Life can turn upside down in the blink of an eye. You receive a "mayday" phone call or need to offer help to someone experiencing trauma. Now what? Dan Allender provides simple, practical counsel on how to engage those in your world who have recently experienced trauma of some kind, suggestions of what's good to do—and not do—in those moments, and how to lovingly walk alongside them over time.
We live in a culture that demands we react to every issue right now. Answer fast. Beat the buzzer. Get the social media "like". All while we stay on the surface rather than going deep with the person or issue in front of us. But there's a better option. The Holy Spirit is here with us...to guide us. Embracing that truth will radically shift the pace and quality of our decisions. This is an invitation to slow down, stop reacting, and to be okay not knowing all the answers. From there, it's a lot ...
In the past year, our world has been shaken in almost every conceivable manner. We have been shaken as well—with chaos coming agains our dreams, hopes, and hearts in uniquely personal ways. In this conversation, Allen Arnold—Wild at Heart team member and author of the new book Chaos Can't—reveals where chaos comes from and why our usual responses to it fall short. Discover how not to let chaos in as well as God's invitation to fill the empty, void places in your world—and within you—with light, ...
Whether written, visual, oral, or music, stories serve as mini periscopes that reveal the world around us—and within us. The best movies, novels, and television shows are more like smelling salts than sermons, awakening us to the truer version of who we are...and more importantly, who we can be. Discover both the helpful and harmful ways stories shape us...and why that matters far more than most realize.
This week, we head to Hollywood. It's where a lot of stories are brought to life. And where actor, director, and author Nathan Clarkson spends his days. He takes us behind the scenes to discuss the wild world of movies, what it means to be a good man in the midst of it, and how, as an actor, he could more easily lose himself in roles once he found his true identity. God created us with great intentionality. Because of that, we can pursue our creative desires with intention. Doing so makes for th...
We all love a good story. But rarely do we see our lives as a story. In this episode from 2017, Sam and Blaine discuss the DNA of creativity and story with Allen Arnold from the Wild at Heart team. Allen is an author and—in his former life—the publisher of more than 500 novels. Along the way, he's discovered what makes a really good story...and how we can enter into our own story with more passion and purpose once we begin to see it as a journey of discovery.
We wrap our Soul Care series with a look at what we usually try to hide—the state of our soul. Trying to figure out how our soul is doing can feel like an incredibly complicated process. Until you realize the answer is revealed through the story of your life. It's a restoration project that begins with reflection. To get you stated, Sam and Blaine share ways they are pursuing their stories...and souls.
How well do you know yourself? Odds are...not very well if you don't regularly tend to the inner needs of your heart and soul. This pursuit begins with you...but doesn't end there. Because you'll never know anyone else's heart better than you know your own—or treat their hearts with more care than you treat yours. In this podcast that originally aired in 2017, Sam and Blain serve up several unexpected ways to grow in self-knowledge through the lost art of soul care.
We live at a time where everyone strives to be seen, celebrated, and productive. Yet what if being hidden in a world where everyone else fights to be noticed is actually...a gift? Sara Hagerty, the author of Unseen, joins Sam and Blaine to discuss her journey from burn-out to being fully present—and what shifted when she finally slowed down to focus on the unnoticed areas of her life.
Your soul takes plenty of hits each day—and it doesn't just get better on its own. Time alone never heals those kind of wounds. Nor does it automatically happen through outdoor adventures or relaxing with friends. Soul care isn't hard—but it does take intention. In this first of four podcasts on the topic (originally episode 78), Sam and Blaine share some basic practices for slowing down, seeking stillness and restoring one's soul.
We rarely give ourselves permission to go any speed but fast. It feels impossible to downshift to a slower rhythm. Not now. Not with so many expectations. So we push on...only to wonder why we have so little to offer those around us and why our heart feels so numb. In this disruptive yet hopeful podcast, Sam and Blaine show what it looks like to hit pause, create space to breathe, and choose a rhythm that refuels the soul.
In this final serving of our Summer Series, Wild at Heart staffer Jamie Goudie throws you back to Episode 44. This one features an interview with Michael Cusick—counselor, lecturer, and founder of Restoring the Soul, a ministry addressing sexual addiction through deep, whole-hearted restoration. He reframes where our addictions come from and how the unexpected antidote to sexual addictions isn't more shame...but more love.
In this fifth installment of the AndSons Summer Series, Bart Hansen serves up his favorite past episode - #86 with Wookie Jones telling stories about adventure, passion, and risk. Besides having a really cool name, Wookie owns a coffee shop, collects cool motorcycles, is wildly creative, and gets paid to do what he loves by freelancing. By nature, risk is, well, risky—but you can't expect to gain a return on no risk. Wookie doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but he has discovered that a li...
How would you feel if your high-tech smartphone was suddenly just a...phone? No apps. No Siri. No touch screen anything. Just a device to call people. Is your eye starting to twitch at the thought of it? In this installment of the AndSons summer series, Allen from the Wild at Heart team reveals his favorite past AndSons podcast. It's Episode 137 - originally titled No Smartphones for a Month. In an effort to fight the creeping, medicating, overextended presence of our smartphones, several on the...
The focus turns to dating in this third installment of the And Sons Summer Series. Michelle Patterson from the Wild at Heart team chose Episode 85 as her favorite past And Sons podcast. In it, Sam, Blaine, and Luke share stories from their experiences in dating from high school to college to, eventually, marriage. You won't find any pat answers or formulas here - just stories offered to help you interpret the challenges and joys of dating, love, and marriage in fresh ways.
It's summer...and that means outdoor adventure, lots of ice cream, and the And Sons Summer Series. This week, Stacey Burton from the Wild at Heart team shares her favorite past And Sons podcast. Episode 58 - originally titled The Danger of the Self-Arranging Life - is a look at what happens when we believe it's up to make life work. We need to care for our joy and our hearts, but the self-arranging life isn't soul care. It's a trap that can lead to isolation, obsession, and striving.
Welcome to the AndSons Summer Series. To mix things up (and to give them some vacation time), Sam and Blaine invited six of the Wild at Heart team to select and introduce their favorite past AndSons podcasts. First up to bat is Jon Dale - and he chose episode 73 featuring Dr. Randy James from True Life Medicine in Colorado. Dr. James redefines what being well - and what being sick - really means. In the process, he reveals how our culture and Western medicine have confused us about the best ways...
Many of today's emerging social, political, and spiritual movements aren't actually new. Earlier iterations can be found throughout history. Sam and Blaine highlight some specific centuries-old forces expressing themselves in new ways, including: 1) Materialist vs. Supernatural and 2) Nationalism vs. Globalism. In describing these movements, they reveal how - without God - either side of a force will inevitably turn toxic or destructive.
Why can't most days be easier? We expect the occasional big storms that come. But it's the slow grind of the daily hard that wears on us most over time. Yesterday's leaky pipe. Today's flat tire. Tomorrow's unexpected bill. All men face this low-level thwarting by the enemy. Unfortunately, difficulty alone doesn't guarantee growth. Here are some new ways to interpret your hard days.
Being the dad of a girl is a radically different experience than fathering a boy. Yes, every child has their own personality. But a boy and girl also provoke the heart of a father in uniquely specific ways. Sam and Blaine share stories of being dads to their sons and daughters - as well as what this season is revealing about them as men, husbands, and fathers. It's the beautifully messy, always new, never dull adventure of being a dad.
Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In this timely and timeless conversation, he addresses the topic of racial justice and reconciliation through the unique lens of the gospel. He calls it Civil Righteousness and it involves four key pillars: 1) Engaging Justice, 2) Restoring Communities, 3) Mobilizing Allies, and 4) Building Bridges. Di...
We live in a polarizing time of stark opposites. The result is growing tension fueled by an odd swirling of opposition, offense, anger, and withdrawal. Sam and Blaine process what's going on behind the scenes - drawing on research and examples of why we believe certain things, how we process new information, and why true change is both more valuable and complex than we imagine.
161 I Dan Allender: Forgiveness is Freeing Dan Allender believes forgiveness must be at the forefront of our actions - especially in these fragmented times. Rather than take offense, we're invited to create peace. Doing so is a necessity and a privilege that allows the love of God to heal a world filled with hate. When we stop trying to contain, control, or manage life and others, we can start participating in the kind of reconciliation that allows us to experience union and communion with other...
A few reminders. The gospel transcends every human identity and tells you a few important things about the world. Like, the fact that the human heart is fallen. It’s the original problem. It is the well from which all injustice and violence pours. And there’s Satan, God’s sworn enemy, who stokes human sin. But, thanks to the work of Jesus, we have a new heart. We have power over Satan and his kingdom. We offer the restoration of all things in real time into the world. This conversation between t...
We often settle for a simple physical explanation when we're feeling down or off. So when a throbbing headache keeps you from an event of great joy, you assume it must be because you recently cut down on caffeine. Yet these simplistic diagnoses fail to account for the fact that we are beings of body, soul, and spirit - and every move in the direction of greater life will be opposed. Here are tools to better diagnose what's really going on when you sense things aren't right.
The immaterial practices that fill our days (like those endless Zoom meetings) may be productive but they don't anchor us. Numerous studies show we need regular contact with the real. When we disconnect from the physical, we do our bodies and souls great harm. Something powerful happens when we go out for a run, walk barefoot in the grass, or spend time tending our garden. It turns out, we need dirt...literally. Sam and Blaine explore why our body, mind, and soul thrives on tactile connection to...
Why is the decision to see a therapist the last resort for most of us? Sam and Blaine demystify the process by interviewing therapist Stacia Littlefield. She helps people navigate the terrain of their hearts to care for their inner places. In this conversation, Stacia sheds light on how the process works and why it leads to breakthrough. Because it's true - we all need a good therapist every now and then.
Our words hold immense power. We understand that on a relational level. But spiritually, far more is at play. Throughout scripture, God reveals how your words, thoughts, and actions can either bless or curse your health, home, and work. And it's not just what you speak or think. We receive the blessing and cursing of others, too. This conversation shines light on why words matter even more than we realize.
Our experience with alcohol varies wildly from person to person. For some, it's an occasional beer or celebratory toast. For others, it ranges from a source of relief to a secret addiction they can't break. Annie Grace, author of The Alcohol Experiment and This Naked Mind, reveals why we reach for what we reach for. She's helped countless people rethink their relationship with alcohol by replacing feelings of shame and guilt with motives of curiosity and joy.
These strange times provide countless opportunities to talk with others about the Kingdom, but religious language gets in the way. Here's a simple way forward: rather than talking about Jesus from some memorized script, just talk about your heart. Why? Because Jesus isn't abstract; he's revealed in the concrete territory of your daily life. Then, ask what these times are stirring in the person you're talking with. To hear what this sounds like, listen in on six conversations with friends sharing...
