With exactly 45 days left of 2025, I thought it would be good — and honestly, necessary — to pause and get curious about our inner life as we approach the end of the year. How are we doing…really? And how are we ending this year?

In this episode, I guide us through some gentle reflection and invite us to slow down long enough to notice what’s true inside: where we are, what we’re carrying, and how our soul is meeting this moment. I hope you’ll listen in.

Thought-provoking quotes: 

"The reality of your inner life doesn’t arrive as a flashing headline, a clickbait link, or a push notification. It doesn’t announce itself with urgency. It rarely interrupts you.” - Taylor Joy Murray

“The life that wants to be lived in us exists, but it’s subtle. It’s quiet. It whispers more than it shouts. And unless we intentionally turn our ear toward it, it’s incredibly easy to miss the low tones of desire, gifting, calling, and connection that are already moving within us.” - Taylor Joy Murray

“This is what happens when God chooses to dwell with us. He unfolds in us, and we unfold in him. Advent is a gestation process. It is a season of allowing Christ to be formed in us as we also are formed in him.” - Bette Dickinson

Key words:

Advent season, spiritual formation, listening, creativity, emotions, vulnerability, curiosity, presence, year-end reflection, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, waiting, hope 

As we enter the Advent season, I’ve been longing for a way to slow down. To step away from the rush of December and make a little more room for stillness and wonder. And I thought… maybe you’ve been craving that, too.

So this December, we’ll be walking through one of my all-time favorite Advent books: Making Room in Advent by Bette Dickinson.

If you’ve never read it, this book beautifully weaves together Scripture, art, and reflection in a way that helps you connect not just with the story of Jesus’ coming, but with your own story, too. Through the Advent season, we’ll journey together through the devotional, week by week, creating space to pause, to breathe, and to open our hearts to the ways God is already at work—even in the waiting.

Key words:

Advent season, devotional, Bette Dickinson, spiritual formation, creativity, emotions, vulnerability, curiosity, presence, reflection, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, art, waiting, hope 

In this special three-year anniversary episode, I take time to reflect on the journey, the stories, and the conversations that shaped my book Stop Saying I’m Fine: Finding Stillness When Anxiety Screams — which released three years ago this week. From the moment I knew I was going to write the book, to the vulnerable process of putting words to my story, to the unexpected ripple effects that followed, I share what I’ve learned along the way and what has surprised me most. You’ll also hear some of my favorite messages from readers whose words have deeply moved me. This episode is an invitation to pause, to look back with gratitude, and to look forward with hope and anticipation.

Thought-provoking quotes:

"Writing can be a profound practice of spiritual formation." - Stephanie Duncan Smith

"I think that the fullness of a book’s potential emerges from a kind of spiritual communion between the soul of a writer and the Spirit of God, which extends to a similar kind of communion between the writer and reader." - Taylor Joy Murray

"As I chose to stay awake—to God and to my own soul—as I wrote, I was also stretching the creative muscles that were forming me into more of the person I wanted to be. Writing often uses the same muscles as healing: inviting us to become the kind of person who pushes back against resistance and shows up to tell the whole truth." - Taylor Joy Murray

Key words:

writing, healing, spiritual formation, creativity, mental health, anxiety, emotions, vulnerability, storytelling, creativity, curiosity, presence, reflection, process, courage, self-awareness, Stop Saying I’m Fine, emotional health, personal growth

A few months ago, I released a podcast episode where I invited listeners into a time of guided prayer called imaginative prayer—a practice that helps us encounter God in a more personal, embodied way. Since then, I’ve heard from so many listeners asking for more episodes like that one.

So today, I wanted to offer another time of guided prayer. This form of contemplative prayer dates back the early church mothers and fathers. When we engage in this kind of prayer, we use our imaginations to place ourselves within a scene from Scripture. I hope you'll join me as we walk onto the scene of Psalm 23 and ask the Spirit to speak to us through this story.

Key words:

imaginative prayer, contemplative prayer, guided prayer, Scripture meditation,  mindfulness, prayer practice, spiritual formation, self-compassion, curiosity, emotional regulation, faith and mental health, soul care practices, Christian spirituality, emotions

In this episode, I’m joined by Janice McWilliams, licensed therapist, spiritual director, and author of Restore My Soul: Reimagining Self-Care for a Sustainable Life. Janice offers a deeply grounded and compassionate approach to self-care — one modeled after the life of Jesus.

Together, we talk about what it means to care for your inner world in real time, moment by moment. True self-care, as Janice describes, isn’t about stepping away from our lives. It’s about learning to show up to our lives with more awareness and kindness. We explore how to:

Thought-provoking quotes:

“When we think of Psalm 23, we often picture rest after exhaustion, but I believe Jesus wants us to live before we collapse. He invites us to green pastures not just to recover, but to remain restored.” - Janice McWilliams

“It takes us about 45 to 90 seconds to experience an emotion from beginning to end if we’re not trying to stop it or repress it. So many people are afraid that if they start feeling something, they’ll have to hide away for a week. But really, it’s the avoidance that drains us.” - Janice McWilliams

“I want all of us to become so familiar with the voice of the Good Shepherd that we can distinguish it from every other voice in our minds. The Good Shepherd’s voice carries faith, hope, love, and peace—it doesn’t speak through worry, rumination, or despair. Those patterns might sound urgent or logical, but they aren’t the language of Jesus. His voice leads us toward gentleness and life, never toward self-condemnation or fear.” - Janice McWilliams

Key words:

Janice McWilliams, exhaustion, burnout, emotions, faith, vulnerability, emotional regulation, mental health, emotional health, personal growth, rest, spiritual formation, community, mindfulness, self-compassion, curiosity, emotional safety, self care, soul care, spiritual direction, therapy

There comes a moment in many of our lives when the faith we once held with certainty begins to shift. The language that once felt alive starts to feel distant. And the ways we used to connect with God stop working the same way.

 In this conversation with spiritual director with Grace Cabalka, we explore what it can look like to walk through a spiritual wilderness — and to not just to survive it, but to be transformed by it. Grace shares her own story of a crisis of faith, the role of community in this season of shattering, and the personal practices and postures that became good companions along the way.

Together, we talk about the slow, tender work of listening, leaning into vulnerability, and learning to make space for the mystery of God in new ways. Listen in.

Thought-provoking quotes:

"For a long time, Taylor, I couldn't read the Bible. I couldn't pray because I didn't have words. So I literally would just go get in my chair, my brown leather chair that I still have it and sit in there in the morning. And I couldn't have my quiet time. I just didn't have the tools. They were all broken. And so I just would sit there and say, Lord, I'm here." - Grace Cabalka

"My foundation wasn't as solid as I thought it was. And I didn't get wiped away, but I did crumble. And then that had to be rebuilt really on the foundation of love and acceptance, and that God is for me all the time and nothing can ever separate us from his love ever, ever, ever. And that's what drives us and motivates us. That's what Paul said. His love is what compels me. Not the guilt, not the shame, not the rules, but his love." - Grace Cabalka

"I think that there can be easier ways to get through the wilderness if you can find a hand to hold, find someone to walk with you along with the Holy Spirit. But those first few moments and days and weeks are very dark and it's very scary and it's very lonely. And I would just encourage you to just show up to those emotions, show up to yourself, and don't shame yourself for it. You've done nothing wrong." - Grace Cabalka

For centuries, Christians have wandered through wilderness seasons — walking through valleys of shadow and silence, facing loss, confusion, and what feels like divine absence.

You might not be in that place right now, but for those who are, it can feel lonely and disorienting to realize that something which once felt natural or accessible has changed — especially when that “something” feels foundational to your faith. When your old ideas about God, or faith, or the way you’ve always connected to the divine start to crack or shatter, it can feel like losing your footing entirely. But maybe, that shattering isn’t obliteration. Maybe it’s more of a breaking open for something truer, more spacious, and more real.

In this episode, I share five reflections on what I’m learning in this kind of season: I’m learning to (1) welcome wonder (2) practice presence (3) hold the tension (4) live my questions (5) let uncertainty become my teacher.

Thought-provoking quotes:

“My idea of God is not a divine idea. It has to be shattered from time to time. I’m still learning that my ideas about God are not divine.” - C.S. Lewis

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

“The unknown can become both a teacher a kind of sanctuary — a place where you’re invited to listen differently. You start to notice what’s always been true but often hidden beneath the noise: that you are being held, even here.” - Taylor Joy Murray

Have you ever noticed how children live so close to themselves? Fully connected to their bodies, emotions, and tears, without the layers of shame or self-editing we often learn as we get older.

In many ways, children model what it means to be fully human. And the truth is, what kids show us is still inside of us.

In this episode, I share a simple 5-step rhythm for practicing compassionate curiosity towards your own heart—a way of remembering that childlike way of listening that opens us unto a deeper kind of transformation.  It’s not a formula, but a gentle starting place for deeper reflection and attunement to what’s happening inside you.

Thought-provoking quotes:

“There are many magical things about being around kids, but one of my favorites these days is how kids often remind us what is true of all of us right from the start. Our kids come into the world knowing how to listen to their bodies.” - Hillary McBride

"A key part of soul care is reconnecting with this childlike way of listening to our bodies— and tuning in with compassion and curiosity to the life unfolding within us. It isn’t necessarily about learning something new. It’s about remembering what we already know." - Taylor Joy Murray

"This practice of compassionate attention to what’s happening within us, what we’re learning, noticing and experiencing, becomes a reminder that we’re not just moving through life—we’re becoming someone in the process." - Taylor Joy Murray

Silence always tells a story.

We’re in the middle of a podcast series on soul care, and one of the most important components of creating soul-restoring rhythms is one we often overlook: silence. But before we can embrace the gifts silence has to offer, we usually need to be honest about why we resist it.

The way I interpret silence in my own life — and the way you interpret it in yours — has a direct impact on whether we’re drawn to it or tempted to avoid it altogether. So, what story does silence tell in your life? In this episode, I share 5 reflections on the narratives we carry about silence, and why learning to befriend quiet is so essential for the care of our souls.

We were created for so much more than rushing through life.

It’s easy for everything in our lives to seem fine on the surface. But deep down inside, there’s often another story at play―one of overwhelm, stress and heartache, of finding ourselves stuck in old patterns. Rather than feeling the weight of it all, it’s easier to spend our days on autopilot, ignoring the noise inside. But what if the peace and relief we most long for comes from tuning in with what’s happening inside, instead of tuning it out?

This is what author and therapist A.C. Seiple and I explore today as we talk about her new book The Sacred Art of Slowing Down. With such gentleness, wisdom, and experience, A.C. invites us to connect with our bodies and get curious about the spaces within that feel most stuck―and find where we need safety, attunement and care. I hope you'll listen in.