Tag: spiritual practice
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The abundance of just enough
I recently spent 5 days on retreat at a Benedictine convent, which was restful and soul-filling. So much has stayed with me about my time there, but the one thing I keep coming back to is the simple, mindful way of life the Sisters have cultivated within their community. The Rule of St. Benedict, which…
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Give a prayer (Day 21 of #24DaysofGiving)
My husband and I are both involved in church ministry. He co-leads a Sunday evening service at The Well, a new worshiping community here in Atlanta, and I facilitate spiritual formation groups and classes. Year-round, no matter the season or the holiday, prayers are always needed and requested. Polls have shown that 75% of Americans believe…
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ForGIVEness for yourself and others (Advent Day 10)
A lot has been said about the power of forgiveness to heal and transform lives. Forgiveness is one of the most crucial spiritual teachings we have been given to learn, yet it can be one of the most difficult to put into practice. “Forgive and forget” is a popular mantra, but in truth, it can…
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Today only
I recently held a workshop, where my students and I examined the Five Reiki Principles (sometimes called the Reiki Precepts) and discussed how we can find ways to apply them to our daily life and spiritual practice, During the workshop, I assigned a group exercise for the next 6 weeks. We are mindfully working with…
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Life is my monastery
Last night, my husband and I finished watching the beautiful documentary, Into Great Silence, an illuminating look at the lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps. The monks live a simple, ascetic spiritual life, devoted to prayer and silence, Scheduled times are intentionally set aside for walks, conversation and, in…
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Listen to the Spirit
I was looking through some boxes of books in our basement and came across Let There Be Light: Based on the Visionary Spirituality of Hildegard of Bingen. It had been given to my husband by a Sister of Mercy he used to work for at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and it is a 30 day meditation…
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Psalm 23 Summer Faith Challenge – God in our space
For the summer sermon series at our church, Decatur Presbyterian Church, our congregation was presented with an intriguing choice: a deep dive into Psalm 23. I admit I was surprised, since I tend to associate Psalm 23 (as many others do) as the standard Scriptural text for funerals and graveside commitments. In fact, I’m not…
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21 Day Practice: Days 12-14 – Discomfort zone
The last few days have been hard. Really hard. Certain aspects of my personal and professional life that are entwined (for better or worse) now require change, at a time when the future of my business seems uncertain. I’ve known for some time that these changes need to be made, but resisted because I needed…
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21 Day Practice: Days 10 and 11 – That’s why they call it a practice
I woke up yesterday feeling pretty good and the first part of the morning went as usual. Then, there was an unexpected change of plans and suddenly, a wave of stress and anxiety hit that I couldn’t shake for hours. That, and the Grumpy Monkey was back, tossing mental banana peels in my path. I…
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21 Day Practice: Days 8 and 9 – Source codes, unicorns and rainbows
I spent yesterday facilitating a life coaching workshop and was wiped out when I got home, so I’ve had to combine two days into one. The workshop participants all happened to be my Reiki students as well, so the workshop dovetailed nicely with the 21 Day Practice we’re doing. I talked a bit about the…
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