The Next Right Thing

Today's episode is a bit different than our usual format so I'm offering a brief introduction to welcome you to it and give a bit of background. Every year my church here in Greensboro creates one of my favorite offerings called Lessons and Carols. It's a service of music, both original compositions and familiar favorites, as well as a collection of readings from scripture that tell the story of Jesus, this year it was told through the lens of home, both the one we have here and the one we continue to long for. Advent is a season of waiting and this night of lessons and carols is a time to remember how God's people waited many years for the Messiah, how he chose to make his home among us, and how we wait still for him to come again. This year, my friend and pastor Michael Van Patter asked if I would be willing to write a short piece to end the night, a reflection to close our time together. It was an honor, as a writer, to hold space for this idea of home, to listen for the ways my own longing mixes with my current reality and how joy and sorrow coexist for all of us. That can be especially true at Christmas. I wish I had the rights to broadcast the entire night right here on the podcast so you could hear how the creative image of God is so beautifully reflected in the music of some of my dearest friends at Hope Chapel. That would be my first choice. Instead, I'll settle for my second choice which is to simply share with you that piece I wrote to close Lessons and Carols service. Whether you're surrounded today by friends and family who know you well or if you find yourself in an unknown place this Christmas, I hope these words will bring a bit of comfort and clarity as you continue to honor the tension you may feel between being where you are and longing for a home you miss. And Merry Christmas to you. Links + Resources From This Episode: My book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today I'm sharing some trusted books I've turned to multiple times over the years. If you've been listening for any amount of time, these recommendations probably won't surprise you. But it seemed fitting to have them all in one place and dedicate at least one episode to some of the books I've turned to over the years that have helped to shape my own decision making process, path, and posture. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Hearing God by Dallas Willard Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God by Ruth Haley Barton Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer You Learn by Living: 11 Keys For a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh Atomic Habits by James Clear Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown The Next Right Thing by me Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Spoiler Alert! Today's episode will have spoilers about Disney's new animated film Frozen 2. Months before the movie released previews of some of the songs were made available and one of those songs was called The Next Right Thing. As the host of The Next Right Thing podcast and the author of the book, many have wondered what I think about Disney publishing a song with the same title as my own work. Well today I'll share my response to that question and more; like what we can we learn from an animated princess about love and sorrow? And where did the songwriters find their inspiration for The Next Right Thing? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert My book A Million Little Ways LA Time's story on Frozen 2 and the song The Next Right Thing The Quiet Collection for Christmas Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Is there a way to enter this season thoughtfully with our whole hearts? How can we manage the holiday decision fatigue that seems inevitable? Is there a way to remain centered even in the midst of lots of activity? If you've had these questions too, listen in. Plus: The Quiet Collection for Christmas is available starting today! Visit emilypfreeman.com/christmas to learn more. Links + Resources From This Episode: 5 Books for Advent Reading The Quiet Collection for Christmas Episode 90: Start With This Simple Rhythm To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

For those of us in the US, this is Thanksgiving week which for many may mean a shorter workweek, a few days off school, lots of travel and/or preparation for the arrival of friends and family. Whether this holiday comes as a welcome pause or an unwelcome interruption, or if you're listening during a regular week with regular routines, I hope these few minutes we have together can be for you like a deep breath and a kind friend. This week I'm carrying a question with me: In what ways has my experience at the table ministered the gospel to me? How can I participate in sacred table moments in the midst of everyday life? Can our time around the table really change the way I see myself, my family, my decisions, and the world around me? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp Episode 16: Walk Slow and Carry Questions Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Sometimes decision-making is a straightforward choice between two things. Those things may be both great things, both not great things, or one is greater than the other but the choice is nuanced and not as simple as it seems it should be. But then there are other times where choices are clouded by the personality and demeanor of other people, where this one thing looks great on the surface but you know this situation isn't so simple and you wonder how to move forward in a situation that is clouded by interpersonal conflict or relational tension. If you can relate, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Tom Junod for The Atlantic: Mister Rogers's Enduring Wisdom Mister Rogers's Lifetime Achievement Award speech Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If your concerns, decisions and complicated problems feel like they need an extra complicated solution, I hope you'll listen in and find some relief. Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your thoughts about The Next Right Thing podcast in our first-ever listener survey (closes November 15!) Episode 101: Read Your Own Headlines Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In the midst of what might be a busy schedule, a life transition, a big decision, or the constant demands of everyday life, it can be easy to lose the thread of the story our lives are telling. That may not seem like it matters . . . until it does. And that's what today's episode is all about. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Episode 4: Record What You Learn Episode 92: Point and Call Read more about how Ann Voskamp changed her life using a gratitude list Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As we celebrate 2 years, 100 episodes and 5 million downloads, it seems like a good time to learn more about who you are and to share a personal update about my own next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your thoughts about The Next Right Thing podcast in our first-ever listener survey Episode 50: Go Forward Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Friends University Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

I am not a tear it down kind of person. But keeping things intact is not a character trait. It's a decision, and it's not always a good one. The painful truth is that sometimes in order to experience wholeness, first we have to tear something down. It sounds counter-intuitive, and you'd better believe it often feels that way, too. But God himself understands the necessity of being torn down to be remade. We don't want to be people who shut our eyes to reality, hiding in comfortable corners and declaring the world is not our problem. We also realize every story has nuance and there's no such thing as an "issue." It's all people and stories of people and I'm learning to pay attention. If you're learning too or at least want to learn along with me, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: My sister turned her love for decorating Barbie houses into a way to serve others in creating comfortable spaces for themselves. You can find her at The Nesting Place or @thenester on Instagram. To learn more about my friend Stephen Roach, you can listen to his podcast Makers and Mystics or read about The Breath & The Clay creative arts movement here. His band Songs of Water is pretty great, too. Episode 98: Don't Preach to Your Emotions Sam Yoder's All Things Rise Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript at my website