Here is something different.
It’s a short episode with a thought experiment, a kind of class in “soul school”.
Let me know what you think.
I’d like to intersperse short “lessons” with my typical interview episodes. I’ll do a few as a test and see where it goes.
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THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL “in-betweener” episode!
Check out the other one released this week too.
• Rolf Potts here!
The Life After Midday Story…
This Autumn, when the giant Christian Broadcasting Network, Moody Radio, suddenly ended the award-winning and popular show for women called Midday Connection, fans were stunned and so were the four hosts of the program. The show ran strong for decades and dealt with tough topics with trustworthy and transformative authenticity, and now it was abruptly over.
In the weeks and months that followed the news (first conveyed confidentially to the hosts a few months earlier) host Lori Neff struggled to find her footing. What was her identity after losing her dream job , her 18-year career, and the interaction with her friends from her job? What should be the new path for her ministry and her life’s work?
In this beautiful episode, Lori conveys to us with her characteristic authenticity and her deep well of spiritual fortitude what was happening during that time, how she has processed the tumult of the upheaval in a way that has best connected with her values, and she reveals her exciting plans for the future (some of which include THIS show). It is an inspiring and a useful model for any of us in a difficult transition or painful situation. Her message will hearten and delight you.
Scroll down to click on the button to listen and see the shownotes below for links to things mentioned in the show.
Thank you for finding Spark My Muse project and listening in. So much is in store. Wonderful guests, new partnerships, and upcoming ways to connect. (Also, check out the community we started HERE.)
• If you have enjoyed the program and want to be a part of helping it continue, you can help out HERE. Even $1 or 2 is wonderful, because as everyone helps a little–it helps a lot.
(Dead broke, but still generous? Share the show with a few friends now and visit this link to write a helpful review on iTunes HERE.)
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Be sure to connect with Lori!
Find Lori at her website HERE.
Find her on Facebook HERE.
Connect with Lori on Twitter HERE
MIN 1:30
18 years of radio broadcasting for Lori came suddenly to an end?
Broadening the scope of the women’s program to talk about spiritual formation and tougher topics.
3:20
How Lori was introduced to and trained in spiritual direction (and what is it?)
4:00
Moving away from problem-solving.
Christos in MN, training program
6:00
Listening with the other person for…
God’s activity in their life. Enjoying the creativity that can go along with it.
7:00
A gentle, safe and warm ministry.
9:00
The shock of the Midday Connection ending.
11:00
Leaning into the things that bring you joy.
11:30
A podcast focused on prayer. (Everyday Prayer Podcast)
14:00
Using art for prayer and worship
15:30
Lori’s spiritual background and faith tradition
16:30
The trap of legalism that began in adolescence.
18:00
Janet Davis book, The Feminine Soul
19:30
Our devotion can make us strive for certainty.
20:00
Critical Journey Janet Hagberg
22:00
The format and date for her new podcast.
23:00
Pray as you go
Daily disconnect podcasts with daily prayer
Guided prayer practice. About 8 minutes long.
Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas
25:00
When prayer “stops working” and the seasons of prayer.
27:30
A prayer Lori goes back to is she’s discourage, sad, or busy:
Lynnette Martin
Practical Praying [READ it here]
We give a glance, a smile and say “hello”.
29:00
Basking in the presence and intimacy of God in an intentional way.
31:00
Asking, “Where is God in this?”
The chair was like a nest.
33:00
Relying on written prayers when you feel prayer.
34:30
Celtic prayers.
Morning, afternoon, and evening prayers that are holistic.
35:30
Lori doing women’s retreat with Melidna Schmidt.
Vision and value statements
5 Core value statements.
Mind Mapping – a tool for putting thoughts on paper in an organized way.
Beth and David Boorman
38:00
Discovering her dreams.
43:00
Authenticity and vulnerability and lack of fear to address hard topics is what she’ll miss the most.
45:45
Anything like Midday Connection on the horizon?
46:45
Anita Lustrous Faith Conversations podcast
47:30
Spark invitation
49:00
Finding Lori and what she’s up to. lorineff.com
“The end of Midday Connection” series on the blog
51:00
Losses take time to move through.
A lament like the psalms.
The journey of grief.
53:20
Is there something as “pure joy”?
54:00
Not pushing aside the tension of joy and sorrow.
Please let me know if you enjoyed the show. Don’t forget to subscribe and come back in a few days for another episode!
-Lisa
Laura is a Productive Woman. It’s not just the name of her podcast, she’s a wife, a mom of five and grandma of six, a lawyer by day and a podcaster. Organization and efficiency is her passion!
For busy women (and men) she provides info and resources and ways to make the most of your time to have a more meaningful life. I spoke with her LIVE. Did you see it?
If you missed our great LIVE discussion (there is a crazy glitch that happens too. It cracked me up!) enjoy it here.
Just a few dollars a year gets you access to all the video recorded from LIVE discussions with guests each week. Toward the end she reveals her TOP THREE favorite tips.
The strange and surprising ways we become more productive! Today’s guest is a lawyer, mom, writer, productive podcaster, and “productivity geek”, Laura McClellan.
She’s on twitter here.
Listen to her podcast here.
Scroll down for show notes with links!
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The Spark My Muse Project is different than other things you’ll find online: It’s not “CONTENT”. It’s a little listener-supported project with a mission to be a spark in the world. It’s a partnership AND a fellowship we do together. Thousands of people n 125 countries are listening and helping.
New here?
• As you find value in what you are hearing, thank you for alleviating the production costs with a modest contribution when you listen.
• If each listener contributes just a buck per month, we can bless each other and continue to make something beautiful together.
Ready to help, too?
Do that HERE.
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Watch it here. When you become a micro patron for just $1 per month you can access the recorded LIVE videos with guests EACH week.
SHOWNOTES
MINUTE 2:00
How did this lawyer-by-day get involved with podcasting on Productivity?
Listening to Michael Hyatt podcast on her commute.
3:15
Cliff Ravenscraft Podcast: Podcasting AnswerMan
Taking his HOW TO course.
3:45
The two terrible fears that stopped her from following through at first.
Brene Brown Daring Greatly
the Brene Brown TED TALK
(with over 21 Million views)
5:30
What helped Laura overcome her fear and begin.
7:30
How we evolve in our endeavors and perfectionism is another word for fear.
8:00
Missing out on things because of fear.
10:00
On being okay with mistakes and building confidence.
11:00
The closet recording.
12:30
The worldwide community we get to be a part of.
14:00
Meeting fans
15:00
Being a productivity geek and helping others (and herself) get organized.
19:00
“It’s not about getting more stuff done, but about getting the right stuff done.”
21:00
Having time to feed your soul.
22:00
Making a life that matters is different for everyone. It’s about asking the right questions first.
24:00
Her best tip is “write everything down and don’t try to remember everything.” This frees up “mental RAM” or bandwidth to be more productive.
26:00
Getting Things Done David Allan
Writing things down is a great strategy for getting to sleep or staying focused in prayer or writing a book, other things that need more mental energy than we realize.
28:00
Great ideas that come in the shower.
Aqua Notes for the shower.
30:30
The myth of the efficiency in multi-tasking.
36:00
The concept of being truly productive revolves around concentrating on what a really essential and letting other things fall to the side.
36:00
Greg McKeown
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
38:00
Saying “no” to the good to make space for the great.
39:00
41:00
How we measure our self worth.
Busyness is a badge of honor.
What are we fearing about ourselves.
42:00
Life before cell phones and being always accessible.
The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) syndrome
44:00
What Laura is afraid she’ll miss out on.
Not likely surprises and wanting to be informed or missing deals for her law firm.
45:00
On teaching yourself new habits to create more space.
47:20
“No one will respect your time if you don’t respect it. We teach people on to treat us.” (Lisa)
48:30
Deciding what values you want to live your life by and pass on opportunities outside those values.
50 :00
Getting a permission slip
Join Laura and me on Tuesday night 8pm EST (GMT-4) HERE for the Live interactive discussion!
Because of our times, we have a mental default setting.
It reads: Consumer. But that’s not you….we are friends. :)
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Ready to help?
Do that HERE.
We got to talk about her work with race relations and it was fascinating.
Take a peek or access it now, right here.
INTRO to EPS 27
Andi Cumbo-Floyd found that farm life taught her about the divine whispers that ignite creativity. Now, she invites writers for workshops full of rest and fellowship. She welcomes and nurtures weary pilgrims to her beautiful rural retreat space so they can create in a safe and life-giving way.
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SHOWNOTES with links:
MNIUTE – 1:00-11:00 (intro)
Note-worthy links:
• The Contemplative Writer Facebook group
• The Slaves Have Names (Andi’s book about race relations and growing up on a former plantation.)
MNIUTE – 10:30
Monks don’t withdraw from the world to hide. They withdraw to pray and prayer is action. (Thomas Merton)
11:30
Storing up our reserves to be more powerful in the world as an agent for healing and change.
12:00
On Andi’s writing retreat space called God Whisper Farms. Building the farm and fixing it up. Meeting her husband and getting goats and chickens and then relocating the farm to a place with 15 acres.
13:30
Mennonite Tradition. Pastor Jesse Johnson…God whispered (a.k.a. “still small voice”)
18:00
Upcoming residency for writers and artists to have a refuge and respite.
19:00
Soul care
19:30
God’s Whisper Manifesto lays out the 10 principles for the farm.
20:40
Working with new writers. Goal-setting, the craft of writing, and connect with other writers.
22:00
Her advice for those who are stuck creatively:
Building silence into the day.
(Art comes from a stiller place.)
Kicking starting the process with poetry or lectio divinia.
Listening for your true voice and practicing the hearing needed for when that voice speaks.
24:00
Expectations and other things that block us from our true artistic voice.
Quieting the other voices that haven’t been helpful.
Not “shoulding” and thinking of “oughts”.
26:00
Henri Nouwen “What if God takes delight in the things that you take delight in?”
27:00
Anxiety-producing questions that make us feeling like we aren’t where we should be.
There is no writer’s block, only fear stops us.
28:00
The Wounded Healer – Henri Nouwen
28:30
Privacy and a nurturing environment to create.
30:30
Knowing we are good and we are loved.
31:00
The universality in creation that finds a home in others.
32:00
Andy’s background in faith and spirituality.
Her parents’ advise for attending a church, “Go where the community is the best.”
34:00
A winding spiritual journey: 3 Baptisms and ending up Anabaptist.
36:30
The breakdown of denominational labels.
38:00
Social Justice (apart from government solutions) and the Peace Tradition in the Anabaptist sphere.
Old order Mennonite
39:30
The Love Feast (and some churches do foot washing as a sacrament.)
40:30
(Lisa) Assembly church background.
41:30
Sabbath Rest and visiting friends and family.
43:00
How we stop knowing people at church. The rebellious potluck.
44:00
No assumption of guaranteed entertainment and 2 hours to relax and eat.
45:00
House churches and nurturing environments.
45:30
Her website: andilit.com
Quilt of Souls
47:10
The Coal Regions of the East and Yuengling Brewery
48:30
Breeding Goats and making soap and gathering eggs.
49:40
Nature will not be rushed.
50:00
You can’t squeeze chickens to get eggs when you want them. They are the boss.
Don’t forget to join in for the LIVE interactive discussion of this episode the same day its’ released (Tuesday).
VIEW UPCOMING topics and subscribe to join any one you can in HERE.
