This kind of support unlocks for you many extras on that site (at $5 level, and up) and includes everything on the paid level at the Substack site.
For more info scroll down.
You are invited to encounter the spiritual formation book I wrote called The Wild Land Within 🎁 ❤️ Just click the book or google search the title to get one, or get a few for a book club. I’m happy to meet up with your group to say “hello” and answer your questions and hear your thoughts.
• You can find out about my publisher Broadleaf Books here
⭐️What is a Patron? Here are the DETAILS:
Patron supporters chip-in a bit each month to help me offset my expenses so I can continue creating. Supporting this way (at $5 +) entitles you to many posts, perks, and goodies that unlock once you begin.
Want to come along side me with support regularly? This kind of help makes a big difference. It is with great appreciation that I create for my patrons as my “inner circle”.
• Remember, Patron supporters ALSO get ALL ACCESS to the Substack (paid) extras! Start here: https://www.patreon.com/
AND coming soon, for Patreon supporters at all levels of support is THE QUARTERLY CHALLENGE.
Starting in July, participants will be offered a challenge (one per month) to enliven their spiritual journey, connection to others, and inner reflection. More info is to come.
BIO: Nicole Unice is on staff at Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia, and the author of the breakout book: “She’s Got Issues” which she wrote from her counseling and ministry experiences. The book produced and encouraged a refreshing and radical honesty that she’s built on in her new book “Brave Enough”.
Enjoy the Shownotes and links below and please share this with friends that you know CAN be “Brave Enough“. Thanks for listening!
#GetBraveEnough
xo
~Lisa
P.S. Would you like to get a special, cozy Spark My Muse t-shirt?
on the Richmond VA place and new midtown location.
1:30
Nicole’s podcasting experience (the Becoming Podcast) doing hundreds of episodes with her pastor doing 15 minutes shows for commuters.
Lisa asks: Is “campus” a Christian code word for mega church?
2:40
How she grew with Hope Church for 18 years, as they started out small in an elementary school “cafetorium”.
3;50
The “Youth Lodge” plans and the unique setting with wetlands and hills.
5:10
On the importance of Beauty, Setting, and Art in architecture and church building planning to evoke the imagination, inspire awe, and connect with the heart.
6:40
Collaborative workspace, and place where kids can do their homework and where people can enjoy the time away in a beautiful setting.
7:40
“artist come through the side door of the soul and preachers come through the front door.”
8:50
The history of the church and Christian tradition is one where the Church is source of beauty, wonder and connected to art because God is a the Creator.
9:40
Her first book: She’s Got Issues
6 main issues women (and men) face that can be a hinderance.
A rich relationship with God can come to a dead end as the ways we do life stop working.
12:00
How was it received? The #1 thing Nicole heard was, “You’re so honest.”
Why would honesty be such a revolution in Christianity?
12:40
She leaned into that for her next book “Brave Enough”
13:00
The story of how she got the title for the book:
To the question, “Do you think you can be brave?” Lucy Pevensie in the Chronicles of Narnia says, “I think I can be brave enough.”
14:35
Few women will self-identify as brave. [and not many men will either]
“After we identify the hinderances, what does it look like to walk forward in freedom?”
15:00
Brave Enoughis about Grace and its effects, inside and in action.
15:40
Nicole answering the question: Do men have the same problems in this area?
16:00
“Women hearing teaching from women is like hearing in your first language.”
16:30
Ways Nicole leads and teaches men.
17:00
on how women have to translate teaching from men into their “language” and context.
18:00
On how, similarly, Brené Brown was challenged (by a man) to include men in her writing and teaching. (Lisa)
18:40
How men and women have similar vulnerabilities though they might deal with them differently.
19:40
“up speak” tones in language in women and men revealing different insecurities. (Lisa)
21:00
Nuggets from the Brave Enough book:
How the ingredients mixed into something she didn’t expect. It follows a narrative “arch of the heart”. How we can be full and free and confident in life.
22:30
on why (inner) freedom is illusive for men and women.
On “Fake Grace” in our head. (the excuses we make or how we blame others). Inviting God/Jesus into those places.
24:10
We all (default) and go back to rules and laws and how to short circuit that pattern.
It’s about resetting the heart with a new spiritual reality.
25:00
Radical honesty about our ugly parts inside the heart.
25:30
Nicole’s Parable: The violently stopping of the elevator door…(and how it relates to our soul).
26:10
Open ourselves to God’s Presence and healing.
26:10
(Lisa) God uses what bothers us about other people is a mirror of what we don’t like in ourselves.
27:20
How our baggage works to impede our progress.
Brave Enough includes major parts on forgiveness
28:00
God’s breathing on us and giving us the mission of forgiveness, first.
June 10 I will air an episode where I interview Sarah Bessey (author of the provocatively titled “Jesus Feminist”…find out what it really means.) This interview has some great gems in it about the process of creation, and some of Sarah’s story that got her to move from blogger to successful author. So, look for that and the shownotes here next week!
SHOWNOTES:
Episode 11 -An interview with Daniel J. Lewis.
Today we welcome podcast expert, the creative and enterprising Daniel J. Lewis. If you are new to the show, and maybe a fan of Daniel’s, thanks for stopping by and spending some of your time with me!
Tools, strategies, and action steps to make digital, internet marketing simple and affordable. Get it free using the promo code spark while supplies last.
To be a sponsor click on the Patreon logo (left sidebar). Thousands of people are listening. Reach them and spark their muse!
Wine Segment: Today, Daniel and I talk about the impact of marriage on personal growth….so I decided since it’s “wedding season” I’d feature a wedding-related wine segment.
What Wine pairs well with wedding cake? Rule of thumb: The wine should be sweeter than the cake. Wine from green grapes goes well with lemon cake.
Bittersweet chocolate cake pairs best with an off-dry red.
Do you have questions about wine grapes or wine? Send them to me.
Today, I am very happy to interview the prolific Daniel J Lewis!
You may notice improved audio in this episode!
That’s because Daniel graciously furnished me with professional audio tracks of it and I am grateful. He’s been at podcasting for a while and I aspire his professionalism. If you like the show and want to help me upgrade my equipment and improve the quality of every show–take a gander at the plea at the bottom of the shownotes!
I was so glad to connect with Daniel because through his website I found a way to make podcasting my own show a reality.
Interview:
MINUTE 3:30
Who is Daniel J Lewis?
(I ask Daniel to tell you himself. With dozens of interviews under his belt, he’s great at this stuff.)
4:10 How Daniel got started in podcasting.
6:50 His roots of faith and his unique upbringing as an influence for a spiritually integrative creative process.
(Yes, I too was homeschooled…until 7th grade.)
9:20 on Creative slumps
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
10:37 On how our Worldview influences our creative process
11:50 A creative life of service to others
12:40 on creation (process) not beginning and ending with us.
13:00 Biggest surprises in his marriage
15:00 The purifying nature of the institution of marriage
15:30 The application of knowledge, not knowledge itself, is what matters
17:00 Best advice lately? Function on the assumption of love.
18:00 Long-term marriage commitment as a method for growth
19:00 Higher education and finding other options
19:30 How formal education and degrees are less important than experience (in the digital age).
19:45 The message is key to creation (and to podcasting)
20:00 “Don’t wait to be perfect before you start!”
20:20 “The Perfect is the enemy of the finished…”
21:00 On learning perseverance from messing up and moving on.
All month long (June, 2015) you can advertise on the show for just $25 (per show). Spark My Muse is heard in all 50 states and 74 countries world-wide! Use the contact page to express your interest.
Thank you for listening today and for reading the shownotes! I’d love to hear from you and I hope you’ll subscribe to the podcast and consider sponsoring the show. $1 per episode is a great place to start.
Want to “buck up”?
• Learn more here and find out the perks patrons get. :)
People in all 50 of the United States of America and those 74 countries listen to the show!
But, who’s really listening to Spark My Muse and why?
For that I need your help.
Please take part in this anonymous 30-second listener-survey so I can continue the show.
And if you’d like to be an advertising sponsor and reach thousands of new people each month, please contact me!
Shownotes:
Spark My Muse Episode 9 – Wine: moderation vs. medication (The famous HALT method)
This is a surprise “mid-week” episode. This show normally goes live each Wednesday. Episode 10 and 11 are longer special interview episodes.
Episode 10 (airing May 27th) Emily Miller writer and journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times and Relevant Magazine
Episode 11 (airing June 3rd) Daniel J. Lewis prolific creator of an entire network of podcast programs, including nationally-awarded shows on how to podcast, comedy, and the #1 rating discussion show for ABC’s series “Once Upon a Time”.
Check back for those!
This episode was brought to you by “The Daily Sharpening Ritual”–The perfect way to supercharge and renew personal awareness in your life.
The simple but effective worksheet was designed to create extra awareness and transformative improvement with minimal planning and effort.
It takes just 3-5 minutes each morning and at night. • You can see big changes for the better in only 5 days. Give it a test try, you have nothing to lose.
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Choose either or both options and see which one you like best:
How much wine is considered “drinking in moderation”?
• Rule of thumb: 2, 5oz glasses per day is moderate drinking, and no more than one drink per hour, or four drinks per occasion (like an all-day event like a picnic or wedding)
But if it’s hard to go a day without drinking wine (or wanting to), rethinking your relationship with wine is needed.
The show details some physical repercussions of over-consuming wine, and a practical way to build mindfulness.
• If you unsure that your consumption is healthy, jot down the feelings behind the desire to consume wine so it doesn’t master you.
• Wine can too-quickly be used to medicate ourselves, and this hurts our Souls. Be mindful. :)
(“Soul” meaning what it does in Hebrew: our whole-self, mental, spiritual, creative, relational, etc)
Sparking your muse
Featuring the book by Brennan Manning called, “The Wisdom of Tenderness”.
Explaining “the HALT method” for decision-making:
Brennan Manning died last year, and he is probably best known for writing the Ragamuffin Gospel. He accumulated a lot of wisdom through life, but it didn’t come cheap. Poor choices, wrong turns, and hard lessons molded him, eventually, into a person of great compassion and grace–a sage for the poor in spirit and those smart enough to listen. Many sought him out for his wisdom.
When Manning came into recovery as an alcoholic he learned a buzzword from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). AA folks use it as a method and smart tool to create greater awareness in those vulnerable to slipping back into alcohol abuse.
• They stay on the lookout for four qualities that make them susceptible to relapse and are encouraged to seek help when they identify them occurring in their life. Before they take a sip they look for the signs and call for backup.
If H.A.L.T., then halt.
Regular internal check for these:
H – Hungry (not just for food, but a longing in general)
A – Angry (or stressed, or frustrated)
L – Lonely (or rejected, or left out, feeling alone in the world)
T – Tired (often tired from helping others or being otherwise overcommitted)
We all need to cultivate an awareness of our vulnerabilities to avoid a slide into poor choices, creative slumps, or dangerous behavior.
Sometimes we don’t even realize our feelings while we are having them or how we are trying to soothe our selves.
Let’s develop the awareness to halt and take an internal inventory or seek help when we get run down, over-extended, or when we find ourselves feeling in some way hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
It is awareness which is at the heart of any ingenious creative pursuit, meaningful transformation or spiritual growth.
NEW next week (May 27)…A great interview with my friend, Emily Miller (writer and journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times and regular contributor to Relevant Magazine).
JUNE 3rd, comes an interview with expert creative, Daniel J. Lewis!
Please take part in this anonymous 30-second listener-survey so I can continue to produce the show.
Life As Prayer: Revived Spirituality Inspired by Ancient Piety
(on the life and legacy of Brother Lawrence’s habit of “practicing the presence of God”)
How can YOU find an enduring sense of God’s presence with you? Learn about 16th century Brother Lawrence and how his understanding of God’s presence continues to enrich lives today.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast AND to my newsletter!
Both your wine and your life must be able to to breathe!
Full and aware breathing can inspire your creative muse and enrich your life in so many ways.
minute 1:00
I excitedly announce two upcoming interviews:
• Daniel J. Lewis interview (a virtuosic creator who’s received national awards for podcasts he produces).
• Sarah Bessey (Jesus Feminist author) Interview (discussing her new Out of Sorts book).
WINE SEGMENT: Letting wine breathe!
minute: 5:00
In wine terms “aeration” is the process of bringing air into wine.
The term dumb (i.e. “dumb wine”) refers to a wine that has little flavor or fragrance.
• Swirling wine mixes it with air and allows it to both breathe and speak! • Flavor and aroma and the beauty and richness of the wine emerges as space for air gets in (just like us).
TIPS to make a better speaking wine:
(If buying excellent wine isn’t an option….which is most of us!)
Option 1.
Use a blender.
Option 2.
Use a hand blender (this is a method I use)
Option 3.
A cheap and simple solution:
Pour wine into a bowl and whisk it with a fork or whisk (like you would for scrambled eggs).
minute 5:50 Sparking your muse
• Aeration of the soul
• (a short recording) Insights from the middle of my retreat time at the Jesuit Spiritual Center in Wernersville, PA.
Forgetting how to breath.
My asthma and stress; and tightness of breath and soul.
8:30
Sprit of God = breath of life
9:30
On slowing down.
9:50
The fantastic 4-7-8 second breathing exercise I learned to get your breath (and life) back.
Creating space and breath for the Creative muse/your soul to truly thrive
13:00
The Scriptural inspiration, history, and meaning of “Breath Prayer”
(as a Christian devotional practice)
Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
minute 15:00
Breath Prayer: A simple cry for help and connection
• How to do “breath prayer”
• My important adaptation to breath prayer (that helps me identify as a loved child of God).
Did you enjoy the podcast?
I hope you’ll share this episode with friend or family member who might need more space and air for her soul to breathe.
Cheers! Here’s to your health.
I’d like to hear from you.
Please, help me and take this short 30-second listener-survey.
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