So maybe for a while now you have been exploring your story--the formative incidents from growing up that have left their mark on you, for both good and ill.  It's one thing to do that on your own, maybe even with the help of your favorite podcast.

Some of you may have even experienced how story work goes to a whole different level when you do it one on one, under the care and guidance of a seasoned counselor like Wendy, or a story work coach like Chris.

But why would anyone ever even THINK of diving down into the details of your story in a group setting?  Isn't that just a recipe for making you feel even greater shame?  Why would anyone EVER want to do that,  and how could it possibly make a difference in your healing journey?

Join Wendy and Chris for Part 2 of this lively and frank discussion of the distinct ways that God has used story work groups to bring about deeper and longer lasting change and healing for each of them individually, as well as growth and greater intimacy in their marriage.  You might be surprised at how it works, and how you can experience similar healing and transformation.

The Uniquely Transforming Power of Group Story Work - Pt. 2

So maybe for a while now you have been exploring your story--the formative incidents from growing up that have left their mark on you, for both good and ill.  It's one thing to do that on your own, maybe even with the help of your favorite podcast.  

Some of you may have even experienced how story work goes to a whole different level when you do it one on one, under the care and guidance of a seasoned counselor like Wendy, or a story work coach like Chris. 

But why would anyone ever even THINK of diving down into the details of your story in a group setting?  Isn't that just a recipe for making you feel even greater shame?  Why would anyone EVER want to do that,  and how could it possibly make a difference in your healing journey?

Join Wendy and Chris for Part 1 of this lively and frank discussion of the distinct ways that God has used story work groups to bring about deeper and longer lasting change and healing for each of them individually, as well as growth and greater intimacy in their marriage.  You might be surprised at how it works, and how you can experience similar healing and transformation.

The Uniquely Transforming Power of Group Story Work- Pt. 1

Imagine being struck dumb for almost nine months.  If you were unable to speak, or prohibited from talking, what would that be like?  

What would happen to the rest of your body if your mouth could not run and your tongue could not wag and your jaw could not flap, just for a season? Would you clamor for alternative means of communication?  

But what if other means of communication were shut down as well?  

At what point, if any, would you pause to ponder what God might be doing, or saying, or showing you, in the midst of an imposed silence?

In this pre-Advent episode, Wendy reflects on  the story of Zechariah's silence during his bride Elizabeth's pregnancy with the child who would become John the Baptist (Luke 1).  Tune in to ponder what it might look like to, as poet and artist Christine Valters Paintner suggests,  cultivate our capacity to listen deeply for God with the whole of our lives. 

Encountering God... in Silence

If God does indeed offer us peace and comfort in the midst of heartbreak and seemingly insurmountable challenges, well then, this episode coming out on Election Day 2024 might be our timeliest ever. (Don't worry, folks, we're not explicitly talking politics.)

This week Wendy and Chris continue their conversation about the surprising moments and settings where God seems to make himself more known.  Or, maybe, His levels of availability and knowability don't really change, but what does change is our level of awareness and receptivity to His presence?  

What Wendy is learning about setting the stage for pursuing experiences of God's presence take the focus in Part 2. Chris does his best to ask questions as thoughtful and incisive as the ones she asks in the counseling room on the regular.

Give us a listen, and if you like it, give us a rating and tell a friend or two. 

Also... hang with us thru season 2 for some very special guests...  Can't say much now but we are super-excited....

From the Head to the Heart to the Body-Fully Experiencing the Kindness of God (Pt. 2)

We're back, folks! The podcast returns for Season 2 after a bit of a hiatus. In this episode, Chris and Wendy talk about different ways that God has shown up and made his kindness and goodness known in more tangible ways. What are the circumstance, settings, and commitments that make communion with God in everyday life more possible to experience? Sit in on this heartfelt conversation to be inspired, encouraged, and challenged to makes time and space for fellowship with Jesus.

From the Head to the Heart to the Body-Fully Experiencing the Kindness of God

We often think of Jesus' resurrection on the third day after his crucifixion  as a quiet, clandestine act, carried out quietly in the dead of night.  But that was no small stone that was rolled away.  And we are talking about making "death work backwards" here.  

What if our assumptions are wrong?  And what might that mean about the power of the Resurrection in our own lives?  

It makes one wonder whether one perhaps should expect a little more force, noise, and messiness than one would like when the Holy Spirit gets all up in one's business, bringing about foundational changes and such.  For this "one," at least. 

In this episode, licensed mental health counselor (and Allender Center Fellow) Wendy Osborn shares an insightful meditation on one of her newest hobbies, and it's implications for how we understand resurrection and spiritual transformation.  (And nope, it's not gardening this time-that was Episode 16, ICYMI). 

When the Bread of Life simply cannot be contained..

Spiritual formation is somehow both simple and yet really really hard.

On the one hand, being made like Jesus is God's work, something he promised to do and form and bring alive in us. It is the divine work of the Holy Spirit that God IS doing and will continue doing in us. Spiritual disciplines can feel less laborious when we understand them less as duties or requirements, and more like putting ourselves in a posture of receiving from God what he is always ready and waiting to give:  comfort, wisdom for living, his peace that passes understanding, and his abiding presence.

And at the same time, we are often most poignantly formed by fire. It is in the crucible of suffering that we finally come to the end ourselves, and learn what it truly means to "lay our deadly doing down, down at Jesus feet" and trust him alone (for real). The testing of our faith--the moments of wrestling in the dark with honest questions about God's compassion and goodness and power and provision--is what brings about perseverance, and character, and hope, etc.

Join Chris and Wendy for the second episode in a 2 part series on transformation:  how does it happen, what does it often require, and what are the fruits or benefits that (we hope and pray) make it all worthwhile?

The Trials and Tribulations of True Transformation-Pt. 2

Spiritual formation is somehow both simple and yet really really hard.  

On the one hand, being made like Jesus is God's work, something he promised to do and form and bring alive in us. It is the divine work of the Holy Spirit that God IS doing and will continue doing in us. Spiritual disciplines can feel less laborious when we understand them less as duties or requirements, and more like putting ourselves in a posture of receiving from God what he is always ready and waiting to give:  comfort, wisdom for living, his peace that passes understanding, and his abiding presence.

And at the same time, we are often most poignantly formed by fire. It is in the crucible of suffering that we finally come to the end ourselves, and learn what it truly means to "lay our deadly doing down, down at Jesus feet" and trust him alone (for real). The testing of our faith--the moments of wrestling in the dark with honest questions about God's compassion and goodness and power and provision--is what brings about perseverance, and character, and hope, etc.

Join Chris and Wendy for the first in a 2 part series on transformation:  how does it happen, what does it often require, and what are the fruits or benefits that (we hope and pray) make it all worthwhile?

The Trials and Tribulations of True Transformation

Allender Center Facilitator and licensed mental health counselor Wendy Osborn takes the mic for an intimate look at two recent and very vital components of her journey to healing from trauma.  Each of them may surprise you, and each will definitely be an encouragement for your own healing path. No spoilers here, so check it out!

Ingredients for the Healing Journey

Chris and Wendy are back with Part 2 of their effort to untangle the thorny threads of a recent conflict. (Wait, how can "threads" be "thorny"?  Can we maybe pick one metaphor and stick with it here, people, alliteration be darned?)

Anyway, you'll want to listen in to get the REAL story of what happened-- er, um, I mean... Chris' perspective on the conflict. :-)  It's often quite surprising, and yet incredibly helpful, to gain a better understanding of the deeper longings and vulnerable places that get stirred up in the heat of what might seem like a simple disagreement.  

It's hard work to have such conversations. And sometimes we need a little help to see what we couldn't see as it all unfolded.  But it's good work, well worth doing. 

In fact, thinking through those thorny thematic threads thoughtfully might just be the thruway around getting throttled and thrashed in the throes of another thoroughly exhausting conflict.   (Okay, someone make him stop... please?)  

Desires and Stories and Fears-Oh My! (Part 2)

Join licensed clinical mental health counselor Wendy Osborn and her husband Chris as they share intimately about their journey  through three decades of marriage, and the healing and growth God has brought them individually and as a couple in the process. From a storybook beginning right out of an 80s rom-com, though times of disappointment, heartache, seemingly unresolvable conflict, loss, and grief, their story forms the backdrop for considering how God uses struggle to draw folks closer to the real Jesus. Surviving Saturday is all about holding tenaciously on to hope in the darkest days-- in between the crucifixion on Friday, and his resurrection and ascension on Sunday.  

Brought to you by Nurture Counseling [https://www.nurturecounseling.net/], PLLC in Charlotte, NC, a counselling teaching and training center in Charlotte NC committed to helping families flourish, one story at a time. 

Special thanks to singer/songwriter extraordinaire BIll Mallonee for the licensing rights to use one of our favorite tunes about relational trainwrecks, and the road back to forgiveness, redemption, and renewal of hope.  You can find this tune and more of his music at https://www.billmalloneemusic.com/ or on the Bandcamp app.

The "Surviving Saturday" Podcast