Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

The message at the center of our new book "What Does Your Soul Love" is the invitation and opportunity to change, to be transformed. That’s the idea we’ll focus on today. The big idea of how God is with us in the many changes we experience in our lives and in our communities of faith. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living podcast. Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

One of our deep passions as an organization is the spiritual wellness and vitality of leaders. This strategic focus lies at the heart of what we do in our writing, our speaking and our training. There is a way of following Jesus that grows in us a restful soul and a fruitful vocation. This podcast is a closing message as part of the Unhurried Collective. In working with this group, as well as the core of our ministry is on contemplation. We feel feel this is critical, and why I unpack it in the message today, is that contemplation, rather than being any kind of escape from reality, is actually a profound engagement with Reality. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living podcast. Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The desert has always been my least favorite geography. I live within 25 minutes of a beach and within 90 minutes of the mountains. I am also about 90 minutes away from the desert, but I had to look that up on a map because I purposely do not go there. The desert is hot and dry and sand colored. Plus, there’s cactus. I know that people have worked hard to bring water into the desert and there are plenty of oasis-type places there. But the desert is still the desert. So the question is – can beauty be found in the dry places? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living podcast. Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Last Fall, I made an eight-day silent retreat at Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, Mass. While I was there, I came across a book I’d read a long time back: Parker Palmer’s The Active Life. I read some of it while I enjoyed those prayerful days in November, quietly sitting next to a little bay on which this retreat is situated. What I learned is today’s theme: Cultivating a Productive Rhythm of Action and Contemplation. Welcome to the Unhurried Living Podcast. So what are talking about here? If I were to use philosophical or theological categories, I might want to talk about action and contemplation. If I were to use practical or vocational categories, I might talk about leadership and spiritual formation. If I were to use theoretical or academic categories, I might talk about engagement and reflection. If I were to talk about this in everyday language, I might talk about work and prayer. The reason this conversation is so important is that it often feels like there is no option but for action and contemplation to be at war with each other. It can feel like we have to choose sides between being a work-driven, Type-A activist or a deep-rooted, very prayerful contemplative. We sometimes assume one category is made up of extroverts and the other of introverts. Listen as we discuss Parker's thoughts and the difference of each. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen. Audiobook read by author, Alan Fadling Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Most mornings our backyard is a cacophony of birdsong. We have an unrelenting mockingbird who sings at the top of his lungs, sometimes beginning well before dawn. Combined with some bouncing sparrows, a pair of cooing doves, hummingbirds buzzing around and a random flock of crows, it can be quite entertaining. Sometimes, I am inspired to sit out back and watch the birds hop through our grass, looking for a spare crumb or sipping a few drops of leftover water from our sprinkler heads. And almost every time, these words of Jesus pop into my head, “Look at the birds…” The question then becomes–Am I paying attention? Am I present? Am I listening? Are my eyes open to the wonders around me? Paying attention to this living wisdom can lead to maturity because God has created this world in such a way that life lessons are all around. Let’s turn our gaze inward for a few moments. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast. Here are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen… Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.