My guest today lives in rural Appalachia -- probably not a spot most of my listeners live in. The temptation could be to skip this episode because you don’t live in a rural spot. Maybe you live in the city or suburbs or a small town.  But here’s the thing -- no matter where we live, we have to figure out how to live in that place well and there’s lots of crossovers between Appalachia and the suburbs. So listen in. My guest today on Episode 7 is Hannah Anderson. We talk about living as an outsider in a rural community, wisdom gained through discernment, her calling to her place and to her writing, and her new book, All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment. Hannah lives with her pastor husband and three children in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She’s the author of Made for More, Humble Roots, and All that’s Good. In addition to writing and speaking, she also hosts The Persuasion Podcast with Erin Straza for Christ and Pop Culture Stick around: You’ll find some gold nuggets to encourage you to stay rooted in your place -- whether you’re in the country, city, or suburbs. And at the end, you’ll have your one small step to help take all the things that matter into your ordinary, holy, life. Hannah provided us some wonderful questions to help us in the ways of discernment: --How would what I share (online) affect my real-life relationships? --What is the point of correcting? Would it build the community? --What would I say to this person if this person was in my kitchen? Proximitiy checks our tendencies. A SMALL STEPThis week remember to lighten up. Humor disarms. Try a family dance party to get out of your own head or using a self-deprecating joke. It’ll allow you to begin to empathize instead of using truth as a weapon.  LINKS Hannah’s website: https://www.sometimesalight.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sometimesalight Persuasion Podcast: https://persuasionpodcast.buzz/ Link to purchase Made for More: https://amzn.to/2QMwArB Link to purchase Humble Roots: https://amzn.to/2rtISa3 Link to purchase All that’s Good: https://amzn.to/2QINKpZ SHARE Discernment simply means developing a taste for what’s good. --@sometimesalight on #FindingHolyPodcast How does discernment equip us to navigate a broken, complicated world with confidence and joy? -- @sometimesalight #FindingHolyPodcast Hannah Anderson talks about rural, working class Appalachia, the mistakes she’s made and how she’s practicing discernment on #FindingHolyPodcast: “The nature of truth is communal.” Listen in to @sometimesalight on #FindingHolyPodcast: A GIFT FOR YOU Share an episode of The Finding Holy Podcast online and review it on iTunes. Then take a screenshot and send it to me at [email protected]. I’ll send you your very own Finding Holy journal!

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You’ll love this interview with author and activist Micha Boyett. She and her family live in San Francisco, CA. Micha Boyett, author of Found, talks motherhood, raising a son with Down Syndrome, and what it looks like to be a good neighbor in San Francisco. Don’t miss her helpful tips on practicing to see the way Jesus sees -- even when you’re in the school pick-up line. Here’s a bit more about our guest: Micha Boyett is a poet, activist and author of the book, Found: A Story of Questions, Grace and Everyday Prayer. She has an MFA and writes on spiritual formation, down syndrome and motherhood. She hosts The Lucky Few podcast which focuses on changing the narrative about Down Syndrome. A SMALL STEP It’s Micha’s practice. → Create a visual clue for the change you want to see. Try grabbing a sticky note right now. Write a word, phrase, or portion of scripture that you want to meditate on. (For me, I’m putting a bright pink sticky note on the fridge that says “breathe.” so that when the noise of four small kids gets too much, I’ll remember that breathing is one way we rewire those neurons)! So grab a sticky note, put on a word or phrase and put it where you’ll see it. Let me know how it goes! It’s one small way to begin to take the ideas we want to embody -- like peace, love, and kindness -- and begin to make a practice of them. LINKS Micha’s website: https://www.michaboyett.com/ The Lucky Few Podcast: www.theluckyfewpodcast.com/ Twitter: @michaboyett Link to purchase Micha’s book, Found: https://amzn.to/2SsFZBY Link to purchase No Drama Discipline: https://amzn.to/2QDlnK4 Link to purchase The Whole-Brained Child: https://amzn.to/2SuidWf SHARE “Spiritual discipline is sometimes about retraining our brains.” —@michaboyett on #findingholypodcast with @aahales: “The smallest choices are usually the ones that effect you the most.” —@michaboyett on #findingholypodcast with @aahales “Spiritual discipline is always going to be a practice.” —@michaboyett on #findingholypodcast with @aahales “Thanksgiving is always the heart of change.” —@michaboyett on #findingholypodcast with @aahales A GIFT FOR YOU Head over to aahales.com, enter your email, and you’ll get a free download of the first chapter of my book, Finding Holy in the Suburbs. (Or you can purchase it here).

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My guest for Episode 5 is Russ Ramsey. Russ Ramsey is the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church Cool Springs in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife and four children. He grew up in the fields of Indiana and studied at Taylor University and Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM). Russ is the author of the Retelling the Story Series (IVP, 2018) and Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death (IVP, 2017). In Episode 5, we talk about the best burrito restaurant in Nashville and how to creatively engage social media through pursuing beauty. We also chat about our actual places, and a few small steps to jog our imaginations as Christians -- and, of course, I ask about his laundry routine. Russ has some great tips to share about how to approach scripture this Advent season. As your small practical step, I’d simply encourage you to try something this Advent season a little differently. Let's jog our imaginations. --Take a different route home -- Frequent a local business --Engage scripture differently --Read a gospel through the Advent season --Try to get your laundry into the basket (Just kidding!) Here are Russ’s tips for engaging scripture: Read a portion of scripture beginning to end. Read aloud. Listen to scripture audio recordings. Engage your imagination: look for details in what you read. Scripture gives us wisdom, not necessarily answers. It forms the way you think. How are you formed as you read? LINKS: Russ’s website: http://russ-ramsey.com/ Christ Presbyterian Church Cool Springs: https://www.christpres.org/visit-cool-springs/ Twitter: @russramsey Baja Burrito (best burritos in Nashville): http://www.bajaburrito.com Link to purchase The Advent of the Lamb of God: https://amzn.to/2r3JNOf Link to purchase The Mission of the Body of Christ: https://amzn.to/2TJ8dtA Link to purchase The Passion of the King of Glory: https://amzn.to/2TKTs9t Link to purchase Struck: https://amzn.to/2P2984w SHARE: “When you see social media as a tool...when it’s not the main thing, then you can use it for good.” @russramsey on social media #artwednesday #findingholypodcast “Story is a trojan horse for truth.” @russramsey on #findingholypodcast “We hide scripture in the heart by way of imagination.” @russramsey on #findingholypodcast DON'T FORGET: -Subscribe to #FindingHolyPodcast -Share a link o a favorite episode on social media. Screenshot it and send it to me. I'll send you a little gift in the mail! Email me your photo at [email protected]

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In Episode 4, I sit down with Bronwyn Lea. Bronwyn Lea is originally from South Africa and brings a unique perspective to American listeners, not just on America, but on the way the places we live shape our lives. Bronwyn Lea is an author, speaker, activist, and most recently, editorial curator for Propel Sophia. She loves Jesus, puns, her home country of South Africa, her adopted country of the US, her endlessly patient husband, her three goofy kids, wisdom and justice, seeing women thrive in the Kingdom, and quality ice-cream (in no particular order). As a response to the interview, I simply invite you to pray. As you pray consider these questions from Bronwyn: Can you start by processing things with God in private? Tell God what I’m sad and mad about. Is this between just God and me? Do I need to speak out? Do I need to be quiet? Secondly, I'd love to hear if you took one small step towards being hospitable with your neighbors. Try something like a Trader Joe's Open House. Tell me all about it. As always we love when people subscribe and leave reviews on iTunes! When we get to 20, the first 20 reviews will get a free "Finding Holy" journal! (Screenshot it and send it to me at aahales AT gmail). Links: https://aahales.com/ Bronwyn's website: http://bronlea.com/ Twitter: @BronLeaTweets Propel Sophia: https://www.propelwomen.org/content/propel-sophia-landing-page/gk9bjk

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Award-winning author Jen Pollock Michel and I talk about how you can belong to a place when you’re an expat, our longings for home, and her amazing laundry song. You won’t want to miss this conversation about the incarnation, owning dogs, and how we belong to our places. We want the Finding Holy Podcast to help connect the dots between the things that matter and your everyday, holy life. Find out more at aahales.com/podcast. Here’s one small step to take to do just that: Take a walk. With or without a dog or kids. This allows you to meet neighbors and begin to hear their stories. So schedule a walk in your neighborhood this week. Simply start paying attention to the needs around you. As you walk more regularly, you’ll meet people, see needs to meet, and make time and space to pray and reflect. GIVEAWAY Leave a review on iTunes and I’ll contact you to receive your free Finding Holy journal for the first 20 reviews! LINKS: Link to purchase Teach Us to Want: https://amzn.to/2EkuI4n Link to purchase Keeping Place: https://amzn.to/2Cg6CVI Jen’s website: https://www.jenpollockmichel.com/ Twitter: @jenpmichel Share: “We can actually look at salvation itself as an act of housekeeping.” -@jenpmichel on home, Toronto, laundry and paradox for the #findingholy podcast with @aahales: https://apple.co/2CeiHLg

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In the first episode of “The Finding Holy Podcast,” I sit down to talk with Alan Noble, author of the book Disruptive Witness. We talk about everything from Twitter, Instagramming your hike, to best practices online, his book, ironing, dressing nicely and doing the laundry. Find out more at https://aahales.com/podcast

ONE SMALL STEP

Connect the dots between the things that matter and your everyday, holy life: 3 questions for you as you consider how to interact in online spaces: What are my triggers? (Do I go to Twitter when I’m angry, sad or lonely? What are other ways I might deal with my emotions?) What is a healthy amount of time to be online? (And, when am I consciously turning off?) What practices might I take up to engage with God, myself, or others this week? (Try taking a walk like Alan).

LINKS

Link to purchase Disruptive Witness: https://amzn.to/2P2ZnnL 

Christ and Pop Culture: https://christandpopculture.com/ 

Alan’s website: oalannoble.com 

Twitter: @TheAlanNoble

SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE! 

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The Finding Holy Podcast is coming soon!

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