Faith & Feelings

In this episode, I invite us into a guided time of imaginative prayer — a contemplative practice rooted in the early church mothers and fathers that helps us encounter God in a personal, embodied way. Together, we step into the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus on the night before His crucifixion. As we enter this scene, we slow down, engage our senses, and notice what stirs within us as we witness Jesus’ honesty, sorrow, and surrender before the Father. I hope you'll join me as we walk onto the scene of Matthew 26:36-42 and ask the Spirit to speak to us through this story. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: imaginative prayer, contemplative prayer, guided prayer, Scripture meditation, mindfulness, prayer practice, spiritual formation, self-compassion, curiosity, emotional regulation, faith and mental health, soul care practices, Christian spirituality, emotions

There’s a question I hear often — both in the therapy room and in conversations about faith: Why does my healing matter? Why does change feel so hard, and sometimes even unnecessary? This week on Faith & Feelings, I invite us to explore why healing isn’t separate from spiritual formation, but one of the primary ways God’s transforming work takes shape in us. Together, we’ll reflect on how healing shapes who we’re becoming, expands our capacity for love, and changes how we show up in our relationships. This trailer introduces our next series, “Why Does My Healing Matter?”, and invites us to get curious about our own inner lives — not as a self-improvement project, but as a response to God’s ongoing work within us. Thought-provoking quotes: “We do this work to become fierce, tender lovers of God, others, and ourselves.” - Mary Ellen Owen “When we tend to our own healing, we stop unconsciously asking others to carry the weight of our unresolved pain.” - Taylor Joy Murray "Inner work and healing are not distractions from sanctification. They are the very places where God’s redemptive work becomes concrete, relational, and embodied.” - Taylor Joy Murray Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Spiritual formation, healing, vulnerability, listening, creativity, emotions, curiosity, presence, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, hope, connection, community, relationships

Today, we continue our Advent journey by stepping into Anna’s quiet yet powerful moment of worship in Luke 2:36–38. As a widow shaped by years of loss, prayer, fasting, and devotion, Anna’s eyes had been trained to recognize Jesus when He appeared in the temple. Her story invites us to consider how a life turned toward God forms our ability to truly see Him. Drawing from Bette Dickinson’s devotional Making Room in Advent, this episode explores what it means to make room for worship — to offer our grief, longing, and faithfulness to God. Through Anna’s witness, we’re invited to see how worship clarifies our spiritual vision so that when God shows up in our own stories, we’ll recognize Him — and help others see Him too. I hope you’ll listen in. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Advent season, spiritual formation, vulnerability, listening, creativity, emotions, curiosity, presence, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, waiting, hope, connection, worship

Today, we continue our Advent journey by stepping into the shepherds’ moment of wonder in Luke 2:15–20. As they hurry to Bethlehem and behold the newborn Jesus lying in a manger, we are invited into a deeper way of seeing — one that moves beyond surface-level observation and into holy perception. Drawing from Bette Dickinson’s devotional Making Room in Advent, we explore the difference between simply seeing with our physical eyes and truly perceiving with hearts open to awe. This episode invites us to rediscover a sense of holy astonishment this Christmas. To make room for wonder and to perceive God’s presence with fresh eyes. I hope you’ll listen in. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Advent season, spiritual formation, vulnerability, listening, creativity, emotions, curiosity, presence, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, waiting, hope, connection, wonder

Today, we continue our Advent journey by stepping into Mary’s honest moment of questioning in Luke 1:34–38. When she asks, “How will this be?” she names the real limits of her life — and yet it’s within those very limits that God chooses to work. Drawing from Bette Dickinson’s devotional Making Room in Advent, we explore how God chooses not to bypass human limits but to work within them. In the incarnation, God takes on the constraints of our humanity and invites Mary — and us — into partnership not by asking for strength, expertise, or perfection, but by inviting simple availability. I hope you’ll listen in. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Advent season, spiritual formation, vulnerability, listening, creativity, emotions, curiosity, presence, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, waiting, hope, connection, limits