Category: Spiritual Direction/Religion
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Practicing the Fruits of the Spirit: A Book Reflection
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23, NIV I came across the book, Neuroscience and the Fruit of the Spirit, and the title intrigued me. Bryan Spoon edifies how our brain is literally wired towards God.…
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Living Water
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4: 13-14, NIV My favorite hikes are the ones which lead to a…
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Harrowed by the Changing of the Seasons
“God said, ‘While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’” Genesis 8:22 Today is the first day of Fall. Friends have already decorated their mantel pieces with pumpkins, scarecrows and cornucopias. Others already have sweaters and pretty scarves they are ready to wear. My…
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A Memorial of Hope
“What brings you to Oklahoma City?” This was a question posed by each of my Uber drivers as I toured the city. While my husband headed a meeting in town, I got the chance to play tourist. “Have you visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial yet?” This was also a question each driver asked. “No,”…
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Grace Under Pressure
“Laughter is the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity.” Chuck Swindoll I’m embarrassed to be sharing this story. Yet, here I go. I hope I don’t offend anyone. I like to try to pray or worship each day whether it’s for five minutes or an hour. Usually, I’m pretty self-disciplined about it,…
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Be Careful Not to Quell the Creativity
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 I don’t want to take the context away from this Gospel story by pulling just this verse out, but the phrase “become like little children” resonated with me. In the passage, Jesus uses…
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A Guide to Finding a Spiritual Director
Spiritual Direction 101 First, what is a Spiritual Director? It is someone who helps you in your spiritual life. They will help you get closer in your relationship with the Divine, or help you increase in your spirituality. Each person is born unique in the image of God, but there are times when society and…
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Walk of Life
I’d like for you to do a little visual exercise with me. Picture a time you took a walk. It could be a walk in the woods, by a lake, or in a park. Perhaps the path led to a waterfall. It could be a walk where you got caught in the rain. Or it…
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Getting Out of Our Comfort Zone…Look to Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus, can serve as a great example of how to overcome our fears and get ourselves out of our comfort zone. Initially, I was very excited to deliver a sermon on Luke’s Gospel on the story of Mary. Unfortunately, my excitement quickly gave way to panic as I realized the sheer…
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The Grace of God Among Our Imperfections
There was a day when I felt a supernatural peace. I was patient with my clients, my kids, and my husband. I practiced active listening and had deep conversations with friends and loved ones. I was not judgmental and when someone hurt my feelings, I didn’t overreact. I was patient and we discussed everything thoroughly.…
