Good morning... When we are afraid we begin to draw lines. "Us or them." "In or out." "Bad or good." Our lines litter our own comfort zone, shutting out others, "No. No. No." The very first female did the exact same thing. We pick up Eve's story in Genesis 3:1-3. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of [...]
Good morning... Because I did not grow up catholic and I have never wrestled competitively like my husband and our sons, I have never fasted. Until yesterday. A few weeks back, I happened upon these words in the book we are reading for our Spiritual Direction training program. Saint Ignatius of Loyola "spoke not of extended fasts but rather [...]
She read aloud another favorite quote: "And then it felt as though these thoughts came across to me in a prayer: 'Walk on with empty hands, because I have so much more to give you in the future, and you can't receive it if your hands are full. Don't be afraid that in letting go you are losing anything [...]
Good morning... As I was texting back and forth with a close friend recently diagnosed with cancer, the words from an old hymn came bubbling up, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." We were both drawn to the simplicity of focus. Be happy in Jesus. Trust. [...]
Good morning... Prayerfully reflecting on our intimate conversation, God exposed my own fearful coping mechanism. In the face of tearful, grieving pain, I talked too much. I took up too much space in the room. Stuck in my head, I rambled on. An excessive amount of words poured out of my mouth, as I tried to explain God's big [...]
Good morning... As she nestled into the monastery for a weekend retreat, my friend read these framed words on the wall. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation and be notorious. - Rumi By nature, she plays it safe. She heeds the warning signs of her fears. Her reputation has taken a long time to [...]
As I wrote a reminder email to my Tuesday class, I included the following quote from this week's chapter. In the afternoon, we settled into my living room. Sharing thoughts and learning collaboratively, we talked candidly about the things that get in the way of our wholehearted living. Read these words outloud, again they resonated. "In Jungian circles, shame [...]
Good morning... God held up a universal mirror through the words of Henri Nouwen yesterday. On 5.6.16, Nouwen's morning meditation touched our truth: "As fearful people we are inclined to develop a mind-set that makes us say: 'There's not enough food for everyone, so I better be sure I save enough for myself in case of emergency,' or 'There's [...]
