Welcoming Slow Growth Podcast

Word of the Year living and contemplation for Christian creatives, writers and coaches.

A podcast where Christian creatives, writers and entrepreneurs learn to welcome slow growth through word of the year wisdom and God-led living. Embrace sustainable writing habits, contemplative practices, and intentional transformation that honors both your calling and your well-being with host Emily Grabatin. theheartscalling.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    21 Flourish: How a Word of the Year Helped Her Stop Playing Small

    SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Flourish Have you been playing small in life, in your creative dream, in your writing? What has it been costing you? A word of the year practice can help you stop playing small by changing what you believe about yourself and about God before it changes anything you do. In this Season 2 finale, my guest Anne Monnay, a listener who has followed along all year, shares how her word, flourish, took her from a plain, empty field to a living garden. After years of living with an autoimmune disease and an isolation that kept her world small, Anne found the courage this year to move her body again, travel to see family, and start writing again. What we cover in this episode: - look back across Season 2 and name the threads we saw in every guest’s story. - the “heart check” Anne uses to stay present amid pain and anxiety - how to carry a big creative vision If you’re a writer or creative standing at the edge of something bigger than your current world, this one is for you. Find Anne Monnay: Letters From Home on Substack → https://anneslettersfromhome.substack.com/ CONNECT WITH EMILY: Begin writing: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth community This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

  2. Oct 8

    20 Our Daily Breath with Kayla Craig on Breath Prayer

    SHOW NOTES Focus Word: Breath What if the only prayer you could offer today is just one breath in, one breath out? Kayla Craig is a former journalist, spiritual director, and author of newly released Our Daily Breath Devotional: 365 Prayers and Practices that Whisper Peace in a Shouting World. In this conversation, she shares how "breath" became the word that has stayed with her year after year, and how a health crisis with her daughter reshaped the way she prays when she doesn't have the words. We talk about the difference between breath prayer as an idea and breath prayer as a daily practice, what the research says about how breathing reduces stress, and why writing short devotionals turned out to be far harder than writing long ones. Kayla also reveals what it took to write 365 days of content without repeating herself, and how the discipline of the project became its own act of finding God in the ordinary moments. If you're in a busy season and looking for a way to slow down without disconnecting from the people and responsibilities in front of you, this episode is for you. In this episode: - The hospital moment that turned "give us this day our daily bread" into "give us this day our daily breath" - What the science says about intentional breathing and stress - Why writing shorter is harder than writing longer - How Our Daily Breath is structured so it never overwhelms the reader About the Guest: Kayla Craig is a former journalist, bestselling author, and spiritual director whose work blends contemplative faith with fierce tenderness for the world God loves. She brings curiosity, compassion, and a love of connection to her writing. Her books include To Light Their Way and Every Season Sacred. Website: kaylacraig.com Book: Our Daily Breath Devotional Instagram: @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth community This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

    20 Our Daily Breath with Kayla Craig on Breath Prayer

  3. Sep 24

    19 Discover Courage to Write What Breaks Your Heart

    SHOW NOTES What happens when you see something in the culture breaking your heart — and you know you could be the one to bring a healing perspective, but speaking up feels like the last thing you want to do? Joan C. Benson and Marjorie Wingert never planned to co-author a children's book series. They met for a writers conference, discovered they'd each prayed for the very trip that brought them together, and went on to write four picture books addressing life, identity, and race from a biblical perspective. In this conversation, we talk about: • The publishing contract that made Joan's heart sink — and the prompting that wouldn't let her stay silent • Marjorie's word "rest" and what it means to let go of control as a parent, a writer, and someone navigating life without sight • How an unlikely collaboration turned into a "God hug" book after book • What it looks like to write from courage instead of comfort Connect with Joan at joancbenson.com and Marjorie at marjoriewingert.com. CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth community This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

    19 Discover Courage to Write What Breaks Your Heart

  4. Sep 10

    18 Slow Mornings and Life-Changing Fiction with Writer McKenna Kyllo

    SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Slow and Joy McKenna Kyllo spent years as a high-achieving entrepreneur — building, striving, and slowly losing touch with a creative calling she'd carried since childhood. When life brought her to a crossroads, she made the countercultural choice to slow down. What followed was unexpected: space for her marriage, space for her faith, and space for the childhood dream she'd nearly talked herself out of — writing life-changing fiction that shapes readers the way the best stories shaped her. In this conversation, McKenna shares · how real loss and dark seasons became the raw material for stories rooted in hope, · why she writes gritty fiction, not just the feel-good kind · how her words slow and joy became anchors through one of the hardest years of her life. · Plus her most practical tool for resetting everything: the slow morning. If you've been wondering whether you have permission to go slower — this one is for you. About the Guest: McKenna Kyllo is an author who writes Christian historical romance shaped by the redemptive story of God’s everlasting love. Whether through her own stories, podcast, or Bookstagram, McKenna invites readers to rest in the lasting impact fiction can bring to their lives. Website: mckennakyllo.com/ Instagram: @mckennakyllobooks Podcast: https://mckennakyllo.com/podcast/ Free Novella: https://BookHip.com/JXVFZGS CONNECT WITH EMILY: 5-Day Journalling Slow Start: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth community This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

  5. Aug 27

    17 Word of the Year Reflection Exercise #2

    SHOW NOTES Your word of the year growth doesn't move at the same pace all year — and neither does your Vision Board, your list of desired outcomes, or that book you thought you'd be further along writing by now. Some areas are still in winter while others are already thriving in summer, and the in-between space is where real spiritual growth tends to hide. In this episode, I'm walking through this season's word of the year reflection exercise: naming the season each picture, goal, or unfinished project is actually in right now — I use this for my word of the year vision board, but you can get creative if you don't have one. What I share in this episode: - How I actually remember my focus word all year long - How to notice the shift in your own curiosity toward a goal, image, or unfinished manuscript since the day you first set it - Writing prompts to take outside this week — with your Bible, your journal, and a question about how you've grown - Why celebrating growth now matters more than waiting for the goal, your creativity, or your creative calling to feel "finished" Grab your journal — and your Vision Board if you have one — before you press play. You'll want them close by. CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth community This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

  6. Aug 13

    16 Adventure, Return, and the Making of a Peacebuilder with Joanna Mumford (Pt2)

    SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Return Fantasy novelist and student passionate about grassroots peacebuilding and interreligious hospitality, Joanna Mumford returns for part two of our conversation, this time unpacking her most recent of the year: return. After several years of adventure, Joanna’s most recent focus word surfaced a few months into the year while she was reading The Voyages of Saint Brendan. Our conversation explores what it means to go back to a place, a calling, or a season you thought you’d left behind, and to discover you’re not the same person returning. We talk about the spiritual discipline that grew out of her years of adventure (generosity), and how trusting God with an unexpected new season has reshaped her capacity to give her time, presence, and attention to others. What we cover: - What it looks like to trust God when the horizon shifts and He calls you back to something you thought you’d left for good - How years of spiritual adventure grew Joanna’s capacity for qualities she values that matter in her calling - A closing reflection from Frederick Buechner on story, calling and how our creative work can make a difference Mentioned in this episode: - The Voyages of Saint Brendan (traditional Irish tale) - 2 Corinthians 9:6 - Frederick Buechner quote, originally published in A Room Called Remember If you missed part one, you’ll want to go back and listen to Joanna’s story of patience and transformation entering a new season in her calling with peacebuilding and justice before diving into this episode. About the Guest: Joanna Mumford is a writer and student with a heart for grassroots peacebuilding and interreligious hospitality. The traditionally published author of multiple fantasy novels, she is currently completing her Masters in Peace & Justice from St. Stephen’s University (New Brunswick, Canada) where her thesis will focus on storytelling and the inner transformation of the peacemaker. For more of Jo's musings on grassroots peacebuilding and interreligious hospitality follow her new Substack skyejo.substack.com. CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart The Heart's Calling Substack Welcoming Slow Growth conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

    16 Adventure, Return, and the Making of a Peacebuilder with Joanna Mumford (Pt2)

  7. Jul 30

    15 Learning to Trust God Through Valleys with Writer Joanna Mumford

    SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Patience & Transformation Have you ever had a profound spiritual experience and then found yourself back in the grey, wondering where it all went? Writer Joanna Mumford knows that feeling intimately. In this first of a two-part conversation, Joanna traces her word of the year journey through patience and transformation — and what it looks like to trust God when nothing seems to be happening. Drawing on the wisdom of Julian of Norwich and the meaning behind "all shall be well," Joanna opens up about the slow, often invisible work of spiritual formation — and how waiting on God as a creative shaped both her faith and her writing in ways she couldn't have planned. In this episode we cover: - The real cost of waiting on God as a creative: delayed book deals, stories that don't seem to be going anywhere, and learning to keep showing up anyway - Julian of Norwich and the meaning of "all shall be well" — why this famous revelation hits differently in a season of suffering - How patience and transformation work together in spiritual formation, even when they feel like opposites   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Find quotes mentioned on Welcoming Slow Growth Substack post: https://theheartscalling.substack.com/p/15-learning-to-trust-god-through Julian of Norwich — 14th-century anchoress and mystic, author of Revelations of Divine Love George MacDonald — 19th-century Scottish author and Christian mystic Madeleine L'Engle — author and theologian known for her reflections on creativity and faith Jonathan Bailey — co-founder of Dwell app and writer focused on slow growth and presence with God; book Dwelling in Christ (forthcoming) About the Guest: Joanna Mumford is a writer and student with a heart for grassroots peacebuilding and interreligious hospitality. The traditionally published author of multiple fantasy novels, she is currently completing her Masters in Peace & Justice from St. Stephen’s University (New Brunswick, Canada) where her thesis will focus on storytelling and the inner transformation of the peacemaker.Connect with her on Substack: skyejo.substack.com CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart Welcoming Slow Growth conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

  8. Jul 16

    14 Artist Finds Daily Bread for the Creative Soul with Jeremy Wells

    SHOW NOTES Focus Word: Daily Bread Jeremy Wells has lived in 10 states and Japan. He's been a small business owner, a professional artist, a farmer, and at one point, homeless. He knows what it means to succeed — and to wonder where his next meal is coming from. Life didn't go according to plan. And for nearly seven years, that included not creating art. What brought him back wasn't a portfolio or a plan. It was a job application at Trader Joe's — and a hiring manager who called to ask if the penmanship on the form was really his. That phone call opened the door to a career Jeremy never expected, and a fresh understanding of a compassionate Jesus set him on a slow, restorative path back to the creative life he was made for. In this conversation, Jeremy reveals how his daily bread mentality shapes a creative life — what it means to make honest, kingdom-minded art, why your creativity doesn't have to look a certain way to count as “Christian”. If you've ever felt like your creative calling doesn't quite fit the mold — this one is for you. In this episode: - The unexpected conversation that brought Jeremy back to his art - What the daily bread mentality means for Christian creatives - Why honest art doesn't need a Christian label to be kingdom work - How healing and wholeness change everything about how you create   ABOUT THE GUEST: Jeremy Wells is a loving cat dad to Ziggy and Nutmeg, collector of cassette tapes and CDs, illustrator of nonsense, and enthusiast of all things nerdy. You can follow his honest art and start a conversation with him at instagram: @twin.kitties.art.studio CONNECT WITH EMILY: My Creative Slow Start - a 5-day writing practice Welcoming Slow Growth Substack conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com

    14 Artist Finds Daily Bread for the Creative Soul with Jeremy Wells
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A podcast where Christian creatives, writers and entrepreneurs learn to welcome slow growth through word of the year wisdom and God-led living. Embrace sustainable writing habits, contemplative practices, and intentional transformation that honors both your calling and your well-being with host Emily Grabatin. theheartscalling.substack.com

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  • Creator
    Word of the Year living and contemplation for Christian creatives, writers and coaches.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Emily Grabatin
  • Show Website
    Welcoming Slow Growth Podcast