Category: Spiritual Direction/Religion
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Overcoming Shame: Why Love Wins This Lenten Season
By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. I missed our Ash Wednesday service. Both of them. I had started my day, made my bed, went downstairs for coffee and breakfast. Then I started my computer and got to work. Yet, around 10 am, I…
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A Step at a Time
“Would you like to climb to the top?” my guide asked. “Nope. I’m fine.” “I will climb with you. I’ll help if you need it.” I looked up. Climbing 46 meters into the air was not on my to-do list while visiting Yaxha. Especially since I’m terrified of heights. I took a deep breath and…
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The Gift of Being Fully Heard
By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. We eagerly anticipate Triennial 2027 in Phoenix, Arizona, for The Order of the Daughters of the King. Also, Wisdom Tree Collective will offer a new series on Active Listening. It feels like the right moment to return…
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Can Spiritual Direction Cross Religious Traditions?
“To receive spiritual direction is to recognize that God does not solve our problems or answer all our questions, but leads us closer to the mystery of our existence where all questions cease.” ~Henri Nouwen By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. When I…
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Finding Focus: The Struggle of Distractions in Daily Tasks
By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. Has anyone else experienced a day like this? I sat down at my desk and looked at my list of to‑do items. Ironically, it was a list I had forgotten I even wrote. It was my attempt…
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Light in the Darkness
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” ~Psalm 27:1 I’ve had unsettling dreams the past few nights. In each one, I found myself in arguments with loved ones. Some felt like flashbacks to real conflicts from years past, while others were entirely fictional. Yet each time I woke, I carried…
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Lessons from ‘Liar Liar’: Embracing Truth in Our Lives
I’ve been sick lately, which means my days have been reduced to the basics: eat, sleep, watch movies, and if I feel up to it, read. Mostly, though, it’s been me curled up on the couch with a blanket and a film. The other day, I was watching Liar Liar. Now, for someone who doesn’t…
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Devil Wears Prada 2: How a One-Minute Trailer Became My Therapist
I felt nostalgic, curious, and of a bit of “what are they doing with this sequel?” energy. By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. Mixed Emotions About the Sequel I caught a short preview of The Devil Wears Prada 2 yesterday, and I felt…
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Why the Welcoming Prayer Helps Let Go of Worry
By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. Sister Esther Wibowo opened our workshop, not with an agenda or introductions, but with Father Thomas Keating’s Welcoming Prayer: Welcome, welcome, welcome. I welcome everything that comes to me today because I know it’s for my healing.…
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A Mix-Up, a Love Note, and a Moment of Grace
I was sitting in the endodontist’s office, rifling through my bag for the notebook paper I’d scribbled my medication list on. The nurse had asked for it to update my chart, and I was sure I had it tucked somewhere between the receipts, referral papers, and notes. Triumphantly, I handed over a folded piece of…
