Next October many churches will observe the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. I am on my church’s planning committee for the activities for 2017 which include our pastor’s 50th year of ordination, our church’s 150th and the Reformation observance. Quite a year, isn’t it? A New Book about Katharina and Martin Luther A new book by my friend, Michelle DeRusha, called Katharina and Martin Luther officially releases next week on January 31. I am on her book launch team and was lucky enough to read an early copy. I am thrilled to have this resource for helping me teach others in my church about the life and love of Katharina and Martin. This well researched and wonderfully written book is essential for anyone wanting to know more about how they lived and how they found each other. I knew some things about Martin Luther, but not very much about his wife and former nun, Katharina. Michelle offers an insightful glimpse into what marriage and the rights – in honesty, the lack of … [Read more...]
How to Create Outer Sacred Space
Ready to explore outer space? No, Healthy Spirituality has not been taken over by aliens from a distant planet. This month’s our Tending the Holy Thursdays series is exploring the practice of creating sacred space. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. Last week we delve into what sacred space looked like and next week I will write about internal sacred space. Today is finding the sacred in the external, the outer spaces of our lives. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. — Joseph Campbell As usual, I wrote a free download to accompany this study, titled “10 Tips for Creating a Sacred Space at Home,” with suggestions for forming a space in your home and even some blessings for your area. You can get this PDF 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 … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Declutter Your Heart
Anyone else decluttering this January? I find it easy to throw away things I no longer want or need. My hubby’s mind works the opposite. He loves to keep things. (He is a “keeper: in more than one way. Gotta love that guy.) He relishes the moment he pulls something out of a drawer that he has stored for 20 years - just at the precise moment we need it. Decluttering my Closet A few weeks ago, I dove into cleaning my closet. I am a raving fan of listening to podcasts about organization and productivity and have been enjoying Lisa Woodruff’s Organzie365.com. I followed her suggestions in tackling my closet. First remove everything. Don’t sort while in the closet. Put all the clothes on the bed and try them on. Keep what fits and what you like and what you want – donate the rest. She estimates we may get rid as much as 50% of what we have in our closets this way. Then think about the big picture - what do you want your closet to look like in the end in that space? You … [Read more...]
Feed Your Faith by Creating Sacred Space
Let’s start the new year with our Tending the Holy Thursdays by exploring the practice of creating sacred space. Sacred space can be both external and internal and is a pause, place and/or position where we can find God and ourselves. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. Joseph Campbell Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore deeper. Today we will discuss the types and why we need sacred space. Next week external spaces will be shared and we'll end with ways to create more internal space on the last week. As usual I wrote a free download to accompany this study, titled “10 Tips for Creating a Sacred Space at Home,” with suggestions for forming a space in your home and even some blessings for your area. You can get this PDF 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 … [Read more...]
Where Do You Find Hope?
Where do you find hope? I am an optimist. I work hard as an adult to be positive, look on the bright side and find the good in others. I’d like to think I am a realistic optimist, not a Pollyanna. But I will confess: when things don’t go as planned. When dreams and hope shatter. When it seems everyone else gets all the luck, the blessings and the good fortune, being hopeful become more difficult. Where do you find hope when feeling helpless? I found a refreshing surge of courage in a book I just finished: Through the Eyes of Hope by Lacy Buchanan with Bethany Jett. Through the Eyes of Hope is Lacey’s story about her oldest son, Christian, born with a rare birth defect called Tessier cleft palate. His face didn’t fully form together and the division included up through his eyes – he is also blind. This is a book of hope. Lacey is very honest and raw in sharing her struggles with her complex pregnancy, the issues with the birth defects, and bad news upon bad news … [Read more...]
Who are you? The Results of the 2016 Healthy Spirituality Survey
Who are you – the followers and friends of this blog? The results of the 2016 Healthy Spirituality survey are in, compiled, studied, scrutinized, and celebrated. Thank you for all of you who took the time to answer my questions. Your kind comments warmed and encouraged my heart and your honest sharing fostered a deepening connection and compassion for all of you. Again, thank you. You are the best! Results of the 2016 Healthy Spirituality Survey Three of the biggest challenges we all face are summarized here: We share a deep desire to stay consistent and focused on God during the daily grind, distractions, and detours that we face. We want to grow in our daily practices and not drift away from God. We hunger to draw closer to him, not be sidetracked away from him . We want to trust that God is in control. We long to know and hear his voice. We wish we were more patient. We yearn to remember and stay mindful of God. We crave being more aware of his presence, knowing God … [Read more...]
Always We Begin Again
St Benedict guides us with these words of wisdom: “Always we begin again.” January 2017. New year. Fresh start. Clean slate. Always we being again. The beginning is the most important part of the work. -Plato I love this time of year. I spent much of last week, rereading my journal – I call it harvesting my journal. I watch for patterns. I seek nuggets of God’s presence in my past recordings. I highlight and underline. I sort and sift words. I listen in-between the spaces of the letters. Wisdom, a gift from God, emerges. Always We Begin Again I knew joy was a thread in my life last year as it walked with me as my word of the year (Got a word of a year yet? You may like the recent post I wrote about it here). The surprise I discovered last week though, was how the Trinity also accompanied me throughout 2016. What a wonderful gift to find! I also uncovered the same old habits, periodic negative mindset, and ego driven hurts that seemed hard wired within my soul. Sigh. … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in December
December Monthly Musings Each month passes so quickly and now it is the end of an entire year. Does anyone else feel time is racing? Wow. Each month though, 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 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 … [Read more...]