Soul Talks With Bill & Kristi Gaultiere

When we feel overly-responsible for our own emotions and needs, we often carry anxiety, shame, or self-condemnation. It can be difficult to treat ourselves with the gentleness and kindness of Christ as we work through our struggles. But the truth is that our Risen Lord offers us patience and compassion in his presence and through soul relationships.Tune into this episode of Soul Talks where Bill and Kristi unpack how we can both experience and offer healing soul care work through our relationships.You’ll be encouraged with tangible tools and practices that can help you feel seen and offer this empathy to others in an open and compassionate way.Resources for this episode: Soul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorsSoul Shepherding Spiritual Direction Training ProgramAbba's Child by Brennan ManningYou can read the transcript here.  

Being open and honest in sharing our thoughts and emotions takes courage, and can be intimidating. But Jesus is calling us out of our comfort zones and into this vulnerable space through safe relationships, because ultimately it leads us into greater intimacy with him! Join Bill and Kristi for this Soul Talk on vulnerable communication, where they unpack how vulnerable communication helps free us from our shame and opens the door for personal and spiritual growth. You’ll learn how you can create a safe space for others to speak vulnerably, and how, in that, you are an ambassador of God’s love and grace!Resources for this episode: Soul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorsSoul Shepherding InstituteYou can read the transcript here. 

As we get older, sometimes we wish those numbers would go in the other direction! We might even be feeling discouraged in a culture that idolizes youth. But when we lean in, we see that this is actually contradictory to what Scripture says about the eternal and the abundant life of God in us!Tune into this episode of Soul Talks, where Bill and Kristi explore how God’s Word guides us in our aging experiences. You’ll be so encouraged to learn about the hidden, eternal glory of God’s presence and growing in Christlikeness that transcends your physical limitations and pains as you age!Resources for this episode: Aging Faithfully by Alice FrylingJourney of the Soul Your Best Life in Jesus Easy YokeYou can read. the transcript here.

As we age, we can find ourselves grieving the loss of our younger selves, including physical capabilities and energy we might no longer have. But there is so much bright hope in knowing that our Sovereign Lord intended these very experiences of aging for us, and he desires to walk alongside us in them! In this episode of Soul Talks, Kristi sits down with Christian author and spiritual director, Alice Fryling. Together they unpack her newest book, Aging Faithfully. You’ll be emboldened and enlightened as they share their perspectives, revelations, and encouragement about what it looks like to live (and age) vulnerably and authentically with Christ.Resources for this episode:Aging Faithfully by Alice FrylingJourney of the SoulSoul Shepherding InstituteSoul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorsYou can read the transcript, here.

Empathy and Intimacy with Jesus can be difficult experiences for those of us who are not bent toward emotion or are not naturally “feelers”. The Stations of the Cross is an enriching journey that the Lord has used for centuries in the lives of Christ followers to deepen our empathy and intimacy with him, and to remind us of magnitude of Jesus’ profound sacrifice.Join us for this episode of Soul Talks where, as an Enneagram One, Bill tells of his own experience with the Stations of the Cross and Biblical suffering. You’ll be encouraged and enlightened by Bill’s account of the Apostle Paul’s faith both in Jesus and of Jesus during trials, and how we can learn from and model this in our own lives.Resources for this episode: Journey of the Soul Soul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorsUnforsakenYou can read the transcript, here.

It can be overwhelming and even painful to journey with Jesus as he takes up his cross and endures unimaginable suffering. Oftentimes, this can lead to feelings of guilt or shame and make it difficult for us to receive the gift of love that the Lord offers through this journey.Tune into this episode of Soul Talks, where Bill and Kristi unpack a different experience of the Stations of the Cross — one of empathy and intimacy with Christ. Be encouraged to learn that through Jesus, we can draw on the joy of the Lord even in suffering. In Christ there is no condemnation for us!Resources for this episode: UnforsakenSoul Shepherding InstituteYou can read the transcript, here.

All of us have experienced times in our lives that we have not felt God’s love and presence as deeply or as apparently as other times. It can leave us discombobulated and discouraged, asking ourselves, “Is my faith real if I don’t feel it?” In these times of doubt, the Lord offers an invitation of emotional honesty – to bring those feelings even more into our relationship with him. Tune into this Soul Talk where Bill and Kristi explore why it is Biblical and healthy to experience these seasons at “The Wall.” You’ll be encouraged to learn why both thinking and feeling are critical in your journey with Christ, and what you can do when you feel they are lacking!Resources for this episode: Journey of the Soul You can read the transcript, here. 

It can be scary and intimidating to hope. In fact, we often shrink ourselves and our lives in fear of disappointment. If we hope and things don’t turn out well, we can feel lost, sad, or like our faith isn’t strong enough. But in the waiting, God is doing great things. When you go out on a limb in hope, the Lord meets you there. Even if your hopes don’t pan out like you thought, you can fall back into the loving arms of Jesus!In this Soul Talk, Bill and Kristi inspire your hope in Christ. Listen in and be encouraged by the better life our Savior creates for you, your family, and the people you care for.Resources for this episode: Journey of the Soul Soul Shepherding Spiritual Directors]You can read the transcript, here. 

Often we are afraid to hope and be disappointed. The emotional let down of disappointment is painful and lonely. So naturally, we’re prone to guard against the pain by letting down our hopes.But without hope we have nothing! All good things come from hope. The Bible says it’s the spring for faith and love (Colossians 1:5) and an anchor for your soul (Hebrews 6:19).So how can we hold onto hope through fears of disappointment and loss? That’s what Bill and Kristi are unpacking in this Soul Talk. Tune in to discover what it means to have a robust Biblical hope and be encouraged to take the risk of hoping in the Sovereign Lord who is bringing good things to us.Resources for this episode: Journey of the Soul Soul Shepherding Spiritual DirectorsYou can read the transcript, here. 

Are you, a close friend, or a family member experiencing feelings of doubt? The truth is, we all have emotional experiences in life that can seem contrary to our faith. What do we do with those when they happen?Simply trying not to doubt isn’t enough. Thinking the right thoughts and doing the right spiritual disciplines can only get us so far. We also need to pay attention to our emotions and share vulnerably about our experience of doubt with safe friends and Jesus.In this Soul Talk, Kristi shares about a heavy season of doubt that she recently experienced and how she worked through it by being emotionally honest and receiving empathy. Her story will help you and the people in your life learn how to embrace and overcome times of doubt. Listen in and discover how the Lord lovingly enters into our brokenness, our doubting, and our shame to bring repair and resolution! Resources for this episode: Journey of the Soul The Soul Shepherding NetworkYou can read the transcript, here.