13 Tips on Keeping a Spiritual Journal Exploring the practice of keeping a spiritual journal is the topic for June’s Tending the Holy Thursdays. Each month on my Thursday posts I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. Last week why you would want to write a spiritual journal was introduced and you can read that post here. This week I plan to share 13 tips on keeping a journal. Next week we will explore all the different types of journals and on last week I will share the practice within this practice, my secret sauce, that makes me such an avid journal keeper. During most of the Tending the Holy Thursday themes, I create an additional free resource for you so this mouth there is a Keeping a Spiritual Journal Tip Sheet. You can get this free by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the tip sheet will enhance your walk with God. Be sure to sign up to get Healthy Spirituality in your inbox, so you don’t … [Read more...]
Keeping a Spiritual Journal
Keeping a Spiritual Journal Exploring the practice of keeping a spiritual journal is the topic for June’s Tending the Holy Thursdays. Each month on my Thursday posts I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. This week we will explore why you would want to write a spiritual journal. Next week will be the tips and how to’s, followed by different types of journals on the third week. The last week I will share the practice within this practice, my secret sauce, that makes me such an avid journal keeper. Like usual I did create a Keeping a Spiritual Journal Tip Sheet and you can get this free by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the tip sheet 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 oversend stuff to you – just tell you when a new post is published). AND PLEASE, those of you who never journal, stay … [Read more...]
Three Pentecost Symbols
Three Pentecost Symbols Pentecost will be celebrating in many of our churches this coming Sunday. I love the imagery and symbols of this important day in the church. Many Christians emphasize Christmas and Easter – and rightfully so – so why do we ignore this key moment in our church? I compiled a guide for ideas to celebrate Pentecost. You can download this resource at no cost by clicking on the button below. Click here to get Pentecost Ideas What is Pentecost? Pentecost is sudden and powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit in and around the disciples and their friends gathered together in Jerusalem Pentecost means "the 50th day" and marks the end of the Easter season. According to the second chapter in Acts, here is what happened: Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the … [Read more...]
Discernment – Lessons Learned
Discernment Discernment has been the theme for April's Tending the Holy Thursday posts. I find it fun and insightful to dig into a topic with more depth. This week I am sharing some lessons I have learned and pondered while studying discernment. May this topic help you through those difficult transitions and just plain daily choices. The first week we began with defining and exploring discernment, second week I shared tips and how-to's, and last week's post of quotes and resources. You may want to read or review them as you need. Discernment – Lessons Learned. Discernment is more than decision-making. Yes, we use discernment at times of major life transitions and crossroads, but this practice also enhances our daily living. Living a discerning life is " hearing a deeper sound beneath the noise of ordinary life and seeing through appearances to the interconnectedness of all things, to gain a vision of how things hand together in our lives and in the world." Henri … [Read more...]
Blessings – How to Use Blessing as a Spiritual Practice
Blessings Blessings – we use this word all the time. "God bless you," we respond when someone sneezes. "Bless your journey," – we might say as someone leaves our presence. Blessings – a single word we could use to close our note or blog post comment. We may even pray using the word "blessings," even with a little sarcasm. "Lord, give me patience to endure these blessings." But have you ever paused and thought about blessings. What does that word mean? How can we intentionally use blessings as a spiritual practice? What is a Blessing? A blessing is a special prayer given from one person to another, as in sincerely wishing the best for somebody. Another way of defining blessing is an unexpected, perhaps undeserved gift. Or to give someone your blessing is to give them your permission, an approval to go ahead with their plan, such as when a young man asks his girlfriend's parents if he can marry their daughter. Blessing can be the words we say before a meal to … [Read more...]
Discernment Quotes and Resources
Discernment is the theme for April's Tending the Holy Thursday posts. This week I am including quotes to inspire you when pondering discernment and some resources to help you along the way. Next week I summarize the lessons we all can learn by living a discerning life. May this deepening topic help you through those difficult transitions and just plain daily choices. This is the third week to explore discernment. The first week we began with defining and exploring discernment and last week I shared tips and how-to's. Quotes to Ponder about Discernment Enjoy the following words of wisdom and feel free to share them on social media and/or Pinterest: "It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty - and said 'do … [Read more...]
Discernment – How to Make those Divine, Daily, and Sometime Difficult Decisions
Discernment. Discernment. Facing those difficult moments of deciding what to do can be hard, confusing, and sometimes life altering. Which way to go? Who will this impact? What will be the consequences? Facing a difficult time of indecisiveness and confusion twists our guts and fogs our faith. Even living with day to day decisions and making the best choices becomes overwhelming in a world distracted with marvelous, tempting, and also annoying options. How can we live and thrive and grow as discerning people? Discernment is the theme for April's Tending the Holy Thursday posts. This week we will explore some of the methods that are helpful with this much needed practice. Next week I will share some quotes and resources, then end with lessons about discernment. May this deepening topic help you through those difficult transitions and just plain daily choices. Remember discernment is more than decision making. To discern in Latin means to discernere - dis = apart and cernere … [Read more...]
Discernment – Divine, Daily and Sometimes Difficult Decision-Making
Discernment. Discernment. I believe we all want to make the best decisions whether they are major life changing ones or discerning how to best live in everyday life. Facing a difficult time of indecisiveness and confusion twists our guts and fogs our faith. How can we live and thrive and grow as discerning people? Discernment is the theme for April's Tending the Holy Thursday posts where I pick one topic to explore more deeply throughout the month. This week we will explore what discernment is and what it looks like. The following weeks will be tips, the nitty-gritty on practicing this much needed skill, then some quotes and lessons about discernment. May this deepening topic help you through those difficult transitions and just plain daily choices. What is Discernment? Discernment is more than decision making. To discern in Latin means to discernere - dis = apart and cernere = to separate. We make a choice but as believers we take in all the meanings, consequences, and … [Read more...]