Shows
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHAPPY NEW YEAR!!! What if our bodies matter to God in a different way than we normally think?“We make our decisions, and then our decisions make us. In the beginning we have a choice, but eventually, we have a character.” John Mark Comer The new year often makes us think through lots of new things. Wherever you fall on the scale of loving making goals or intentions or absolutely hating it, I think this episode will be a refreshment for you! An opportunity for you to see that God cares about more than simply what we do. He meets us right where we are and gives us just what we need. We’ll look at Eli...2025-01-0730 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangEmmanuel in our ordinary daysMerry Christmas! A few thoughts on how I've been approaching Christmas this year that I thought I'd share with you today. What if the Jesus that came in a manger all those years ago is also about our daily days? What if its the ordinariness of life that is actually sacred? Today we'll chat for just a few minutes about what's rolling through my mind this morning. Enjoy!2024-12-2411 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangPrepare HIM roomJesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever Hebrews 13:8 Happy Advent! In today’s episode we’re talking about what it might look like to prepare our hearts for Him, to take some moments during this season to purposefully incline ourselves toward the things of God. I’ll share with you three things that I’ve been pondering as I lean into the cadence of this season with hope and expectancy. (There’s also a great prayer at the end my Henri Nouwen that felt like such great preparation for me that you won’t want to miss2024-12-1028 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThanks!...even in this.Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 The Message Of course I’m talking about gratitude in this episode before Thanksgiving. I hope that our time together makes room for you to notice whats in your life that you’ve overlooked and want to note your gratitude for. AND, I think you’ll be surprised at a story I share at the end and how I found deep gratitude in the middle of BIG...2024-11-2623 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levanglife in the middle spacesHomer says, “The journey is the thing.” I’m sure many of you can relate to life in the middle space. I'm talking about that place of process where we are trying to figure things out and we often find ourselves without a handle to grab hold of. It can feel so disregulating at times. Join me as I share what its been like for me and as we look back at some others in history who also found themselves in the middle of process. We’ll ask the questions, “What if this season, is actually a...2024-11-1229 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levangwrestling around with the concept of purpose with my friend LaurinePurpose in life is far more than property or possessions. Having more to live with is no substitute for having more to live for. Nicky Gumbel This worked out so great—-my friend Laurine (who has her own podcast) asked me to come and record (while I was in Seattle, in September) and I enjoyed our conversation so much I thought I’d share it here on the spacious place. We talk all about purpose, sharing some of our own thoughts around it from our own lives. Think you’re gonna like it! 2024-10-2939 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levangsitting in psalm 19“In the face of God’s glorious creation and his perfect law, we are called to both revel and to repent. God’s glory and perfection, like the majestic sun, call us to Himself.” —She Reads Truth Bible notes Today’s conversation comes out of some time spent in Psalm 19. This psalm is packed with descriptives about what God is like as well as invitation to commune with Him. As I read it I was deeply motivated and encouraged by God’s generous pursuit, even through creation—-longing for all to know of His goodness. I h...2024-10-1525 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levangwhen limitations feel like they’re squeezing the life out of you!“Uncorking my thoughts and naming them gives me the ability to receive.” Sara Hagerty, The Gift of Limitations Are you struggling because of some limit your facing right now? What does life look like for you when you find yourself bound by some kind of limitation? I can tell you that for me, I’m often not proud in hindsight about how well I’ve handled said limitation. I constantly need reminding that God is at work and that my limitations don’t limit Him from accomplishing what He has planned to do. I get so fo...2024-10-0128 min
Tiniest of SeedsFinding Purpose: Kari Levang Shares Her Heart In the Midst of a (Literal) Desert SeasonSend us a textChaos? Desert? Confusion? Concern? Trial?The apostle Pauls says he has learned to be content no matter what. Wow. He went through it all - elevation of personal status to prison, status to disdain. He was a chief persecutor of Christians, and radically found Jesus and peace. It wasn't easy for him either! (Just read Acts and Romans.)As we align our purpose with God's purpose for us (which by the way is always for our best) and quit seeking external manifestation and validation, we can find a deep...2024-09-1735 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThoughts on the free life -- and finding our way back when we've lost our way"In the Kingdom of God, weakness is a superpower because in God’s Kingdom strength and weakness are not opposites, they’re synchronistic with the rule and reign of Christ." Ruth Chou Simons When Paul talks about freedom in Galatians, I think it can feel defeating at times when our lives don’t feel like we’re necessarily walking in freedom. In this episode I’m sharing some thoughts about what freedom is and what it isn’t. (**Spoiler alert…freedom isn’t something we can maintain on our own, and we will never do it perfe...2024-09-1730 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThe bird, the feeder and the space in betweenSee what’s there, not what you expect to see. See what is really present in your life. See yourself, see each other. Frederick Buechner In today’s episode I’m sharing an experience I had as I sat quietly at my dining room table, early in the morning. As I looked out the window at a bird, God invited me to watch and listen and it took me to a deeper place that I decided to share with you! I’ll also share some of the thoughts I struggle with at times and the ways I’m com...2024-07-1623 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levangwhen waiting threatens our faithIsaiah 49:14-15 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Waiting is just hard and it can get real messy in our heads the longer it takes for whatever it is we are waiting for. In today’s episode we’re taking a short peek back at the story of Mary and Martha and Jesus from John 11 and taking not...2024-07-0230 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangGrief, unmet expectations and tearsTo be human is to live in the space between our expectations and reality. Katherine Wolf This is the second part of our time around Mary and Martha. I finished the last one and felt like I’d left some things unsaid. I thought I’d just re-reocrd it, but decided on a part 2 instead. So here we are! In this episode we’re taking note of some things around the story of the loss of Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus—-their grief and their disappointment in God and his timing. But not onl...2024-06-1827 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangPt. 1—-Troubled minds and the good portionKatherine Wolf, in her book Treasures in the Dark says, “Get curious about what new thing your suffering could be offering you.” What if we don’t have to fit into a box one way or another but rather there is room for all the parts of us.. Today I’m talking about my thoughts around Jesus interaction with Mary and Martha in Luke 10. We’ll discuss some of my thoughts about whether this portion of Scripture is really what we might think at first glance or whether there’s actually something more that Jesus is trying to lead us i2024-06-0426 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangStay curious & pay attention to where you set your eyesCourage, dear heart. CS Lewis It takes lots of courage to show up to what’s really happening inside of us, rather than hide and perform on the outside. In this episode I’m sharing some of the places of change for me and how I’m learning to navigate them in new ways. You’ll also get a peek into the experiences in my life over the last two years that have created places in me that have felt very young. Places where I have had to be a beginner, and how at this m...2024-05-2129 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWhat if the pace you've set for yourself is not the pace that's required of you?The Word of God is powerful against our internal traffic. …It replaces the internal chatter of life—-the criticism, the comparisons, and the shoulds—-with the truth of what God sees and thinks and feels. And that’s a beautiful sound. Unseen, by Sara Hagerty In today’s episode I’m sharing part of a conversation I had with a friend that served as a wonderful reminder to me about what it means to run the race marked out for me. I don’t know what you’re facing in your life right now, but hopefull...2024-05-0726 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWaiting...the space in between the now and not yetGrace is often painful because it strips us down and shows us how little we have to offer. Bill Bedell In today’s episode, I’m talking about how that might look as we wait or live in the “not-yet” spaces of our lives. Everyone finds themselves here at one time or another, so I’m talking about what it might look like to intertwine ourselves and how it might not be as complicated as we might think. And you’re not gonna want to leave at the very end…if you wait, you’ll get a bit...2024-04-1626 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangMaking our abode, as we abide.Sometimes deciding you want to move towards all God has for you means trusting Him enough to let go of things that are holding you back. Ashley Morgan Jackson I got caught up in the words Abide and Abode this week. I found myself pondering what it might look like to make our home with God and shared some of the reasons why I often don’t choose this route. God waiting and saying, “Come home and be with me.”….what will you say???2024-04-0229 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWhen 'thru' is the only way to go!“It’s not the strength of your faith that saves you, but the strength of Him upon whom you rely on.” Charles Spurgeon Today I’m talking through a verse that kinda stopped me in my tracks. It’s a verse that I’ve read multiple times before, but this time, after reading it, I was asked, “what stood out to me?”. What if God isn’t frustrated when we keep coming back, but rather delighted by our presence? What if our suffering is the very thing that invites us to draw near to him, and it’s the...2024-03-1923 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHow presence transforms our shameRomans 10:11 For whoever believes in him, will not be put to shame In this episode we’ll dive into John 21 and take a look at how Peter was possibly navigating his own shame. I just wonder if you can relate to his way of coping…I sure can. And it will lead us to a reinstatement of sorts that helps us to see that what we do doesn’t disqualify us from what Christ has already made possible.2024-03-0519 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWhat if waiting is an invitation?“The past is frozen and no longer flows, and the present is all lit up with eternal rays.” C S Lewis After preparing to speak at a high school retreat, I decided that the content was too good to not share in this space as well. Today we’re talking about not only the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead, but the wonder of Jesus presence in the middle of Mary and Martha’s pain. Our idea of time and our expectations of what God should be like, is far different than...2024-02-2024 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangJanuary Schmanuary“The presence of pain, doesn’t mean the absence of God” ---unknown I decided before we move into February with rapid speed, it may do us well to slow down long enough to take inventory of what the last month has been like. I think when we do this, it makes space for us to proceed with a better sense of what we might need. So, in today’s episode I share a bit of what January looked like for me, in hopes you might consider doing the same! The Lord i...2024-02-0627 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA beautiful, messy invitationGod is not a concept or an emotion, and he’s certainly not a doctrine in a statement of faith or a chapter in a theology book; he is a person, who’s burning desire is to know and be known by you. And like in any intimate relationship, there is a kind of knowledge that goes beyond words——a kind you can get only by direct persont-to-person experience. John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way We’re almost done with our first month of 2024 and boy has it been a doozy so far. Today’s epis...2024-01-2324 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangMy strategy to intentionally grow in my prayer life and an invitation for you!The Word of God is powerful against our internal traffic. …It replaces the internal chatter of life—-the criticism, the comparisons, and the shoulds—-with the truth of what God sees and thinks and feels. And that’s a beautiful sound. Sara Hagerty, Unseen: The gift of being hidden in a world that loves to be noticed Welcome to the first episode of 2024! Ever feel like your prayer life could use some attention? Today I’m going to share about my desire to grow in this area of my life and the pathway that I’m hea...2024-01-0931 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangGoodbye 2023--Hello 2024The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I’m able to hear the voice that calls me the beloved. And the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world. Henri Noun In this episode I’ll share a few of the questions that I’m pondering as I look back at 2023 with an honest perspective and look forward to 2024 with hope and expectancy. Now, I realize not everyone likes this type of introspection, but I think it may be differ...2023-12-2630 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWomen, Spices, and Ointments --- oh my!“The sweetest joys and delights I have experienced, have not been those that have arisen from a hope of my own estate, but in a direct view of the glorious things of the gospel…I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express….to be full of Christ alone; to love him with a holy, pure love; to trust in Him; to live upon Him; to serve and to follow Him.” Our work matters, and yet, its more than just the work. This episode came directly out of my own ti...2023-12-1223 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levang**Bonus PANIC ATTACK episodeHey there! Thanks for coming to this space where honesty leads the conversation. I had no intention of recording this, but after some interaction with people on social media, I decided to go ahead and do it. So, this is a follow up to a story I shared on Instagram/Facebook about a panic attack I had. There was enough engagement from people wanting to hear how I actually dealt with it, and shared their own stories of anxiety, that I decided to share! My hope is that if you need it to b...2023-11-3023 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangEat the mysteryGod give us the grace to embrace mysteries we don’t understand, The cruciform openness to live a tender surrender, into Your ways wiser and kinder than ours, and the deep shalom of simply being with You here, right here, with us. —-Ann Voskamp In this episode we’re taking a journey through some passages of Scripture together to see that in all the mystery, there is one who invites us to communion with Him. All the places in our lives that feel like unknown and full of fear and questions, become a...2023-11-2823 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThanks for giving....See what I did there:)1 Thessalonians 5:18…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. In this episode I'm having a conversation with some of our long time, dear friends, Joe and Amy Coy. We spent some time talking about what living a life of thanks has been like for them. They shared with me (and now you:), what it has looked like for them in each of their vocational places, in ministry, as well as in their very home as they raised their 5 kids and now live with aging parents. Jo...2023-11-1445 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangOvercoming evilJohn Bunyan called believing “sweating work”. He once wrote, “He that undertakes to believe, sets upon the hardest task that ever was proposed to man…” In this episode I’m talking a little bit about what it means to overcome evil. We’ll talk about the reality of the battle we are in, as well as the fact that our Jesus has ultimately bought us victory. We'll talk of the communal nature of the battle and I’ll share a little of my own experience--- I’ll even share a vulnerable piece, with you, at the end that I wrote...2023-10-3133 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHow does God actually feel about your struggle?In this world, you will have trouble…John 16:33 We all experience struggles in this thing we call life. In this episode, I share how my own word battles around my worth led me on a hunt for an answer to this question. I don’t know about you, but I often get quiet and choose to stay alone when things are hard for me, so after a long, hard day I decided to search around for how Jesus had been in the past and thought maybe it might give me some courage for next time I fou...2023-10-1729 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThoughts about steadfastness with LaurineGive careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Proverbs 4:26 Today my friend and I are talking about steadfastness…what it means, as well as how it is appropriated into our own lives as we live out our days with Jesus and one another. We share some personal experiences around what it’s looked like to believe God’s steadfastness love for us, even when we blow it or walk in unbelief, and how we’ve found our way back. Come along with us as we learn to p...2023-10-0331 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangChange, we love it or hate it....and sometimes it's both.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 This week we’re talking about change…how to navigate it with new lenses and different tools. What would it look like to actually take the time to pay attention to yourself and honor the fact that you’re in the middle of a disruption? I have been through major changes this last year and a half and I share a few of the things that I learned along the way that hopefully will give you a little help as you face your own season of chan...2023-09-1926 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangLayered FreedomHow far can we go? How much is permissible? The Psalms suggest that we can go the whole way, that it is all permissible; the praise, yes, but also the grief, the sorrow, the anger… -Walter Brueggeman In the Spacious Place, we often talk about freedom and I think in some ways it can get confusing for some---actually it used to be very confusing for me! So today I’m gonna share a little bit about what I mean when I say freedom is layered and hopefully let you in on some of the nuances that...2023-09-0529 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThriving, with Cheryl ScruggsThis is a special episode to me! The woman who actually, without even knowing it, inspired me to start this podcast, is a guest on today’s show! Cheryl Scruggs has a new book out called, ’Thriving Beyond Belief’ and we’re talking about this whole concept of thriving…what it is and what it isn’t, as well as some of her own personal stories that included trauma and how she found herself thriving, even in the middle of that! We also talk about the relentless hurry that our culture not only lives in, but really cel...2023-08-2242 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levang“Crumbs that led me to the table of infinite supply”“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” E.B. White Jesus is not afraid to hang out with messy, unkept, sinners. In fact, that was his very plan from the beginning! In this episode I am taking you back in time to parts of my story where I can see now that Jesus was there….wooing me, drawing me, even tho I wasn’t ready to say yes. I’ll show you how he was making deposits that would begin to pay dividends later. And my hope is that as I ha...2023-08-0827 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA Bonus episode: Gifts, movies and songs...all from Winnie!A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty. —Unknown A spacious place includes all the parts of us. Today I’m having a short chat with my 3 year old granddaughter Winnie that I thought might be fun for you to get in on with me. I mean, who doesn’t love to hear about some of a 3 year olds favorite things?!! If you need to smile today then this one’s for you! 2023-07-2514 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levang"Together", with my friend LaurineI water you, you water me; we grow together. Brandon Nembhard How would the Body of Christ look if our shifted from building our own kingdoms, to building His? This week my friend Laurine and I are having a conversation about the idea of being together. We talk through why we believe it matters, what gets in the way of us practicing it, and how we’ve grown along the way with one another. Join us as we make our way “together” through this topic:)2023-07-1125 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHoly Spirit conversation with my friend LaurineBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; Acts 1:8 The trinity is both mysterious and confusing, comforting and wonderful. Today I’m having a conversation with Laurine from Breathe in Him podcast, about the Holy Spirit. We navigate some of the big thoughts around who He is and why it matters to know the truth about the trinity through God’s word, as well as some of the nuances of walking by the Spirit. Come join us!2023-06-2726 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHi! It's me:)If you feel like you’re not valuable Let me tell you there’s more….from Lauren Daigle’s song “Valuable” There are so many new people engaging with the Spacious Place, so today I decided to do a little introduction to who I am and how this podcast came to be. I’m sharing some bits of my own story and how God and others moved me to a new space--- and how I couldn’t keep it to myself! Even if you’re not new to this space, I think you might find some nug...2023-06-1333 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangIt's my birthday!This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 Are birthdays fun for you or do they have an element of hard to them? This episode is two days after my 54th birthday, so I thought it might be fun to share some of the things I’ve learned, what I’m still learning this year, and how it feels in the middle of all of that! Come along with me as I share what this year has held for me.2023-05-3028 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFilling up spaces, rather than pausing to be present“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor E. Frankl Do you ever talk to fill in quiet spaces? Or know someone who does that? Me too! Today we’re talking about someone in the Bible (spoiler alert...it was Peter:)--- who often did the same thing. We’ll look at a story in Mark where this very thing happened and then I’ll share some of the things that felt helpful to me as I sat...2023-05-1618 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA conversation around helpful habits“You can withstand life’s rhythms of waves as long as you have your own interior sacred rhythms with God who rocks you safe. “ Often when we think about creating habits, it’s at the beginning of the year or a marker birthday, not in May. But in light of the habits that we already have in place, it can be helpful to determine whether they are working or if there are other ways we can use our time and energy in a more effective way. So, today’s episode is not about ‘being better’, it’s more about...2023-05-0226 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangCreative Best Group chat, (minus 1)Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. Brene Brown In this episode, I gathered with a group of women that chose to link arms and entrust one another with our vulnerable places in regards to the creative adventures we were all beginning during our middle age season. Here we are 4 years later, and not only do we still love one another, but our relationship has deepened tremendously by this one choice to choose vulnerability with one another, in the places that felt so sacred and scary. We’re sharing today how...2023-04-1841 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA story of courageous faithGod speaks to Adam and halts him in his flight. Come out of your hiding place…our of your self torment….confess who you are, do not lose yourself in religious despair, be yourself, Adam. Where are you? —Dietrich Bonhoeffer In this episode I’m sharing about something my friend in Sierra Leone Africa shared with me about living courageously. I’ll tell you her story and then unpack with you what I believe we can take from her encounter from all the way around the globe! We’ll also go back to the Garden of Ed...2023-04-0431 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA view from the kitchen, with thoughts about a winter of the soul “Waiting is just a gift of time in disguise——a time to pray wrapped in a ribbon of patience——because, is the Lord ever late?” Ann Voskamp Do you ever feel like the weather outside lines up with the condition of your heart? I sure do. Today I’m talking about how an early morning peek out the window opened my heart and mind in such a way for God to speak to my soul. His invitation to join Him, to bring all of me, still catches me off-guard. I’m sitting in a pool of gratitude today...2023-03-2126 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation, Vulnerability and Friendship with Laurine1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. “The greater the obstacle, the greater the opportunity for healing.” —-Laurine My friend Laurine has been on the Spacious Place podcast a couple of times before and I just love chatting with her because it is honest. She is one of the most tenacious pursuers of Jesus— and mind, body and soul integration I know! She is fierce about investing in relationship with others, with a desire to entrust herself more, even when it feels scary...2023-03-0739 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangSometimes life's a dragCharles Swindoll…Intimacy with The Almighty I’m finally learning that His Sovereign plan is the best plan. That whatever I entrust to Him, He can take care of better than I. That nothing under His control can ever be out of control. That everything I need, He knows about in every detail. That he is able to supply, to guide, to start, to stop, to sustain, to change and correct in His time for His purposes. When I keep my hands out of things, His will is accomplished, His Name is exalted, and His glory is magni...2023-02-2827 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHappy Valentines Day!I think... if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts. Leo Tolstoy In this episode we’re gonna talk about the language of love and why it matters. I’ll share some ways Mike and I have missed the mark and how we’re still learning and growing one day at a time. I’ll also give you a tip that someone gave me years ago that I believe has been super instrumental in the flourishing...2023-02-1429 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFREEDOM, some thoughts about what it is...and what it isn't.Maturity requires the integration, not amputation of what we have received thru our conception and birth, our infancy and schooling. Today’s episode is just days away from my 6 year anniversary of Freedom from captivity. I’m sharing what it’s looked like for me, what freedom is and what it isn’t, and hopefully I’ll leave you with hope as you navigate your own journey with Jesus and others. Life is messy and God is patient. Can I get an amen?!!!2023-01-3130 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA super honest conversation about my own vulnerability and emotional fatigueGod’s fundamental interest in us is relationship…That’s the good news. God says, “I love you and let’s get that settled.” But then God says, “Now I’m going to mess with you because there are things you need to get straightened out.”’ Oh boy are there ever! Have mercy! —-William Pannell Join me today as I talk about the messy business of navigating our emotions, when we try to do it alone and the road out of the dark as we move towards connection with others and with Jesus. I’ll share my own...2023-01-1728 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFrom the jaws of distress to the place free from restriction...(Job 36:16) Taking note of the good, the true, the just, the miracles hidden at every turn, is like a deliberate act of defiance against the darkness. —From, Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes HAPPY NEW YEAR! In this episode we’re talking about what intentional connection might look like this year. I’m sharing a few of the practical shifts I plan to enter into, as I intentionally pursue connection with God, connection with His beautiful creation and connection with those most important to me. Join me today and see if ther...2023-01-0328 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangGod in the moss and cobwebs The true doctrine of omnipresence is, that God reappears with all his parts in every moss and cobweb. Ralph Waldo Emerson Christmas is the celebration of our God that is with us, Emmanuel. But what if I told you he’s not just with you in the good, but also in the hard...the frustrating...the discouraging and fearful places. In today’s episode I’ll share some of the things that are happening in my life that are hard and why knowing Emmanuel matters! 2022-12-2030 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangTraditions. Old, new and everything in betweenHappy Christmas season! In today’s episode we are going to talk traditions. I’m gonna share some of the things that were important in our family as we were raising our kids, as well as how that has changed and morphed over the years. I’ll also share some of the lessons God has taught me along the way as my kids have moved from full time, living in our home, to having families of their own. There are a couple that are absolute game changers that you're not gonna want to miss! 2022-12-0628 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangThe Name I'm most grateful for in this seasonAlways give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 He leads me, “God isn’t behind me yelling, “Go!” He is ahead of me bidding “Come!” He leads us. He tells us what we need to know when we need to know it. Safe in the Shepherds Arms by Max Lucado HAPPY ALMOST THANKSGIVING!!! I don’t know about you, but life can be pretty challenging at times—-even in the circumstances that you least expect it to be. In this...2022-11-2229 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHIS NAMES/our namesPhillip Yancey, “Grace, like water, flows to the lowest places.” (Taken from my friend Jeff Peabody’s book “Perfectly Suited”) Unless we know and understand and begin to put into practice who God says He is and who He says we are, we will languish. The flourishing life we’ve been promised is rooted in relationship with the One who doesn’t change. Today marks the beginning of our conversation in the spacious place around the messy middle—-the place between our knowing and living it out in our one ordinary life. 2022-11-0834 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangAfraid, AND...The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident. Max Lucado We all find ourselves afraid at times, right? The problem isn’t that we experience fear, it’s more about what we do when it comes. The story I’m talking through today shows us what Jehoshaphat did when he experienced fear and gives us some insight on how to navigate our own circumstances by admitting our powerlessness and entrusting ourselves to His care. Come with me today as we take...2022-10-2524 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA look back and a peek ahead“Hard doesn’t mean bad, it simply means, not easy.” Kari Levang Are you in a transition of sorts? Maybe a new job, a new babe, a move, or something else? Join me today as I share about my 3 1/2 month break from podcasting, while I navigated some big transitions. I’m sharing a little bit about what the break was like for me (spoiler alert: hard and good:)—-as well as giving a little peek into where we’re headed as a Spacious Place community. Come with me as I talk about how curiosity helped...2022-10-1137 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWhere curiosity has led me!“When we show up differently at home, it changes how we show up outside of there” Rebekah Lyons This week on the Spacious Place I’m sharing what the last 6 months of 22 have shown me as well as where He is leading me for the next couple of months. I’m super stoked for Mike and I to begin the next leg of our adventure together and can’t wait to let you in on what’s next for us, and for the Spacious Place! 2022-06-2821 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHow to take back your power when you feel like it's been hijackedWe are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son. Pope John Paul II Join me today as I share some helpful ways of being that give us power rather than leave us in the space of the sum of our fears and weaknesses. I’ll let you in on some practical ways to enter into joy that a few of my friends have shared, when the weight of the world press...2022-06-2125 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHow transition cultivates space for curiosity I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. Albert Einstein Is change hard for you? I’m a person who loves change, but when there are lots of changes happening at the same time, it can feel overwhelming. Today on the Spacious Place, I’m talking about how some major changes in my life has given me more opportunity to enter into compassionate curiosity with myself and how this way of being is shaping me to be a good friend to others as they navigate change as well.2022-06-1422 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangMarriage talk with Mike!This is anniversary week! I’ve been married to my man Mike for 33 years so I decided to have a sit down with him and share with you some of the places we’ve been, where we are now, as well as where we are headed together. We share some of the ways that speaking our expectations has been helpful for us on the front side of purposeful times together as opposed to making the assumption that the other person is a mind reader. 2022-06-0639 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangLessons from the middle“When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.” Friedrich (Nee-cha) Nietzsche Join me today as I share some of the personal lessons I’m experiencing as I navigate a season of major life change. I’ll share with you a couple of ways that I’m learning to live in a more spacious place in my own heart and mind, rather than allowing old ideas to live in new places during this transitional season.2022-05-3125 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation conversation with Sherry pt 2To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me Through the deepest valley, he will lead Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome! Yet, not I but through Christ in me. -Unknown In this last episode, I wrap up the conversation with my Sherry. We talk about grief around empty nesting, and if you are a person who has, or is, experiencing an especially hard season in life (which is basically anyone on the planet:), she shares about crisis in her family that was sup...2022-05-2431 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation conversation with Sher pt 1Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak Lord’, and life will become a romance. Oswald Chambers This conversation was so good it took two episodes to get through it! Sherry is the first person who I ever hear refer to Jesus as a Love Force. So, in this first episode, we talk a little bit about how that came to be for her and we continue to talk formation around the early seasons of Sherry’s life…what it was like for her as she was raising 3 little boys. She shares some of the creative and pract...2022-05-1736 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation from glory to glory“Whatever is mentionable is manageable.” Fred Rogers Today I’m sharing a few of the places I found myself in my own alone time with Jesus and sharing how they relate to this process of formation we’ve been talking about. I’ll share some of the ways that I’m engaging with Jesus with the things that I find myself fearful about today, as well as a couple of my failures that I have to entrust to Jesus and allow him to comfort me and shape me into his confident girl.2022-05-1022 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation in Peter & Me!“No soul on this road is such a giant that it doesn’t not often need to become a child at the breast again…For there is no state of prayer, however sublime, in which it is not necessary often to go back to the beginning.” Teresa of Avila In this episode I’m sharing a story about Peter, from the book of Matthew and how it relates to us! How we can find ourselves in the places that God has led us, and still experience fear and uncertainty. And, how there is a pathway and...2022-05-0327 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFaith & weakness as formation“To have Faith in Christ means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a...2022-04-2624 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation as pursueThis is the only time in history when I get to fight for God. This is the only part of my eternal story when I am actually in the battle. Once I die, I’ll be in celebration mode in a glorified body in a whole different set of circumstances. But this is my limited window of opportunity, and I’m going to fight the good fight for all I’m worth. Joni Eareckson Tada Simply put, formation will not, cannot happen without the Spirit of God….that’s why it’s called Spiritual for...2022-04-1925 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangNaming, a holy rhythm of invitation that leads to FREEDOM!I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more. C.S. Lewis Today as we continue in our journey through spiritual formation, we’ll look at the practice of surrender and how it involves an empowering rhythm of ‘naming’. I’ll share my own experience with this way of being, this naming some things that had happened to me, in the company of Jesus and others, and hopefully you’ll find that it will give you some handles as you navigate the places in your story...2022-04-1227 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levang"Where were you?"....my smallness with GREAT purpose!When you argue against Him you are drawing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it’s like cutting off the branch you’re sitting on. C.S. Lewis In today’s episode I’ll walk you through my own time alone with God. We’ll look at Job’s life and how God met him right in the middle of his pain and showed him the best thing he could——His very own grandeur and the reminder that He is worthy of his trust/worship. This message was challenging and empowering all...2022-04-0524 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation with Jesus in the Word, wherever you find yourself todayRead with a vulnerable heart. Expect to be blessed in the reading. Read as one awake, one waiting for the beloved. Read with reverence. Macrina Wiederkehr God loves you! And He is delighted when you walk by faith and entrust yourself into the mysterious place of His written word. The place where you find Jesus—-in the pages of Scripture, waiting to meet you right in the midst of all you’re facing. Today I’ve got a fresh word of encouragement, that will hopefully wet your appetite to choose to enter in with yo...2022-03-2921 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation in the mess of lifeGod’s presence is not the same as the feeling of God’s presence, and He may be doing most for us when we think He is doing least. C.S. Lewis Is life hard for you when it gets messy? When you can’t seem to create order out of any of the areas of your life? Join me today as I talk about the messiness of life and how it transfers to how we relate to God when our hidden lives also feel messy. “Maybe the journey isn’t so much about Becomi...2022-03-2224 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation: Legalism vs Spiritual DisciplinesGod has given us the disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us. Richard Foster Beth Moore has been a pillar in the community of faith in Jesus. I have learned so much from her over the years and am so so grateful for her obedience and love for Jesus, and this week I heard a quote from her that felt like it was vital to the health of believers. So, this week I st...2022-03-1529 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation in me, one week into a new spaceShe goes into the unknown willingly and confidently, because she knows the Protector of the Universe is right behind her. Unknown In today’s episode I’ll share what formation has looked like in me, for this first week of living in a new space. How it’s been being alone (mostly) and what the process has looked like. Join me in the conversation as I also share about an invitation that ended up blessing my socks off!! 2022-03-0823 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari Levangformation with my friend LaurineO, begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises…Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way: else you will be a trifler all your days. …Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer. John Wesley Today’s episode is a conversation with my friend Laurine, who has been courageous with Jesus and others and is experiencing deep freedom. She talks about how relationship with Jesus being about our own personal...2022-03-0143 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangA "moving" conversation with MikeIn this episode my guy, Mike and I chat a little bit about our big move! The idea was to share the move, but once we starting chatting we ended up talking about so much more! Things like marriage, mistakes, forgiveness, desires, dreams and so much more. If you don’t know Mike it’s a great way to get a peek into what he’s like—-and if you do know him….well, you’ll just love hearing his heart in this conversation.2022-02-2249 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation on the move!Explore with delight, as though you and God are learning together how to make the day special for both of you. Ruth Haley Barton We can choose to make a careful exploration of our lives (formation), no matter what we’re doing. That’s the coolest part about being one that God delights in—it doesn’t happen only when we are doing something “spiritual”. Last week as I was packing, I found myself being challenged by some questions that were rolling through my mind so I thought I’d share them with you! Join me today as we t...2022-02-1522 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation with my girl, PaigeThe most helpful thing any of us can say about spiritual transformation is: I cannot transform myself, or anyone else for that matter. What I can do is create the conditions in which spiritual transformation can take place by developing and maintaining a rhythm of Spiritual practices that keep me open and available to God. Ruth Haley Barton I might be biased but the guest on today’s episode is actually really great-—and she happens to be my daughter, Paige! We’re talking all things, 'formation, practices, becoming'——whatever you feel most comfortable...2022-02-0851 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation, what next...?“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” CS Lewis We talked a little about why formation matters last week and I want to continue in that vein of conversation today, but with a twist. What next??? What does it look like to even begin this process? I want to talk about a simple process that Paul has laid out in a letter to the church of Colosse. He gives a very simple way of looking at how we are to live, and uses an everyd...2022-02-0123 minThe Spacious Place, with Kari LevangFormation, why it matters.Spiritual people are not those who engage in certain spiritual practices; they are those who draw their life from God. Dallas Willard Last week we talked about spiritual formation and a little bit about what it is—-this week we’ll explore together why it matters. What it is that would move us to engage with God in His formation processes. I think you might be surprised to hear some of the things that I’ve discovered along the way as to why we might consider formation.2022-01-2525 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWhat's shaping you?“The most important discover you will ever make is the love the Father has for you. Your power in prayer will flow from the certainty the the one who made you likes you, he is not scowling at you, he is on your side. Unless our mission and our acts of mercy, our intercession, petition, confession, and spiritual warfare begin and end in the knowledge of the Father’s love, we will act and pray out of desperation, determination, and duty instead of revelation, expectation, and joy.” -Pete Grieg Today is the beginning of a new series...2022-01-1826 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangDiscovering a few handles to hold while experiencing changeI think all of us can relate to feeling like we’ve been in a long season of lots of change.—-some more than others, of course. In today’s episode I’ll talk through a few of the things that I’m clinging to as I get ready to enter into a major change for Mike and I. Join me as I share how I’m planning to navigate this next season with God, myself and with others.2022-01-1125 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangWelcome to the New Year!Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 I think it’s safe to say that the last couple of years have been anything but easy. In this first episode of 2022, I will share some of the intentions that I plan to carry with me into this new year, things that will better equip me to live well. And, I’m also going to let you in on a few of the things that I’m asking God and others to help me to leave behind…things that haven't served me well and aren't wo...2022-01-0429 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari Levang100th Episode!!!“You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you.” ― Barbara Sher In this episode, my 100th episode I’ll share a few of the things I’ve learned along the way as I’ve stayed in this process of trying something new, trusting God with the obedience of what He’s invited me into, with Him and others. I am so grateful for all of you who have listened and sup...2021-12-2830 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangIt's Christmas!!!Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will. James Stevens In this episode I wanted to take a look at the Christmas story through the lense of Mary and share a couple of the things that stood out to me. This middle age woman has so much to learn from the faith of a teenager who lived a couple of thousand years ago and I think you may just find some things you’ve got to receive as well. Join me as we take a walk through the story together just before we celebrate the...2021-12-2124 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangConversation with Karin PeabodyProverbs 18:24 “Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.” The Message: True friends will be with you through life’s most soul-shaking changes. Well friends, this episode is a little longer than normal because I sat down with my dear friend Karin Peabody. I’ve shared before that God gave me a team of 4 amazing people as He led me through the wonderful, painful process of working through the trauma in my story. Karin was a vital friend along the way and today we are talki...2021-12-1455 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangClinging to what is good! Pt 4It is in the context of relational intimacy that real life change takes place. Ruth Haley Barton It seems simple, but in this episode I’ll share how I’ve found that practicing this with others, makes this not only possible, but delightful at the same time. As I’ve invited others to come along over and over again, I’m finding that two really are better than one! Today we talk about how realizing that God’s mercies are new every morning as I blow it and come back again and again, not only gives tremendous hope to be...2021-12-0720 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangClinging to what is good! Pt 3To pray with soul and body means praying with all of who we are: our physicality, our emotions, our intuitions, our imaginations, our minds, and all of our experiences. Therefore, when we pray with body and soul, or love with body and soul, we are believing, responding, surrendering with all of who we are. Jan Vennard In this episode, we’ll talk about the next two rhythms that I’ve found to help me flourish in my desire say yes to clinging to what is good. Working at actually bringing our whole selves to the table...2021-11-3023 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangHoliday Heart PrepToday’s episode is all about preparing our own hearts as we prepare to go and be with those we will celebrate with over the holiday season. There are a few practices that I have been using that I’ve found helpful, so I thought I’d share them with you! Some simple ways to pay compassionate attention to yourself, as you get ready to step into a room with people who it may, for some reason, be hard, or ignite fear, or frustration or a whole span of other potentially difficult emotions. 2021-11-2327 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangClinging to what is good! Pt 2God is forming us into new people. And the place of that formation is in the small moments of today. Tish Harrison Warren Today we’re going to start with the first two things that I have found to be vital pieces in the process of clinging to what is good in my own life. Paying attention, (which I believe is a cultivated art), is the first one and as we work at it, we get better and better, and before you know it, there is more of us to enter into the situations we find ourselves a pa...2021-11-1623 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangCling to what is good Pt 1Paul never forgets that we are embodied creatures. Everything we think, say or do, we do in a body. Presenting our bodies means staying aware each day that our body is the primary location in which we actually express our heart, soul, strength and mind. Frank Crouch In this episode I’ll lay the foundation for our conversation around the invitation to Cling to what is good in Romans 12. We’ll go back to the top of the chapter and find out how it gets practiced in our lives (in our actual bodies), and I...2021-11-0923 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangInviting God to help me, know me (taken from Ruth Haley Barton)Intimacy can be hard. Especially when we haven’t even figured out how to be ourselves with ourselves yet. But we don’t need to dodge ourselves. We can do the slow work of paying attention and when we’re ready, we’ll can let others into the process with us. Psalm 139 is a great pathway to practice this kind of intimacy with the One who formed us. I’ll share today a little about what this process has been like for me and maybe it’ll give one of you courage to do enter in with Jesus and others in a n2021-11-0223 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangTalking about clinging to what is good with Sand, Lanette and LaurineThe danger of coming to stay with me in our home in Central Oregon is that I will talk you into coming on the podcast and sharing things about your life:) This week I’m chatting with three of my sweet friends around Romans 12:9—-Love must be sincere; hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Each of us have had some big challenges in life that have allowed for us to exercise these directives and their insights from their own lives is so good! I think you'll be able to find places to enter in as...2021-10-2642 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangCling to what is good, with MegYou guys!—today as I talk with Meg about the passage in Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good, we find ourselves swimming in the delight of God’s love. But more than that, we talk all about what the process has been— and continues to be like for both of us as we wrestle with the truth that we are totally loved and delighted in, simply because God cannot be anything other than a lover. Today you get in on our own beautiful mess of belief and doubt, sometimes right in the mi...2021-10-1938 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangSaying 'YES' to rest!Christ's invitation to the weary and heavy-laden is a call to begin life over again upon a new principle--upon His own principle. "Watch My way of doing things," He says. "Follow Me. Take life as I take it. Be meek and lowly, and you will find Rest.” - Henry Drummond Today we’ll finish up our conversation around the Matthew 11 passage. We’ll land on rest and spend some time talking about what the invitation to get away with God actually means for us, as the beloved of God. I just know that by the end of...2021-10-1225 min
The Spacious Place, with Kari LevangLet's talk yokes.Back in the middle of August we talked about the invitation to Come, to Jesus with our weary and burdened selves.(Matthew 11:28-30) Join me this week as we unpack some thoughts around the next step of this invitation--- and we’ll start with yokes. Not jokes, but yokes:) We're gonna talk not only about what they are but what makes them helpful.2021-10-0520 min