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A Wide Open Space
A Wide Open Space is a Womanist podcast for Black women of faith who are committed to the journey of flourishing. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry, this show sits at the intersection of faith and personal development, offering a decidedly progressive space where Black women are unapologetically centered.
Every episode, we explore the mindsets, practices, and rituals that help us root down and rise up - personally, professionally, and spiritually. Through scripture, storytelling, and soul work, each episode offers a devotional reflection, honest conversation, and a practical exercise designed to help you get 1% better every day.
Whether you're navigating a significant life transition or seeking to re-create your life from within, this podcast is your invitation to partner with God in creating a life you genuinely love. This is for the ambitious, faith-filled Black woman who takes her work and purpose seriously and wants to become her most healed, most authentic, and most excellent self.
Welcome to your Wide Open Space - where transformation meets tradition, and where Black women flourish freely.
A Wide Open Space
Rising in Love
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Scripture: Song of Solomon 8:4 - "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."
Summary: This Black History Month, we're celebrating Black love in all its forms - self-love, romantic love, sisterhood love. But not love as something that just happens to us. Love as something we choose, something we rise in, something that becomes a vehicle for our transformation.
Drawing from some of Toni Morrison’s powerful words in her novel, Jazz, I'm exploring what it means to approach love with agency and intentionality. Love as a classroom where we're constantly learning. Love as a mirror where we see ourselves in new lights. Love as a slow, long walk where giving and receiving happen at once.
I'm answering questions from a former student about what rising in love looks like in practice and how to maintain individuality while building relationship. And I'm naming the conditions that help us rise in love instead of falling into it: self-knowledge, readiness, reciprocity, and the wisdom to wait until love can be awakened at the right time.
Exercise: The Love Assessment - (1) Assess your readiness for love, (2) Evaluate your current relationships (are you rising or falling?), (3) Name your conditions - the non-negotiables that help you rise.
Connect With Me
Want to go deeper? Visit www.revneichelle.com to explore my work, my ministry, and how we can grow together.
Let’s stay connected! Follow me on Instagram and Substack for more inspiration and continued conversation.
Ready to transform? Apply for coaching - I work with ambitious Black women who are ready to partner with God to create lives they love.
Questions? Feedback? Just want to say hello? Drop me a line - I’d love to hear how this podcast is landing in your life!