Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

Do you feel distant from God… even when you’re trying?   In this episode, Gem Fadling shares a simple but profound pathway for spiritual growth, drawn from the wisdom of St. Clare of Assisi: gaze, consider, contemplate, imitate.   These four movements offer a slower, more relational way to deepen your connection with God, especially if you feel spiritually stuck, distracted, or tired of trying harder.   This is not about doing more. It’s about learning how to be with God in a way that leads to lasting transformation.   In this episode, you’ll learn: A simple Christian contemplative practice How to deepen your relationship with God A slower, more grounded way to follow Jesus   If you’re longing for a deeper spiritual life, this is a gentle place to begin. ______________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have we become so focused on living well in this world that we’ve forgotten the unseen world to which we ultimately belong?   In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling welcomes pastor and author Brian Zahnd for a conversation about his new book, Unseen Existences: Of Heaven, Earth, and the Divine Mystery in All Things.   Brian suggests that in our efforts to make Christianity relevant to the concerns of this world, we’ve sometimes lost sight of heaven. But heaven is more than a destination after death. It is a spiritual reality that gives deeper meaning to our lives here and now.   Together, Alan and Brian explore what it means to recover a sense of transcendence, why Christian spiritual formation is so much more than self-improvement, and how understanding life as a pilgrimage toward union with God can reshape our everyday experience.   They also reflect on Brian’s experiences with long-distance pilgrimage, the importance of wonder, and how remembering heaven can deepen rather than diminish our love for the world.   This conversation is an invitation to see beyond the visible, rediscover the mystery of God’s presence, and live today in light of our eternal home.   Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.  Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Who are you becoming beneath the surface of your life? We live in a culture that rewards appearing mature, authentic, and put together. But real spiritual transformation is slower and deeper. It asks us to pay attention to the parts of ourselves we might rather avoid and to allow God to form us from the inside out. In this conversation, Gem talks with therapist, spiritual director, and author Chuck DeGroat about his new book, Who You’re Becoming: The Slow and Courageous Work of Cultivating Character in a Narcissistic Age. Together they explore performative authenticity, the pressure to appear more formed than we are, the impact of our attention economy, and what it means to become a more grounded and whole person. They also talk about why spiritual formation can’t be rushed, and how to remain present to others without absorbing their anxiety  If you’ve ever felt discouraged by how slowly you seem to be changing, this conversation offers a hopeful invitation: you don’t have to rush your becoming. ______________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We live in a world that can leave us feeling scattered. Our attention goes in one direction, our responsibilities in another, while our minds race ahead into the future or circle back into the past.   In this episode, I explore a different way of living: a life increasingly gathered around one Center. Drawing on Eugene Peterson’s reflections on the oneness of God, Joan Chittister’s description of the Benedictine practice of Statio, Bonaventure’s story of Brother Pacificus, and Paul’s vision in Ephesians of becoming a dwelling place for God, we’ll consider what it means to move from fragmentation toward presence and from restlessness toward the peace of Christ.   Perhaps an undivided life isn’t something we achieve through greater effort. Perhaps it is something God forms in us as we learn to be where we are, receive the grace of the present moment, and allow our scattered lives to be gathered into his life.   Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.  Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if your life isn’t something to rush through, but something to walk through… with intention, awareness, and God’s presence?   In this episode, Gem invites you to rediscover the ancient idea of pilgrimage, not as a trip you take, but as a way you live. Drawing from her experience leading pilgrimages in Italy, she shares how the spirit of pilgrimage can reshape your everyday life.   You’ll explore simple, grounded practices that help you: Set meaningful intention in your daily life Engage honest self-reflection that leads to love Live open, aware, and willing to God’s invitations Deepen your relationship with God without striving Cultivate presence in a hurried world   This is not about adding more to your life. It’s about learning how to walk differently through the life you already have.   If you’ve been feeling rushed, disconnected, or spiritually dry, this episode offers a gentle and grounded way forward. ______________________________________ Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.