Are you an optimist? March is Optimism month and a great time to look at this quality and mind/heartset. It may surprise those who know me well, but my basic personality is pretty negative. I made the choice as an adult to value optimism and actively practice this approach to life. I even have a presentation I offer on retreats on the importance of optimism. What is Optimism? The dictionary defines optimism as a tendency to look on the favorable side of events and conditions. The belief that good ultimately predominates over evil. The glass is half full mindset. It is believing that you are responsible for your own happiness and that more good things than bad will happen to you. Some people – usually the pessimists – call us optimists Pollyanna’s, but I think most optimists do have more realistic views of life that given credit for. The Practice of Optimism Professor Martin Seligman conducted research on optimism and wrote a classic book on the topic, Learned Optimism. … [Read more...]
5 Prayer Tools to Strengthen Your Prayer Life
In February, we have been exploring how to strengthen your prayer life – one of the most frequently asked questions I hear. Prayer is a foundation for all healthy spirituality and most of us have a strong desire to be with God more deeply in prayer. The last Thursdays on Tending the Holy Thursdays we’ve looked at the flow of prayer and 3 practical prayer habits. Next week I will tell you the story of one man’s habit of unceasing prayers and how he lived a life of prayer. Don’t forget to get the free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I took a PDF I offered one time last year and expanded it to include new information. “Prayer: 13 Ideas for Keeping Prayer Fresh” is available at no cost by clicking the button at the end of this post. I added ideas for prayer triggers and included a list of well-loved prayers from others, besides adding new resources. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will enhance your walk with God. Be sure to sign up … [Read more...]
3 Practical Prayer Habits to Strengthen Your Prayer Life
How to strengthen your prayer life continues to be one of the most frequently asked questions when I lead retreats, see the results of this blog’s readers survey, and in my spiritual direction practice. Prayer is a foundation for all healthy spirituality and most of us have a strong desire to be with God more deeply in prayer. Exploring our prayer life and ways to strengthen and enhance how we prayer is this month’s Tending the Holy Thursday series. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore. Last week I wrote about the flow of prayer and invited you to be aware of how you pray and what draws you closer to God and what pulls you away from him. I hope you did observe something in the flow of prayer throughout your day that strengthens your prayer life. This week I am sharing 3 practical prayer habits - triggers, types, and time - to strengthen our prayer life. Next week we will explore some prayer tools that can help us and the last … [Read more...]
Are You Ready? Lent is Coming Quickly
Lent is coming quickly. Are you ready? I know, I know what you are thinking. You just got Christmas put away. You barely remember your New Year's resolutions. And the Super Bowl is finally over. You can’t begin to think about the next holy season yet. But you can do a few things to get your heart and mind ready for the Lenten Season. Let’s talk about Lent this Tuesday and next week I will share with you some practices to consider trying during Lent. What is Lent? First, what is Lent? The 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays, comprised the season of Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday which this year falls on March 1. The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” meaning spring. The symbolism of 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry and being tempted by Satan. I like the sound of spring, but hesitate at the temptation and wilderness portion. LOL Traditionally Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and … [Read more...]
How to Strengthen Your Prayer Life
One of the most common answers shown in last fall’s readers’ survey was this concern: How to strengthen your prayer life. Prayer is a foundation for all healthy spirituality and most of us have a strong desire to be with God more deeply in prayer. Exploring our prayer life and ways to strengthen and enhance how we prayer is this month’s Tending the Holy Thursday series. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore. Prayer became an obvious choice after reading the survey results. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I took a PDF I offered one time last year and expanded it to include new information. “Prayer: 13 Ideas for Keeping Prayer Fresh” is available at no cost by clicking the button at the end of this post. I added ideas for prayer triggers and included a list of well-loved prayers from others besides adding new resources. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will … [Read more...]
How to Create Inner Sacred Space
We’ve purchased the 2017 calendar. Some of us (this is so me!) have geekedly planned our year – vacations, dreams, goals and inked them into the schedule. I’ve uncluttered my closet and began my organizational assault on my kitchen drawers. My outer spaces and my external sacred spaces are in order. Yet the restlessness, not feeling quite at home feeling continues. I have neglected one of the most important sacred spaces for all of us – my inner space. How do I find/create/restore my inner sacred space? This Month’s Sacred Space Series Silence is hard to find. Noise, distractions, interruptions, and the lure of busyness interferes with experiencing God’s presence. Even if we quiet and slow down the outside world, creating inner sacred space seems impossible. This month’s our Tending the Holy Thursdays series is exploring the practice of creating sacred space. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. The first week we … [Read more...]
How to Create Outer Sacred Space
Ready to explore outer space? No, Healthy Spirituality has not been taken over by aliens from a distant planet. This month’s our Tending the Holy Thursdays series is exploring the practice of creating sacred space. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. Last week we delve into what sacred space looked like and next week I will write about internal sacred space. Today is finding the sacred in the external, the outer spaces of our lives. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. — Joseph Campbell As usual, I wrote a free download to accompany this study, titled “10 Tips for Creating a Sacred Space at Home,” with suggestions for forming a space in your home and even some blessings for your area. You can get this PDF 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 … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Declutter Your Heart
Anyone else decluttering this January? I find it easy to throw away things I no longer want or need. My hubby’s mind works the opposite. He loves to keep things. (He is a “keeper: in more than one way. Gotta love that guy.) He relishes the moment he pulls something out of a drawer that he has stored for 20 years - just at the precise moment we need it. Decluttering my Closet A few weeks ago, I dove into cleaning my closet. I am a raving fan of listening to podcasts about organization and productivity and have been enjoying Lisa Woodruff’s Organzie365.com. I followed her suggestions in tackling my closet. First remove everything. Don’t sort while in the closet. Put all the clothes on the bed and try them on. Keep what fits and what you like and what you want – donate the rest. She estimates we may get rid as much as 50% of what we have in our closets this way. Then think about the big picture - what do you want your closet to look like in the end in that space? You … [Read more...]