Visio Divina deepened my time with the Lord at my recent silent retreat. This a slow contemplative prayer practice similar to Lectio Divina or sacred reading. Visio Divina is Latin for divine seeing and involves praying with art and allowing God to speak to us through the use of an image. Prayerful consideration of and interaction with a photograph in the magazine, icon, piece of art, or other visual representation invites us to experience the divine in a unique and powerful way. This is the statue from my recent retreat that brought me closer and loved deeply by God. This practice enhanced my time with the Lord as I listened with the eyes of my heart, soaking in his love and gazing at this art piece. Meeting God Through Art: Visio Divina Meeting God Through Art: Visio Divina. – A Guided Prayer Journal with Images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a new book by my friend. Therese Kay. This book accompanied me on my retreat and inspired me to explore various art and … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Rinse and Repeat
Rinse and Repeat. I am hearing this jargon in so many conversations lately. #rinserepeat. Trending slang. It is also called the shampoo algorithm. You know the instructions on the shampoo bottle label? The phrase is a funny reference taken from hair washing guidance and applied to any action that needs to be replicated many times in order to reach a goal or change a behavior. You could use these words for ordinary actions. Get up, go to work, come home, bed – rinse and repeat. When we face a habit, desire, or practice that is best implemented on a never-ending cycle. Or when we fight with an imperfect or resistant obstacle such a weight loss. To achieve something great, it often takes weeks, months, or years of planning and hard work. You go through phases of trial and error. You take two steps forward and one step back. You try this, you try that. You start again. You rinse and repeat. Basically, it means to do it again. Two words that also contain … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in July
July Monthly Musings What? It's the end of July already? I don't know about the rest of you but sure seems like time is flying faster than ever before. I want to savor summer. Enjoy life. Taste the fresh fruits and veggies. Feel the sun on my face. Sand in my toes. Swing on my backyard swing. Spend time with friends and family. Hear water rippling in my pond. Praise God along with the chirping birds. Breathing in these types of moments pauses time momentarily and allows joy to seep deeper into my soul. What are you savoring about summer? Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musings Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musings Journal are … [Read more...]
Summer Reading
What is on your summer reading pile? I like to periodically update you all on what I am currently reading. Here are three I have read lately that are lingering in my mind and heart: A Prayer Journal – Flannery O'Connor Interesting collection of journal entries of writer Flannery O'Connor written between 1946 and 1947. Most are her prayers/conversations with God and her discernment as she discovers herself as a writer. What a great writer even in her journal entries. Lovely words like this: "Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth's shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon. The crescent is beautiful and perhaps that is all one like I am should or could see; but what I am afraid of, dear God, is that my self shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing. I do not know you God because I am in the way. Please help me to … [Read more...]
Paying Attention When God’s Speaks – Come thy Fount of Every Blessing
I wasn't paying attention. The spiritual practice of paying attention is a key way to open your heart and ears when God speaks. But last week during the worship portion of Speak Up conference, I allowed distractions to take me away from the moment of praise and attuning to the Lord. If fact, I stewed critically about the old, out of date words in the hymn on the screen before me. I loved the melody, but my heart scrutinized the lyrics in what I believed to be old fashioned "what in it for me?" narrow-focused terms. I silently mouthed the first two verses with aimless alertness. Then God surprised me with tears when I sang the next verses. Immediately I was present, before him. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God… How His kindness yet pursues me Mortal tongue can never tell… Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O … [Read more...]
What Anchors Your Soul?
"This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us." Hebrews 6:19-20 (NLT) ****** "Home is where the anchor drops." Unknown My favorite short-sleeve shirt displays an anchor on its pocket. Throughout summer anchors materialize on clothing, menus, billboards, advertisements and most importantly in my heart. Anchors stir my thinking. What is my anchor in life? What is yours? An anchor can be defined as a strong object that holds something in place; a reliable and main support. Anchors bring safety to travelers on ships being rocked by storms. Anchors prevent us from drifting too far off our path, heading possibly into dangerous dark places. Anchors help us feel grounded, settled, and connected to Something larger than ourselves. Anchors root us deeply in a solid foundation. Spiritual Moorings What are the spiritual anchors in our lives? Some … [Read more...]
July Joy
Do you sense July Joy? July starts with a bang – with fireworks, festive activities, and celebrations. Even the flowers, especially daily and lilies now blooming, smile this month. Joy is a beautiful gift from God and one I am embracing this month. This essence brings healing, energy, and an invitation to dance with the spirit. I celebrate God's delight – his goodness and faithfulness. I wrote a whole series of the spiritual practice of celebration a few years ago. You can check it out here and here is the link for a free download accompanying this practice. Click here to get the download With this week bringing a holiday for those of us in the US, take a few moments to enjoy and embrace celebrations and joy. Pause and pray with thankfulness for all God has given us. We do have lots of reasons to celebrate. Celebrate our freedom. Celebrate our friends and family. Celebrate our faith. Quotes about Joy We have God’s joy in our blood. Frederick … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in June
June Monthly Musings June erupted with unique and blessed sounds – birds, silence and a newborn. The birds harken me this summer. More music. Continuous choirs. Multiple choruses. Anyone else tuning their ears to the birds this year? I facilitated a 6-day silent retreat in June. Most of the time those attending were silent except for meeting with me as the spiritual director. What an honor to listen to pilgrims share their faith journeys and experience with God – sacred ground. The voice of God whispers best in the quiet of our souls. Most important and cherished sound of all – snuggling with my newest granddaughter born in June. Welcome, Gia to my heart! ♥ Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musings … [Read more...]