Shows
Welcoming GodFrom Force-Fed Religion To Belonging By Welcoming The Whole SeasonLove this AI description, so I'm using it! I've edited a bit, but enjoy it's take on this fourth and final episode of Season 4 of Welcoming God.Some moments are revelatory. Walking into church decked in Christmas lights, I felt overcome with joy—and then a sudden inner tension, the old fear that joy requires certainty, rose up immediately after. That crack revealed a tender truth: many of us were taught that belonging depends on perfect belief, and our bodies still brace at the holidays as if doubt disqualifies us from the feast!We walk thr...
2026-02-0310 min
Welcoming GodFinding Peace Between Christian Tradition, Celtic Rituals and Natures RhythmsThis Christmas season, I was struck with a new awareness: that I could celebrate and honor the traditions of Christianity, Celtic celebrations and the natural rhythms of the seasons and solstice. What a revelation: to be able to celebrate and honor various traditions in the returning of the light, both the physical, natural light of the sun and days getting longer. And, the celebration of the Christ Light that was emulated through Jesus. What do you think? How do you celebrate this time of year? What's special and sacred about it all for you?Tha...
2026-01-2714 min
Welcoming GodWhat To Do When God Says "Wait"What do we do when God's call for us is to "wait." How do we listen? And, why? What's truly important about heeding God's call?In this episode of Welcoming God, I talk about this and share a funny story about ice cream that led to an important realization about accepting when "not much is going on" in my life as a source of peace instead of boredom and an attempt to escape from loneliness. Thank you for listening and please share this podcast with a friend!Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for o...
2026-01-2012 min
Welcoming GodNew Years Rituals: The Importance of Integration, Intention & CelebrationNew Years rituals and reviewing our previous year can be game changers! In this episode, I share the importance of integrating past experiences and celebrating accomplishments, large and small, through a year in review practice. And, how one word can help guide us into co-creating a more intentional new year!A "year in review" and new years intention setting ritual can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. How will these two things support you to live a more God-led and God-centered life into the New Year?Thank you for listening and pl...
2026-01-1316 min
Welcoming GodWhen Strangers Become Angels: A Roadside Miracle and Its Ripple EffectsA flat tire becomes a gateway to a beautiful, miraculous moment when a group of strangers enthusiastically changes Sarah's tire without being asked. The experience sparks a beautiful exchange of kindness that continues when Sarah promises to bake them a cake as a thank you and then actually feels God's guidance to follow through and do it! Their mutual astonishment at each other's generosity creates a profound moment of human connection that transcends the ordinary!This unexpected roadside encounter opens up deeper reflections on how God's love manifests through human kindness and the importance of discerning divine...
2025-10-0720 min
Welcoming GodSitting With God: A Simple Meditation PracticeHave you ever wondered if spiritual connection could be simpler than we make it? What if the most profound practice required nothing more than your willingness to be present?Sitting With God is a simple practice that offers restoration and joy without elaborate steps or rigid structures. Unlike many spiritual disciplines that demand specific techniques, this approach simply invites you to pause and acknowledge the divine presence that's already here, right here in this moment with you. Whether for a moment between meetings or during a quiet afternoon, this practice creates space for genuine connection with what...
2025-09-3009 min
Welcoming GodSpiritual Meditation: Exploring Lectio, Visio, Audio and Nature Divina MeditationHave you ever noticed something that instantly captures your attention—a phrase in a book, a striking image, an unexpected sound, or a moment in nature that makes you pause? That "shimmering" sensation might be more than coincidence; it could be an invitation to a deeper spiritual experience.Drawing inspiration from Christine Valters Painter's book "Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art," I share a transformative practice that expands the ancient tradition of sacred reading into our multisensory daily lives. Lectio Divina traditionally involves allowing a word or phrase from sacred text to stand out—to "shimmer"—and become a foca...
2025-09-2311 min
Welcoming GodNavigating Christian ConfusionHave you ever found yourself shocked by the beliefs of people who follow the same faith as you? That jarring moment when you realize someone reading the same Bible has arrived at conclusions that seem completely foreign—or even extreme—to you?I recently experienced what I can only describe as a "veil-lifting moment" after attending a Bible study where I encountered perspectives that felt extreme compared to my understanding of Christianity. This led me down a rabbit hole of research where I discovered an even wider spectrum of interpretations than I could have imagined. The experience left...
2025-09-1616 min
Welcoming GodSeason 3 of Welcoming God Release Date Info!Join me for a continuation of this evolving spiritual journey in Season 3 of Welcoming God, which launches Tuesday, September 16th.While we prepare for our return, we're excited to offer a special gift to you - a free companion ebook to Season 1. This thoughtful resource is designed to support your personal introspection and help you discover what you're truly seeking on your spiritual journey. The ebook serves as a practical guide to creating, cultivating, and co-creating a more spiritual life with God at the center of your life.Welcoming God has always been a space...
2025-08-2203 min
Welcoming GodThe Challenge of Staying Awake Spiritually When Life Wants to Hit SnoozeHave you ever found yourself learning the same spiritual lesson over and over again, wondering why you keep forgetting what you thought you already knew? This fascinating exploration of our continuous learning journey reveals why repetition may be essential to spiritual growth.At the heart of this episode lies a powerful metaphor: We are Mount Zion, not the weather that surrounds it. Drawing from Martin Laird's "Into the Silent Land," we examine how identifying with our thoughts and emotions (the weather) rather than our true, stable nature (the mountain) creates unnecessary suffering. This parallels Jesus's repeated instruction...
2025-08-0516 min
Welcoming GodThe Benefits of Accepting Reality and Facing DenialWhat happens when we finally stop fighting reality and simply accept what is? Not resignation to circumstances, but a profound spiritual opening that transforms our relationship with life itself.Most of us carry some form of denial—parts of reality we refuse to acknowledge or accept because they feel too painful, too threatening, or too disruptive to our sense of safety and happiness. This episode explores the fascinating dynamics of acceptance and denial, revealing how our resistance to what is actually attempts to protect us, yet ultimately holds us back from experiencing the fullness of divine grace an...
2025-07-2909 min
Welcoming GodFinding Your Way Through A Spiritual Crisis: A Journey of Questioning and GrowthWhat happens when you begin to question the spiritual path you've been walking? When the God you thought you knew becomes a question mark rather than an exclamation point? This deeply personal episode explores the disorienting yet ultimately transformative experience of going through a spiritual crisis.After an unexpected ending to a five-year relationship with my spiritual coach, I found myself adrift in questions about God's benevolence and the nature of spiritual truth. This crisis prompted me to examine how we navigate periods of profound uncertainty about our most fundamental beliefs. Rather than viewing these questioning periods...
2025-07-2214 min
Welcoming GodSecond Half of Life: Growing Up Personally and SpirituallyWe're back after a two-month hiatus with the start of our four-week summer season. Recent unexpected changes and life experiences have felt challenging and prompted reflections on personal growth, trauma integration, and the journey towards personal and spiritual maturation.In the first episode of season two, I'll discuss: • Moving from the first half of life (focused on success and achievement) to the second half (internal journey and becoming a wise elder)• Exploring Richard Rohr's concept from his book Falling Upwards and the call to grow into elders both spiritually and in the world•...
2025-07-1510 min
Welcoming GodTailer Season 2: What topics would you like me to talk about on Welcoming God?Hi!Season 2 will start Tuesday, July 15th and will be a four week season. I want to know what you'd like to hear about on Welcoming God. Please go to WelcomingGod.com and scroll to the bottom of the page to the "Get In Touch" section and send me an email answering the question, "What would you like to hear me talk about on Welcoming God?"See you July 15th on your favorite podcast listening platform! Please share the podcast with someone you know would benefit from it!With Sin...
2025-05-2701 min
Welcoming GodS1E8: Mindfulness Meditation Practice for Beginners on a Spiritual JourneyWhat happens when we pause to notice what's happening within us? Freedom emerges in that space between stimulus and response. This guided mindfulness meditation introduces a simple yet profound practice of noticing—bringing awareness to breath, physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions without judgment. Unlike many meditation practices that feel disconnected from everyday life, this approach is designed to be integrated into your daily activities, creating more choice in how you respond to challenging situations.We explore the fascinating concept of confirmation bias—how our existing beliefs create filters through which we interpret all experiences. When someo...
2025-05-0628 min
Welcoming GodS1E7: Let's Pray!: How to Pray and WhyPrayer transforms our spiritual journey from transactional requests to authentic divine communion. Whether you've prayed your entire life or struggle to understand what prayer means, this episode offers fresh perspectives on connecting with the God through prayer.The foundation of meaningful prayer isn't found in perfect words or formulas but in genuine intention. We explore various approaches—from traditional petitionary prayer to contemplative sitting with God—and examine what makes each practice powerful. Many of us unconsciously default to treating prayer as a spiritual to-do list or desperate bargaining tool when life gets difficult. But what happens when...
2025-04-2931 min
Welcoming GodS1E6: The First (Easy) Step to Living A More Spiritual LifeHave you ever struggled to maintain a consistent spiritual practice amid life's constant distractions and seeming demands? Creating space for authentic connection with God doesn't require hours of meditation or elaborate rituals—it simply needs our heartfelt desire and commitment.We live in a world where everything competes for our attention. Responsibilities, relationships, work, entertainment—all pull us in different directions, making it challenging to prioritize our spiritual wellbeing. Yet the foundation of living spiritually begins with carving out intentional moments to nurture our relationship with the divine. This episode explores how to create a sustainable daily prac...
2025-04-2222 min
Welcoming GodS1E5.5 BONUS: Mercy and Forgiveness on Good Friday: An Excerpt from Savannah Guthrie's book, Mostly What God DoesHave you ever felt weighed down by shame so heavy it seems impossible to escape? The burden of our past mistakes can weigh on us, yet the most transformative power in the universe awaits: forgiveness.This Good Friday episode takes us deep into a scene from the film "The Mission," beautifully described in Savannah Guthrie's book "Mostly What God Does." We witness the journey of Rodrigo Mendoza, a slave trader who murders his own brother and carries a massive physical burden up a mountain as penance. When he finally faces the indigenous people he once terrorized, something...
2025-04-1809 min
Welcoming GodS1E5: The Life Changing Benefit of Knowing You're Already LovedHave you ever wondered if God truly loves you, especially during life's most challenging moments? This question lies at the heart of our spiritual journey, and today's episode explores the profound revelation that transformed my relationship with the divine.Despite decades of meditation, mindfulness practice, therapy, and personal development work, I discovered in 2014 that I still didn't fundamentally feel loved by God, others or myself. Standing in an auditorium listening to praise singers declare "God, we know you love us," I experienced a heart-breaking moment of clarity – all my spiritual seeking had somehow missed this essential truth. Th...
2025-04-1518 min
Welcoming GodS1E4: God's GPS: Better Than Any Map You've GotWhat truly happens when we choose to follow divine guidance instead of our own plans? This deeply reflective episode explores the profound benefits of "going with God" rather than against the spiritual current that's here to guide our lives.Building on our previous exploration of barriers to spiritual surrender, I invite you to remember those pivotal moments when you listened to that quiet voice of truth within, followed it despite reservations, and witnessed the results. These moments of authentic spiritual choice aren't just random coincidences—they're glimpses into what's possible when we prioritize our most essential relationship, th...
2025-04-0810 min
Welcoming GodS1E3: Surrendering to the Divine: The Benefit of Going With GodIn this episode, we explore the profound question of why we attempt to navigate life's challenges alone when God's divine guidance is constantly available to us and the benefit, necessity, of surrendering to the Divine. We'll explore how our resistance to surrendering to a higher power often stems from protective psychological patterns that may no longer serve us. It's in compassionately inquiring within ourselves that can help create real change in our lives and in our relationship with God. In this episode, we'll look at:• The concept of "effortless effort" emerges when we allo...
2025-04-0111 min
Welcoming GodS1E2: God Isn't a Bearded Man in the Sky: A Spiritual Evolution StoryWhat does it truly mean to welcome God into our lives? Journey with me as I unravel the complex relationship I've had with the divine—from growing up in a Catholic household where God felt like a judgmental, controlling force, to discovering a deeply nurturing relationship with what I now understand as the Source of all life.My path hasn't been linear. After years of rebellion against organized religion, I felt an unexpected call to reopen my heart to God and Jesus in 2014. Yet even then, when my spiritual coach asked me in 2019 if I bel...
2025-03-2517 min
Welcoming GodS1E1: Holy Plot Twist: From God-Skeptic to Divine BFFHi, my name's Sarah Haykel. In this podcast episode, I'm sharing the premise of this podcast: to share the goodness of God in my life after of opening my heart back up to Godin 2014 and what I'm learning on this spiritual path.This podcast explores connecting with the One True Source, God,—beyond religious boundaries or labels—and discovering the transformative power of surrendering to divine grace, guidance and support.• God as "the one true source" that transcends religion, gender, and human limitations.• Moving from seeing God as non-benevolent to recognizing God's innate go...
2025-03-1812 min
Welcoming GodTrailer Welcoming God PodcastWelcoming you to Welcoming God, a podcast for spiritual seekers! Thanks for being here and we'll see you soon on the first episode! Go to WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our email newsletter to receive info about all new podcast episodes and more. Support the show
2025-03-0501 min
The Sparking Entrepreneur ShowSarah Haykel: Dancing Through Life TransitionsSarah Haykel, a certified Professional Life Coach and founder of Salsa for the Soul. Sarah empowers clients to navigate major life transitions through her online programs, one-on-one coaching, and group coaching sessions. As a certified yoga instructor and seasoned dance teacher, she uniquely combines body-centered modalities with life coaching to foster healthier, happier relationships and personal growth.
In our conversation, Sarah shares insights into her journey from becoming a life coach to founding Salsa for the Soul in 2008, a dance company dedicated to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and cultural awareness through Latin partner dancing. Learn about her innovative Free to Be 5...
2024-06-2440 min
Beyond The StudioEpisode 13: Trusting the flow of lifeSarah Haykel is an artist, song channel, certified professional life coach, yoga instructor, dance teacher and performer. Supporting her clients to heal from insecurity and build healthy self-esteem and inner confidence, she uses The Haykel Method, which empowers individuals to feel confident in their authentic selves through various life and mindfulness skills like dance, life coaching, meditation, body awareness, creativity, music and spirituality.
Sarah has recently launched Inspirational Art by Sarah, which is a series of inspirational quotes and beautiful images from nature on ceramic wall hangings and thrown pottery for the home or office. Feel inspired, uplifted and empowered thr...
2021-06-1657 min
Ignite IntimacySelf Care = Blissful Intimacy with Laura AiishaI’ll always remember when I was broken to the core, at the very beginning of a long healing journey to mend a shattered heart and soul, and my twin sis and I got into a massive fight outside of her little home in Haiku, Maui. She said, ‘You have to love yourself, Laura!’ I had no idea what she meant. I couldn’t even place it… there was nothing to compare it to or balance it off of. I had no idea what she was talking about. Self Love. 13 years ago I began the journey. One foot in front of the other. ...
2019-04-1719 min