Where do you even begin in establishing prayer as a lifestyle?

Well, it starts with your habits. It starts with establishing a routine that then becomes a rhythm that then becomes part of your identity.

In this episode, I'll give you 5 powerful yet practical tips to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer -- tips that you can customize for how you best connect with God.

I also have a few listener-submitted testimonies about how the active practice of prayer has changed their lives in a positive way.

At the end, you'll get another neuroscience inspired Confetti Recipe to try out on your own or with some friends. It's a fun one :)

Enjoy this final episode of March, as we wrap up our topic of prayer!

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Have you ever felt like you didn't know what to pray? Or have you ever started to pray and felt like you said all you needed to say within a minute?

Well, even the original disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. So, he did -- through what we now know as the Lord's Prayer. He gave us a pattern within this prayer that we can use to guide a quiet time with God.

In this episode, I'll share with you this 4-part framework that you can try out in your own prayer life. I'll also share a few stories about how God answers prayers in powerful ways.

If you have any great tips for prayer or meditation or perhaps a powerful testimony about God answering your prayers, email me! The next episode will include some listener-submitted tips and testimonies, so email me by Thursday, 27 March to make it in time for recording.

carryconfettipodcast@gmail.com

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

How would you describe God? If you were honest with yourself, do you see him as a critical or a distant figure in the sky? Or perhaps you see him as authoritarian, someone in charge who will inflict punishment when you step out of line? Or do you see him as benevolent -- meaning kind and compassionate and willing to intervene with grace and mercy?

How you see God affects the healthy functioning of your brain. We need to be aware of how our emotions, biases, life experiences, and community affect our view of God and ultimately influence how we interact with him, if at all.

In today's episode, I'll unpack the character of God, as well as 5 dangers we need to be aware of when wrestling with the idea of God and the practice of faith. If you don’t know these possible dangers, then you might slip into a view of God that will negatively impact the health of your brain (which can also negatively impact your emotional and physical health).

So, let's talk about it :)

Book referenced: How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newburg and Mark Robert Waldman

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Would you believe me if I told you that you have the power to improve your memory, lower your anxiety, decrease your depression, enhance your empathy, improve brain functioning, and even better control your emotions?

Would you believe that positive changes could happen in your brain with just 12 focused minutes a day?

God has created our brains in such an intentional way, and he's also given us the tools to take captive every thought and increase the health of our own brains. He gave us these tools in the Bible, and science is now catching up to prove what scripture has been trying to teach us all along.

So, let's talk about meditation, through both a neuroscience lens and a biblical lens. Should Christians meditate? And if yes, then how should we do it?

Click play to find out :)

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Welcome to a March mini series where I'll be unpacking some scientific research that looks at the powerful effects of faith practices on the health of your brain. Could living an active life of faith help you become more compassionate and socially aware? Could living an active life of faith be of benefit not just to your spirit but also to your mental and physical health?

Let's see what the research says :)

In this episode, you'll discover what led to me falling in love with psychology, and I'll also share a neuroscientist's top 8 ways to exercise your brain.

In the coming weeks, we will do a deep dive on Christian meditation, a healthy view of God, and explore the practice of prayer. How could all of these lead to a life of hopeful expectation? Subscribe to the show to find out.

I hope these coming episodes not only inspire you but also compel you to try out some of the "Confetti Recipes" I'll give to you at the end of each episode.

Enjoy!

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Welcome to Episode 5, the final part of these introduction episodes that give you more insight into my story and what has led up to the moment of launching this podcast.

Episode 4 covered Part 1 of Elijah the prophet's story, and today I'm bringing you Part 2. Sometimes, after we have a mountain peak moment or we receive a miracle or an answer to prayer, we can still find ourselves facing challenges.

You can be living in an answered prayer and still be exhausted.

You can be living in an answered prayer and still wrestle with God.

You can be living in an answered prayer and face new battles.

I was living with my promised "rain" (my son) while I walked through a stormy pregnancy with daughter. It was an entirely new emotional battle I had never fought before, but God was able to bring me strength in the middle of the storm. God was able to bring me to the other side of the storm.

Most importantly, God never left me alone in that storm.

I pray that this episode reminds you that you, too, are not alone. The Lord of heaven's armies can bring you strength, protection, and resilience if you let him.

He is the anchor for our hopeful expectation and our daily celebration.

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Have you ever been in a drought season? You know, one of those seasons that just feels dry and barren?

Today, let me introduce you to one of my favourite Bible characters, Elijah the prophet. His story is a bit of a longer one, so this episode will be Part 1 of his story. Next week, I'll give you Part 2 -- both important but different ends of the emotional spectrum.

My "rain" was my son -- God's miraculous provision after what felt like a drought season of infertility. He was our answer to prayer.

I believe that your "rain" is on its way :)

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti

Sometimes, life can shatter us... into a million pieces. And sometimes, we don't know how to rebuild our hearts, our minds, and our lives after certain events.

But I know a God who is our great physician and our healer. He looks at our brokenness and is able to form something so beautiful.

Today, let me tell you my story about an early miscarriage that took place after we had been told we had unexplained infertility. I'm going to tell you this story through the lens of Joel (a prophet in the Old Testament) to show you that God doesn't ignore our suffering. In fact, he has future blessing and restoration for us if only we would trust him.

Maybe get the tissues for this episode, but I promise you that there is hope and celebration that followed the suffering. And I believe that blessing and restoration is in your future too.

Connect with me on Instagram: @carryconfetti