Loved Called Gifted (Catherine Cowell)

In this episode, Catherine talks to Margaret McGregor about the place of play and playfulness in our parenting practice, our spirituality and how we see and relate to ourselves. The PACE parenting approach, devised by Dan Hughes, has been the cornerstone of trauma informed, therapeutic parenting practice for over twenty years. It stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. This approach is also the basis of DDP therapy.

You can find a transcript of this episode here.

Contact Catherine at lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com

Facebook page.

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This conversation between Catherine and Polly (aka Pauline Cooke) is all about personality. You might have heard of the Myers Briggs personality tool. You might think it's great or you might be a bit sceptical. We like it because it gives all sorts of insights into how we work and how we're different from one another. All of that helps us to understand ourselves and other people a little bit better. 

You can get a transcript of the episode here.

You might want to have a nosey at our website.

You can get in touch by email: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com

There are two Cathys in this episode! Our host, Catherine Cowell, is joined by her friend Cathy, who shares her journey so far being Mum to her son Guy. A journey of small birth weight and inducement, of a traumatic birth story and the NICU. A story of breathing problems (bronchiolitis) and late night trips to hospital. Of metopic synostosis/fused sutures and major surgery. Of epilepsy and Autism. Of both mainstream and special school. And of family. But also, a story of hope, fear, sorrow, much joy, of prayers answered, and of drama. It's a long one, so settle in, but make sure you've got the tissues handy, because it's an emotional journey through the past 9 years. And it's a privilege to get to hear it.

Transcript

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Are you an introvert or an extrovert? It’s not always as obvious as you’d think. This is the second episode focusing on personality. Catherine and Polly discuss the difference between extraversion and introversion and how our preferences affect how we relax and restore our energy, the way we communicate with others and how our sensory environment affects us. There are clues here about how to understand yourself and the people around you. 

Full transcript of this episode can be found here. 

If you would like to get in touch, you can email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com.

To find out about the  Loved Called Gifted course, or for information about coaching and spiritual direction, you can go to our website, lovedcalledgifted.com

Catherine meets Lillibet Goodwin, who shares her passion for working with children with special needs and her friendship with a young man with autism. She talks about her experience of having adopted siblings, what that has taught her about the importance of accepting and welcoming others, the therapeutic value of art, and meeting Jesus in those society so often ignores and marginalises. Here is a young woman who has found her lane easily and is looking forward to being able to progress in it, rather than -- like many of us -- someone who has only seen the pattern in the rear-view mirror. There's a quiet beauty and simplicity to Lillibet's story, and a mature faith, too. You won't want to miss hearing what she has to say!

Transcript

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Find out about Loved Called Gifted and the other things we get up to on our website

Catherine and Margaret McGregor continue their conversation about PACE therapeutic parenting, reflecting on how this is both an excellent tool for the therapeutic parenting of children with attachment difficulties and other neurodiversity; as well as helping us to understand how God parents us and how we can be compassionate to ourselves. PACE (which stands for playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy) was developed by psychologist Daniel Hughes.

Find Transcript here 

Loved Called Gifted website

You can also connect and get in touch via Facebook page

The deep beauty of the world and the people around us connects us in a deep way to the Divine and to ourselves. What we discover to be beautiful can give us interesting insights into our life purpose and calling. Full transcript of this episode can be found here. Or you might like to explore the Loved Called Gifted website.

This is the third in our series on personality, users the lens of the Myers-Briggs model. This time, Catherine is joined by Sean Kennedy to discuss thinking and feeling. How do you process information? When faced with a situation, do you work out what you think about it before you decide what you feel about it? Or are you one of those people who doesn't know what they think about something until they've understood what they feel about it? What difference might that make to your life, your relationships with others and the way you like to work? 

A full transcript of this podcast is available here. 

This podcast is just one of the things we do at Loved Called Gifted. We offer the Loved Called Gifted course in person and online, to help you explore your life calling. There is also coaching and spiritual direction available and other resources. Just visit the Loved Called Gifted website to  explore.

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.

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

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Monasticism is not just for people who are part of a convent or a monastery. There are many people who are part of monastic communities while living normal, every day lives. One of these communities is that of the Benedictine Oblates, who seek to follow the rule of Saint Benedict. On International Women's Day, Catherine interviewed Jane Dicker, one of the first women to be ordained in the UK. In passing Jane mentioned being a Benedictine Oblate, and so for this episode she's back, discussing what that means and how it benefits her spiritual life. Whether it's something that's been intriguing you or something you've never heard of -- or even if it's something that's very familiar to you -- Jane's story has a lot to offer here, I think you'll enjoy it!

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

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

The Loved Called Gifted podcast is coming soon! Musings about spirituality, identity and purpose. Find out what it’s about and what’s coming up in the next few episodes. Full transcript and other stuff at lovedcalledgifted.com/transcript1

Theme music “Nice View” by Crowander, produced by David Szesztay CC 2019, crowander.com

Glenn Hussey is the father of four adopted children and a senior lecturer at Keele University, in the school of Life Sciences where he also has a key role in equality, diversity and inclusion. In this wide ranging conversation he talks about his Roman Catholic faith, his belief in the importance of valuing every human being and the vocation of fatherhood. He talks about what he has learnt from his children, particularly his disabled son, and the importance of inclusion in school. He also discusses his sexuality, coming out as a bisexual man and the journey to adoption for him and his partner, who were the first male gay couple in Stoke on Trent to adopt.

Transcript 

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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

If pregnancy, birth and motherhood are not living up to the ideals you imagined and you're experiencing way less sleep and way more difficulties than you bargained for, this episode is for you. Even if that's not your situation, there is lots to learn here. 

In this episode Catherine interviews Sarah Page about the gruelling glory and redemption she experienced in the transition from monastic prayer warrior to severely sleep-deprived mother of a suffering baby, and then stepping into the balance between the two as they've grown up, with lessons learned and a call to the church to do it differently.

It's a story of when dreams and expectations don't end up lining up with reality, and the choice to either let them go, or live with them being ripped from you. The God who is there in both the bad and the good.

It's one woman's very personal, difficult story. And a universal story about finding -- and being found by -- God, during difficult times. Inside and outside of church.

Content warning for pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding, birth trauma, miscarriage, and a baby that would not stop screaming.

Transcript can be found here

Explore the Loved Called Gifted site 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

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

Finding what we're called to do in life often involves putting together a number of puzzle pieces. This episode looks at one of them. Noticing the things that give us life. Drawing on the work of Daniel Pink around motivation, Catherine explores how we can do more of what gives us joy.

Find a transcript of this podcast here.

Catherine is joined again by Hannah Lamberth, who has been redecorating recently. She shares reflections about faith, Jesus, life and Farrow and Balls paint charts. 

Full transcript of this episode

The Loved Called Gifted Website

Sarah Clarke is a lecturer at the Church Mission Society (CMS) and has a particular interest in art as a way into the sacred. And the ways that art can facilitate expression in ways that words cannot.

Full transcript

We'd always love to hear from you. You can get in touch by connecting via our Facebook page

To find out more about Catherine, her spiritual direction and coaching, go to the Loved Called Gifted Website

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

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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

Rachel has done many things in her life. Including a career in the police force, running a dance school and working with horses. Now she works as a self employed cleaner and loves what she does. In this wide ranging conversation, she shares the wisdom she has gained from living with mental health challenges and her story of finding a job that works for her. Full transcript can be found here. 

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

In this episode, Catherine meets Hannah; they discuss retreats and silence, noise and parenting, and faith in the midst of actual life.

You can find a full transcript of this episode here. 

The Loved Called Gifted website is full of information and resources that you might quite like, or even find useful. Why not have a nosey?

In this episode we meet another podcaster! We hear his story about why he does what he does, how he feels about being on the listening end of other stories and some of the challenges he's overcome along the way. Some heavy topics come up in this episode, including suicide, alcoholism and gaming addiction. We discuss parental love and rejection. The challenge of hypoglaecemia and how living with visual impairment is considerably easier than managing the barriers and prejudices that society creates when faced with someone living with disability. This is a tale of hope, resilience, courage and adversity. In this episode, Catherine meets broadcaster Philip Francis Anderson. 

If you would like to take a look at Philip's podcast you can do so 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.

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

Transcript

Loved Called Gifted website

Polly joins Catherine for the last of our series looking at personality through the lens of Myers Briggs. This time we're talking about judging and perceiving. 

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Do you like things planned, organised and decided, or do you prefer to keep possibilities open? Do you find structure and rules calming or constraining? Do you like the adrenaline of the unexpected? Or the opportunity to prepare properly? 

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We all have a preference for either what the MBTI calls 'judging' or for 'perceiving'. Understanding our own preferences and how they differ from those of other people can really help us to work more harmoniously and effectively with others. 

We don't all connect with the Divine in the same way. Things that are helpful for some people can be deeply unhelpful to others. This episode explores different ways of connecting with the Divine and helps you to find what works for you. A full transcript of this episode can be found here. For more about the Loved Called Gifted, visit our 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

Where does your self worth come from? We all need to know that we have value. Culturally, most of the messages we get tell us that our value derives from what we do. But is that the best way to look at things? This episode takes a critical look at how we view worth and introduces the cycles of being and doing. For a transcript of this episode to see diagrams of the cycles of being and doing, you can click here.

If you would like to get in touch, you can email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com.

To find out about the  Loved Called Gifted course, or for information about coaching and spiritual direction, you can go to our website, lovedcalledgifted.com

Many Christians want an answer to the question "What does God want me to do with my life?" That's a great question. However, if you've been around churches for a while, there's a chance that you will have collected some ideas that  make it harder, rather than easier, to answer that question. This episode explores some of those calling myths.

Transcript

Sally Bubbers is a level 3 trained, certified IFS therapist 

Further information about Internal Family Systems and Dr. Richard C Schwartz PhD can be found at  www.ifs-institute.com 

Sometimes, when you think you are failing to connect with God, you don't realise how often God's creeping in through the back door. This episode sees Catherine interview Lizelle, a spiritual direction client, about how a change in perspective changes everything. A full transcript of this episode can be found here. For more about the Loved Called Gifted course, visit our website.

Promised in the 'Christianity Starter Pack' is the feeling of being unconditionally loved and welcomed by God but often it's not as simple as that. Not because it isn't there, but because patterns and tools that we've picked up in life, often in childhood, can get in the way of us seeing it. In this episode Catherine chats with Sean about attachment styles and the impact these can have.  For more info and the transcript, go to lovedcalledgifted.com.

Howard is a baptist minister who chose to leave his successful church in the posh part of Birmingham to move with his wife, Iona, to Cobridge, one of the most deprived areas of Stoke on Trent. He no longer leads a church. Instead, working as part of Urban Expression, he and Iona seek simply to be a blessing to the community they have grown to love. He talks honestly about the challenges and joys of leaving behind his previous role and what he has learnt about the radical acceptance of Jesus. 

You can find a transcript of the episode here.

We would loved to hear your thoughts and comments. You can email lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com

Or you might like to explore 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.

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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

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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

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. 

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.

This episode of the "Loved Called Gifted" podcast, host Catherine Cowell is joined by clinical psychologist and author Naomi Fisher. They discuss Fisher's book "When the Naughty Step Makes Things Worse" and explore alternative approaches to parenting, particularly for children who don’t respond to traditional methods. There are lots of   relatable anecdotes and humour about the daily chaos of parenting, paired with Naomi's insights into navigating challenges with creativity.

There is a full transcript available here.

To connect with us, feel free to join in our Facebook page. 

To find out more about Naomi Fisher and her work, go to:

https://naomifisher.co.uk/

To find out more about the work that Catherine does with parents, go to the And Breathe website. 

You can find the Loved Called Gited website here

Alanna has created a sacred space, a sanctuary in the Staffordshire countryside where people come to be heard, to take a breather from the challenges of their lives, to be cherished for an hour. Oh. And to get a really good haircut. Alanna has been a hairdresser since she was 16. She shares about how her faith, her love for people and her talent for hairdressing all come together.

For a transcript of this episode click here.

To find out more about Loved Called Gifted, our courses and other bits and pieces go to our website.

Catherine is joined by Polly for our fourth conversation looking at personality throughout the lens of the Myers Briggs model. This time we’re discussing what Myers Briggs refers to as Sensing and Intuition - the S and the N for those who speak MBTI.

Are you practical, down to earth and good at remembering details? Do you like ideas and theories? Do you prefer to learn by thinking things through or experiencing them first hand? Do you love a good gossip or do you get bored by small talk? How many notebooks do you own? 

We all have a preference for either sensing (focusing on details and practicalities) or intuition (seeing the big picture, looking for connections and possibilities). Catherine and Polly discuss the profound impact these  differences have on the ways that we understand the world, communicate with one another and organise our lives. Even down to how many notebooks we might choose to own. Lots of information here to help you to understand yourself and other people a bit better and avoid some common causes of misunderstanding. 

We’d love to know what you think. If you’d like to get in touch, you can email: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com

Find a transcript here. Or visit the Loved Called Gifted website to find out about coaching, spiritual direction and other stuff.

Catherine and Hannah talk about the lack of tacky Christian gifts in Criccieth, a fish called Brian and a cuddly sheep.  Mainly they discuss how we are less building sites to be constructed and more wild islands to be loved and nurtured.

We would love to hear from you. You can find us on our Facebook page or email Catherine: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com.

You can find a transcript of the podcast here.

For spiritual direction and coaching and to find out more about Loved Called Gifted, have a nosey around the website. 

We are very used to thinking of God as He. With a capital ‘H’. There has not been much space in Christian tradition for viewing God as anything but male. The God of the Bible, we tend to assume, is entirely masculine. But, in fact, there is also a wealth of feminine imagery for God in the Bible, if you know where to look.  In this episode, Catherine takes a look at the rich portrayals of God in the Bible, including God as Mother and midwife.

There is a full transcript here. 

Connect with us on Facebook.

Explore the Loved Called Gifted website, where you can also find out how to get in touch, if you'd like. It would be great to hear from you. 

Emily shares the story of her family, which includes birth children, children who are adopted and asylum seeking migrants, who they foster. She talks about her faith and God’s leading and provision through their remarkable journey. She mentions Home for Good and the impact their work has had on the wider church and discusses the dynamics of a large family. And trusting God each morning that there will be enough love for everyone.

Transcript

Explore the Loved Called Gifted website.

Join us on Facebook

Get in touch: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com

While studying theology, Katie discovered that there were women and women's movements in church history that she knew nothing about. Incredible, creative, humanitarians, writers and revolutionaries who have been largely forgotten. People like Julian of Norwich, whose writings only survived because they were hidden by nuns for centuries. Desert mothers, Marie D'Oignies and the Beguines. Katie shares her discoveries, the way her learning has given her insights into the lives of women today and her passion for supporting the women around her. 

More about Loved Called Gifted

Full transcript. 

Find out about Katie Moritz and Joy Factory

Catherine talks with Felicia, who founded and pastors New Life Family Church. In their conversation together, Felicia shares the story of how that happened.  

It's a story of welcome, of tears, of considered decisions and second chances. And a story of reading the times, knowing when to move forward and when to wait. It’s about the fact that calling is far more about who we are than what we do. Above all, it’s about love. There’s a lot to learn from Felicia in this episode!

You can find a full transcript of this episode here.

Loved Called Gifted website

Pete Lewin Newfoundlands is a remarkable charity that gives people the unique opportunity to swim with Newfoundland dogs. Pete fell in love with Newfoundlands when he learnt about their incredible abilities as water rescue dogs and their heroism. While working with them as water rescue dogs, he discovered the potential of his Newfoundlands to support people with their emotional and mental well being. He now takes all sorts of people swimming with his Newfoundlands, working particularly with people from the armed forces and emergency services, who have experienced trauma. The combination of time in the water with the dogs and swimming outdoors in the peace and beauty of the lake, are hugely beneficial. Pete shares his love for his dogs, the story of Pete Lewin Newfoundlands and something of his own experiences of working for many years as a paramedic. 

Transcript

To find out more about Loved Called Gifted and the things we get up to, have a peek at our website.

You can also follow us on Facebook.

Do you feel like your faith suddenly isn't making sense any more? Have the answers you've been relying on stopped making sense? Feeling like you've outgrown church...but you don't really want to abandon it? Like you're too far along and this should all be sorted by now? Where the worldview you formed from reading the Bible doesn't properly fit your actual  real life, and, like having one foot each side on a cracking iceberg, you need to take a leap in order to be left with any hope at all? And, ever felt like you're all on your own with it? As to the last, you are not on your own. In this episode, Catherine talks with Joe Davis from The Mid-Faith Crisis podcast, and they explore together common stages of Christian faith that look nothing like the previous ones -- and everything like it at the same time, and what growing up to maturity in the faith really looks like.

Transcript

Loved Called Gifted website

Apologies this episode is not currently available.

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Catherine chatted with Jocie and Dave Twine, founders of the Life Project, in their caravan awning at the New Wine Christian festival this summer. They talk about the joys and challenges of life with their son Josh, who has autism and semantic pragmatic disorder. He also has a fantastic memory and an incredible singing voice. They set up the Life Project charity to support other families of people with additional needs and to create a community where everyone is welcome. They also talk about the surprising joy of being part of the disability community.

You can find a transcript of the episode here

It would be great to hear from you. You can get in touch via email: lovedcalledgifted@gmail.com or you can visit our Facebook page.

To find out more about Loved Called Gifted, go to our 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. 

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"Window of Tolerance" might not be a term that you've heard before, but it's a really useful concept and in this episode, Sally Bubbers explains it beautifully. You know that there are good days, when you are in that zone where life has enough interest and excitement and challenge to keep you engaged, curious, grounded, emotionally stable and winning at life. That's when you're operating in your 'window of tolerance'. Sally explains what the window of tolerance is, how we can spot the signs that we've left our window of tolerance, how to get back into it again and how to support others who are struggling. Lots of really practical ideas, hints, tips and insights that will be useful for anyone but particularly helpful for parents of children who have experienced trauma  - or for anyone who has experienced trauma or is supporting others who have. 

​Show notes for this episode that can be found here.

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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

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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.

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Connective parenting is an approach to parenting that puts relationship and connection at the centre. It is based on NVR, which stands for Non Violent Resistance and has been enormously helpful for families facing extremely difficult behaviour. It contains within it principles that can be helpful beyond parenting, in all our relationships. Sarah Fisher is an adoptive parent and NVR practitioner. She created Connective Family, which provides training, coaching and advice to parents and professionals and has her own podcast, "Sarah Fisher talks connective parenting".

To find out more about Sarah Fisher

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Ed:  Oops updated audio file Sat 23 Nov 13:00 to fix missing audio around 6 mins mark - Stephen

How do you pray in a way that actually helps when things are difficult? What kind of prayer helps us to walk through the difficult times?

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Back in July, Catherine released an episode called ‘Is God Feminine’, exploring the feminine images for God in the Bible and suggesting that if men and women are made in the image of the Divine, then we shouldn’t be surprised to find feminine names and imagery for God in the Bible. Hannah wanted to discuss the episode to find out more and to share both her enthusiasm and her discomfort with the idea of God as feminine. If you find this topic interesting and you'd like to know more, Catherine has a Medium blog in which she's been writing about this for a while. 

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