Discovering Joy by Savoring Childhood with Grace Pouch

Our often hurried pace of life not only affects us as adults, but also our kids.

How can we create rhythms of rest, play, and delight to help our kids savor their childhood years—even as we learn rich spiritual lessons from them as adults?

In this episode of The Digital Examen, Jay Y. Kim welcomes Grace Pouch, educator, content manager for Renovaré, and author of Savoring Childhood. Together, they talk honestly about the frenzied pace of modern life—how it impacts young people, families, and the adults we become—and propose gentler rhythms centered on trust, presence, and joy.

Pouch shares her own journey as a parent and teacher, reflecting on how savoring the moments of childhood, lingering with familiar stories and practices, and embracing Sabbath rest can help children and adults recover a sense of identity and connection with God and one another. They discuss why nurturing play, creativity, and even boredom are essential in a world obsessed with productivity and achievement.

If you sense that life has become too rushed and wonder how to recapture joy, trust, and deep spiritual formation for yourself or the children in your life, this episode is for you.

This episode highlights the following themes:
✅ The importance of savoring childhood
✅ Spiritual formation is a slow work
✅ Sabbath as a space for trust and rest

Links from this episode:
✅ Learn more about Grace Pouch (www.ivpress.com/grace-pate-pouch)
✅ Read Grace Pouch’s book, Savoring Childhood (www.ivpress.com/savoring-childhood)
✅ Discover Renovaré (renovare.org/) and resources for spiritual renewal
✅ Read the transcript here (drive.google.com/file/d/1JbHZk6TOKVti25yi521l8mOaRCXzOM_H/view)

✅ Preorder The Pace of Peace (www.ivpress.com/the-pace-of-peace) by Jay Y. Kim
✅ Learn more about The Digital Examen (www.ivpress.com/)
✅ Learn more about your host, Jay Y. Kim (jaykimthinks.com/)
✅. Listen to Meditations from The Digital Examen (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meditations-from-the-digital-examen/id1777487307)
✅ Download a Guide to The Examen (www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/digital-examen-podcast/The-Examen.pdf)

Slowing down in a culture of speed isn’t easy. Noticing in an age of distraction might be even harder. But walking intentionally with God happens at the pace of peace, leading us to that which often feels elusive: joy and delight. In this season of The Digital Examen podcast, host Jay Y. Kim joins an array of writers, educators, artists, and theologians to explore the many gifts God offers just beneath the surface of our frenzied lives, often hidden in plain view. Together, we’ll discover that a life marked by joy and delight is available to any and all who would slow down and notice.

SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com (www.ivpress.com/) and use the code IVPEXAMEN40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

Credits:
✅ Consulting Producer: Helen Lee
✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo and Travis Albritton
✅ Assistant Producer: Jack Reece
✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts (honestpodcasts.com/)
✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne
✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard and Elsbette San Blas
✅ Theme Song: "For They Will Inherit the Earth" by Stephen Keech

==== Time Stamps ====

00:00 – Introduction
03:47 – About Grace Pouch
04:42 – What Compelled Grace Pouch to Write Savoring Childhood
10:50 – What Children Teach Us About Time and Presence
12:54 – Sabbath as Rest and a Training Space for Trust
17:41 – Helping Kids Grow at a Healthy Pace
22:16 – The Value of Boredom, Play, and Lingering
26:57 – Counterpoints to a Hurried, Noisy Culture
32:45 – Children as Contributors in Church Life
39:06 – Undivided, Loving Attention

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.