Today we begin a series that I believe will encourage us to see ourselves more as God sees us. We will be reading excerpts from "The Good and Beautiful You" by James Bryan Smith. The following quote from Smith gives an overview of the subject of this episode: "Seeing our bodies- our good and beautiful bodies- as sacred instruments is essential if we are to live a vibrant life and have wellness in our embodied soul."

"Home is that sacred space-external or internal-where we don't have to be afraid; where we are confident of hospitality and love." That is a quote by Brennan Manning is one that I resonate with so very much. Today we are going to explore how grace meets us in seeing our external and internal homes as sacred places where we find belonging.

Savoring is a practice for connecting with God as a Christ follower. Using our senses as encouraged in Psalm 34:8, can be a powerful act of celebration and gratitude that enriches our lives. Be it in a season that we planned for, or in a season that is unexpectedly hard, we can savor in any season. We can sense God's provision and presence as we are fully present in surrendered worship. Join me as we learn how to make savoring a daily rhythm.

Today's episode is going to be a reminder of the big picture promise that brings strength and hope to the life of a Christ follower. We all experience times characterized by a particular circumstance or feature- that's the definition of season. Our tendency is to view that season as the end all-be all. But that's not actually God's view. While He is concerned with the details of our lives, He has an overarching covenant that houses all of our seasons. Let's explore this big umbrella that shelters everything else.

What do you think about that title? I'm wondering if today might be the first time you've ever thought of celebration and discipline going together in the same sentence! In this episode we're going to delve into this idea and discover that celebration is actually a spiritual discipline that grace makes possible to enrich our lives and draw us closer to Jesus.

We've talked before on the podcast about the scriptural basis of hope in the life of a Christ follower. But as is with so many things, there can be a gap between having knowledge of it and the reality of it in our actual lives. We're going to talk about why that is and how we go about sincerely believing that having hope is always in our best interest for joyful living.

Let's just be honest. At some time or another we've all felt a pull to take a plunge into something new, but we've held back. We've all procrastinated. I want to share a little pep talk with you and encourage you to take advantage of the energy of this season and do the thing you've been putting off.

Today I get to share a reair episode with you - Walking Through Overwhelm. We are all familiar with the feeling of being overwhelmed. Maybe you're in a place right now where you are in over your head. This episode reminds us that it's not about denying that you are overwhelmed or that there's some magical place where we just deal with it and get over it once and for all, but it's about finding the strength and encouragement to walk through it- and the incredible gifts of the Spirit that become ours in that process.

Here we are in August! How are you? I hope you've been able to enjoy the rhythm of this summer. As we prepare to bring summer to a close, I think it's important to consider what worked and what didn't work as a way to help us take the next step into the future. Today we reflect on that as a way to gain wisdom.

Every once in a while, I like to drop a "best of" episode. The episode chosen for today is "Balance vs. Wholeness" from our series on paradigm shifts. It could be really helpful in what is sometimes a topsy-turvy transition time as we shift from summer to fall. I hope you are encouraged and learn to accept grace in a new way as you listen!