What if love was the truest measure of who we are—not our achievements or titles, but the way we love and are loved? In today’s episode, we’re diving into this profound question through the lens of Thomas Merton, a contemplative writer whose reflections on love invite us into a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be “real.” Merton wrote that love is what breathes life into us, a force that, when shared, grows and fills the world. As we uncover his insights, we’ll explore how this love transforms us, forging a connection not only to each other but also to the heart of God.

Drawing from Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation, we explore his belief that God’s love flows uniquely through each of us, creating a beautiful mosaic of divine presence. “Because God’s love is in me, it can come to you from a different and special direction… And because it is in both of us, God has greater glory.” In this vision, love becomes a profound and personal exchange, as the divine presence moves through us, offering something precious to one another that no one else can replicate.

Join us as we reflect on this life-giving love that makes us real, opening us to both a unique connection with each other and to a fuller experience of God’s glory.

Links

• New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
• From Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge (UL Podcast episode)

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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

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, we’re tackling the problem of restless dissatisfaction and how the pursuit of contentment can offer a way forward. For many of us, there’s an underlying sense that something in life—who we are, what we have, or where we’re headed—should be different. The constant pull of “what if” and “if only” can leave us feeling ungrounded and yearning for a sense of fulfillment that always seems just out of reach. As I looked back on my journal entries this year, I noticed contentment as a recurring theme in my conversations with God and with my spiritual director, reminding me of the peace and satisfaction that comes with learning to be present in the here and now.

Drawing from my own journey and insights from Brian Zahnd’s The Wood Between the Worlds, I’ll share practical reflections on how shifting our mindset toward contentment can bring new clarity and peace. This isn’t just about settling—it’s about recognizing how an inner posture of contentment can transform our experience, even when circumstances remain the same. Whether you’re a “Frustrated Idealist” in the Enneagram triad (Types One, Four, and Seven) or simply someone who finds themselves often seeking more, join me as we explore the ways contentment can anchor us in purpose, grace, and genuine satisfaction.

Links:

• The Wood Between the Worlds by Brian Zahnd
• The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile
• The Benefits of Looking Back podcast episode

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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

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The problem of burnout among Christian leaders has become an epidemic in recent years. I’ve seen Christian leaders taking emergency sabbaticals more often than at any other point in my 40 years of ministry. The souls of many Christian leaders are in trouble.

• How do you care for your soul?
• How would that help address the weariness and overwhelm many are experiencing?

I’ll be talking about soul care with our guest today, Mindy Caliguire, on the Unhurried Living podcast.

Mindy Caliguire is the co-founder and president of Soul Care. In the past, she has served in executive leadership at Gloo, and the Willow Creek Association (now the Global Leadership Network). She speaks into and advises organizations including Compassion International, ECFA, National Christian Foundation, and many churches and ministries across the US and beyond. Mindy’s books include:

• Discovering Soul Care
• Spiritual Friendship
• STIR
• The book we’re talking about today, Ignite Your Soul.

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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

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Adoption is often framed by happy narratives, but the reality is that many adoptees struggle with unaddressed trauma and issues of identity and belonging. Adoptees often spend the majority of their youth without the language to explore the grief related to adoption or the permission to legitimize their conflicting emotions.

Today, Gem is speaking with counselor and author Cameron Lee Small about his new book, The Adoptee’s Journey.

You might be wondering what adoption has to do with spiritual leadership. Well, here at UL, we care very much about people and their stories. And this story is very personal to me in that I am an adoptee.

Gem is also sharing her own journey as an adoptee and giving you real time insight into my current personal process. She shares things that she's never spoken in a public setting.

Learn more about adoption and Cameron's story:

• Adoptee Consciousness Model
• Harlow's Monkey // JaeRan Kim
• Grace Newton // Trauma and Healing of Consciousness
• Adoptive Parenting Consultation Group hosted by Cam
• Schedule Cam to speak and train at your next event
• Cam's main website

Connect with Cameron on Social media:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camleesmall/
  Instagram: @therapyredeemed
  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therapyredeemed

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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.

Thirty years ago, I was visiting one of my very favorite sorts of places—a bookstore. It was a Barnes & Noble in Pasadena, California, and I was browsing through the Faith section of books. There I saw a book by an author I’d heard of but never read. The author was Thomas Merton, and the title was New Seeds of Contemplation.

It was Fall 1994 when I picked up a copy of Thomas Merton’s book New Seeds of Contemplation. I was a college pastor in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, and I’d been on a spiritual formation journey for a few years by then.

Today, I’m sharing from my journal entries in that season as I read the book. The first chapter posed a question I was asking at the time: “What is contemplation?” There weren’t many of my colleagues who were using that sort of language about their spiritual lives, but I was finding it increasingly inviting in my own life with God.

One of Merton’s insights that spoke me then was that, “In contemplation...we know by `unknowing."

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Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.

“Your identity is a gift to be received, not a paycheck to be earned.” I love this profound insight that echoes throughout Alan’s writings. They resonate with a truth we often overlook. They capture the essence of grace—a grace that defines our existence not by what we achieve, but by who we are as God’s beloved.

Our lives are gifts and yet how often do we find ourselves caught in the trap of earning mode? We measure our worth by what we do, by how much we accomplish, and by the approval we receive from others. This striving can become exhausting, leaving us empty and disconnected from the truth that our identity is not something to be earned but something to be received and embraced.

Gem offers a 3 ideas to help you embrace your belovedness as you learn that your productivity is NOT tied to your worth.

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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

The parables are perhaps the most potent expression of the message of Jesus. Parables were one of his key teaching strategies. But even his inner circle struggled to understand what he was saying.

Today, I’ll be sharing a review of a new book from Dallas Willard on the parables titled The Scandal of the Kingdom.

Through insightful analysis and practical wisdom, Willard empowers readers to transform their lives and communities by embodying the radical love, compassion, and justice exemplified in Jesus's parables. This book is a beacon of hope for Christians seeking to deepen their faith and live more authentically in accordance with the teachings of Christ. Willard empowers us to:

• Become more passionate about living the gospel in the full scope of Jesus's vision for us
• Better share the faith of Jesus with those disillusioned with Christianity
• Unlock the excitement of living in the upside-down kingdom of God
• Share the gospel of Jesus in the way he did

Content of additional interest:

• The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
• The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

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Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website.

Here’s a sobering idea: It is impossible to know and understand 100% of a situation. Now, I know that may sound a bit jarring for some of us. Personally, I like to believe I always have a handle on exactly what’s going on. I’m a master mind-reader, and an excellent future-predictor—or at least I’d like to think so! Of course, I’m speaking tongue-in-cheek here.

In truth, I don’t know the future and no one has complete knowledge of any situation. Once I settle into that reality, something beautiful begins to happen: curiosity emerges. And curiosity leads me to ask better questions, which broadens my perspective and deepens my understanding.

The small phrase "I Wonder..." is the core of what we're talking about today.

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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

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.