Unhurried Living

You may have heard me announce here that we now take the month of July each year as a mini sabbatical. I engage no work, no work-related email, and no social media. It is a much-needed way of disengaging that allows body and soul to rest at a deeper level.  One benefit of extended time like that is that I can get in touch with ideas, longings, dynamics and desires that typically stay buried underneath the flurry of activity in my day-to-day life. I’d like to share with you one such “get-in-touch” moment from my time away. Let's dig in to the problem with discontent.______________________________________________________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.

A while back I had a conversation with a group of leaders. We were talking about spiritual practices and the need for refreshment and refilling. (As you can imagine, I talk about this a lot). One of the people mentioned that this was all fine and good but what about REAL life. I’ve heard this comment many times before, and I typically leave it alone. But more recently I’ve begun to pause the conversation (whether with an individual or a small group) to take a closer look at what “real” means.  ______________________________________________________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.

Growing up on our small six-acre farm in Washington was wonderful. As a child, I enjoyed many hours and days of leisure. This was back in the day before the information age. One phone connected to a wall and five channels on the TV (and I was the remote control). I had a pogo stick, a skateboard, a bike and a horse. What else could you need? One of my favorite memories was rolling down a small hill in our front yard. It was probably only a four-foot incline, but for a young one like me it was a delight. I spent hours lying in the grass, watching butterflies and bees, looking up at tall pine branches hanging overhead, or simply watching the sky.  Today we’re going to think about enjoying the little, and sometimes unexpected, aspects of life. ______________________________________________________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.

Today I’m sharing a timely replay from the Unhurried Living Podcast. I interviewed K.J. Ramsey on her book This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers. The entire episode will play, including an introduction of K.J., so for now, I’ll leave you with this. You are not alone in your suffering and K.J. is an expert on this, having suffered physically for years. Listen and take heart.K.J. Ramsey is a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and author whose work offers space to see every part of our souls and stories as sacred. She holds degrees from Covenant College and Denver Seminary and is the author of This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers and The Lord is My Courage: Stepping Through the Shadows of Fear Toward the Voice of Love. ______________________________________________________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.

I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend with my friend, teacher and leader, Jodie Niznik. We talked about fruitfulness inspired by God, as compared to productivity inspired by me…which can sometimes lead to over-giving. We often think we need to accomplish things by direct action. But fruitfulness works a little differently. Jodie and I dig into that and I trust you’ll find some nuggets to tuck away as well as some new action steps.Jodie Niznik, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, helps people create space for God in their lives through her Scripture meditation podcast entitled "So Much More", and equips them to take another step with Jesus through her Real People, Real Faith Bible studies and teaching. She served in pastoral ministry for over twelve years. Her calling and passion is to equip people to create space for God in their lives and take another step in their journey with Jesus. Jodie is married to Tim. They have two adult daughters and a very poorly trained Yorkie-poo. You can connect with her at jodieniznik.com and on Instagram. ______________________________________________________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.

I’ve shared that one of the unexpected unhurriers of my life has been suffering. And much of that suffering has been more a suffering of soul than physical suffering. Anxiety and depression have too often been familiar companions throughout my life.  For that reason, I’m glad to have a chance to speak with Alan Noble about his recently released book, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden & Gift of Living. In it, he shares his own journey with inner suffering like anxiety and depression, and he offers us a vision of how we might discover the grace of God right in the middle of all that. I’m hopeful you’ll find grace for the hard places in your own soul’s journey.  Alan Noble (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, cofounder and editor in chief of Christ and Pop Culture, and an advisor for the AND Campaign. He has written for the Atlantic, Vox, BuzzFeed, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and First Things. He is also the author of Disruptive Witness and You Are Not Your Own. __________________________________________________________Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jo Saxton wrote her book, Ready to Rise to encourage women to step into their God-given calling to influence and leadership. She states, “If there was ever a time to uncover our potential and voices—it’s now. Now is the time to boldly and authentically represent God’s goodness in the world, living as channels for His transformative change and power.”  She is an author, speaker, podcast host, and leadership coach. She has dedicated her career to growing leadership teams around the world and empowering women to find their purpose in their personal lives and in leadership. Born in London to parents who immigrated from Nigeria, Jo credits her family’s unrelenting work ethic to the bold, tenacious approach she takes to sharing her wisdom on identity, influence, and living an authentic life. She is characterized by her effervescent honesty and warm approachability, leaving audiences with practical next steps in areas that are usually a bit ambiguous. ___________________________Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, we’ll be addressing a critical issue for Christian leaders, especially over the last few years. We’re talking about burnout. In my own coaching work with leaders, individually and in groups, I’ve perhaps never seen the level of burnout that I’m witnessing these days.  That’s why I’m glad to be talking with Sean Nemecek about his new book, The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout. You’re going to find this helpful, whether you find yourself at that level of depletion or not.  Sean Nemecek is the West Michigan Regional Director for Pastor-in-Residence Ministries and a co-host of the Hope Renewed podcast. Sean is a third generation pastor. He served as a pastor for 18 years before joining PIR. Now, Sean coaches pastors through ministry issues, conflict, forced exit, transitions, and burnout. He also consults with churches and leadership on sabbatical planning, work culture, and pastoral support. His blog, The Pastor’s Soul (pastorsoul.com), teaches churches and pastors how to invest in the pastor’s joy for the good of the church. Sean has been married to Amy for over 25 years. Connect with Sean on Instagram or LinkedInConnect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We’re living in a time when Christian leaders have perhaps never been more in danger of fatigue, exhaustion, even burnout. Earlier this year, I hit my forty-year anniversary in vocational ministry in church or nonprofit settings. The problem of burnout seems at its greatest level in my memory.   But there is a spiritual practice that has been both a preventative and a remedy for burnout in my own spiritual experience. It is the practice of spiritual retreat. I’m looking forward to sharing more about this practice. I’ve talked about this practice often, but I’d like to take a deeper dive into my experience of it.   I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with spiritual retreat as a strategic leadership rhythm.   You can follow Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about him and the Unhurried Living programs at the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It’s been almost thirty-four years ago that a mentor of mine reintroduced me to a passage that would become central to my understanding of the Christian life and ministry. I’m talking about John 15, where Jesus calls himself the true vine and invites us, as the branches, to make ourselves at home in him. There are so many words and phrases in that passage that God has used as spiritual guidance in a lot of different seasons of my life.  That’s why I’m glad to talk to Kyle Idleman about his new book When Your Way Isn’t Working. The whole of the book is a creative, thoughtful and very practical reflection on the wisdom of this gospel passage. Apart from Jesus, we can live very busy lives, but we won’t live very fruitful ones.  Our guest ,Kyle Idleman, is a senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church, one of the largest churches in America, and a bestselling author of several books including One at a Time, Gods at War, and End of Me. Not A Fan, his award-winning book, sold over 1.3 million copies and sparked a movement among believers. Connect with Kyle on Instagram.Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about the programs of Unhurried Living on their website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.