Quiet on Purpose

The verse we're considering in this episode appears, at first glance, to be repeating itself, just saying the same thing in different ways. But, when you look closer, considering it more deeply, you begin to uncover layers. "Layers of hope," I'm calling them. Listen in!

What do you do when you don't feel God's love for you? What if you never feel it, on an emotional level? A recent conversation with a friend got me thinking about this, and I think today's verse speaks to that question. Listen in!

If you are part of a church that follows the liturgical church calendar, you will be very familiar with the fact that this week is Holy Week. For all Christian traditions, liturgical or not, this is certainly the most sacred week of the year, the one in which we celebrate the passion of Jesus Christ, culminating with His crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter morning, and all that it means for us. So I think it is only appropriate that in today’s episode we peer into the very moments of Jesus’ death. I hope you'll make this week's episode even a small part of your Easter preparations this year!

In episode 76, I introduced a spiritual practice for praying in the body. Today’s episode is a related spiritual practice on honoring the body in which we live out all of life, including our spirituality. This spiritual practice is rooted in the earliest writings of scripture.

Humans are created in the image of God, and this truth should inform not only the way we treat other humans, but also the way we treat our own selves. Today's episode, therefore, explores the spiritual practice of honoring the body we've been given by God. Listen in!

Spiritual director and author, Ruth Haley Barton says “we are in need of a sacramental approach to life, in which the body is understood to be sacred because it is the place where God’s Spirit has chosen to dwell. Given this, all aspects of life in the body can become places where we meet and know God in unique ways.” As we pay attention to what is going on internally, in our body, it is possible to also become more aware of God's presence with us in our body and in our experiences. Taken from Ruth's book Sacred Rhythms, today's spiritual practice is a simple way of praying, talking to God, when we may not have the words to express what we are feeling. I hope you'll join in. I'd recommend listening to today's episode when you have time to be still and uninterrupted.

Today's episode is on an encounter between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai, where God has, amazingly, agreed to show Moses His glory. When God displayed his glory to Moses it was astonishingly beautiful and downright shocking. Listen in as we talk about what God revealed to Moses in this encounter and how it informs our view of Him today!

I mentioned in episode 73 that my word for 2024 is “Dwell”. I am already so excited about what God is doing in my heart this year as I choose each day to dwell in His presence; in the safety of His embrace. I want to explore more places in scripture that talk about what it’s like to dwell with Him, but I’m reminded that before any scriptures talk about us choosing to dwell with Him, they talk about Him choosing to dwell with us! Today's scripture comes from the book of Exodus, when God first reveals to a recently emancipated group of slaves that He is going to "dwell" with them! Listen in!

Happy New Year! I’m so excited to be beginning the 4th season of Quiet on Purpose, and so grateful to have you here with me! This week's episode is from John 13:3-5. Recently, my husband and I were reading together and something from this well-known scene caught my attention that I'd never noticed before! Listen in today as I focus in on what it tells us about why Jesus did what he did in these verses, and how that might inform our lives!

This is the third week of Advent, a season of waiting with hopeful anticipation for the birth of Jesus. During this season, we are following along with the themes the church follows each of the 4 weeks of Advent, preparing our hearts for the climactic celebration of Christmas and the birth of the Messiah!
In most traditions, the theme of the 3rd week is Joy, so this week we are also focusing on joy. Our scripture in today's episode is 1 Chronicles 16:27: Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. Listen in, as we contemplate the Joy that accompanies God's "dwelling place"!

Questions from today's episode: Am I a joyful person? If not, have I ever invited God to make his home in me through Jesus? Is this something I want to do today? If I have already invited God to make his home in me, am I also growing in the area of continually “abiding” in him? Making Jesus my “home” as well? Is there an invitation that God is extending to me today? How will I respond?

The second week of Advent traditionally focuses on the theme of "Peace". So, this week, our episode is taken from a quote of Jesus in the Gospel of John, "Peace I leave with you..." Jesus left his peace with us as a gift! It's ours to have, but we have to learn how to take hold of it! Listen in as we consider what that looks like!

This is the first week of Advent, and our theme is Hope! In a world where life often fails to meet our expectations, Hope is something we all need, and struggle to take hold of. Listen in today for a little infusion of Hope into your life!

Happy Thanksgiving! It's no secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I love to remind myself and you that the practice of gratitude is something that should extend way beyond one day! In preparation for your own celebration, or as a way to wrap it up, listen in to this short, fun episode about "Giving Thanks"!

There are times, circumstances in life, when the road God has put in front of us is painful, difficult, and we can't see how it could possibly be "good" for us! And yet, His word says that He is good and everything He does is good. So how do we reconcile what we're facing with that? Trust is a concept we understand easily, but an exercise we struggle to practice. We need His help. Listen in today as we take time to consider where we might be struggling to trust Him and ask for His help.

Sometimes what God offers us is incomprehensible. Or so contrary to the way we think that it's just impossible to wrap our heads around! In today's verse, we're being reminded of the fundamental truth that God has removed all our offenses and sins; they've disappeared the way morning fog burns off and the sun shines through! And on top of that, He invites us to return to Him, to enjoy the warmth of His love and the closeness of relationship with Him. What an incredible invitation! Listen in!

When it comes down to it, do I really trust God? When I desire to maintain control of situations, am I really relying on His wisdom, His ways, and His goodness, or am I relying on my own, finite, flawed understanding, my own limited ability to see into the future? Today's episode provides us with an opportunity to take a minute to consider ways that we're still relying on our own understanding. Listen in!

The invitation to walk with God is a stunning one! But to truly walk with God also requires the characteristic of humility. In Matthew, Jesus describes himself as humble, which is shocking, really, when you consider that he also claims to be the Son of God! I don't know anyone who is naturally humble. It requires a work of God in our hearts, and a true journey with Him, for us to become humble people. Are you ready to consider responding to that invitation? Today's episode is here to help you take the first, or the next, step! Listen in!

While "justice" is a "hot topic" and a buzzword in our culture these days, I wonder how much of our time is honestly spent considering what lies within our realm of power, our own sphere of influence, that we could do something about, something to enact justice, but perhaps we're too busy casting blame on someone else, someone with more power, someone who ought to be behaving more justly, at least in our own humble opinion. Today's episode isn't about big picture justice, and how certain political leaders do or don't help that cause. Rather, as is our practice in this podcast, we're going to look at our own hearts, and allow God to highlight for us what it might look like to "do justly" right where he has us today. I hope you'll listen in!

Sometimes our view of God seems to grow smaller, or be obscured by the mountainous problems or other demands of life. This week's verse invites us to "look to the heavens" and consider just how BIG and how GOOD God is! It's a refreshing, perhaps much needed, reset to our perspective! I hope you'll listen in!

We often ask God to "bless" others, or to "bless" us, or to "bless" our food. But have we considered that we are called to "bless" the Lord? How do we do that? The answer is "with all that is within you!" And, if we're honest, that feels about as impossible as leaping across The Grand Canyon! Is there a simple answer that can make it feel more accessible to me? Listen in!

What is one thing you know? One thing you anchor your soul to, that keeps you from drifting, even in the tough times? In today's episode, we'll talk about one option. Perhaps you don't have an anchor like this. Or perhaps you need to be reminded what your anchor is. I hope you'll listen in today. I think you'll be encouraged and refreshed!

Have you ever had one of those moments when God seems to speak to your soul by reminding you of a Bible verse you've memorized? Often those verses we've memorized come in the form of a song we've sung. I'm grateful for the many song writers who have put scripture to song. Among the oldest of these is the old hymn "I Know Whom I Have Believed". Check out the link below if you're unfamiliar. You can also check out the links for more information about the songwriter. I hope you'll listen in today for an encouraging episode about entrusting your most tender concerns to the One who can be trusted!

There are abundant definitions for the word "redeem" but the one that I resonate most with is one of the simplest: "to buy back." I love that God promises to buy back the messes we make and the time that we have wasted when we turn our lives over to Him! Redemption is one of the most beautiful and most fundamental characteristics of God. We see it woven throughout the story of the Bible, and we see it woven into our own stories, as well! Listen in to this encouraging episode today!

Waiting is hard! Whether we're waiting 2 minutes at a stoplight or months on end for something important, it's a given that we're inclined to treat the wait as though it were an unwelcome guest. But how we wait influences who we become on the other end. So, what might it look like to "wait on the Lord" in the waiting? To "hope in his word"? Today's episode takes a gentle look at how waiting is both hard and holy. Listen in!

We tend to hold onto the sins of the past for dear life. We keep a record of the wrongs done to us, thinking we have to hold people accountable. We keep a record of the wrongs we've done, thinking that somehow we will make them right. When all along, God extends a different invitation to us. One that offers more peace, freedom and joy than we can imagine! Listen in!

Can you think of a time when you've cried to God "out of the depths?" Maybe you've found yourself in some dire situation, your life crumbling all around you, despair threatening? If you've made it even as far as Jr. High, this scenario has probably been true of you on at least one occasion! If so, listen in. You might find some comfort in today's episode!

Sometimes life feels so complicated! It doesn't have to, but it does. It's part of the human experience. But, there is a way to experience life in a beautiful simplicity. And the more I live by the principles in Psalm 37:3, the more I experience it exactly that way! Listen in today, there's an invitation for you here.

I don't think I'm alone in admitting that over the years, I've often thought that God went through some kind of metamorphosis between the Old Testament and the New Testament. We tend to think of "Old Testament God" as angry, vengeful, harsh and demanding, but "New Testament God" as soft, fluffy, and full of grace. In an astonishing account of God revealing himself and his character to Moses, today's verse shows us some phenomenal descriptions of a compassionate and gracious God. In the Old Testament. It blows me away, and beckons me near. I hope you'll listen in!

I admit, I've been spending a lot of time lately talking about how my own personal life has felt heavy, burdensome, and lacking in joy. I don't mean to be a downer, what I mean to be is authentic. If your struggle resonates with my own, maybe there's something for you here. One thing I deeply believe is that God intends for us to have joy. An authentic experience of a full, joyful life. So I'll keep pursuing it as long as there is breath in me, even if it doesn't come easily. Maybe especially because it doesn't come easily. I hope your life is full of joy today. But if you struggle sometimes too, listen in!

We see some hard things in the Bible, including what kind of love we're called to if we want to follow Jesus. We're called to give up everything in our love for others, just like He did. But, just like so many other things, we're not asked to do this in our own strength. In today's episode, we're taking some time to remember what kind of love we're called to, and then to consider how we get there. I hope you'll listen and be encouraged!

Continuing on from our previous episode, we're looking at Jesus' invitation to "take on" his "yoke" and his offer to provide rest for our souls. There are some super refreshing visuals in these two short verses that we might miss since most of us don't have much knowledge of historic farming practices. When it comes down to it, the kind of rest I'm looking for goes way beyond a spa day or even a tropical vacation. And that's what he's offering here. I hope you'll listen in and find this episode as refreshing to listen to as I found it was to write!

Sometimes life starts to feel heavy. When that happens, weariness sets in. But Jesus invites us to come to him for rest. It's such a beautiful invitation! Are you weary today? Listen in!

As we step gingerly into the year 2023, we can't help but acknowledge that we've all been more than a little beat up over the past few years. All that we've experienced globally and nationally has had a very real personal impact on every single one of us. And that truth has implications. Our natural tendency when feeling beat up and wounded is to withdraw, to turn inward. I'd like to suggest that true healing is found in a different posture, and I'd like to invite you to join with me as I pursue an openness that I believe will make a difference in my life and in the lives of those around me. Let's do this together!

This is the final week before Christmas, and here at Quiet on Purpose, we're working to make it easy for you to continue the practice of intentional, purposeful quiet. Just a few minutes of intentional stillness and listening makes all the difference in the way we show up this Holiday season, so listen in today, to this, our final episode of Advent - focused on Love.

Questions from today's episode: What is one way you've experienced God's tender love for you in the last week? Name one person you know personally who is in need of the tender love of God right now. If you are willing, ask God how He could use you to demonstrate His love to them this Advent. Then respond.

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just one day a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the third week of Advent - a season of anticipating the arrival of the Christ child. This year, each of our Advent episodes is focused on slightly longer portions from a Psalm. In this, our 3rd Advent episode, the topic is Peace, and the reading is Psalm 4. Listen in! *Also, scroll down for the link to a beautiful Christmas carol that talks about Peace!

Questions from today's episode: What, if anything, is threatening your peace right now? Are you feeling afraid, anxious, angry, sorrowful? Take a moment to bring that into the light of God's presence. Then pause. What eternal truth is He whispering in the silence that brings peace to your soul today?

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the second week of Advent - the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child. This year, each of our Advent episodes will be longer portions from a Psalm.  Today our second Advent episode is on Joy, from Psalm 16. Listen in! *Also, scroll for the link below to a beautiful Christmas carol on Joy!

Questions from today's episode: Have you ever experienced the joy that the psalmist is talking about in this Psalm? Are you experiencing it now? If you've never experienced it, could it be that you are pursuing something other than a relationship with God as your ultimate prize and source of joy? Listen quietly for the invitation God might be extending to you today. Consider how you will respond.

The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar and beginning a 4 week series on Advent - the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child - and our first episode is on Hope. Listen in!

Questions from today's episode: Where have you placed your hope today? Is there an invitation for you here, at the beginning of Advent, to choose a new and better hope? What is your response?

One of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions is what we call our "Thankful Basket." Our time in Psalm 118 is coming to a close, and in today's episode we take a look at how this entire Psalm is kind of like a thankful basket! Then,  we spend some time giving thanks! What better way to spend a few minutes of your time? Listen in!

Sometimes I struggle to be present in today. I think we all do. But this is the day the Lord has made, and we're called to rejoice and be glad in it! There must  be a reason for that! I think it's because every day is a gift from God and it is good and He has good things in it for us! Although we might credit Grand Master Oogway (the elderly Galapagos tortoise) in Kung Fu Panda with this quote, I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who first said "Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present'." What gets in our way and prevents us from living like today is a gift? That's what today's episode is all about! Listen in!

I have a confession today - I hate admitting weakness and I hate asking for help! I know not everyone suffers with this malady, but I also know I'm not alone! So, if you, like me,  struggle with admitting you are weak, listen to this episode! As it turns out, there is a deep beauty in weakness that we will miss if we insist on projecting strength. And besides that, let's just be honest - sometimes we do need help! 

Isn't it our tendency to long for relationships with people who understand us and will always have our back? And isn't it our experience that we are often disappointed in those expectations? Whether we put our trust in someone who ultimately betrays us, or we just struggle through the reality that we often misunderstand one another in relationships, eventually we all experience the let down I'm referring to. But, there is a "better hope." There is One who is our "helper" and our "refuge" and He will not let us down. What if we learned to put our hopes in Him instead? Listen in!

I don't think any of us would argue that the past 2 1/2 years have been years of increased fear and anxiety in many ways. But what if we actually knew, in the deepest part of us, that God was for us? What if we had absolute confidence that, no matter what, we would be ok, because the King of the Universe has our back? Would it make a difference? I'd like to suggest it would. And we can! Listen in today and see what God's invitation is for you right now.

We have all been in situations we would call "distressing" before. Maybe you're in one now. The Psalmist said when he called to the Lord in distress, the Lord answered him and put him in a spacious place; so why don't we always feel like that's happening for us? I think there's a key to "unlocking" that spaciousness we desire. It isn't necessarily easy, but it IS in our possession! Listen in!

Gratitude gets a lot of nods from a lot of sources, but in today's episode of Quiet on Purpose, we're considering, is there a foundational element to gratitude that makes a difference? What does it look like to have rooted gratitude? Listen in!

In the fast-paced, multi-tasking, "you can have it all!" world in which we live, it is difficult for us to slow our pace down and seek just ONE THING! The Psalmist in today's verse says there is just one thing he wants from the Lord, just one thing he seeks after. And it's not what you and I might be most inclined to seek, but I do believe it's what we most need. Listen in for an invitation to simplicity and beauty that your soul just might be longing for!

We tend to judge our circumstances based on what we can see with our own eyes. Our perspective is pretty limited when it comes down to it. How cool is it that the God of the universe is actually at work in all of our circumstances, causing them to work out in exactly the way that will be for our absolute best in the long run?! This is not some trite thing we tell ourselves in order to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Nor is it a band-aid we quickly throw on someone else's genuinely horrific life circumstances. It is a deep truth we can cling to when we truly know the good, good God behind it all. Listen in!

This week is the fourth and final week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode about God's love fill your heart with hope, peace, joy and love. Merry Christmas!

This week is the third week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode breathe joy into your Christmas celebrations this week! God bless you!