Word of the year practice can be a driving force in deepening our self-knowledge, in finding clarity and meaning, and in growing closer to God. Peeling off the layers of our words takes intention, observation, reflection, and maybe some wrestling with our words. I just spent several hours in my journal and Bible exploring my phrase this year – “Honoring the thirst deep within.” I feel like I am coming up for air after concentrating and listening actively to what the Spirit is teaching me. John O’Donohue wrote, “Longing is the voice of your soul.” I am deeply listening for this voice. Like peeling an onion, this process comes off one sheer section at a time and perhaps with a few tears. And this is only the start of the unraveling of this adventure into these words. Right now, I hold more questions than answers – and maybe that will stay true throughout this process. Each layer contains lessons. A few tidbits of what I am noticing: Dear Friends, I hope this … [Read more...]
Pondering the Pillars of a Healthy Spirituality – Be Awake!
What are the pillars of a healthy spirituality? In 2023 I plan to explore different building blocks, components, the essential nutrients that support a vibrant strong life with God. I hope to learn, study, and share thoughts about these various aspects and hope they bring fresh insights to all of our earthly journeys as God continues to shape our souls. This week I am pondering being awake. Being awake “Just being awake, alert, attentive is no easy matter. I think it is the greatest spiritual challenge that we face.” Diana L. Eck Anthony DeMello tells this story:“A group of tourists sits in a bus that is passing through gorgeously beautiful country; lakes and mountains and green fields and rivers. But the shades of the bus are pulled down. They do not have the slightest idea of what lies beyond the windows of the bus. And all the time of their journey is spent in squabbling over who will have the seat of honor in the bus, who will be applauded, who will be well … [Read more...]
Four Somethings
Four Somethings is a regular blog post where I feature bits of wisdom in four categories. Gathering Four Somethings makes me aware of all the blessings often hidden under busyness, worries, and distractions. These “somethings” become markers in our spiritual journey. With so much pivoting and uncertainty in our lives right now, being grounded in a simple practice like this guides my way. As I began this practice last year, I listened to my heart and to God and narrowed down my four categories and use them to frame these life lessons: Each one reminds me to pay attention to these qualities in my life as gifts from God. Something Wise Kate Bowler shared this New Year Blessing on her web page. So fitting for all of us and a wonderful prayer to accompany my words of the year: Honor the thirst deep within. A blessing for when you want to change God, I carry around this incompleteness, this drive for fulfillment that always seems just around the … [Read more...]
The Power of Writing Things Down
When you write things down, articulate your dreams, goals, and prayers, struggle to find just that right word or phrase that describes a deep desire, God breaks in with power beyond our understanding and our lives become more meaningful. I noticed again this power in writing things down as I prayed, discovered, wrestled with my word of the year. Then I sense its presence in my annual rereading and summary of my journal and the listening and recording of where I felt God leading me in 2023. God appeared in sticky notes of ideas and in notations in my Bible and journal. I felt his strength and clarity as the ink dried and with each click of the keyboard. Is it my muse or the Holy Spirit? I like to think of them as one source.“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’” Jeremiah 30: 2. Writing things down invites God’s wisdom and clarity to how we think, speak, and live. I am the type of person who doesn’t … [Read more...]
Word for the Year Wavering
My word for the year wavers this year. I have done this practice of exploring and pondering one word throughout the year for more than 10 years. A word for the year is a rewarding, deepening, guiding discipline. But I struggled this year with discovering the word that best fit my soul. I started in November listening, watching for words that shimmer, resonate with potential to be guiding stars. The list grows, then narrows to a few candidates for prayer and “second interviews.” Does the word stretch my imagination, contain enough mystery to invite me deeper, touch a hunger within my soul? I read what others were discovering and learning. Listening, looking, seeking a new word for 2023. The past few years spoiled me with a clear winner. A strong word that taught me lessons and brought me closer to God. This year that hasn’t been true. Yes, I watched for key words. Yes, I wrote out a list. Yes, I began to narrow the list down to a few possibilities. … [Read more...]
Second Guessing
Second guessing – I get caught in this mood quite a bit. Do you find yourself second guessing your decisions, motives, and actions? Me too. When I pay attention to my thoughts, I confess I fall into this trap more often than I realize. Then I listened to a directee in spiritual direction last week who also got stuck and weighed down with overthinking. We second guess ourselves. We second guess God. I decided to do some reading and research about this human behavior and seek God’s guidance in managing this habit. Second guessing can be a beneficial but also if it dominates our thoughts and stirs our anxiety can lead to procrastination, indecisiveness, and lack of peace and joy. What is Second Guessing Second guessing can be defined as overanalyzing our decisions after they are made. We wonder if we have made the best choice or not. This is a normal human reaction but we don’t have to allow it to ruin our day or run our lives. Doubts and … [Read more...]
What is saving your life right now?
What’s saving my life right now? When I first heard this question, I wasn’t impressed. How odd, I thought. I don’t get the value of asking this. Last week I heard this question again from Emily P Freeman, then read another blog post by Crystal Rowe based on this. Emily explained on her podcast the origin and importance of this question: “Well, just this week I finished listening to Barbara Brown Taylor’s memoir, Leaving Church. It’s all about her story of finally getting her dream job as an Episcopal priest and serving a small parish in Georgia, only to realize about five years in that in order to save her own faith, she had to leave the role of priest behind. Now, I’ve read portions of this particular book of hers over the years, but the last few weeks I listened to the entire book from start to finish. Toward the end, she tells the story of being a guest speaker at an event. The topic she was invited to talk about was an invitation with a simple question. They asked her, … [Read more...]
Day of Encouragement
Be encouraged, not discouraged! We just missed The National Day of Encouragement held yesterday September 12. This day is dedicated to encouraging and having a positive impact on those around us. I like having one day to increase our awareness of encouraging others and to inspire us to put this into practice and actually be encouraging. But why stop at one day? Let’s make this a daily discipline – try to encourage at least one person every day. Your words have the power to lift someone when they are down. They also have the power to motivate someone who might be struggling or encourage someone to pick themselves back up after a setback. A small act of encouragement could be the spark that changes a loved one’s perspective. To praise and encourage someone’s efforts is a practice worth having, no matter the day of the year. And just think: The day of encouragement follows Sept. 11, a day full of hurt, confusion and hopelessness. Sept. 12 seems an appropriate time to … [Read more...]