Catherine Cowell sits down with Maria Manuela Silva—a spiritual director whose life journey spans cultures, crises, and a profound rediscovery of faith.

Maria shares her story of growing up in Portugal under the fear and restriction of a dictatorship, living through a revolution, discovering faith, and then building a life of ministry and service in the UK. When a series of personal losses brought everything to a halt, Maria found herself at a breaking point—yet somehow still holding onto God.

Maria's is a journey from fear to trust. Through silence, contemplative spirituality, and the simple yet transformative experience of being truly heard, Maria discovers a deeper, more personal connection with God—one rooted not in striving, but in listening, presence, and what she beautifully describes as “the dance” of the divine.

This episode is a gentle, spacious invitation to anyone longing for a more authentic spiritual life. Whether you’re questioning, rebuilding, or simply curious, Maria’s story offers hope, honesty, and a reminder that your own path—your own “dance”—is worth discovering.

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Catherine Cowell and Katy Bowser Hutson talk about play as a spiritual practice. Katy shares how her lifelong creativity—and even her experience with cancer—led her to see play not as something trivial, but as something deeply meaningful, even sacred.

Together, they explore how play is rooted in curiosity, imagination, joy, and relationship—and how it can shape the way we connect with God, ourselves, and others. From childhood wonder and storytelling to creativity in everyday life (like choosing colourful pens or drawing in serious moments), they highlight how play can bring lightness, freedom, and fresh perspective—even in hard seasons.

God isn’t just serious or distant, but playful, creative, and inviting, delighting in us and drawing us into relationship. Play becomes a way of resisting fear, rediscovering joy, and reconnecting with what really matters.

It’s a gentle invitation to slow down, wonder more, and make space for a little more play in everyday life—especially where we least expect it.

You can find out more about Katy at her website: katyhutson.com

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Catherine is joined again by Maria Garvey who is navigating life with ongoing physical fragility and chronic pain. She reflects on surrender, vulnerability, and the slow undoing of an identity built on strength, resilience, and responsibility. What emerges is not a neat lesson, but a lived experience of being “broken open” — and discovering love not as something earned or managed, but something received.

Together they explore curated vulnerability, aging, self-compassion, and the courage it takes to stop “bouncing back.” Maria shares stories of toll booth chocolate bars and “microdoses of love” — inviting us to notice the small, sacred encounters that hold us together. What does it mean to rest into love, especially when life brings us somewhere we’d rather not go?

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