45: How to Be Present in Suffering | Terri Johnson
Christian Life Calling
Have you ever met someone who knows how to smile in the midst of a storm? Life’s trials and traumas cannot destroy a person who remains present. Being present requires awareness, trust, and faith. You gain freedom from lingering fear, comparison, and suffering the moment you ground yourself in the present. Terri Johnson is an inspiring example of being present. She conquered challenging situations throughout her life, which brought her closer to Christ. Now, at this time in her life, Terri faces an entirely new challenge as she deals with a cancer diagnosis. Most people become discouraged...
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44: How to Do What Matters | Teresa McCloy
Christian Life Calling
A lot of people blindly seek external validation and external purpose first, but this rootless pursuit ends up short-lived. In fact, any pursuit of Calling is shallow if you don’t go internally first to figure out your gifts and who you are in Christ. Being curious about how a thing is made shows the intention of its purpose. Likewise, knowing yourself helps you direct your life with stronger discernment. Teresa McCloy is a Coach, Speaker, Podcaster, Trainer and Creator of the REALIFE Process® helping people to get a handle on life. She is also the author of . Teresa walks in...
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43: Are you struggling in your calling?
Christian Life Calling
What do you expect living your Calling to be like? Most people naturally say it’s a life where everything feels aligned and at ease. They would not be wrong, however, let’s not forget that another side of Calling exists. Living your Calling includes the struggles of carrying your purpose out. Take the Apostle Paul for instance. He specifically writes that Calling brings struggle, toil, and labor. He reflects on the gift of being called by God to persist in his purpose. Are you struggling in your Calling? If you are, remember that God commissioned you for this unique role. In this episode,...
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42: 12 Reasons Christ Deserves First Place
Christian Life Calling
Christ is first in everything. We know this, but it can be lost in distractions or interpretations. This conversation goes through the 12 reasons Christ deserves first place. Life Calling is based on our unique position in God’s plan. We would be without form, reason, or purpose if not for Christ. Everything we know that’s seen and unseen moves towards Christ, but how often do you reflect on why Christ comes first? In this episode, we reflect on 12 reasons taken straight from Colossians 1:15-20. As you meditate on this section, it can make you rethink how you relate to your...
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41: Why We’re Changing Our Focus
Christian Life Calling
Today’s episode is the first conversation under the Christian Life Calling podcast. This comforting and honest talk is directly with your host, Chris Heinz. While doing this podcast, faith came up often in our discussions of purpose and service. Our shared experiences show that Life Calling is deeply personal like faith. For Christians, Life Calling is guided by faith. God equips us and appoints us to our Callings to serve his purposes, not our own. Ultimately, Life Calling is a unique role of service in God’s plan. This episode is to explain why we’re changing our focus. Our focus...
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40: Guest Highlights Show #2
Christian Life Calling
Today’s episode is a special compilation of episode highlights and a celebration of a new transition. It’s been a few months since we last released a podcast episode. In that time, life transformed. , I launched a new website, and Life Calling Today went through a brand change. I’m grateful for the former season, but I have dreams for this next season. This is the last episode under our current branding and current name. We are transitioning to focus more on a Christian approach to Life Calling. The new name for our show will be Christian Life Calling podcast to align more...
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39: Calling in Your 20's | Bryan Ray
Christian Life Calling
A career can oftentimes be a package deal of the calling and gifts you have for the world. Your way of being contributes to the role you play in your company, organization, or community. When you’re first starting out it all seems random, but you realize how it all fits as the bigger picture is revealed. Today, we talk about understanding calling in your 20s. Bryan Ray graduated from Penn State in 2020, and he is now a graduate architect at . In addition to working full-time at the firm, Bryan is also studying for his professional license exams. His story obtains several keys for finding...
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38: Practical Strengths for Your Calling | Jo Self
Christian Life Calling
Strengths, which align with your innate talents, allow you to see multiple paths for living your calling. You can follow different paths since your strengths relate to the motives that help you carry out an action, rather than the logic directing you on which action to take. Even in your free time, your strengths are influencing your behavior and choices. Today, we talk about Practical Strengths for your calling. Jo Self is on a mission to ensure talent is not wasted, potential is realized, and happiness is contagious. She has a diverse background in business, which includes developing...
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37: Touching Cancer | Matt Eby
Christian Life Calling
When you are in hard times, where do you pull your strength from? Being in hard times makes us feel we need something larger than ourselves. People pull help from rage and regret, or sometimes, people pull help from love and compassion. During a tiresome journey, where can our help come from? Today, we talk about touching cancer. Born in the United States, Matt Eby now lives in Australia fulfilling the purpose of helping others. He really gives his life for service to people that need compassion, understanding, or empathy. Matt is currently serving at where he works alongside people who are...
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36: Connecting Moms and Daughters | Dannah Gresh
Christian Life Calling
Don’t be afraid of the messy pieces of your story. People often don’t understand each other, not realizing that we all have a messy story that needs grace. Like a mom and daughter trying to understand each other while dealing with their own lives. Today, we talk about connecting moms and daughters through accepting life’s imperfect story. Dannah Gresh is the best-selling author of over 30 books for teens, tweens, and their parents (written in both English and Spanish). Dannah is a highly sought-after speaker for conferences, weekend retreats, and online Bible studies. She’s also heard...
info_outlineYour Life Calling is not restricted to a job title or personal brand; it can be a life role. Parental figures are the first example of the world to any child. What does it mean to fulfill Life Calling through being a parent? Today’s episode is a conversation with the adventurous and caring Spencer Smith on finding Life Calling through fatherhood.
Spencer Smith is someone I highly respect. He is the husband of Annie, and father of three boys. When the boys were much younger, Spencer and Annie came to a decision on their dynamic to maintain a healthy environment for the family. Spencer took on the role of the primary caregiver, while Annie took on a full-time career as a physical therapist. Agreeing to this dynamic allowed Spencer to be a stay-at-home parent for 14 years with a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
We talked about motherhood as a calling in episode 16 with Laura Booz, and now we’re highlighting fatherhood. Spencer shares what it was like to make that first crucial decision to stay home with his young boys. He shares why focusing on the skill set of each person in the relationship can help parents come to an agreement on a parental dynamic. After communicating with each other, Spencer and Annie’s parenting became about staying committed. There was pushback, and the couple lost a few friends, but together they took things one day at a time.
Spencer is not only a father, but he still recognizes himself as an individual. Professionally, Spencer is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) working part-time in accounting and finance. He also holds a passion for mission work and adventure. In this conversation, Spencer honestly shares his thoughts on taking time to regroup when feeling overwhelmed, the joy of long-term gains from early efforts, and being a role model as best as any imperfect human can try to be while raising other imperfect humans.
We often feel that we have to choose between work and family. We often think we must split duty from fulfillment. That’s not true. We can do both. Spencer is an example of that.
Time stamps:
- [00:18] - Spencer Smith acts as the primary caregiver for his three boys. How else does he identify himself?
- [02:31] - Spencer says he originally went to school for Psychology. After exploring multiple degrees, he found his way to Accounting.
- [04:32] - When Spencer and Annie agreed on him being the primary caregiver, Spencer says he didn’t have any other examples to follow.
- [07:01] - Did Spencer experience any pushback for choosing to be a stay-at-home father?
- [09:12] - What is the best part of being the primary caregiver? What is the most challenging part of being the primary caregiver?
- [11:03] - Spencer recalls how much his boys changed. Listen to him reminisce about going on trips with his sons.
- [13:19] - Spencer describes how the idea of Life Calling relates to fatherhood.
- [15:48] - How does Spencer’s faith impact how he approaches his role as a dad?
- [18:11] - Spencer’s commitment to fatherhood gave him priceless long-term benefits.
- [20:38] - Listen to Spencer share what he’d like his parenting to be summed up as if his sons describe him.
- [23:33] - Here is Spencer’s advice for first-time dads.
- [26:13] - Friends, thank you for listening and engaging! Catch you next time!
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