Amy Weinland Daughters calls in from Texas to chat with Catherine about the vast number of letters she has written, and the book that followed. This is a story of deep friendship, that began when Amy decided that she would support a grieving mother by writing to her. It's a story of connection despite differences and God's grace in people's lives, but it's also secretly about being willing to indulge the crazy whims God sends our way in order to let God do something we'd never even dreamed of.  Amy's book is called Dear Dana: That Time I Went Crazy And Wrote All 580 Of My Facebook Friends A Handwritten Letter and this is the story of how it came to be. A story to make you laugh, make you cry (maybe), and make you think. You won't want to miss this one! I would love to hear from you, about this episode or any others. You can email: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com Or connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LovedCalledGifted And you might fancy a poke around the Loved Called Gifted website.  You can find Amy's Facebook page here And her lovely website here

Today Catherine is talking to Sarah, who is just embarking on a new adventure, and hoping to take others along with her. Diving into the STILL course, together they unpack some of the toolbox of techniques that Sarah has learned, that can help others manage anxiety and overwhelm, but also to pick up more slack where they are able to, too. And in between they talk about parenting, DIY, piano playing and managing departments in the NHS, in Catherine's usual inquisitive and friendly style. Sarah's email address if you would like to get in touch, is: Unshrinkable1@gmail.com Podcast transcript Loved Called Gifted website Facebook Page

These days, people are often talking about 'being triggered' and there are trigger warnings on all sorts of things. But what do we actually mean when we talk about triggering? What is happening to us when it happens? And what can we do about it? For ourselves and for others.  There is a useful handout to accompany this show that you can find here. Transcript We'd love you to join our Facebook community The Loved Called Gifted website is here. If you want to get in touch, which would be delightful, you can do that from the website.

Catherine meets Rev Rob Rogers, from Oxford, at St Aldate's parish centre. They talk about this city of contrasts, where those leaving prison and the homeless also live among the dreaming spires. Rob talks about the way community can bring help and healing.   Rob has been on both sides of the coin of homelessness and addiction, so as he and Catherine discuss his work with ACT (a charity working with prison leavers and the homeless, amongst others)  and ponder the question, when there's a volunteer serving a person in difficult circumstances, which one is really being Christ to the other in that space? Rob talks about creating community that will create safe spaces for people on their journeys, how addiction is usually a symptom of deeper trauma and how studying for ordination with CMS (Church Missionary Society) created space for him to step back from his activism to think more reflectively and how that has ultimately been helpful to his ministry. Follow us on Facebook Transcript Find out more about ACT Find out about CMS The Loved Called Gifted website

2024 marks 30 years since women were first ordained as priests into the Church of England in England, and today for International Women's Day, Catherine interviews Jane Dicker, who has been there from the beginning. Together they discuss the joys and frustrations found along the way; Jane in the thick of it, and Catherine cheering along as an observer at the time. Along with, of course, how God is found in all of that. Jane also tells us about the book she's writing: The Misadventures of Mother Jane. Transcript Facebook page Website Things you'll find in this podcast: Florence Li Tim-Oi, first woman to be ordained in the Anglican communion, in Hong Kong; Benedictine Oblates; flying bishops; forward in faith movement

This episode, Catherine is visiting Hannah, who no longer has a bathroom office and has been thinking about the kinds of questions we ask people when we first meet them. Hannah would like to ask better questions.... It's always great to hear from people, so if you'd like to get in touch, you can find us on Facebook. Transcript More about Loved Called Gifted Catherine's book, that she mentions in the conversation

Godfrey Birtill has been singing and writing songs and producing albums at the rate of about one a year for more than 25 years. In this conversation, he talks about his unique musical style, his faith and his growing conviction that we don't need to earn God's love and favour. It is lavished upon us already. To really appreciate this episode, you are going to want to listen to some Godfrey Birtill, so there are some links to songs below.  ​There's a transcript of this episode here. Some of the songs mentioned in this episode: Living in the Unforced Rhythms of Grace It's a Wonderful Dance I am not disappointed   Do you believe what I believe about you? And here's one that's not mentioned, but is utterly beautiful: Entangled To find out more about Godfrey: Godfrey Birtill's website.  Would love to know what you thought of this episode. Maybe get in touch via the Facebook page? Or email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com Loved Called Gifted website.

Catherine travels to Birmingham Children's Hospital to speak with Chaplain Andrew Phillips about his role supporting children, families and staff. He shares how he facilitates ways for them to cope with walking this hardest of paths, and also the way the children's own spiritualities are shaping him. Take off your shoes for this episode. You are on holy ground. Full transcript Connect with us on Facebook Explore the Loved Called Gifted website

Cathy Ross, from the Church Mission Society, shares her experience of being a woman and a missionary in the Congo. She also talks about her research into the hidden experience of missionary women in the 19th century and the influence of the concept of pious domesticity, both then and now.  Episode transcript About CMS Follow us on Facebook Loved Called Gifted website

What is compassion? Can we keep being compassionate without reaching burnout? Siobhan Horton, who is a spiritual director and who worked with the dying for three decades as a palliative care nurse, has been fascinated by compassion for several years. In this episode, she shares her deep knowledge and insight about compassion, drawing together wisdom from evolutionary biology, buddhism and Christian thought. ​This episode is an interesting follow up to the conversation in the last episode with Maria Garvey, with some synergies and some differences of perspective.  You can find a full transcript of this episode here​ If you would like to explore further you might interested in these resources: 1. Paul Gilbert's Compassionate Mind Foundation 2. Paul Gilbert interviewing Tanyia Singer on her work on empathy and compassion 3. Paul Gilbert interviewing French Buddhist Monk on Compassion  For information about spiritual direction, coaching, courses and other bits and pieces, go to the Loved Called Gifted Website

Catherine chats with Maria Garvey again, to find they'd both been having similar thoughts regarding Advent. Namely that if you want to see the light that our Christ brings into the darkness, sometimes you have to be willing to see the darkness first. They explore that together in this episode; the ways it works and the ways sometimes it doesn't, and how it all points back to love. It would be delightful to hear from you, if you have thoughts about this episode. You can follow our Facebook page. Or email Catherine at Lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com    You can find a transcript of this episode here.  Information about spiritual direction, coaching and other Loved Called Gifted stuff is available at the website. If you know other people who would enjoy this episode, or the podcast in general, maybe you could share it with them?

This is more of a work-book episode of the podcast rather than a story-time one, as Catherine brings out some of her coaching and spiritual direction skills to share with us as we all learn a few more key questions to help us refine the mission for our own lives -- and some of them may even take you by surprise! Even if you are confident that you are swimming in the right lane of life, if you still put in the effort to do these exercises, I'm sure you will be glad you did. It's a shorter episode, but that means that you still have time to pause the podcast and take some notes -- you won't regret it. And I'm sure Catherine would love you to drop her an email once you have: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com You also might like to follow us on Facebook.  The Loved, Called, Gifted course, designed to help you think about you life calling, which was mentioned in this episode can be found on the website.  You can find a transcript of this episode here. Episodes mentioned in this episode, that you might like to return to, are:  Alanna's Story - Episode 10 Create Bolton  - Episode 34 Missing Women in Church History - getting cross and getting creative with Katie Moritz - Episode 19

Loved Called Gifted now has a Facebook page, which you can find here.  Catherine's friend Charli joins her today and they talk about Autumns and Winters in both their lives; paring back and releasing obligations in order to re-centre, and the things that then grow in the space created. Catherine also shares her wisdom as they compare stories about navigating school problems with and on behalf of their children who have found it really difficult. And as always, how God's graciousness still shows up. Transcript ​Key themes: being and doing, neurodiversity, attachment, ADHD, shame, school refusal, deconstruction, spiritual renewal, parenting, church, Christianity, images of God Would love to hear from you, if you'd like to get in touch. lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page. Website

We have a new Facebook page. Just look for Loved Called Gifted. Today we are joining Catherine in Bolton at Create Bolton, a creative cafe that shows everyone that they have something to offer. The heartbeat and proprietor is Joy Kilpatrick who is the guest this week, talking about the twists and turns in her life path, and the faithfulness of God, that have enabled her to bring together her artistic creativity and her compassion for people into this sanctuary where people can find respite, relief and wholeness, as well as lots of beautiful artwork. Joy  takes so much enjoyment from seeing other people's stories come to blossom and flourish, that hearing her speak about a few of her friends from the cafe, their interactions and the way those journeys have developed is truly a delight to hear; you too will be cheering them on all the way! Transcript   It would be great to hear from you. Contact via the Facebook page or email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com Loved Called Gifted website

Podcast website How would you answer the question "Are you intelligent?" In this episode, drawing on the work of educational psychologist Howard Gardner, Catherine talks about why that's not a very useful question. A much better question is 'In what way are you intelligent?' The narrow way in which intelligence is often understood in society and education can leave many people undervaluing the skills that they have. So this episode looks at intelligence more broadly and the different ways in which different people are intelligent.  Full transcript Ken Robinson's TED talk

For the first time Catherine has two guests in this episode, married couple Gill and John. They are both waterways chaplains, driving their boat through Britain's canals and helping the people they meet along the way. We start out meeting them and finding out a bit more about what they do, but the conversation quickly shifts and blossoms into learning more about God's grace, from people who have been walking with him for over 40 years. Transcript of this episode Loved Called Gifted website

Catherine is marrying the podcast editor next week [their transcriptionist wishes them well!]. In this episode Catherine recounts to Hannah Lambert the tale of finding her wedding dress, which then segues beautifully into a conversation about finding God in the details...or not, sometimes. If you like girly wedding talk, you'll enjoy this one, but even if you don't, there's definitely still something for you here. You can find the transcript here. The Loved Called Gifted website is here.

96% of the people in prison are men which means that the 4% of women in prison in the UK often find themselves overlooked in a system that was designed for men. Eight years ago, Tracy Sickel, a free church prison chaplain, started Imago Dei  and since then she and her team have been ministering to women in prison, helping them to feel loved and valued, to know their worth, improve their self respect and invest in who they are. You can find out more about Imago Dei and how to support their work at: https://www.idprisonministry.org.uk You can find a transcript of this episode here. If you have thoughts about the podcast, a story to tell or you'd just like to get in touch, it would be great to hear from you. You can email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com And you can find the website here.

In this last episode before our summer break, Catherine talks with Maria Garvey, who, twenty years ago, founded a L'Arche community in Northern Ireland. She describes her work as being about 'creating communities of belonging for people who find themselves marginalised'. She says 'who I am really is a commitment to everyone knowing that they matter, no matter what.' In this wide ranging conversation, Maria talks about encountering people who experience themselves as marginalised and her understanding of God, of whom she says 'God is a space in which everyone and everything has its place. Everything and everyone belongs.' Link to transcript Loved Called Gifted website

What does it mean to have a love relationship with the divine? Christianity has at its core the concept that faith is about loving God and being loved by God. But what does that actually look like in practice? In this episode, Catherine shares some thoughts about that. The truth is that it's different for everyone... Transcript Website