Two of the most common challenges in the spiritual life are trust and patience. We say that we trust, but we give in to anxiety. We pray to discern the right course of action, but we want answers now. How do we break those habits? It has sometimes been said that the opposite of faith […]
I manage to roll out of bed just a tad earlier than normal. I stumble down the stairs, collapse into a great, leathery chair, and pull out my pile of spiritual reading. I close my eyes, take in a deep breath, bless myself, and… I hear the scampering feet of my two little girls as […]
I’ve been enjoying watching the family of bluebirds in my yard. I watched the parents’ courtship, the nest building, the egg laying, and the hatching and fledging. I was fascinated with how the parents brought food back to the nest, where they were met by open-mouthed baby birds fully prepared to accept what was given […]
What is the best gift you have ever received? This question is a favorite icebreaker question, and I am always stumped when I try to answer it. As most icebreakers involve quick thinking, I usually give a superficial answer that, upon further reflection, is not actually a true one. The things that always come to […]
One of my grandmother’s favorite expressions was, “One of the things you can always count on in life is change.” There were many times as a teen or young adult when I did not appreciate her words, especially if they came right after I shared my struggle with change. After listening to my moaning and […]
When I was young, each autumn I waited anxiously for the Sears Christmas catalog to arrive in the mailbox. Three to six hundred glossy pages, the famous Wish Book held almost everything a child could dream of. My friends and I would sprawl on the floor, pencils in hand, circling and starring items that seemed […]
Advent is a sacred season of preparing space for Christ to come into our lives. Yet in life’s busyness, sometimes I find it difficult to embrace fully the spiritual depth of Advent. Ignatian spirituality offers a contemplative and transformative way to deepen our experience of Advent. The first week of Advent begins with a message […]
When my first son was born, I lost my breath. I looked at this exquisite, tiny person looking up at me and couldn’t breathe or speak. Time seemed to stand still. There were no words, none that I knew anyway, that could express the depth of the feelings I had in that moment. Gratitude and […]
