‘Tis the season for gift planning, gift wishing, and gift giving. How about considering what priceless gifts you could offer this year? The greatest gift you can give someone is your time, because when you give your time you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back. Unknown Often the gifts we hold most dear to our hearts can’t be bought with money. A gift that gives twice Is a present without a price. Jean Wise [bctt tweet="A gift that gives twice Is a present without a price. Jean Wise" username="Jeanwise"] On a recent podcast, Marie Forleo stressed the difference between gratitude and appreciation.  Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. We are grateful for the things we have in our life – our family, food, home, etc. Appreciation recognizes something great in someone else. Then to express that appreciation to them. Wouldn't that be an awesome priceless gift for someone? “Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is … [Read more...]

"Life is not about receiving at all times; it is a combination of being thankful for what you have as blessings and sharing those blessings with others who need a little fraction of what you have." Catherine Pulsifer Be a blessing, share our blessings and count our blessings all power up gratitude in our lives. Thankfulness isn’t an “ego-stroking, let me feel better because it is all about me” action – being grateful opens our hearts to realize all we do have and then share these gifts from God with others. Gratitude is November’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Last week I introduced ideas about gratitude and challenge you to write a thank you note to God. Did you try that?   I did. My note to God evolved into prayer and a deep conversation about what I take for granted, forgiveness for times I ignore God’s gifts, and an overwhelming thankfulness for my … [Read more...]

Gratitude nourishes the soul and refreshes the spirit. Intentionally practicing thankfulness brings peace and joy to our hearts.  Gratitude is a powerful spiritual practice. Just as I learned last month and continue to nurture the phrase “grace before guess,” this month I am focusing on gratitude and “living with thanksgiving.” [bctt tweet="Focusing on gratitude and living with thanksgiving. Jean Wise" username="Jeanwise"] “Maybe the simplest and most effortless habit for living a happier life is to take one or a few minutes every day to focus on what is already here and that you can be grateful for in your life.”  Henrik Edberg Gratitude is November’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. This is the time of year many of us ponder what we are thankful for in life and generally live with an increased sense of gratitude. Living a life of gratitude helps us find the … [Read more...]

Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? I read about this new idea – at least new to me – last month as I was writing the series on Healthy Spirituality about the spiritual practice of letting go. Sorting and throwing out all our physical stuff fits our exploration of letting go. Decluttering is a form of letting go and can be extremely challenging to get rid of piles of papers and those out of sight/out of mind boxes tucked away in the basement and garage. We boldly decide to relinquish bad habits, attitudes and assumptions, but avoid the physical material we accumulate and cling to that encumbers our lives. I am bewildered by a local television ad about the solution to having too much stuff – just rent another storage unit so you can buy more stuff. We are packrats! Collect more stuff? No, it’s time to let go. What is Swedish Death Cleaning? Letting go begins with the decision to move from disorder to order, burden to unburden, and confusion to clarity. It starts with … [Read more...]

Quotes bring tidbits of wisdom and insight and an incentive to dive deeper into a thought, belief, and behavior. Often a quote will arrive at our heart’s doorstep at just the right moment we need to absorb its words. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. I invite you if you haven’t already to explore the October posts about letting go so far shared here. The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go - Assumptions The Prayer of Relinquishment Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.”  These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in … [Read more...]

Do you have the courage to put into action the spiritual practice of letting go? I had to face this question when I decided to delve into this discipline this month. Letting go challenges my comfort zone and requires vulnerability and willingness to step into the risky unknown with faith that God will lead me to where and what I need to grow spiritually. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.”  These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in my journal to use in my prayers, asking God to show me what fills my heart and mind that … [Read more...]

In Ohio, colorful leaves are letting go. Trees model for us the necessity of times to release, shed, unburden our lives as a healthy way to live. Seasons revolve, not precisely, but predictably, teaching us lessons if we pay attention. The spiritual practice of letting go is perhaps one of the most challenging of the disciplines. One that takes courage to release what is comfortable and known, and step into faith, not knowing what to expect next. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.”  These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these at one time, but to have … [Read more...]