Podcasts about Inner Life

When people ask for your opinions about UFOs, are the little green men from The X-Files the first things that pop in your head?Michael Jawer, author of the upcoming book What UFOs Really Are, believes we should be less focused on aliens flying in the sky and directing our attention on our inner selves and downward to living things anchored on the ground like plants, trees and fungi. Join Paul and Michael on a wide-ranging conversation that could make you look at reality in a brand-new way this week on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Michael's work on his website and Linkedin.Timestamps2:20 Michael's next book, What UFOs Really Are, coming out in December.3:39 “My myth begins with emotion.”13:51 Abnormalities like UFOs/UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) are where enigmas often meet stigmas.17:17 UAPs are forms of sentience, but not here to take over our planet.26:59 Is lucid dreaming connected to remote viewing?39:06 “The dimension that I'm most interested in is what's under the surface, or what we don't see within our own unconsciousness.”45:45 Is the unconscious poorly understood, incorrectly named or both?58:00 Does an electron or atom feel like anything?1:08:37 Michael is directing his attention inward and downward, rather than toward the skies.1:13:50 C.H. Waddington's concept of creodes.1:21:27 UFOs and UAPs shake up our perceptions and invite us to consider viewing reality in different ways.1:28:16 Paul's question, What is on the sun?, is answered.1:36:16 The ancient origins of AI.1:46:06 “Humanity is in peril because we have archaic emotions, medieval institutions and god-like technology.”1:48:56 John Lennon's UFO sighting.ResourcesMichael's recent appearance on New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove on YouTubeThe Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion: How Feelings Link the Brain, the Body and the Sixth Sense by Michael Jawer and Dr. Marc MicozziYour Emotional Type: Key to the Therapies That Will Work For You by Michael Jawer and Dr. Marc MicozziSensitive Soul: The Unseen Role of Emotion in Extraordinary States by Michael JawerPlanta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence by Paco Calvo and Natalie LawrenceAwe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher KeltnerThe 2017 New York Times article about the Pentagon's UFO programA British military defense unit report on acquiring UFO tech from the Jerusalem PostThe Hidden Life of Trees and The Inner Life of Animals by Peter WohllebenThe Future of Life by Edward O. WilsonDisclosure Day (movie)Arrival (movie)The Soul of an Octopus by Sy MontgomeryAfter by Dr. Bruce GreysonRupert Sheldrake's paper, Is the Sun Conscious?Rupert Sheldrake's banned TED talk on YouTubeThe Trickster and the Paranormal by George HansenThe Mystic Spiral: Journey of the Soul by Jill PurceFlying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies by Carl JungCompendium of the Emerald Tablets by Billy CarsonThe work of Ingo Swann, Barbara Hand Clow, Dr. Michael Levin, Steven Greer, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Jenny Randles and Jacques ValléeYour Body is Your Subconscious Mind by Candace PertThe Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher BirdThe Secret Life of Nature: Living in Harmony With The Hidden World of Nature Spirits From Fairies to Quarks by Peter TompkinsThe Unknown Spirit by Jean-Emile CharonFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20CHEK InstituteWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

Meghan Farner introduces Rob Nielsen, an educator and writer whose book, Jesus the Stoic Sage, explores the overlap between Stoic philosophy and the teachings of Jesus. This episode asks a practical question: how do we tell the difference between inherited assumptions and actual truth, and how can that clarity help us grow spiritually without collapsing our sense of faith or self?We discuss philosophy as a wisdom tradition, the Stoic view of virtue, conscience, desire, and the body, and how Jesus' teachings often emphasize inner transformation over outward performance. The conversation keeps returning to one central idea: embodied wisdom is not just something you believe, but something you practice.Key topics:In this episode, Rob Nielsen shares why he began studying Koine Greek and Latin to get closer to original texts and strip away translation baggage.Philosophy as love of wisdom - not abstract arguing, but a tradition aimed at helping people live well and build better communities.Stoicism and religion - the overlap is less about labels and more about what is ultimately good, true, and worthy of trust.Symbols and teaching tools - both philosophy and scripture use images, stories, and metaphors to teach truths people may not yet be ready to receive directly.The soul, psyche, and will - the conversation reframes the inner life as the part of us that perceives, chooses, and develops beyond the body.Stoic emotional intelligence - Stoicism is not about suppressing feelings, but about understanding impressions, desires, aversions, and responses.Repentance as metanoia - repentance is presented as a change in thinking, not just a behavior adjustment.The importance of virtue - the Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and self-control are contrasted with living as a slave to impulses or external approval.Authority versus truth - Rob and Meghan unpack the limits of appealing to authority alone, including the Euthyphro dilemma.Jesus as teacher of transformation - the focus is on actions, motives, and embodiment, not just belief or religious affiliation.The body as ethically indifferent - the body is valuable as an instrument, but not inherently good or bad in Stoic terms.Pure motives and embodied alignment - the widow's mite, the fig tree, and other examples are used to show that what matters is not appearance, but fruit.Timestamps:(00:00) Hidden Wisdom's mission and today's focus on faith renovation(00:58) Introducing Rob Nielsen and his book, Jesus the Stoic Sage(02:14) How Koine Greek, Latin, and curiosity led Rob to comparative philosophy(04:04) What philosophy really means as a love of wisdom(06:53) Philosophy, religion, and the search for ultimate concerns(09:36) Symbols, myth, and universal teaching patterns(13:41) Why this conversation matters for spiritual seekers(14:38) Psyche, soul, will, and the inner self(17:23) What the Stoics actually meant by “stoic”(20:13) Thoughts, feelings, impressions, and emotional response(23:04) Repentance, healing, and subconscious triggers(25:27) Metanoia as a change in the way you think(28:00) Reason, conscience, and the “two or three witnesses” idea(30:24) Desire, aversion, and what blocks perception of truth(33:10) Virtue, excellence, and why the highest good matters(35:06) Socrates, Euthyphro, and the limits of authority(39:06) Why poking assumptions makes people uncomfortable(41:01) The journey inward and the temple as the self(43:09) The Stoic view of the body as ethically indifferent(47:00) Hypocrisy, masks, and the importance of matching words with action(48:54) Fruit, alignment, and what reveals what is truly good(50:10) “Actions outshine words” and the sacramental pattern of embodiment(52:23) Questioning inherited images of God through the lens of fruit(54:16) Whether Jesus may have known Stoic ideas(56:37) Tradition as inherited material that must be tested(58:33) Why Jesus was not teaching passive obedience(61:09) Trial, error, and experimenting upon truth(62:28) The Stoic discipline of assent(64:22) Desire, organization, and misplacing what is actually good(65:17) The widow's mite and pure motives(66:45) What Rob gained from reading Jesus through Stoicism(69:13) Meghan's closing reflection on the book as an initiation to practice(70:48) Closing invitation to the Hidden Wisdom app and community support Continue Your JourneyIf this episode resonated with you, there are several ways to go deeper:

What if it's not about trying harder, but about learning to surrender? In this final message in The Mirror summer series, Pastor Ryan looks at how real transformation happens from the inside out— how striving gives way to deeper peace.

Philippians 1:12-18 - This message is part of our series called: Inner Life, a journey through the book of Philippians. This sermon is based on Philippians 1:12-18. Pastor Ken Schultz teaches that like Paul, whose imprisonment advanced the gospel among Caesar's elite guards, our hardest circumstances become our greatest witness when Christ lives within us.

What if it's not about trying harder, but about learning to surrender? In this final message in The Mirror summer series, Pastor Ryan looks at how real transformation happens from the inside out— how striving gives way to deeper peace.

Leadership failures rarely happen overnight. More often, they begin with unseen pressures, unresolved pain, and unhealthy patterns that slowly erode a leader from the inside out. In this special compilation episode, we bring together four candid conversations with experienced church leaders who openly share the personal struggles that nearly derailed their ministries. Rather than focusing on leadership strategies or organizational systems, this episode explores the inner life of church leaders. From burnout and unprocessed grief to stress management, character formation, and radical honesty before God, don’t miss the lessons that can help you build healthier, more sustainable ministries. Use these conversations as discussion starters with your teams, asking not simply how the ministry is doing, but how the leaders themselves are doing. Unprocessed Loss Eventually Takes Its Toll Bob Riedy reflects on the burnout that brought his ministry to a halt and the painful realization that decades of accumulated loss had never been properly grieved. The death of a family member, staff transitions, declining attendance after COVID, fractured relationships, and personal shame all compounded over time because he kept pushing forward instead of processing what he had experienced. His story is a powerful reminder that even successful leaders are vulnerable when they ignore the emotional weight of ministry. Key Takeaway // Pastors experience constant loss, but simply “moving on” isn’t resilience. Healthy leaders intentionally process grief with God before it silently grows into burnout, anxiety, or shame. Listen to the Full Episode // Burnout, Breakthrough, and the Road to a Healthier Ministry with Bob Riedy (May 29, 2025) Simple Practices Build Long-Term Resilience Charles Stone shares practical neuroscience-backed habits that help leaders reduce stress and remain emotionally healthy. Rather than offering complicated solutions, he begins with something every leader can practice immediately: intentional breathing. By slowing the body’s stress response through simple breathing exercises, pastors can create space to think clearly, regulate emotions, and respond wisely during difficult seasons. Key Takeaway // Resilience isn’t built during a crisis. It’s developed through consistent daily practices. Simple rhythms like intentional breathing can help pastors lower stress before it becomes overwhelming. Listen to the Full Episode // Leading Through Stress Without Burning Out with Charles Stone (July 3, 2025) Crisis Reveals Character Allen Holmes explains that gifted leaders often reach a defining crossroads when crisis exposes weaknesses beneath their talent and experience. Every leader eventually faces a moment when they must decide whether to hide behind their abilities or allow God to shape their character through hardship. Churches that embrace this perspective create cultures where leaders remain, grow, and mature instead of running from difficult seasons. Key Takeaway // Leadership development isn’t primarily about improving skills. Rather, it’s about allowing God to form character. Crisis often becomes the catalyst that moves leaders toward deeper maturity and lasting influence. Listen to the Full Episode // Why Gifted Leaders Still Fail: Lessons from 25 Years of Ministry with Allen Holmes (March 5, 2026) Honesty Before God Leads to Healing Scott Landry vulnerably recounts one of the darkest moments of his life after personal failure left him isolated, angry, and questioning God. Rather than meeting condemnation, he encountered God’s presence in the middle of his raw honesty. His story illustrates that true healing begins when leaders stop pretending, acknowledge what’s really happening inside, and allow God to meet them in their deepest pain. Key Takeaway // God doesn’t meet the version of us we project to others—He meets the person we truly are. Healing begins when leaders stop hiding and bring their deepest struggles honestly before Him. Listen to the Full Episode // Leading After You Lose Everything: Redemption, Honesty & The Fight with Scott Landry (December 18, 2025) This compilation reminds us that leadership health begins long before visible success or failure. Healthy churches are built by healthy leaders, and healthy leaders cultivate habits that address the condition of their hearts, not just the effectiveness of their ministries. Whether you’re leading through growth, challenge, or personal struggle, these conversations invite you to slow down, examine your inner life, and take intentional steps toward long-term faithfulness in ministry. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary Podcast. So glad that you’ve decided to tune in. You know, the subtitle of our podcast is Stuff You Wish They Taught in Seminary. Rich Birch — And today I wish there was like a big underline under that word wish. I wish this conversation was a robust conversation when I was in school. Today we’re listening in on four senior leaders talking about really stuff that was going on on the inside when nobody was watching. Rich Birch — This is a good time of year for you and I as executive leaders to pull back and to think deeply about the kind of structures we’re building as an organization that really create a flourishing environment for our people. You know, we asked earlier in the year what your greatest fears were for this year and 24.8% of you indicated that staff health, structure, morale, succession were your top fear this year. And so today’s conversation, what we’re doing is listening in on four senior pastors who get really honest on the show about what was happening on the inside of them. Rich Birch — One of the churches that I was an executive pastor at, about a decade after I left, the senior leader made tragic decisions in their own personal life that ended up burning the church down, literally to the place where that organization doesn’t exist anymore. And from my understanding, actually the building is going to be demolished. Literally there’s nothing left. Rich Birch — A ministry that impacted tens of thousands of people doesn’t exist today because of the decisions of a senior leader. And so at this time of year, in the summertime, I want to challenge us to listen carefully to some leaders that have been through some horrific moments and have come out the other side more healthy. And I want us to learn from these moments and say, hey, what can we do to structure our ministry so that we can be the healthiest possible environments we can possibly be? Rich Birch — So up first, we’ve got Bob Riedy at Church of the Open Door, who hit a wall on a Sunday morning a few years ago, and he learned about ungrieved losses that took 40 years of ministry to see. So let’s listen in to Bob and see what you and I can learn as we think about the future. [Clip 1 Begins] Bob Riedy — I really do think that loss, and especially not properly processing and grieving loss, was a big part of what was behind all of this. In 2018, I lost my brother, my younger brother, who was really my wingman in so many ways. That was a loss that I think in some ways I’m still wrestling with. Bob Riedy — During the pandemic, we lost, pick a number, a lot of loss as far as attendance and stuff. At first, we were off for about four months, but then when we came back, people began to trickle in, and it was clear to me that we lost hundreds of people as well from our church during that time. That was probably a profound thing for me. Bob Riedy — We lost some key staff members as well during that time. We lost some friends because of the politics and some of the difficulty of that. And so I think loss was a big part of that. Bob Riedy — My counselor has really helped me a lot with that, not properly grieving loss. Terry Wardle is one who said that ministry is a series of ungrieved losses. And I found that I really wasn’t doing that good. I was shaking it off and just moving forward, shaking it off and moving forward, and not really grieving it and bringing God into it and surrendering it to Him. Bob Riedy — And I think part of what happened with that as well was I was concerned about what people thought. We were this powerhouse of a church, growing like crazy, and all of a sudden, like every other church, we were struggling. Bob Riedy — And I remember the day that I burned out. That afternoon my children all came to our apartment. My wife and I were living downtown, and my daughter reminded me of this the other day. And she said, Dad, do you know what you said to me that day? And I said, no. She said, Dad, you said to me, what are people going to think of me that this happened to me? Bob Riedy — And that was a loss that I wasn’t able to really properly wrap my head around. I was more concerned about how this was going to look with me as a Christian leader in our community. And then I think one of the places that the anxiety came from as well was shame. Bob Riedy — One of the things the enemy, I think, came after me with was like, you’ve been telling people here in York how to live for the last 15 years, and you let this happen to you. And wow, I wrestled with that as well. So I think that loss and worrying what people were concerned about or what they were thinking of me, and then the shame of wrestling through that as a senior pastor whose church had been top 100 churches. Bob Riedy — I taught church leadership and biblical preaching at Lancaster Bible College, and this happened to me. And so I really wrestled with just the fallout of all that. [Clip 1 Ends] Rich Birch — What are people going to think? Bob’s daughter quoting him back to him is a part of this thing I just will not shake. Ungrieved loss, it compounds. Rich Birch — Loss is a part of your role. It’s a part of my role. But what Bob learned the hard way is that shaking it off and just kind of moving on will cost you more in the long run than sitting with it and processing it. Rich Birch — Charles Stone is up next. He’s a friend, a pastor, a counselor, and did his PhD on stress while he got diagnosed with three serious conditions in the same year. And we’re going to focus on an easy kind of habit that he has installed or practiced that he has installed that I think you could use in the midst of your processing, of dealing with even those kinds of ungrieved losses. Let’s listen in on what Charles has to say today. [Clip 2 Begins] Charles Stone — Well, I kind of get thematically. One involves how we breathe. These are practices that can help us develop resilience. Charles Stone — One has to do with how we breathe. Two have to deal with our emotions. One has to do with our thinking. One has to do with contemplative practices, spiritual practices. Charles Stone — One has to do with something called certainty. One has to do with gratitude. One has to do with relationships. And one has to do with sleep. So any of those, I’m game for any of those that you feel like we ought to touch on one or two of them. Rich Birch — Well, what about maybe breathing? Why don’t we start right at the top where you started? And then, you know, we’ll scratch the surface. There’s a ton we could, obviously, we want people to pick up a copy of the book, but let me start with breathing. That might be kind of interesting. Charles Stone — Yeah. Well, actually, this ended up being the first one because it’s very easy to do. Now, I think around 75 times plus, you’ll find the word breath or breathe in the scripture. Charles Stone — And Genesis, God breathed into Adam. He became a living being. I think his early part of Acts, Jesus breathed on the early church, the Holy Spirit came. Charles Stone — And then David, the psalmist wrote, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Now, here is the interesting neuroscience insight. Deep breathing activates a key set of nerves that come directly from my brain, just come from my spinal cord. But these are these are key nerves that they’re in pairs. Charles Stone — One of them is called the vagus nerve, comes from the word vagrant. What does a vagrant do? He wanders around. So this nerve wanders around our hollow organs, our heart, our lungs, our stomach. So there’s a lot of communication back and forth. Charles Stone — Scientists have found that deep breathing, especially on the exhale, when you exhale a little longer, it actually engages this nerve, which lowers the stress response. And here’s here’s why you practice it. I call it the sniff breath. Charles Stone — Now, the actual term is “a psychological sigh”, but here’s how it would work when you’re facing some stress. Just breathe in, you know, a little more and then breathe out through your mouth. Now on the out breath, you want to be a little longer than the in breath, doing that three or four or five times. Charles Stone — Labs all around the country found it lowers the stress response. So that is a simple, a portable tool you can take. Anybody can use anywhere. Charles Stone — So yeah. [Clip 2 Ends] Rich Birch — I love Charles. He’s such a practical leader. Listen, I’d pick one of those practices this week and really try to install it. Rich Birch — I love that he started with breath work because it’s really the easiest one to start with. You can install it today. Literally, he gave you everything you need, but maybe look at the other ones. Pick up his book, “Stress Less”. Got a bunch in there. Rich Birch — Well, coming up next, we’ve got Allen Holmes. He’s been the senior pastor at Definition Church in Greensboro for 25 years. He has watched gifted leaders crash long enough that he’s built a framework around this to understand it. Let’s listen in to what Allen has to bring to this conversation. [Clip 3 Begins] Allen Holmes — It’s interesting when I, one of the other real key moments for me is I went back to do my doctorate of ministry degree at Gordon Conwell in redemptive leadership. And so much of what we were studying is how God works in the crisis, in these pressure moments to expose the unfinished places in our character so that we can grow and become more like Jesus and therefore maximize our kingdom impact in the world. Allen Holmes — And one of my professors, Dr. Powers, he actually wrote a book called Redemptive Leadership. It’s a simple little book, but profound, where he describes leadership development in five stages. And stage one is a skilled leader where you get a leadership role just based on your skill. So maybe the ability to preach. And so they call you to be the pastor. Allen Holmes — That’s how I became the pastor of my first church. I could preach. I hadn’t done anything else, but they let me be a pastor because I could preach. Allen Holmes — And then the second stage is a principal leader where you begin to understand why you do what you do. But the third stage, which is so important, is the character stage. And in order for a leader to go through the character stage, God always uses a crisis to bring him into that stage. But when he comes into that stage, he has a choice. In that stage, he can open his heart and allow God to do that deeper work, or he can go back and hide behind his skills and principle. Allen Holmes — And that’s what pastors do. A lot of times the reason you see this turnover every, you know, depending on what statistic you read, every two to four years, pastors are leaving churches is because they come into a church and they have this honeymoon season. And then all of a sudden there’s a crisis that exposes some things and they start floating their resume and hiding behind their skill rather than allowing God to deal with their character so that they can advance and become a transformative, redemptive leader. Allen Holmes — So I think one of the things that’s been so true for us is we’ve just tried to say to people when there’s a crisis, don’t panic, don’t run away. See it as an opportunity. Allen Holmes — In fact, I ended up doing my dissertation on the idea that if we could teach this model to leaders, that it would cause them to respond differently in the crisis instead of running from it, they would run to it and open their heart. And God could use that to really propel them into their redemptive future. And the research said that was true. Allen Holmes — And so we’ve tried to really work that in our culture to understand when something goes wrong, don’t run away and don’t hide. Let’s run into it and trust God to meet us there so that this thing God works redemptively to use it for your benefit and to launch you into your future. Allen Holmes — And because that’s been our culture, people have stuck around. I mean, my lead team, Rick has been here 25 years. He was he’s actually here two Sundays longer than I’ve been here. Eric’s been here 24 years. Jonathan’s been here 19 years. Chelsea’s been here almost this year will be 14 years. Steve’s been here 10 years. Allen Holmes — I mean, so they’ve just been here a long, long, long time. And that but that’s why they’ve seen these moments and we’ve helped them to find God in it so that it actually works for us instead of against us. [Clip 3 Ends] Rich Birch — Allen walked us through the five stages. The third one he talked about is character. And that’s really where I think you and I, our greatest test is at. And this is where we meet our crisis. You should go back and listen to Allen’s episode. Super helpful. Rich Birch — Coming up next for our last part of the conversation today is a friend of mine, Scott Landry. He’s the senior pastor of The Bridge near Ottawa. He’s been on the podcast before. Rich Birch — Next is a clip from a book that was coming out or that has come out called “The Fight”. And it’s the moment that he lost everything and that he was alone in a house in the Northwest Territory. The reason why I wanted this on is because I think Scott models for you and models for me an open transparency with ourselves, with our people. Rich Birch — That is something that I think you and I should live with our live with and should think through. How can we be this transparent with the people around us? Heads up. This is a heavy clip and it’s worth every second of your attention to lean in and hear what Scott shares. [Clip 4 Begins] Scott Landry — I hope that’s a powerful moment in the book because it was it’s genuinely the most powerful moment in my life. And this was this was kind of at the crescendo of my my breaking point. So after my marriage and my life specifically falling apart and I kind of lived in a place of isolation. Scott Landry — I was living in the North, Canadian North, and I was yeah, I was lost. I was I was angry like I had so much anger. And it was so, yeah, I talk about in the book and I was angry and ultimately I was angry at myself, but I was also angry at God. Scott Landry — And because even after, again, making a mess of my own life, he didn’t make a mess of my life. Nobody made the mess in my life. I made the mess in my life. Scott Landry — And but then after that, I was trying to do everything right. And I was trying to do the right thing, do the right thing. And I was like, God, when are you going to start intervening on my behalf? Scott Landry — And so, you know, being the preacher that I am, I was like, I got all the Bible verses that tell me that you’re going to like now is you’re going to do the redemptive thing. You’re going to show up. You’re going to move. Scott Landry — You’re going to fix. You’re going to redeem. You’re going to restore. Scott Landry — You’re going to repair. You can do all the R words. And and nothing was happening like it was like and it was almost as if I and I literally heard nothing. And I’d like to say I didn’t feel anything, but I did. Scott Landry — It was just this this anger that was welling up inside of me like a like a pot boiling and eventually it just I just became unhinged. Like I was alone and I was completely isolated. I was in this empty house and I just started crying out like and yelling out and I threw through things. Scott Landry — I I used words I’ve I’m ashamed to admit I used. Like I mean, I was as unhinged as could possibly. I was like, I God, if I saw you face to face, I would give you the…like I told him all this stuff. Scott Landry — And and what I found in that moment was like and I again, I talk about in the book, but like I yelled, God, I don’t even believe in you anymore. I’m done. Like I like I don’t I don’t believe. You’ve promised me that you would never leave me. You would never forsake me. And that’s exactly what you’ve done. I’ve told people that you would never leave them and forsake them. And yet you’ve done that to me. You are you are dead to me. I don’t believe in you anymore. Scott Landry — And I even now I still feel this and I’m just talking about it. But like this is and this is I know some people are going to roll their eyes at this. But like genuinely, when I heard myself say that, I felt this…like over me, over my house. It was like this eerie like pause. Scott Landry — And I heard if I’ve ever heard the voice of God, I heard a voice say, well, then who are you yelling at? And it was like this, like… Rich Birch — Beautiful. Scott Landry — And in that moment, it was like my anger was it wasn’t my degree. It wasn’t my Bible. It was it was my anger was my evidence that God was present right then and right there. And because my anger was directed at him. Scott Landry — And he knew that I was angry with him and he met me at the place of my anger and he was waiting. And this is the part that I still, I can’t do this, what’s in my head and in my heart justice. But it was God was saying, I’ve been waiting for you at this place your whole life. Rich Birch — Wow. Scott Landry — You you have been hiding from this anger from your childhood, from your young adulthood. And I’ve been waiting for you to meet me here at your anger. And I’ve I’ve wanted you to know that I would be here waiting for you. Scott Landry — And if you met me on the top of the tallest mountain and if you look me face to face and if you were to give me the finger, you would find me there waiting because I am waiting at who you really are, not who you’re pretending to be. Scott Landry — And everyone around you, you’ve got them fooled. And you’re a used car salesman and you can spin the Bible verses and you can do all that other stuff. But I know who you really are. And I’m waiting for you to finally be honest with yourself about who you really are. Scott Landry — And now that you finally are, now we can do something about that together. And that was the moment that God truly revealed himself to me. And that’s when I, for the first time in my life, truly discovered who I was. Scott Landry — And yeah, that’s the moment that I hope anybody who ever meets me or talks to me or listens to me or reads it, like that’s the part that I long for people to have before it costs them, like it cost me. [Clip 4 Ends] Rich Birch — I love that moment when Scott said he heard, who are you yelling at? Man, that sticks with you. Rich Birch — Listen, four different stories. What I’m trying to do is raise for you the question about the inner life of what’s going on at your church with the senior leaders around you. Rich Birch — What if you were to go back and look at these four conversations and maybe say, OK, this one might be the best for us to lead a conversation with, and send them one of those, send your team one of those episodes. And say, hey, I’d love for us to take some time this summer. Rich Birch — Maybe you go and relax on a back deck somewhere or jump in somebody’s boat or spend a little extra time at the office. Because there is a little bit of slack at this time of year. And ask the question, hey, what’s going on on the inside of us as leaders at the church? How are we developing and how could this conversation help us ask some different questions than we normally do in our team meetings? Rich Birch — All the links to those four conversations are down below. Thanks for sticking through this this entire conversation. I know there was a lot today, but we’ll see you next week with our regularly scheduled programs, kind of back to what we normally do here at unSeminary. Rich Birch — Thanks for being a part of the podcast. Thanks for doing what you’re doing, including the hard work of the inner life to lead your people in a way that makes a huge difference. Thanks for being engaged in the local church. Take care, friends.

On today’s show, Fr. Michael Hurley, O.P. joins to discuss Focusing In On Prayer. Steve - I've always been raised on God's plan. What is the point of praying of the plan is already in place? Break 1 Stuart - suffering can be a trigger to pray, when you hit rock bottom you need to pray to get back up. Patrick - Can I share my journey of prayer from being an agnostic to becoming a Catholic? Break 2 Ed - When I say Rosary, my mind keeps going different places. How do I take care of that? Sheila - I am impressed with Carla that she is teaching the children their prayers because it is super important to do this as a community.

On today's Inner Life, Deacon Patrick Conley has Fr. Elliot Zak on to give guidance on having a relationship with God through the lens of Saints Martha, Mary, And Lazarus. Theresa - I've been widowed 41 years. Confidence in God’s goodness is foundational Justin - AS in any relationship, we need to learn about Jesus and our faith. There are so many resources such as Relevant Radio. We need to take the initiative to learn more and that has increased my faith. Break 2 Jonathan - Eucharistic adoration and experiencing the Lord there. I struggle sometimes with it even though I believe He is present. I find that having a relationship with God is difficult. Email – Thomas: How will I know that I have quote on quote made it with my relationship with God?

On today’s show, Fr. Chris Walsh j­oins to present overcoming attachment to comfort. Can Convenience become something we are too attached too? Greg - When would a person discern? Break 1 Email – Robert – I think comfort is connected with safety. Liz - I've experienced this with AC this summer. We don't have it and have been able to deal with it. Charles -Without a car it's difficult, and I've been without a car for some time. I'm in the best physical shape of my life because I'm walking everywhere! But...I can't help people as much. Break 2 Email - Connie – I used to get hangry but since becoming Catholic God has helped me overcome this through prayer and fasting. Tina - I lost my son. I got too attached to him. Now that he's gone, people say, 'Oh, God is with him.' How do you overcome that? I feel like since I lost him, I can't get attached to anything else. I loved him more than anything. Email – Mary: It helps me to imagine Jesus on the Cross and my little inconveniences suddenly become bearable.

On today's Inner Life, Fr. Marcel Taillon joins to help us in reconciling with God. Janet - I currently go to the parish near my house. I have a hard time going to confession there. I find myself going somewhere else because I'm embarrassed and they might judge me since I know the priest. Break 1 Theresa - Going to confession when you have mortal sins. Confessing the same things over and over. My experience, it gives you the grace to not do that anymore. Going to confession gives me that grace. Don't wait until it's mortal sin. Saskia - I'm new, not a Catholic, but going to start OCIA soon. I went to confession once and told the priest I didn't know what to do. I almost committed a mortal sin. Would I have to confess that? What about sins that are hard to confess like abortion? How do I get over this fear? LJ - Do parish priests recognize your voice or even a medal hanging on your neck?

On today’s show, Fr. Nicholas Federspiel joins to reflect on winning the battle for your mind. Break 1 Lupe - What can we do to move our minds towards God? Break 2 Francis - I am 80 years old and have thoughts that I have not been good enough in my life and don't know if I will make it to Heaven. Ashley - I have family history of dementia. What are mind exercises to lower risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer’s in future? Notes: Prayer - Jesus, I invite you to interrupt my self-defeating, God-dethroning self-talk. Amen.

On today's show Fr. Kris Stubna joins to discuss tithing and a spirit of generosity.

On today’s show, Fr. James Kubicki joins to talk about St. Mary Magdalene. Break 1 God meets us in our grief and walks us into this wonderful revelation. Joshua - Could you give some encouragement for someone who like St. Mary Magdalene was in despair? Break 2 We are disciples and also missionary disciples like Mary Magdalene was.

On today’s show, Fr. Allan Hoffa joins to discuss “what is heaven”? Gary - Why do you believe God will give you a glimpse of heaven while you're still here on earth? Break 1 Will I see my family members in heaven? When we die, do we wait until the end of time to go to heaven or hell? Where are we when we actually die? God doesn’t decide whether we go to heaven or hell. Those who have died have chosen heaven or hell. God has just honored their decision. Break 2 What is purgatory? Margaret - Based on what's been said, different people are going to experience God on a different level on how their life was. Why doesn't purgatory bring everybody up to the same level? Rose - If you go to confession before you pass, why do you still go to purgatory?

Father Bobby Blood joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Keeping the Faith in Dry Seasons What is Spiritual Dryness (7:59) Importance of routines in our spiritual life Why would God let us go through dry times in our life? (12:16) Elias - If I feel like I am doing well in prayer life, how do I best prepare for when the dry season comes? Juan - I am enduring a heavy cross, and how to carry it. (17:49) Break 1 (19:15) Wade - A few months after Lent I lose my spiritual drive. Why is this a consistency every year? What can I do to alleviate this? (24:45) How are the Sacraments important or times of Dryness? What do you do when you aren’t getting anything out Mass? (30:59) Email from Dylan – I have been dealing with dryness for years now and I don’t know what to do. Email from Rose – How do you deal with the accusing voice of the Devil? (34:44) Teresa - I get very melancholic for no reason, accusing myself of sloth, and I am wondering if it is because God is trying to prepare me for a blessing? (37:40) Break 2 Email from Adrian – How does dryness relate to how we perceive God? (41:36) Maria - Spiritual Dryness: There are moments, I say, 'is there all there is to it?' What will happen? (44:03) Bonnie - Shame, regarding your life situation and shame as opposed to guilt and not feeling close to God b/c of shame. (47:54) Gianna - One thing that could help refresh the faith is something new, something different

Father Michael-Joseph Paris joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Carmelite Spirituality (7:25) origins of the Brown Scapular. Giacomo - I was in Israel a few years ago at Mt Carmel at an Equestrian event. Home parish was Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Melrose park. Bishop asked me to read one day. I was moved to be in the real Our Lady of Mt Carmel that day. (16:51) Rose - Wanted to know if Father believes that just by wearing the scapular when you pass, the virgin of Mt Carmel would take you out of purgatory the following Saturday. Is that true? (20:19) Break 1 (25:16) Sarah - I had fallen away from church. Hadn't worn a scapular for years. My mom came to see me and brought me a scapular. Threw it on the counter. Months later, put it on a cabinet and went to bed. Sunday, I heard, 'Get up and go to church.' Heard it twice. Put pillow over my head, but heard again. Finally got up and heard 'put the scapular on.' Burned around my neck. Went to church. During benediction, heard St. Michael prayer. Landlord met with me, dog bit me at his house, doctor said scapular saved me from the bite (jugular). (33:09) Paulin - Sabbatine privilege. I believe you have to be invested in the scapular, is that correct? Shirley - I was enrolled with the scapular by a priest and I consecrate myself to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel daily. Just want to share that. (37:22) Break 2 Elements of Carmelite Spirituality. Great saints of the Carmelite order. Third order Carmelites. (47:24) Carmel - My mom called me Carmel because I was born July 16th. She couldn't have children and was devoted to our lady of mt Carmel. Always wore scapular. Finally expecting a baby and it was me. I was Christened on St. Ann day. After hearing this program, I was thinking...wow, maybe I should start wearing it again. Resources: Flos Carmeli: A Guide to Marian Consecration Through the Brown Scapular https://www.icspublications.org/products/flos-carmeli-a-guide-to-marian-consecration-through-the-brown-scapular

IL – Father John Paul Erickson joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Why We Laugh (5:43) How is laughter a uniquely human trait? (20:09) Nick - Appropriate laughter and why we laugh. Altar server trying to light a candle. All of a sudden, people were laughing after he tried so many times. It has to be tempered with the appropriateness of the situation. (24:38) Break 1 Did Jesus have a sense of Humor? (30:58) Rose - Humor. I'm 87. Humor has helped me in my last stages to continue without having to complain so much. (38:04) Break 2 Pauline - Joke: Pastor and bus driver. Both die at the same time. Bus driver gets ticketed first. Pastor waits and finally to gates. I thought I'd be the first in line. St. Peter said why was I first? When you preached everyone slept, when he preached, everyone prayed. (43:47) Joe - Joke: Jesus and Moses on a golf course. At this dog leg of a hole. Jesus says, 'I'm going to get above par on this. Jesus hits the ball, goes into water. He walks on water to get the ball. Asked Moses if it's Jesus, and said no, it's Jack Nicholas. (47:04) Carol - When I think about laughter, I think why it's important to have a merry heart. It does good like medicine. Laughter is the best medicine you can have. Juanita - Years ago, God showed me his sense of humor when I was upset over my grandson's mom keeping us from seeing him. I unexpectedly received a gift of a small meat cleaver. It just made me laugh. It keeps us grounded in our sense of humor.

Father Rob Kroll joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Making Good Decisions What is free will? (15:01) Email – Can God work with mistakes in our major decisions? (17:58) Thomas - I'm confused how everyone is being assisted by God in making decisions. What communications are being made with callers and receiving messages from God? I don't know how God is communicating with them. (23:26) Break 1 Does God care about every decision we make? (29:53) Carol - Does the holy spirit ever allow you to make a bad decision to teach a lesson? (34:53) Ethel - Someone gave me 20 thousand dollars for helping them remedy a situation (sell a property). Sold it, and I received the $ and now the person wants it back. should I give it back? They made a report that I stole the $. (38:55) Break 2 (40:14) Veronica - Decision on whether to get married or not. We were engaged and going through the process. Asked friends to pray for me to discern God's will. That weekend, we found that the Lord put it on our hearts that, no, we weren't meant to marry. I ended up years later entering the convent. Importance of prudence in making good decisions. (47:12) Anna - I want to know why people make bad choices. If they know something is bad, why do they still choose it and those horrible decisions?

Father Lawrence Harlow joins to talk about the Charismatic Renewal St. Elena Guerra wrote about the Church being in need of renewal by the Holy Spirit Mark - I've always felt a connection with the Holy Spirit. Miles – I became part of the Charismatic Renewal in 1976. How do I know or have the gift of interpretation? Break 1 Steven - Interested in the renewal. Anita - I've had a personal experience. The Holy Spirit used me so profoundly and helped bring a man back to God. God and Mary have something special for us. Break 2 James - What is the relationship between the baptism of the holy spirit and the sacrament of confirmation? A sacrament is always greater than any charismatic prayer

Father John Eckert joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Why you Want to Avoid Hell (7:17) Joseph - For Catholics who don't confess and go to the priest to get their sins absolved, is it in the church's norms to proclaim they are in hell? (15:32) Margaret - I think people don't understand the definition is love. When you cut off from God, you're cutting off eternally. (25:05) Break 1 Fatima’s vision of hell. (34:24) Prescott - Fires of Hell...spirits...how does that affect us? (37:46) Email - Is the Fire of God’s love the same as the fire of Hell? (41:32) Break 2 (43:16) Tessa - Thinking about hell...wondering if it's a fair thing to talk to somebody who is walking away and telling them they're choosing to walk away and out of a state of grace. (48:15) How to be aware of hell without falling into despair?

Fr. Joseph Illo of Star of The Sea Parish in San Francisco joins to talk about Eucharistic Adoration and blessings you can receive from making adoration a frequent part of your life. (5:28) What is Eucharistic Adoration? Go to adoration and you will find out wat God wants you to do (11:17) Break 1 (19:04) John - Most who go to adoration have something to ask. I'm reminded about the scriptures saying that you have not because you ask not. The reason they don't get it is because they're not asking. Prayer is 98% consistency. Every prayer is answered. (31:59) I find that silence is difficult to maintain during adoration, how do I overcome distractions? (35:50) Carlos - I had colon cancer 8 years ago. In adoration and had my conversion. I'm still here! Break 2 (42:05) Angie - I am an adorer that has a late-night/overnight adoration shift. I have never felt worried at all. I wanted to talk about why it's so important in my life. (45:27) Olivia - I'm a cradle catholic, but new to adoration. I haven't experienced anything very emotional when going or 'aha' moment. Am I doing something wrong?

Check out this show from June 9, 2026 Father Robert Ryan joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss the Mystical Body of Christ (3:50) Why is the Church known as the mystical body of Christ? (11:42) What is Paul talking about when he mentions the body of Christ? (20:01) Herb - when Jesus asked Paul, 'why are you persecuting me,' was he talking about him specifically or the Church? (25:20) Break 1 (27:51) Jesus’ prayer for unity in the Church. (38:14) Tom - How does the family have a role in the broader Church? How can clergy better form the family? (43:27) Break 2 (46:10) Missionary work as a Body of Christ.

Father Tom Wilson joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Confession Why is Confession Important. (6:08) What is the process of confession? (17:00) How do priests feel about people coming to confession? (20:14) Break 1 (21:40) Denise - Sometimes hard to confess. I feel the more I go, the easier it gets to confess the sins. Just being vulnerable and saying the sins...just feel better like a weight has been lifted. Really encourage all to go to confession. I don't want to be in mortal sin. (35:12) Diane - I suffer from scrupulosity. 2 years ago I came back to the church after being away for 30 years. How do you determine difference between temptation and actual sin? Something in the news recently aroused me and I don't know if it was temptation or sin. It wasn't pornography. (38:50) Break 2 (39:55) Patrick - How does Father feel about receiving communion when you are aware of a minor sin, not a major sin? Email – What is the relationship between venial sins and confession? (44:50) Marie - How do I clarify for a friend that confession is about confessing sins and not a counseling appointment? Also, I have some very protestant relatives and couldn't understand the value of confession. How do I answer that question?

Send us Fan MailYou are going through the motions of a life that looks completely fine from the outside.And yet. Something is hollow in the middle of it. Like the color has turned down a few notches. Like you are living in your life but not quite inhabiting it. Like you used to know what your life was for — and somewhere in the middle of all the giving and the doing and the showing up, that knowing got very quiet. If you have been sitting with a version of that feeling — the hollow, the grey, the vague but persistent sense that something is missing even when nothing is obviously wrong — this episode is for you. In this episode, PK — Dr. Peggie Kirkland explores what spiritual wellness actually means for midlife women, why so many of us lose our sense of purpose and meaning during this season of life, and what it looks like to find your way back to the fixed point that has been there all along. In this episode you will find:•       Why feeling hollow inside a life that looks fine from the outside is not ingratitude — it is spiritual depletion, and it is far more common in midlife women than we ever talk about•       The North Star metaphor that reframes the question ‘what is my life for?' from a crisis into a navigation tool•       The research on values alignment and why living out of sync with what you actually believe creates chronic stress in the body•       Five questions that will tell you more about your North Star than any personality test ever could•       One specific fifteen-minute practice that begins to close the gap between the life you are living and the life you actually value Your North Star has not disappeared. You have just been too busy to look up and find it. This episode helps you look up. 

Father John LoCoco joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Purity: Lessons from St. Maria Goretti Story of St Maria Goretti. (5:44) Why is St Maria Goretti so important to our lives today? (13:25) Jerry - I am an attorney. Had a young lady come to me asking for a name change so she could no longer be tailed by the guy who was violating her. The name she chose was Maria Goretti. We got her name change 6 years ago on the feast of Maria Goretti. Thought it would be interesting given what you're talking about today. Difference between Purity and Chastity (21:01) Break 1 (22:40) Donna - When Maria Goretti was murdered. Locals were mad at him. When Maria appeared to him in prison, he eventually repented. He took care of her mother. He would have probably been in hell, but repented and was forgiven. Important to keep in mind with capital punishment. (32:23) Email from LJ – How can we bring back our daughter to come back to the faith? (35:18) email from Connie – I find that having more time alone was really helpful to bring my husband and I together first. (38:17) Break 2 How does Lust lead to anger? (45:56) Sonya Maria - How do you convince a mother-in-law that pornography...just looking at it...is wrong? (48:17) Custody of the eyes. Resources: Painting of Maria Goretti saint-maria-goretti-artwork-shrine-our-lady-guadalupe-church-la-crosse-wisconsin.jpg (400×948)

(7:58) Who was Venerable Bruno Lanteri? (14:36) Craig - Peace is important for us to understand. We lose so much in the translation of peace. We don't quite grasp it. Knowing the Lord is instrumental to understanding peace. How does fear and discouragement take away our peace? (22:42) Break 1 How do we have peace eve in the midst of sinning? (27:37) how do we get out of discouragement in our lives? (30:27) Flo - 10 years ago, I had depression, got a peaceful moment and I had a holy spirit moment. It changed my life. 11:38 How to find peace through tragedy? (38:53) Break 2 Carol - I understand the forgiveness of God. My children are taking a bad road. How do you get beyond that and find peace and not fear for the future? Resources: Ignatian Discernment Institute https://www.discernment.institute/ If You Want Peace in This Life https://www.discernment.institute/product-page/if-you-want-peace-in-this-life Oblates of the Virgin Mary https://www.omvusa.org/

Father Peter Pomposello joins to discuss Catholic patriotism. Theresa - I've designed a crystal red, white and blue rosary. How do I go about giving this to our military veterans? Nick - We have to distinguish ourselves as Catholics before we're Americans. God comes first. Everything belongs to God. Look at the precepts of church. Break 1 More comments on Catholic patriotism Walter - It goes straight to the gospel. In John, he says the light of God is the life of man. God is guaranteed to give light. Evangelizing. It takes faith. Break 2 Dave - Patriotism and the Convention of State. We the people would propose amendments to the constitution. This has never been used. Educating people about this and getting involved by petitioning state legislators is essential. I think this is part of the Catholic cause. Tony - I'm a retired engineer who worked on radar and missile systems. I have had my doubts because I didn't want to work on weapons that kill. Glad to be part of it and in service to our country.

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.07.01 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/RIMoJ3Z_V08?si=0HFresWM6iXLbYBy&t=1960. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24695/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.07.01 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/RIMoJ3Z_V08?si=0HFresWM6iXLbYBy&t=1960. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24695/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

(1:48) Father Michael Hurley joins to discuss the particulars of going on a pilgrimage and all that it entails. (10:09) Joseph - I was in Rome at the Santa Scala. Break 1 (28:38) Terri - I went through the Holy Land, and it was an amazing trip. I first thought since I received Jesus, that I didn't need to go there. (35:16) Email – Mary went on a pilgrimage to visit St. Padre Pio’s relics and received a healing. (38:09) Pauline - What about someone who cannot travel like the infirm or elderly? How do we do retreats or pilgrimages? Break 2 (43:23) Elia - I went on a pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, France recently. How wonderful they were.

Fr. Chris Walsh joins to discuss meditating on Sacred Scripture with Lectio Divina. (6:53) How do I get started with Lectio Divina and where is a good setting or place to practice it? Break 1 (32:22) Lucy - Reading the Psalms has helped me. (37:10) Dale - Today's Magnificat has a meditation from a saint in the 400's. He goes through analysis of Lectio Divina in today's gospel. (38:32) Rob - I'm part of a group that meets weekly to review the Sunday Gospel as Lectio Divina. We have been doing this for 20 years. (42:05) Rick - I am a deacon and the practice you are talking about is wonderful. I do it myself. I teach homiletics. Also, I tend to be a more visual person. Contemplating great artwork is a good thing to do as well. Father Chris Walsh recommends In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez-Carvajal, The Catechism of The Catholic Church, the writings of the Saints and even Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict 16 for Lectio Divina.

(8:24) Fr. Alan Hoffa joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss freedom in the spiritual life. Break 1 (20:05) Tom - In Russian, the word for freedom connotates no restraint whatsoever. I believe that the Soviet Union had people living out this view. St. Peter and Paul were free because of how they lived their lives in Christ (28:04) Email – Bonnie – In the spiritual canticle St. John calls wandering thoughts nymphs. Is it a sin to have these thoughts? Break 2 (39:38) Justin - Freedom of sin led to me to prison but now I'm following the Lord. I tell students in OCIA that we need to follow rules placed by the Church and our Lord allowing us to travel the road of life safely and freedom is gained through that. (44:53) Email – Robin – what are the differences between religious freedom and spiritual freedom. Father Hoffa also addresses how does serving others help us become more free.

On today's Inner Life, Fr. Eric Nielsen discusses how to share the Gospel in a hidden way and shares about the life of St. Josemaria Escriva. Fr. Eric Nielsen joins the show. The life of St. Josemaria Break 1 Morgan calls to discuss Evangelization through the parish men's group that he and his brother started. Break 2 Anne wants to know how she can evangelize and answer the questions of her non-Catholic friend.

Msgr. Jason Gray joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss How to Become a Saint: Through the Lense of Bishop Fulton Sheen (4:20) How does the case for veneration start in the Church? What does the Church look for when a saint is canonized? (16:58) what virtues did Fulton Sheen have that we can imitate? (19:57) Break 1 (21:39) Marybelle - Clarification between beatification and canonization. What are the differences? Kathy - I have a recent interest in FS. Have a book about him and St. Therese. Praying for his intercession for a grandchild who is sick. How do you know if it's him when you're praying or another saints...especially when you're doing a lot of novenas. (27:33) What was he process like in doing the canonization process? (33:24) Dean - Wanted to express my admiration for FS. Grew up as a protestant. Addressed difficult subjects when Catholics were supposed to remain quiet. Always impressed me. (38:47) Break 2 Christopher -FS has inspired my life. Made a trip to Peoria. Went to Cathedral and spent time in front of the altar where he is buried. Felt his presence and I've now been drawing closer to him. Huge inspiration. (43:33) Nicole - My personal relationship with FS...growing up and now as an adult. Listening to him. My mom, grandma, we were only an hour from Peoria and very familiar with him. Grown into a closer relationship with him. Mom's funeral card had his pro-life prayer on it. I'm going to the beatification and taking my granddaughter. Resources: https://www.celebratesheen.com/

Father Ryan Brady joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Compassion (2:45) what is compassion? (18:07) Bob - I have a person in my life (sister) that gambles. She gambles up to 100k per year. I don't want to be involved in it, but she buys dinners for her friends every Friday. I asked her if I could say grace, she said she doesn't do that. I make the sign of the cross over myself. It has a hold on her bad. Am I being a hard liner or unloving/uncompassionate for her and what she's enslaved with? (23:09) Break 1 (24:26) Melissa - I feel like there's a lack of compassion toward me when I try to do as the church and Jesus guides us to do. If I voice that, I feel a great deal of rejection. I don't feel the compassion. Am I to be compassionate to their misunderstanding of the truth? How do you be compassionate without being condescending? (35:52) Email about compassion shown while at a seminary. (38:32) Break 2 In what ways can we practically show compassion to others? (47:41) how can we grow in compassion?

If your protagonist feels vivid in your head but flat on the page, this episode will help you diagnose what's missing—and fix the specific piece of character development that will make readers care.You know your main character. Their backstory, their childhood, the exact way they take their coffee. You could talk about them for an hour. So why do they still feel flat on the page?When this happens, most writers assume they need to know more—a deeper backstory, more personality details, another character questionnaire. So they add more. Or they go the other way and try to make the character more likeable.But here's the thing: knowing a lot about your character isn't the same as developing the specific pieces that make them work in a story. And making a character likeable isn't the same as making them compelling. When a protagonist feels flat, the fix usually is more character development—just not the kind most writers reach for.And that's what I'm talking about in this episode. The five most common mistakes that make characters feel flat, and the specific pieces to strengthen so your protagonist feels compelling, active, and worth following.You'll hear me talk about things like:[01:55] Why a vague story goal is the reason your draft stalls out, and the small shift that makes your protagonist's goal specific enough to write forward with ease.[05:25] Why your story may have huge, world-ending stakes but still feel like nothing is actually threatening what your protagonist stands to lose.[09:30] The reason a frictionless protagonist feels thin on the page even when the goal is clear, the plot is moving, and the stakes are personal.[13:40] Why a protagonist the plot keeps happening to—instead of one whose choices drive what happens next—keeps readers at a distance, and how to put them back in the driver's seat.[17:05] The simple scene-level test that shows whether your protagonist is filtering the story through a distinct worldview, or just reporting what happened.If you've got a folder full of drafts that stalled because your characters kept reading thin on the page, this episode will help you see the pattern differently. Once you know which of these five pieces is missing, you can fix it, build a character strong enough to carry the whole story, and finally understand how to make readers care about your characters.

Father Matthew Widder joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Overcoming Sin Resolving to sin no more in confession? (4:43) What is sin really? (11:34) The saints were very aware of their sins. Why was this? (17:50) Mary Jane - When I go to confession, I am confessing that I am wishing that I am not taking care of my parents and wishing that I’m not here. I really miss my grandchildren, being free from working but can’t visit my family. Is that a sin? (23:21) Break 1 (26:21) Enrique - Maybe I am being overly guilty and overly scrupulous according to my confessor. Perhaps some of the Saints were guilty of scrupulosity even with minor sins? (30:23) Mary - When unwanted thoughts enter my mind, what should I do with those? Sometimes they come from nothing, or they come from past anger. (38:35) Break 2 The importance of replacing sin in out lives with something else. How to battle against the sin of gossip? (43:25) Katie - My current husband is seeking an annulment. I go to confession regularly, as of a month ago, all my confessions have been invalid said a priest so I've stopped. They say it was because I'm living with my husband while he is going through annulment. Is this true? Jean - Wondering about a sinful pattern of watching movies, staying up late, and eating too much all at once. How to overcome that?

Father Dave Heney joins Deacon Patrick Conley to take any listener question about the Faith and Church (6:45) How does knowledge translate to faith? (11:22) Martin - In Ezekiel 1:1-28, God revealed himself to Ezekiel. Why did God reveal himself to Ezekiel? (14:13) George - We hear everyday about the possibility of life from other planets etc. What is the stance of the Church on this, and that other life could be visiting us? Joseph - Why in the gospels does Jesus refer to John as 'the disciple whom he loved?' (21:04) Break 1 Mary - I'm a Eucharistic minister, and distributing at a wedding Saturday. Pretty sure someone will come forward as a Lutheran. What to do? Email – How do you help someone who has an addiction? (29:36) Jeff - About the apostolic pardon--my priest friend wants me to have apostolic pardon at death. Other priests say it is redundant. Which is true? Email from Robin – How can AI help with our Spiritual life. What do you think? (37:06) Break 2 Ayni - If Catholicism is a monotheist religion, how can they say that Christ is also God? (41:41) John - Deacon Patrick: What was it like for you going through the diaconate? I am considering being a deacon myself. (44:31) Connie - Liturgy of the Hours: How do you do priests do them? The word on Fire one has extra songs. Email from Sue – I was asked to babysit so I can’t go to daily Mass. What should I do? Email from Adrian – My wife doesn’t want communion anymore. What should I do?

Check out this great show from June 16, 2026 Msgr. Robert Dempsey joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Faith and Reason (3:26) Do Faith and Reason contradict Is Faith really blind? (15:01) Where do all problems come from philosophically? (20:06) Break 1 (21:46) What does doubt have to do with Faith and Reason? (29:05) Martin - What do you think Jesus meant on the cross by saying 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' Mary Alice - There is a movie that came out recently: 'The Story of Everything'. Even debunks Darwinism, physicists backing up intelligent design. What position should you take when starting Philosophy? How do you not get frustrated when talking with people who don’t believe? (40:33) Break 2 How is the Catholic Church doing today? (47:11) Best help book for the ordinary Catholic. Some great saints who help us grow in Faith and Reason. Resources: Books by Peter Kreeft Books by Peter Kreeft (Author of Handbook of Christian Apologetics)

Father Ramil Fajardo joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Marriage and Divorce: Building up and mending the Church Why is Marriage important for the Church? (12:31) what happens to marriages that don’t work? (16:58) Bai - I run an organization that helps people with marriage after divorce. We teach divorce is a great offense. What about no-fault divorce? Distinction between way state views it vs church. Seems to be a silence about this in the public arena. John - I'm married 60 years this October. Quality in and quality out. Until you find that quality person, you're probably not ready for marriage. Negative comments...cutting remarks...when we do that, it hurts them and not a good way to start a marriage. Build each other up not down. (25:07) Break 1 (27:10) Michelle - My husband an I celebrating 40 years. His family thought it wouldn't last. Love (caritas) change a couple of letters and it becomes charity. Be forgiving, gratitude, establish traditions, patience. Laughter...it can be witty, silly, between the 2 of you. Look for the positives. There will be challenges. (30:42) Patrick - Vocations crisis. Any thought if there's a parallel between that and divorce rate in broken families? Divorce rate equals vocations crisis. John Farrell on X - How can *any* divorce be natural? (39:02) Break 2 Can separation ever be a good idea among Married Couples? (44:03) Olga -My parents divorce when I was 18. We moved to the US. After I got married, having trouble coping with this divorce. How can I overcome what my parents did? I'm trying to keep my marriage alive.

Father Tom McCarthy joins Patrick to discuss the Importance of Rest Why is rest so important (8:35) Anxiety in our church today (17:39) Steven - Truck driver. For people having a hard time in traffic, put a note up that says it's his road too. He's another person. (21:04) Mateo - Does the rest always have to be on Sundays? Some have to work that day and how they supposed to rest? (23:49) Break 1 Our Hearts are restless until they rest in you. (32:30) Silence (37:55) Break 2 Mary – the importance of giving the priest time to prepare before Mass. (42:22) Can taking time to rest lead to sloth? (47:12) If you want to rest but you can’t.

Msgr. Robert Dempsey joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Faith and Reason (3:26) Do Faith and Reason contradict Is Faith really blind? (15:01) Where do all problems come from philosophically? (20:06) Break 1 (21:46) What does doubt have to do with Faith and Reason? (29:05) Martin - What do you think Jesus meant on the cross by saying 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' Mary Alice - There is a movie that came out recently: 'The Story of Everything'. Even debunks Darwinism, physicists backing up intelligent design. What position should you take when starting Philosophy? How do you not get frustrated when talking with people who don’t believe? (40:33) Break 2 How is the Catholic Church doing today? (47:11) Best help book for the ordinary Catholic. Some great saints who help us grow in Faith and Reason. Resources: Books by Peter Craft https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/17860874.Peter_Craft

Check out this great show from June 8, 2026 Father John Eckert joins Dcn. Patrick Conley to discuss Discerning your Vocation (5:24) what is a vocation? Going even deeper into your vocation. Email from Rob – How do I get over past sins that haunt me? (24:50) Break 1 (26:37. How do you know when you should start discerning your vocation? How is the will important when entering your vocation. (37:34) Break 2 (39:20) Can you miss your vocation?

Father Marc Lenneman joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Devotion to the Sacred Heart The importance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 11:09 Imagery of the Sacred heart 11:17 What is the History of the Sacred Heart? Break 1 11:29 The 12 promises of Jesus. 11:39 Walter - God has given us intellect and the Sacraments. If we do not also have faith in our Sacraments can't fully understand. Jesus VERY heart of the Sacraments. Break 2 What is the Catholic perspective about reparations? Sacramental life and connection to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Father Michael Hurley joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Consecration to the Sacred Heart (5:30) why is today a significant day? The Mercy of God through Confession. (15:10) Karina - I'm a returning Catholic, and feel I need to make a General Confession. What should I do about sins I forgot and now remember? (23:46) Break 1 (25:22) Sr. Maria Francesca - Do we know why the USCCB decided to the consecration today instead of tomorrow on the Feast of the Sacred Heart? (32:08) Robin - My brother is one of the bishops going to be at the consecration!! I am very excited. (34:02) Damon - I returned to the Church 5 years ago. Mass and adoration. Is there a 'starter kit' for doing a novena or consecration. (40:39) Break 2 (42:43) Nicholas - How can we relate this consecration to the line in the Pledge 'one nation under God'. What is the Churches' interpretation on this line? (47:21) Sharon - I'd like to talk about my consecration to the Sacred Heart.

Send us Fan Mail What does it truly mean to care for yourself? In this special podcast episode, I sit down with Michal Spiegelman, author of Becoming Soulful, Spiritual Mentor, Life Coach, and founder of Beacons of Change, to explore the powerful difference between self-care and soul-care. ✨ In this conversation, you'll learn: ✅ Why self-care alone may not be enough for lasting well-being ✅ How cultivating a deeper connection with yourself can support healing, peace, and fulfillment ✅ The surprising role your home and environment play in supporting your wellness journey As a Triple Board-Certified physician, I loved discussing how physical health, lifestyle habits, emotional well-being, and soul-care all work together to help us thrive. If you're looking to live more intentionally, authentically, and wholeheartedly, this episode is for you.  

Hour 1 for 6/9/26 Drew starts the show talking about the economy with Tim Tuinstra (5:17). Topics discussed include war affecting economy (8:14), credit card debt (12:08), precious metals (16:09) and oil production and gas prices (20:00). Later on, Drew interviews Deacon Patrick Conley, host of the Inner Life days after his Diaconate Ordination (28:2) and topics include the history of the Diaconate (32:18), his journey (36:43), women becoming deacons (43:05) and a fellow deacon congratulates Deacon Patrick Conley (47:18) Resources: https://sugarloaffinancial.com/ Video of Deacon Patrick Conley's ordination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo_me2ye6Co

Send us Fan Mail Your life can look perfectly “fine” and still feel painfully quiet on the inside. When your prayers feel far away, your usual comforts stop working, and you can't even explain what's wrong, it's easy to assume you're failing or falling behind. We slow that story down and name what's really happening: emotional exhaustion and spiritual tiredness often show up as silence long before they show up as collapse.  I'm Yusuf, and I'm joined by licensed minister  Laura Sharp Waits , whose work sits with people in unseen seasons when caring feels heavier than it should. Laura shares how a cancer diagnosis forced her to release the go-getter identity, let her body heal, and ask for help without shame. Together we explore a healthier reframe of quiet seasons, not as punishment or weakness, but as a place where growth can be happening underground, like seeds forming roots or bread dough rising out of sight.  We get practical about burnout recovery and inner life care: taking one tiny step instead of chasing quick transformation, turning down screen time, and using a paper journal to move swirling thoughts onto the page. Laura explains why handwriting can reveal the root beneath the symptoms and why grief isn't only about death, it can be any major change, including the loss of a dream you never realised you were mourning. We also talk about reconnecting with God when you feel distant and why support systems matter when you feel unseen.  If this conversation helps, share it with someone who's carrying too much, and please subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these grounded talks on mental health, spiritual growth, and healing in quiet seasons.  Connect With Laura Sharp Waits : Website: bakingpastor.com Free Soul Pause Journal (special edition for listeners): bakingpastor.com/special-edition Podcast (At the Counter): atthecounterwiththebakingpastor.buzzsprout.com Instagram: instagram.com/bakingpastorlaura Facebook: facebook.com/TheBakingPastorLaura Towards Wellness Coaching Offer: 25% off | Code: POD2026. Available internationally in paperback and eBook formats. The Soulfluence Friending, Inc Offer: 15% off our coffee as stated above | Code: Podcast10 Find friends in real-life in a verified Astrologer Royale Offer: Save $50 on your Natal Chart Reading | Code: POD50 Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?

Most fiction writers are making at least one of these point of view mistakes. Find out which one could be hiding in your draft.You know that feeling when a scene isn't quite working, but you can't put your finger on why? Your pacing, dialogue, and structure all seem fine. And yet something is still off. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is POV.In this episode, I'm walking you through the five most common point of view mistakes, what each one looks like on the page, why it pulls readers out of your story, and what to do if a POV mistake is hiding in your draft. The good news? It has nothing to do with your talent as a writer. I see these mistakes in the strongest of manuscripts. And every single one is fixable.This is what I talk about: [02:27] Why head-hopping feels so disorienting to readers, and the simple scene-level rule that instantly creates cleaner, stronger POV. [07:11] The subtle "omniscience leak" that happens when your POV character knows things they realistically couldn't know in the moment.[11:42] Why a POV character who only reports action—with no thought, reaction, or internal stakes—leaves readers feeling disconnected.[17:13] How info-dumping and backstory disguised as thoughts can make scenes feel unnatural instead of emotionally immersive.[22:00] The subtle voice drift that makes your POV character slowly stop sounding like themselves, and why this is the hardest mistake to catch.These mistakes are fixable. Every single one. And once you know what to look for, you can write fiction so immersive that readers forget the real world exists until they reach the final page of your book. If that's the kind of story you want to write, this episode is for you.