2018 is the Year of Prayer – on this blog and in NW Ohio synod where our Bishop is inviting us to delve deeper into prayer. Each month on the Tending the Holy Thursdays there will be a focus on an aspect of prayer and of course a monthly free download. On my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. This month exploring what prayer is will be the topic I am so excited too about this month’s free download “50 Books about Prayer,” You can get this resource free by clicking on the button at the end of this post. This printable shares 50 books on prayer – there are so many books on prayer, definitely more than 50, but this list is a good starting point for learning more about this practice. And remember we can read, study, listen to podcasts all about prayer, but the best teacher about prayer is praying, spending time with God. Simply talking and listening. Tell God you what to deepen your prayer life and he … [Read more...]
Internal Noise and Busyness
Noise – it permeates our environment – internally and externally, causing anxiety, distraction, and detours from our calling. "Uncluttering Noise and Busyness" is the second of a two-part series here on Healthy Spirituality. This topic was frequently mentioned in last fall's readers' survey and in comments so I know this is an issue for many of us. Also, January is a natural month to declutter and tidy things up – why not also get your heart and mind in order? Last Tuesday we explored external noise and ideas to manage noise and busy and you can read about my fun with "un" words giving suggestions for the outside noise and hastiness that bombard our lives. But what about internal noise and busyness? I think this environment is perhaps more difficult to pin point and manage. Internal Noise and Busyness What is internal noise and busyness? Internal noise is the voice inside us that constantly chatters. We speak to ourselves continually, creating clamor that drones on … [Read more...]
Year of Prayer – What is Prayer?
What is prayer? Welcome to the Year of Prayer. Our Bishop has named 2018 the Year of Prayer and each church and even the synod as a whole is exploring the practice of prayer. Since prayer is such a foundation to a healthy spirituality, this theme is fitting for the blog this coming year too. Each month on the Tending the Holy Thursdays there will be a focus on an aspect of prayer and of course a monthly free download. On my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. This month exploring what prayer is will be the topic. I am so excited too about this month’s free download “50 Books about Prayer,” You can get this resource free by clicking on the button at the end of this post. This printable shares 50 books on prayer – there are so many books on prayer, definitely more than 50, but this list is a good starting point for learning more about this practice. And remember we can read, study, listen to podcasts … [Read more...]
Uncluttering Noise and Busyness
We are under attack. The unprecedented amount of noise and the uninviting amount of busyness threatens to undermine the universe. Are you noticing my fun with words beginning with “un?” No, I am not writing this in my underwear. LOL But on a serious note, when I asked the readers of healthy spirituality last fall the question “what was the biggest challenge in their faith”, the number one answer, the grand “UNO” response was busyness. The second highest answer was hearing God and our own selves amidst the noise bombarding us, internal and external. Noise and Busyness Do we just accept that these two obstacles to our relationship with God persist or can we stop a moment and try to change our circumstances? Let’s start with the external demands of noise and busyness, then next Tuesday explore what we can do to find more internal silence, peace, and stillness. I wager the internal battles we wage in these arenas are more difficult. “One of the greatest attacks of the enemy … [Read more...]
Writing Spiritual Goals
Do you write spiritual goals? Many people shy away from the annual “what’s your new year’s resolution” ritual. Others swear that writing down what you would like to do is the first necessary step in becoming what you would like to be. Ah, the controversy. But what about writing spiritual goals? Should we take the time to ponder where God is inviting us in the coming months? Or is setting spiritual goals too much effort on the human side of controlling our life? I struggle with this issue of writing spiritual goals, but have decided I do like goal setting. I find writing things out gives me clarity and often I hear God better in ink that appears on my journal, more from the spirit than from my mind. I also find I can easier let go of things once revealed in words and be open to where God is leading me. My Process for Writing Spiritual Goals Here are few tips for writing spiritual goals that I have found useful. After I wrote these out, I realized I have never shared this … [Read more...]
Choosing a Word of the Year Practice
I am a goal setter. People who know me well know I love organizing and designing a 90 day or full year plan of action and seeking a direction and implementing a blueprint for the future. This is both good and bad. After all life does interfere and God is in charge, not me. LOL One of the practices that has guided my decisions, prayers and focus each year is choosing a word for the year. Actually, the word choses me – it keeps nipping at my heart, reoccurring in messages and in stories, unfolds in my thoughts. How to Choose a Word of the Year I have written about this practice in the past and have included resources so I won’t repeat all the instructions here but share my previous posts about this valuable practice. I encourage you to take the time to read these, especially if this is new for you. How do you find a word for the year? Simple follow these steps: Pray – ask God to show you the quality that He wants to mature in you. Or the word that He wants to transform … [Read more...]
The Writer and the Birds and the Man and the Birds – Winter Bird Lessons
They are back! Who? The birds outside my office window. The Writer and the Birds My hubby filled the feeder and I set up the suet last week. It didn’t take long for my little friends to discover that the Birdseed Bistro open for the season. What these birds don't know, their presence is a gift to me. You see, I hate winter. It is my least favorite season in northwest Ohio. I don’t like being cold. The darkness affects my mood. The uncertainty of never knowing if the roads will be clear or not. The changeable weather shrouds events with worry and uneasiness. Winter is a time of waiting for something better to come along. One practice I’ve adopted the past few years is challenging myself to find something I like about winter. I have learned a lot from doing this and it has opened up my imagination of the beauty of this time of year and the gifts of this season. The birds flocking, playing, and eating just outside my office window is one of these gifts. I … [Read more...]
Ever Hear of Lost and Found Day?
Lost? The second Friday in December is National Lost and Found Day. Ever hear of this holiday before? I certainly hadn’t, but the idea invited me to consider how being lost and found weaves throughout my life experiences. Lost and Found Day Lost and Found Day encourages us to return any items that we may have found during the past year to the people who have lost them. The official Lost and Found Day is a day for renewed hope and belief that lost items should never be forgotten or abandoned to lost and found limbo. A time to try to find any personal belongings which we have lost and put an end to the frustration of having to go without something we need. Celebrated first in 2012, this fun day is an unofficial holiday that reminds people to not give up on the things they have lost and to increase their efforts to find them. I read one survey that reported that one in five of us loses or misplaces personal items every week. Car keys are the number one item lost and cell phones … [Read more...]