Who are you? You are part of the Healthy Spirituality community and a record number of you took the time to fill out this year’s readers’ survey. Thank you so much. As you read this blog, you get to know me, my story, my flaws, my quirky life. But unless we write in emails, talk in comments, or when the wonderful blessing happens that we meet in person – I don’t know many of you. I want to know you better. And I want this blog to be a place for you to connect, find inspiration, and maybe learn something that draws you closer to God. To achieve this mission, it helps to know your needs, struggles and joys as we walk together on this life’s journey. Today I am sharing with you just some of the insights I am learning as I analyze the survey. All answers were anonymous, so I have no idea who said what. Whether you completed the survey or not, I think you will enjoy seeing the responses. Lots of food for thought in these answers and I think a sense that we are on this … [Read more...]
The Powerful Practice of Gratitude
Gratitude nourishes the soul and refreshes the spirit. Intentionally practicing thankfulness brings peace and joy to our hearts. Gratitude is a powerful spiritual practice. Just as I learned last month and continue to nurture the phrase “grace before guess,” this month I am focusing on gratitude and “living with thanksgiving.” [bctt tweet="Focusing on gratitude and living with thanksgiving. Jean Wise" username="Jeanwise"] “Maybe the simplest and most effortless habit for living a happier life is to take one or a few minutes every day to focus on what is already here and that you can be grateful for in your life.” Henrik Edberg Gratitude is November’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. This is the time of year many of us ponder what we are thankful for in life and generally live with an increased sense of gratitude. Living a life of gratitude helps us find the … [Read more...]
I Choose Praise – In Spite of Myself – Book Review
I choose praise. Isn’t that a wonderful refrain? Finding a short simply statement like this realigns my heart and redirects my eyes on God. The words set my intention. The line serves as a landmark on the shore to prevent me from going too far adrift. I choose praise. An option we always have when faced with discouragement, destruction, and disillusionment. I have heard these types of sentences can be called “sticky statements” as they cling to our ears and fix to our souls. Many of you commented about the phrase I wrote about last week – grace before guess – as one you wanted to remember and use. I choose praise gained my attention from the new book by Katie Hornor called “In Spite of Myself - How Intentional Praise Can Transform Your Heart and Home." I Choose Praise – In Spite of Myself – the Book In Spite of Myself is a four-week Bible study exploring how praise heals and provides hope even in dark times. I love her personal illustrations, thought provoking … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go and Swedish Death Cleaning
Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? I read about this new idea – at least new to me – last month as I was writing the series on Healthy Spirituality about the spiritual practice of letting go. Sorting and throwing out all our physical stuff fits our exploration of letting go. Decluttering is a form of letting go and can be extremely challenging to get rid of piles of papers and those out of sight/out of mind boxes tucked away in the basement and garage. We boldly decide to relinquish bad habits, attitudes and assumptions, but avoid the physical material we accumulate and cling to that encumbers our lives. I am bewildered by a local television ad about the solution to having too much stuff – just rent another storage unit so you can buy more stuff. We are packrats! Collect more stuff? No, it’s time to let go. What is Swedish Death Cleaning? Letting go begins with the decision to move from disorder to order, burden to unburden, and confusion to clarity. It starts with … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in October
October Monthly Musings Wow! 2017 is starting to wrap up. I still can’t believe how fast this year has flown. Just seems like yesterday we were all in a tither about the Y2K worries and the year 2000. This is one reason why I believe in the practice of remembering, honoring our days in the spiritual discipline of reflection. Reflecting on the day at its close and pausing to behold the month as it completes its journey. 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 … [Read more...]
18 Quotes about Letting Go – Ponder and Pray
Quotes bring tidbits of wisdom and insight and an incentive to dive deeper into a thought, belief, and behavior. Often a quote will arrive at our heart’s doorstep at just the right moment we need to absorb its words. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. I invite you if you haven’t already to explore the October posts about letting go so far shared here. The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go - Assumptions The Prayer of Relinquishment Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.” These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in … [Read more...]
Prayer of Relinquishment
Letting go is hard. We’ve been exploring the spiritual practice of letting go this month on Healthy Spirituality. I will have one more post on this topic this coming Thursday but ran across the Prayer of Relinquishment today and thought it fitting to share with you. What is Relinquishment? “No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things…” - Oswald Chamber Relinquishment means to release or let go. In the book titled Prayer – Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, he writes that “we begin to enter into a grace-filled releasing of our will and a flowing into the will of the Father. It is the prayer of relinquishment that moves us from the struggling to the releasing…this prayer is a bona fide letting go, but it is a release with hope… God is not destroying the will but transforming it so that…we can freely will what God wills.” As I ponder this radical prayer, I discern my need to pray … [Read more...]
The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go
Do you have the courage to put into action the spiritual practice of letting go? I had to face this question when I decided to delve into this discipline this month. Letting go challenges my comfort zone and requires vulnerability and willingness to step into the risky unknown with faith that God will lead me to where and what I need to grow spiritually. Letting Go is October’s Tending the Holy Thursday theme. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore in depth over several weeks. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I wrote out for myself and want to share with you a list of “50 Things to Let Go.” These examples are ideas of people, stuff, ideas, and beliefs that we may cling to that no longer fit, serve, or help us in our journey. I don’t plan to release all 50 of these, but to have the list copied in my journal to use in my prayers, asking God to show me what fills my heart and mind that … [Read more...]