spiritual Tool

Walking The Labyrinth: A Contemplative Spiritual Tool

A labyrinth looks like a simple pathway in the grass, on concrete or made of stones or bricks. But the experience of walking a labyrinth can be anything but simple. I share how walking a labyrinth has become a deeply grounding spiritual practice for me, especially when it comes to communing with God and receiving clarity on a question I have or something I'm unsure about.  There is something uniquely steadying about moving through the turns toward the center, pausing to listen, and then walking the same path back out with whatever insight, comfort, or next step I receive! It truly is magical and transformative! I also share about the practical side of labyrinth meditation and contemplative prayer. If you do not have an outdoor labyrinth nearby, if the ground is uneven, or if walking long distances is not accessible, a hand labyrinth can offer the same inward journey in a small, tangible form. I describe handheld labyrinths made from wood, clay, or paper, and how you can even print one out at home. I share my enthusiasm about making clay hand labyrinths for a local contemplative spiritual retreat, so people can participate in the practice even without a full-size labyrinth to walk. Along the way, I point to simple ways to find labyrinths in your area, including a labyrinth locator, and I offer a gentle encouragement: treat the path as a tool for spiritual listening, not a performance. As always, this podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes and is not a substitute for therapy or professional help. If this resonates, subscribe wherever you listen, share it with a spiritual seeker in your life, and leave a review so more people can find the show. If you want to stay connected, join the email newsletter at WelcomingGod.com [https://sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] for a free ebook companion to season one and info on upcoming retreats for women moving through the menopausal journey. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Welcoming God. Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/music/] Want to order your own hand-held clay labyrinth? Contact me at WelcomingGod.com [https://sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] by scrolling to the bottom of the page and sending me an email at the "Get In Touch" section! I can make laybrinths for individuals or for a group. Labyrinth Locator [https://labyrinthlocator.org/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453610/support]

Unconditional Love And Self-Worth For Spiritual Seekers

Your worth is not a prize for good behavior. Your worth and value, as a human being, are "inherent in your beingness," as Feminine Power would say. It can't be earned or taken away. It just is. To close out the season, I share what I’m still learning about self-love, inherent value, and the unconditional love of God. I talk about the ongoing work of honoring our worth and value even when we don't know we can believe it. The fact that our worth and value are inherent in us can be an anchor for spiritual seekers who feel tired of striving. I also name the harder edge of faith: suffering. Trauma, loss, and fear don’t make the idea of unconditional love easy. I don’t offer a neat answer for why painful things happen, because I don’t have one. What I can offer is companionship in the mystery, a reminder that being human is a kind of “guest house,” and encouragement to keep talking to God anyway, especially when life knocks hard. A film called Ordinary Angels sparks a practical challenge: what if God’s goodness shows up through us as inspired action from God, in ordinary choices, ordinary courage, and ordinary care? If we keep waiting for someone else to do it, we’ll keep waiting. I share how I’m learning to see my own and others healing, kindness, and right action as the place where God's goodness becomes real. If you want to stay connected, join the email newsletter at WelcomingGod.com [https://sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] for a free ebook companion to season one and info on upcoming retreats for women moving through the menopausal journey. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Welcoming God. Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/music/] Feminine Power Programs. [https://womancenteredcoaching.com/courses] Rumi's poem, The Guesthouse. [https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/guest-house/] Ordinary Angels, the movie. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4996328/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453610/support]

From Embarrassment To Accepting The Christ Light Within

I used to feel embarrassed even saying the name "Jesus". And today, I’m sharing something deeply personal: what it’s like when a lifetime of resistance finally loosens and a real spiritual awakening begins to take root. Not a perfect conversion story, not a tidy explanation, just an honest awakening of welcoming Jesus Christ into my heart. We explore the difference between repeating spiritual words and living them. For years I tried to let God and Jesus into my heart and nothing changed, until a series of events early this year helped me open to receiving It. That becomes the thread of the whole conversation: the Christ light and love isn’t something I manufacture through effort, I think it’s a God presence that has always been here, waiting for my consent!  If you’re navigating faith deconstruction, returning to Christianity, or simply craving a more personal relationship with Jesus, this reflection offers language for that in-between place you may be in. I also talk about the long path that leads to these moments: seeking, reading, visiting different churches, learning from teachers, and staying committed to the questions. And because spiritual growth isn’t just “thinking better,” we get into inner healing support like therapy, spiritual direction, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts work. We end with discernment: asking for guidance, noticing how help shows up, learning when to act, and learning when to pause. If this resonates, subscribe wherever you listen, share the episode with a spiritual seeker in your life, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What does “welcoming God” look like for you right now? Visit WelcomingGod.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/music/] Internal Family Systems info. [https://ifs-institute.com/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453610/support]

Celebrating Lent: What If Spring Is A Map For Resurrection?

Lent has a way of showing us what we spend the rest of the year avoiding. My name is Sarah Haykel, and in Welcoming God I share a candid reflection on celebrating Lent with real intention for the first time.  If you’re a spiritual seeker who wants a grounded, honest take on Christian spirituality, this one is for you. Quick note: I sometimes use swear words, and we may touch on adult content! I talk about a simple practice that helped me stay connected to Lent: daily Lenten readings. From there, I explore why Lent can feel so confronting. It asks us to look at ourselves, repair relationships, seek forgiveness, make amends, and let go of habits that keep us stuck. I also rethink the idea of fasting. Instead of only giving up sweets or alcohol, what if we abstained from judgment, critical self talk, or the patterns that cause disfunction in our lives? My own Lenten commitment is abstaining from second guessing myself, which becomes a practice of trust in God and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit. I share journaling prompts you can use, then name the hardest piece for me: facing the reality of what happened to Jesus. Finally, I hold up spring as a living metaphor for the Easter season, a reminder that life pushes through cold soil toward light, and we can too. If this resonates, subscribe to Welcoming God, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What are you being invited to confront and move through? Visit WelcomingGod.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/music/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453610/support]

From Force-Fed Religion To Belonging By Welcoming The Whole Season

Love this AI description, so I'm using it!  I've edited a bit, but enjoy it's take on this fourth and final episode of Season 4 of Welcoming God. Some moments are revelatory. Walking into church decked in Christmas lights, I felt overcome with joy—and then a sudden inner tension, the old fear that joy requires certainty, rose up immediately after. That crack revealed a tender truth: many of us were taught that belonging depends on perfect belief, and our bodies still brace at the holidays as if doubt disqualifies us from the feast! We walk through that tension with care as I trace the child part that heard faith as force-fed and the present day adult me who still longs to belong choose to reframe celebration as an act of welcome rather than a test. We widen the lens to include the nativity story, the cultural warmth of Christmas, and the cosmic rhythm of the winter solstice—the return of the light that gives everyone a way in. Instead of passing a theology exam, we practice curiosity: let the manger be beautiful even if you’re unsure of every detail, let candles and cookies sit beside carols and quiet prayers, and let nature’s turning seasons preach their own kind of gospel. At the heart of this finale is a simple claim: inclusion is not a loophole, it’s the point. Drawing on Jesus’s open table, I invite you to show up as you are—full believer, partial believer, curious skeptic, or somewhere unnamed—and to welcome every part of yourself to the celebration. We explore practical steps for sensing the body’s “brake pedal,” making room for mixed feelings, and receiving the season’s gifts without pretending. The blessing stretches across hemispheres and traditions: may the growing light carry us into a year with more joy, less suffering, and a deeper sense of home. If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs permission to belong before they believe.  Visit WelcomingGod.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/welcoming-god/] to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com [https://www.sarahhaykel.com/music/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453610/support]