Faith Art & Tiny Houses

The pursuit of happiness (and other valuables that went missing) and making space for the life we really want.

Learning to live in a tiny house of 125 sq ft, minimizing the mundane to make space for the important stuff (which isn't stuff).

From the Big House on the golf course (outer wealth with inward poverty) to a Tiny House (and contentment) and points in between.

Listeners may remember Felice from a viral video of her 90 sq ft Manhattan apartment, which may seem extreme, but so much life has opened up as a result.

Our first Faith Friday episode focuses in on the many ways we may wrestle in the darkest hours of the night.

We are most effective at putting out the wildfires around us when we have put out the wildfire of "The Urgent" in our own lives.

Living intentionally in our personal atmosphere in order to recreate a better world.

A fascinating conversation with David Latimer of New Frontier Tiny Homes where we talk philosophy, design, simplicity, constraints, sacrifices, and self respect.

Here's an exercise in self care that challenges our own "retail therapy" habits, and increases our level of self acceptance so that we are less susceptible to marketing messages based on fear and shame. This in turn saves us money, saves the environment from more single use plastics, and increases our ability to minimize the mundane aspects of our lives.

When we have clarity of purpose, it becomes easy to stock our life to meet that purpose, and then let the rest go. This may be a slightly different approach to downsizing, but it is one that works.

Today we continue the conversation on life purpose with a Georgia O'Keeffe approach.  Join me for some continued introspection as we ask the question: What do you love? 

Continuing our conversation on purpose by asking the question: Who am I here to serve?  And applying what we know of ourselves like a judge would... how will we serve?

4th in the series challenges us to face our purpose like a warrior would.  How can you approach your life as Joan of Arc would? 

Brynn Burger of TheMamaOnTheRocks.com on how simple living can give you your life back.

Alexis Stephens of Tiny House Expedition, with some tips on simplifying your home and living tiny legally.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." - Fred Rogers Fred Rogers did more than look for the helpers, he became a helper, and an inspiration for us all.

Jill Kanto of SearchTinyHouseVillages.com joins me for a conversation about Community and the ways living tiny in community has improved her life.  This is a portion of an interview we did for the virtual summit: 'Simplify My Life', for our whole conversation please visit SimplifyMy.Life.

Brenda Mason of SmallerLivingHugeLife.com joins me to talk about the things she learned as she downsized her 3100 sq ft home to move across the country to a 310 sq ft tiny house.  She was a collector, and now she enjoys the liberation of living in a tiny house.  What a transformation!

I've been undone by a new song on YouTube this week called "The Blessing" with Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, and I wanted to share a few thoughts about why I think it hit me so hard.  I think some of this may resonate with you.  And remember, He is for you! 

I asked Brenda where she recommends we start, and she said start in the closet, so we offer some helpful thoughts on how to begin and get a big success under your belt that will fuel your transformation.

Gideon asked "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about..." not realizing he was talking to the Lord...

A decade ago I would have defined simplicity as having an orderly organized home and life, but that's not how I view it today.  Now I see it as a path to freedom.

Today's guest host is Andrew Odom, host of the Tiny House North Carolina Street Festival and founder of TinyR(e)volution.us.  Joining us is Laura LaVoie, author of "Life in 120 Square Feet: The Essays" and "120 Ideas for Tiny Living".  We talk about learning to work together, affordable housing, community, and much more.

Discussing how Simplicity helps in a pinch, and ways I continue to seek new levels of simplicity in my own life.   What long term changes are you considering in the midst of this pandemic?

Culture expects women to serve and subserve, but what happens when a woman is called to lead in a way that her culture doesn't approve of?  This week's episode is a peek behind the scenes into what happens on the quiet side of the podcast.  I believe you will find this helpful in whatever you are facing right now in the midst of this pandemic.  God bless you and keep you, and give you peace.

It's time to look up the buried dreams and treasures in our lives, dig them up, and allow the Wind of the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into them.  This is what I sense Holy Spirit doing with some of my own so-dangerous-they-had-to-be-buried dreams.  God bless you with peace and Presence as you listen.

Join in my conversation with Alex Eaves.  He is a reuse expert, film maker, and apparel brand owner.  We got together to talk about some inspiring reuse ideas, how to find better quality apparel, vintage automobiles, and how to creatively source items without purchasing new.  Learn more about Alex and purchase shirts for all your friends at StayVocal.com, and visit ReuseDocumentary.com for more information on his film. 

I find Peter's story so full of rich awkward authentic humanity.  What an amazing transformation from coward to apostle, from follower to leader, from broken to healer...  I love his story and I think it's prophetic for this COVID-19 moment when we are also caught in the limbo between the NOW and the NOT YET. 

Xaver and I talk about being two entrepreneurs living in a tiny house and the ways it helped our various businesses and passion projects for us to live very simply.  This episode is from a Tiny House Tuesday Facebook Live we did together.

In 2004 I had a dream about doors, and I realized yesterday that it was possible that I hadn't fully walked through the open doors that were before me.  Today, we talk about the reasons we might not be in a hurry to walk through an open door, but that calling from God remains.  Will we say "Yes Lord" or will we shrink back in fear?

My Austrian and I discuss the American culture of consumerism, our cycle of accumulation, deliberate obsolescence and disposable everything.

My Austrian and I continue our conversation from last week on living intentionally in a throw away culture.

I continue my conversation with Alex Eaves around the Reuse Lifestyle, including his decision to go Vegan, his documentary film, some of his favorite products, and the reusable things he carries in his backpack instead of using disposables.

Season Two of my podcast begins with a conversation about Lydia, a dealer in exquisite purple cloth, a worshiper of God, and she was safe to come home to.  Tune in, and be blessed.

...and reflecting the full glorious image of God into the earth.  I consider my 50+ years of seeing 98% men on the stages of the church, and that continues even now in 2020.  And then I press in to find the surprising good news... and that is that God is busting open the gates and pouring out Holy Spirit on ALL flesh.  And that is such exciting news!

Lately, we have seen more disappointing behavior from religious and political leaders.  I've been thinking about the way Jesus crossed the aisle to speak healing to the Roman Centurion's son.  I've been thinking about what leadership is and isn't, and I believe God is calling us higher and blessing us with empowering presence.  Change is in the air! 

I'm explore what it means to me to be a "Woman of the Cloth", and the various ways we find cloth interwoven in the Text as symbols that speak of who God can be for us, and brings me hope, courage, and empowering Presence. 

Many of us have heard that phrase "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" and it can be scary to think of God that way, and it can lead to living under shame and self loathing.  Well, what if we changed the channel?  The story of Gideon shows us that God walks Gideon through his fear into victory, and changes his lived reality from being "the runt of the litter" into the man with a bearing of a prince.  That's a transformation that comes out of God seeing the best in us.  What a blessing!  

Join me as I pray through some childhood bullying experiences that have surfaced due to current events.  This double length episode is a master class in praying through childhood trauma from bullying.  This process is intensely private, but if you've never experienced this kind of prayer, this may help you get a feel for how it works.  Plus, you can pray your own prayers right along with me as a virtual prayer partner.  I Holy Spirit leads us through the process to the joy of healing on the other side.  

This week I learned a great deal more about my own Anabaptist and Mennonite heritage.  Hans Herr was my 8th great grandfather.  This is first in a two part series on the nature of being a modern Mennonite.  

This is the second part of the Mennonite conversation: my response to early Anabaptist theology.

I am a woman of the cloth... a person of faith, called to ministry that has been available to few women.  And I'm called to live a life outside of the boundaries of shame, fear, and conformity.  And so, I am exploring what it means for me to find my own personal style in more ways than one.  

The story of an escaped slave wandering around the wilderness and finding prophetic work and purpose.  Part 1 of the new series: The Crown & the Cloth

If Bezalel was an obscure Bible character, Huram is even more so, Bezalel was the artist involved in the building of the Tabernacle in Exodus 31… Huram was the artist involved in the building of Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings 7.  This is part 2 in the series: The Crown & the Cloth.

Then we need wisdom, discernment, the Text and the Word.  Jesus saw through oppression, over-emphasis on rules, and the lack of compassion… and He still does! Part 3 of The Crown and the Cloth.

Can the church find a more perfect union with her women?