Lesson 1: God & Santa Claus
Listen: Podcast 1: God & Santa Claus
Podcast 1 Resources

Didn't take notes? We've got you covered! Here are the resources we mentioned in podcast 1.
From The Bible:
Books:
From The Bible:
- Romans 5:1-5 ("...endless love of God cascading into our hearts...")
- 1 Corinthians 13 ("...noisy gong or clanging cymbal..."
Books:
- Boyd, Jared Patrick. Imaginative Prayer: A Yearlong Guide for Your Child's Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017.
Try It! (Prayer Podcast Suggestions from Podcast 1)

Written Prayers
Try writing your prayer in the form of a letter to God. Don't worry about spelling or grammar or paragraph breaks, just let your thoughts flow.
Writing your prayers into a notebook/journal or saving them in a file on your computer will allow you to have them all in one place, making it easy to go back and review what you've prayed about and how God has responded.
Imaginative Prayer
Read Romans 5:1-5:
"Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us. Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God. What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God’s glory! But that’s not all! Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance. And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!"
Sit for 5 minutes and imagine God's love cascading into your heart--pouring into you rapidly and in large quantities. Can you imagine what it looks like and feels like?
Try writing your prayer in the form of a letter to God. Don't worry about spelling or grammar or paragraph breaks, just let your thoughts flow.
Writing your prayers into a notebook/journal or saving them in a file on your computer will allow you to have them all in one place, making it easy to go back and review what you've prayed about and how God has responded.
Imaginative Prayer
Read Romans 5:1-5:
"Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us. Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God. What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God’s glory! But that’s not all! Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance. And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!"
Sit for 5 minutes and imagine God's love cascading into your heart--pouring into you rapidly and in large quantities. Can you imagine what it looks like and feels like?
Journal Your Thoughts!

What stood out to you from Podcast 1: God & Santa Claus?
Write down your thoughts to process your learning! If you're not sure what to write about, consider the following:
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when it is completely private. If that feels like the best option for you, keep your journaling between you and God.
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when you give someone else the opportunity to witness and perhaps speak into your thoughts. If that feels like the best option for you, consider sharing your journal with a trusted friend, mentor, spiritual director, therapist, pastor, or family member, or email your journal entry to Sierra (either typed or a photo of what you've written by hand) for a brief reply.
Write down your thoughts to process your learning! If you're not sure what to write about, consider the following:
- What could you relate to from Andrea and Sierra's earliest impressions of God and prayer?
- What were your own earliest impressions of God and prayer?
- Have your impressions of God and prayer changed over time? If so, in what ways? If not, why do you think they have stayed the same?
- Did you pray when you were a kid? If so, do you remember what you prayed about?
- Did you pray when you were a teenager? If so, do you remember what you prayed about?
- What lessons have you been taught--either directly or more of something you picked up on--about how to pray and what prayer is for?
- How would you define prayer?
- Have you ever tried writing your prayers as a letter to God? If so, what did you like about that experience, and what were the challenges?
- If you've never written a prayer as a letter to God, consider giving that a try in your journal right now.
- Did you try the prayer practice Andrea suggested, of imagining God's love pouring over you? What was that like for you?
- Did this podcast or your time reflecting and journaling stir up anything that you want to think about some more? If so, what?
- Did this podcast or your time reflecting and journaling stir up anything you feel God is wanting to say to you? If so, what?
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when it is completely private. If that feels like the best option for you, keep your journaling between you and God.
Sometimes journaling is most helpful when you give someone else the opportunity to witness and perhaps speak into your thoughts. If that feels like the best option for you, consider sharing your journal with a trusted friend, mentor, spiritual director, therapist, pastor, or family member, or email your journal entry to Sierra (either typed or a photo of what you've written by hand) for a brief reply.
About the Instructors

Sierra Neiman Westbrook, M.Div.
Founding Director of Eden Spiritual Care & Certified Spiritual Director
Sierra spent seven years working in the Christian publishing field before beginning eight years of teaching at George Fox University (writing, theology, and spiritual formation) and Portland Seminary (spiritual formation). A graduate of Portland Seminary, Sierra holds a Master of Divinity degree and a certificate in Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. She is also certified through Portland Seminary as a spiritual director. Sierra brings to her work a curiosity about how theology of lament, narrative pastoral care, and explorations of one's God image can enrich a person’s relationship with God. She also enjoys hiking, watching ballet performances, baking, writing, drinking lots of tea, and spending lots of time with her husband, Justin, and their young son.
Founding Director of Eden Spiritual Care & Certified Spiritual Director
Sierra spent seven years working in the Christian publishing field before beginning eight years of teaching at George Fox University (writing, theology, and spiritual formation) and Portland Seminary (spiritual formation). A graduate of Portland Seminary, Sierra holds a Master of Divinity degree and a certificate in Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. She is also certified through Portland Seminary as a spiritual director. Sierra brings to her work a curiosity about how theology of lament, narrative pastoral care, and explorations of one's God image can enrich a person’s relationship with God. She also enjoys hiking, watching ballet performances, baking, writing, drinking lots of tea, and spending lots of time with her husband, Justin, and their young son.

Andrea Catlett, MA
Andrea is a former pastor and has served a wide variety of ministries. She currently serves as a hospital chaplain. Through her education and experience, she has found prayer to be her constant calling. As a special needs mom and being disabled herself, she naturally advocates for those who need their voice heard in the healthcare system or simply a fellow friend.
Andrea is a former pastor and has served a wide variety of ministries. She currently serves as a hospital chaplain. Through her education and experience, she has found prayer to be her constant calling. As a special needs mom and being disabled herself, she naturally advocates for those who need their voice heard in the healthcare system or simply a fellow friend.