All Episodes
The Next Right Thing — 428 episodes
394: Keep Going
393: Signs You're Finally Beginning to Heal
Psalm 100
Psalm 62
Psalm 54
Psalm 13
Psalm 8
Psalm 3
Bonus Episode: The Formation Writers Guild with James Bryan Smith
392: Find Your Inner Compass
391: Don't Rush It
390: 3 Benefits of Living a Reflective Life
389: What's Saving My Spring Life
388: Do What You Can
On Being A Well by Macrina Wiederkehr
387: Learning to Let Go
386: Counter Your Weights
385: Our Friend Jesus
384: When to Protect Your Peace
383: How to Know if a Process is Worth Trusting
382: A Reset List for Your Soul
381: What's Saving My Winter Life
380: Wait for the Light
379: Participate in Hope
378: A Rebellion of Care with David Gate
377: What's Saving My Autumn Life
376: Calm All the Way Down
375: Cry in Your Kitchen
374: Tell the Whole Truth with Jen Hatmaker
373: Find Someone to Root for
372: Clear Your Space
371: Learn from the Children
370: On Envy and Contentment with Kate Strickler
369: Make Like Taylor Swift and Opt Out
369: Make Like Taylor Swift and Opt Out
368: A New Season with John P. Freeman
A Conversation with Suzanne Stabile (Best of)
Why Your Pro/Con List Isn't Working (Best of)
How to Collect Your Favorite Quotes (Best of)
How to Journal Using One Word (Best of)
How to Find Relief from Information Overload (Best of)
Is it Time to Quit My Job? (Best of)
The Next Right Thing For People Pleasers (Best of)
A Conversation with Shauna Niequist (Best of)
20 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Say Yes to a Great Opportunity (Best of)
Our Favorite Summertime Decisions (Best of)
Hold the Tension Longer (Best of)
The Problem with Binaries in Decision Making (Best of)
367: What's Saving My Spring Life
366: Cheerful Doubting with Niki Hardy
365: A Birthday Reflection for When You're Not Sure How to Celebrate
364: Ordinary Time with Annie B. Jones
363: Walk in the Dark
362: Writing for Spiritual Formation
361: Managing Time and Expectations
360: How to Be a Person When Everything Is Terrible
359: The Spiritual Practice of Looking Up and Down
358: Pray However You're Able
357: For the First Day of Lent
356: Surprise! I Made Something New
355: What's Saving My Winter Life
354: Things We're Trying (That We're Still Not Sure About)
353: Faith After Faith with Erin Moon
352: Don't Feel Bad for Not Having Clarity
351: The Heartbeat of Christian Hope
350: The Magic of Knowing What You Want with Tracey Gee
349: 3 Gentle Lists That Could Save Your 2025
348: What Worked in 2024
347: The Most Important Vocational Question for the End of the Year
346: The New Quiet Collection for Advent 2024
345: Protect Your Peace Until the End of the Year
344: How to Find Low-Key Closure
343: A Grounding Practice for Anxious Times
342: A Liturgy for Election Day
341: The Spiritual Practice of Loving Anyway
340: What's Saving My Autumn Life
339: Making A Plan with Kendra Adachi
338: What Every Good Listener Knows
337: How to Engage the Quiet
336: The Quaker Practice of Silence with Carrie Newcomer
335: How to Quiet Your Inner Chatter
334: Silence Tells A Story
333: The List That Could Save Your Fall
332: Quit or Take A Break? How to Know the Difference
331: State of the Podcast 2024
330: Mister Rogers and Decision-Making (Emily's Favorites)
329: Decision-Making for Slow Processors (Emily's Favorites)
328: Let Time Be Your Friend (Emily's Favorites)
327: 17 Syllable Prayers
326: What's Saving My Spring Life
325: How to Know What You Like with Myquillyn Smith
324: The Path by Lynn Ungar
323: The Kind of Quiet that Wakes Us Up
322: 5 Next Right Thing Principles I Use Every Week
321: What We Wish We'd Known with John P. Freeman
320: Following Your Intuition with Grace P. Cho
319: Finding Vocational Clarity with Parker J. Palmer
318: How to Walk into a Room: Release Day!
Bonus: For Leaving a Beloved Space
317: When Things End Without Closure with Sharon McMahon
316: The Faithfulness of Staying and Leaving
315: One Thing We Need for Making Tough Decisions
314: Yes or Now? Decision-Making for the Over-Eager
313: The Liturgy of Lightheartedness
312: What's Saving My Winter Life
311: Bless Your Hellos and Goodbyes
310: 5 Questions for When You Feel Stuck
309: How to Walk into January Like a Soul Minimalist
308: We Want to Hear from You!
307: What Worked in 2023
306: Are we going to be okay?
305: Creating an Evening Routine with Emily Ley
304: For When You Don't Have a Church at Christmas
303: The Quiet Collection 2023
302: Discomfort: An Unconventional Gratitude
301: When Your Next Right Thing is to Apologize
300: Your Questions Answered
299: The Problem with Binaries in Decision-Making
298: What I'm Learning as a Spiritual Director
297: Am I Doing This Wrong?
296: What's Saving My Autumn Life
295: My New Book! How to Walk Into a Room
294: Standing at the Threshold with Lowland Hum
293: Making Decisions When Feelings Are Big
292: What Every Decisive Person Knows
291: The Next Right Thing for Perfectionists
290: The Next Right Thing in the Kitchen with Bri McKoy
289: How to Find Relief From Information Overload
288: This Could Be Why You Feel Exhausted
287: State of the Podcast 2023
286: Psalm 63
285: Psalm 40
284: Psalm 1
283: Psalm 16
282: Psalm Summer: An Introduction
281: What's Saving My Summer Life
280: Family Life and Spiritual Direction with John Freeman
279: Our Favorite Summertime Decisions
278: What now? For When You Don't Know What's Next
277: One Question to Ask Yourself Every Quarter
276: Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish with Taylor Elyse Morrison
275: 3 Questions and 3 Books
274: On Making Decisions Alone: A Conversation With A Widow
273: A Spiritual Practice For The Hesitant
272: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Your Birthday
271: A Blessing For Friendship
270: How to Listen When A Friend Asks For Advice
269: Friendship Breakups with Laura Tremaine
268: What's Saving My Life: Friendship Edition
267: How To Handle Interruption
266: On Being A Well by Macrina Wiederkehr
265: How to Know What You Want
264: Let's Talk About Fear
263: How to Human with Carlos Whittaker
262: For Who You Might Become
261: Where Trouble Melts Like Lemon Drops: A Story
260: Your Next Right Thing Starter Pack
We want to hear from you!
259: What Worked in 2022
258: A Blessing for Christmas Week
257: A Soul Minimalist's Guide for the End of the Year
BONUS: The Quiet Collection 2022!
256: A Reading from John 1
255: Ask Emily Anything! Celebrating 20 Million
254: Honest Advent with Scott Erickson
253: The Enneagram and Decision-Making with Suzanne Stabile
252: An Unconventional Gratitude
251: Why Sabbath is For Everyone with Ruth Haley Barton
250: One Secret to a Light(er) Heart
249: A Former Sign Language Interpreter's Guide to Listening
248: Start With Hello with Shannan Martin
247: What's Saving My Life (Autumn Edition)
246: The Mindset Shift That's Changing My Work
245: Voices of Lament with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson and Mariah Humphries
244: When A Public Figure Dies
243: How to Move Through Regret
242: Are you afraid of choosing wrong?
241: Write What You Know (And Other Life Advice)
240: A Staying Prayer for Parents
239: A Sending Prayer for College Freshmen
238: State of the Podcast 2022
237: For When Things Are Changing (with John Freeman)
236: For When You Can't Figure God Out
235: On Grief and Healing with Amanda Held Opelt
234: Psalm 23
233: Psalm 121
232: Psalm 103
231: Psalm 91
230: Psalm Summer: A Series
229: A Blessing for the Graduates
228: The Good and Beautiful You with James Bryan Smith
227: Trust the Process with Stephanie Duncan Smith
226: When Someone You Love is Indecisive
225: Discerning Your Next Right Thing After High School
224: Naming What Matters in Friendship, Life, and the Kitchen with Kendra Adachi
223: How to Move Through Small Disappointments
222: What's Saving My Life Right Now
221: Psalm 46
220: Our Favorite Yeses
219: 20 Questions to Ask Before You Say Yes to A Great Opportunity
218: A Story of Discernment with Jamin Goggin
217: An Early Spring Reflection
216: How to Collect Your Favorite Quotes
215: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Spring
214: Psalm 22
213: How to Make Embodied Decisions with Dr. Hillary L. McBride
212: How to Walk Out of A Room
211: The Daily Examen
210: What if You Could Trust Yourself?
209: Find Life After the Death of A Dream with Scott Erickson
208: Hold the Tension Longer
207: The Prayer of St. Francis
206: What Worked in 2021
A Christmas Blessing
205: 5 Strong Ways to Finish Regular
204: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Christmas
203: Introducing The Quiet Collection 2021
202: Abuelita Faith with Kat Armas
201: Your Decision-Making Starter Kit
200: Ask Emily Anything! Celebrating 200 Episodes
199: Psalm 27
198: Be Present Not Perfect with Shauna Niequist
197: For Us, As Our Faith Changes
196: Why Your Pro/Con List Isn't Working
195: Be Your Own Friend
194: Being Human with Kate Bowler
193: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Autumn
192: Hold On To Hope
191: What We're Learning
190: Psalm 139
189: How to Use The Next Right Thing Guided Journal
188: You Are Here (And It Matters)
187: State of the Podcast 2021: The Next Right Thing Turns 4!
186: A Late Summer Reflection
185: Why Makers Struggle to Get Things Done
184: The Next Right Thing in Marriage with John Freeman
183: Real Talk About Overfunctioning
182: One Fun Decision (The Shoe Episode)
181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer
180: Use Your Voice
179: Stop Overworking with Megan Hyatt Miller
178: How to Find A Spiritual Director
177: The Next Right Thing for People Pleasers
176: What to Do When You Can't Find God
175: How to Find a Mentor with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
174: Is it Time to Quit My Job?
173: How to Journal Using One Word
172: Make These 2 Lists Now
171: What to do When the World Opens Up
170: Try Softer with Aundi Kolber
169: Create Your 10 Minute Evening Routine
168: Is it Time to Dream Again?
167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners
166: How to Cope With Disappointment
165: Journal Your Seasons
164: Start With the Punchline in Mind with Michael Jr.
163: Reflection as Activism
162: Is it Time to Move On?
161: Change Your Mind
160: The Welcoming Prayer
159: What We Made in 2020
158: 5 Favorite Things I Listened To This Year
157: 10 Favorite Things I Watched This Year
156: 5 Favorite Books I Read This Year
155: Collect the Quiet
154: Remember Who You Are
153: Keep Advent Simple (with Tsh Oxenreider)
152: Say Words With Your Out Loud Voice
151: 3 Steps to Restart Your Life-Giving Rhythms
150: A Guide for Personal Reflection
149: How to Stay Grounded During Election Season
148: Remember the Medium Picture
147: Be Anti-Racist
146: Life With God: Start With Your Senses
145: When You're Afraid: Start With Your Senses
144: When You're Feeling Stuck: Start With Your Senses
143: At Home: Start With Your Senses (with Myquillyn Smith)
142: Start With Your Senses
141: Redo Your Morning Routine
140: Do The Opposite
139: Decide Once (with Kendra Adachi)
138: Leave It Behind
137: Remember What You Know
136: Decision-Making for Slow Processors
135: Fill The Vault
134: How to Pray When You're Sad
133: Learn The Art of Asking Questions
132: Why is Decision-Making So Hard?
131: Start Where You Are
130: Do What Sounds Fun
On Racism: Learning to Speak and to Listen
129: Where Are You At Home in The World?
128: Use Your Reimagination
127: Don't Try To Be Great
126: Being Consistent Is Not The Goal
125: Read Psalm 23
124: Reimagine Your Work Day
123: Practice Your Life
122: Speak A Good Word
121: How to Discern and Decide
120: What to do When The World Shuts Down
119: How to Help Children Make Decisions
118: Start Small
117: Don't Look At The Wall
116: See Through the Fog
115: Before You Decide, HALT
114: Welcome Your Loneliness
113: Decide to Decide
112: Two Words to Avoid
111: Never Believe Anything Bad About God
110: Build for the Years You Can't See
109: Wait Until The Morning
108: Walk at Your Own Pace
BONUS: For Anyone Waiting for Home
107: 8 Books for Soulful Decisions
106: Let's Talk About Disney's Frozen 2!
105: How to Manage Holiday Decision Fatigue
104: Make Soup (And Eat It, Too)
103: Look for the Children: Mister Rogers and Decision-Making
102: Say Short Prayers
101: Read Your Own Headlines
100: Tell Me About You (and I'll Tell You About Me)
99: Tear Down the Old, Make Room for New
98: Don't Preach to Your Emotions
97: Take a 10 Minute Timeout
96: Listen to Your Crazy Ideas
95: Practice Friendship
94: Ask the Second Question
93: Borrow Prayers
92: Point and Call
91: Be A Placemaker
90: Start with this Simple Rhythm
89: Come Back With Peace
88: Come Away for Awhile
87: Create Space
86: Decision-Making with James Bryan Smith
85: Hold Space When Someone Dies
84: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Reflection
83: Remember What's More Important Than Your Decision
82: Find the Beginning in the Ending
A Blessing for the Mothers
81: Listen to This Before Graduation
Bonus: Myquillyn Smith, The Nester
80: Don't Take Offense
Bonus: Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius
79: Find Relief From Regret
Bonus: Annie F. Downs
78: Feeling Stuck? Start Again
Bonus: The Next Right Thing Live Show!
77: Do The Next Right Thing
76: Create A Simple Morning Routine
75: Tell Yourself the Truth
74: What's Your Decision-Making Style?
73: Design A Rhythm of Work - Theme Days
72: Design A Rhythm of Life
71: Let Time Be Your Friend
70: The Best Time to Make A Decision
69: Tell Someone
68: If You're Afraid of Making the Wrong Decision
67: Wait Now Go
66: Don't Let the Ending Define the Whole Story
65: Take Off Your Crown
A Blessing for the New Year
64: Acknowledge Your Soul
63: Make Room
62: Sit Down on the Inside
61: Look Back - How Reflection Can Help You Make Better Decisions
60: Start Before You're Ready (PLUS A Big Announcment!)
59: Find A Quiet Space
58: Welcome Silence
57: Don't Dread Your Weird Life
56: Focus on One
55: Learn to Walk in the Dark
54: Find Someone to Mother
53: Allow the Present to Be Imperfect
52: Grow as You Go
51: Choose A Pastime
50: Go Forward
49: Collaborate
48: Receive the Waiting Time
47: Receive One Another
46: Receive the Shadows and Light
45: Receive a New Beginning
44: Receive Healing
43: Receive Silence
42: Receive Peace
41: Take A Breath
40: Keep Your Rest
39: Don't Give Your Critic Words
38: Zoom Out
37: Take a Hometown Tour
36: Stay in Today
35: Be Kind (with Candace Cameron Bure)
34: Pick What You Like
33: Gather Co-Listeners
32: Stop Collecting Gurus
31: Be A Beginner
30: Hold One Thing at A Time
29: Remember the Real Art
28: Stand on Your Head
27: Stop Rushing Clarity
26: Choose Connection
25: Come Home to Yourself
24: Look for Arrows (Not Answers)
23: Release Your Agenda
22: Embrace Your Limits
21: Find A No Mentor
20: Ignore With Intention
19: Choose Your Absence
18: Wait With Great Hope
17: Let It Count
16: Walk Slow and Carry Questions
15: Name the Narrative
14: Know What You Want
13: Quit Something
12: Practice Presence
11: Wear Better Pants
10: Be Where You Are
09: Listen for Specifics - Moving Forward After Tragedy
08: Expect to Be Surprised
07: Faithfulness, Fame, and the Gift of Obscurity
06: Know the Power of Naming
05: Offer Your Work With Hope
04: Record What You Learn
03: Make the Most Important List
02: Do This Before Every Hard Decision
01: Become A Soul Minimalist
Introducing The Next Right Thing