Tag: Katie Rea
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Spiritual Growth During Lent
“O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.” Henri Nouwen Spiritual Directors may follow the church calendar throughout the year as it lends a theme and a shape to spiritual formation and growth. For example, we are currently in the season of Lent which encourages us…
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Bloggers are Big, Fat Whiners
The statement caught me off guard. I was among a group of strangers, a common phenomenon with my everlasting love of workshops. Whether in writing, spiritual direction, dreamwork, leadership group, photography circle, spiritual retreats, DOK, or you name it, I love workshops. Our group was given the theme of rebirth and renewal and how we…
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Crafting Your Reading List: Expand Your Horizons
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Stephen King There was a knock at my office door. Phoebe peeked her head in to ask if her friend and her could come in for a moment. I nodded. Her friend was wide eyed as she glanced around my office. “You weren’t kidding,” her friend stated in amazement.…
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Discovering Magic in the Everyday: Elevating Routine Activities to Moments of Wonder
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” Ralph Waldo Emerson The Art of Paying Attention We were running late. My then three-year-old son was jumping and hopping around the driveway as I worked to wrangle the infant car seat with his sister in place. He started pulling at my…
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Redefining Progress: How Trying Something New Is a Step Forward, Regardless of the Outcome
“Progress” is often narrowly defined as the achievement of specific outcomes. Unfortunately, if we are only concerned about success, we miss much that progress has to teach us. With my spiritual director training, I try to keep myself open to new ideas, views, travels, experiences, prayers, etc. However, with these new experiences, I have also…
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Elevate Your Year: The Power of a Theme Word for 2024
“365 new days. 365 new chances.” Unknown Welcome to a fresh perspective on setting intentions for the year ahead. Discover the transformative potential of selecting a theme or focus word to guide and inspire your journey through 2024. Years ago, I attended a retreat and the instructor passed around a basket with slips of paper.…
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The Blessed Mother’s Journey: A Testament of Faith
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38 My preoccupation with Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a constant fascination every time this year. My longtime readers know this, and I have included links below for my newer followers. This fascination is so prevalent my dad tells…
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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…
