Learning to be Gentle with Yourself

Beginning to be Integrated

What does "identity rooted in Christ" mean? Today we're going to discuss what it means to stay integrated. We are exploring the question: What does it mean when God says that someone has integrity? Staying Integrated requires staying with ourselves on a deeper, soul level.

A Second Glance at Summer: 10 Questions to Reflect While Closing the Summer

Today, we're going to take a second glance at summer, by using these 10 questions that are meant to help you reflect on the season. The reason why I like doing reflections at the end of the season is because what we've learned during summer can really teach us how we want to move forward. I believe very strongly that reflecting is what brings us closer to who we're becoming because it is through the small movements during your every day that you are building the life you are living now. Taking the time to look back on those small movements and the ways they affected you during this season can help you build guideposts in future seasons to live a more integrated life in the presence of God. Three reasons why reflection is an important practice are: * Insight into our experience. * Validation for the things we've just walked through. * Naming the season.

Three Illustrations to Help You Check In with Your Energy

Today we're going to talk about the practice of checking in with our energy. Recently I've realized how important it is to check in with my energy instead of checking my to-do list, my goals, or my expectations. So often, women lose themselves to others because a lot of times we are losing ourselves to the expectation of what we believe we should be doing. Instead of checking in with external circumstances, I'm learning how important it is to check in with my energy. That means: How am I feeling in my body? And: What are my feelings telling me? Let's dive in.

Sharing our Stories

Who were you as a child? What ways did you find joy? Freedom? Peace? What ways do those themes in your life continue through to today? If they don’t, do you long for ways to bring that kind of freedom, joy and peace back? Your story matters. The way you answered the questions above matter. The live you are living, day in and out matters. Finding creative meaning within your story begins by uncovering the narratives you’ve been telling about yourself. Today Amber and I will share a snippet of our stories, and within the narratives we share I hope you hear a little bit of your own story. Even if certain elements of our lives are different from yours, it is important that you hear that your story matters. The life you’ve lived is important to God, and it is important to share. Most importantly, God is listening. He listens when you raise your questions, and He listens when you have no words to say.

Learning to be Gentle with Yourself

Are there voices in your head trying to tell you who you are? Do those voices contribute to the way you interact with the world? Learning to nourish a gentler internal voice is a pivotal step towards self-compassion, which is why this was a clear first topic for Cultivating Wonder. In this episode you'll meet my best friend since seventh grade, Amber Fountain. You'll hear why I invited her to co-host Cultivating Wonder with me and together we will discuss the journey we've been on towards becoming gentler with ourselves.  You'll hear:  * Why you can drop the expectations of achievement and perfection, and instead accept God's hand reaching towards you. * How pivotal therapy has been for both of us. * What ways discovering how your energy works can help you have more self-compassion.