In this transformative conversation, Dr. Curt Thompson, psychiatrist and author of The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope , joins us to explore the neuroscience of suffering and the profound ways connection can heal. Drawing from his expertise in interpersonal neurobiology, Curt shares practical wisdom on how our greatest pains can become places of resilience, character growth, and deepened hope. We discuss how meaningful relationships, rather than solitary endurance, can rewire ...
Dec 02, 2024•58 min•Ep. 319
In today’s episode, Gem sits down with author, speaker, and podcaster Carlos Whitaker to discuss his new book Reconnected . After realizing the toll technology had taken on his connection with God, his community, and even himself, Carlos took radical steps to disconnect in order to reconnect. He spent nearly two months living screen-free at a monastery, an Amish farm, and his own home, experiencing profound transformation along the way. Carlos shares the powerful lessons from his time in solitud...
Nov 25, 2024•49 min•Ep. 318
What if love was the truest measure of who we are—not our achievements or titles, but the way we love and are loved? In today’s episode, we’re diving into this profound question through the lens of Thomas Merton, a contemplative writer whose reflections on love invite us into a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be “real.” Merton wrote that love is what breathes life into us, a force that, when shared, grows and fills the world. As we uncover his insights, we’ll explore how this love...
Nov 18, 2024•12 min•Ep. 317
In this episode, we’re tackling the problem of restless dissatisfaction and how the pursuit of contentment can offer a way forward. For many of us, there’s an underlying sense that something in life—who we are, what we have, or where we’re headed—should be different. The constant pull of “what if” and “if only” can leave us feeling ungrounded and yearning for a sense of fulfillment that always seems just out of reach. As I looked back on my journal entries this year, I noticed contentment as a r...
Nov 11, 2024•8 min•Ep. 316
The problem of burnout among Christian leaders has become an epidemic in recent years. I’ve seen Christian leaders taking emergency sabbaticals more often than at any other point in my 40 years of ministry. The souls of many Christian leaders are in trouble. How do you care for your soul? How would that help address the weariness and overwhelm many are experiencing? I’ll be talking about soul care with our guest today, Mindy Caliguire , on the Unhurried Living podcast. Mindy Caliguire is the co-...
Nov 04, 2024•55 min•Ep. 315
Adoption is often framed by happy narratives, but the reality is that many adoptees struggle with unaddressed trauma and issues of identity and belonging. Adoptees often spend the majority of their youth without the language to explore the grief related to adoption or the permission to legitimize their conflicting emotions. Today, Gem is speaking with counselor and author Cameron Lee Small about his new book, The Adoptee’s Journey . You might be wondering what adoption has to do with spiritual l...
Oct 28, 2024•55 min•Ep. 314
Thirty years ago, I was visiting one of my very favorite sorts of places—a bookstore. It was a Barnes & Noble in Pasadena, California, and I was browsing through the Faith section of books. There I saw a book by an author I’d heard of but never read. The author was Thomas Merton, and the title was New Seeds of Contemplation . It was Fall 1994 when I picked up a copy of Thomas Merton ’s book New Seeds of Contemplation. I was a college pastor in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, a...
Oct 21, 2024•13 min•Ep. 313
“Your identity is a gift to be received, not a paycheck to be earned.” I love this profound insight that echoes throughout Alan’s writings. They resonate with a truth we often overlook. They capture the essence of grace—a grace that defines our existence not by what we achieve, but by who we are as God’s beloved. Our lives are gifts and yet how often do we find ourselves caught in the trap of earning mode? We measure our worth by what we do, by how much we accomplish, and by the approval we rece...
Oct 14, 2024•7 min•Ep. 312
The parables are perhaps the most potent expression of the message of Jesus. Parables were one of his key teaching strategies. But even his inner circle struggled to understand what he was saying. Today, I’ll be sharing a review of a new book from Dallas Willard on the parables titled The Scandal of the Kingdom . Through insightful analysis and practical wisdom, Willard empowers readers to transform their lives and communities by embodying the radical love, compassion, and justice exemplified in...
Oct 07, 2024•13 min•Ep. 311
Here’s a sobering idea: It is impossible to know and understand 100% of a situation. Now, I know that may sound a bit jarring for some of us. Personally, I like to believe I always have a handle on exactly what’s going on. I’m a master mind-reader, and an excellent future-predictor—or at least I’d like to think so! Of course, I’m speaking tongue-in-cheek here. In truth, I don’t know the future and no one has complete knowledge of any situation. Once I settle into that reality, something beautifu...
Sep 30, 2024•7 min•Ep. 310
Growing in grace is not about thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. If you’ve ever felt like you’re struggling to grow or that life’s challenges keep setting you back, you’re not alone. The journey toward spiritual maturity is rarely straightforward, and it’s easy to feel like we’re not progressing the way we should. We live in a culture that craves quick fixes and instant results, but real growth takes time, intention, and grace. Today, we’re diving into what it means to grow...
Sep 23, 2024•14 min•Ep. 309
Jodi Grubbs fell headlong into the endless rush and exhaustion of hustle culture. After leaving her childhood home on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean, she had assumed the rapid pace and stress of city living in the States. Soon she realized God was bidding her to a return to the "island time" of her past. In time Jodi found sanctuary and ways to care for her soul by making space for God, others, and herself. Evoking the contentment she once had in the gentle rhythms of Bonaire, she learne...
Sep 16, 2024•37 min•Ep. 308
When Jesus calls us to follow him, he invites into a narrow way—onto a narrow path. And narrow doesn’t immediate strike us as inviting. But Jesus also tells us that he’s come so that we could experience an abundant, rich life. That’s inviting. How does the narrow way of Jesus lead us to the sort of fullness he promises? In my first interview of the Fall season, I’m glad to be able to share a conversation I had with Rich Villodas a few months ago about his new book, The Narrow Path: How the Subve...
Sep 09, 2024•40 min•Ep. 307
Long gone are the days when I have the energy to put on any pretense when I talk with God. This has been a welcome and freeing change in my prayer life. At this point in my journey, it is much more life-giving to simply declare the way things are, rather than trying to tidy up my mess and present it in a nice, neat package. If I’m mad, sad, joyous or frustrated, God already knows, and so I am free to express what is …and meet God right in the middle of it. Unhurried Living Prayer Resoures: INVIS...
Sep 02, 2024•9 min•Ep. 306
Over the summer, Gem and I are sharing some replays of our podcast we’re calling “Unhurried Favorites.” Today I’m sharing a conversation I had with two friends, Matt and Darrell, about the difference between “working for God” and “working with God.” It is among our most downloaded episodes. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us ....
Aug 19, 2024•44 min•Ep. 305
Over the summer, we are offering some episodes of our podcast we’re calling “Unhurried Favorites.” Today I’m sharing my interview with Suzanne Stabile. When we aired it last time, it was only a snippet of our conversation. Well, today, you can listen to it in it’s entirety. Most of us have no idea how others see or process their experiences. And that can make relationships difficult. Understanding the motivations and dynamics of our different personality types can be the key that unlocks sometim...
Aug 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 304
Over the summer, we are sharing some replays of our podcast we’re calling “Unhurried Favorites.” Today I'm resharing an interview with Curt Thompson, MD about his book The Soul of Desire . I found so many intersections with what Gem and I have been learning in our journey towards wholeness and vitality in our life in God. In this book, Curt talks about the place of desire in our lives, how desire can sometimes get hijacked, but how desire can be a holy motive and energy that moves us toward the ...
Jul 22, 2024•53 min•Ep. 303
Over the summer, we are sharing some replays of our podcast we’re calling “Unhurried Favorites.” Today I’m talking about time, and whether we have enough of it. It's a refreshed vision of time…one that doesn’t leave us feeling pressured. ________________________________________________ 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 opportu...
Jul 08, 2024•7 min•Ep. 302
In my book, An Unhurried Life , I wrote a chapter titled “Productivity: Unhurried Isn’t Lazy,” in part, to speak to our tendency to assume that productivity is always about doing more and more and more. But what if true productivity is, at least in part, about doing qualitatively better work , even if it seems less busy than before? There is a cultural bias for always staying busy. I’m sharing the last of three episodes about sources of hurry in our lives. In the first two, I talked about how an...
Jun 24, 2024•16 min•Ep. 301
If life were a house, then every room holds a story. What do we do when a room we’re in is no longer a room where we belong? What do you do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it’s time to make a change? When it comes to navigating big decisions about when to stay and go, how can we know for sure when the time is right? Though we enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life—jobs, relationships, communities, life stages—knowing how and when it’s time to leave is a decision ...
Jun 17, 2024•42 min•Ep. 300
How do prayer and leadership relate to each other? Looking at the lives of some leaders, it seems like prayer is incidental to leadership at best. For others, it’s a personal priority that doesn’t seem to impact leadership in any obvious way. For still others, prayer is like an on-ramp, preparatory for the work of leadership but largely left behind when the leading begins. What does Christian leadership that is deeply rooted in a life of communion with God look like? I’ll be talking about this t...
Jun 10, 2024•36 min•Ep. 299
I love watching travel and cooking shows, so if there’s a show that combines the two, I’m hooked. If you are familiar with the names Phil Rosenthal, Guy Fieri and Andrew Zimmern, then you know what I’m talking about. Traveling, eating tasty food, and meeting intriguing people is a combination my heart longs for. I’ve often mentioned to Alan that if I were to have an alternate universe job, I would be the host of Somebody Feed Phil (I guess Phil would have to find his own new job). ______________...
Jun 03, 2024•9 min•Ep. 298
In An Unhurried Leader , I shared that I’ve often been tempted to prove something about myself through the work I do. I behave as though my value is uncertain and needs to be earned or achieved. It isn’t and it doesn’t. To use a theological category, my worth is more a matter of grace rather than a matter of works. That sort of insecurity has been a major driver of hurry in my life. I wonder if you identify. Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their web...
May 27, 2024•17 min•Ep. 297
Unhurried Living is now in its ninth year of serving Christian leaders around the world. We’ve come to some small inflection points in the past, but we are in the midst of another, important time in our ministry. We are adding to our team! Today I am introducing you to Jodie Niznik and Matt Fogle. They are two stellar leaders who are going to link arms with Alan and me as we continue the work of training leaders to rest deeper, live fuller and lead better. I can’t wait for you to meet them. Jodi...
May 20, 2024•52 min•Ep. 296
The cross is the heart of Scripture. Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. In fact, within the narrative of Scripture, the crucifixion of Jesus is literally the crux of the story―the axis upon which the biblical story turns. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. That kind of thinking only insulates us from the magnificence of what God has done. In our ongoing quest to make m...
May 13, 2024•46 min•Ep. 295
In the retelling of the Mary and Martha story, many inadvertently pit these sisters against each another. We are forced to make a choice: “I’m a Mary” or, more regularly I hear, “I’m a Martha.” As though these women were tropes or types on a personality test. This is unfortunate, because then we are drawn to take sides and defend one or the other. Our own identity becomes wrapped up in one woman or another. Before I unpack this further, I’ll give you the spoiler: This story isn’t about busy peop...
May 06, 2024•9 min•Ep. 294
What do we mean when we talk about the importance of prayer? What is prayer? Is it mainly the words we say to God about our concerns, our needs, our hopes, our desires? What is the difference, if any, between saying prayers and being prayerful? Today, I’m sharing a conversation with a wise Franciscan priest who has been practicing prayerfulness for over 50 years. Albert Haase, OFM, is a preacher, teacher, and spiritual director. A former missionary to mainland China for over eleven years, he is ...
Apr 29, 2024•35 min•Ep. 293
God's face is always shining toward us. Our God is not asleep, nor indifferent. But we don't always experience this nearness or the depth of how beloved we truly are--especially if we have experienced neglect, betrayal, or indifference in our formative human relationships. In her book, The Emmanuel Promise , Summer Joy Gross acts as a nurturing guide, as she helps us make our way to the transformative dynamics of presence, attachment and God’s love. Together, we’ll discover the Security of a Lif...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 292
I’ve written and said plenty about the problem of hurry in our lives and in our world. There is a condition called hurry sickness, which is the feeling of always being rushed as though you were lagging behind in some race. This raises our stress levels. A sense that we don’t have enough time for everything we have to do is a sign of hurry sickness. We can end up feeling increasing frustration with anyone or anything that gets in the way of what you have to do . Multitasking is one of our strateg...
Apr 15, 2024•17 min•Ep. 291
For the last few years I have enjoyed meeting with women in coaching groups or soul care groups. It is such a beautiful and vulnerable way to share our lives. The women who attend are always leaning in toward God and desiring to connect at a deeper level with others. A while back I decided I wanted to share with these women the scriptures that have helped form me. These verses helped me focus on the centrality of God’s love, Jesus and the process of being transformed. I’d like to share these pas...
Apr 11, 2024•11 min•Ep. 290
