What am I reading right now? I love peeking onto other people's bookstands, discovering new books to read. Reading and lifelong learning are passions of mine and between our local library now open for limited hours and good ol' Amazon, I always have plenty of piles of books to tackle. I am one of those types who read more than one book at a time. I graze. I underline. I highlight. I make notes in my journal. In 2020 I wanted to read more and can honestly say, this is one goal that so far, I have accomplished. So here are a few of the books expanding my heart and nourishing my mind right now. The Interior Castle – St Teresa of Avila. Translated by Mirabai Starr. I have just begun an online course on the Interior Castle from Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation. The material is presented by Mirabai Starr, the author of this version and James Finley. Mirabai's enthusiasm and obvious love for Teresa of Avila is phenomenal, inspiring the reader to dig … [Read more...]
Spiritual Journaling in 2020
Spiritual journaling is the pdf most people request from this blog. This has been true throughout the years (I can't believe I have been blogging since 2009!) and true this year too. Click below if you what to see the number one request. Click Here to Get the Tip Sheet I love talking with God in my journal. At home. While traveling. On retreat. My journal companions me on all types of journeys, especially through this adventure called 2020. Expressing my prayers, emotions, hurts, dreams and whatever else is on my heart to God through the spiritual practice of writing in a journal brings me clarity and peace. I hear God's voice and discern his wisdom. Writing becomes my camera capturing a moment in time in the net of my pen. I began thinking about this word – capturing – this past week and discovered three treasures emerging during 2020 in my journal. Spiritual journaling captures history. I have literally copy, printed then inserted into my journal internet … [Read more...]
I Arise Today – St Patrick and I Wake Up
"I arise today" is the phrase for me launching each new day. I stir, one eye half open peeking at the time on the clock and stretch my arms over my head while still tucked under the cool sheets. There is an old joke. Some people wake up and say, " Good God it's morning." Others start with their day with "Good Morning, God." I am in the Good Morning, God group. Good morning, Lord brings a smile to my heart and a push to get moving. The Holy Spirit rouses my soul and pushes my get going button to full throttle. Ok, not full throttle. Often, I putter and stall, then I recall the phrase, "I arise today." This is a prayer, also called the Deer's Cry, attributed to St. Patrick. Here are the words. I arise todayThrough the strength of heaven;Light of the sun,Splendor of fire,Speed of lightning,Swiftness of the wind,Depth of the sea,Stability of the earth,Firmness of the rock.I arise todayThrough God's strength to pilot me;God's might to uphold … [Read more...]
10 Spiritual Retreat Tips
Interested in spiritual retreat tips? I recently blogged about my usual way of going on retreat – in a group at a retreat center – and how Covid had cancelled all these types of events. I then scheduled my own retreat at a hermitage. While there I noticed insights that I thought may be useful to you for your next retreat. Paying attention is a key practice all the time as his presence coats all our times and he is so willing to show us his lessons. Here are a few photos of the hermitage at the Lady of the Pines, Fremont Ohio and 10 spiritual retreat tips. 10 Spiritual Retreat Tips Give yourself grace – Every retreat I have participated in, this one included there is a time to slowly let go and enter into the stillness and silence. I forget the outside noise and inside chatter need time to slowly drip away and space for quiet and God to gently appear. The first evening and some of the first full day becomes the entrance way, the threshold, the … [Read more...]
Good – Better – Best – Discernment Tools
Discernment is one of the main reasons people seek out a spiritual director. They genuinely desire to hear God clearer and experience the divine in a deeper way for guidance and growth. Discernment is intentional decision making in the light of God. This essential spiritual practice is one we keep learning about on our entire walk with God. I have featured this practice several times in the past here and here on Healthy Spirituality. One of the difficulties in discernment is the multiple options we now have in our lives. Maybe we can choose between something wrong vs right or hateful vs. loving, but what about those gray areas with many in-between choices? Most of our possibilities fall in the middle of the spectrum with a large range of advantages and disadvantages. Good Better Best Use in the Foggy Middle One technique I have been using when discerning my next right step is to list the viable and realistic choices and then rate them: Good, Better, Best. To be … [Read more...]
Creating Your Own Spiritual Retreat
I desperately need my annual spiritual retreat. I shared a post here on Healthy Spirituality in early March about getting ready to go on a silent retreat. I craved the time away with God. With joy, I anticipated the silence. I diligently prepared, prayed, and planned. Things don't always turn out like we want or need, do they? Need I say more than one word: Covid. Retreat canceled. Actually, my retreat was one of the first things to be scratched on my filled calendar and came as a shock. Looking back its deletion was the first domino of a string of tumbling that continues to fall. Creating My Own Retreat I have retreated at home in the past (see this blog post for some ideas) but getting away to a quiet area offers more depth for me. I am a spiritual director and have several directees creating their own retreats. One in a cabin he owns in a woods. Another at home. They inspire me. I called the retreat center and found out while they were not hosting formal … [Read more...]
What Do You Need to Let Go?
To let go is hard. I tend to cling to what I know, stay in the rut of self-pity too long and dwell in the past rather than moving forward, even when the healing has begun. I admit this. I am beginning to recognize this tendency quicker than I used to, and I am learning to let go. I love Emily P. Freeman's podcast, The Next Right Thing. A few weeks ago, she challenged us to "Leave It Behind." Well worth your time to listen to her wise words. Emily first discussed names we were and are called and continue to call ourselves. Do you have a nickname? What did your parents call you? Your friends? Your adversaries? I still hear a collection of monikers echoing in my heart: Jean Anne, Ammie, Jeanie, Indian Fatso (from 6th grade - ugh!) J, and Beanie. My weight watcher friends now call me Lean Jean – I like that one. ( : Emily shares: "Your life is a story already happening, and you bring every name with you wherever you go. Like … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in July
I haven't written a monthly musing post since February – remember that month? Prepandemic? When events were still on the calendar? Vacations anticipated and planned? How quickly our worlds turned upside down. Yet the practice of reflection, examining where you soul is, how you spend your time, and how are you nourishing yourself in all dimensions, continues to ground us and grows us deeper. I think it is time I ponder July and possibly back even further. I like to look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musings Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musings Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often … [Read more...]