I have the best intentions, but often fail at my quiet time with God. As we ponder the topic of prayer this year, the practice of creating space in our crazy hectic lives for purposeful time with God is a necessary step. In April on this blog, we are looking at the keys of slowing down to spend time with God in stillness, slowness, and quiet time with God. On my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. Don't forget to get the updated handout called "Slowing Down to be with God." It contains ideas, resources, and questions to consider when getting off the busyness treadmill to abide, to be with God in prayer. You can download this free guide by clicking the button at the end of the post I am excited to introduce to you a guest blogger today, my friend. Deb Butterfield. I asked her to share some thoughts about quiet time with God. Debra L. Butterfield is the author of Carried by Grace: a Guide for … [Read more...]
Doubt – It’ll Be Okay: Finding God when Doubt Hides the Truth – Book Review
Doubt. Since we are exploring prayer this year on Healthy Spirituality, room needs to be made for times of doubt and unanswered prayer. How do we keep praying in time of waiting and indecision? Where is God when we don't experience him or hear his voice? Sheryl Giesbrecht shares her story and strategies for difficult times like these in her new book "It'll be Okay: Finding God when Doubt Hides the Truth." During her dark times, she would keep telling herself, "It'll be okay." She writes she wasn't sure what "it" was, but this phrase kept her on the search for God in her foggy times. I think we all can identify with experiences of doubt and uncertainty. It'll Be Okay is a new book what can help us through these difficult times. She writes: "Frequent flyers know what it is like to trust an airplane pilot to land a plane in zero visibility. To me, that’s what it is like to trust God when you can’t “see, hear, or feel” him. Pilots trust their radar and depend on their landing … [Read more...]
Pray Slow
I tend to rush. Scan the surface. Only occasionally take the time and energy to dive deep. I am learning to slow down, to pray slow. Slowness is another of the essential elements of praying we are exploring this month here. With 2018 being the year of prayer on the Healthy Spirituality blog, in April we are looking at the keys of slowing down to spend time with God in stillness (last week's post), slowness, solitude and silence. Each month this year on the Tending the Holy Thursdays there will be a focus on an aspect of prayer. On my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. I updated a handout I used in 2016 called "Slowing Down to be with God" and this will be this month's free guide for you. It contains ideas, resources, and questions to consider when getting off the busyness treadmill to abide, to be with God in prayer. You can download this free guide by clicking the button at the end of … [Read more...]
Desiring Discernment
Discernment accompanies many of my interactions with others in spiritual direction. Directees seek where God is touching their lives. They listen for his guidance, his presence and often they hear their own voices in what needs tending. What is Discernment? For me discernment is discovering and articulating how God is moving in our lives. We listen deeply together to identify how the spirit is guiding us in our daily steps and major life moves. Discernment is the sorting/sifting through all our desires, voices, wants, and needs bombarding our soul and choosing what is best draws us towards God. I believe we all want to make the best decisions whether they are significant 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 more than decision making. To discern in Latin means to discernere –dis = … [Read more...]
Stillness – An Essential Ingredient for Prayer
Be Still and Know I am God. Stillness – this essential ingredient in prayer does not come naturally to me, to many of us. How can we practice more stillness in our time with God? With 2018 being the year of prayer here on the Healthy Spirituality blog, in April we are looking at the keys of slowing down to spend time with God in stillness, slowness, solitude and silence. Each month this year on the Tending the Holy Thursdays there will be a focus on an aspect of prayer. On my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. I updated a handout I used in 2016 called "Slowing Down to be with God" and this will be this month's free guide for you. It contains ideas, resources, and questions to consider when getting off the busyness treadmill to abide, to be with God in prayer. You can download this free guide by clicking the button at the end of the post. Stillness The greatest blessing … [Read more...]
Ever Hear of Easter Monday?
Easter Monday? I read about this designated day three times yesterday; each time realizing I never thought about the Monday after Easter being anything special. Have you ever focused on Easter Monday? With the "big event" featured on Sunday – He is risen! – Monday seems a letdown, a back to work routine, a ho-hum-who-cares type of day. But after seeing Easter Monday referred to multiply times – duh, a spiritual 2x4 wake-up call – I figure I ought to find out more about this day. And what I discovered sure was interesting! I am beginning to appreciate the spiritual practice of being curious and asking questions to explore different points of view. Easter Monday Easter Monday is an official holiday in many countries such as England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It is also observed as a public holiday in dozens of other countries around the world, including Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Uganda, and Belize, for example. Easter Monday, also known as Bright or Renewal Monday, Wet … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in March
March Monthly Musings What did the month of March teach you? What are your monthly musings? Life offers us so many lessons, opportunities, challenges – always a learning process, a refining, a growth edge. How are you living a reflective life? 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 Musing Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or if you want to click the button at the end of this post to get a FREE copy of my one sheet Monthly Musing handout. What I Learned in March Monthly Musing Lesson Learned: Will I ever learn to pivot better? I am … [Read more...]
Lent Madness – The Final Four
One of my favorite Lenten traditions is following and voting in the annual Lent Madness. Lent Madness concludes this week with the crowning of the coveted Golden Halo to the "saint" who receives the most votes. This crazy fun, inspirational and educational project began in 2010 and is repeated each year. How does it work? The format is pretty simple: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. 16 saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Final Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the Golden Halo. The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds with quotes and quirks, legends, and even weird and unusual saintly kitsch. This week is the conclusion for the 2018 … [Read more...]