THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is leaning into Beltane! A Celtic festival that celebrates fertility, abundance, the fire of life and community. It's marked at the half way point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Some of you are being invited to notice where life is blooming around you to ground you and bring you hope. Some of you are ready to bloom something new or introduce something to the world ... it's time! Let your courage be a beacon for all of us as you step across this threshold. We also lit a candle together today to honor the Irish tradition of taking a flame home to the hearth from the community pyre that sits at the epicenter of Beltane... it's time to bloom baby, bloom!

To learn more about Beltane, this is the podcast I listened to that's a great one to check out.

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "Bloom - Bonus Track" by The Paper Kites and East Forest. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is asking you to first find your center, to be in deep witness to yourself and your heart. What is asking to be felt or acknowledged? There's also a piece of looking and leaning into your life as a living altar; what are you placing on it? What need to be removed? Each and every day you are living in deliberate action or reaction... where is it time to be more intentional? Where also can you find the magic of BEING in process and slowing down to allow that deliberate attention and focus to fall on YOU?

QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE

"Sometimes, my heart is so open

I can’t tell if it is a gaping wound

Or a portal for everything that ever was and ever will be.

I’ve learned to Love the beautiful terror of eternity,

And scenario planning for how shattered I could be

If the dark things got tall

And if I fell back backwards and my forgetting of the light.

But you can’t fall backwards in space,

You can only only only ever unfurl.

More than anything,

I’ve wed the certainty that nothing changes without me —

Not coal becoming diamonds

Not fertilizing eggs

Or migration patterns

Or medicine dreams.

And what I thought was Annette cast to me from a higher God

Is actually strands of truth and filaments of desire

That I have tied together with my own two hands.

And in precious encounters, I tie what I know and want to you,

So we can ride the winds of wonder. "

- Danielle Laporte, "White Hot Truth"

"In a state of flow, the activity in the frontal lobe is reduced, it is almost shut down — and it is in the frontal lobe the abilit for abstract thinking is situated, the planning for the future and the sense of self. Everything that makes us human, in other words, and that makes perfect sense: You lost yourself and sink into a state of pure being, linke an animal— belonging to the world, not to yourself." - Karl Ove Knausgaard

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "A Reminder - Remix" by Trevor Hall and East Forest. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is asking you to choose YOURSELF; what is it that you're ready to step into? Today is a New moon in Aries. This is a time of great change and momentum, a time to truly allow yourself be reborn into what you WANT to create and live and to release anything that's not that. You will have everything you need. Keep following your expansive knowing. Even when it feels new, scary or possibly very different from what you've seen lived out in your family or culture of origin. You're MEANT to move to the beat of the drum within you. Follow your heart, she knows the way.

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "Begin Again by LVDY. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is asking you to bring your "weird" full, authentic self to the table... that is the healing that you're here to bring. BEING YOURSELF. The origin of the word 'weird' actually is 'wyrd' and meant destiny. I shared two stories today of powerful women following their weird and changing the landscape of the industries that they touched.

To read or revisit the stories I read you'll find them here:

1. Virginia Hall: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Fkk2PnY8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

2. Rosemary Radford Ruether: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1as7WbKjMX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "Water" by Aisha Badru. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is asking us to take a moment. To breathe into the space that we might be resisting or simply aren't certain what to do with. Perhaps life is just feeling full and busy... but what kind of energy are you able to sustain if you don't take this moment? Give yourself permission to take a breath, to pause to ask what you're craving... and then follow that impulse. See what happens.

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "Be Slow - Acoustic" by Harrison Storm. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

I've started writing a book that I'm currently calling "Breaking the Stained Glass." As part of that process, I invited some friends to interview me so that I could also have a chance to hear patterns in what they were curious about, but also to see what might come forward for me as I engaged with them and how it also might nurture the book.

Today's interview is with my friend Sarah Tiu. We connected because she and I are both writers and we've felt drawn to share more of our own understanding and wrestling with our own faith journeys. Through that sharing of our hearts, we found one another and it's been such a life-giving friendship for me! You'll see time-stamps below that mark the questions that she asked me.

My hope is that those of you who are curious or who are on a seeking journey yourself might feel seen or just know that you're not alone.

Sarah's Interview Questions:

1. (2:53) Sarah shares more about how we connected through sharing our writing on social media

2. (3:40) "In what ways has it helped you to write about your deconstruction process?"

3. (8:40) "What parts of Evangelicalism do you think were harmful to you and what helped to transform your thinking?"

4. (16:38) "Was there ever a specific moment or experience that helped you let go of some of those ideas so that you could fully embrace who you are?"

5. (23:40) "When people begin growing out of the evangelical box, disappointing people is an inevitable part of that process. Have you found that to be true and how have you handled that?"

6. (30:03) "I see you as someone very driven by intuition and curiosity. How did those things lead you to find meaning and purpose and what experiences are you currently finding meaningful and purposeful?"

7. (33:50) "What does the word 'spiritual' mean to you now and has the meaning changed for you on your life's journey?"

8. (38:25) "I'm curious how your views on womanhood have changed over the years and when you hear the phrase 'Divine Feminine.' "

9. (43 min) Sarah's share about her quote: "I didn't know I could dream to do this..."

10. (52:42) "You are a nature lover! In what ways do you see nature and spirituality as being connected?"

11. (58:08) "What is something in the world that grieves you right now and what it something in the world that's giving you hope right now?"

12. (1hr 5min) "Would you rather be able to shape-shift into a high fae and live out your days in Velaris OR be a dragon-riding-professor at Basgiath War College?"

To read more from Sarah Tiu and follow her journey on Substack, you'll find her here.

SEEKERS: If you are on a journey of seeking or deconstruction yourself, I'm so glad you're here. If you could ever use a mentor to join you in your quest of discovery, please reach out to me at evelynfuson@gmail.com and let's see what it might look like to walk this path together!

THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE: Today's Fireside is asking us to lean into the power that we crave to bring, remembering that our voices are the voices of change and revolution. There will be many who don't understand us, but there will be MANY who do. Every time that we speak our truth and bring our medicine into the world in the ways that we crave to do, we are creating the world we want to live inside of. We are modeling and giving examples of courage, strength and leadership EVERY time we speak our intentional truth. You are meant to bring the things on your heart in just the way that you crave to bring them... so give yourself some time and space to really lean in and ask: "What do I really want to say in this moment?" And then let 'er rip!!! We need your voice. We need the change you want to bring. BRING. IT.

2026 PLAYLIST: Each week of 2026, I'm selecting a song that resonates with the message of that particular Fireside Friday. Today's Fireside Song: "Wild Things" by Alessia Cara. Check out the full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41b2woCYZCZXpDc1oCasZk?si=8dcd67ec022c49a9

ABOUT: Welcome to a Fireside Friday Recording. Every Friday morning I tap in and pour out messages and words meant to fuel your fire, Fire Starter! These messages are to encourage, empower and activate you deeper in your calling and initiatives that you want to see through. grounding and encouragement every Friday morning.

Want to attend live?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign-up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/TTRcWzjtiMhNZR2k6⁠⁠⁠⁠

For some time now, I've been feeling like it's time to start sharing more of my own evolution in my spiritual beliefs. Most of you know that I started out in an evangelical christian home and almost ten years ago, I really started to enter a phase of deconstruction and spent so much time really drawing near to my soul and spirit to try and understand what it is I truly believe and what that meant for the career path that I was on. I've started writing a book that I am toying with calling "Breaking the Stained Glass" and as part of that process, I invited some friends to interview me so that I could also have a chance to hear patterns in what they were curious about, but also to see what might come forward for me as I engaged with them and how it also might nurture the book.

Today is sharing just a small snippet of where I find myself and of course introducing the interviews as another point of dialogue and in hopes that it might also spur conversation within you if you're on a spiritual seeking quest. I'll be sharing those interviews in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!