Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

We talk a lot on this podcast about God’s gift of rest. But I wonder if you’ve ever thought about the gift of restlessness. Today, I’m talking with a long-time friend of the podcast, Casey Tygrett, about his new book, The Gift of Restlessness. In fact, Casey was among the first interviews we did when we launched the Unhurried Living podcast nearly six years ago. That was episode #16 and we talked about his first book, Becoming Curious. Casey speaks with the compassion and wisdom of a spiritual director. You’re going to appreciate what he has to share.  Casey Tygrett earned a Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation degree from Lincoln Christian Seminary (Lincoln, IL).  He completed the Tending the Holy spiritual direction training program in 2015, and since then has been able to provide spiritual direction to individuals both privately and as the Director of Spiritual Direction at Soul Care. Soul Care provides spiritual direction to church, parachurch, and non-for-profit leaders so that they can lead from a place of soul health & soul flourishing. He is the author of Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions (2017) and The Practice of Remembering: Discovering the Place of Memories in Our Spiritual Life. The book The Practice of Remembering was awarded the 2020 Award of Merit in Spiritual Formation by Christianity Today. You can connect with Casey on Instagram @caseytygrettConnect with Alan on LinkedIn @alanfadling Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is a lot being said these days about toxic versions of masculinity. What I’ve sometimes wondered is at least some of this about men growing older without growing in grace and wisdom. It’s why I’m grateful to be talking with Chris Bruno about his book Sage: A Man’s Guide Into His Second Passage. And for the women in our listening community, I believe you’ll gain wisdom for your own journey, as well as for the men in your life.  Chris Bruno is the Co-Founder and CEO of Restoration Project and Founder and CEO of ReStory® Counseling, devoting his life to helping people come alive. In addition to Sage, he is author of Man Maker Project: A Father's Guide to Initiating His Son to Manhood and Brotherhood Primer: A Journey Into Genuine Masculine Friendships. Chris is a licensed professional counselor with decades of experience helping men recover their hearts. Married for 27 years to his wife, Beth, they have three mostly adult children and enjoy adventures in the Colorado mountains or overseas whenever possible.  Connect with Chris on social media at:IG @storyrestoredIG @restorationprojectco Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today we are pondering the idea of the heart. And, for this conversation, I’m defining the heart as the inner person, that deepest place within ourselves where we interact on the central aspects of life in connection to God. This is an important idea and I’m so glad you are engaging with me today. I’m Gem Fadling and it’s time for ICDT.___________________________________________________________ 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.

When we find ourselves in a hurry, one of the dynamics that grows thin is intentionality. We can find ourselves rushing from task to task, meeting to meeting in a kind of mindless autopilot. It’s not what we want, but it can be what happens.  Today, I’m sharing a recent conversation with Glenn Packiam about a book he wrote with his wife, Holly, titled The Intentional Year. In it, they share their regular practice of retreat as a couple to cultivate greater intentionality about five key spheres of their lives, their family and their vocation. Those five spheres are prayer, rest, renewal, relationships and work. For many years now, they set aside a week at the end of the year to reflect on how God has been gracious in the previous year, and how God’s grace might be inviting them forward in the new year. I know you’re going to appreciate the insights Glenn shares.  Connect with Glenn on YouTube,  Facebook or Instagram.Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When it comes to difficult circumstances, we’ve all heard the platitudes: “No pain, no gain.” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But if we spend our lives trying to be “the strong one,” we become exhausted, burned-out, and disconnected from our truest selves.What if it were different? Could there be a different way to be strong? Could strength mean more than pushing on and pushing through pain, bearing every heavy burden on our own? What if, instead, true strength were more like the tide: soft and bold, fierce and gentle, moving together as one powerful force? Today I am talking with Aundi Kolber on her latest book, Strong Like Water as we look at strength and pain and where our strength truly comes from. 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.

If we were to only believe the 24-hour news cycle, we would think there is very little peace in the world. Yes, there are dramatic and traumatic things going on around the planet. But right in the middle of all that, many people are simply living their lives--loving their families, working hard and serving others. We can choose to be people of peace right in the middle of a contentious, distracted and overwhelmed culture. And I would argue this is absolutely necessary. Today we’re looking at a scripture passage that gives us beautiful counsel for extending peace to everyone, no matter the circumstance. And there’s a surprising twist that generously benefits us as we do.  I’m Gem Fadling and it’s time for ICDT.________________________________________________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.

We’re living at a time in which our capacity attention may be our most valuable asset. If this is true, than our great liability is distraction, and the ways in which we are training ourselves in distraction. Paying attention to the purpose of our lives, and to where God may be inviting us to give of our energy and time is a beautiful opportunity.The world around us is happy to provide us with lots of attractive options for surrendering our attention to mostly meaningless amusements. But God’s purpose for you is gentler, quieter, less flashy and more substantial. God’s Spirit would love to train you how to pay attention to his presence in your every moment. My guest today, Paul Angone, has written a book to help us with all this, Listen to Your Day. He wants to help us stop drifting, stop worrying, and stop living distracted. I’m looking forward to sharing our recent conversation with you in a minute. Paul Angone is a trusted and sought-after voice to college students, young professionals, and those going through career change. The bestselling author  of 101 Secrets for Your Twenties, 101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties, and 25 Lies Twentysomethings Need to Stop Believing, Paul is a dynamic keynote speaker at universities, corporations, and churches nationwide. He is also the creator of AllGroanUp.com and the All Groan Up podcast. He lives just outside Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Naomi, and their four children. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Here at Unhurried Living, we care about the souls of leaders. We are interested in spiritual leadership that attends to the souls of others. This is at the heart of the calling of Jesus in our lives to follow him, to let him shepherd us well, and to learn how to join him in the care of others around us. Cultivating the spiritual growth of others has been at the heart of our work for more than 30 years. And this Fall, we’ll be launching a new training in leadership and soul care called PACE. PACE is for you if you want to engage your leadership with more intention & presence, but:You haven’t found a mentor to help guide the way, You don’t have the skills to lead formationally,You feel distracted by all your current demands. Maybe you are well aware of your need to prioritize the care of your own soul, but:You're feeling unfocused  or overwhelmedYou don't believe you have the time to devote to these practicesYou struggle to experience the connection between your soul and your leadership. You know you could be leading with more focus and heart…but you don’t know where to begin.You know you could be leading from overflow...but you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and distracted by all the options.Learn more about PACE here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the first two chapters of An Unhurried Life, I share a bit about my first experience with solitude and silence in a group retreat setting. That was in January 1990. It’s hard to believe that was 33 years ago. I have often shared how transformative the regular rhythm of retreat has been in my life, my marriage, and my leadership over the years. Today, I’m so happy to be talking with Ruth Haley Barton about her book Invitation to Retreat. It’s such a wise, practical resource to help us cultivate the regular practice of spiritual retreat. I can highly recommend it! Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Seminary) is founding president and CEO of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve. For over twenty years, she has ministered to the soul care needs of pastors and leaders based upon her conviction that the best thing we bring to leadership is our own transforming selves.Ruth is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Invitation to Solitude and Silence, and Pursuing God's Will Together.  Connect with Alan on LinkedIn. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We begin with a reading from 1 Thes 5:14:“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thes. 5:14) It would be easy to simply gloss over this, ignoring the relational nuances or to turn it into some rigid formula for the control freak within. Rather than either of those, I like to think of this as wise counsel for truly seeing others and responding in ways that might actually help them make their way. We’ll simply take each phrase on its face as we move through the verse. Connect with Gem on Instagram or visit her at the Unhurried Living website. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.