If you’ve ever wondered what your calling is, then this episode is for you because today I talk with Beth Booram who has written a whole book on understanding what it looks like for God to birth a dream in your life. Beth walks us through the the gestational process of birthing a dream as well as providing a bit of direction and encouragement.
Beth is a spiritual director and author, who also runs an urban spiritual retreat center in her home in Indianapolis. She’s written four books, and is writing her fifth with her husband. She is a fellow table person, Big-God-Dreamer and question-asker, and I am just giddy to have her join me on the show today.
I can’t wait for you to meet Beth. Here’s the interview on the Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 67.
Do you feel like you’re in control of your emotions? Or do you feel like your emotions control you? When you’re caught up in a feeling – whether it’s anxiety or anger or envy – do you feel overwhelmed? I have definitely felt those things before, so I’m particularly grateful to talk with Alison Cook on the show today about boundaries for the soul and Spirit-led self leadership.
Alison is a speaker, counselor, and writer who is passionate about helping people fully live out their God-given potential. She received her Ph.D. in religion and psychology and has served as a counselor for over 20 years. She lives in Boston with her husband and two teenage kids, where they are active in The Salvation Army.
I can’t wait for you to meet Alison. I hope this will be an important and encouraging episode for you.
So often we have the negative emotion – the anger or the anxiety – and we think we need to get rid of it, instead of inviting God to be with us in it. ~ Alison Cook
To befriend your feelings: Extend compassion or curiosity to whatever it is you’re experiencing. ~ Alison Cook
That inner ‘guilt-tripper’ is often what’s protecting you from grief. It’s guilting you to protect you from what’s really going on, which is feeling grief and sorrow. ~ Alison Cook
How would you walk through your days if you knew you had the perfect Dad? When things get bumpy, would you worry and strive and rely on yourself – or would you endure with confidence that you could always count on your Dad to step in?
I wonder how all of our lives would be different if we lived in the confidence that God is the perfect dad. How brave would we be? How much more grace and goodwill might we be willing to extend? What might we be willing to risk for our Big God Dreams, knowing that our Dad was always there to help?
Last week we explored how our relationships with our fathers affect our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Today on the podcast we dig deeper into how our dads’ personalities shape how we perceive God’s personality.
If you’ve ever felt like God is distant or uncaring, I hope you listen in and know that God loves you passionately and personally. That His heart is full of love for you, and that when you are able to look at Him clearly, without any distortion, you will always see a proud-Dad smile beaming back at you.
What if I told you that there is one relationship in your life that has probably influenced your view of God more than any other relationship? That the closeness, safety, acceptance and love (or lack of those things) that you felt in that relationship would become your framework for how you receive those things from God?
I look forward to celebrating my dad on Father’s Day. He’s always cared for and provided for our family with selflessness and joy. I never questioned if he loved me because he told me he loved me and he showed me he loved me. But I know that for so many, Father’s Day stirs up a lot of insecurity and heartache, a lot of disappointed hopes and anger.
Today on the podcast we’re going to look at how our relationship with our earthly fathers impacted our view of God, making sure that there is no distortion in how we see our Heavenly Father.