Tag: religion
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A Lighter Way at Wisdom Tree Collective: This Is My Stop
THIS IS MY STOP What My Grandmother’s Dementia Taught Me About Entering Someone Else’s World By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it My grandmother startled us with her shouting. “This is my stop! I want to get off. This is it!” My mom and I…
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Letting Loved Ones Show Up When Life Feels Heavy
“Asking for help isn’t giving up, it’s refusing to give up.” The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it Somehow, I learned asking for help was a sign of weakness. True strength meant carrying…
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When a Calling Unfolds Slowly
What an Episcopal nun teaches us about vocation, timing, and trust. By Katie Rea — spiritual director, writer, and companion for those listening deeply to life as it is. Sister Hannah described her spiritual calling in this way: “Instead of a moment, it was more like a very slow and gradual awareness of my call.”…
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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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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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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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Lost in the Woods: A Journey of Self-Discovery
The Forbidden Woods As a kid, my mom cautioned me not to wander into the woods alone. Unfortunately, I wasn’t always known to be the most obedient child. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided a fun romp in the woods was just what I needed. We lived at the foothills of White…
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Encountering Grace in the Ordinary: When God Shows Up in the Laundry Room
“The whole earth is full of God’s glory.” ~Isaiah 6:3 Have you ever felt God’s presence while doing something completely ordinary, like folding laundry, washing dishes, or driving to work? God doesn’t always show up in a burning bush, a cloud or a pillar of fire. Sometimes, God shows up in an ordinary everyday moment.…
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A Sacred Conversation with Rabbi Rami Shapiro
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to sit with Rabbi Rami Shapiro at a writer’s mixer in Murfreesboro, TN. There was a sense of sacred expectation as I had read his book on forgiveness in my spiritual direction coursework. Additionally, Wisdom Tree Collective used his book The World Wisdom Bible as a focus in our…
