Many of us watched in shock, sadness, and heartache as Notre Dame burned on April 15. Fixated on the scene, I couldn't imagine the horror, destruction, and grief from this tragedy. The years of worship and the deep identity of a symbol for the French blazing to its ruin. Remembering - The Cross Still Stands But Notre Dame wasn't completely destroyed as we learned the next day. I love this photo, showing the burned wooden beams from the collapsed roof crumbled at the foot of the golden cross. The headline in the secular papers read -The Cross Still Stands. Amen! No matter how our world is abolished around us, our lives in defeat or we are overcome with hopelessness, God remains. Then stories emerged. One report told of a human chain of firefighters and the firefighter chaplain risking their lives to enter the burning cathedral to find and rescue key artifacts and priceless treasures from the engulfed church. The human chain image reminded me of how we are all linked … [Read more...]
Holy Week – What is Holy Tuesday?
What is Holy Tuesday? This week is Holy Week – a major worship-filled week for Christians. What a week to create space in our lives, calendars and time to come humbly and mindfully before God who gave us all – life, love, and grace. We start the week together waving palms, honoring Jesus as King. We eat together on Thursday beholding Jesus as the bread and wine. We cry together in the dark sanctuary on Friday evening, remembering the cruxificion. We rejoice together on Sunday receiving the gift of everlasting life from the One who defeated death forever. As this post goes live, it is Tuesday. What is Holy Tuesday? Holy Tuesday The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that on Monday Jesus cleanses the temple of the money changers, curses the fig tree, and weeps ever Jerusalem. On Tuesday, all four Gospels relate that Jesus finds the fig tree withered and talks about faith. What Does Holy Tuesday Teach Us? As I paused on this way through this sacred time, I … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in March
March Monthly Musings Some people don't like March. Me? I really enjoy March. March is my birthday month. But more than just that special day in my life, I love watching for the first greening hints of spring – robins, buds on the bushes, and a-just-enough warm breezes to open a window. Yes, we can get nasty weather, even lots of snow in March, but I know it won't last long. March is hope for newness coming. One of my favorite women of spiritual history is Hildegard of Bingen. She wrote about the greening power of life. I think of her in March. What Hildegard's greening means is the life force within everything that is alive, including us. Greening refers to vigor and vitality and is a gift and energy from our Creator God planted in us, our world, and our universe to savor and cultivate. “The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity, permeates the entire body to give it life. Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful. Thus the air is … [Read more...]
The Words of Whimsey
In January I shared here on Healthy Spirituality my theme for the year for this blog: WWW. WWW stands for wisdom, wonder, and whimsey. I heard these words a few years ago and been thinking of studying them deeper, possibly expanding them into book(s). Why not start that journey with you all here on the blog to see if there is interest, enough "legs" to become book-worthy and to expand my own insight into these themes? Wonder had its first appearance here and today I start down the Whimsey Way. On that initial post I wrote, "Isn't whimsey a fun word? It tickles the tongue and brings smiles to hearts. I tend to be too serious and not take the time for joy and delight found in life. We have a God of joy and delight, One who takes delight in us too and I know I am missing this aspect in my relationship with God. The deep dive into the world of wonder will bring me to gratitude and I think I will find joy there too, but I want to explore how joy is also found in creativity, colors, … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in February
February Monthly Musings Ah, February – the month of love. I reread and shared with several spiritual direction companions this month, Father Pedro Arrupe's prayer about falling in love with God. His words lingered in my heart this month. Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. I sat with God, soaking in his love this month. Each month I 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 … [Read more...]
10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging
10 Years. 10 Lessons. Yes, on February 20, 2009, this blog, Healthy Spirituality, was born. And now more than 1500 posts later, I am amazed 10 years have flown by. Wow! Some of you have been with me from early on, every week – thank you. Some of you joined along the way – thank you. Some of you are new friends – thank you. To celebrate I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one of you. Just leave a comment below by midnight Sunday, Feb. 17 2019 and a winner will be chosen by random. I will email that person early next week and announced the winner too on the Feb 19, 2019 blog post. Again thank you for being part of my little celebration and our Healthy Spirituality Community. Did you know we have a Healthy Spirituality Facebook group where we share inspiration and our walk together in faith? Hop over to Facebook and search for Healthy Spirituality Community and join us. It's free! FYI – the behind the scenes crazy tech update of this blog is almost completed – So far … [Read more...]
Do You Wonder about Wonder?
I am wondering about wonder. This word is one of my three WWW's I am exploring in 2019. I introduced this theme last month and will periodically write about each of the W's throughout the year. WWW stands for wisdom, wonder, and whimsey. I felt God inviting me into these three words several years ago and been thinking of studying them deeper, possibly expanding them into a book(s). Why not start that journey with you all here on the blog to see if there is interest, enough "legs" to become book-worthy and to expand my own insight into these themes? I am starting my WWW journey with this word since Socrates wisely advised us that “wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” What is Wonder? A definition is always a good place to start. Wonder can be both a noun and a verb. The dictionary states that to wonder is "to think or speculate curiously or to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel." As a noun, it can be "something strange and surprising; a cause of surprise, … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in January
January Monthly Musings I am not a winter person (it's cold and snowy in northwest Ohio where it tends to have endless dreary cloudy days too). BUT I do love the fresh start of a new year. I am grateful for January – new beginnings, looking forward to a full year of surprises and life and my obsession with organizing that hits a frenzy this time of year. How has January greeted your spirit? Each month I 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 Musing Journal. You can use anything, scraps of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or if you want to click the button at the end of this post to get a … [Read more...]