Have you ever had someone in your church or circle of friends become sick, maybe even have to stay in the hospital? And maybe you wanted to visit them, or you felt God nudging you to visit them, but… you just weren’t sure? Maybe you didn’t know what to say. Or maybe you felt uncomfortable in a hospital setting. Or maybe you even thought the person was going to die and you didn’t know how to approach them. I totally get this. I often feel like I’m interrupting others and I usually don’t have a lo...
Jul 18, 2023•9 min•Ep. 124
I don’t know about you, but I love to hear about how others journal: what journaling methods they use, if they like to write by hand or type, the materials they use, and the rhythms and practices they have put in place. Because journaling is such a personal thing. What works for one person may not work for another. And really, what works for one person at one point in time may not work for them a few months down the road. The truth is, journaling goes through seasons of its own, doesn’t it? Toda...
Jul 11, 2023•32 min•Ep. 123
Anxiety can impact us in a deep way, especially when it revolves around something incredibly important to us, like when someone we love is hurting, or when we are going through a trial of our own. And in some cases, anxiety becomes more severe. We can’t shake the worries and fears, and it actually begins to interfere with daily living. · We stop driving because we’re worried about having an accident. · We stop going to church or events or programs because we’re uneasy around groups of people. · ...
Jul 04, 2023•15 min•Ep. 122
How much sleep do you normally get? What happened to you when you didn’t get enough sleep? Did you ever stay up all night? Which part of you was most impacted by lack of sleep: physical, mental, or emotional? I remember a stretch of time when sleep was frequently interrupted. Both kids were getting up for various reasons, whether to use the bathroom or nightmares or what have you. And I was getting woken up every 2-3 hours. And it’s hard, isn’t it? If you are the parent of a newborn or taking ca...
Jun 27, 2023•14 min•Ep. 121
This year, I am doing a monthly episode where I share a book recommendation with you, because I love to read, and I bet you do, too! This month, it’s Invitation to Retreat , by Ruth Haley Barton. And it fits in perfectly with some of our topics this summer as we take a closer look at spiritual practices that help us stay close to God, even when life is hard or heavy. Just a couple of weeks ago, we talked a little bit about journaling—specifically, how to journal in front of others. And next week...
Jun 20, 2023•10 min•Ep. 120
Have you or a loved one ever been plagued with physical symptoms that seemed to have no rhyme or reason? Ever have to go through a myriad of medical tests, waiting to see what was wrong with your body? Ever have to change the way you ate or moved or worked to accommodate a physical ailment of some sort? This week, I want to share a conversation I had with Lauren Cunningham. Lauren was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease right as she was getting ready to start college. Her journey led her through mult...
Jun 13, 2023•37 min•Ep. 119
Imagine this... You've settled in your favorite chair, blanket wrapped over your lap, as you pull out your notebook and pen. You've been looking forward to journaling about some things that have been stirring in your heart lately. Taking a deep breath, you open the cover and find the right page. Your pen is posed to start writing. And then your husband walks in. He hasn't seen you all day and wants to hear about what you've been doing. Or your littles climb over the arm of the chair to sit with ...
Jun 06, 2023•6 min•Ep. 118
One of the best practices we can have through the summer to care for our own soul is to read God’s Word. This is especially true if we are caring for others around us who might be hurting or going through difficult seasons. If want to know God, if we want to experience Him, if we want to know His heart and desires for us, if we want wisdom as we make decisions for ourselves and our families and our churches, then reading the Bible is really the best way for us to do that. Because it so plainly t...
May 30, 2023•17 min•Ep. 117
Imagine that one of your best friends is going through an incredibly difficult time. Maybe she even ends up in the hospital, and her children are all at home missing her like crazy, and she is struggling to be away from them, and her husband is trying to hold it all together. There are a lot of tests your friend has to go through. Some painful. She’s scared. Her family is scared. You’re scared. How do you respond? If you’re on the more introverted side of the scale, chances are, you might recoil...
May 23, 2023•11 min•Ep. 116
This week, I want to share with you about something that is dear to my heart, and that is the ministry of intercession. In essence, praying for others, especially when they are hurting. I call these prayers “standing between” prayers, because essentially, you are standing in the space between that person and the enemy or the hurt, and you are lifting them up before God, asking Him to act on their behalf. Let’s explore why intercession is such a vital ministry for us today. Kari RELATED EPISODES:...
May 16, 2023•11 min•Ep. 115
“Think… of the last time you were with people. In whatever situation you pictured, half or more of the people around you were likely introverts—even if it didn’t seem like it. Now imagine with me a world in which 100 percent of people, introverts and extroverts, dare to be who they are. What if we all understood how we’re wired, intentionally used our strengths to serve the greater good, and thrived for a lifetime? Imagine what it would be like for you to live more like that every day.” (Holley ...
May 09, 2023•9 min•Ep. 114
I don’t know about you, but I look around me and I see changes everywhere. Either changes that have been happening over the past several months, or changes about to happen in the coming weeks. I see loved ones walking through loss or hardship, or desperately seeking an answer to something that feels incredibly overwhelming and out of their control. And it reminded me of a story from the life of the prophet Elisha. It's told in the early chapters of 2 Kings. I think it really speaks to these mome...
May 02, 2023•10 min•Ep. 113
I’m wondering if you have a family member in your life—a parent, a son or daughter, a brother or sister—who doesn’t know Christ. If so, then you probably know the heaviness and grief that can bring to your spirit. You wonder how you can witness to them. You pray for their salvation. You try to find ways to love them and show them you care. But ultimately, you cannot make them accept Christ. And that’s hard. This week, I want to let you listen in to a conversation I had with a friend of mine. Her...
Apr 25, 2023•47 min•Ep. 112
Today is the day! I am going to share with you what happened during the break in the podcast and how God encouraged me during that time. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just go back a couple of episodes to episode 109 and you’ll hear more about how God invited me to pause the podcast for the last month of Lent so that I could spend that time with Him in silence. I share how it all came about and some of the obstacles and objections that kind of stood in my way. But today, I wanted to ...
Apr 18, 2023•13 min•Ep. 111
Stop with me for a moment and consider how many decisions you make every single day. What clothes to wear.What to eat for breakfast. For lunch. For supper.How to spend your time at work.What gets cleaned that day at home.What time to go to the grocery store, how to get there, and which items to buy and which ones to pass on.Whether to answer that phone call, or that text message, or that email.And if to answer, what to say in response.Whether to let the kids work out their argument on their own ...
Apr 11, 2023•10 min•Ep. 110
So today, I’m supposed to be sharing with you my book recommendation for the month of March. But apparently God has some other plans. Listen in to find out what’s going on. Kari BIBLE VERSES + RESOURCES: · Episode 92 : Practicing the Holy Hush Instead of the Holiday Hustle: Intentionally Inviting Moments of Deep Silence · Episode 94 : Entering the Silence and Stillness with God: A Conversation with Blogger and Writer Celia Miller · Episode 103 : 6 Strategies to Manage Overwhelm, Stress, and Chan...
Mar 14, 2023•10 min•Ep. 109
I’m wondering if you are doing something that is really, really hard right now. Maybe you are raising little ones. Maybe you are caring for an aging parent. Maybe you have a friend who is in a season of grief. Maybe you are working extra hours to pay off debt. Maybe you are getting a degree or certification in your so-called free time. Maybe you are leading a small group or Bible study or ministry. There are times when I get so incredibly discouraged, and maybe you do, too, because you are striv...
Mar 07, 2023•8 min•Ep. 108
God designed us each so differently. And we want to use those characteristics to love others well, right? But what I’ve experienced, and maybe you have, too, is that it is so easy for us to get this idea in our heads that we don’t fit the right mold. I’m not outgoing. I don’t know what to say. I’m not like so-and-so… she always knows what to do. I don’t really know her that well, so how can I try to comfort her? What if what I say comes out wrong and hurts her? People think I’m so detached; how ...
Feb 28, 2023•9 min•Ep. 107
If you are an introvert, you have probably found yourself questioning why God designed you that way and how you can possibly do what He has called you to do. You’re not outgoing. You’re not fond of being in front of others. Maybe you don’t like small talk or ice breakers or things of that sort. Perhaps you’ve found yourself looking for ways to serve God and impact others in spite of your introversion. But I am here to tell you that God designed you that way on purpose. It was not a mistake. And ...
Feb 21, 2023•28 min•Ep. 106
This year, I started a monthly series where I share some of the books have been so very meaningful and transformative to me. Ones that will either invite you to step closer to the Lord or ones that equip you to better care for those around you who are hurting. This month, I would like to offer you a prayer book. Written prayers can help us discover words stirring within us when we can’t find the words on our own, and they also unite us with other believers throughout time and space. There are ma...
Feb 14, 2023•10 min•Ep. 105
I have a special treat for you today. Now, if you remember, I spoke recently about leading as an introvert at the Small Church Women’s Ministries Conference. And guys, it was so much fun. If you are here, listening to the podcast because you heard me there, then welcome. I am so glad you found me here. And if you weren’t at the conference but want to hear the message I gave, then email me and let me know and I’ll try to get it up on the podcast for you, okay? But speaking about leading as an int...
Feb 07, 2023•9 min•Ep. 104
Raise your hand if you are experiencing one of these situations: Child returning to college after a lengthy Christmas break Recently diagnosed with a disease or illness Caring for an aging parent or child with disabilities Transitioning from one job to another—within the same company or to a different one altogether Moving to a new home Retiring from a job Saying goodbye to a friend Starting a business Having another child Facing high pressure deadlines at work Appliances or vehicles breaking do...
Jan 31, 2023•15 min•Ep. 103
In school right now, my daughter has been tasked with writing a hymn. How would you feel if I invited you to do the same? What would you write about? What aspect of God would you want to focus on? How has He been revealing Himself to you lately? How are you longing for Him to reveal Himself to you? In this bonus episode, I’m going to share an original poem I wrote years ago that focuses on God’s love for me in spite of all my sin. Kari BIBLE VERSES + RESOURCES: Episode 52 : The Power of Music to...
Jan 26, 2023•7 min
How do you support a friend or family member—or even “just” an acquaintance—who has just lost someone they love? Are you willing to step into that sacred space of grief with them? Or, if they need additional support, can you point them toward someone who can be there in that more professional role? Let me introduce you to Grief Coach Julie Lynn Ashley. Julie Lynn offers 1:1 coaching services to individuals who are in the midst of grief, specific to the death of a loved one. Julie Lynn shares how...
Jan 24, 2023•35 min•Ep. 102
Do you have a friend who parents a child with disabilities? Perhaps there's a family in your church who has a kid with special needs? I've discovered that what is unfamiliar is often scary to us, and so we shy away or keep our distance from the situation. But these families need our care and support. This week, I am excited to introduce you to Kristin Faith Evans, a mental health counselor who also has two children with rare genetic diseases. Kristin and her husband Todd are the founders of Disa...
Jan 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 101
As an avid reader and someone who loves to learn, I enjoy passing on ideas to others who want to grow in specific areas. These authors have been mentors to me in many ways, and I hope they become the same to you. (And I promise that none of the book recommendations will include spoilers. I would be so disappointed to ruin a book for you.) My first book recommendation is really the first book I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the spiritual life and different spiritual practices—...
Jan 10, 2023•9 min•Ep. 100
The New Year is a natural opportunity for us to look at the spiritual practices and habits we want to cultivate in our lives, especially when it comes to caring for those who are hurting or when we are walking through a difficult season ourselves. I know when I am struggling, I tend to pare back and focus on only a few spiritual practices at a time. Ones that are simple, easy to do, but that also give me space to meet with God and be with Him. So this week, I am sharing the basic content from ep...
Jan 03, 2023•12 min•Ep. 99
Being a spiritual director who focuses on writing back and forth to my clients, I’ve come to realize just how important letter writing is to my work, to the way I reach out to and encourage others. It’s not just in my personal correspondence with those who work with me in written spiritual direction or the Journal Gently program, but even in the idea that I have chosen to focus on email as my main way to connect with you all outside of this podcast, rather than social media or video. And so this...
Dec 27, 2022•7 min•Ep. 98
I have kind of a fun episode for us today. As we near 2023, I have been brainstorming ideas to talk about on the podcast. So I looked back through past episodes that have seemed to really resonate with you all, and I reached out to those on my email list with a survey to ask you some questions. And today, I want to share some of those results with you and how that’s going to impact the direction of this podcast. Because I want to make sure I am coming alongside you in the very real, very heavy c...
Dec 20, 2022•9 min•Ep. 97
Let’s Encourage One Another was born in March 2021 as a ministry out of my work at Love Does That. The purpose of Love Does That was really to reach out to women who were hurting or grieving—and teaching you to reach out to them, too. But the podcast is not where I started. In fact, spiritual direction is not where I started, either. As we near the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on the journey that God has taken me on, from starting as a sympathy gift shop as a side hustle to leaving my p...
Dec 13, 2022•11 min•Ep. 96
