Spiritual Geography Podcast

Joni Miller, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Spirituality
  • Updated Weekly

Searching for our unique home in the spiritual/religious universe. Exploring a wide variety of other beliefs along the way. jonimiller.substack.com

  1. 6d ago

    Would It Take a Miracle? Ep 15, Evolving Democracy

    So many of us want the world to change. Sometimes we find ourselves wishing some outside force would come in and create a magical transformation. But what if we are part of that magical force? In today’s live broadcast, Christy and I talked about how what looks like a miracle may actually be thousands of small actions accumulating over time. A conversation. A protest. A vote. A story shared with someone who needed to hear it. We don’t always get to see what our actions set in motion. And some miracles are already happening: new voices emerging, new organizations forming, new relationships being forged. Something is being built even while we resist what is happening around us. We don’t need a gigantic platform. We can start where we are, with the people we already know. We don’t know what becomes possible when our actions join with the actions of thousands of others. Let’s put love into action. Together. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Aug 18

    Who Gets to Say What It Means?

    This is continuing the story of what happened after my brother suddenly died, when I felt like I started hearing from him directly. We each interpret our experiences, whether the experiences are “otherworldly” or “everyday.” I interpreted my “otherworldly” experiences one way, and my interpretation ran afoul of someone else’s spiritual beliefs. That conversation raised a question I spent years pondering: if two people can look at the same event and come to very different conclusions, how do we determine the “right “ way to think? My answer forms the basis of my Spiritual Geography work. The person who had the experience gets to decide, as long as that interpretation is life-giving to them. That is, the interpretation brings them closer to love, joy, compassion, and understanding. I can’t prove that I have heard from my brother, nor that I’ve had experiences with him since he died. But I do know that my belief that I have brings me more peace and love, helping me both with grief and with life. Have you ever interpreted something one way and had someone else question your interpretation? How did you resolve it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Aug 13

    Reclaiming Power: Ep 14 of Evolving Democracy

    It’s true that we want to reclaim our ability to influence the political outcomes of our country. But we can start by reclaiming our own personal power. Fear and hopelessness can immobilize us, but joy, compassion, and love move us out from within ourselves to impact the greater world around us. And when we bring that power together, we become a force for change. What becomes possible when we stop being tethered to “this is the way we’ve always done it” and start imagining the world we want to see? We are more resilient — and more powerful — than we sometimes remember. Embracing moments of beauty, grace, humor, and joy can be effective resistance. Let’s turn love into action. Together. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 7

    Waking Up: Ep 13 of Evolving Democracy

    People don’t usually wake up all at once. They wake up with each conversation, each new piece of information, and every time they’re willing to be curious about their perspectives. Think about how we wake up in the mornings. There’s the sudden, startling alarm clock waking us up, and then there’s waking up gradually, with the sunrise. When we start seeing the world differently, it usually happens more gradually, with new information and ideas entering our consciousness a little at a time. We don’t have to try to change someone’s opinions who believes the polar opposite of what we do. That would be counter-productive. But helping someone become more resolute — moving from indifference to concern, or from concern to motivation to act — can work. We have the most influence on people who share some point of commonality with us. We also talked about not shaming someone for not “waking up” sooner, or for “waking up” only when the issues personally impacted them. Every crack becomes an entry point for the person to begin to see the world differently. Changing your opinion isn’t automatically growth. We defined growth as moving towards greater wisdom, greater compassion, choosing love over fear, and being more concerned with the common good than with their own personal welfare. Let’s put love into action. Together. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 6

    The Day Everything Changed

    Every one of us has moments that divide life into before and after. For me, that moment came on the day my brother suddenly died. This is the experience that changed the trajectory of my life – my spiritual life, my vocation, and the way I understand the world. I'm not trying to convince anyone of what happened to me. Instead, I hope my story invites you to explore how curiosity can open us to seeing the world in new ways. This is the first of a new video series, Before and After, where I’ll share the spiritual turning points that shaped my life. Have you ever had an experience that changed the way you see the world? I'd love to hear about it in the comments. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Jul 31

    Local and Vocal: Ep 12 of Evolving Democracy

    “All politics are local.” In today’s live, Christy and I explored that familiar phrase. Yes, national decisions shape our local communities, and local elected officials have tremendous influence over our daily lives. But we also discovered another meaning. Our own lives are local. Every conversation, every purchase, every relationship is an opportunity to shape the kind of community we want to live in. We can support small businesses, buy from local farmers, and share our values with the people around us. National problems can feel overwhelming. Local action reminds us that we are not powerless. We practice the world we want to see — one person, one conversation, one purchase … one act of love at a time. Let’s put love into action. Together. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 24

    Harness Momentum: Ep 11 of Evolving Democracy

    This week on Evolving Democracy, Christy and I talked about how to keep moving forward when the news feels overwhelming. We kept talking about this idea: brainstorming instead of doomstorming. When we’re brainstorming, we don’t assume the old ways are the only ways. We ask, What are we really trying to accomplish? What haven’t we thought of yet? That’s how new possibilities emerge. We also talked about why the people living with a problem are often the ones who understand it best. Whether it’s foster youth helping redesign foster care or citizens weighing in on public policy, better solutions come when we begin with curiosity instead of assuming we already know the answers. Uncertainty can be frightening. I sometimes wake up at 3 a.m. imagining the worst, when the monsters under the bed seem loudest. Uncertainty is real, but it doesn’t have to be our anchor. We can stay grounded in love, connection, and the belief that ordinary people, working together, really can create something better. Momentum comes as we put love into action. Together. Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

    Harness Momentum: Ep 11 of Evolving Democracy

  8. Jul 21

    The Spiritual Practice of Wonder

    Sometimes changing your mind begins with wonder. This week I’m sharing something a little different: a sermon I gave in 2023, before Spiritual Geography existed as a podcast. Listening to it again, I realized many of the ideas that have become central to my work were already taking shape. On the surface, it’s the story of how marrying my husband, with his infinite curiosity about insects, changed the way I see the world. But it isn’t really about bugs. It’s about curiosity. Humility. And the recognition that there’s always more we don’t know than what we do. The more I learn, the more I’m convinced that approaching life with wonder opens us to new possibilities. It allows us to see the sacred in unexpected places, to loosen our grip on certainty, and to remember that every new discovery reveals just how much more there is to understand. Whether or not the Christian tradition is part of your own spiritual path, I hope you’ll hear the deeper invitation beneath this message: to meet the world with curiosity rather than certainty, and with wonder rather than fear. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the early roots of Spiritual Geography. Joni Miller, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help spiritual wanderers find a place they can call home, navigating by the light of Love. www.SpiritualGeography.net Get full access to Spiritual Geography at jonimiller.substack.com/subscribe

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About

Searching for our unique home in the spiritual/religious universe. Exploring a wide variety of other beliefs along the way. jonimiller.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Joni Miller, Ph.D.
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joni Miller
  • Show Website
    Spiritual Geography Podcast

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