How do we hear God's voice in a world full of noise? What impact do our screens have on our mental health?

Carlos Whittaker has made a career out of connecting with people through a device. An author, podcaster, and a leader of a social media community known as the Instafamilia, Carlos has used the power of connection for doing incredible things. And yet, he found himself in a place where the constant connectivity to his phone left him disconnected to what matters most.

Carlos decided to embark on an incredible journey in which he would go screen free for 7 weeks and spend time with those who lived without the same incessant attachment as those in the modern world. Carlos lived with and learned from Amish Farmers and Monks and began to see the freedom that was on the other side of disconnecting in order to reconnect. He wrote about his journey in his book called Reconnected: How 7 Screen Free Weeks With Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human.

In this episode, Davey and Carlos talk about the impact our screens are having on our mental health, why silence and solitude are so important for our spiritual connection to God, and how to hear God's voice in our pain.

If you've noticed that you are more connected than ever and yet are left feeling completely disconnected from the parts of yourself and your relationships that make you human, this episode will invite you to discover how to stay present and connected to the very moments that make up your life.

Warning: This episode does briefly discuss loss by suicide and may not be suitable for all listeners.

How do we care for a loved one with a disease that steals their memories? How do we tend to ourselves when we are helping aging parents?

For Guideposts Editor-in-Chief Edward Grinnan, these were the very questions he had to answer after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Edward had to learn not only how to walk through such a difficult disease, but also how to face the reality that he too might one day suffer from it. Edward went on to chronicle his own journey through his mother's illness in his latest book, A Journey of Faith: A Mother’s Alzheimer’s, A Son’s Love, and His Search for Answers. It was through his journey that he was able to see with clarity God's presence and love.

In this episode, Davey talks with Edward about how telling our stories reveals who we are, the impact Alzheimer's Disease has on families and caregivers, and specific ways that caregivers can care for themselves while tending to their loved one with the disease.

If you are being impacted by Alzheimer's, caring for aging parents or know someone who is, this conversation will encourage you to see how God can show up in the ways we show up for those we love.