Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Feeling worn out, stretched thin, or tired to the bones? In this episode of Tracks for the Journey Magazine, Larry Payne offers three short features for your well-being.

First, Sabbath Time: an ancient rhythm of rest, drawn from Wayne Muller's wisdom, that you can practice without taking a whole day off.

Next, six fresh images of God, from sunlight and ocean to conductor and weaver, to help your faith grow.

Finally, five things never to say to someone who is grieving.

Listen to come away with permission to rest, new ways to picture the Divine, and kinder words for a friend in loss.

Sources:

• Exodus 20:8–10. "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy… you shall not do any work."

• Genesis 2:2–3. God rests on the seventh day.

• Jesus withdraws to the mountain alone (for example, Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12).

• Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives (Bantam Books, 1999). Source of the "sanctuary in time" quotation and the "Pharaoh Time" concept. Page number not given in the raw script.

• Jay McDaniel, Open Horizons website (images of God, Segment 2).

• Kenneth Haugk, Stephen Ministries (grief words, Segment 3).

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

In this episode of Tracks for the Journey Magazine, enjoy three great features:

A painted backyard fence becomes a lesson in happiness and in choosing where we look.

A report from the Galilee tells of Arabic-speaking Christian congregations who stayed, served, and kept their choirs singing under rocket fire.

An deep dive into the benefits of my book Your Ark in the Storm: Everyday Practices for Resilient Living, which blends psychology, Noah's story, and a love-centered faith to move you forward in these turbulent times.

You'll come away encouraged to fence out the emotional junk that steals your joy, inspired by believers who stood their ground, and equipped with fresh hope for rebuilding after life's storms!

Listen and explore more at tracksforthejourney.com.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Afraid to voice your doubts? Unsure how your faith fits in the voting booth? Overwhelmed by the news? This episode is for you.

Overview
In this special magazine-format episode of Tracks for the Journey, host Larry Payne brings you three short features in one listen. First, drawing on Brian McLaren’s Faith After Doubt, Larry explores why honest questions can lead to a deeper faith. Next, with Election Day just ahead, he asks a timely question: How would Jesus vote? Consider three Biblical themes- justice, integrity, and love- that can guide your choices beyond party lines. Finally, he shares “Headlines to Heaven,” a simple four-step practice for turning the daily news into prayer.

What you’ll gain

• Freedom to treat your doubts as a doorway to growth, not a slippery slope
• A clear, faith-centered way to weigh candidates by their track record, not their promises
• Practical steps for cutting through attack ads and misinformation before you vote
• A two-minute daily practice that turns helplessness about the news into hope and action
• Encouragement to build a faith that’s truly your own

Call to action
Listen now, and share this episode with a friend who’s asking big questions too. Find more at tracksforthejourney.com.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

My new book, Your Ark in the Storm: Everyday Practices for Resilient Living, brings together evidence-based resilience skills and the reimagined story of Noah to help anyone bounce back from the hardships that buffet life.
The insights of a love-centered, open, and relational theology offer a fresh perspective on the views of ancient Hebrews and a path to meet today's challenges.
Each chapter offers practical methods of building emotional health and spiritual depth in our modern, turbulent era.
Set sail on Your Ark in the Storm for a voyage that will strengthen your faith and health!

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

In this episode of Tracks for the Journey, I walk the fire-scarred trails of California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park and discover four ways these ancient trees recover from disaster. I discuss how four words (Roots, Bark, Ashes, Wind) become practical strategies for our own hard seasons: building real community, setting healthy boundaries, reframing disappointment into new dreams, and opening ourselves to the Spirit's quiet breath.

Along the I shares a personal story of a painful rejection early in his ministry that turned out to be a hidden rescue, and he closes with Job's striking words of hope for a tree that sprouts again "at the scent of water."

You'll come away with a simple, memorable framework of four words you can carry into any crisis. Most of all, you'll hear a hopeful reminder that setbacks don't get to write the final chapter of your life.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

This episode unpacks the concept of “attunement” from relationship researcher John Gottman, a practice of noticing, honoring, and responding to a loved one’s emotions. I tell the story of Leo and Melinda as a kitchen-table moment goes wrong, then gets replayed and done right.

You’ll find the four building blocks of attunement that build love: awareness, non-judgmental listening, curiosity, and compassion. We can connect the ideas to Jesus’s encounter with the woman at the Samaritan well as a reflection of how God is attuned to us.

Think of one person in your life who needs to feel tuned in to today — and try the four steps in your next conversation with them. Then share this episode with someone who could use the reminder.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

What if the bestselling self-help advice of the year is only telling you two-thirds of the story? This episode expands Mel Robbins's viral Let Them Theory. Alongside "Let Them" and "Let Me," you’ll learn a third, essential move: Let Us.

Using real examples from healthcare, education, and immigration policy in Texas, it presents what it looks like to widen our emotional health beyond the personal and into the communal.

You can come away with a fuller framework for emotional well-being — one that doesn't stop at personal boundaries but extends into neighborly action.

Take a few minutes to discover what "Let Us" could look like in your own neighborhood this week.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77

Post your thoughts here. If you want a reply email me at connectTFJ@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

What if the most important relationship on your spiritual journey isn't with a book, a doctrine, or even a church? It could be one wise person willing to walk beside you.

In a culture of DIY religion, I offer reasons why spiritual mentorship is vital, based on my 50 years of ordained ministry. I share some of my journey and examples from history to help you find the mentor you need.

I talk honestly about ordination in today’s faith traditions, marked by uneven standards across denominations, and the ongoing exclusion of women and LGBTQIA+ people from ministry.

I think you’ll come away with a clearer sense of what to look for in a spiritual guide and the encouragement to go find one, whatever your tradition or season of life.

Support the show

Subscribe to this podcast for only $8 per month to get a monthly bonus episode, access to exclusive subscriber-only episodes, and the POSTINGS weekly newsletter on Substack with more resources for well-being!

Subscribe at https://tracksforthejourney.buzzsprout.com

Enjoy the Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@tracksforthejourney77