Shows / Wayfarer
Wayfarer
Tom Vander Well is author of "This Call May Be Monitored (What Eavesdropping on Corporate America Taught Me About Business and Life)" A "wayfaring stranger" life's road. Husband, father, writer, CEO, actor, playwright, preacher, back porch musician, and follower of Jesus, he shares his thoughts and observations on the journey. Each weekday he offers 5-10 minute Chapter-a-Day (CaD) reflections on one chapter of the Bible, perfect for a daily commute. Longer reflections are on the Wayfarer…
Episodes
Wayfarer"Yet This I Call to Mind" (CaD Lam 3)
Along the journey, I've learned that there's a point at which the healthy expression of my sorrow becomes an unhealthy victim status. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
How I Should Grieve! (CaD Lam 2)
It's through the free flow of my grief that God spiritually transports me to where He's leading me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Lamentations 2. The text…
- Wayfarer
Blue Christmas (CaD Lam 1)
In the quiet this morning, I found myself praying for all those for whom this Christmas is an especially "blue" Christmas. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
The Choice (CaD Gen 50)
Should Joseph decide to "settle accounts" with his brothers for beating him with murderous intent and then selling him into slavery he could. All Joseph had to…
- Wayfarer
The Words of a Parent (CaD Gen 49)
Along my earthly journey, I have observed individuals whose lives have been either blessed or plagued by the words of a parent. These words get imprinted in a…
- Wayfarer
"Effed Up Family" (CaD Gen 48)
Along my earthly journey, I've observed that one's place and position within the family system can often have a tremendous impact on how one sees and perceives…
- Wayfarer
Pilgrimage, Pandemic, and Perspective (CaD Gen 47)
One of the observations I've made in the past two years is the degree to which people fear death, and just how powerfully that fear can drive a person's…
- Wayfarer
Knowing and Not Knowing (CaD Gen 46)
If I had forewarning of every difficulty I have personally faced on my life journey, I'm quite certain I would have opted out of most of them. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
God in the "Hevel" (CaD Gen 45)
Just yesterday morning, over coffee, Wendy and I recounted some painful moments and relationships we've experienced over the years. With each one, we were able…
- Wayfarer
Lessons in the Layers (CaD Gen 44)
Along my journey, I've observed that certain themes are recurring in family systems. I have found these types of patterns fascinating and meaningful in gaining…
- Wayfarer
Generational Impact (CaD Gen 43)
In the quiet this morning, I can't help but think about the decisions we make in our lives that will have a generational impact on our descendants. A…
- Wayfarer
Both/And Family (CaD Gen 42)
One of the lessons my family history adventure taught me is that family is not either/or "good" or "bad," but rather it is both/and good things and bad things…
- Wayfarer
"I'm Over It!" (Or, Not) [CaD Gen 41]
In my experience, one never "gets over" a soul wound (especially father wounds). Rather, I have to "get through" it and do the hard work of understanding just…
- Wayfarer
Circumstances I Don't Control (CaD Gen 40)
The notion we have any control in this life is an illusion. The Sage of Ecclesiastes calls it "hevel." It's like trying to grab hold of the fog. But there's a…
- Wayfarer
Whispers (CaD Gen 39)
The whispers are subtle, yet powerful messages whispered into my soul from childhood. The whispers form, and then reinforce, deeply held beliefs about myself…
- Wayfarer
Different Times, Same Journey (CaD Gen 38)
Times change, but humans of every time and place in history are human. In that, there is nothing new under the sun. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 38…
- Wayfarer
Favoritism (CaD Gen 37)
Favoritism is not only insidious when it's directly and blatantly practiced by a parent, but I've seen it be just as insidious when it is unjustly perceived…
- Wayfarer
Connected (CaD Gen 36)
While the Kingdoms of this world continue to divide, disconnect, separate, and antagonize, Jesus calls me to be an Ambassador of God's Kingdom where the goal…
- Wayfarer
Exile and Return (CaD Gen 35)
One of the things I've discovered along my spiritual journey is that the return is often as important as the destination. In some cases, they turn out to be…
- Wayfarer
"It's Not Business; It's Personal" (CaD Gen 34)
Some mornings I find myself thinking about these big macro thoughts and issues of our world, culture, and society. I always try and end my time in quiet with…
- Wayfarer
Stuck in a Moment (CaD Gen 33)
They say, "Time heals all wounds." Sometimes it's true, but not if my brain replays that uncomfortable, tense moment with my friend over, and over, and over…
- Wayfarer
Wrestling (CaD Gen 32)
This morning, I have to confess to my own internal wrestling match with God, for which I might just have Olympic-worthy talent. And, that's not a good thing. A…
- Wayfarer
(WW) "Strike the Match" with Kathie Evenhouse
On this Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcast I welcome Kathie Evenhouse, co-author of Strake the Match, Light the Fire, a book that unpacks a simple, yet powerful…
- Wayfarer
Letting Go (CaD Gen 31)
While the sentiment of Laban's words, taken at face value, may sound like a heart-warming desire between loved ones, that is definitely not what Laban and…
- Wayfarer
Flawed Characters (CaD Gen 30)
Sometimes, the seemingly irredeemable characters are essential to the ultimate story of redemption. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 30. The text version…
- Wayfarer
Chip Off the Ol' Block (CaD Gen 29)
Sometimes being a "chip off the ol' block" has less to do with looks and more to do with how we think, behave, act, and react within a family system. A…
- Wayfarer
Me and Messy Family (CaD Gen 28)
In marriage, we often think about "two becoming one" but rarely do we discuss the prerequisite of "leaving" our parents and our family system. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Dysfunctional (CaD Gen 27)
Death and funerals tend to bring out all of the "fun" in family "dysfunction." A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 27. The text version of all chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
The "Straight Man" (CaD Gen 26)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself with what is a much-needed reminder given the core motivations of my heart. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 26…
- Wayfarer
Value Judgment (CaD Gen 25)
I make value judgments every day. What do my decisions and choices reveal about what I value, and what I don't? A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 25. The…
- Wayfarer
Wisdom in Knowing the Difference (CaD Gen 24)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself asking a lot of questions that don't have specific answers in the Great Story. And, while I don't have a lot of…
- Wayfarer
The March of Time (CaD Gen 23)
Our culture is obsessed with living well, but I don't observe many people who consider what it means to die well. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 23. The…
- Wayfarer
Faith Challenge (CaD Gen 22)
Abraham blazes the trail of faith. Abraham foreshadows what God is going to do. Abraham's faith echoes through history past, it resonates through the crucified…
- Wayfarer
The Other Side of the Valley (CaD Gen 21)
There are a number of dark valleys on this road of life. Despite my Fourness, I have emerged on the other side of each of them. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Grace and Cancel Culture (CaD Gen 20)
If God operated like Cancel Culture there would be no hope for me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 20. The text version of every chapter-a-day podcast may…
- Wayfarer
Warning Signs & U-Turns (CaD Gen 19)
As I launch into another work week this morning, today's chapter has me asking myself asking three questions.... A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 19. The…
- Wayfarer
Divine Hospitality (CaD Gen 18)
Wendy and I have tried to continue the same kind of hospitality that was modeled for me by my parents, the same kind of generous hospitality we have…
- Wayfarer
The Last Laugh (CaD Gen 17)
Along my journey, I've found faith to be a struggle. It ebbs and flows like the ribbon tied on the middle of the tug-of-war rope. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Namaste God (CaD Gen 16)
Sometimes in the Great Story one must face injustice rather than flee it in order for the larger Story to unfold. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 16. The…
- Wayfarer
Santa God (CaD Gen 15)
This is the problem: It's too easy to mix-up God and Santa Claus. The text version of every chapter-a-day podcast can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
A Sage in the Story (CaD Gen 14)
In today's chapter, we are briefly introduced to a mysterious figure, a sage character who appears on stage for a moment, but whose presence is dripping with…
- Wayfarer
"Greener" Grass (CaD Gen 13)
"Greener" grass isn't always the best criteria for making a decision. A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 13. The text version of every chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
The Journey (CaD Gen 12)
Today's chapter marks an important shift in the Great Story. It is an inflection point. The narrative shifts from humanity's continuous and repetitive descent…
- Wayfarer
Back to Babel (CaD Gen 11)
Never, since the Tower of Babel, has humanity been more of a global village increasingly uniting under the umbrella of technology and connected to all…
- Wayfarer
Passing Notes (CaD Gen 10)
As I traverse this chapter-a-day journey, I'm reminded that every chapter holds meaning, even the seemingly meaningless ones. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Blood and Covenant (CaD Gen 9)
In today's chapter, God establishes the sacredness of "life," "blood," and "covenant." A chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 9. The text version of every…
- Wayfarer
The Inflection Point of Kindness (CaD Gen 8)
I'm reminded this morning of Romans 2:4 which says it is God's kindness that leads to repentance, not hatred, anger, judgment, condemnation, or damnation. A…
- Wayfarer
Destruction and Redemption (CaD Gen 7)
The water in today's chapter was an agent of divine judgment and it is transformed into an agent of divine redemption, and that is a beautiful picture of Great…
- Wayfarer
Order>Chaos>Reorder (CaD Gen 6)
Order, chaos, reorder, is the natural flow of life on earth between the fall of humanity in Genesis chapter three and the new creation of the last two chapters…
- Wayfarer
Beneath the Text (CaD Gen 5)
Today's chapter is more than genealogy. It is layered with numbers and patterns that metaphorically point to important lessons. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
In the Land of Nod (CaD Gen 4)
I walk with purpose. I have a fixed destination like the Wayfaring Stranger in the famous old folk tune. And yet, along the way I have observed many who appear…
- Wayfarer
Entering a World of Pain (CaD Gen 3)
The consequence of Adam and Eve's disobedience was immediate. God arrives and pronounces that they are entering a world of pain. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Ezer Kenegdo (CaD Gen 2)
For whatever reason, God saw fit to surround me with women most of my entire life journey. Chapter-a-day podcast from Genesis 2. The text version of every…
- Wayfarer
And So it Begins... (CaD Gen 1)
As I read through the well-known account of creation, I found both my heart and mind struggling to distill my thoughts down to a simple, coherent thought to…
- Wayfarer
Is This the End?! (CaD 2 Pe 3)
In recent months, I've had multiple followers of Jesus who I know to be learned and wise ask me whether I believe the return of Christ will happen in our…
- Wayfarer
The Well-Worn Playbook (CaD 2 Pe 2)
The playbook is pretty basic: "Indulge your appetites and you will experience freedom." Yet, I've never found anything really free or good traveling down any…
- Wayfarer
On Being a "Member" (CaD 2 Pet 1)
In the opening of Peter's second letter to first-century followers of Jesus, he begins by identifying those who are legitimate followers of Jesus. You won't…
- Wayfarer
Kingdoms Fall (CaD Na 3)
And so I leave the words of ancient Nahum for now until the journey brings me back this way. Kingdoms and empires come and go on this earth as they have since…
- Wayfarer
Smack-Talk (CaD Na 2)
The sub-culture of smack-talk in sports came to mind this morning as I read today's chapter because Nahum's entire prophetic poem is an ancient version of…
- Wayfarer
Faith in Justice (CaD Na 1)
The Great Story is layered with recurring themes. Justice is definitely one of them. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nahum 1. The text version of every…