Have you ever met someone who knows how to smile in the midst of a storm? Life's trials and traumas cannot destroy a person who remains present. Being present requires awareness, trust, and faith. You gain freedom from lingering fear, comparison, and suffering the moment you ground yourself in the present.

Terri Johnson is an inspiring example of being present. She conquered challenging situations throughout her life, which brought her closer to Christ. Now, at this time in her life, Terri faces an entirely new challenge as she deals with a cancer diagnosis. Most people become discouraged after such news. For Terri, she sees it as another opportunity for Christ to show up in her life. She is a person who can find her smile in the midst of uncertainty.

In this episode, we talk about Terri's life and how to be present in suffering. Terri says that being present is not always easy, but her life proves it's possible. Over the years, she learned to be more intentional and vulnerable in her humbling journey. She ties her experiences to her relationship with God where she takes life day by day. Terri also talks about the evidence of Christ's work throughout her life and how being present helps her create support for herself.

Listen as we discuss how God works everything out, especially when we can't seem to predict the outcome.

Time stamps:

• [02:13] - Terri Johnson describes how her life is a tangle of suffering and positivity.
• [05:02] - "I had to learn to live one day at a time."
• [07:17] - Terri tells the story of receiving her cancer diagnosis.
• [10:15] - What were Terri's first thoughts after her diagnosis?
• [12:40] - "I had to learn to ask for help."
• [14:46] - Terri says she made a decision that not everyone agreed with. What happened?
• [17:12] - Trust God to stay aligned with your Calling.
• [19:30] - Despite uncertainty, you can move forward day by day with confidence.
• [22:08] - God will take care of everything. Terri shares her perspective on how everything works out no matter the outcome.
• [24:16] - What does Terri do to adjust to her life now?
• [26:35] - Terri is exploring what it means to live well and take care of herself. Was there any idea she had to unlearn or shift?
• [29:49] - At this time, what lesson stands out to Terri the most?

• Card Deck: Life Calling Questions
• Christian Life Calling
• Chris Heinz
• Terri's CaringBridge

A lot of people blindly seek external validation and external purpose first, but this rootless pursuit ends up short-lived. In fact, any pursuit of Calling is shallow if you don't go internally first to figure out your gifts and who you are in Christ. Being curious about how a thing is made shows the intention of its purpose. Likewise, knowing yourself helps you direct your life with stronger discernment.

Teresa McCloy is a Coach, Speaker, Podcaster, Trainer and Creator of the REALIFE Process® helping people to get a handle on life. She is also the author of Do What Matters: Live From Rest, Not Rush, Using The REALIFE Process. Teresa walks in faithfulness and obedience as she shares her work with coaches, mentors, and other helpers who want to add the REALIFE Process® to their teachings.

In this episode, we talk about Teresa's life management process and the spiritual practices under the process. Teresa shares how you can organize your life to prioritize what's meaningful to you, and honor the life you create in partnership with God. We find the foundation of knowing who we are and whose we are allows us to live out our Calling.

Listen as we discuss life tools such as the Rule of Life concept, the foundational triangle, and living from rest.

Time stamps:

• [00:22] - Teresa McCloy brings her insight on how to live from rest, not rush.
• [02:00] - Why did Teresa write this book?
• [04:43] - Teresa looks back on the spirals of her life, and what made her realize she wanted a different path.
• [07:43] - Where does the life management framework come from?
• [09:39] - Teresa talks about living from rest where work and ease coexist.
• [11:47] - You get to pre-decide what you say "Yes" or "No" to in life.
• [13:14] - What is a "Rule of Life?"
• [16:01] - In what ways can the "Rule of Life" concept apply to your routines?
• [18:02] - Teresa describes how you can categorize your life and prioritize what's meaningful.
• [20:51] - Calling comes from both "being" and "doing."
• [23:38] - You're never too old for self discovery.
• [26:36] - It's okay to experiment with how you live out your core Calling.
• [29:28] - Your Calling can be different from season to season.
• [31:07] - "We have to know what the motivation is."
• [33:16] - Managing your life is a lot like caring for a garden.
• [36:16] - There is nothing new under the sun, but the delivery can differ.
• [38:30] - This is how you do what matters.

• Card Deck: Life Calling Questions
• Christian Life Calling
• Chris Heinz
• Teresa McCloy
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• Do What Matters: Live From Rest, Not Rush, Using The REALIFE Process

What do you expect living your Calling to be like? Most people naturally say it's a life where everything feels aligned and at ease. They would not be wrong, however, let's not forget that another side of Calling exists. Living your Calling includes the struggles of carrying your purpose out.

Take the Apostle Paul for instance. He specifically writes that Calling brings struggle, toil, and labor. He reflects on the gift of being called by God to persist in his purpose. Are you struggling in your Calling? If you are, remember that God commissioned you for this unique role.

In this episode, we're talking about struggle and Calling. We'll read through Colossians 1:25 to 2:3 where the Apostle Paul reflects on his commitment to honor God despite life's struggles. This talk gives a moment to understand Paul's journey with his Calling, Christ's role in this journey, and your journey with your Calling. We reflect on these themes to bring clarity and meaning in our faithful pursuit of Calling.

Listen as we discuss struggle, labor, and the strength God gives you to move forward.

• [00:22] - Many people think Calling brings only ease. Is it true?
• [02:29] - Similar to Paul, we are commissioned by God.
• [04:18] - Do you know the activities you will use to carry out your Calling? Paul outlines how he takes action in today's scripture.
• [06:15] - Labor and strive towards your Calling.
• [07:50] - Be encouraged and affirm your Calling. What could this mean for you?
• [10:06] - What have you been commissioned to do?
• [11:39] - Don't suffer for no reason.
• [14:01] - Strive for your Calling with the strength God gives you.

Christian Life Calling

Chris Heinz

Do You Know Why Christ Is Supreme? [Bookmark Download]

42: 12 Reasons Christ Deserves First Place

Christ is first in everything. We know this, but it can be lost in distractions or interpretations. This conversation goes through the 12 reasons Christ deserves first place.

Life Calling is based on our unique position in God's plan. We would be without form, reason, or purpose if not for Christ. Everything we know that's seen and unseen moves towards Christ, but how often do you reflect on why Christ comes first?

In this episode, we reflect on 12 reasons taken straight from Colossians 1:15-20. As you meditate on this section, it can make you rethink how you relate to your struggles, your work, and the ways you show up in the world. We may not understand, but Christ is in the role of knowing and reconciling.

Before we begin, here is an overview of the 12 reasons Christ deserves first place:

1. Christ is the image of the invisible God.
2. Christ is the firstborn over all creation.
3. Christ is the creator of everything.
4. Christ is the focus of creation.
5. Christ is before all things.
6. Christ holds all things together.
7. Christ is the head of the church.
8. Christ is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead.
9. Christ will have first place in everything.
10. Christ is the fullness of God.
11. Christ reconciles us to God.
12. Christ makes peace by his shed blood on the cross.

Listen as we discuss these 12 reasons, and better understand our relation to Christ.

• [00:22] - Christ is the point of Christianity.
• [03:20] - Why do people become uncomfortable when we talk about God and Christ?
• [05:12] - Have you heard this new breakdown of biblical content?
• [08:10] - Christ is the unveiled mystery.
• [10:23] - Not only did Christ have a hand in creation, but Christ is the focus of creation.
• [12:40] - Christ is the head of the church above any subculture formed by human interpretation.
• [15:00] - Christ is the fullness of God.
• [17:38] - Christ makes peace like no one else could.
• [19:55] - How can you reflect on these 12 reasons?

• Christian Life Calling
• Chris Heinz

Today's episode is the first conversation under the Christian Life Calling podcast. This comforting and honest talk is directly with your host, Chris Heinz.

While doing this podcast, faith came up often in our discussions of purpose and service. Our shared experiences show that Life Calling is deeply personal like faith. For Christians, Life Calling is guided by faith. God equips us and appoints us to our Callings to serve his purposes, not our own. Ultimately, Life Calling is a unique role of service in God's plan.

This episode is to explain why we're changing our focus. Our focus at the Christian Life Calling podcast is to help you find your place in God's plan and keep Jesus first. We're going to freely talk about how a faith-first approach relates to you fulfilling your Life Calling.

Listen as we welcome challenge and revelation in these conversations where we put Jesus first in our Christian pursuit of Life Calling. We're starting today!

• [00:22] - What's the new path we're on?
• [03:02] - I explain the new focus of the Christian Life Calling podcast.
• [05:27] - Live a life worthy of the Calling you have received.
• [07:16] - It's hard to pursue Life Calling as a Christian without a Christian viewpoint.
• [09:56] - Where there's freedom, there's flow.
• [12:50] - Find your place in the grand plan.
• [14:30] - Release into new things.

• Christian Life Calling
• Chris Heinz

A career can oftentimes be a package deal of the calling and gifts you have for the world. Your way of being contributes to the role you play in your company, organization, or community. When you're first starting out it all seems random, but you realize how it all fits as the bigger picture is revealed. Today, we talk about understanding calling in your 20s.

Bryan Ray graduated from Penn State in 2020, and he is now a graduate architect at Hoffman Leakey Architects. In addition to working full-time at the firm, Bryan is also studying for his professional license exams. His story obtains several keys for finding meaningful work and calling. He is bringing a unique perspective around career, calling, path, and purpose.

Bryan feels that architecture fits with his strategic and analytical side, while also fulfilling his more artistic side. The blend of these skills made an architecture career a great opportunity for exercising his creativity and his drive to bring ideas to life. Bryan always showed signs that he would go into architecture. He drew floor plans and pictures of houses while growing up. His natural pull to architecture became more and more clear as he engaged his interests.

Listen as Bryan talks about his holistic view to career, fulfilling a calling, and building a life. He intentionally fosters other parts of his life to make sure his career ambitions don't overshadow the other things that sees as important, such as loved ones and enjoying life. During the conversation, Bryan also shares some of the trials and errors of getting a step closer to his calling. He looks back on the choices and mindsets he transitioned through as he learned more about what he wanted.

Bryan's perspective is not only useful for his fellow mid-20s peers, but for anyone shaping or reshaping their life to package their calling and purpose.

• [01:22] - Bryan Ray explains how he figured out that he wanted to do architecture. How did his interests show up in his life growing up?
• [03:46] - Bryan talks about how he likes to exercise his creativity around his interests. There are different ways to engage your natural gifts.
• [06:23] - How does architecture combine Bryan's main interests?
• [08:07] - Bryan shares why he felt behind when seeing the skill level of his art peers.
• [10:03] - What did a professor say to Bryan that encouraged a more open view on creativity?
• [12:24] - Bryan recalls how his early, real-life experiences in the architecture field became his career advantage.
• [14:08] - Being competitive by nature, is Bryan ever too hard on himself? How does he persevere?
• [15:55] - Bryan recalls how he got his first official role in architecture.
• [18:37] - Great things can come after taking a leap.
• [20:14] - Bryan describes the feeling of the small details that bring a space together in architecture.
• [22:38] - What are the lessons that Bryan learned in his 20s so far?
• [25:05] - How does Bryan foster the other important parts of his life, like loved ones and self care?
• [28:05] - Bryan talks about not allowing your career to overtake life itself.
• [29:48] - Bryan shares the figures he observed in his life to learn what path he can take in architecture.
• [31:58] - Bryan wants to be a welcoming and encouraging mentor for others looking to get involved in architecture.
• [33:54] - There's hidden creativity in all of us.
• [36:13] - How does Bryan define a calling?
• [38:14] - Bryan says you shouldn't be afraid to follow your interests, even if you follow it awkwardly at first.
• [40:30] - There are hundreds of ways to live out your calling. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find which way works for you at this point of life.
• [42:30] - Bryan explores what values he displays. What does Bryan value?

• Chris Heinz
• Chris Heinz Co.
• Bryan Ray
• Hoffman Leakey Architects