What if the greatest challenges in your life could become the doorway to your deepest spiritual growth?

In this personal episode, I share the journey that began over forty years ago when I entered a recovery program and unexpectedly discovered a spiritual path that transformed my life.

Through the practices of self-awareness, mindfulness, and meditation I found an inner strength that carried me through life's most difficult moments, including the illness and loss of my son.

Join me as I explore how a daily spiritual practice can become an anchor of peace, resilience, and hope - no matter what life brings.

In Part 2, Rev. Ellen Barron and guest Rev. Annie Nelson continue their conversation inspired by The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, moving beyond the idea of simply living in the present to exploring how presence becomes a doorway to spiritual awakening.

Together they discuss the observer within, the pain-body, stillness, and practical ways to move from reacting unconsciously to living from your deeper divine nature.

You'll also be guided through a simple spiritual practice you can begin using right away to cultivate greater peace, presence, and awareness in your everyday life.

Rev. Ellen Barron and her guest, Rev. Therese Lee continue their conversation by exploring how we can move beyond simply serving life's changes and begin growing through them. Together, they share practical spiritual tools - including the transformative practice of journaling - to help us move from the constant stories of the mind to the wisdom of the heart.

Through self-compassion, honest reflection, and spiritual principles, they invite listeners to see life's challenges not as something to fix, but as opportunities for healing, deeper self-awareness, and spiritual awakening.

If you're navigating a season of uncertainty, this episode offers gentle guidance and hope for embracing change with greater peace, courage, and trust.

In this episode of Spiritual Insights for Challenging Times, Reverend Ellen Barron welcomes Reverend Therese Lee, a Unity minister and Grief Recovery Method specialist, for a heartfelt conversation about embracing change and opening the heart.

Together, they explore why change can feel so uncomfortable, especially when it comes through grief, loss, relationships, health, finances, or the uncertainty of the world around us. Rev. Therese shares how moving from the head to the heart can help us stop trying to “fix” pain and instead begin to honestly feel, witness, and release it.

This conversation offers gentle wisdom, practical spiritual tools, and a powerful reminder that healing is not about rushing past pain. It begins with allowing ourselves to be heard — by others, by Spirit, and by our own hearts.

In this opening conversation of Spiritual Insights for Challenging Times, Reverend Ellen Barron is joined by Rev. Annie for a thoughtful and uplifting discussion about finding spiritual grounding when life and the world feel heavy.

Together, they explore how faith, inner wisdom, perspective, and spiritual practice can help us move through uncertainty with more peace, courage, and hope.

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part conversation and sets the tone for the heart of this podcast: real conversations, meaningful reflection, and spiritual insights to help us navigate challenging times with grace.

Listen in, take a breath, and remember — you are not walking through these times alone.

Welcome to Spiritual Insights for Challenging Times, a podcast hosted by Reverend Ellen Barron. In this series, Ellen explores how spirituality, reflection, and meaningful conversation can help us stay grounded, hopeful, and connected during the uncertain times we are living in. Subscribe and join us for thoughtful conversations, spiritual encouragement, and insights to help you move through life with more peace, courage, and compassion.