The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred by Phil Cousineau is this month’s Healthy Spirituality Book Chat selection. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I want to feature a Christian book that I am reading or want to reread. To be honest, I have a towering pile of books I want to read, but never seem to get to and now by telling you this idea, I am hoping I take the time for more reading and study in my own spiritual journey. I also have a several “top shelf” books, that I have read previously and loved and want to dig back into their words once again. I yearn to go deeper and less shallow in my spiritual walk. With this monthly Book Chat, we will take a look at a book and glean a lesson to nourish a healthy spirituality. To stretch myself, in addition to what I share in writing on this blog, I want to include a video about the book and a second insight from its words. I may even try doing this as live streaming on Facebook Live. YIKES! The Art of … [Read more...]
Diving Deeper for Treasures in the Spiritual Practice of Study
The spiritual practice of study unearths wisdom and treasures for our spiritual journey. Going deeper through study nourishes the mind, heart, and spirit and leads to a healthy spirituality. In March, we are exploring how this practice as a spiritual discipline strengthens our faith. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download will enhance your walk with God. The following two weeks here on Healthy Spirituality, we will dive deeper into the 7 C’s of the Practice of Study. Last week I introduced this topic with the post “Nourishing a Healthy … [Read more...]
March Merriment
March Madness Merriment How about some March Madness Merriment? Winter dreariness is getting me down. The news, arguments, and tensions wear on my nerves. I need some joy, a touch of laughter, and something whimsical to ponder. And March is my birthday month so why not write about something light, inspirational and fun today! Brain Pickings printed an insightful article about Hermann Hesse's wisdom about busyness. Here is one quote that jumped out for me: "I would simply like to reclaim an old and, alas, quite unfashionable private formula: Moderate enjoyment is double enjoyment. And: Do not overlook the little joys!" Let’s have some March Merriment! Middle Name Merriment Did you know and miss that March 10th was National Middle Name Day? I know I missed that celebration. What is your middle name and how did you get it? My second name is Anne and I was named for my great Aunt Anna. And yes, as Anne Shirley would say proudly (if you watched Anne of Green … [Read more...]
Nourishing a Healthy Spirituality – The Spiritual Practice of Study
Nourishing a Healthy Spirituality - The Spiritual Practice of Study A healthy spirituality balances the nourishment of the mind, heart, and spirit. The spiritual practice of study is one habit that feeds us and keeps us going on this journey of life. In March, we will explore how the practice of study as a spiritual discipline to strengthen our faith. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. I call this series Tending the Holy Thursdays. As usual I created a free download for you and this month it is something different – an infographic called “The 7 C’s of the Practice of Study.” You can get this infographic for your reference and even use as a bookmark at no cost by clicking on the button at the end of the post. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download 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 over … [Read more...]
Look Up! March Overflows with Optimism
Are you an optimist? March is Optimism month and a great time to look at this quality and mind/heartset. It may surprise those who know me well, but my basic personality is pretty negative. I made the choice as an adult to value optimism and actively practice this approach to life. I even have a presentation I offer on retreats on the importance of optimism. What is Optimism? The dictionary defines optimism as a tendency to look on the favorable side of events and conditions. The belief that good ultimately predominates over evil. The glass is half full mindset. It is believing that you are responsible for your own happiness and that more good things than bad will happen to you. Some people – usually the pessimists – call us optimists Pollyanna’s, but I think most optimists do have more realistic views of life that given credit for. The Practice of Optimism Professor Martin Seligman conducted research on optimism and wrote a classic book on the topic, Learned Optimism. … [Read more...]
HYGGE – An Innovative Word for Your Vocabulary and Life
Hygge – have you noticed this word? I see it everywhere on the internet and in ads. I am not even sure how to pronounce it, let alone know its meaning. My spell check is going crazy as I type this, since it is an unknown word even to that wise evaluator of my work. A little investigation and learning is in order, I do believe. Let’s learn about this innovative word to add to our vocabulary and our life. "When the fiddle had stopped singing Laura called out softly, "What are days of auld lang syne, Pa?" "They are the days of a long time ago, Laura," Pa said. "Go to sleep, now." But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa's fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the Big Woods,… She was glad that the cozy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music, were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago." Laura Ingalls Wilder What Is Hygge? Hygge originated from Norway, adopted firmly by the … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in February
February Monthly Musings February may be the shortest month of the year, but in cold NW Ohio the days are dark, dreary and drawn-out. Today as I write this, there is sunshine and by the time you read this, I will be in sunny warm Florida on vacation – life is good and so is God! Each month I pause and look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Living this reflective practice helps me slow down and savor this precious gift of life we’ve been given and all the gifts to be discovered given by such a loving, gracious God. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us, especially at this most sacred time of year. 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 … [Read more...]
Living a Life of Prayer
This month we have been exploring prayer on the Tending the Holy Thursdays. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore. The past few Thursdays, we looked at the flow and rhythms/habits of prayer and last week listed some tools and thoughts about prayer. I thought we’d finish with an example how one man’s passion for prayer led to his whole life becoming prayer. Each month I also include a free download to accompany the month’s topic. This month I took a PDF I offered one time last year and expanded it to include new information. “Prayer: 13 Ideas for Keeping Prayer Fresh” is available at no cost by clicking the button at the end of this post. I added ideas for prayer triggers and included a list of well-loved prayer from others besides adding new resources. It is my hope and prayer that this series and the download 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 … [Read more...]