The Woodlands: A Place for Exploring the Spiritual Life

Jake Owensby
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Woodlands helps you see grace at work in the everyday, navigate life’s challenges with courage, deepen your relationship with God, and live with love, hope, and purpose in this complex world. jakeowensby.substack.com

  1. 14h ago

    Wrestling with God

    This episode explores Jacob's night-long wrestling match with God at the Jabbok River (Genesis 32), and what it teaches about the spiritual practice of letting go so that we can receive what God is already offering. A Spiritual Practice: Letting Go to Receive * Sit in a comfortable chair for a minute or so. Both feet on the floor. Eyes closed. * Clinch your hands tightly into fists. Hold them that way. Name to yourself what you’re grasping for or clinging to. It could be a result you want. A person. An image of yourself. Don’t judge yourself. Just name it. Breathe. Stay with it, even if it begins to feel uncomfortable. * After a few minutes, relax your clinched fingers. Open up your hands slowly and gently. Rest them on your knees, palms up. Breathe for a few minutes. Feel the tension in your hands lessen. * Open your eyes slowly and close with the following: A Closing Prayer O God, give me the grace to let go and to open myself to what you are always already giving: to your loving, liberating, life-giving presence. Remind me daily that the blessing of your love is received, not seized or achieved. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Jul 24

    Where the Infinite Finds Us (revisited)

    We spend much of our lives pursuing things we believe will finally satisfy us: success, security, approval, achievement. Yet even when we get them, something still feels unfinished. In this episode, I explore our deepest longings and why they point beyond the finite toward something more. Along the way, we consider where we place our ultimate trust and how God meets us in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Spiritual Practice: Where the Infinite Finds Us This week, pay attention to the ordinary moments of your day. A conversation. A meal. A walk. A task at work. Time with family or friends. At the end of each day, ask yourself: When did I feel moved today? What moment stayed with me? Where might God have been present in those moments? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, open my eyes to your presence in the ordinary moments of my life. Help me to notice where you are at work in the people I meet and the experiences of each day. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 17

    Rethinking Your Spiritual Path (revisited)

    In this episode, I explore two very different ways of approaching the spiritual life. One begins with self-expression. The other begins with vocation—a call that comes from beyond us. Drawing on Colossians, I reflect on why the deepest authenticity may not be something we create, but something we receive as we follow the way of Jesus. For the transcript see The Woodlands Spiritual Practice: The Next Step Set aside a few quiet minutes each day this week. Ask yourself: What am I being drawn toward? What am I feeling compelled to do? Which of these leads toward greater love, truth, or faithfulness? Don’t worry about the whole journey. Simply notice the difference and take one small step in the direction of what is calling you. Prayer Lord Jesus, you call us to follow you. Quiet the voices of fear, pride, and distraction within me. Help me to recognize your invitation, trust your guidance, and take the next faithful step. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jul 10

    What Makes Your Life Meaningful (revisited)

    We all want our lives to matter. Modern culture tells us to find significance through achievement, success, and influence. In this episode, I explore a different path—one rooted not in striving, but in relationship. Drawing on Colossians, Simone Weil, and the Christian vision of the Incarnation, we consider what it means to receive meaning as a gift rather than manufacture it for ourselves. Spiritual Practice: Receiving Life as Gift Once each day this week, pause for a moment and ask: What in my life today is gift rather than achievement? Notice whatever comes to mind, and give thanks. Prayer Loving God, help me receive what you freely give. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jul 3

    Our Holy Longing (revisited)

    Why do we keep searching, even when life is going well? Beneath our striving lies a deeper longing—for love, meaning, belonging, and rest. In this episode, I explore the soul's hunger for something more and where that longing may be leading us. Spiritual Practice: Noticing Your Longing This week, whenever you find yourself restless, disappointed, or wanting something more, pause for a moment and ask: What am I really longing for? Don't try to fix anything. Just notice. Prayer O God, guide my deepest longings toward you. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Jun 26

    Sweet Tea and Jesus

    What do you do when someone sees the world very differently than you do? In this episode, I reflect on conversations with an atheist server and a philosophy student to explore a simple but challenging practice: listening with curiosity, respect, and love. Following Jesus doesn't require us to win arguments. It invites us to see others as people God loves and to engage their stories honestly, graciously, and without fear.Spiritual Practice: Any Friend of Jesus Sometime today, notice one person you would normally overlook, dismiss, or simply pass by. Pause for a moment and pray: “Jesus, show me what you love about this person.” Then continue your day, carrying that question with you. Prayer Jesus, help me to see others as you see them. Teach me to listen with respect, love without fear, and remember that every person I meet is someone you love. Amen. Book News I’ve been working on a manuscript that grows out of many of the themes we’ve explored together here, and I’ve begun a conversation with a publisher. The book is meant to be a companion for anyone who wants to slow down, pay attention to God, and grow into the life that Christ is already sharing with us. I’ll keep you posted as things develop. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jun 19

    What Shapes the Soul

    What if heaven and hell are less about where we go and more about who we become? In this episode, I explore C. S. Lewis’s vision of heaven and hell, the soul-shaping forces of modern life, and why becoming our true selves begins not with achievement but with receiving the love of God. Spiritual Practice: Becoming More Real Once each day this week, pause for a moment and ask: What made me feel more fully alive today? Notice whatever comes to mind. Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, make me more fully alive in your love. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Jun 12

    Sheep among Wolves

    Jesus sent his disciples into the world as sheep among wolves. But the greatest danger is not what wolves can do to sheep. It is what wolves can do to souls. In this episode, I explore the temptation to mirror the very forces we oppose. How do we resist evil, pursue justice, and remain faithful without adopting the same hunger for power and control? Following Jesus means learning to resist the wolf without becoming one. Spiritual Practice: Seeing a Neighbor This week, when someone stirs frustration, resentment, fear, or contempt in you, pause for a moment and ask: Can I see this person as someone loved by God? Don't argue with the question. Just sit with it for a moment. Prayer Lord Jesus, teach me to see others as you see them. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

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The Woodlands helps you see grace at work in the everyday, navigate life’s challenges with courage, deepen your relationship with God, and live with love, hope, and purpose in this complex world. jakeowensby.substack.com

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