Welcoming God

Sarah Haykel
  • 5.0 (4)
  • SPIRITUALITY

Hey spiritual seeker!  My name’s Sarah Haykel and I’m the host of Welcoming God, a podcast for spiritual seekers. In this podcast, I’ll be sharing the goodness of Welcoming God back into my life after years of rebelling against the God of my Catholic upbringing and years of honest seeking on a personal spiritual path. I’ll share my consistently evolving understanding of God and what I’m learning on the path, to help create a God accessible to the every day person.   We’ll have honest and sometimes hilarious conversations about how to go from being a “spiritual” person to a God-loving person. Understanding God as a benevolent guide. What does it mean to have a relationship with God? What does it mean to surrender to God? Cultivating a spiritually mature understanding of God. Learning how to discern God’s truth and will for our lives. How to cultivate the most important relationship you’ll ever have, with God, on a daily, moment to moment basis. Come along on this spiritually rEvolutionary journey where we get to know God. This podcast is marked as explicit because there may be swearing or content appropriate for mature audiences in some of the episodes.  

  1. Unconditional Love And Self-Worth For Spiritual Seekers

    APR 14

    Unconditional Love And Self-Worth For Spiritual Seekers

    Your worth is not a prize for good behavior. Your worth and value, as a human being, are "inherent in your beingness," as Feminine Power would say. It can't be earned or taken away. It just is. To close out the season, I share what I’m still learning about self-love, inherent value, and the unconditional love of God. I talk about the ongoing work of honoring our worth and value even when we don't know we can believe it. The fact that our worth and value are inherent in us can be an anchor for spiritual seekers who feel tired of striving. I also name the harder edge of faith: suffering. Trauma, loss, and fear don’t make the idea of unconditional love easy. I don’t offer a neat answer for why painful things happen, because I don’t have one. What I can offer is companionship in the mystery, a reminder that being human is a kind of “guest house,” and encouragement to keep talking to God anyway, especially when life knocks hard. A film called Ordinary Angels sparks a practical challenge: what if God’s goodness shows up through us as inspired action from God, in ordinary choices, ordinary courage, and ordinary care? If we keep waiting for someone else to do it, we’ll keep waiting. I share how I’m learning to see my own and others healing, kindness, and right action as the place where God's goodness becomes real. If you want to stay connected, join the email newsletter at WelcomingGod.com for a free ebook companion to season one and info on upcoming retreats for women moving through the menopausal journey. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Welcoming God. Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Feminine Power Programs. Rumi's poem, The Guesthouse. Ordinary Angels, the movie. Support the show

    9 min
  2. From Embarrassment To Accepting The Christ Light Within

    APR 7

    From Embarrassment To Accepting The Christ Light Within

    I used to feel embarrassed even saying the name "Jesus". And today, I’m sharing something deeply personal: what it’s like when a lifetime of resistance finally loosens and a real spiritual awakening begins to take root. Not a perfect conversion story, not a tidy explanation, just an honest awakening of welcoming Jesus Christ into my heart. We explore the difference between repeating spiritual words and living them. For years I tried to let God and Jesus into my heart and nothing changed, until a series of events early this year helped me open to receiving It. That becomes the thread of the whole conversation: the Christ light and love isn’t something I manufacture through effort, I think it’s a God presence that has always been here, waiting for my consent!  If you’re navigating faith deconstruction, returning to Christianity, or simply craving a more personal relationship with Jesus, this reflection offers language for that in-between place you may be in. I also talk about the long path that leads to these moments: seeking, reading, visiting different churches, learning from teachers, and staying committed to the questions. And because spiritual growth isn’t just “thinking better,” we get into inner healing support like therapy, spiritual direction, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts work. We end with discernment: asking for guidance, noticing how help shows up, learning when to act, and learning when to pause. If this resonates, subscribe wherever you listen, share the episode with a spiritual seeker in your life, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What does “welcoming God” look like for you right now? Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Internal Family Systems info. Support the show

    12 min
  3. Celebrating Lent: What If Spring Is A Map For Resurrection?

    APR 2

    Celebrating Lent: What If Spring Is A Map For Resurrection?

    Lent has a way of showing us what we spend the rest of the year avoiding. My name is Sarah Haykel, and in Welcoming God I share a candid reflection on celebrating Lent with real intention for the first time.  If you’re a spiritual seeker who wants a grounded, honest take on Christian spirituality, this one is for you. Quick note: I sometimes use swear words, and we may touch on adult content! I talk about a simple practice that helped me stay connected to Lent: daily Lenten readings. From there, I explore why Lent can feel so confronting. It asks us to look at ourselves, repair relationships, seek forgiveness, make amends, and let go of habits that keep us stuck. I also rethink the idea of fasting. Instead of only giving up sweets or alcohol, what if we abstained from judgment, critical self talk, or the patterns that cause disfunction in our lives? My own Lenten commitment is abstaining from second guessing myself, which becomes a practice of trust in God and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit. I share journaling prompts you can use, then name the hardest piece for me: facing the reality of what happened to Jesus. Finally, I hold up spring as a living metaphor for the Easter season, a reminder that life pushes through cold soil toward light, and we can too. If this resonates, subscribe to Welcoming God, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What are you being invited to confront and move through? Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Support the show

    15 min
  4. From Force-Fed Religion To Belonging By Welcoming The Whole Season

    FEB 3

    From Force-Fed Religion To Belonging By Welcoming The Whole Season

    Love this AI description, so I'm using it!  I've edited a bit, but enjoy it's take on this fourth and final episode of Season 4 of Welcoming God. Some moments are revelatory. Walking into church decked in Christmas lights, I felt overcome with joy—and then a sudden inner tension, the old fear that joy requires certainty, rose up immediately after. That crack revealed a tender truth: many of us were taught that belonging depends on perfect belief, and our bodies still brace at the holidays as if doubt disqualifies us from the feast! We walk through that tension with care as I trace the child part that heard faith as force-fed and the present day adult me who still longs to belong choose to reframe celebration as an act of welcome rather than a test. We widen the lens to include the nativity story, the cultural warmth of Christmas, and the cosmic rhythm of the winter solstice—the return of the light that gives everyone a way in. Instead of passing a theology exam, we practice curiosity: let the manger be beautiful even if you’re unsure of every detail, let candles and cookies sit beside carols and quiet prayers, and let nature’s turning seasons preach their own kind of gospel. At the heart of this finale is a simple claim: inclusion is not a loophole, it’s the point. Drawing on Jesus’s open table, I invite you to show up as you are—full believer, partial believer, curious skeptic, or somewhere unnamed—and to welcome every part of yourself to the celebration. We explore practical steps for sensing the body’s “brake pedal,” making room for mixed feelings, and receiving the season’s gifts without pretending. The blessing stretches across hemispheres and traditions: may the growing light carry us into a year with more joy, less suffering, and a deeper sense of home. If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs permission to belong before they believe.  Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Support the show

    11 min
  5. Finding Peace Between Christian Tradition, Celtic Rituals and Natures Rhythms

    JAN 27

    Finding Peace Between Christian Tradition, Celtic Rituals and Natures Rhythms

    This Christmas season, I was struck with a new awareness: that I could celebrate and honor the traditions of Christianity, Celtic celebrations and the natural rhythms of the seasons and solstice.   What a revelation: to be able to celebrate and honor various traditions in the returning of the light, both the physical, natural light of the sun and days getting longer.  And, the celebration of the Christ Light that was emulated through Jesus.   What do you think?  How do you celebrate this time of year?  What's special and sacred about it all for you? Thank you for listening and please share this podcast with a friend! Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Support the show

    15 min
  6. What To Do When God Says "Wait"

    JAN 20

    What To Do When God Says "Wait"

    What do we do when God's call for us is to "wait."  How do we listen?  And, why?  What's truly important about heeding God's call? In this episode of Welcoming God, I talk about this and share a funny story about ice cream that led to an important realization about accepting when "not much is going on" in my life as a source of peace instead of boredom and an attempt to escape from loneliness.   Thank you for listening and please share this podcast with a friend! Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Support the show

    13 min
  7. New Years Rituals: The Importance of Integration, Intention & Celebration

    JAN 13

    New Years Rituals: The Importance of Integration, Intention & Celebration

    New Years rituals and reviewing our previous year can be game changers!   In this episode, I share the importance of integrating past experiences and celebrating accomplishments, large and small, through a year in review practice. And, how one word can help guide us into co-creating a more intentional new year! A "year in review" and new years intention setting ritual can be as simple or elaborate as you desire.  How will these two things support you to live a more God-led and God-centered life into the New Year? Thank you for listening and please share this podcast with a friend! Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.   Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Support the show

    16 min
  8. When Strangers Become Angels: A Roadside Miracle and Its Ripple Effects

    10/07/2025

    When Strangers Become Angels: A Roadside Miracle and Its Ripple Effects

    A flat tire becomes a gateway to a beautiful, miraculous moment when a group of strangers enthusiastically changes Sarah's tire without being asked. The experience sparks a beautiful exchange of kindness that continues when Sarah promises to bake them a cake as a thank you and then actually feels God's guidance to follow through and do it! Their mutual astonishment at each other's generosity creates a profound moment of human connection that transcends the ordinary! This unexpected roadside encounter opens up deeper reflections on how God's love manifests through human kindness and the importance of discerning divine guidance in our daily lives. Sarah explores the nuanced difference between following social expectations to "be nice" versus responding to specific spiritual promptings. Through this simple yet profound exchange, she discovers that "we are God's Love in action!" – that divine intervention often wears human faces. The story challenges listeners to slow down their awareness, notice what lies beneath surface reactions, and cultivate deeper discernment about when and how to respond to the presenting needs around them. Sarah shares how practices like centering prayer, meditation, and various forms of divine contemplation create internal space to hear God's guidance more clearly. The flat tire incident becomes a parable about the unexpected ways divine orchestration weaves through ordinary moments, revealing that "not everything is as it seems." When we remain open to these sacred surprises, we participate in creating ripples of goodness that extend far beyond what we initially perceive. Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form. How might you recognize the divine guidance flowing through your everyday encounters today? Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com Thomas Hubl's Mystic Cafe Feminine Power is a course I took many years ago and had a different set of teachers then.  But, this link goes to one of the main teachers info about the current version of this course, which I know nothing about!   Lee Carroll's Kryon Parable, The Journey Home: Michael Thomas and the Seven Angels Support the show

    20 min
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About

Hey spiritual seeker!  My name’s Sarah Haykel and I’m the host of Welcoming God, a podcast for spiritual seekers. In this podcast, I’ll be sharing the goodness of Welcoming God back into my life after years of rebelling against the God of my Catholic upbringing and years of honest seeking on a personal spiritual path. I’ll share my consistently evolving understanding of God and what I’m learning on the path, to help create a God accessible to the every day person.   We’ll have honest and sometimes hilarious conversations about how to go from being a “spiritual” person to a God-loving person. Understanding God as a benevolent guide. What does it mean to have a relationship with God? What does it mean to surrender to God? Cultivating a spiritually mature understanding of God. Learning how to discern God’s truth and will for our lives. How to cultivate the most important relationship you’ll ever have, with God, on a daily, moment to moment basis. Come along on this spiritually rEvolutionary journey where we get to know God. This podcast is marked as explicit because there may be swearing or content appropriate for mature audiences in some of the episodes.  

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Haykel
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Welcoming God
  • Show Website
    Welcoming God