SoulWork Notes

Ruth’s story invites us to trust the slow work of God — to believe that redemption unfolds through loyalty, presence, and steadfast love. In this episode, we explore how God restores what is broken and how our ordinary faithfulness can become the soil of divine renewal.

In This Episode

• Breathwork for grounding and presence
• Reflection on Ruth’s faithful love and God’s restoration
• SoulWork journaling prompts for living with quiet trust
• Closing prayer for steadfast grace

Resources & Links

• Scripture Reference: Ruth 1–4
• Visit www.patricegerideau.com for more resources.
• Follow wherever you listen for upcoming Advent reflections.

Closing Blessing

May you walk gently this week,
 gleaning grace from the edges of your life.
 And may you find that God is already gathering what will one day be your harvest.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

SoulWork Notes

Rahab’s story reminds us that no past disqualifies us from God’s purpose.
Through faith and courage, she became part of Jesus’ lineage — proof that God’s love can redeem every chapter of our lives.

In This Episode:

• Breathwork for release and courage
• Reflection on Rahab’s faith and the power of redemption
• SoulWork journaling prompts for rewriting your story
• Closing prayer for renewed identity

Resources & Links:

• Scripture Reference: Joshua 2; Matthew 1:5
• Visit www.patricegerideau.com for more resources.
• Subscribe or follow for upcoming Advent reflections.

May you walk this week knowing that your story —
every part of it — can become a vessel of God’s love.
The scarlet cord of grace still hangs in your window.
It is the color of redemption.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

SoulWork Notes

Summary:


In this first episode of Love in Earthen Vessels, we meet Tamar—a woman wronged and misunderstood, yet remembered in the lineage of Christ. Her story reveals a God who redeems what others discard and honors those who feel unseen.

In This Episode:

• Advent-season breathwork for arrival
• Reflection on Genesis 38 through Tamar’s courage
• SoulWork journaling prompts for personal redemption themes
• Closing prayer of hope and restoration

Resources & Links:

• Scripture Reference: Genesis 38
• Visit www.patricegerideau.com for more resources.
• Subscribe or follow SoulWork Sanctuary wherever you listen.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

SoulWork Notes


This final reflection in the Graceful Forgiveness series explores what it means to forgive others by trusting God’s ability to redeem what was meant for harm. Forgiveness doesn’t erase the past — it transforms it into peace.

In This Episode:

• Guided breathwork for release and trust
• Reflection on Joseph’s story in Genesis 50
• SoulWork prompts for practicing forgiveness
• Closing prayer for freedom

Resources & Links:

• Scripture Reference: Genesis 50:20
• Visit www.patricegerideau.com for more reflections and resources.

Closing Blessing:


May you find courage to release what you cannot carry.
 May peace rise quietly where pain once lived.
 And may God turn every wound into a well of grace.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

SoulWork Notes

Episode 57: When We Forgive Ourselves

Scripture: Psalm 103:12

Series: Graceful Forgiveness

Summary:

This week’s reflection explores the courage it takes to forgive ourselves and the faith required to trust God’s grace more than our guilt.

In This Episode:

• Guided breathwork for peace and release
• Reflection on Psalm 103:12
• Journaling prompts for self-forgiveness and compassion
• Closing prayer for freedom

Resources & Links:

• Scripture: Psalm 103:12
• Visit www.patricegerideau.com for more reflections and resources.

Closing Blessing

May you breathe in mercy this week

and breathe out peace.

May every regret turn into a reminder

that you are already forgiven — completely and forever.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

Soul Care Notes

e56 Graceful Forgiveness: When God Forgives Us

This week, we pause at the cross and listen to one of the most astounding prayers ever spoken:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus forgives from the cross — not after the pain has passed, but in the very middle of it. His words remind us that God’s forgiveness is not conditional; it’s complete, enduring, and freely given.

When we receive that forgiveness deep within, something shifts: shame loosens, self-blame quiets, and the heart begins to rest.

Forgiveness from God is permanent.

And when we accept it, we learn to forgive ourselves — to stop rehearsing old failures and start living from grace.

SoulWork for the Week

1. When you imagine Jesus saying, “Father, forgive them,” how does it feel to include yourself in “them”?
2. What parts of your story still struggle to believe you’re forgiven?
3. How might fully receiving God’s forgiveness change how you see yourself today?
4. What would it look like to extend that same compassion to yourself this week?

Breath Prayer

Inhale: God’s mercy covers me.

Exhale: Shame has no home here.

Soul Care Invitation

Each morning, look in the mirror and gently speak this truth aloud:

“I am forgiven. I am free.”

Write down one way you will live like it today — a small act of grace toward yourself.

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

SoulWork Notes

Episode 55: The Power of Forgiveness

Scripture: Matthew 18:21–22

Series: Graceful Forgiveness

This month, we’re entering a sacred rhythm of release — exploring what it means to forgive with grace. Forgiveness isn’t about excusing or forgetting; it’s about freedom — the kind of freedom that allows our souls to breathe again.

In this week’s episode, we begin with The Power of Forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus, “How many times must I forgive?” and Jesus responds with a number beyond counting — seventy times seven. Forgiveness isn’t a transaction; it’s a transformation. It’s a rhythm of returning to grace, again and again.

You’ll be guided through prayer, breath, reflection, and SoulWork that help you open your heart and practice letting go.

SoulWork for the Week

1. What’s one grudge or hurt you’ve held onto, and how has it shaped you?
2. What fears come up when you imagine forgiving that person or situation?
3. How does Jesus’ teaching challenge your sense of fairness or control?
4. What kind of freedom might God be inviting you into through forgiveness?

Breath Prayer

Inhale: Grace flows in.

Exhale: Bitterness flows out.

Soul Care Invitation

Write the name of the person or situation you’re releasing on a small piece of paper. Pray over it daily, asking God to help you let go.

At week’s end, tear it up, burn it, or bury it — a holy act of release.

As you do, whisper: “God, I choose freedom.”

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

Soul Care Notes

The Shunammite Woman: Refusing to Give Up Hope

(2 Kings 4:8–37)

The Shunammite woman’s story reminds us that fearless faith is not about pretending everything is fine—it’s about trusting that God is still faithful even when life breaks our hearts.

This week’s SoulWork invites you to rest in that tension between grief and hope, loss and resurrection, and to trust the slow work of God.

Reflect:

1. Where have you felt hope slipping away?
2. What might it mean to say, “It is well,” even when it isn’t yet?
3. How can you nurture hope through prayer, breath, or community this week?

Breathe deeply and whisper:

“Hope lives here.”

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

Soul Care Notes

Bithiah, Pharaoh’s Daughter: Doing the Unexpected Thing

(Exodus 2:1–10)

Bithiah’s courage began with compassion. In a moment when fear ruled Egypt, she chose love—and that love altered history. She reminds us that fearless faith doesn’t always roar; sometimes it simply refuses to look away.

This week’s SoulWork invites you to examine where God is calling you to love beyond the expected, to act from mercy rather than fear.

Reflect:

1. What lines—of comfort, culture, or expectation—might God be inviting you to cross?
2. When has love led you to do the unexpected?
3. How can you trust that even small acts of compassion carry divine weight?

Breathe deeply and whisper:

“Love is always the greater law.”

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.

Soul Care Notes

The Prophetess Huldah: Saying What Needs to Be Said

(2 Chronicles 34:22–28)

Huldah’s story reminds us that fearless faith often begins in quiet discernment. Before she spoke, she listened. And when she did speak, her words carried the authority of a life aligned with God’s heart.

This week’s SoulWork invites you to practice both listening and courage—to discern when to speak, what to say, and how to say it with love.

Reflect:

1. Where is God inviting you to speak truth in love?
2. What helps you know when your words come from Spirit and not self?
3. What might happen if you trusted God with both your silence and your speech?

Breathe deeply and whisper:

“May my words be rooted in Your truth and my silence in Your peace.”

Until next time, may God bless and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you, and may God grant you peace as you continue your SoulWork.

Disclaimer: The content shared on the SoulWork Sanctuary podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. While I am an ordained minister and trained spiritual director, I am not a licensed therapist or medical professional. This podcast does not provide medical or mental health advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Please seek support from a qualified provider if needed.