So many voices compete inside my head— an echo chamber of deafening confusion: The obliger tyrant screams, “You must!” The inner critic scoffs, “You can’t!” The pleading child whines, “I need you!” The scolding parent judges, “You shouldn’t!” They are noise that pollutes my soul’s tranquility, […]
Faith
What Shall I Give God? Only All That I Am…
My guest blogger today is Karla Petty, whose article, originally titled “One Fool’s Offering. What’s Yours?” was featured in The Coracle blog a few months ago. It touched me at a time when I was struggling with my spiritual direction and feeling pulled by too many people in too many directions. It is such a fascinating […]
Head, Heart, And Gut: A Holy Trinity?
While I was talking with my wonderful cousin Lisbet on the phone today, I had a flash of insight on how to make better decisions. Our conversations are always thoughtful and wide-ranging, and she was telling me about the welcoming and inclusive culture of her new church home. We discussed the importance of being able to “live […]
Do You Wish You Felt Closer To God?
Join me For the 2017 “Journey Within” writing retreat at Shrine Mont [Text from flyer below, since it’s hard to read online]: Connect with God through writing… For those who enjoy writing—whether fiction or nonfiction, journaling or note writing—putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can be a powerful tool for strengthening your connection […]
Seek A Holy Lent: The 5 Marks Of Love
A different kind of Lenten discipline Lent is a unique and sacred season of the Christian year. I’ve written in past years (see “Lent’s Mysterious Call of Spirit“) about how moved I am by the mysteries of our faith and this time of year when we are called to reflect deeply on them. Lent is […]
Did You Hear God’s Voice?
How many signs from God do we miss because they weren’t what we expected? My guest Annette Petrick shares a powerful story. She and I hope it will help you hear God’s voice and feel God’s touch much more often. Use the audio player below to listen to this 90-second show…here’s what Annette said about this episode: […]
Stepping Stones To God: My Spiritual Writing Retreat
I was flattered to be asked to lead a weekend writing retreat last month at Shrine Mont, a very special Episcopal Church conference center at Orkney Springs, Virginia, in the mountains between Virginia and West Virginia. The invitation came several months before the actual retreat, so I said yes enthusiastically, welcoming the opportunity to spread my wings […]
Don’t Build On A Sinkhole
Any contractor will tell you a sinkhole makes a poor foundation. It’s as true for life as it is for buildings. Sometimes you read something that just smacks you in the head with its simple wisdom. Such was a sentence from a devotion by Lane Morris Buckman in Forward Day by Day on July 16, 2016. The […]