I’m sitting here in my room at the Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, CA on a cool and beautiful Tuesday morning. Gem and I are here for our monthly solitude retreat. I’ve enjoyed hundreds of days like this over the last 27 years. It’s a life-giving rhythm that we both would say has saved our lives, saved our marriage, saved our ministry. And it’s a major element of our ministry to others these days with Unhurried Living.

I wanted to write a bit about this experience...

Since we are in between Season 1 and Season 2, Alan and I decided to provide you with a couple of mini-episodes. Today, I am going to walk you through a spiritual practice I’ve developed called, “SLOW.” It is an an acronym for STOP, LINGER, OBSERVE and WONDER.

SLOW is a practice you can engage, in just a couple of minutes at any point in your day. It’s a helpful process of re-focusing and re-engaging.

It’s very difficult to be truly productive when you feel...

“We need not have a position of influence to be a person of influence.”

Join Alan and Gem as they wrap up Season 1 with a conversation on Alan's book, An Unhurried Leader. A few highlights:

This isn’t a book just for people who are in organizational leadership roles. Leaders are influencers. God entrusts to each of us the privilege and responsibility to be persons of kingdom influence wherever he has planted us and in whatever relationships we find ourselves.

One chapter is...

Shrink wrap. That was the only thing between me and the latest smooth tones of Karen Carpenter. I’d peel the plastic, feel the cover and, with great anticipation, open the album jacket.

If I was lucky, it was a double cover and would open up like a book. Faded images of Karen and her brother, Richard, in the background, words spread from left to right, and I would read every single one.

I’d set the record onto the turntable, place the needle in the first groove, turn it up really...

Recently, Alan had the opportunity to speak in all three weekend services at The Church at Rocky Peak as a pre-release event for An Unhurried Leader. The talk was more conversation than sermon. You can get a front row seat for the interaction between Alan and Pastor Dave Cox on the topic of unhurried influence. This is probably the best summary yet of the substance of this book. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

If you scroll down past the podcast player, you can...

Is it possible to have a busy life that is also unhurried? Can our life with God and our work with God become more and more connected and fruitful? Listen to this week’s conversation with Dr. Carol Taylor, president of Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, as we talk about what she’s learned in years of leadership.

In our conversation with Carol we talked quite a bit about what a growing integration of our personal spiritual formation in Christ and our roles and...

Where do we find the abundant joy that Jesus promised to those who trust him? Do we work to acquire joy, or do we bring joy with us as we do our work? Listen to this week’s conversation with Jeff Spadafora of Halftime Institute as we discuss his new book “The Joy Model” to gain practical insights that will help you live a more joyful life.

Jeff Spadafora is the Director of Global Coaching Services and Product Development for The Halftime Institute. He spent 20 years as a...

What are some of the dynamics in work or ministry that get us hurried in soul? How can we engage in the work God gives us from a place of abundance rather than from brokenness? This week's conversation with Doug Fields will help. Listen as we discuss insights he's gained from over 30 years in youth ministry leadership and training of other youth pastors.

Doug Fields has been a speaker, writer, thought-leader, and pastor to teenagers for over 30 years. Now he is a communicator, author, &...

In the midst of our busy lives and our full schedules, what does it look like to tend our souls well? This week's  conversation with Mindy Caliguire, founder of Soul Care, will help you with practical insights and guidance to better care for your life and relationships even in the midst of a very active life.

Mindy Caliguire is the founder of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase “soul health” in the body of Christ. Mindy serves as a frequent...

What does being a person of influence in the spirit of God's kingdom look like? How can we lead in our lives, our families, our workplace and our churches in the way of Jesus? This week's conversation with Todd Hunter on servant leadership will provide some on-the-ground wisdom that will help you do just that.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd Hunter is the founding bishop of The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others and founding pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Costa Mesa, CA. He is past President...