Do you have a topic or issue you focus on each year? Something you want to learn more about. Maybe an organization you wanted to explore and get involved with. Possibly a theme, book or subject shimmers in your spirit and invites you in. Some of us choose a word for the year to frame our year (or at times the word chooses us). My word this year is STILLNESS and it continues to surround and enhance my spiritual walk in 2015. But I also have two topics that have arisen to read about, learn more about and explore this year: The Desert Mothers and Fathers and Discernment. I have been gathering some books and articles about each topic. I have listened to a couple of webinars about these subjects and attended a retreat addressing one. My pile of head knowledge and books have grown, but now it is time to digest and sit with them. I need time and silence to let their stories and wisdom sink into my roots and nourish my soul. I looked at my weekly calendar today and intentionally … [Read more...]
Trusting God
How can we learn to better trust in God? When I conducted a survey of many of you last year this was one topic that came up in many of the responses. Trusting God is a common struggle and one I think we all deeply would like to improve. I have two prayers lately I have brought to God – over and over again. I repeat them constantly during the day – just in case he didn’t hear them the first (second and third and so on) times. I beat on heaven’s door with these requests and stick them on with permanent, if not eternal, gorilla glue. My heart to God’s heart type of deep desire. The other day my prayer became a mantra: I will trust in you. I WILL trust in you. Please help me trust in you. Trusting God isn’t a “I can do this myself” self accomplishment. Ironic isn’t it? I need to trust God to help me better trust in him. What does trusting in God mean anyway? Trusting in God means clinging to the knowledge we are his beloved children and he knows what is best for us. He … [Read more...]
A Fresh Perspective to Prayer
I threw the windows open and unlocked the front door last week and invited the crisp spring air inside my house and my heart. Deep breathe, Jeanie. Feel the life in the atmosphere. Time to refresh and shake out that old dust. Don’t you love gaining a new perspective to old routines? Rearranging the furniture. Cleaning out the bedlam buried in a kitchen drawer. Learning a new way to thinking or doing something This is how I feel about a book I am reading by Kelly O’Dell Stanley called Praying Upside Down – a Creative Prayer Experience to Transform Your Time with God. Kelly tackles prayer from an artist point of view, giving me new insight and ways to pray. I love how she weaves in her own story, humbly sharing her ups and downs and inviting us no matter what our faith background is or our history with prayer to join her. The book is one of the most creative books I have read on prayer and I have read a ton of books on this topic. Quotes to share: “Praying upside down is a … [Read more...]
Love One Another – Lectio Divina
You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father. “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. “But remember the root command: Love one another. John 15: 15-17 Wow, Lord, to be chosen by you to be a friend. I am humbled and to be honest a little ill at ease. I should feel loved and joy, but find deep inside me a wariness – What does this mean? But you are always clear and honest. You tell us what you are thinking and planning. What am I to do as your friend? You gently respond - Love one another. Simple truth. Difficult truth. Love is the fruit I am to bring forth into the world. Everything I do, … [Read more...]
Naming Your Inner Critic
I’m not good enough. I’m not smart enough. I’ll never make it. I’m not worthy. What’s wrong with me? Too often I allow my insecurities and imperfections to get the best of me and this can greatly affect any chances of achieving the dreams and desires God has for me in this life. On Wednesday I listened to an interview with the author Julie Cameron. She talked about ideas in her classic book, The Artist’s Way. I was fascinated with her friend, Nigel. This what she said: I have an inner critic, a sensor, whom I call Nigel. Nigel in my imagination is a gay interior decorator, who is British. Nothing I ever do is good enough for Nigel. I think all of us have our Nigels and sometimes people come to me and they want me to eradicate their censor. The censor never goes away, unfortunately. But we can learn how to work with it. Julia Cameron I never considered giving my negative thoughts a name before. Reminded me of something I learned last spring when I heard the expression … [Read more...]
The Ancient Path – Book Review
When planning and dreaming about our future, we can learn lessons from those who lived before us. This is the crux of the new book by John Michael Talbot titled “The Ancient Path – Old Lessons from the Church Fathers from a New Life Today.” This book describes Talbot’s journey in establishing the monastic community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. He writes about his life and how the early church fathers taught him how to live. What I liked about the book: I love seeing how the author dug deeply into our church history to find and then apply lessons to his life from those early wise leaders. As I read the book I recognized some names, discovered new ones and always learned more about the early church. Talbot’s determined drive to explore intensely and intentionally the wisdom from the past for patterns to live in our world today inspired me – why can’t we apply their insight to our lives too? Quote I liked: “There is a theme that runs through the writings of the … [Read more...]
I Am the Vine
Springtime Gardening
My backyard bursts with new growth. Tiny seedlings emerge through the dark earth with green eagerness and daily surprising transformations. Spring is a time of awakening. One section near the fence is covered with a multitude of small sprouts extending their teeny arms upward. It reminds me of baby birds all stretching their heads up, screaming feed me, feed me. As a gardener I see a problem in this area – I need to thin out these new growths for a healthier batch of flowers later in the summer. The dandelions are also quite healthy in my garden. With deep roots and bright yellow faces, they are the first to bloom. They taunt me: “Ha, see we are back again. No use trying to get rid of us. We will return to take over your precious garden bed!” Then there is the issue of “What is growing there anyway?” Is it a weed or will it be something I planted that I forgot? Do I let it grow and later regret not digging it out now? Or will it surprise me later? Decisions requiring answers … [Read more...]