Category: Spiritual Direction/Religion
-
Cultivating Joy: Practices for Deepening Your Advent Experience
“We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” Maya Angelou This is one of my favorite weeks of the Advent season. We light the rose-colored (pink) candle symbolizing joy for the coming of Christ. It is also known…
-
The Power of Perseverance: Recognizing God’s Hand in the Long-Term Transformation of Our Lives
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.” Helen Keller Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor…
-
The Path to Peace: Exploring Advent Week 2
Unraveling the Meaning of Peace Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV) As a person who struggles with anxiety, this verse used to be problematic for me. Whenever I…
-
The Gift of Slowing Down: Nurturing Your Soul in Advent
“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.” Anonymous Today is the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day which officially marks the start of the Advent season for many Christians. This is the time of the year when we quiet our hearts and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. One of…
-
Crafting Your Destiny: Embracing Your Sacred Journey
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths,ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’” Jeremiah 6:16, NIV Armed with my Nikon camera and trekking pole, I begin my journey on the rocky dirt trail. Rocks jut the surface and roots of…
-
Harnessing the Power of Nighttime Dreams for Healing, Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.” Carl Jung Dreaming is an important process for the body. According to a TED Talk by Matt Walker, there are benefits of dreaming while we sleep. First, it benefits our creativity and problem-solving ability. We may go to sleep with a…
-
The Divine Love of Jesus: Emulating His Compassion for Humanity
“May we seek the deeper placeswhere our compassion, our joy reflectYou, the God who is Love.” Virgil Fry “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14, NIV Jesus had compassion. Those three words could sum up a great majority of Jesus’ ministry. He saw…
-
Take Time to Trust in the Slow Work of God
“Above all trust in the slow work of God. Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that His hand is leading you and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin This past weekend, I…
-
Dreamwork as a Spiritual Practice: Nurturing Wellness and Strengthening Faith
Are there benefits to exploring our dreams? Our dreams hold a mysterious and captivating quality that sparks our imagination. Dreams have always fascinated and intrigued me. I’ve remembered long sequences or simple fragments of dreams since I was a child. As an adult I have written many of them down, but never really went any…
