"God gives us grace for everything that happens in your life but there is no grace for worrying about the things that don't happen..." Our young-but-wise guests share about the early stages of parenting while living in the Middle East. Join us as we launch the first of four parenting episodes. 

Sometimes as expatriate believers, we underestimate how much our words impact local believers. John Weaver talks to us today about how to facilitate a culture of hearing from God in local believers--which, he says, results in resilience. He says that sometimes we get in the way of our local disciples hearing what God is saying to them because we interject our own thoughts, feelings or opinions. Instead, he encourages us to help our local believers develop a lifestyle of learning to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to them instead of being too quick to interject our own input. 

“Retirement off-shore” is NOT why Ron and Janine Parrish are living in the tropical paradise of the Indonesian archipelago! Instead, as 60+ year-old grandparents they are making disciples and mentoring the next generation to plant churches among the 129 UPGs of this nation they love and for which they thank God daily. “We may not be addressing the thousands in front of us, but we can address those who will be addressing the thousands.”

When’s the last time you spent a good portion of your devotional time in the morning simply recounting, “How has God loved me in the past 24 hours?” and giving Him thanks and praise for all the ways?! This interview with the Parrishes was delightful journey of discovering their resilience is in their intentional cultivation of a lifestyle of gratitude. And you will not want to miss Ron’s challenging invitation at the end!

Michael Sullivant works with the organization, Life Model Works, which resources churches and organizations by combining cutting edge brain-science with spiritual formation to optimize human maturity and transformation into the image of Christ. Not only was our conversation about the intersection of brain science and theology amazingly interesting, Michael gives us some very practical things to help us all on our way of becoming more like Jesus by developing important parts of our minds. 

Life Model Works

Living From The Heart That Jesus Gave You by Jim Wilder et all

Renovated by Jim Wilder

Today's guest, Chris P-veteran overseas church planter and pastor-had this revelation as he reveled in the rest and restoration he received and the very intentional separation he was able to make from ministry work and other responsibilities during his recent sabbatical. Hear Chris share about the powerful potential of a well-planned and executed sabbatical and a committed Sabbatical Coach.

“I worked hard (at planning and preparing) in order to receive as much as I could and did from the Lord.” Chris also shares, “You get out of it what you put into it,” and he shares practical pointer after practical pointer of soul-restoring practices, disciplines, and decisions he made and put into his sabbatical for it to become truly monumental at this 20-year mark of full-time overseas and stateside ministry.

Journey of the Soul by Bill and Kristi Gaultiere

Episode 33 (previous episodes on Sabbatical)

Episode 34

“The best thing we’ve done is…stay and provide a long-term presence.” And stay he has, as David has lived among, served, and loved the most vulnerable of the poor since 1998 in the Eastern European nation or Romania.

Silas and Steve treasured every moment sitting and talking to this long-time friend of Silas’s as he shared keys to his longevity and resilience in an extremely difficult - and rewarding - ministry. As you’ll hear, paramount among those keys is commitment to relationships and messy, challenging, but beautiful life together in community. David says this is, “The core to being able to do this for such a long time.”

Dive into the moving stories with us as David shares how those on the margins teach us how to survive in the context of poverty. “They teach us resiliency.” He tells short-termers and those who’ve joined him longer term, “Drink from the wells that the people that we’re serving among drink from.”

We loved how David helped us look at resiliency “as more of a collective and communal project, rather than just an individual one.” We hope you also love and glean some more keys to resiliency as David shares his story.

Resource: Tender Care 

In this episode, Steve and Silas are joined by guest interviewer and podcaster, Mick Murray. Mick helps Steve and Silas reflect over the past 57 episodes of Resiliency and pull out favorite parts, things they have learned and what they think are priceless moments of interviewing so many amazing guests over the past two and a half years.  

Show Notes: 

• Meditations with Mick Murray 
• Ideology with Mick Murray and Drew Steadman
• The Fathers Heart by Mick Murray
• Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants by Philip Yancy and Dr Paul Brand

Henri Nouwen wrote an article "From Solitude to Community to Ministry" where he writes that it is only in knowing who we are in solitude with God that we can effectively live with one another in community and then together, do ministry. For years, Rachel has been living from that paradigm in her work among the most vulnerable children in Chisinau, Moldova. She has learned from her posture of solitude with God and from her relationships to embrace her human limitations and live free from self-condemnation. Join Steve and I in this delightful interview with Rachel Dyachenko.

Unstacking Your Grief Tower: A Guide To Processing Your Grief as an Adult Third Culture Kid by Lauren Wells

From Solitude to Community to Ministry by Henri Nouwen

Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

You know those people who just exude peace as you spend time them? Or wisdom? Or love? Our guest for episode 56 is such a man…on all three accounts! Waco physician Dr. Hess (Previous guest in Episode 52) is with us again, zeroing in this episode on personal disciplinary habits and rhythms that help you maintain holistic health and build resilience while on the field. He shares about establishing and maintaining a rule of life, the value of personal retreats, spiritual direction, growing in self awareness, the value and necessity of being committed to transparency with family and team about your health - physical and/or mental - and more!

Burritt speaks as a physician, husband, father, and someone who’s living very thoughtfully, reflectively, and intentionally as a disciple of Jesus at home, work, and in his community.

Silas' Favorite Advent Song: Oh Come Emmanuel

The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full love Story of Christmas

for Kids: The Star from Afar

for Families: Unwrapping The Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas 

Silas' (Waypoint Church) 2014 Advent Reader

Silas' (Waypoint Church) 2016 Advent Reader

Footnotes on Advent by Eric Smith

Sacred Space for Advent and the Christmas Season by the Irish Jesuits

Honest Advent: Awakening to The Wonder of God-With-Us The, Here, and Now by Scott Erickson and Morgan Nichols

Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann

A number of global workers have shared how difficult it is to face the loss of the holiday season. COVID-19 complicates an already difficult time of year for some people. At the request of some of those who have asked Silas to share what he has shared with them on the podcast, he draws from experience, reading and other podcasts some things he often discusses with his grieving clients. 

Resource:

The Grief Tower by Lauren Wells

"Lifes Tough Edges" by Nora Mclnerny

"Everything Happens" with Kate Bowler

Prophetic Lament by Soong-Chan Rah