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How do we overcome vices that the world teaches us to idolize? In her novel, Sensible Shoes, from the series of the same name, Sharon Garlough Brown takes the reader through the growth journey of four characters, whose lives become interwoven throughout the novel as they embark on a sacred journey with God and each other.
In this episode, author Sharon Garlough Brown joins host Kristy Lahoda to discuss the spiritual formation of protagonists Hannah and Charissa and their spiritual journeys to their belovedness in God. Just as they learn to surrender their identities to God, we, too, are invited to surrender the worldly identity we’ve taken upon ourselves to put on our God-given identity as beloved child of God. In this first novel of the series, we discuss our need to become reservoirs. In Sermons on the Song of Songs, twelfth century abbot Bernard of Clairvaux said, “The man who is wise, therefore, will see his life as more like a reservoir than a canal. The canal simultaneously pours out what it receives; the reservoir retains the water till it is filled, then discharges the overflow without loss to itself. … Today there are many in the Church who act like canals, the reservoirs are far too rare … You too must learn to await this fullness before pouring out your gifts, do not try to be more generous than God. The reservoir resembles the fountain that runs to form a stream or spreads to form a pool only when its own waters are brimming over. The reservoir is not ashamed to be no more lavish than the spring that fills it.” (98-100, Kindle) We give to others from out of our God-given abundance.
Guest
Sharon Garlough Brown is a spiritual director, speaker, and cofounder of Abiding Way Ministries, providing spiritual formation retreats and resources. She is the author of Shades of Light, the Shades of Light Study Guide, Remember Me, and the bestselling Sensible Shoes Series, which includes the spiritual formation novels Sensible Shoes, Two Steps Forward, Barefoot, An Extra Mile, and their study guides. Her latest work, Feathers of Hope (third in the Shades of Light series) released in April 2022.
Host
Kristy is a Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation graduate (2018-2021), has a Ph.D. in chemistry, and is a contract scientific technical editor. She lives in central Ohio with Rob, her husband of 18 years, and their three children, 14 year-old girl/boy twins and a 12 year-old boy.
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All Flame by Carolyn Arends
Thank you to Carolyn Arends for permission to use her song, "All Flame", from the album Recognition, for the podcast's intro and outro. Carolyn is a singer/songwriter, the Director of Education at Renovaré, and was one of my instructors in the Renovaré Institute. She has become a dear friend.
You can learn more about Carolyn at carolynarends.com.
If you'd like to purchase the song or the album, you can download it at her web store.
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