Our Island in the City Podcast

How do we slow down to acknowledge one another?Join our discussion as guests Christy Bouleware, Chris Morris, and Brittany Tinsley answer questions on anxiety, fear, misconceptions around mental health issues, how faith institutions can do better, and what they really wish people knew.  www.christyboulware.com www.chrismorriswrites.com www.brittanytinsley.com This episode is dedicated in loving memory to Macey Wright, age 27.

Rebecca George, author of Do The Thing: Gospel-Centered Goals, Gumption, and Grace for the Go-Getter Girl is our guest today. Part guide, part manifesto, this book beckons you to pursue the passions that stir your soul. We talk about the deep roots of striving, when God calls us to quit something, our motivations, time blocking for productivity, a thought-life inventory, and a heart-warming story. Rebecca is a podcaster, speaker, writer, certified career coach & the founder of the Radical Radiance podcast community. Find Rebecca here and order her book on Amazon here.

Jillian Benfield, author of The Gift of the Unexpected: Discovering Who You Were Meant To Be When Life Goes Off Plan is our guest today. We talk about letting go of certainty when slowing down is chosen for you, our ideas of worth and success, and the gift of community. Jillian is a former journalist and news anchor who regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings, community, and Congress's National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition. Jillian lives with her husband and three children on Florida's Space Coast.  Find Jillian here and order her book on Amazon here.        

Lyndsey Medford, author of My Body and Other Crumbling Empires: Lessons For Healing in a World That is Sick is our guest today. We discuss living with autoimmune diseases, what wholeness could mean, a chronically ill world, the difference between healing and fixing, the word vocation, and slowness as a tool for creating change. You can find Lyndsey on IG @lyndseymedford and at lyndseymedford.com. 

Alan is president and founder of Unhurried Living, Inc. in Mission Viejo, California. Alan and his wife Gem wanted to become the kind of people who had a life that was helpful to others ~ a journey: of unhurried living, of spiritual formation, of contemplative leadership, and rediscovering the genius of Jesus' unhurried way. They do that through leadership retreats, coaching, speaking & spiritual direction. Alan's newest book, (with IVP Formatio) A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions for Unhurried Living is described as a daily 5-minute retreat. Amazon says: “There are six devotionals for each week of the year, each one an invitation to slow down and be present with the movement of God in your everyday life.” This book is a beautiful formational opportunity within a devotional helping our souls slow a bit more. Visit www.unhurriedliving.com

Enneagram Life: Personal, Relational, and Biblical Insights for All Seasons by author and coach, Elisabeth Bennett helps you discover how your personality type affects all aspects of your life. We are impacted at various stages in our life journey by our birth order, parenting and so much more!   Elisabeth proves that the Enneagram is a useful tool for understanding why people respond in different ways to life's triumphs and tragedies.  This is Elisabeth's 11th book. Find her at @enneagram.life on Instagram and at https://www.elisabethbennettenneagram.com/ 

Today's guest is my neighbor, Tami Purdue, owner of Sweet Peas Urban Gardens. She was the first local micro greens grower in Raleigh. We discuss the long hours in a law firm before this new venture, how young people today are anti-hustle, and how starting small and accepting help has grown not just her business but her capacity to help others in the community. Tami shares how working in the dirt is regenerative to our souls and how working in nature is literally healing our bodies. You can find Tami on IG @sweetpeasurbangardens and at www.sweetpeasurbangardens.com for info on microgreens and volunteering.

Join guest Jenn Tucker and me as we talk all about breath prayers - a lifeline and a powerful tool to manage anxiety. While trying to sleep on a little vinyl couch in her daughter's hospital room, breath prayers became Jenn's lifeline. Jenn is an illustrator, lettering artist, and graphic designer who lives in Georgia with her husband and two teen daughters. Her book Breath As Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul releases on Sept 13th. It offers guidance on how to implement a breath prayer practice, the science behind it, gorgeous, original full-color illustrations, and 80 breath prayers, and a heartfelt foreword by Ann Voskamp. Visit www. breathasprayer.com for your printable anxiety tool kit when you pre-order Jenn's new book.

Today I am doing my first solo episode in two years! I answer listener questions like: Who is Jodi? Where do I podcast from? Where do I live? Also, news about my upcoming book with IVP, a Bonaire childhood memory, my yellow raft story, and a Henri Nouwen quote that is also tied to a slow living & spiritual formation question: Who is God putting in your path? I also share where my own remote "island in the city" is located and end with a short benediction for your week. Visit me at www.jodigrubbs.com or on Instagram @jodi.grubbs. Sign up here for my twice-a-month newsletter: Your Slow Living Invitation

Today's guest is Nicole Zasowski, author of the new book What If It's Wonderful: An Invitation to Release Your Fears, Choose Joy, and Find the Courage to Celebrate. Nicole is a wife, mom, and therapist from CT. We talk about: how gratitude requires action, the courage to celebrate, how joy is the most vulnerable feeling that we feel, how God's faithfulness is not dependent on our faith, the vulnerability of joy, and how God is both our celebrator and our comforter.  You can interact with Nicole on Instagram @nicolezasowski and she has some fun, free downloads & resources at www.nicolezasowski.com for you.

Project Solomon by Jodi Stuber & Jennifer Marshall Bleakley is also a story about belonging, hope, mercy, and community. I talk with Jodi and Jen about how this book came to be, the way horses can sense what people who have suffered greatly need most, and Hopewell Ranch where children and veterans alike can experience being loved and wanted. You might even hear some horses whinnying in our episode. You can find Jodi and her husband Ty Stuber the owners of a therapeutic riding ranch on IG @hopewell_ranch or www.hopewellranch.org and author Jennifer Bleakley on IG @jenbleakley or www.jenniferbleakley.com.

Ann Swindell's new book The Path To Peace: Experiencing God's Comfort When You're Overwhelmed offers guided reflections on experiencing God's steadfast peace. We tackle questions like: Is peace possible today? What does that even look like? Have you felt forgotten by God? Ann shares her personal story of real longing and finding God to be the source of peace himself. Ann is a mom, a pastor's wife, a widely featured writer, owner of Writing with Grace, and an author with Bethany House.  Find Ann at www.annswindell.com & on IG @annswindell.

Cindy Bunch, author of "Be Kind To Yourself" is our guest. We discuss spiritual formation in our everyday lives, practices from her book, releasing frustrations & embracing joy, a gratitude flip, social media & expectations, and Cindy's own spiritual director Marilyn Stewart. Cindy is also a spiritual director herself. She is married and has three grown children and is an editor and associate publisher at IVPress.  You can find her on IG @cindy.bunch and on Twitter @cindybunch 

Connection, Intentionality & Hygge: A Slow Living Conversation with Lillie Duncan. We discuss: coziness, family, a shift to slow living, intentionally taking care of your soul, staying well during the holidays, the sea and our formative years, saying yes and also saying no, block scheduling, nature, stillness with God and more. Lillie is a writer, film photographer, wife and mother. Connect with her at www.lillieduncan.com or on Instagram @lillie.duncan

We talked about the themes of letting go, fear & control from her book, What Does Your Soul Love? And how moving at the pace of grace and growing at the pace of transformation is key.  Gem is the host of I Can Do That, a new podcast rooted in grounded optimism and practical spirituality that gives 1 practical idea + 1 simple take-away in each episode.  You can find Gem and her husband Alan at www.unhurriedliving.com and on IG @gemfadling.

Alison Bradley, Certified Enneagram Coach & Writer joins us to discuss: Enneagram Nines, the Peacemaker Devotional she co-wrote, personal conflict, deep soul care work, our gut & conscience, believing our presence matters, her own Little Free Library, and what it means to live a good story. You can find Alison on Instagram @alisonlbradley & @9ish_andiknowit where she's the host. Visit www.courageforabetterstory.wordpress.com for Alison's free resources!

Best selling author of Dirt, Mary Marantz ~ on remembering our roots, honoring our stories as well as our gifts, and her personal journey. From the girl in the rural WV single-wide trailer to the woman she is today, Mary shares her life, shaped through the lens of grace, which is the truest version of her story. Also hear a sneak peak into Mary's next book about achievement, our worth and our value. Mary and her husband Justin live in an 1880's fixer-upper by the sea in Connecticut. Find Mary at www.thebookdirt.com as well as on The Mary Marantz Show.

Becky is a mom, author, speaker and community manager at incourage.me. We discuss stopping our busyness and discovering opportunities to impact someone else, sharing kindness in our everyday life, our own stories of being kind, even when that felt awkward, and being a connector in our communities today. You can find Becky at beckykeife.com and on IG @beckykeife

Kayla Craig, liturgist, podcaster & new author of "To Light Their Way: A Collection of Prayers & Liturgies for Parents" joins us. Kayla's thoughtful, empathetic spirit and her background in journalism, all contribute to the most beautiful short written prayers, all from the perspective of a parent. We talk about how Kayla's kids point her to God, how this book is inclusive, no matter your background and how light streaming in the cathedral windows of their Craigmore home is good for the soul. Find Kayla on IG @kayla_craig & @liturgiesforparents as well as kaylacraig.com. 

How Living Within the Goodness of Limits Creates a Spacious Life, a conversation with Ashley Hales, author and podcaster. We talk about rest, how limits are actually good, how salt and the community of believers have so much in common! Ashley's new book, A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry For the Goodness of Limits comes out on September 14 and you can pre-order it now on Amazon. Follow Ashley on IG at @aahales and take her Hustle Habit quiz on her website: aspacious.life where you can also get pocket practices when you pre-order.

Join us as we discuss Mariel's T.E.N.D. method of unpacking Scripture and how we, like a seed planted in fertile ground can grow strong with the right tending. As an atheist who was transformed by the Word of God, author and speaker, Mariel Davenport knows the power of seeking God through His Word.  To get your FREE Psalm Tending Journal when you book a TEND coaching call with Mariel, go to https://marieldavenport.com/product/tending-with-mariel/ & mention this podcast! Mariel is on IG @marieldavenport.

Taking A Smoke Break with Sarah Bragg, author of A Mother's Guide To Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith & Myself. Jodi and Sarah chat about some good slow living and soul care stuff, like not doing everything we think we "should" do, the idea of modeling a life led by curiosity for our daughters, how showing up is enough and doing hard things.  Sarah is the podcast host of Surviving Sarah and her first book releases today. You can find her on IG @sarahwbragg and her website is www.sarahbragg.com. 

"The Benefits of a Personal Quarterly Retreat" with clarity coach Carla H. Hayden, COO of HopeWriters. Join Carla and I as we discuss relaxing vs resting and what it looks like to unwind and get away when responding to God's invitation to rest by leaving the agenda up to Him. Download your free Quarterly Retreat Planning Guide at coffeewithcarla.com/retreat and visit Carla on Instagram @coffee_with_carla. 

Join our conversation as we talk about entering life after a pandemic, honoring what we've learned about ourselves lately, this collective weariness we are either seeing or experiencing, and giving ourselves grace and white space on our calendars. Also hear how Brandy is pivoting vocationally and how that can help you too!  

Aundi Kolber, trauma informed therapist and author of Try Softer is our guest. We talk about our journey towards healing, neurobiology, the window of tolerance, the miracle of our brain and being God's Beloved. Follow Aundi at aundikolber.com and on IG @aundikolber. 

Need a tour guide for the second half of life? Sue Fulmore from Alberta, Canada is just that. Listen in as we discuss gently releasing our kids to God as they become young adults and the soul care needed for both mom and kid. Check out Sue's free resources: "Empty Nester's Guide to Joy" and her parenting resource "Navigating Life with Adult Children" at www.suefulmore.com & on IG @suefulmore. 

Join Jennifer & I as we discuss her new book Growing Slow: Lessons On Un-Hurrying Your Heart From An Accidental Farm Girl. We also talk about island vs farm life, the benefits of pausing with friends or in nature, trusting God's timing in our growth, and the phenomenal aspect of rocks emerging in fields year after year, much like in our own lives. Follow Jennifer on IG @jenniferdukeslee & at  www.jenniferdukeslee.com to order her book and bible study.

Join co-host Brandy Wallner & I as we answer various questions about slowing down, community and writing, all from our listeners, AKA - friends of the podcast.    

Replay: My Bonaire island conversation with Mark Lowell where we tell stories that come out of our 1970's & 80's years living in the Caribbean. Dutch school, being a third culture kid, saying goodbyes, banana boats and swimming in the dark part of the sea. Come relax, you're on island time now!

Dorina Gilmore-Young - remarried widow mama, podcaster, speaker & foodie. Join Dorina & I as we discuss her book: Walk, Run, Soar as well as the benefits of rest, cooking in the kitchen & Dorina's beautiful "unexpected trails" story. Follow Dorina on IG @dorinagilmore, at www.dorinagilmore.com and hear her podcast Walk, Run, Soar with husband Shawn on iTunes.

Sarah E. Westfall on being present with God and others as well as how we pay attention and participate in our stories. Join guest Sarah and I as we talk about aspects of slower living, direction and sustainability in cultivating this lifestyle. Sarah is the host of Not My Story Podcast and is a wife, mother of 4 boys, writer and speaker. You can find her at www.sarahewestfall.com and follow her on IG @sarah_westfall & @notmystorypod.     

Join Anna & I as we talk about our own island in the city stories, biblical rest and her own slow living lifestyle tips. Anna lives in Liverpool, England and her new devotional book is coming out in March with Tyndale House. You can find Anna at www.annakettle.com and follow her on IG @annakettlewrites.

Join Anna & I as we discuss her free guide: "Spiritual Practices for the Everyday" and touch on simplicity, solitude and guidance. We also talk about bible study and her new guide: "Scripture Made Simple" found at www.annarbolch.com. You can follow Anna on IG @annarbolch.    

10 Things Co-Host, Brandy Wallner and I discuss letting go of people pleasing and the fear of disappointing others, to overthinking things and clutter. Slow down the pace with us in 2021 and let’s focus on asking God what he wants us to do and how he sees us.  Find us on Instagram @jodi.grubbs and @brandywallner.

Join Brandy and I in another 10 Things episode! This time we are each sharing 5 of our current favorite podcasts and even some specific episodes. We discuss being an introvert, prayer, privilege, slowing down, avoiding small talk, life stories that don't go as planned and more! You can follow us on IG @jodi.grubbs and @agoodconversationdinner.

Join Morgan and I as we talk all things hospitality! We discuss foodie and non-foodie camps, secret hospitality, inner circles, the origin of the pineapple, & expectations for this Thanksgiving season. You can follow Morgan on IG and also take the hospitality personality test at morganizewithme.com 

Join this deep conversation with K.J. Ramsey from late January of 2020, right before Covid19 and the release of her new book, This Too Shall Last. We talk about health issues that have no end, high sensitivity and our nervous system, shared weakness, church hurt and community myths, lament vs. positivity and progress, embracing slowness, living within our limits and letting our work be rooted in rest, as well as vulnerability while suffering. K.J. is on Instagram @kjramseywrites and at www.kjramsey.com

Join my local writer friend Lindsay Stevenson and I as we discuss soul care, spiritual formation and listening well. Lindsay is the founder of Pushing Pause, a weekly newsletter that explores topics like faith, rest and beauty in our everyday lives. You can find Linsday on Instagram @lindsayrstevenson and at her website lindsaystevenson.substack.comas well.

Join my '10 Things' Co-Host Brandy Wallner and I as we talk about our favorite life-giving things in this harder and quieter season. We are so excited to kick off Season 2 with this really fun episode. Donuts, figs, wine, sleep, waves, rain and so much more! Brandy lives in California with her husband. She is the Community Writer @hopewriters, and is the founder of A Good Conversation Dinner. You can find Brandy at www.brandywallner.com as well as over on FB and IG @brandywallner and @agoodconversationdinner so go follow her!  

Join Summer Gross and I on episode 11 as we discuss Immanuel Journaling, resting in God, lamenting like in the Psalms, 10 minutes of practiced stillness, childhood memories of early spiritual formation and so much more. Summer is a wife, mom, story holder, table setter, spiritual director, Anglican priest, writer. She podcasts at The Presence Project and blogs at AThirstforGod.com. You can find Summer on FB and @revsummerjoy on Instagram. 

Join Kelly Streiff and I as we talk about navigating the painful seasons of life and also unpack some honest feelings about loss and grief. We are thankful for the people who have come alongside of us in the middle of our unwanted stories and hope that us talking about our experiences will give you hope.  Kelly is a speaker, a writer and the podcast host of Even If. You can find her on IG, FB and at www.kellystreiff.com. 

Join us today as my friend Pam Stults does a read aloud of my children’s book called The Island Adventures of Lili and Oliver: Glass Beach. This is a story of a brother and sister who are visiting the island of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean. Find out more about my own childhood through this story and share it with a child who would enjoy an adventure!

Any pet lovers out there? So fun to have my local friend Jennifer Bleakley on the podcast, right as her book Pawverbs launches! We chat about our beloved pets and how they point us to hope, especially during lonely times. You will want to get Jen’s 2 books, Joey & Pawverbs, both with Tyndale House Publishers. Jen’s stories will make you laugh and cry! You can find Jen on Facebook, @Pawverbspets on Instagram and at JenniferBleakley.com

What a joy to have Heather Holleman on the podcast, especially in these uncertain times. We chat about having a seat at God's table as well as being rescued and kept by the God who is the strong tower and guiding peace of our soul. You will definitely want to get Heather's books, Seated with Christ & Guarded by Christ. Heather is the author of 8 books, 5 of them with Moody Publishers. She is a wife, mom, writer, speaker, podcaster and faculty member of Penn State's English Department. You can find Heather on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and HeatherHolleman.com.     

Join me for a raw conversation, recorded this Palm Sunday, about grief in the hard circumstances we are currently finding ourselves in. I chat with Tracy Steel and Ronne Rock about pain, how God is right there with us, creativity or the lack thereof, bread kneading as Corona therapy and so much more. We hope you will be encouraged to know you are not alone right now.  You can find Tracy at www.tracymsteel.com and Ronne at www.ronnerock.com as well as on IG & FB.

Join my friend Lucretia and I as we chat this week about the interesting times we are in. This episode covers so much! Community, re-learning ways to talk & think about race & ethnicity, restorative yoga, stillness, and when slowing down is chosen for us!  Dr. Lucretia Carter Berry is the co-founder of Brownicity: The Art & Beauty of Living & Loving Beyond Race. You can find her on IG, FB & at www.brownicity.com

Join Shannon Geurin and myself for Episode 05 as we talk all about immediate family when it comes to community. We also discuss different aspects of friendship and the not so helpful phrase "the more the merrier!" Shannon encourages women to boldly live out their God-given identity. You can find her on IG, on her blog www.shannongeurin.com, and on her FB page, Fiercely His and FB Group Fiercely His Woman. We hope you will come away encouraged by this podcast episode!

In Episode #04, my friend Richella mixes a beautiful vulnerability with deep theology in her own personal story, as shared in her recently released book Mythical Me: Finding Freedom From Constant Comparison (IVP.) Richella is one of the people who helped me understand more fully how the Trinity first modeled the concept of community. It's mind blowing! Come join our fun and informative conversation. Besides a speaker and author, Richella is the Vice Chair of Renovare, US. You can find her on IG, FB or www.richellajparham.com.

Come to the island of Bonaire! Join me and my guest Mark Lowell as we reminisce today all about growing up in Dutch school, being a third culture kid and swimming in the dark part of the Caribbean Sea. Did someone say hammerhead shark and barracuda? Relax! You're on island time now!

Join my kind, wise friend K.J. and I as we linger over deep conversation covering suffering, church hurt, grace, hope and coffee. We also share two very personal stories! Our hope is that you will feel seen today. K.J.'s book This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers, comes out in May. Find K.J. on IG @kjramseywrites and on her upcoming podcast, This Too Shall Last.

Amy and I actually met in a field of wild flowers. Well, sort of. We met in a very "community-like" setting when we were placed next to each other in a photo shoot with our friend Lauren Gaskill of She Found Joy!  We ended up laughing a whole lot that sunny Carolina afternoon, and I just knew that Amy and I would become friends!  Join us today as we sit at Amy's kitchen table and talk about being authentic in today's culture, slowing down, friendship, church, and belonging in community. We had so much fun recording episode 01 and I know you're just gonna love Amy! #wordygirl Amy Carroll is a writer and speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is the co-author of the book Exhale & the co-host of the Grit 'n ' Grace podcast with Cheri Gregory. You can find her at her blog www.amycarroll.org and on FB & IG.