Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully through the Hours of the Day by Macrina Wiederkehr is this month’s Healthy Spirituality Book Chat selection. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I want to feature a Christian book that I am reading or want to reread. To be honest, I have a towering pile of books I want to read, but never seem to get to and now by telling you this idea, I am hoping I take the time for more reading and study in my own spiritual journey. I also have a several “top shelf” books, that I have read previously and loved and want to dig back into their words once again. I yearn to go deeper and less shallow in my spiritual walk. With this monthly Book Chat, we will take a look at a book and glean a lesson to nourish a healthy spirituality. To stretch myself, in addition to what I share in writing on this blog, I want to include a video about the book and a second insight from its words. I may even try doing this as live streaming on Facebook Live. … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Celebration
The results of my life assessment test rested before me. I could guess the score already, as this was the third time I completed one of these self-identity tools. I love taking these peak inside of my life quizzes– it affirms what I know about myself and often gives me a new perspective about why I do or think certain ways. You know these kinds of tests. They look something like this: Rate yourself in the following categories from one, being the lowest/weakest to 10, being the highest. Life areas assessed are categories such as physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, spiritual, family, joy/recreation, personal growth, time, career, etc. They may be listed, in a checklist or a wheel. My lowest? My “F” in the report card of life? My “why can’t you do better” score? Joy/recreation. I flunk celebration. I race from one completed job to another without stopping to enjoy the accomplishment. When I retired from public health, they practically had to drag me to my own … [Read more...]
Dialogue Prayer – A Spiritual Retreat Practice
Ever hear of the Dialogue Prayer? I attended my annual silent retreat a few weeks ago. The spiritual directors for the retreat offer us guidance and ideas to deepen our experience of God during our time there – one suggestion was to use Dialogue Prayer. I have journaled for years. I often write out my conversations with God – my hopes, concerns, fears, etc. I also have recorded what I think God is inviting me to go, to do, to be. But I have never used this formal technique before. What is Dialog Prayer and How It Works Dialogue prayer reflects the basic definition of prayer – a conversation with God. What is different is the format when writing out the prayer. The entire process is bathed, submerged in prayer. Solitude and silence joins on this holy ground too. On my retreat, my dialogue prayer looked like a dramatic script for a play. I imagined sitting with God, often on rocking chair on the front porch of a cabin, and we talk. One retreat we sat on a picnic … [Read more...]
7 C’s of the Spiritual Practice of Study – Four More C’s
The 7 C’s of the spiritual practice of study have been the focus for March’s Tending the Holy series. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. I am so glad you are here today. Exploring the practice of study as a spiritual discipline strengthens our faith and feeds our mind. I think this practice leads us to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. The first two weeks we looked deeper into the practice of study and last week we unpacked the first three C’s of the 7 C’s of study: Curiosity, Commitment, and Concentrate. Today we’ll finish us with the C’s of Cultivate, Comprehend, Contemplate, and Conversion. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button here. Click … [Read more...]
The 7 C’s of the Spiritual Practice of Study – The First Three C’s
What are the 7 C’s of the spiritual practice of study? In March, we are exploring how the practice of study as a spiritual discipline strengthens our faith. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. The first two weeks we looked deeper into the practice of study and today will unpack three of the 7 C’s of study: Curiosity, Commitment, and Concentrate. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will enhance your walk with God. Our Healthy Spirituality community is growing. Be sure to sign up to get Healthy Spirituality in your inbox so you don’t miss any of the weeks (I promise I never … [Read more...]
Diving Deeper for Treasures in the Spiritual Practice of Study
The spiritual practice of study unearths wisdom and treasures for our spiritual journey. Going deeper through study nourishes the mind, heart, and spirit and leads to a healthy spirituality. In March, we are exploring how this practice as a spiritual discipline strengthens our faith. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will enhance your walk with God. The following two weeks here on Healthy Spirituality, we will dive deeper into the 7 C’s of the Practice of Study. Last week I introduced this topic with the post “Nourishing a Healthy … [Read more...]
March Merriment
March Madness Merriment How about some March Madness Merriment? Winter dreariness is getting me down. The news, arguments, and tensions wear on my nerves. I need some joy, a touch of laughter, and something whimsical to ponder. And March is my birthday month so why not write about something light, inspirational and fun today! Brain Pickings printed an insightful article about Hermann Hesse's wisdom about busyness. Here is one quote that jumped out for me: "I would simply like to reclaim an old and, alas, quite unfashionable private formula: Moderate enjoyment is double enjoyment. And: Do not overlook the little joys!" Let’s have some March Merriment! Middle Name Merriment Did you know and miss that March 10th was National Middle Name Day? I know I missed that celebration. What is your middle name and how did you get it? My second name is Anne and I was named for my great Aunt Anna. And yes, as Anne Shirley would say proudly (if you watched Anne of Green … [Read more...]
Nourishing a Healthy Spirituality – The Spiritual Practice of Study
Nourishing a Healthy Spirituality - The Spiritual Practice of Study A healthy spirituality balances the nourishment of the mind, heart, and spirit. The spiritual practice of study is one habit that feeds us and keeps us going on this journey of life. In March, we will explore how the practice of study as a spiritual discipline to strengthen our faith. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will enhance your walk with God. Be sure to sign up to get Healthy Spirituality in your inbox so you don’t miss any of the weeks (I promise I never over … [Read more...]