S1E1: Holy Plot Twist: From God-Skeptic to Divine BFF

Hi, my name's Sarah Haykel.  

In this podcast episode, I'm sharing the premise of this podcast: to share the goodness of God in my life after 11-years of opening my heart to God and what I'm learning on this spiritual path.

This podcast explores connecting with the One True Source, God,—beyond religious boundaries or labels—and discovering the transformative power of surrendering to divine grace, guidance and support.

• God as "the one true source" that transcends religion, gender, and human limitations.
• Moving from seeing God as non-benevolent to recognizing God's innate goodness.
• Working with God doesn't mean life becomes perfect—challenges still exist.
• Connecting with God as friend, confidant, guide, and support system.
• No requirement to join a religion or become a monk/nun to live a consistently, fulfilling spiritual life guided by God.
• Coming from a Christian background while embracing a broader spiritual perspective
• Actively seeking and learning alongside listeners

Please subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving a review or rating as it helps others discover this kind of support on their spiritual journey.

Go to WelcomingGod.com to sign up on our email newsletter and to share what topics you'd like to hear about in future episodes via the Get In Touch section at the bottom of the page.  

Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com

The Four Gospel Journey Class info at JanaRentzel.com.

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Episode Transcript

Sarah Haykel (00:05):
Hi and thanks for joining me on Welcoming God.
Hi and thanks for joining me.
My name is Sarah Haykel, hostof Welcoming God, a podcast for
spiritual seekers.

(00:25):
I'm so excited that you're here.
I'm totally scared about thispodcast and also really looking
forward to it.
It's something so new for meand I also am still seeking on
the journey, exploring, learningabout God, about welcoming God

(00:46):
into my life and working withGod.
So I feel like I don't have allthe answers here.
How can I start a podcast aboutthis?
But, to be honest, back inDecember 2024, I felt an honest,
sincere call on my heart tobegin sharing about the goodness

(01:06):
of welcoming God back into mylife over the past 11 years with
day.
It's so different.
It's so different than how Iused to live and I really want

(01:34):
to share this with you toinspire you and help you along
your journey.
Now I know the word God canfeel triggering for people,
polarizing.
When I say God, I'm talkingabout the true source, the one
true source, the all that everis, was and will be say God.

(02:09):
They claim God as their own.
So I'd like to just broaden thescope, the perspective, a bit
and just say that God truly, tome is the one true source, and
this God doesn't fit into a boxof one religion or another or
one gender or another.
It's way far beyond that.
I actually have no idea whatGod is.

(02:29):
I just know it exists because Isee it, I feel it, I hear it
working in my life all the timeand I want to share with you the
goodness of learning to let goand surrender into God's loving
embrace and arms, so to speakmetaphorically, of course.

(02:54):
I remember back in 2019, thespiritual coach that I have been
working with ever since thenasked me do you believe that God
is benevolent?
And I, first of all, was likebenevolent, okay, what does that
mean?
And that basically means goodnatured, you know, benevolence,
having a good heart, goodnatured, wanting the best for

(03:17):
others.
And I said no, I did notbelieve God was benevolent.
I felt betrayed by God.
Many times I felt mad, confused.
Why didn't I have the life thatI'd been working so hard for?
Why did others have what Iwanted?
I just didn't understand.
And since we've been workingtogether since 2019, my

(03:40):
spiritual coach has really beenhelping me to understand how God
is actually trying to help mein my life.
I mean, I'll say, desperatelytrying to help me because it's
persistent and consistent and itjust stays there whether I like

(04:03):
it or not and it truly is iswanting to give me the best.
I truly know now.
When I work with God, it doesn'tmean there aren't challenges in
life, or hard times orstruggles or depression or what

(04:24):
I've stressed.
Working with God doesn't meanlike, oh, everything's hunky
dory and like Pollyanna, it'sall okay, like shit still
happens.
We're in human reality here.
You know this is a life that isfull of ups and downs and good
and bad, right and wrong.
I mean, that's how weexperience life as humans and

(04:47):
there's nothing wrong with that.
It's part of the humanexperience.
Humans, and there's nothingwrong with that.
It's part of the humanexperience.
So what I see in God's goodnessis that God is trying to do its

(05:14):
God.
Connect with God, be like bestfriends with God all day long,
every day.
God as my rock, as my supportsystem, as my guide, as my
friend, my confidant.
I mean everything.
God truly is the source of itall for me.

(05:35):
So I want to explain more aboutwhat this is like and how to
live this kind of life with theone true source.
Does it mean you have to becomea nun or a monk?
No, does it mean you have tobelong to one religion or
another?
No, you don't have to belong toany religion to truly connect

(05:59):
with this one true source.
And it is so good that everthought I would be in this place
now loving God, talking aboutGod, so openly, encouraging
others to open their hearts andselves to this one true source.

(06:23):
I mean, it surprises me all thetime I grew up and had a lot of
shame about from Christianity,jesus and God and the religion
and all of that.
And I do come from a Christianperspective and I love a lot of
Christianity, I love the things,you know a lot of it.

(06:44):
There are things that I don'tagree with or don't vibe with.
Maybe I don't understand, butthere's a lot of goodness there
and I mean the teachings ofJesus are just like whoa amazing
, and I'm actually learning moreabout that.
I'm going to take a course thisfall on the Aramaic translations

(07:05):
of the four gospels in theBible with John Arancel and I'm
super excited about that, and soI'm actively on the path with
you.
I'm actively on the path,seeking, learning, growing,
healing, experiencing, andthat's what I want to share here
from my experience and since Ican only speak from my

(07:27):
experience, that's what I'mcommitted to trying to share
with you is truly what God wantsme to share and then what God
has a call in my heart to share,so I'm super excited that
you're here.
As far as the structure of thispodcast, I'm going to start out
with a seasons approach and thepodcast starts on March 18,

(07:51):
2025, and we'll go for eightweeks.
But I also know how God worksin my life and God definitely
inspires me randomly and theremost likely will be bonus
episodes popped in here andthere when I feel called, when I
feel inspired.
So I'm really just going to gowith the flow with this and I

(08:14):
hope that you will enjoy ridingthe wave with me.
So just please stay in touch.
You can subscribe to thispodcast on your favorite
podcasting platform.
You can head over towelcominggodcom and sign up for
our email newsletter to beupdated on new episodes and

(08:35):
other things that we're up toregarding Welcoming God and the
podcast, and we'll just stay intouch.
If you also want to hear metalk about something on this
podcast in particular, go towelcominggodcom and you can
scroll all the way down the pageAt the bottom of the page there
is a Get In Touch section andyou can just fill that out and

(08:59):
send me an email and let me knowwhat you want to hear me talk
about.
So I invite you to share thatwith me too, as it will help
shape the content of thispodcast.
And I will also use discernmentas well, with God, to know is
it right to share this?
Is it not right or is it notmeant for me to share this?

(09:20):
So I'll really do my best towork with God in discerning what
God wants me to truly sharewith all of you.
I look so forward to embarkingon this journey together.
Thank you for taking yourbeautiful, precious time, your
one true life, to share thesemoments with me and, if you like

(09:42):
what you're hearing, pleaseshare this podcast with others
too, as it will help thembenefit from this show as well.
So I will see you in the nextepisode.
See you in the next episode.
Thanks for joining me onanother episode of Welcoming God

(10:02):
.
Please subscribe to thispodcast wherever you listen and
consider leaving us a review, asit helps more people find and
benefit from this show.
Music by Song Channel Music.
You can listen and hear more atsongchannelmusiccom.
Until we meet again, aloha,miwi loa, take care, and God

(10:25):
bless, thank you.