In this special Advent episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord sits down with two fellow spiritual directors — Niecy LoCricchio and Lynn Biskner — to explore how we can enter this Advent season with greater attentiveness, creativity, and openness to God’s presence.

Conversation with Niecy LoCricchio

CLICK HERE to purchase The Journey of Christmas Love on Amazon.

Bonus Conversation with Lynn Biskner (plus FREE Resource)

The subject of our conversation is the FREE Advent Retreat, written by Lynn Biskner, called “Advent: The Dawn of New Creation.”

CLICK HERE to download LifePoint's FREE Advent Retreat.

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The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Adam Ormord (Podcast Host, Co-founder of LifePoint Resources) invites Cyd and Geoff Holsclaw to the Being Formed Podcast to discuss their latest book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection.

Cyd Holsclaw & Geoff Holsclaw, PhD, are coauthors of Does God Really Like Me? and codirectors of the doctor of ministry in spiritual formation and relational neuroscience at Western Theological Seminary. They are the cofounders of the Center for Embodied Faith and cohosts of the Attaching to God podcast. Cyd is a coach, pastor, and spiritual director, integrating embodied neuroscience and spiritual practices. Dr. Geoff Holsclaw is a pastor and a visiting professor of theology at Western Theological Seminary.

The intersection of attachment theory, neuroscience, and spiritual formation — how our relational wiring (to God, self, others) shows up in our faith life.

Their new book Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection (2025) — key themes: the four “landscapes” (jungle, desert, war zone, pasture) as metaphors for how we live spiritually and relationally

How to discern where we are (habits, patterns, unconscious strategies) and how to move toward secure attachment with God.

Pause and ask: Where do I feel emotionally/spiritually – in a pasture, jungle, desert or war zone?

Reflect: What survival strategy (anxious, avoidant, fearful) is at work in me?

Consider: How might God be inviting a new “terrain” of secure attachment — what embodied practice (breathing, contemplative silence, relational prayer) might help shift me?

Read the Holsclaws’ book and explore their podcast for deeper integration.

Book: Landscapes of the Soul - Amazon

Website / Center: The Center for Embodied Faith (Geoff & Cyd Holsclaw) — Center for Embodied Faith

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Educator, pastor, spiritual director, and author Afrika Afeni Mills joins me to talk about her upcoming book Sowing the Seeds of Shalom.

Afrika is the author of Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students, and her TED-Ed talk Four Ways to Have Healthy Conversations About Race has reached hundreds of thousands of viewers. Her widely shared essay, A Letter to White Teachers of My Black Children, continues to inspire and challenge educators around the world.

Afrika’s ministry and writing invite us into healing and flourishing through the way of Jesus and the practice of shalom. We explore how racial healing and spiritual formation belong together, and what it looks like to live into wholeness, reconciliation, and flourishing in our everyday lives.

Connect with Afrika:

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend and subscribe to The Being Formed Podcast for more conversations about spiritual formation and flourishing.

Chapter Markers — Ep38: Sowing the Seeds of Shalom (with Afrika Afeni Mills)

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

"We live in an empathy-starved world. And with increased social fractures, we are always being formed to normalize disconnection from others. How do we receive empathy? How do we give it? What does this all have to do with God? I'm immensely grateful that Bill and Kristi Gaultiere have taken the time to respond to these critically important questions. We were created to live deeply loved in this world. But this journey has to start somewhere. What Bill and Kristi offer here is just the place to begin. I highly recommend this book." - Rich Villodas (lead pastor of New Life Fellowship; author of The Narrow Path and The Deeply Formed Life)

Our host, Adam Ormord (LifePoint Resources), sits down with Bill & Kristi Gaultiere (Soul Shepherding) to discuss their brand new book, "Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God's Great Empathy for You."

Bill and Kristi Gaultiere have been counseling and ministering to people for 30 years and are the authors of Journey of the Soul and Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith. Bill is a psychologist and Kristi is a marriage and family therapist. They are AACC leaders and have served in private practice and church ministries.

They are the founders of Soul Shepherding, a nonprofit ministry to help believers discover their next steps for growing in intimacy with Jesus, emotional health, and loving relationships.

In their new book, Deeply Loved (Revell, Sept. 2025), Bill and Kristi weave together engaging true stories with compelling insights from Scripture and modern psychology to help readers:

Visit soul shepherding.org to learn more.

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

"It's less about what we do, but it is about who we are becoming...The process of making that decision is actually the point." (Emily P. Freeman)

Join Adam Ormord as he sits down with New York Times bestselling author and spiritual director, Emily P. Freeman.

In this episode, Adam and Emily explore the art of decision-making and discernment as well as the profound impact of change in our lives. Emily shares insights from her book and discusses the importance of trusting oneself and God in the journey of life.

Emily P. Freeman is the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away.

Emily received her masters in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Friends University where she also serves as a residency lecturer. As a spiritual director, her most important work is to help create soul space and offer spiritual companionship and discernment for anyone struggling with decision fatigue. Her nationally ranked podcast, The Next Right Thing, has more than 28 million downloads and she regularly offers perspective and clarity through her weekly newsletter, The Soul Minimalist.

#SpiritualFormation #DecisionMaking #EmilyPFreeman #Podcast

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

"It's my goal that people really experience their union with Christ, the depth of security they have with Him, and the freedom to minister out of God's love." - Sean Nemecek

On today's episode, Adam Ormord (President and Founder of LifePoint Resources) remixes a former episode (Episode 16) to remind us of the very serious issue of burnout and the invitation to follow Jesus into freedom.

Sean Nemecek is the author of The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout and the Executive Director of PIR Ministries. Sean served as a pastor for 18 years prior to joining PIR. Now he works as both a spiritual director and ministry coach — specializing in coaching people through burnout and helping organizations develop an anti-burnout culture. He is all about helping people feel seen, heard, and known in the welcoming presence of our loving God.

It's critical to continue this conversation of soul health as we recognize an even more elevated state of anxiety and exhaustion affecting so many people in our communities and churches today.

“Burnout is an experience of intense anxiety, shame, and often, grief that shows up as anger, but it’s the shame piece that causes us to isolate from people. The only way to overcome shame is for it to be witnessed in community of compassionate, empathetic, and understanding people.”

“Recovery is what happens when our ministry flows out of our life with God...to be so filled up with the love of God that it begins to naturally spill out of us into the lives of others around us.”

"The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout: A Journey from Exhaustion to Wholeness" is Outreach Magazine's 2024 Leadership Resource of the Year. It also won a Silver Medalion Award (2024 Christian Book Awards Finalist in Ministry Resources). Learn more at www.wearyleadersguide.com.

You can engage with Sean Nemecek at several online locations: Seannemecek.com; The Pastor's Soul (Blog); Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Instagram: @pastorsoul.

#SoulHealth #UnionWithChrist #SpiritualDirection #Weary #Leader #Burnout #Freedom #InteriorFreedom #SeanNemecek #AdamOrmord #LifePointResources

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Join us as we explore the posture of a pilgrim with Marilyn Vancil, delving into how the Enneagram can guide us in living a surrendered life with God day by day.

Marilyn Vancil is a renowned author, teacher, and spiritual director known for her deep insights into the Enneagram and its application in personal and spiritual growth. Marilyn has dedicated her life to helping individuals discover their authentic selves and live with intention and purpose.

Her books, including "Self to Lose, Self to Find" and "Beyond the Enneagram," explore the transformative power of understanding one's Enneagram type and embracing a journey of spiritual exploration. Marilyn's work is characterized by her compassionate approach and her commitment to guiding others toward wholeness and freedom.

Resources Mentioned:

Key Topics: Understanding the "Posture of a Pilgrim" in daily life; How the Enneagram aids in spiritual transformation and self-discovery; The journey from adapted self to authentic self

#PilgrimPosture #SpiritualJourney #Enneagram #MarilynVancil

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

Our host, Adam Ormord, welcomes Pastor Jim Powell to the table to discuss their recent transformative journeys along an ancient pilgrimage path in Spain called the Camino de Santiago.

Jim Powell is the Lead Pastor of Palm West Community Church in Sun City West, Arizona. Prior to this, he served for 21 years as the Lead Pastor of Richwoods Christian Church in Peoria, Illinois. Jim is also the founding director of the 95Network, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping and encouraging small to mid-sized congregations.

He studied one year at Columbia International University in South Carolina, later earning a B.A. in Theology and Religious Studies from Quincy University and an M.A. in Theology and Philosophy from Lincoln Christian Seminary.

Jim is a widower; his wife of 35 years passed away in September 2024. He has two sons, Timothy (25) and Trevor (21). He’s also an avid pickleball player.

Jim is the author of Dirt Matters: The Foundation for a Healthy, Vibrant, and Effective Congregation, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and ministry events. His work has been featured in Leadership Journal, Outreach Magazine, Christianity Today, Guideposts, Christian Standard, ChurchLeaders.com, and more.

In today's episode, Jim and Adam share personal stories and reflections revealing the deep connections formed with fellow pilgrims and the spiritual practices that came alive on the Camino. Discover how the Camino became a path of restoration and renewal, offering lessons in presence, the power of community, and the simple joy of walking every day with God.

Whether you're seeking inspiration in your daily walk with God or contemplating your own pilgrimage, may you say "yes" to the invitation to embrace the journey with Jesus and find meaning in every step.

#CaminoDeSantiago #JourneyWithJesus #Pilgrimage #BuenCamino #CaminoFrances #LifePointResources #Adam Ormord #JimPowell

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

"One of the things we are watching couples experience is a deepening compassion for each other that overflows into their entire life together. Things just start to look different when you have a little bit more of a picture of your spouse's interior life, a picture of their soul." - Rachel Hehr

Adam Ormord welcomes Bryan and Rachel Hehr to the table for a conversation about the many resources and offerings of CURATE Ministries, a spiritual formation and soul care ministry.

Bryan and Rachel launched CURATE in 2018 while serving in various ministry contexts in California. They now reside in Colorado Springs (CO) and work together to develop the wide-reaching resources and programs of CURATE, all the while raising two young children.

"Our mission and purpose is to walk alongside individuals and communities with the aim of growing in the fullness of Christ. Our hope is that we help you to curate your heart in order that you may experience God’s fullness and be transformed into the image of Christ."

Among their many experiential and relational offerings, CURATE guides married couples through the Ignatian Exercises. Here's a brief description from their webpage:

"The Ignatian Exercises are a deeply transformative journey, used for centuries by followers of Jesus who desire to walk more closely with Him. Experiencing the Ignatian Exercises with your spouse is an opportunity to cultivate spiritual intimacy with one another as well as to deepen your own connection to Jesus."

If you are interested in learning more about the Ignatian Exercises for couples, or about CURATE's brand new Spiritual Direction Training Program, Poema, please visit www.curateministries.org.

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

“What does it mean to bring my life into tune with what God longs for, with what God desires, with what God wants for my life and for the world? For me, that is a very dynamic day-by-day invitation.“ - Trevor Hudson

In this episode, Adam Ormord (host) is joined by guest, Trevor Hudson, to discuss his latest book, "In Search of God's Will: Discerning a Life of Faithfulness and Purpose."

Trevor is an author and an ordained minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. After spending forty years doing pastoral ministry in a local congregation, he now gives his time to lecturing, teaching, and writing in the areas of spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Trevor is married to Debbie and together they have two married children.

Trevor’s journey as a pastor in South Africa has been nothing short of incredible, including sharing a prison cell with Desmond Tutu. Trevor is a prolific author and a lifelong pilgrim on the Jesus Way. He’s a faithful apprentice of Jesus who has much to teach us about discernment as a way of life with God.

Please take a moment to leave a review, and be sure to share this podcast episode with those in your circle of influence.

You can purchase Trevor's latest book, "In search of God's Will," here. Also, read more about the simple yet profoundly transformative practice of Examen here.

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.