Tending the Holy Thursdays –The Spiritual Practice of Reflection –The Yearly Examen In December, we have explored the spiritual practice of reflection and how that tends the holy within us. You can read the other December posts on Thursdays and how we used reflection on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. Today, being the last day of the year, is very appropriate to ponder the spiritual practice of reflection using the yearly Examen. Remember the spiritual practice of reflection gives meaning to our lives, helps us see God’s presence in the details, grounds us with landmarks on our journey and enables us to let go of what holds us back in life. It’s like hitting the pause button at regular intervals. The Spiritual Practice of Reflection I heard from my doctor this week by email of all things, reminding me it is time for my annual physical checkup. Then I felt the nudge from my heavenly Physician that it was time to examine the past 12 months before I stepped into the … [Read more...]
Questions to Ponder at Year End
Questions to Ponder at Year End This time of year I sit with questions to ponder as one year ends. I ask my soul. I talk with God. I reread and write in my journal. I allow space in my time and my heart to wonder. To listen. To savor and reflect. To allow whispers of possibilities to bubble up. “The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.” – John Simone Here are some of the questions I am pondering at year end: What is my why? Why is the deepest core meaning God is inviting me to live into? Why does the word “Joy” (or any word that appears to you for next year) attract me so and how I can live in that word in 2016? How will God stretch me in 2016? And how will I react to his invitation? What do I want to look back upon in one year with a sense of accomplishment and joy? What do I want to learn/see/discover and explore in 2016? What words are calling me to write? If I were to die in the next year, what would be my legacy? How do I want to spend the … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas! 11 Christmas Quotes and Prayers
Take a moment over the busy Christmas days to ponder a few Christmas quotes and prayers. May these words bless your time with God. “What is uncertain is not the ‘coming’ of Christ but our own reception of Him, our own response to Him, our own readiness and capacity to ‘go forth to meet Him.” Thomas Merton When the shopping is over And gifts stashed away When the food has been eaten And the children off to play May one thing remain In your heart and your home May the Christ in Christmas Stay all year long. Author Unknown May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen. by Robert Louis Stevenson Give us, O God, the vision, which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding … [Read more...]
How to Choose a Word for the Year
How do you choose a word for the year? Do you even choose one word for the year? One single word to guide your journey into the next chapter of your life? I am a goal setter. Yes, one of those crazy detailed people who makes lists and exhaustive files of what I want to get done, by when, how much and even my why. I love planning and to be honest, planning is my finest form of procrastination. Perhaps that is why the simplicity of choosing one word appeals to me. One word for the year is straight forward, easy to remember and downright fun. I have learned four things about finding just the right word each year. I call it my SOSS. Surprise: Often it is not of my choosing. The word comes on its own and appears unexpectedly. Towards the end of the year I pay attention to what words resonate within me as I read. Does it seem like I see it everywhere? It pops up in conversations. I begin a small list of potential possibilities (of course I would have a list! LOL) and then pray, … [Read more...]
Tending the Holy Thursdays –December’s Spiritual Practice –Weekly/Quarterly Reflection
December’s Spiritual Practice – This Week: Reflection: Weekly/Quarterly Tips In December, we are looking at the spiritual practice of reflection and today will look at how to build reflection into your weekly and quarterly time frames. Remember the spiritual practice of reflection gives meaning to our lives, helps us see God’s presence in the details, grounds us with landmarks on our journey and enables us to let go of what holds us back in life. It’s like hitting the pause button at regular intervals. You can review the overview of this practice and see how I practice reflection on a monthly and daily basis on the last two Thursdays’ Tending the Holy post. Spiritual Practice of Reflection -Weekly Ideas When I was working full time, one practice I had was to write in my journal most Sunday afternoons. I ended up missing some weeks, but to be honest, I wrote more regularly then than I do now. Having a weekly routine made all the difference. Find a weekly rhythm for any or all … [Read more...]
2015 Favorite Mostly Faith-Related Finds
I love discovering and finding fun and terrific tools to nourish my faith and make life easier. I thought it would be fun to showcase some of my 2015 favorite finds and maybe give you some ideas for a gift or two for someone else or maybe even for yourself. What are my 2015 favorite mostly faith-related finds? My favorite books I read this year: Rising Strong by Brene Brown. The subtitle says it all – “If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. This is a book about what it takes to get back up.” Big Magic – Creative Living beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Inspirational and empowering by giving us permission to nourish our creativity as we were made to do. Essentialism, the disciplined pursuit of less by Greg McKeown. This book cultivates simplicity by being more selective with the power of choice and choosing what really matters to us. In God’s Holy Light – Wisdom from the Desert Monastics by Joan Chittister. If you have read Healthy Spirituality for … [Read more...]
Tending the Holy Thursdays –December’s Spiritual Practice –The Daily Examen
December’s Spiritual Practice – This Week: the Daily Examen In December, we are looking at the spiritual practice of reflection and today will look at one way this practice, the Daily Examen, can be implemented each day. Remember the spiritual practice of reflection gives meaning to our lives, helps us see God’s presence in the details, grounds us with landmarks on our journey and enables us to let go of what holds us back in life. It’s like hitting the pause button at regular intervals. You can review the overview of this practice and see how I practice reflection on a monthly basis on last Thursday’s Tending the Holy post. Living an examined life, a reflective life, involves daily, weekly, monthly and yearly connecting points where we pause and review a particular time period. This can be done on a daily basis by using what is called the Examen of Conscious or Daily Examen. The Daily Examen The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day … [Read more...]
Who was the Bishop of Myra? An Advent Symbol of Generosity
The Bishop of Myra was well known for his kindness, generosity and the way he took care of the poor. We honor this man from the third century early in December each year. Who was the Bishop of Myra? You know him as St Nicholas. Myra is a region in what we now call Turkey and in Advent each year, December 6 is remembered as St Nicholas Day. Too often our focus this time of year is buying, wrapping, card sending, decorating, and running crazily all over to parties, concerts and obligations. Pausing at least briefly during Advent helps us refocus on who this season is really about. The world screams What can Santa bring me? while history shows us a caring saint who took extra steps in taking care of the poor. St Nick was a man of God. I told his story in our church’s children’s moment last Sunday and shared one of the legends about him. He is a good lesson for grownups too. Stories about St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra Once there was a poor man who had three daughters. … [Read more...]