Tag: Spiritual Director
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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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Leaning Into Discomfort: Transforming Your Life
“Fiction is crisis.” I was reminded of this quote by Jonathan Maberry in a recent Writer’s Digest article, where Ryan Givens Cleave described how fiction thrives on a character’s messy, complicated life. You don’t write about a group of happy people having a lovely day. Instead, you embrace tension, challenge, and the need for problem-solving.…
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Weaknesses That Make You a Better Team Player
“I’m so small,” said the mole. “Yes,” said the boy. “But you make a huge difference.” -Quote from The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy I was recently at a meeting where we were asked to write down all the strengths we bring to the team. It was an uncomfortable assignment…
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The Impact of Dreamwork and Faith
Dreamwork and how faith can be impacted on an interpersonal level. Dreamwork and faith can intersect to have the power to shape our lives in profound ways. If we pay attention to our dreams, they can influence our beliefs, actions, and overall well-being. Many years ago, I went through a divorce. Many nights I was…
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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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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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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…
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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…
