Quiet on Purpose

Recently, it has seemed like everyone I know and love is involved in some kind of battle. Battles with various health struggles, battles with addiction, battles with a multitude of unforeseen life circumstances that are completely out of our control. It’s not only the world around us that feels out of control, it’s our own daily, personal lives. Have you ever noticed that sometimes life can be flowing along nicely, with everything seemingly “under control,” and then in an instant, the illusion of control is exposed for just that - an illusion?! Some seasons just bring that more clearly into focus, and for me, and so many of my loved ones, this is one of those seasons! That's what makes the scripture in this episode so remarkable and comforting! I hope you'll listen in.Exodus 14.14Questions from today's episode: What season am I in today: one where everything seems under control? Or one in which I am painfully aware of my lack of control? Where am I in the trust cycle? Have I taken up my weapons? Am I overwhelmed, fearful and panicky? Or, have I chosen to lay down my weapons, be still, and trust God to fight for me? Is there an invitation or a comfort for me in this scripture today? 

Does your church, or maybe another church in your vicinity, have church bells? Do they ring out on Sunday mornings? Have you had the privilege of traveling abroad and been touring a city when you hear church bells ring, calling out to those within earshot that a worship service is about to begin? I think the sound of church bells is so joyful and sacred! But we don't have to wait for church bells in order to hear the joyful call to worship. If we tune our hearts to hear it, the call to worship can be heard all around us. Today's episode is one! Listen in.Read Psalm 89:15Questions from today's episode: How quick, or slow, is my own heart to notice and respond to the joyful call of worship? Are there specific habits I can adopt that will help me to grow in this area? What are the joyful calls to worship in my life today?Psalm 89 set to musicPodcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

One of the highest values of this podcast is to help us all banish wrong assumptions about God, such as, his posture toward us is one of anger because of some sin we've committed. This episode takes a look at yet another scripture in which he reveals an entirely different posture toward our sins! I hope you'll listen in!Read Isaiah 43:25 here! Questions from today's episode: Do I struggle to truly believe that God lovingly blots out the stain of my sins because it delights Him to do so? Do I continue to listen to an accusatory voice in my head and wrongfully think that God is angry with me? Has it kept me from turning to Him for forgiveness and restoration? Is there a loving invitation to me today as I meditate on this scripture? How will I respond?

In this episode I share a story about a "work of my hands" that I have abandoned. I'm wondering if you have a story like that too? I think sometimes we tend to believe God feels about us the way I feel about my abandoned project! I think sometimes we believe God has treated us like I’ve treated my abandoned project! But today's scripture encourages us to understand and believe that this is not in keeping with God's character - He's not like us! If you've ever wondered if God has abandoned you or given up on you, this episode is for you! Listen in.Read Psalm 138:8Questions from today's episode: Am I tempted right now to believe the lie that God has abandoned the work of His hands in my own life? What circumstances have made it difficult for me to trust that He is still present, still working, still acting in his steadfast and faithful love toward me? Will I choose to open my hands in surrender and look for His work in my life, beginning today?What I'm listening to right nowPodcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

I believe I may have mentioned once or twice that I have 2 beautiful and delightful grandchildren, yes? Have I also mentioned how they live over 5,000 miles away from us?  Perhaps so. While being a Grammy to those 2 precious souls is one of my great delights in this life, I am not well-served when I think that it is the greatest delight of my life. The reality is that many, many of us have tough situations we are currently living with and do not see the end to anytime soon. What if we could say, along with the author of Lamentations, that God is our portion? What if He was enough? Listen in on today's episode and see if God has a sweet invitation for your soul in this scripture.Read Lamentations 3:24 hereQuestions from today's episode: Can you name a situation in your life that feels like a scarcity today, the thing you believe would bring you great delight if only a certain outcome were realized? Would you be willing to hold that situation in your hands and lift it up to the Lord, asking him to help you see your desire for that situation aligned behind your desire simply to know that he is with you, and your desire to be with him? Is he enough?Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

The awareness that he was intimately known and loved by God created within Moses a desire to more intimately know God, love God, and walk in His ways! I often think of life and relationships as on a spiral. We can either be moving upward on the spiral, toward greater wisdom and maturity and health in life; and toward greater love and intimacy in our relationships; or, we can be spiraling downward - away from wisdom, health, maturity, intimacy and love. In this episode of Quiet on Purpose, we'll explore God's invitation to us through this prayer of Moses. Listen in!Read Exodus 33:12-13 hereQuestions from today's episode: How great is my awareness of God’s love and favor toward me on a daily basis? Do I struggle to see it, or to believe it? Can I say with honesty that I long to know God more, to know His ways and to grow in His likeness? Is there an invitation from God in this scripture that He is highlighting for me today?

Zephaniah 3:17 says: The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing! How often do you consider the fact that God is exulting over you with loud singing? Honestly. Ever? How often do you picture Him as a warrior in your midst, fighting to give you victory over your enemy, your real enemy - the Devil, the temptor, the liar, the accuser. How often do you allow yourself to sink into the reality that He gladly rejoices over you, how often do you bask in His love, allowing it to renew you? I’ll be honest. It takes concentrated effort and awareness on my part to bask in God’s love for me...today's episode we'll talk about this struggle, and the invitation in it. Listen in!Questions from today's episode: Do I believe, in the depths of my being, that God loves, exults, rejoices in me; that He sings over me; that He is a warrior who helps me to gain victory over my enemy? Do I regularly take time to contemplate God’s love for me, so that I am quieted by it? As I quiet my heart now, is there an invitation that He is making known to my heart today? How will I respond?

Today marks a very special day in the church calendar. It is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent. Historically, Ash Wednesday and Lent are practiced as a time to reflect on our own mortality and sin nature, as we prepare for Passion week, culminating with the celebration of Easter Sunday. I grew up in a church tradition that didn’t focus on the liturgical calendar, but I still find the rhythms of the church calendar to be helpful for me as I seek to incorporate my faith practices into all of life. In recent years, I’ve been more intentional about marking Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, and in this episode, we’re going to use our time together to do another Sacred Reading that focuses on the theme of Lent. Listen in!

For my last birthday, one of my soul sisters gave me the gift of a simple leather bracelet with a tiny metal plaque, on which is engraved “Be Present.” I treasure this gift both because it’s a testimony to the fact that she sees me and knows my heart, and because it is a daily, much-needed reminder to me to be present for all of it! I want to be present to God’s presence with me; I want to be present with the people He puts around me; I want to be present to myself -to what I’m experiencing and how I’m processing it all-what’s happening internally as I experience what’s happening externally. But this doesn't come naturally to me, I need practice, and I need God's help. Today's episode takes time to consider both. Listen in!Do I have a tendency to spend more time ruminating on the past or else daydreaming or worrying about the future than living in the present? What might I be missing right now because I am not practicing being present and alert? Is there an invitation for me here today? Is there a confession I need to make? 

In this episode, we explore the spiritual practice that started my journey into Quiet on Purpose! Here at the beginning of Season 5, I feel so blessed that God has allowed me to share this journey with you. Thanks for listening!

Today’s episode is a little bit like a benediction to 2024 and a little bit like an invitation to all of us for 2025. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may OVERFLOW with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”! We'll be talking about my "word" for 2025 and the invitation that has me excited about what's in store for this new year. Listen in! Read Romans 15:13 above! Questions from today's episode: Do I tend to view life as a grand adventure with God, or more like a difficult exam I have to pass, or perhaps there’s another analogy that represents my life better? What are the implications of this viewpoint? Is there an invitation from God for me here today? How will I respond?

In this very special Christmas episode, I simply read the Christmas story aloud for you from Luke 2:1-20, and provide a few short minutes for you to meditate on the wonder of its truth! Read Luke 2:1-20 here Lyrics and story behind O Holy Night Lyrics and story behind O Little Town of Bethlehem Lyrics and story to We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We’re all waiting for something. It’s probably safe to say that we’re all waiting for something all the time! And waiting can be hard. Not just for children, but for the rest of us, too. When it comes to unanswered prayers, we can sometimes grow weary of praying the same thing with seemingly no response. We can begin to doubt God’s willingness to answer, or worse, we begin to doubt His loving goodness and kindness toward us.  Today's scriptures encourage us not to lose heart. They offer hope and a new perspective! Listen in! Read Micah 7:7 and Galatians 4:4-5 Questions from this episode: Ttake some time to sit with Jesus in whatever it is that you are most waiting for. What is it that rises to the surface as you consider what you’re waiting for today? Now ask him to help you to see the possibilities of what he is up to while you wait. As you practice your holy imagination, ask God to continue to strengthen you to persevere with hope in the waiting. Waiting Here for You by Louie Giglio Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

Here in the United States, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, so this is a Thanksgiving episode. But it's also more than that. It's a call to arrange our lives around simplicity, not necessarily by changing our circumstances, but by prioritizing what matters at a deeper level! I hope you'll listen, whether you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday or not, and whether you happen to find this episode at Thanksgiving or not! Psalm 103:22 Questions from this episode: What practices naturally cause me to pause and notice God’s presence? Is there anything I can do to allow more time for one or more of those daily? What practices naturally distract me from God’s presence? Is there anything I can do to spend less time on those daily? "The Next Right Thing"

I began praying today's verses in the weeks leading up to my husband's and my recent sabbatical, anticipating what God might do in my heart during this sweet season of spending much more focused time seeking His presence and listening for His voice. As I prayed this scripture and poured my longing out to God, I began to sense His gentle whisper to my soul, issuing an unexpected invitation. I hope you'll listen in as I share this journey! Read Philippians 3:10-14 here

The question that comes to mind when I read this psalm is this: What do I do when life feels out of control? What’s my emotional response, and then what comes next? For me, the emotional response is fear. More accurately, panic! My suspicion is I'm not alone in this. Even if you feel just a little bit of fear, today's episode, based on Psalm 46 might just have some foundational truths that will be an encouragement and help to you. Listen in! Read Psalm 46 Questions from today's episode: What am I afraid of right now? What am I doing with that fear? What is God inviting me to, and how will I respond? Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

Don't worry - I didn't suddenly decide to get political! Not even a little bit. Instead, I have something far more refreshing for you. There's only one who is always trustworthy, and he also promises to lead us into life and eternal pleasures! Sign me up. This is our last episode in the Psalm 16 series, and also my last episode until after my sabbatical. Listen in! Read Psalm 16:11 Questions from today's episode: Do you trust Him to lead your path? Are you truly seeking to follow His lead? Is there a question you want to ask of Him, considering where you find yourself today? Listen for His response to your heart. Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

There are some moments in life that are absolutely delightful and I have no problem having a glad heart. But then circumstances change and the delightful moments pass. I need something more secure to keep hope alive. Today’s episode helps me remember what that hope is! Listen in!
Read Psalm 16:9-10 here 
Questions from today’s episode: Is my heart characterized by gladness and rejoicing, confident that God will never forsake me? Or am I living each day out of a mindset of “scarcity,” confident instead that I don’t have enough of whatever it is I believe will make me truly happy? What would it look like to abandon myself fully into God’s hands, knowing that He will never abandon me? Am I ready to make that shift?
A Hope that is Secure
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

Do you ever go to bed at night stumped by a problem that you just can’t figure out, and then you wake up in the morning and the answer seems so clear? Or, have you ever been so shaken by some of life's circumstances that you can't see your way forward? In today's episode we consider these two different, but related scenarios and what the psalmist, King David, has to say about them. Listen in! Read Psalm 16:7-8 Questions from today's episode: First, thank God for giving you counsel, perhaps even at times when you have not recognized it was from Him. Then, invite God to show you personally what you can do to set a visual reminder “always before you” - something that will help you to grasp the reality that He is with you at all times. Something that will remind you to turn to Him when “shaky times” come, so that you are not shaken. Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance

I remember looking in the mirror for the first time somewhere in my twenties and noticing lines on my face. Apparently I furrow my brow often enough that a line had formed between my eyebrows at that early age! I did not think it was a line that had fallen in a pleasant place! There are lines, however, boundary lines, you might call them, that God sets in our lives, which, because He is so good, so kind, and knows us better than we know ourselves, we can trust that they are always good! In this episode, we'll consider those beautiful lines, and how we might cooperate more intentionally with God's good purposes in our lives. I hope you'll listen in! Psalm 16:6 Questions from today's episode: In what ways have the “lines” fallen for me in pleasant places? How is God making my inheritance beautiful? Am I faithfully orienting my life around him, trusting him to be faithful to care for me? What invitation is he extending to me today? How will I respond?