47 episodes

 Pioneer with Gabrielle on an unscripted journey to unlock joy. Consistent in every episode are stories of hope, healing, and connection that will give birth to your own journey of self-discovery, relational good, and wholeness. 
 Gabrielle is an intuitive storyteller sharing practical revelation from scripture and continual conversation with God. If you've struggled to hear God's voice and apply His truth to your life mindfully and holistically, this podcast is for you! 

Returning to Joy Gabrielle Michelle Leonard

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 5.0 • 20 Ratings

 Pioneer with Gabrielle on an unscripted journey to unlock joy. Consistent in every episode are stories of hope, healing, and connection that will give birth to your own journey of self-discovery, relational good, and wholeness. 
 Gabrielle is an intuitive storyteller sharing practical revelation from scripture and continual conversation with God. If you've struggled to hear God's voice and apply His truth to your life mindfully and holistically, this podcast is for you! 

    Active Rest: When Knowing the Truth Isn't Enough

    Active Rest: When Knowing the Truth Isn't Enough

    Welcome back to the final episode of Returning to Joy Season 4! The past several weeks have been so rich with reflections and new insights around the rest that Jesus offers, and the ways it can both heal us and empower us. 
    In this final episode, we'll consider that simply knowing what Jesus says about rest is often not enough to keep us from being swayed by the demands and pace of the world around us. An active resilience is required, and is the kind of rest that Jesus modeled for us in the midst of everything that was set before him.
    We hope you enjoyed this series, and we will see you in March for Season 5! Stay in the loop by following us on social media and signing up for our newsletters at www.returningtojoy.com.


    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god
    Support the show

    • 25 min
    The Type of Faith that Rest Requires

    The Type of Faith that Rest Requires

    Thanks for listening to the Returning to Joy podcast. This week's episode is an invitation to have faith again, and not just a belief in Jesus but also in his authority and his power. True rest requires a faith like the Centurion in Luke 7. One that chips away at our belief that we must always try harder and do more to accomplish anything, and one that continues to trust that at his very word, it will be done. 


    New episodes on Wednesdays! Bi-weekly!
    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.


    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god
    Support the show

    • 20 min
    Pushing Back the Darkness and Letting the Light In

    Pushing Back the Darkness and Letting the Light In

    Welcome to this episode of Returning to Joy. This week is both an encouragement and a challenge to not only let in the light of Jesus in your life but to also bring forth that light to the darkest places. It is not only about the decision to receive the light but also a participation that God invites us into, to bring that light into the darkness of the world around us. 
    You will hear about several impactful moments from Gabrielle's sabbatical, and the truth that the Lord put on her heart about the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness that does not overcome it. 


    New episodes on Wednesdays! Bi-weekly!
    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god
    Support the show

    • 25 min
    Finding Light in Disorientation: A Journey through Psalms 13

    Finding Light in Disorientation: A Journey through Psalms 13

    Drawing from the work of Old Testament theologian Walter Brueggemann, Gabrielle  discusses the concept of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation as seen in the Psalms and in Jesus's life. These movements symbolize the human experience of comfort, crisis, and resolution. Brueggemann’s perspective emphasizes the realness and authenticity of the Psalms, which capture raw human emotions during moments of disorientation. 

    In this episode, Gabrielle  creates a space for listeners to sit with and confront their feelings of disorientation, whether they stem from personal challenges or external sources like news headlines. She then guides listeners through Psalms 13, offering prayers and reflections between verses, encouraging those in the midst of hardship to lean on God and trust in His presence. 

    New episodes on Wednesdays! Bi-weekly!
    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god and Dandelion Meditation 
    Support the show

    • 16 min
    Entering in to Rest: The Active Pursuit and the Rest We Share (Part 2)

    Entering in to Rest: The Active Pursuit and the Rest We Share (Part 2)

    Thanks for tuning into this week's podcast! This episode we are continuing in our series, Sabbath Stories: Embracing Rest in a Restless World. Each episode we will unpack the sacred call to rest and renewal, as well as a practical practice to help you integrate rest rhythms into your life. 
    This episode we'll continue to look deeper at the pilgrimage that the Israelites made, and unpack the parts of the journey that reveal something beautiful about our own journey with God. We'll touch on the idea of entering in to rest rather than receiving it, as well as consider the ways that God has intended for rest to be communal, and something we experience and share with others on our journey. 


    New episodes on Wednesdays! Bi-weekly!
    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god
    Support the show

    • 29 min
    Rest is Found: Entering in to the Freedom We Find for Ourselves and Others (Part 1)

    Rest is Found: Entering in to the Freedom We Find for Ourselves and Others (Part 1)

    Welcome back to Season 4 of the Returning to Joy Podcast! This week we continue in our new series, Sabbath Stories: Embracing Rest in a Restless World. Each episode we will unpack the sacred call to rest and renewal, as well as a practical practice to help you integrate rest rhythms into your life. 
    This episode we'll dive into the kind of rest that we find in Jesus, and the freedom in it that He calls us and those around us to enter into. 
    New episodes on Wednesdays! Bi-weekly!
    Thanks for subscribing and leaving a review! Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
    Website: https://www.returningtojoy.com/
    For more frequent encouragement follow us on social media:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningtojoypodcast/
    Music by AG (Affirming Grace) @agmusic4god
    Support the show

    • 47 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
20 Ratings

20 Ratings

SCanupp ,

Episode 11

Just wanted to say how much I LOVEEEEE this! You doing this little exercise thing with me in person has seriously strengthened my relationship and communication with Jesus. And today I was able to do it again while listening to you, and I just love it. You said some people describe hearing Him as it being “lower” and “heavier” and that is soooo on point! I’m sharing this with everyone!

The Traveling Kate ,

Timely. Well Spoken. Genuine.

Thanks for speaking you heart and what you are learning. It is truly so helpful for me, and I assume others. Thank you for also being flexible, each podcast you have done so far has been incredibly timely in my life. I’m excited to hear more!

DCAs!!! ,

Needed Vulnerability

These are refreshing moments and Gabi is the best to have them with. I feel like I’m literally sitting on the couch just talking to her. Thank you for letting us see your heart with Christ. ♥️

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