09 Word of the Year Reflection Exercise #1

13 Live Slowly, Find Your Soul Sanctuary with Jodi Grubbs

SHOW NOTES Focus word: Solitude + Presence You want to create and write what you feel called to. But between life's hustle and the quiet presence you can't quite find, you feel like you don't quite belong. Jodi Grubbs knows that feeling. She grew up on the island of Bonaire where life moved at its own unhurried pace — then spent years trying to keep up with a culture that never stops. Then she realized God was inviting her to return to the "island time" of her childhood home, adopting the gentle rhythms and spiritual practices that quieted her soul. Through her book Live Slowly, she invites us into that same unhurried space. In this episode we cover: - The hidden roots of hustle culture — and why they run deeper than a busy schedule - How soul sanctuary became Jodi's most formative creative and spiritual practice - What it looks like to live slowly with open hands when life keeps speeding up - Why your creativity needs stillness more than it needs more time Visit Jodi's website at jodigrubbs.com [http://jodigrubbs.com]. Follower her on Instagram at @Jodi.Grubbs [https://www.instagram.com/jodi.grubbs/] and find Live Slowly wherever books are sold. About the Guest: Jodi H. Grubbs writes and speaks at the intersection of slow living and soul care. She is also a spiritual director who loves coffee and deep conversation. She is the author of a children’s book, The Island Adventures of Lili and Oliver, and coauthor of a Bible study called The Friendship Café. Jodi, her husband, Dean, and their daughter, Lili, live outside Raleigh, North Carolina. CONNECT WITH EMILY: 5-day Creative Slow Start: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart [https://emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart] Welcoming Slow Growth conversations [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] on Substack This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2: Welcoming Slow Growth for Writers and Creatives

SHOW NOTES Welcoming Slow Growth is back for Season 2 — and this season is for the Christian writer or creative who is ready to return to the page or her creative calling. Host Emily Grabatin, author of Dare to Decide and book coach with over twenty years of ministry experience, introduces guests whose words of the year shaped their faith, their writing, and their creative identity. From slow living to joy to transformation, these conversations are for you. Start here — then grab the free five-day journalling experience, My Creative Slow Start, and begin your writing rhythm today. CONNECT WITH EMILY: 5-day journalling experience: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart [https://emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart] Welcoming Slow Growth [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast]conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

12 What 11 Creatives Taught Me About Spiritual Growth

SHOW NOTES If you've been carrying an unwritten message, a story that feels scattered, or a calling that seems stalled, this episode is for you. In the Season 1 finale of Welcoming Slow Growth — a podcast for writers and creatives walking a faith-filled path — book coach Emily Grabatin reflects on what 11 creatives taught her about spiritual growth through one unexpected thread: the word came before the breakthrough. Through stories of chronic illness, homelessness, life's heaviness, and humble faithfulness, you'll discover: - Why your hidden place isn't wasted time — it's where formation happens before the first draft - Why abiding in Christ is a creative practice, not a detour from your calling - How a focus word or word of the year becomes more than a spiritual practice — it becomes the tether you didn't know you'd need - Why your slow pace doesn't disqualify you from the God-given message you carry You are not behind. You are beloved. CONNECT WITH EMILY GRABATIN: Website: emilygrabatin.ca [https://emilygrabatin.ca] The Heart's Calling Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/] Welcoming Slow Growth community [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

11 Linger with God in Your Creative Calling

SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Linger Christian fiction author Melissa Alyse shares how a single word linger refreshed her creative calling. Through her spiritual practice, she learned how important it is to move at God's pace instead of the world's—especially amid the expectations and shoulds of being a new author. A delightful episode for any writer or creative navigating purpose, patience, and spiritual growth. In this episode we cover: - What happens when God strips your plate down to one thing — and why that's not loss - Why spiritual growth for writers doesn't always look like a writing course - The unexpected lesson linger actually taught her (hint: it wasn't about slowing down) - What it really looks like to abide in Christ as a creative - Why your calling is not behind schedule — no matter your detours Guest Melissa Alyse writes grace-filled Christian cozy non-murder mysteries and sweet romance novels. With no formal writing training, she published her first novel in June 2025 and has since released seven books — proof that when God calls you, and you respond, He also equips you. Find her at melissaalyse.com [http://melissaalyse.com]   BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED A Place to Belong [https://www.melissaalyse.com/willow-creek-series] by Melissa Alyse (Book 1 in her series; book 3 includes a character who adopts a word of the year) One Perfect Word [https://debbiemacomber.com/books/one-perfect-word] by Debbie Macomber Scripture References: Romans 12:2 | Colossians 2:2–4 | Colossians 2:6–7 | John 15 CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca [https://emilygrabatin.ca] The Heart's Calling Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/] Welcoming Slow Growth community [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

10 Listen to Your Life: Finding Your Writer's Voice

SHOW NOTES Focus Words: Listen to Your Life What does it look like to write from your best self — not your most pressured, depleted, or comparison-weary one? Writer and educator Bailey Gillespie joins Emily for a conversation that is honest and subtly liberating. Since age fifteen, Bailey has lived with chronic illness and long-term pain — and rather than write around it, she writes from the contemplative space of faith and formation and what it means to walk with God when life is slow and tender (and very much unresolved). If you’ve ever felt behind in your creative calling, weary of shortcuts and screens, or disconnected from the voice that first made you want to write — this episode was made for you. In this episode: - Why your limitations might be the very thing shaping your most authentic voice - How analog journaling quietly restores what digital shortcuts slowly take - What Frederick Buechner’s “listen to your life” quote means as a daily creative and spiritual practice - How restorative rhythms empower you to show up more fully — not less - Why becoming the kind of person who can make great work matters more than the work itself Bailey shares how returning to analog writing practices — pen, notebook, nature — helped her reclaim originality and create from a place of soul care rather than striving. Mentioned in this episode: Frederick Buechner [https://www.frederickbuechner.com] — Presbyterian minister and writer; the origin of the phrase "listen to your life" Andrew Peterson [https://www.andrewpeterson.net] — author and musician; Bailey's entry point into Buechner's work Justin McRoberts [https://www.justinmcroberts.com] — author, podcaster, and creative coach Emily P. Freeman [https://www.emilypfreeman.com] — author and podcaster known for her work on reflection and discernment Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Comedy, Tragedy, and Fairytale [https://bookshop.org] — Frederick Buechner ABOUT THE GUEST: Bailey Gillespie is a writer and educator from Northern California who loves a good road trip to the coast. She writes from the contemplative space of faith and formation and what it means to walk with God when life is slow and tender (and very much unresolved). Website: baileygillespie.com [http://baileygillespie.com]Live Your Life Substack: baileygillespie.substack.com [http://baileygillespie.substack.com] CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca [https://emilygrabatin.ca] The Heart's Calling Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/] Welcoming Slow Growth community [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]