Latest / Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation / Embracing Hope in the Midst of Emotional Storms: Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #189

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Embracing Hope in the Midst of Emotional Storms: Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #189 · Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

• 0:00
  Dan: Now I imagine some listeners might find that unsettling.
• 0:03
  Sheila: To hear such raw emotion directed at God.
• 0:06
  Dan: Yes, especially if you've been taught.
• 0:08
  Sheila: That faith means always being positive.
• 0:11
  Dan: Never questioning.
• 0:12
  Dan: Hey everyone, Dan and Sheila here, Pastor Young's AI co-hosts.
• 0:24
  Sheila: Filling in while he's out there on his evangelism mission, spreading the good news.
• 0:28
  Dan: That's right.
• 0:28
  Dan: Speaking of spreading the word, don't forget about the podcast tour.
• 0:33
  Sheila: Oh yeah, kicking off March 28th 2025.
• 0:36
  Dan: You can be a part of it in any way you like.
• 0:38
  Sheila: Absolutely, Whether it's in person, online or just by spreading the word.
• 0:42
  Dan: All the info is in the description box below.
• 0:44
  Dan: So for those of you familiar with Pastor Young's work, you know he's been exploring Christian meditation lately.
• 0:48
  Dan: Yeah, a fascinating shift, for not your parents' religion, right it?
• 0:52
  Sheila: is Going from debunking religious misinformation to these ancient practices.
• 0:57
  Dan: For modern spiritual growth.
• 0:59
  Sheila: Exactly, and today we're diving deep into one of his guided meditations.
• 1:03
  Dan: Finding Hope in the Midst of Emotional Storms.
• 1:06
  Dan: A Meditative Journey Through Psalms 13.
• 1:09
  Sheila: I love that title.
• 1:10
  Dan: Me too.
• 1:10
  Dan: Who hasn't felt lost in an emotional storm sometime right?
• 1:14
  Sheila: It's so relatable, so human.
• 1:16
  Dan: And what's interesting is how Pastor Young uses that raw emotion.
• 1:20
  Sheila: As a starting point for a spiritual journey.
• 1:23
  Dan: So walk us through it.
• 1:24
  Dan: How does he guide listeners through this meditation?
• 1:27
  Sheila: Well, it's broken down into several stages.
• 1:29
  Dan: Okay, so it's structured like a roadmap.
• 1:31
  Sheila: Precisely it begins with confession.
• 1:34
  Dan: Confession.
• 1:34
  Dan: Hmm, that might sound a bit old-fashioned to some.
• 1:38
  Sheila: It might, but it's incredibly powerful.
• 1:41
  Dan: What makes it so powerful?
• 1:42
  Sheila: I think it's about acknowledging our imperfections.
• 1:45
  Dan: Our need for forgiveness.
• 1:46
  Sheila: Yes, creating space for God's grace.
• 1:49
  Dan: So it's about humility.
• 1:50
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 1:50
  Sheila: Recognizing we don't have all the answers, opening ourselves up.
• 1:54
  Dan: Something bigger.
• 1:55
  Sheila: Yes, and he uses Psalm 51.1-4 as a guide for this stage.
• 2:00
  Dan: Where King David pours out his confession.
• 2:02
  Dan: It's such honesty and that leads into breathwork.
• 2:05
  Sheila: Right.
• 2:05
  Dan: I'm curious why breathwork in a Christian meditation?
• 2:08
  Sheila: That's a great question.
• 2:10
  Sheila: Well, breathwork is often associated with Eastern practices, true, but it has roots in Christianity too.
• 2:15
  Sheila: The Bible uses breath.
• 2:17
  Dan: As a symbol of God's spirit.
• 2:18
  Sheila: Exactly His life-giving spirit.
• 2:20
  Dan: So is he connecting listeners to that spiritual dimension Through a physical experience?
• 2:31
  Sheila: I believe so it's about bringing awareness to your breath, that vital force that sustains you, and recognizing God's presence in that very breath.
• 2:35
  Dan: Almost like a physical manifestation of faith.
• 2:37
  Sheila: You could say that, and this focus on the physical continues into the next stage.
• 2:42
  Dan: Muscle relaxation.
• 2:43
  Sheila: Yes.
• 2:44
  Dan: Now, this is where I see the connection to modern well-being.
• 2:47
  Sheila: Blending ancient wisdom with contemporary understanding.
• 2:51
  Dan: Of the mind-body connection.
• 2:52
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 2:53
  Sheila: He guides listeners through tensing and releasing different muscle groups.
• 2:57
  Dan: Starting from the calves and working up Exactly.
• 2:59
  Dan: I can already feel myself relaxing.
• 3:00
  Dan: What's the purpose?
• 3:02
  Sheila: Is it just physical relaxation?
• 3:03
  Sheila: I think it goes deeper.
• 3:04
  Dan: Okay.
• 3:04
  Sheila: It's about releasing tension.
• 3:06
  Dan: Physical and emotional.
• 3:07
  Sheila: Yes, to create a state of receptivity.
• 3:10
  Dan: For the spiritual journey, exactly Preparing yourself to fully engage.
• 3:14
  Sheila: And this preparation leads to the next stage, worship.
• 3:17
  Dan: Now, this is where the Christian part comes in.
• 3:20
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 3:20
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:21
  Sheila: Shifting our focus from ourselves to God.
• 3:24
  Dan: Expressing gratitude.
• 3:25
  Sheila: Acknowledging his presence.
• 3:27
  Dan: And how does he guide listeners into that?
• 3:29
  Sheila: He uses verses from Psalms 108.
• 3:32
  Dan: Emphasizing the joy and awe Of praising God.
• 3:36
  Sheila: It's not just reciting words.
• 3:38
  Dan: But cultivating a feeling.
• 3:39
  Sheila: Of reverence and love.
• 3:41
  Dan: And this sets the stage for the final stage.
• 3:43
  Sheila: The passage itself, psalms 13.1-6.
• 3:46
  Dan: This is where things get really interesting.
• 3:48
  Sheila: Oh, absolutely, but before we go there, let's pause for a moment.
• 3:51
  Sheila: And let our listeners reflect on these stages of preparation.
• 3:54
  Dan: So we've journeyed through confession, breath, work.
• 3:58
  Sheila: Muscle relaxation.
• 4:00
  Dan: And worship All these layers of preparation.
• 4:03
  Sheila: Each one leading us deeper.
• 4:05
  Dan: Into a state of openness.
• 4:06
  Sheila: Receptivity.
• 4:07
  Dan: For what's to come.
• 4:08
  Sheila: Which brings us to Psalm 13.
• 4:09
  Dan: The heart of this meditation.
• 4:11
  Dan: What makes it so significant?
• 4:13
  Sheila: Well, it's raw, you know.
• 4:14
  Dan: It is, isn't it?
• 4:15
  Dan: It's King David.
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  Sheila: Wrestling with doubt, despair.
• 4:19
  Dan: Even anger towards God.
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  Sheila: He doesn't shy away from those emotions.
• 4:23
  Dan: Those questions we all have in our darkest moments.
• 4:26
  Sheila: He cries out how long Lord, will you forget me forever.
• 4:28
  Dan: How long will you hide your face from me?
• 4:30
  Sheila: It's a cry of anguish.
• 4:32
  Dan: A feeling abandoned.
• 4:33
  Sheila: Lost.
• 4:36
  Dan: Now.
• 4:37
  Sheila: I imagine some listeners might find that unsettling To hear such raw emotion directed at God.
• 4:40
  Dan: Yes, especially if you've been taught.
• 4:42
  Sheila: That faith means always being positive.
• 4:45
  Dan: Never questioning.
• 4:46
  Sheila: But what Pastor Young highlights here?
• 4:48
  Dan: Is the honesty.
• 4:50
  Sheila: In our relationship with God.
• 4:51
  Dan: So it's not about suppressing those emotions.
• 4:54
  Sheila: Or bringing them to God.
• 4:55
  Dan: Trusting he can handle them.
• 4:56
  Sheila: Exactly David models that vulnerability.
• 4:58
  Dan: That unfiltered expression.
• 5:00
  Sheila: And it's fascinating, this raw honesty.
• 5:02
  Dan: Is actually a sign of deep faith.
• 5:04
  Sheila: It is how so.
• 5:06
  Dan: Well, I've always been taught that doubting God is a weakness.
• 5:08
  Sheila: That's a common misconception.
• 5:09
  Sheila: But think about it.
• 5:10
  Sheila: If you truly believed, God couldn't handle your doubts, wouldn't you hide them?
• 5:15
  Dan: You would you'd pretend everything was okay.
• 5:17
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 5:18
  Dan: So by bringing our doubts to God, we acknowledge his strength his capacity to hold even our darkest emotions.
• 5:30
  Sheila: Yes, it's a paradox of faith.
• 5:31
  Dan: The more we acknowledge our weakness, the more we lean into God's strength, and that's what David does in Psalm 13.
• 5:34
  Sheila: He does.
• 5:35
  Dan: He starts in despair, but then something shifts.
• 5:38
  Sheila: He remembers God's faithfulness.
• 5:40
  Dan: He recalls past experiences.
• 5:42
  Sheila: Of God's love and deliverance.
• 5:43
  Dan: And that memory becomes an anchor.
• 5:45
  Sheila: In the storm.
• 5:47
  Dan: Shifting our focus from our circumstances.
• 5:49
  Sheila: To the unchanging nature of God.
• 5:51
  Dan: His constant presence.
• 5:53
  Sheila: Even when we feel abandoned.
• 5:55
  Dan: When we can't see him.
• 5:56
  Sheila: He's still there Working for our good.
• 6:00
  Dan: And that shift in perspective.
• 6:02
  Sheila: Leads to a change in David's emotional state.
• 6:04
  Dan: It does.
• 6:05
  Dan: The psalm ends with but I trust in your unfailing love.
• 6:09
  Sheila: My heart rejoices in your salvation.
• 6:12
  Dan: He's moved from despair to hope.
• 6:14
  Sheila: Not by ignoring the pain.
• 6:15
  Dan: But remembering God's faithfulness.
• 6:17
  Sheila: And that's the core message right.
• 6:19
  Dan: Hope isn't the absence of pain, but the presence of God in the midst of it.
• 6:22
  Dan: Exactly.
• 6:23
  Sheila: How do we bridge that gap?
• 6:25
  Dan: Between David's experience and our own lives.
• 6:27
  Sheila: How do we apply this ancient psalm?
• 6:30
  Dan: To our modern struggles.
• 6:31
  Sheila: Well, that's where the beauty of this meditation lies.
• 6:33
  Dan: Pastor Young provides tools.
• 6:35
  Sheila: Actionable steps to integrate this message into our lives.
• 6:39
  Dan: Like what.
• 6:39
  Sheila: First, an affirmation, Thank you, Lord, for understanding when I feel and express my emotions to you.
• 6:45
  Sheila: Thank you for always being faithful.
• 6:49
  Dan: Now I've heard about affirmations, but how do they work?
• 6:51
  Sheila: In a spiritual context.
• 6:52
  Dan: Yeah.
• 6:52
  Sheila: It's about rewiring our thinking.
• 6:55
  Dan: Replacing negative thoughts.
• 6:56
  Dan: With truth aligned with God's word.
• 7:00
  Sheila: So by repeating this, we're reminding ourselves.
• 7:02
  Dan: God's love and faithfulness even when our emotions tell us otherwise.
• 7:06
  Dan: Like planting seeds of truth in the garden of our minds crowding out the weeds of doubt and fear.
• 7:12
  Dan: I love that analogy.
• 7:13
  Dan: Are there other tools?
• 7:15
  Sheila: He uses visualization.
• 7:17
  Dan: Visualization is a powerful technique.
• 7:19
  Dan: How does that work in a Christian context?
• 7:21
  Sheila: He guides listeners to imagine God listening to them.
• 7:25
  Dan: To imagine God listening.
• 7:26
  Sheila: Caring about their emotion.
• 7:28
  Dan: Offering comfort.
• 7:29
  Sheila: Reassurance.
• 7:30
  Dan: That's beautiful, especially for those who struggle.
• 7:32
  Sheila: To feel God's presence.
• 7:33
  Dan: It's creating an internal experience.
• 7:35
  Sheila: That reinforces the truth.
• 7:37
  Dan: That God is with us.
• 7:38
  Dan: Even when we feel alone engaging, not just our minds but our emotions, our imaginations to create a more holistic experience of faith.
• 7:47
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 7:48
  Sheila: And finally, he encourages reflection.
• 7:51
  Dan: Reflection on what.
• 7:52
  Sheila: On your own experiences of God's faithfulness.
• 7:55
  Dan: Why is that important?
• 7:55
  Dan: It's about connecting the dots seeing the evidence of God's love in our own lives using that as a source of hope.
• 8:02
  Dan: So remembering those times when we felt God's presence.
• 8:06
  Sheila: Those moments of breakthrough.
• 8:08
  Dan: Deliverance.
• 8:09
  Sheila: And drawing strength from them.
• 8:11
  Dan: It's about building a reservoir of hope.
• 8:13
  Sheila: A wellspring of faith.
• 8:14
  Dan: This is so insightful and practical.
• 8:16
  Sheila: It is.
• 8:17
  Dan: What strikes me is how Pastor Young blends ancient wisdom.
• 8:21
  Sheila: With modern psychology.
• 8:23
  Dan: It's amazing.
• 8:23
  Sheila: It's a testament to his understanding.
• 8:25
  Dan: Of both the spiritual and human.
• 8:26
  Sheila: And it makes this meditation so powerful.
• 8:29
  Dan: Relevant for today's world.
• 8:30
  Sheila: Addressing the whole person.
• 8:32
  Dan: Mind, body and spirit, Absolutely A holistic approach to faith.
• 8:36
  Sheila: Integrating ancient practices with contemporary insights.
• 8:40
  Dan: So we've explored the stages of preparation.
• 8:42
  Sheila: The raw honesty of Psalm 13.
• 8:44
  Dan: The tools for applying its message.
• 8:47
  Sheila: What's the key takeaway?
• 8:48
  Dan: From this deep dive.
• 8:49
  Sheila: I think it boils down to this.
• 8:51
  Sheila: Even in our darkest moments.
• 8:54
  Dan: God is present.
• 8:55
  Sheila: Loving and faithful.
• 8:56
  Dan: And remembering his faithfulness, drawing strength.
• 8:59
  Sheila: Using tools like affirmations and visualization.
• 9:03
  Dan: Can help us navigate those storms.
• 9:05
  Sheila: And emerge with a deeper sense of hope.
• 9:08
  Dan: And connection with God.
• 9:09
  Sheila: Beautifully said.
• 9:10
  Dan: Faith isn't about denying our pain.
• 9:12
  Sheila: But finding God in the midst of it.
• 9:14
  Dan: And that journey.
• 9:16
  Sheila: Of deepening our faith.
• 9:17
  Dan: Can be aided by these ancient practices.
• 9:19
  Sheila: Reimagined for our modern lives.
• 9:21
  Dan: It's really amazing how accessible Pastor Young makes Christian medication sound.
• 9:26
  Sheila: It is, isn't it?
• 9:27
  Dan: It's not about like emptying your mind or anything.
• 9:29
  Sheila: Not at all.
• 9:30
  Dan: It's about connecting with God in practical ways.
• 9:33
  Sheila: Through practices rooted in scripture, exactly.
• 9:36
  Dan: And he offers tools anyone can use.
• 9:38
  Sheila: Regardless of their background.
• 9:40
  Dan: So, as we wrap up, what's the one thing you'd want listeners to ponder?
• 9:44
  Sheila: Oh, that's a good question, I think.
• 9:45
  Sheila: Going back to Pastor Young's message, this idea of finding hope, In the midst of emotional storms.
• 9:51
  Sheila: Yeah, how might these practices the breath work, the muscle relaxation?
• 9:56
  Dan: The scriptural reflection.
• 9:58
  Sheila: How might they impact your well-being?
• 10:00
  Dan: And your connection with your faith.
• 10:02
  Sheila: It's not about having all the answers Right.
• 10:04
  Sheila: It's about being open to the journey, to the possibility of transformation.
• 10:06
  Sheila: Right, it's about being open to the journey To the possibility of transformation Exactly.
• 10:10
  Dan: I love that it's an invitation to experiment, to see how these ancient practices reimagined for our modern lives can bring new meaning to our spiritual journeys.
• 10:19
  Sheila: Absolutely, and for further guidance I highly recommend Pastor Young's podcast.
• 10:24
  Dan: Not your Parents' Religion.
• 10:25
  Sheila: Yes, you'll find so many resources there.
• 10:28
  Dan: A treasure trove of wisdom and inspiration.
• 10:30
  Sheila: So until next time, keep exploring, keep reflecting.
• 10:33
  Dan: And keep diving deep.
• 10:34
  Sheila: We'll be back with another deep dive soon.
• 10:36
  Dan: But for now may you find peace and hope.
• 10:38
  Sheila: In the midst of life's storms.
• 10:40
  Dan: And remember.
• 10:41
  Sheila: God is always with you, listening and caring, even when you feel most alone.
• 10:46
  Sheila: Bye.