The Beauty of Belonging: A conversation with Sarah E. Westfall

This engaging dialogue with author, speaker, and podcaster Sarah E. Westfall explores the beauty of belonging, loss, and faith.Sarah reflects on her journey in community development, her experiences as a mother when she lost her son, Carter, how God drew near her, and the biblical story of Hagar and the concept of 'El Roy'—the God who sees. The conversation explores the emotional complexities of seeking internal and external belonging, emphasizing the importance of reflecting on personal needs, practicing patience, and building genuine connections. Practical strategies like the 'circles of belonging' exercise are discussed for fostering authentic and reciprocal relationships while highlighting the balance between transparency and gradual trust-building. The session underscores the power of reciprocal generosity, creativity in everyday life, and intentional spiritual practices for cultivating love and connection. The discussion concludes with insights into Sarah's book 'The Way of Belonging,' her 'Liturgy of the Little Things challenge on Instagram, and heartfelt prayer, inviting the audience to embrace a life of deeper spiritual awareness and connection.Sarah’s publisher, IVY PRESS is kindly offering me a book to giveaway to one of our listeners. Please sign up: The Way of Belonging Book Giveway. Also, you can join Sarah for her ‘Liturgy of the Little Things’ challenge at Instagram: sarah_westfall.That is one of the hardest things for me is to receive God's goodness,  to say and to, to let myself actually taste it of His goodness.Sarah E. WestfallI began to experience the nearness of God amidst my darkest days and began to speak to God in very uncensored, unfiltered, raw rawest of raw kind of ways.Sarah E. WestfallSomething shifts in us when we aren't just out to receive, but we are also willing to give, to give without expectation and simply allow ourselves to become containers of the love that we have been given and who get to just pour it out wherever we go.Sarah E. WestfallEpisode 21: The Beauty of Belonging: A Conversation with Sarah E. WestfallWatch on YouTube our whole episode.Listen on SpotifyListen on AppleListen on SubstackIntroduction music Everlasting Covenant by Don Rutherford.00:00 Introduction to Beholder Beauty00:15 Meet Sarah E. Westfall00:33 Sarah's Professional and Personal Life02:12 Beauty Tips and Personal Preferences04:13 Struggles with Beauty and Self-Acceptance08:27 The God Who Sees: Finding Belonging13:08 The Journey of Belonging22:10 The Parable of the Prodigal Son25:15 A Mother's Grief and Faith32:15 Defining Belonging: A Heartfelt Conversation32:53 The Four Values of Home36:29 Navigating Authenticity and Transparency42:56 Circles of Belonging: An Exercise50:43 Embracing Creativity in Everyday Life57:24 Cultivating Relationships and Belonging58:19 Final Thoughts and ReflectionsMeet our Author, Sarah E. WestfallSarah E. Westfall is a writer, speaker, and host of the Human Together podcast. Her previous work includes serving as director of community for online writing groups and as a student development professional on college campuses. She has been published in RELEVANT, Fathom Mag, and (in)courage. Sarah lives in Indiana with her husband, Ben, and four sons.Sarah E. Westfall Visit her website at sarahewestfall.com.Follow her on Twitter: @sarah_westfall and Instagram: sarah_westfall Remember, you are Beautiful!Join the Behold-Her Beauty Movement:A Table Is Prepared for You.Together, we delve into the beauty of life. Our God is our redeemer, and it is an ashes-to-beauty kind of story. STAY AWHILE.SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER BY PRESSING ON THE IMAGE OR PRESS HERE.Follow Also on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest - Thank you!Deborah Rutherford's Behold-Her Beauty is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upcoming special get together for paid subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deborahrutherford.substack.com/subscribe