"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

— Annie Dillard

What happens when we realize our phone is leading our Soul?

In this episode, Marcella tells the story of her "wild experiment"—a 100-day journey that started with deleting a favorite app and ended with finding a sacred frequency she didn't know she was missing.

If you’ve ever felt "fractured" by the digital glow or noticed your body tightening at the sound of a notification, this conversation is for you. We explore the "Human Experiment" of replacing digital streaks with stillness and how to bring our heart, mind, and body back into sync.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Icon Swap: Why Marcella replaced her most addictive app with a meditation tool and what happened 100 days later.

• The Science of Soft Fascination: How nature (the "First Bible") physically resets our nervous system and lowers cortisol.

• The Integrated Soul: Using the Dallas Willard model to understand why we feel "out of sync" when our attention is divided.

• Sacred Listening: Creating the "trustworthy conditions" where your intuition can finally speak.

The Grounded Soul Challenge:

Ready to find your own quiet frequency? Join our community on Substack to participate in the upcoming 40-Day Lenten "Sacred Listening" Challenge. You’ll get weekly resources, science-backed practices, and a space to reconnect with your own wild and precious life.

Join the community and get the Show Notes & Resources here:

https://beacons.ai/spirituscreative

Let’s Stay Grounded!

Featured Quotes:

"The soul speaks its truth only under quiet, inviting and trustworthy conditions." — Parker J. Palmer

Tags: Spirituality, Mental Health, Nature, Meditation, Christian Living, Self-Awareness, Wellness

How do we find harmony when the world feels fractured? In this "Mini-Pod," Rev. Marcella Ciccotelli shares a celebration of community milestones and a practical tool for spiritual regulation during the grey Ohio winter.

In this episode:

• ​ The Milestone: Celebrating 1,400 downloads and the power of "finding our people."
• ​ The Theology: A brief introduction to the Willardian Model—how our Mind, Body, and Soul work together to move toward wholeness.
• ​ The Practice: A 60-second "Input Check" to help you pivot from digital noise toward God’s "First Bible" (Creation).

Connect & Grow:

• ​ Join the Community: For the written guide to "Indoor Forest Bathing" and deeper reflections, subscribe today!

• ​ Follow the Journey: Visit beacons.ai/spirituscreative for resources, eco-chaplaincy updates, and links to support this ministry.

• ​ Reflection Question: What is one "marker" of God’s goodness/grace you’ve seen this week?

What happens when your "star word" contradicts your fear?

In this special Epiphany episode, I’m sharing a story I’ve never told in detail: my first year of seminary, hiding in my car during lunch breaks, and the moment a yellow paper star changed the trajectory of my life.

We talk about:

• ​ The "J-Term" struggle: Surviving seminary when you feel like an outsider.
• ​ The Connection: Why none of us are "qualified" to lead alone.
• ​ Tenderness: Reflections on my very first star word from 2019.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thegroundedsoul/p/tree-hugging-seminary-and-the-socially?r=17n5on&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Visit the link above to see the original 2019 worksheet mentioned in this episode and to join our community of clergy and seekers.

About the Host:

Marcella Ciccotelli is an Eco-Chaplain and Clergy member currently exploring the intersections of grief, nature, and spiritual rest.

#StarWords #Epiphany #ClergyWellness #UMC #VulnerableLeadership

Today is the Winter Solstice—the 'Season of Stories.' It is also my podcast’s 1st anniversary and my grandfather’s birthday. In this special episode, I’m traveling back to a farm in Putnam County, Ohio, to an orange hammock stretched between two silver maples. Join me as we explore the 'cocoon' of the longest night and the farmer’s wisdom of trusting the dark. 🌲✨

Podcast Summary: The Mycelial Mystery: Connected in the Soil of God

Description:

In a world that prizes the "self-made" individual, what if the deepest truth of our faith is found not in our isolation, but in our radical connection?

Join us this week as we delve into the Mycelial Mystery—a fascinating biological metaphor that illuminates the power of the Church community, based on the principle of the "wood wide web."

We explore the hidden life of the forest, where:

• ​God is the Earth: The ever-present, fertile soil of Prevenient Grace that sustains every seed of faith.
• ​Our Practice is the Water: The consistent spiritual disciplines that allow our faith to flourish.
• ​Jesus Christ is the Mycorrhizae: The vast, invisible fungal network that scientists call the "wood wide web," which literally connects the roots of all trees. This network is Christ, the Great Reconciler who, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2, "destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility."

Tune in to discover how moving closer to one another is the key to a vibrant, life-giving faith, and how we are all sustained by the shared life that flows through the Mycelial Mystery of Christ.

Where is God in our wilderness moments?

After a year of praying and leaning on what is known as the Welcoming Prayer within the teachings of Thomas Keating, Pastor Marcella discusses its beauty its difficulty and its mysterious way of moving us closer to God.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/ak/lost-in-thoughts

License code: ENR7BYKOSDATNOCB

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/tree-of-life

License code: B4SIJEFY4KVALPSB

*The date I speak of should be December 26, 2024

An abbreviated version of Blue Christmas 2024, which we had planned at The Meadow of Ottawa. This is such an important service to be present for one another. This recording won’t do it justice, yet there is much hope in hearing these readings. May you enjoy this first podcast episode.