The Spacious Place, with Kari Levang

Latest Episodes:

The bird, the feeder and the space in between Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

See what's there, not what you expect to see. See what is really present in your life. See yourself, see each other. Frederick Buechner

In today's episode I'm sharing an experience I had as I sat quietly at my dining room table, early in the morning. As I looked out the window at a bird, God invited me to watch and listen and it took me to a deeper place that I decided to share with you! I'll also share some of the thoughts I struggle with at times and the ways I'm combating them. I've also got an announcement at the end of the episode, so be sure to stay til the end!

when waiting threatens our faith Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

Isaiah 49:14-15

But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

Waiting is just hard and it can get real messy in our heads the longer it takes for whatever it is we are waiting for. In today's episode we're taking a short peek back at the story of Mary and Martha and Jesus from John 11 and taking note of something new and different that I hadn't noticed before. But we will also look at my own seasons of waiting and how messy they get. I'll share what they are as well as some of the new things I feel like God is inviting me into that I may have missed out on that, have become a surprise gift to me.

Grief, unmet expectations and tears Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

To be human is to live in the space between our expectations and reality. Katherine Wolf

This is the second part of our time around Mary and Martha. I finished the last one and felt like I'd left some things unsaid. I thought I'd just re-reocrd it, but decided on a part 2 instead. So here we are! In this episode we're taking note of some things around the story of the loss of Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus—-their grief and their disappointment in God and his timing.

But not only must we entrust all of ourselves to Him, but I think you'll see, with me, that He welcomes our thoughts around our confusion and even frustration around what we can't see. I hope you'll see with me that our God is not far off and in fact, He sees all of your circumstances, especially those that are troubling you, and enters into it with you!

Join me for a listen and as always, feel free to leave a review with your thoughts about how the Spacious Place impacts you!

Pt. 1—-Troubled minds and the good portion Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Katherine Wolf, in her book Treasures in the Dark says, "Get curious about what new thing your suffering could be offering you."

What if we don't have to fit into a box one way or another but rather there is room for all the parts of us.. Today I'm talking about my thoughts around Jesus interaction with Mary and Martha in Luke 10. We'll discuss some of my thoughts about whether this portion of Scripture is really what we might think at first glance or whether there's actually something more that Jesus is trying to lead us into.

Stay curious & pay attention to where you set your eyes May 21, 2024

Show notes

Courage, dear heart.

CS Lewis

It takes lots of courage to show up to what's really happening inside of us, rather than hide and perform on the outside. In this episode I'm sharing some of the places of change for me and how I'm learning to navigate them in new ways. You'll also get a peek into the experiences in my life over the last two years that have created places in me that have felt very young. Places where I have had to be a beginner, and how at this middle aged place, it rubs against feeling young and out of control. Maybe you can relate??

(Also, don't quit too soon on the episode because I'll end it with some encouragement from the disciples that will help you feel comforted in your own discomfort around change!)

What if the pace you've set for yourself is not the pace that's required of you? May 07, 2024

Show notes

The Word of God is powerful against our internal traffic. …It replaces the internal chatter of life—-the criticism, the comparisons, and the shoulds—-with the truth of what God sees and thinks and feels. And that's a beautiful sound.

Unseen, by Sara Hagerty

In today's episode I'm sharing part of a conversation I had with a friend that served as a wonderful reminder to me about what it means to run the race marked out for me. I don't know what you're facing in your life right now, but hopefully today's episode will be an infusion of hope for you!

Waiting...the space in between the now and not yet Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

Grace is often painful because it strips us down and shows us how little we have to offer. Bill Bedell

In today's episode, I'm talking about how that might look as we wait or live in the "not-yet" spaces of our lives. Everyone finds themselves here at one time or another, so I'm talking about what it might look like to intertwine ourselves and how it might not be as complicated as we might think.

And you're not gonna want to leave at the very end…if you wait, you'll get a bit of a blast from the past surprise!

Making our abode, as we abide. Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Sometimes deciding you want to move towards all God has for you means trusting Him enough to let go of things that are holding you back.

Ashley Morgan Jackson

I got caught up in the words Abide and Abode this week. I found myself pondering what it might look like to make our home with God and shared some of the reasons why I often don't choose this route. God waiting and saying, "Come home and be with me."….what will you say???

When 'thru' is the only way to go! Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

"It's not the strength of your faith that saves you, but the strength of Him upon whom you rely on." Charles Spurgeon

Today I'm talking through a verse that kinda stopped me in my tracks. It's a verse that I've read multiple times before, but this time, after reading it, I was asked, "what stood out to me?".

What if God isn't frustrated when we keep coming back, but rather delighted by our presence? What if our suffering is the very thing that invites us to draw near to him, and it's there where we find out the most about ourselves and learn obedience in new ways?

Come along with me as we talk through Hebrews 5:8 together!

How presence transforms our shame Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Romans 10:11

For whoever believes in him, will not be put to shame

In this episode we'll dive into John 21 and take a look at how Peter was possibly navigating his own shame. I just wonder if you can relate to his way of coping…I sure can. And it will lead us to a reinstatement of sorts that helps us to see that what we do doesn't disqualify us from what Christ has already made possible.