S3 Episode #16- Alexis Girvan
THE ONE WITH ALEXIS GIRVAN
This week we are excited to welcome Alexis Girvan to the show! Alexis is a Soul Coach, writer, and people development consultant; she helps us remember and reflect on the work of God in our lives and so that we my align our steps accordingly. Join us as we dive into topics of soul care, sabbath, gratitude, The Enneagram, listening for The Lord, singleness, and dealing with unmet longings!
Coaching teams and individuals within both the for profit and nonprofit sectors, Alexis' work is energized by the things beneath the surface, driven by the cultivation of healthy, courageous and self-aware leadership. Leading others in identifying their personal mission, knowing themselves to lead themselves, and cultivating life-giving rhythms of work and rest provide the foundation of her work. She currently lives just outside Cleveland, OH where she runs her coaching business, works with a team of GiANT leadership development consultants, and does life with her growing extended family.
LISTEN
READ
Soul Coaching
Where does your heart beat the hardest and how can you build a life around that? The deep desire to understand story-- where people come from, why they do what they do, and help them build verbiage around how they can show up in the world.
What are you in the middle of? What action steps do you need to move forward into the future?
Just because we are comfortable and thriving in one place does not mean that we have to stay there. Sometimes we are prompted to leave… even when that move doesn’t seem to make sense in the eyes of the world.
There is a curiosity that we birth when we are following the nudges of the Holy Spirit.
“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.” - Frederick Buechner, Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation
The Practice of Sabbath
Remembering and reflecting on the work of God in our lives and therefore aligning our steps accordingly.
Sabbath is God’s way of renewing us through rest.
Week in Review: go through categories of spiritual, physical, financial, recreational, mental, social, professional, and emotional
Remember what God has done in each category, notice trends, identify what things you want to carry into the next week and what things you need to let go of. This helps you move into the coming week with new intentionality around the motivations of your heart as you enter a new week.
Where to start? Build a Sabbath culture in small ways through a family meal-- how do we turn an ordinary moment into something miraculous. Using the table to usher in redemptive and intentional conversation. Have a couple questions that you dig into as a family…
Hopes for the week
Highs/Lows from the past week
Share gratitudes
The Practice of Gratitude
It’s like a muscle… we need to work it out and exercise our gratitude. It must be a practice that is developed so that in moments of struggle gratitude will be a more natural reflex.
The Enneagram
Remember that no emotion is final.
Certain moments hold a certain amount of weight. Alexis’ prayer is, “Lord, help me hold each moment with the proper amount of weight.”
The rapid pace of modern life can squelch our capacity to hear from The Lord. It is important to slow down to begin to listen for nudges from The Lord. Delving deeper in your walk with The Lord will often require you to get quiet and set aside all distractions. Brain dump all the to-do’s and everything swirling around in your head. Once it is all out, take time to wait and be still.
What lies are you believing that are keeping you distracted and keeping you from spending time with The Lord? What words of truth can you fill your mind with to combat the lies?
Singleness & Unmet Longings
We must make the most of the life that God has given us each day. The trap that we can get caught in is that there is just one thing that will make us feel complete. However, there will always be something. Once we cross one threshold there will always be something else that we desire. We will never be fully complete on this side of Heaven. Learning deep contentment and the practice of gratitude will be a lifelong journey-- no matter what season you are in.
In the midst of living with our unmet longings, what things can we be learning from a faith or character standpoint that will take us deeper with The Lord and those around us?
Don’t spend all your time wishing for the next thing that you miss the beauty or lessons in your current season.
Final Thoughts
The goal of the Christian life is not to amass information, it is to face sacred moments and hold them well.
- Abraham Joshua Heshel (paraphrased)
What does it look like to relish the sacred moments that are in your life right now, without wishing them away for what is next?
What is the heart hunger that you are longing to fill?
What does stewardship of the body mean from a spiritual perspective? We can invite God into that journey so that we are ready and able to go into any work that God leads us to.
When we press into gratitude (regardless of the hard situation), The Lord can illuminate that hard situation and show us the new work that He is doing.
WATCH
Thank you, as always, for listening! Please remember that everything we do is funded by those who benefit from our ministry, whether they be Patrons or event attendees. Our ministry a 501(c)3, so your contribution is tax-deductible.
Our events are centered on worship, restorative creativity, and designated time for reflection, evaluation, and setting intentions.
We help you provide a safe environment for your community to practice low-stakes creative risk-taking that will spur them in their gifting + step further into their calling. Leaders will rise up, ministries and businesses will be born, and all will find a new connection with their true identity.
Imagine what a whole community of Believers who
know who they are in Christ + understand their purpose as Kingdom cultivators can do!
Email us at info@collectedministries.org to book your own Collected Workshop or Retreat today!
CHECK THIS OUT:
The Collected Podcast is a production of Collected Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disciples of Jesus discover and live from their true identity in Christ, recognize and walk in their divine purpose within the Kingdom of God, and experience growth in their capacity for mature, healthy relationships.
Interested in advertising with us? Email us at info@collectedministries.org.
Follow us!
Tia McNelly @tiamcnellynotes
Are you longing to hear from God? Visit tiamcnelly.com for Five Ways God Speaks in Everyday Life
Jes Biondo @sprezzafoundry
Use code ‘podcast’ for 10% off your order of hand lettered art at sprezzafoundry.etsy.com
Charitable partner: @flourishkenya
The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early.
Get exclusive access to even more inspiring and helpful content by becoming a patron! Find us on Patreon at patreon.com/thecollectedpodcast.