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Today Joe Chambers joins us in reading from Steve’s Book “Soul Custody.” It’s a discussion about Soul Companions and how the four quadrants of the human heart offer us a picture of the four levels to friendship. Being made in the image of God--the Trinity--we are most fully ourselves when we live life together. Thank you for joining us in today's discussion!   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Soul Custody: Choosing to Care for the One and Only You by Stephen W. Smith Proverbs 27:19 TLB Ruth 1:16-17 MSG 2 Samuel 1:26 MSG Luke 24:32 Exodus 3:3 KJV 1 Peter 1:22 Mark 7:14-23 MSG 1 Cor. 13:4-7 MSG   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 52:05: Entreat Me Not To Leave You, performed by Atlanta Master Chorale   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.     

SHOW NOTES Welcome to Season 9 of the Soul Care Conversations Podcast! We are beginning Season 9 with a 3-part series on Friendship, and today will be a reading from a book that Steve contributed to, The Transformation of a Man’s Heart. The Chapter is written by David G. Benner and is titled “Friendships: Experiencing Others on the Journey.” This chapter has such depth and wisdom on the importance of friendship in our lives. Take some time as you listen - take notes, contemplate the friendships in your life, and meditate on the scriptures that are mentioned. It will give you a new perspective on the soul friends in your life.   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST The Transformation of a Man’s Heart - Compiled and Edited by Stephen W. Smith List of Scriptures mentioned (PDF Document)   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 52:15: Anam Cara, performed & written by Caitlin Grey   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast) ________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES On our final podcast for this season, Steve has a remarkable and soulful conversation with author, teacher, and leader Majorie Thompson. They discuss her long friendship with Henri Nouwen and her roles as an author, spiritual director, publisher, and eventual care giver to her own mother and mother in law, which shifted her role and required sacrifices and humility. It’s a beautiful conversation and we look forward to you joining us for it! ABOUT OUR GUEST Marjorie J. Thompson is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church USA. She received her Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Swarthmore College, and her Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. Following a post-graduate pastoral internship, she became a Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School where she studied Christian spirituality with Henri Nouwen and did independent research in ecumenical traditions of prayer. She has served as director of the Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership and as spiritual director to Companions in Christ, a program outgrowth of the Pathways initiative of The Upper Room. She is the author of Family, The Forming Center and Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life.. She is a widely sought retreat leader, teacher, and speaker in the area of Christian spirituality. She and her husband John live in Kingston Springs, Tennessee. Courage for Caregivers: Sustenance for the Journey in Company with Henri J. M. Nouwen by Marjorie Thompson All of Marjorie’s books The Great Annual Examen - An Exercise to Look Back, Look Within, and Look Forward   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Henri Nouwen Website A Spirituality of Caregiving by Henri Nouwen   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 34:52: Cathedral of the Pines by Tim Janus Music Break at 1:09:07: Be Thou My VIsion - Nathan Pacheco FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.     

SHOW NOTES How many times have you thought you were completely alone in this stress-filled world - financial issues, family conflicts, marital struggles, depression… the list is long and exhausting. The big question is, does God care about all that? Does he care that your kids are misbehaving and making you lose your mind? That at night you can’t get your mind to shut off and goes further into depression and anxiety? That you and your spouse can barely talk to each other? The answer is so much more complex than a simple “yes.” Listen in as Steve speaks to this very question. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST John 1:43-48 Psalm 143:8  Moment to Breathe - Thomas Merton’s Prayer Text Audio Find more resources on Soul Care and our podcast on Potter’s Inn Social Media channels Facebook Instagram

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   SHOW NOTES “Beauty. Some forms of beauty calm us, others excite us, but all tend to grab our attention and intrigue us enough to have an affect. Beauty of course comes in many forms beyond the human face and form. From the landscape, seascape, and skyscape to the wonders of music, art, math, and science, we’re surrounded by reminders of the deeper things, the higher things, the truest things in life and beyond. Let’s make sure we steep ourselves in a recognition and enjoyment of the many and varied beauties around us, small and large. Then, we'll be likelier to act in more beautiful ways, in all things.” —Tom Morris The first part of our podcast is the rest of the discussion on Beauty with Steve and Tom Morris in this inspiring and rich conversation on Beauty. The second half of the podcast is a reading and discussion of John O’Donahue’s poem A New Beginning. Joe and Steve have a heartfelt talk about it’s meaning for all of us. Thanks for joining the Conversation today! ABOUT OUR GUEST Tom Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. A native of Durham, North Carolina and a Distinguished Alumnus of Durham Academy, Tom was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, which has honored him, along with Michael Jordan, as a recipient of their "Distinguished Young Alumnus Award." He holds two masters degrees as well as a joint Ph.D. in both Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale University, as well as other, honorary doctorates in recognition of his public work of bringing practical philosophy back into the cultural mix. Tom served for fifteen years as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he quickly became a campus legend, in many years having an eighth of the entire student body in his classes. Recent projects involve novels, nonfiction books, and a script for an immersive theatrical experience featuring AI and the robotics of five hundred years in the future. He is a firm believer that ideas rock the world. Tom is now Chairman of the Morris Institute for Human Values in Wilmington, NC. Tom’s Website If Aristotle Ran General Motors by Tom Morris The Everyday Patriot by Tom Morris   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Beauty: The Invisible Embrace by John O’Donohue Reading & Discussion of “For a New Beginning” By John O’Donohue from To Bless the Space Between Us Previous episodes with Tom Morris: The Closing of the American Mind, Part 1 The Closing of the American Mind, Part 2   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 17:30: A New Beginning by Peder B. Hellend Music Break at 31:00: The King's Singers - When All Falls Silent (Geert D'hollander) FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.   

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast) ________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES “Beauty. Some forms of beauty calm us, others excite us, but all tend to grab our attention and intrigue us enough to have an affect. Beauty of course comes in many forms beyond the human face and form. From the landscape, seascape, and skyscape to the wonders of music, art, math, and science, we’re surrounded by reminders of the deeper things, the higher things, the truest things in life and beyond. Let’s make sure we steep ourselves in a recognition and enjoyment of the many and varied beauties around us, small and large. Then, we'll be likelier to act in more beautiful ways, in all things.” —Tom Morris Join Steve and Tom Morris in this inspiring and rich conversation on Beauty. ABOUT OUR GUEST Tom Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. A native of Durham, North Carolina and a Distinguished Alumnus of Durham Academy, Tom was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, which has honored him, along with Michael Jordan, as a recipient of their "Distinguished Young Alumnus Award." He holds two masters degrees as well as a joint Ph.D. in both Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale University, as well as other, honorary doctorates in recognition of his public work of bringing practical philosophy back into the cultural mix. Tom served for fifteen years as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he quickly became a campus legend, in many years having an eighth of the entire student body in his classes. Recent projects involve novels, nonfiction books, and a script for an immersive theatrical experience featuring AI and the robotics of five hundred years in the future. He is a firm believer that ideas rock the world. Tom is now Chairman of the Morris Institute for Human Values in Wilmington, NC. Tom’s Website If Aristotle Ran General Motors by Tom Morris The Everyday Patriot by Tom Morris   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light by Joan Chittister Beauty: The Invisible Embrace by John O’Donohue Previous episodes with Tom Morris: The Closing of the American Mind, Part 1 The Closing of the American Mind, Part 2   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 14:49: Children’s Choir - Composed by PinkZebra. Music Break at 39:53: Beauty – Snow Music Studio   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   SHOW NOTES Jesus promised, “Seek and you will find!” Today we are continuing the conversation with Trevor Hudson on Seeking God. The conversation takes us over to the deep side of the boat where many fish are swimming. They talk about Dallas Willard, Ignatius of Loyola and the deeper journey to see God in all things! Please join us! ABOUT OUR GUEST Trevor Hudson has been part of the Methodist movement for over 40 years. Serving primarily around Johannesburg, he is deeply committed to the work of spiritual formation within local congregational contexts. A significant part of his weekly work presently consists of leading people through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and offering spiritual direction. Besides his local commitments, Trevor travels widely, preaching and teaching. He lectures at Fuller Seminary, the Renovaré Institute, the Dallas Willard Center for Christian Spiritual Formation, and the Jesuit Institute in South Africa. He is the author of 22 books including Discovering Your Spiritual Identity (IVP) and Beyond Loneliness (Upper Room). His most recent book is Seeking God-Finding Another Kind of Life with St. Ignatius and Dallas Willard.   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Episode 10: Discernment: The Journey to Discover God’s Will Episode 12: Cultivating Daily Shalom: Using the Daily Examen Dallas Willard    MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 22:50: Mellow Celtic Style Acoustic Duet - Envato Elements Music Break at 37:49: Beautiful Choir Requiem – Blue Sky Audio FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.   

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   SHOW NOTES Jesus promised, “Seek and you will find!” We are all seeking, but how do we move beyond insight to truly encounter the living God in your life? Join Steve and Trevor as they discuss what a seeking life looks like and how we can join in the adventure. Thank you for joining us in today’s conversation!   ABOUT OUR GUEST Trevor Hudson has been part of the Methodist movement for over 40 years. Serving primarily around Johannesburg, he is deeply committed to the work of spiritual formation within local congregational contexts. A significant part of his weekly work presently consists of leading people through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and offering spiritual direction. Besides his local commitments, Trevor travels widely, preaching and teaching. He lectures at Fuller Seminary, the Renovaré Institute, the Dallas Willard Center for Christian Spiritual Formation, and the Jesuit Institute in South Africa. He is the author of 22 books including Discovering Your Spiritual Identity (IVP) and Beyond Loneliness (Upper Room). His most recent book is Seeking God-Finding Another Kind of Life with St. Ignatius and Dallas Willard.   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST Episode 10: Discernment: The Journey to Discover God’s Will Episode 12: Cultivating Daily Shalom: Using the Daily Examen Dallas Willard    MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 22:50: Mellow Celtic Style Acoustic Duet - Envato Elements Music Break at 37:49: Beautiful Choir Requiem – Blue Sky Audio FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.   

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   SHOW NOTES What if rest has already been created and all we have to do is find ways to participate? Listen in to Steve and Ruth as they discuss how Sabbath is more than a practice, but a way of life ordered around God's invitation to regular rhythms of work, rest, and replenishment that will sustain us for the long haul. ABOUT OUR GUEST Ruth Haley Barton (Doctor of Divinity, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors, Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. A sought-after teacher, retreat leader, and trained spiritual director, Ruth is the author of numerous books and articles on the spiritual life. Educated at Northern Seminary, the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies, she has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church and is Professor of Spiritual Transformation at Northern Seminary. Ruth’s Website (includes all her books. blog, and podcast) HER LATEST BOOK: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again by Ruth Haley Barton   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram   CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

***NOTE: We had some technical issues with the previously released audio file this morning - this release is the corrected file. Thank you for your patience!*** When it comes to understanding the Enneagram, it's time to consider a shift and deepening of how this tool can enhance our spiritual journey. There's been such a 'fad phase' in the past decade about the Enneagram that it has left many of us wondering... what is the real point of knowing ourselves better? Marilyn Vancil and Steve discuss this much needed shift and her new book, Beyond the Enneagram. Steve and Marilyn explore the themes of the book--a re-centering of our self orientation to a God orientation. They discuss: Moving from What I am to Who I am Moving from Reaction to Responsive From bondage to Freedom From Wounded to Whole From Shakable to unshakable And from Being burdened to rested--Steve's favorite chapter and worth the price of the book in one chapter! About Our Guest Marilyn Vancil is a certified Enneagram Professional in the Narrative Tradition through Enneagram Worldwide, a certified spiritual director, and a trained life coach through Coach Training Alliance. She has also completed coursework on the Enneagram at Loyola University and the Deep Coaching Institute. Vancil facilitates workshops and retreats on the Enneagram, focusing on how it can be used to deepen one’s life with God and improve relationships. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Jeff. Marilyn's Website Beyond the Enneagram by Marilyn Vancil Self to Lose, Self to Find by Marilyn Vancil   More information on the Enneagram Podcast Episode 39 - A Deeper Understanding of the Enneagram with Adele and Doug Calhoun Podcast Episode 46 - How the Enneagram Informs us in Crisis with Adele and Doug Calhoun The Enneagram: A Self Awareness Spiritual Tool SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support our ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast)   Contact Us at podcast@pottersinn.com  

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast) ________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES How can we reclaim a faith that is simple— free from religious paraphernalia and church clutter? Is it even possible? In the complex times we are living in and in the new cadence of urgency and emergency, what can we do to reclaim our “first love?” This is the subject of today’s Soul Care Conversation -we encourage you to join the conversation! Sign up to subscribe at HERE or get the APP. Search for “Potters Inn” wherever you get your apps!   MENTIONED IN PODCAST Pew Research Report “Modeling the Future of Religion in America” Revelations 2:2-5 (MSG) Mysteries, Yes - poem by Mary Oliver 2 Corinthians 11:3 (MSG)  Matt 6:31-33 (MSG) Seven ways to implement simplicity 1. Live with Jesus in mind and heart 2. Read the Red letters of the Bible 3. Be quiet 4. Detachment- To uncomplicate and to untangle your life to experience inner freedom. 5. Do less 6. Practice Sabbath (Practice ceasing) 7. Declutter - Marie Kondo MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 16:00 Simple Gifts sung by Judy Collins for the February 1963 TV broadcast of Dinner with the President in Washington, D.C. Song and lyrics by Elder Joseph Brackett (1797–1882) of the Alfred, Maine Shaker community. Music Break at 25:40 Give me Jesus sung by Fernando Ortega.   FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM Facebook Soul Care Conversations Group Page: Potter’s Inn Main FB Page Instagram

SUPPORT THE PODCAST It takes a lot to create our podcast episodes! Please consider a gift to support this vital ministry. We have a few ways to make it easy for you: Use our Donation Page on our Website Donate using our new App Send by mail (Potter’s Inn, PO Box 35, Divide, Colorado 80814 - make sure you make note that your gift is for the podcast) ________________________________________________________ SHOW NOTES Welcome to Season 8 of the Soul Care Conversations podcast! Today Steve delves into Matthew 11:28-30 and the question of being ‘yoked to Jesus.‘ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) Thanks for joining us in the conversation!   MENTIONED IN PODCAST SOLO: Creating Space with God by Stephen W. Smith and Peter M. Ivey The Jesus Life by Stephen W. Smith Pray as you Go - APP for Lectio Divina   MUSIC USED IN PODCAST Music Break at 33:36 My Yoke Is Easy by John Michael Talbot CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

The Soul Care Conversation is a much beloved resource across the world.  But to continue this work depends upon your support. This link takes you to a list of some of our on-going expenses and how you, your small group, church, or organization could take a “bite-size “ chunk out of our monthly costs. Take a look and help us, would you? SUPPORT THE PODCAST _________________________________________________________________ This is the last episode of our Summer 2022 Replays. We will be back in September with a brand new season! SHOW NOTES How many times have you thought you were completely alone in this stress-filled world - financial issues, family conflicts, marital struggles, depression… the list is long and exhausting. The big question is, does God care about all that? Does he care that your kids are misbehaving and making you lose your mind? That at night you can’t get your mind to shut off and goes further into depression and anxiety? That you and your spouse can barely talk to each other? The answer is so much more complex than a simple “yes.” Listen in as Steve speaks to this very question. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN PODCAST John 1:43-48 Psalm 143:8  Moment to Breathe - Thomas Merton’s Prayer Text Audio Find more resources on Soul Care and our podcast on Potter’s Inn Social Media channels Facebook Instagram

The Soul Care Conversation is a much beloved resource across the world.  But to continue this work depends upon your support. This link takes you to a list of some of our on-going expenses and how you, your small group, church, or organization could take a “bite-size “ chunk out of our monthly costs. Take a look and help us, would you?  SUPPORT THE PODCAST  SHOW NOTES “Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, just as Christ was.” Colossians 3:4 (MSG) Isolation - something most of us are experiencing right now.  Today's podcast is about unwanted isolation - the type God uses to accomplish what only living in obscurity can do and how God uses obscurity to shape and mold us for greater things; things that we are not always aware of. Joe reads the profoundly personal chapter “Life of Hiddenness” from Steve’s book “The Jesus Life.”  It’s a look at Jesus' life of hiddenness, and how we can take the steps toward that same life. The last few minutes of the podcast has some ideas to seed your thinking and help spark your creativity about establishing your own ways of learning to live with obscurity as Jesus did. It is our Moment to Breathe this week and more information is listed in the Resources section below. Blessings to you all as you listen and join us in the conversation.   RESOURCES The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity by Stephen W. Smith a Colossians 3:4 (MSG) Moment to Breathe - Questions for Living in Obscurity like Jesus Audio Text Creating Space for our Souls in a Critical Time - this is a new portion of the podcast where our hosts show how they are practicing soul care in the midst of chaos Today we will hear from Kaylene on how she cares for her body and keep moving during quarantine - baking! Audio Kaylene’s Easy Biscuit Recipe   Find more resources on Soul Care and our podcast on Potter’s Inn Social Media channels Facebook Instagram

The Soul Care Conversation is a much beloved resource across the world.  But to continue this work depends upon your support. This link takes you to a list of some of our on-going expenses and how you, your small group, church, or organization could take a “bite-size “ chunk out of our monthly costs. Take a look and help us, would you? DONATE TO PODCAST   Show Notes In this episode we join Steve and Gwen for two sessions of their Soul Care 101 course recorded at the retreat center known as Potter’s Inn at Aspen Ridge. Enjoy this fireside conversation with pops and crackles from the fireplace, as they examine the three core questions of every soul.   Question 1 - Am I Loved? Every person everywhere wants to know if they are loved. Some (or all) of us may have love wounds where we either didn’t get the love we needed or we looked for love in all the wrong places. Learn what it means to be beloved and how to rest in the truth of God’s love for us.   Question 2 - Am I Safe? What fears do we carry with us that shape us? How do these fears affect our image of God? If we don’t feel safe how does that affect how we relate to others? Also it’s good to ask, am I a safe person? Do I listen to others or am I quick to judge? Question 3 - Do I Belong?    It is evident from an early age that we all want to belong to a group, a community. Where are we finding our safe community? Is it the right place? Are we able to be our true selves there or do we feel that we have to act or look a certain way? Do we change our behavior depending on where we are or who we are with?   Resources mentioned in the podcast Download a Study Guide for Question 1 and Questions 2 and 3 Soul Care 101 Course: Purchase here at the Potter’s Inn Bookstore Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 7:7-9 Moment to Breathe: The Inner Voice by Henri Nouwen. Read the excerpt here. Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? by John Powell  

Celebrate with us as we hit a BIG milestone for the podcast! Thank you all for your continued support and prayers - we are blessed! SPECIAL REQUEST: For us to continue our work on the podcast, we are asking you to help us with a one time gift, or even better a monthly donation, to help us. There are monthly obligations for all the work, all the technology, the podcast hosting, etc. Whatever you can give will be such a help - it will be a great blessing! >>DONATE HERE<<   SHOW NOTES Join co-hosts Steve Smith and Joe Chambers as they give more definition to what soul care is and how it relates to icebergs and the Brooklyn Bridge! Steve Smith shows us the stress of living divided lives and lays out the importance of caring for all aspects of the human experience: physical, emotional, relational, vocational, and spiritual. Plus enjoy an interview with Joe Walters, head of the Soul Care Institute and learn how you can take part in a 2 year journey to better soul health.   LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST Understanding the Soul with Icebergs: View and Download Here Article: Five Reasons Soul Care Matters by Stephen W. Smith: View and Download Here Poem: For One Who Is Exhausted by John O’Donohue. This poem is available in his book To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. Learn more about John O’Donohue at www.johnodonohue.com   BOOKS RECOMMENDED The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander by Thomas Merton Building Below the Waterline: Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership by Gordon MacDonald

“When human beings are devalued, everything in society turns sour. Women are humiliated and children despised. The sick are regarded as a nuisance, and the elderly as a burden. Ethnic minorities as discriminated against. The poor are oppressed and denied social justice…labour is exploited in the mines and factories. There is no freedom, no dignity, no carefree joy. Human life seems not worth living because it is scarcely human any longer…people matter…because every man, woman, and child has worth and significance as a human being made in the God’s image and likeness.” —John Stott “The Contemporary Christian"   Understanding is the Way Forward A riot is the language of the unheard.--Dr. Martin Luther King Understanding is the way forward. Understanding will help everyone breathe. Understanding will help everyone care. Understanding will help us know what needs to change and how we can transform culture together. We will never care for our soul until we understand the soul. That was my journey--a journey of understanding of how complex I am; how unique I am; how fearfully and wonderfully made I am--and you too. This changed everything for me and will change everything for all of us as well. We will not care for anything--a plant--a dog--a hamster or a tomato plant until we understand what that living "thing" needs. The same is true of caring for a human being. We will not care until we understand. Dallas Willard said, 'Understanding is the beginning of care." I believe him on this! Until I understand human dignity I will not honor human life of any color or any age or any ethnicity. Until I understand love-- I cannot really love and I will not offer love. Until I understand the high costs of not forgiving and not being forgiven, I will not forgive. And the beginning of all understanding is listening. To listen is to love. Let me say it again, to listen is to love. I've learned that in my marriage, in my parenting, in my friendships and now I must learn this in this global pandemic disease of racism. I must listen. I must shut my mouth; not offer my opinions as a white male who was educated in great schools and just listen. Understanding is the only way forward. And when we understand one another we will finally learn to love each other. When George Floyd cried out, "I can't breathe!" What do you really understand he might have been saying? What can we listen to? What can we now understand? I felt compelled today to record a new podcast for Potter's Inn Soul Care Conversation Podcast on "Understanding Human Dignity." Spoiler alert: When I give this talk around the world, it normally results in a standing ovation... Why? Because perhaps this talks helps articulates for some of us what we might be feeling but can't yet say--what might still be pre-verbal in our watching the news these days and feeling so saddened yet so paralyzed by thinking through what can I do?   MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST Soul Care Institute

SHOW NOTES The art of reflecting on our day is almost a lost art in our busy and over-committed life. However, in this week’s podcast, Steve explores an ancient spiritual exercise called The Daily Examen. In this podcast, Steve walks us through five easy steps used to reflect back upon our day, to see where God was in our midst that we might have missed because of our busyness, and to foster a heart of gratitude. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST Five Steps to the Daily Examen Moment to Breathe: Matthew 11: 28-30 (MSG)   SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK! Leave a comment below or send our team a message at podcast@pottersinn.com   INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats. 

We are all on a critical journey. We are all finding our way in a broken world and hearts that are always being transformed. The two conversations on The Critical Journey that I had with Joe Chambers will anchor us into knowing a path that gives us clarity, direction, and assurance. In the podcast, Joe and I discuss a model of our own journeys to help us find our way forward through confusing times. In the two podcasts, we work through six identifiable stages of our pilgrimage in life. This week, you get "two" podcasts that you can enjoy, take your time in listening, and taking notes. Since we began the podcast four years ago, we've recorded hundred of hours of stellar conversations about the care of our soul. It's always so encouraging to get a text, email or letter from someone in the world who has benefited from them. One man wrote this: I started listening to a podcast called Potter's Inn Soul Care Conversations. Every single message resonated deep within me and was really helpful for me to reconstruct my faith around the principles that Jesus actually taught. It is a podcast of encouragement instead of conversation. It was full of hope instead of guilt and shame. A woman from Brazil wrote this to us: Although I am a member of a church, I feel that I don't quite fit in there at the moment. I had been feeling a bit alone spiritually and praying for God to send me people that had beliefs more aligned with what he had been leading me towards, and your podcast felt like an answer to my prayers. I remember listening to every episode and just weeping as I felt God's love and care for me. ​The family of listeners around the world continues to grow and by utilizing podcasts, we are able to offer stimulating conversations and opportunities to grow and mature in these challenging times. Please SHARE the podcasts to those in your spheres of circles that you think would benefit. We are watching the downloads edge closer and closer to 200,000 episodes being listened to since we started! What a milestone that will be for being a global resource in soul care! Thank you for your support! As summer continues, I will write you each week with a highly recommend podcast that you might have missed or didn't know about. Every blessing! Steve  SUPPORT THE PODCAST    ____________________________________________   SHOW NOTES How do we determine where we are on the spiritual journey? It can be 1 step forward, 2 steps back! This is what we call the Critical Journey, a model that includes 6 stages in our journey in Soul Care that we all experience in our journey with the Lord, moving toward a place of absolute being, and filled with the Father’s love. 1. The Converted life – we become very aware of God and yield our life to his control. 2. The Disciples life - Very hungry with the things of god. Necessary to understand an understanding to walk with God. 3. The Productive life – we take the information we learned in phase 2 and begin to put it to work in serving the lord. The danger is an addiction to success, which eventually leads us to hitting the “wall.” 4. The Journey Inward - Moving from doing to being and letting go of the idea of “success” – complete surrender. 5. The Journey Outward - A renewed sense of calling and an integration of soul and role. Content with a more hidden life. 6. The life of Love - Deep, vibrant inner life that embraces your true self. **Download a helpful illustration that shows all six stages   RESOURCES MENTIONED The Critical Journey, Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet O. Hagberg and Robert A. Guelich 6 Stages of Faith and Spiritual Formation Chart - DOWNLOAD John 21 - Peter and the disciples are fishing Dallas Willard Bio Return of the Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32 Moment to Breathe, Ep. 17 - Instructions for the Journey by Pat Schneider Moment to Breathe, Ep 18 - Between the Dreaming and Coming True by Robert Benson  

This summer we will be replaying episodes that Steve chooses and sees as “stellar and vital in the care of our souls.” It’s our hope that you’ll listen and then share the podcast around in your community, family, and spheres of influence.   SHOW NOTES Gwen and Steve recorded the podcast today about a prayer that took on great meaning and deeper insight during a difficult and dark time. Their conversation today is an exploration of “The Welcome Prayer.” At a dark and tumultuous time in their lives, when they lost their grandson Tommy in death, they slid into a dark night. This one prayer offered light in the darkness. The writer Thomas Keating opened their hearts up to the power of this prayer and the consolation of letting go. To just listen to the podcast is but one thing. But to share with others whom you know need this prayer is sharing the love! Please share!   MENTIONED IN PODCAST The Welcome Prayer by Father Thomas Keating Matthew 6:5-13 (The Message) Lectio Divina Solo: Creating Space with God by Stephen W. Smith & Peter Ivey   SUPPORT THE PODCAST Donate Here for an individual contribution or on Patreon to set up monthly support. CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com   INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.