Join host Ellen Radcliff on this week’s episode of the Heart Set Above Podcast as she unpacks a freeing truth many believers overlook: God invites us to serve Him—not because He needs us, but because He longs to be with us.

Through honest reflection and real-life examples from her counseling work, Ellen explores:
• Why we often feel overly responsible for God’s work
• How fear of letting people down distorts our view of service
• The difference between working for God and walking with Him

This episode encourages you to release the pressure, embrace partnership with God, and let your service draw you closer to Him—not further into exhaustion.

Whatever you do today, do it with God, not just for Him. And keep your heart set on things above.

--Connect with Ellenhttps://heartsetabove.com/https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff--Listen to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

In this Heart Set Above episode, Georgia and Ellen pull back the curtain on what therapists actually learn—and why it matters for everyday relationships and Christian living. From trauma-training surprises (“we paid to learn how to be quiet!”) to Jesus’ non-anxious presence with Mary and Martha, they unpack how simply being with someone can be more healing than any quick fix.

You’ll hear real stories (joy and grief in parenting, the power of a shared sigh), practical tools you can try today, and a gentle invitation to surrender what we can’t carry to the One who can.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

In this episode of the Heart Set Above Podcast, host Ellen Radcliff, LMFT pauses the Nearness series to set clear expectations: drawing near to God doesn’t mean all of life’s problems vanish. Fear, grief, and anxiety still come—but God’s presence changes how we experience them.

Ellen shares stories from her own life, Scripture, and pastoral counseling to remind us that the antidote to fear is not the absence of fear—it’s the presence of God. His nearness anchors us, even in chaos, heartbreak, or uncertainty. Like a child comforted by a parent’s arms, God’s presence doesn’t always remove the pain, but it transforms how we walk through it.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why being near to God doesn’t erase problems, but anchors us in them

• What Isaiah 41:10 really means about fear and God’s presence

• How God’s nearness transforms grief, fear, and anxiety

Whether you’re carrying fear, walking through loss, or simply weary of life’s brokenness, this conversation will point you back to the one truth that steadies us: God is with us, always.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

In this episode of the Heart Set Above Podcast, host Ellen Radcliff, LMFT continues the Nearness series by exploring how we can move beyond simply making space in our lives to truly filling that space with God’s presence.

Drawing from Matthew 12:43–45, Ellen reminds us that empty space doesn’t stay empty for long—if we don’t fill it with God, it will be filled with fear, distraction, or anxiety. She shares two powerful visualization practices she uses personally and with clients to help release fear, surrender to God, and experience the reality of His love.

✨ In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why pruning space in your life is only the beginning of nearness to God

  
  

• The difference between distraction and true soul restoration

  
  

• A powerful visualization for surrendering fear and anxiety into God’s hands

  
  

• A second visualization of beholding Jesus’ gaze of unconditional love

  
  

• A simple exercise to sit in God’s presence without striving

  
  

These practices will help you slow down, breathe, and anchor yourself in the truth that God sees you, knows you, and loves you fully. Nearness to Him isn’t something you earn—it’s a gift freely given.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

In this episode of Heart Set Above, Ellen Radcliff, LMFT takes us into one of the deepest and most universal emotions: grief. Far from being just about death or tragedy, grief shows up in everyday disappointments, broken relationships, feelings of inadequacy, and the ache of living in a fallen world.

She Explores:

• Why unprocessed grief fuels anxiety

• A fresh way to picture grief as a shrinking “ball in a box” that never disappears but becomes less overwhelming over time

• The reality that the stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are fluid, not linear

Grief is not weakness—it is holy ground. When we bring our sorrow before God, we discover we are not alone in it. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” That nearness transforms grief from isolation into connection, from despair into surrender, and from fear into trust.

🙏 If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate grief faithfully—or how God meets you in your sorrow—this episode offers hope, perspective, and a way forward.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

In this episode of Heart Set Above (part of the Nearness series), Ellen Radcliff, LMFT, explores the hidden world of emotions and how they shape our walk with God.

She talks about:

• The difference between primary and secondary emotions

• Why anger, sarcasm, or withdrawal often mask deeper feelings like fear, shame, or grief

• How our culture teaches us to erase or numb emotions—while scripture shows us another way

• Practical steps for bringing tender emotions into God’s presence

Ellen shares a simple but life-changing truth: feelings are meant to be felt. When we pause to notice what lies beneath the surface and invite God into our vulnerability, emotions become a bridge to intimacy with Him, not a barrier.

🙏 Whether you’re carrying grief, shame, fear, or hurt, this episode offers encouragement to stop running from your emotions and start bringing them into the safety of God’s arms.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

Welcome back to the Heart Set Above Podcast with Ellen Radcliff, LMFT. In today’s episode of our Nearness series, Ellen explores the beauty and depth of the Sabbath—a rhythm designed by God not just for rest, but for true restoration.

In a culture that confuses “rest” with binging Netflix or scrolling social media, the Sabbath calls us into something deeper. It’s a God-given invitation to reconnect with Him, with ourselves, with others, and even with creation. Sabbath is not just about stopping work—it’s about remembering who you are and whose you are.

✨ In this episode, Ellen unpacks:

• Why Sabbath is more than rest—it’s restoration for the soul

• How Sabbath roots us in God so we can love people well

• Why the Sabbath command sits at the hinge between loving God and loving others

Sabbath is a bridge back to Eden and a glimpse of the wholeness we were created for. This conversation will inspire you to step into God’s design for rest—not just as a break from work, but as a weekly rhythm of identity, trust, and joy.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

Welcome back to the Heart Set Above Podcast with Ellen Radcliff, LMFT. In this episode from our Nearness series, Ellen shares practical wisdom on how reflection and intentional connection draw us closer to God and to the people we love.

Too often, life runs us instead of us running it. But by creating regular rhythms of reflection—annually, seasonally, weekly, and even daily—we can flip the script and live with greater intention. Ellen walks through how reflection protects us from overwhelm, keeps us aligned with God’s heart, and opens the door for deeper connection.

✨ What you’ll discover in this episode:

• Why pruning creates space for nearness to God

• How intentional connection strengthens marriages, families, and friendships

• How every act of connection becomes a glimpse of Eden

This episode will encourage you to pause, reflect, and invest in the relationships that matter most—your connection with God, yourself, and others.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

So many of us—whether as parents, spouses, friends, leaders, or coworkers—find ourselves juggling endless responsibilities while feeling spiritually and emotionally stretched thin. If that sounds familiar, this episode of the Heart Set Above Podcast will meet you right where you are.

Host Ellen Radcliff, LMFT, continues our Nearness series with a powerful truth: if we want to draw close to God, we must first create time and space in our lives. Without pruning back, our souls remain restless, anxious, and overstuffed.

✨ In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why busyness leaves us drained and disconnected from God

• Why pruning isn’t about loss, but about making room for life to grow

• Simple, practical ways to begin creating space for God this week

  
  

This isn’t about doing more—it’s about finding freedom in doing less, so that you can truly be with God.

🙏 Stay tuned for the next episode in our Nearness series, where we’ll explore another everyday practice that can help you experience a deeper walk with Him.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

Welcome back to the Heart Set Above Podcast with Ellen Radcliff, LMFT. In this second episode of our new series, Ellen explores the powerful truth that “nearness is never without effect.” Through stories, psychology insights, and Scripture, she reveals how proximity shapes us in relationships, in our emotions, in our bodies—and ultimately, in our walk with God.

Ellen unpacks how:

• Drawing near to God is the antidote to fear and anxiety

• Distance—whether emotional, relational, or spiritual—always leaves a mark

• Science and faith agree: closeness changes us for the better

This series is designed to move beyond abstract phrases like “cast your burdens” or “rest in His presence.” Ellen gives you practical, faithful, and psychologically grounded tools to actually live in God’s nearness—even in the mess of daily life.

✨ May this conversation help you notice His presence in the small, ordinary moments of your week, and let it begin to soothe your soul.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...