Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, major depressive disorder (or MDD) is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44. MDD affects about 16.1 million adults each year. And think about all of those who remain undiagnosed. Then add to that the increased anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19. Many of us have likely struggled with a form of depression over the last year. And, certainly, most of us know someone who struggles. How do we cope? Drawing on her own experience with depression, Diana Gruver, author of Companions in the Darkness, looks back into church history and finds depression in the lives of some of our most beloved saints, including Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Diana tells their stories in fresh ways and offers practical wisdom both for those in the darkness and those who care for them. Diana Gruver writes about discipleship and spiritual formation in the every day. She holds a M.A. in Spiritual Formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and currently serves as the Communications Director for Vere Institute. She lives in south-central Pennsylvania, with her husband and daugther.Learn more from Diana on social at:Facebook @diana.stottlemyerTwitter @dianagruver  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Most of you in our listening community are people who pray. Or at least people who have prayed. You may be grateful for the opportunity to come  into the presence of God. Your prayer may feel fruitful and life-giving.   Or, you may have become disillusioned when it comes to praying. You might feel like you’ve come to pray but God didn’t seem to come to listen or respond. It’s not an uncommon experience. But, in the end, you probably still want to be a person who lives in the presence of God—a person who prays. Today, I’m talking with my friend, Kyle Strobel, about a new book that he and John Coe have written called Where Prayer Becomes Real. We’ll talk about our experience of prayer and how we might enjoy the reality of God’s presence. That’s the focus of today’s episode of the Unhurried Living podcast. Kyle Strobel is the assistant professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and is the author of Formed for the Glory of God (IVP, 2013) and co-author of Beloved Dust (Thomas Nelson, 2014). Kyle can be found at KyleStrobel.com or on Twitter.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Burnout. This a most unwelcome word. And an even less welcome dynamic. But our guest today, Bethany Hiser, found herself smack in the middle of it. A social worker, jail chaplain and justice advocate, Bethany was in need of the very soul care she was providing to others. We’ll engage her story today. Bethany Dearborn Hiser is the director of soul care for Northwest Family Life, a network of therapists trained to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma. As a bilingual social worker, chaplain, and pastoral advocate, Hiser has worked in a variety of ministry and social service settings with people affected by addiction, sexual exploitation, incarceration, and immigration. Whether you're a social worker, therapist, pastor, teacher, or healthcare professional, From Burned Out to Beloved will equip you to confess your limitations, embrace your identity as a beloved child of God, and flourish in your vocation. Connect with Bethany and her work on social:Facebook @traumainformedsoulcareInstagram @bethanydhiserTwitter @bethanydhiser   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When it comes to talking about and understanding our life with God, I’ve long loved the image of a journey as a way of talking about it. Our life of faith isn’t merely a static set of beliefs to defend or argue about. It isn’t just being part of the right association. It is a way of life in which each of us grows, learns and develops. It is a life in which we deepen in trust, broaden in love, strengthen in hope. I recently enjoyed a conversation with a good friend of ours, Bill Gaultiere, about a new book he and his wife, Kristi, have written called Journey of the Soul. We’ve been grateful for their presence in our lives for some time now. In their new book, they share insights into the shape that our journey of growth in Christ might take. Before we go there, let me tell you a bit more about Bill. He is a psychologist and a spiritual director. By the age of 30 he had published three books with mainline Christian publishers and sold over 40,000 copies. But then God led him into a 20 year hiatus from publishing in order to better love Christ, his wife and three children, and everyone in his circle of influence. It was a longer journey than he’d expected. Bill and Kristi have their doctorates in psychology and are the founders of Soul Shepherding, Inc., a nonprofit ministry that cultivates intimacy with Jesus for pastors and other servant leaders. Learn more and connect with Bill on social:Facebook @soulshepherdingInstagram @soulshepherdingTwitter @SoulShepherdingYoutube @billgaultierePodcasts @soultalks Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Along the way, God uses our life experiences to form us and to help us lead from an authentic and healthy place. The power of God’s presence is not just for your benefit but also for all in your sphere of influence. Today, I’m talking with Ebony Small, a younger leader who serves as a pastor and a mentor. Ebony has a wealth of experience in both churches and organizations. She's got practical and biblical wisdom to offer whether you are just starting or are looking for a fresh start in your life and leadership. Ebony is vice president of global ministries at PULSE Movement, a ministry committed to awaken culture to the reality of Jesus. She was formerly the director of Movement Day Expressions at MOVEMENT.ORG, where she was dedicated to catalyzing leaders to affect cities across the globe. She was selected to attend the Lausanne Younger Leaders gathering in 2016. Ebony also serves as an associate pastor at Bethel Gospel Assembly in New York City. If you are a younger leader or you’ve got younger leaders on your team, I hope you’ll encourage them to tune in and listen with you to Ebony’s encouragement and inspiration.Bethany would love to connect with you on social at:Instagram @bethanyssmallFacebook @ebonysmallauthorTwitter @EbonySmallYoutube @ebonyssmall  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We continue to find ourselves in unsettling times, don’t we? I’m sure I don’t need to unpack that any further for you, right? Many of us have struggled with what prayer looks like in this season when things are happening we never asked for. How do we pray when life feels more like a threatening night than a bright and dawning day?It was good to have a chance to speak recently with Tish Harrison Warren about her new book, releasing tomorrow in fact, called Prayer in the Night. Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, which was Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year. She has worked in ministry settings for over a decade as a campus minister with InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries, as an associate rector, with addicts and those in poverty through various churches and non-profit organizations, and, most recently, as the writer in-residence at Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a monthly columnist with Christianity Today, and her articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Comment Magazine, The Point Magazine, and elsewhere. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. Connect with Tish on social at:Instagram @tishharrisonwarrenFacebook @tish.h.warrenTwitter @Tish_H_Warren Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

My guest today is Nikole Lim and she’s written a book entitled, Liberation is Here. Nikole weaves together a narrative of God’s grace and healing amid fear and trauma. Her journey proves that liberation is not just near, but it is here―in the eyes of the broken, the hearts of the oppressed, and the untold stories of our global community. Because of today’s subject matter, I want to extend a trigger warning for those of you who have or are experiencing capital T trauma right now. Nikole’s book is, of course, empowering, and yet it is full of raw stories and our conversation may be too much for some of you. So please take care of yourself in this regard. As I introduce our guest today I want to share this from the book’s description: As a freelance filmmaker, Nikole Lim's career allowed her to step in and out of the lives of marginalized people around the world. But when confronted with the prevalence of sexual violence in Kenyan and Zambian communities, she commits to advocating alongside the courageous survivors whose lives have intersected with hers. These women's powerful stories inspire her to embark on a new vocation, partnering with survivors of sexual violence to launch a nonprofit organization that equips women to lead through the rewritten stories of their lives. But as Lim seeks to help her friends experience healing and liberation, her perspective is altered. Spiritually depleted, she finds herself ministered to by the women she came to serve―the once oppressed become her liberators.Nikole Lim is a speaker, educator, and consultant on leveraging dignity through the restorative art of storytelling. She is the founder and international director of Freely In Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping survivors and advocates to lead in ending sexual violence through their rewritten stories. Nikole graduated with a degree in film production from Loyola Marymount University and is currently pursuing a masters in global leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.Find her on social at:Instagram @NikoleLimFacebook @nikolelimTwitter @nikole_lim Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Creation is a living masterpiece of God. It is full of life, beauty and vitality. And maybe one of God’s greatest creative expressions is a tree. They are the longest-lived of God’s creations. They are the lungs of the planet. They are a wonderous reminder that the good God does develops over decades, even centuries. Trees remind us of God’s unhurried way. Recently, Gem and I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Matthew Sleeth about his book Reforesting Faith. In it, he shares his own journey of discovering the importance of trees for our world and for God’s creation.  As a former emergency room physician, Dr. Matthew Sleeth felt like he was straightening deck chairs on the Titanic saving a patient at a time while the whole ship (Earth) was going down. Together with his wife and two children, he began to bring his lifestyle in line with his values, cutting back on their fossil fuel by two thirds and electricity use by nine tenths.  Following a new calling, Dr. Sleeth resigned from his position as chief of the medical staff and director of the ER to teach, preach, and write about faith and the environment throughout the country. Dr. Sleeth is a graduate of George Washington University School of Medicine and has two post-doctoral fellowships.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, we are going to talk about easing into the new year with gentleness and grace. This is much needed after making it through 2020. What does 2021 hold for us? We don’t know what circumstances will arise, but, as always, we have a choice about what we think and how we act within every situation. So, let’s lean into some gentleness and grace.For all of the complaining we can do (and rightfully so) about social media, I have met some genuine, lovely, heart-forward women on Instagram. Like anything else in life, you get out what you put in. And I’ve been collecting the goodness of these women over the last few years. Kathryn Carrington is one of these women. She is a holy yoga instructor and I have loved her posts and her sweet nature. She and her husband have a similar calling in that they long to encourage Christian leaders. They are working toward having a retreat center some day, dedicated to this purpose. Kathryn has been practicing yoga for seven years and has attained over 500 hours of world class yoga training. Her passion for movement and art began at an early age with dance, voice, music and art lessons. She continues to practice, create and live out of the radical freedom she’s been given through her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Kathryn believes that every breath is Holy and encourages her students to practice the ongoing flow of worship and devotion on and off their mat.Connect with Kathryn on social at:Facebook @kathryn.carrington.3Instagram @kathryncarringtonyoga Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This episode is airing on the last Monday of 2020. I know that many can’t wait to put this year behind us and hope for a better 2021. But just as true as it is that 2020 was a hard year full of troubles, it was also a year in which God was doing very good work in his people and through his people. It is a gift to turn back and look for evidences of God’s measureless grace at work, especially in the midst of a very hard season. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.